Psalm 34:15-22 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 34:15-22 on biblegateway.com
Verse 15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry.
Verse 16The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Verse 17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles.
Verse 18The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
Verse 19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.
Verse 20He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken.
Verse 21Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
Verse 22The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Devotion
Some of us know the discomfort of broken bones. It is amazing how the pain of even one broken bone can permeate the body. Troubles are multiplied. Discouragement breaks our hearts.
What a wonderful promise is given to the righteous in Psalm 34: The Lord will deliver from all troubles. God “keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken” (v. 20). The psalmist reaches into the future when Jesus would hang on the cross, taking on the troubles and sins of humankind. For all the pains of the passion, not one of Jesus’s bones would be broken. The psalmist reaches into our future when we see how the death and resurrection of this Righteous One delivers us from our troubles and sins.
Through faith, we can be counted among the righteous. God’s ears are open to our cries. The Lord is near the brokenhearted. The lives of his servants are redeemed.
Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, I give you thanks and praise for the gift of salvation through the death of Jesus. Thank you for the gift of faith that brings the hope of healing, the joy of new life and the strength to serve. Deliver us this day from sin and keep safe all our bones. Amen.