What Psalm 34 has Taught Me about Anxiety
I’ve been struggling with anxiety recently. It’s hard for me to admit, because often I want people to think highly of me, and my pride wants me to pretend like I’m always okay. But the truth is, we’re not always okay. If we were always okay, we wouldn’t need Jesus and we wouldn’t need other believers to come around us and support us. It is not fun to struggle with anxiety, but I have also been encouraged that even though I feel weak, God is strong and I can fully lean upon Him.
I’ve been thinking for a while about what to write on my blog, mainly because I felt like I couldn’t write about anything when I was struggling. I didn’t want to share about something meaningless, something that God wasn’t pressing on my heart. Recently, I’ve felt ready to share again. I’ve been really encouraged by the Psalms as I’ve been struggling with anxiety. David did not hide his emotional struggles, and if God proved Himself to be a comforter and sustainer David, then He will be that for me, too.
I’ve been reading Psalm 34 a lot. Here’s some lessons God has been teaching me through this Psalm about my anxiety.
1: I can still praise God, no matter what I’m feeling.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice. O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:1-3 (NASB)
Blessing the Lord “at all times” doesn’t mean just when I feel like it or when I am excited about seeing God’s hand at work in my life. Sometimes it looks like saying that I choose to worship and exalt God’s name even when I feel like I can’t see His hand. I’ve found that when I turn my eyes to God and choose to worship in my anxiety, I begin to see the little ways God has been present in my day, even if it’s just the colorful fall leaves or an encouraging song on the radio.
2: Seek God when you’re afraid.
I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them. Psalm 34:4-7
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry. Psalm 34:15
The righteous cry, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. Psalm 34:17
I struggle with ruminating over my anxieties, running through a million what-ifs and feeling the pressure of it all on my shoulders. I tend to believe that I need to solve all my own problems and all the problems of the world, and that is not my job. I am not God. Learning to take my fears to God right away has been a slow, hard process for me. But God is good, and when we take our fears to Him, He can open our eyes to how big and strong He is and how capable He is to handle my fears. I’ve been thinking a lot over the words of one favorite childhood song, “My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do.” God can handle whatever we cry out to Him with, whether it be irrational fears, anxieties about an uncertain future, or even mixed feelings over life’s changes.
I love verse five, that looking to God makes us radiant. I don’t feel very radiant when I’m anxious. But when I spend time in God’s presence, give Him my problems, and focus on His glory, I can be radiant because He’s my focus, not my own issues.
3: God is good and we can take refuge in Him; He meets our needs.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want. The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing. Psalm 34:8-10
It’s easy to try to find refuge in social media, TV, food, coffee, or even sleep. And while those things can offer temporary relief from are struggles (and food and sleep are good, necessary things!), they can’t offer lasting comfort. God is constant, strong, and reliable. He is always there to be a refuge, whether driving to school or lying awake in bed at night. And He will meet our needs, not just our physical needs, but our spiritual and emotional needs if we seek Him. (As a side note, sometimes God meets our needs through other people or outside help like medication. Don’t be ashamed to seek counseling from a pastor or Biblical counselor, and it’s okay to take medication when you need it.)
4: God is near.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Sometimes when we go through hard times, it can feel like God is distant. It can be tempting to believe that God isn’t good because He hasn’t removed our trials or that He must be distant because a “good Christian” doesn’t struggle with anxiety (or depression, mental health, etc.). But God says that He is near to those who are hurting. Even if my emotions don’t feel like God is near, God’s Word is truth (see John 17:17) and if He says that He is near, then the truth is that He is near to me in my hurt. It is my choice to believe my emotions or to believe God’s truth. The more I choose to believe God’s truth, the more my emotions will start to align with what I believe.
I hope you are encouraged, friend, to turn to God in your hurt, whatever it may be. God is near, He loves you, He will listen to you, and He is strong enough to carry you and your burdens. Read Psalm 34. Pray and seek God, and choose to believe His Word today. You are so loved, child of God.
With love,
Kelsey
