Mey Deras | ROOTED Biblical Counseling Services

What Psalm 34 taught me about where to look when life hurts

by Mey Deras | Estimated Reading Time: 4 mins.

The Day I Sat in Church With a Smile and a Storm Inside

I still remember the Sunday I walked up to welcome and encourage the congregation from Psalm 34. I quoted truths like, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,” and “He delivers the righteous from all their troubles.”

But inside?
I was broken. I felt like the sadness was spilling over my whole body. It made my chest tight and gave me a back ache.

That morning, I had barely pulled myself together. I had cried the night before. I smiled in the lobby and lifted my hands during worship. I know that pain and sorrow can go together. My circumstances felt suffocating. But I kept showing up, because that’s what ministry leaders do, right?

I didn’t know that Psalm 34 wasn’t just a text for the people I was encouraging. It was an invitation from God to shift my focus. This happened in the middle of my anguish.

What Psalm 34 Really Says About “Troubles”

We often read Psalm 34:19 and nod in agreement:

Many are the troubles of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him from them all.

But here’s what most of us don’t realize:
The Hebrew word used for “troubles” here is raʿ. This word means far more than just external hardships.

It refers to distress, grief, moral evil, sorrow, anguish, calamity.
In other words, it’s not just what’s happening to you, it’s also what’s happening inside you.

That realization stopped me in my tracks. God wasn’t only concerned with the circumstances pressing in on me. He was deeply present in my internal ache, my anxiety, fear, and quiet disappointment. The pain that no one else could see? He saw it all.

From Self to Savior: A Holy Reorientation

So this is what Psalm 34 invites us to do:

• Instead of focusing on my pain → I can focus on His presence
• Instead of repeating my sorrows → I can rehearse His nearness
• Instead of being consumed by my troubles → I can be comforted that He delivers

The psalm doesn’t say God only acts after our trials are over. He is present in them.

This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him… (v.6)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted… (v.18)

There’s a deeper kind of healing that happens when our focus shifts. The pain doesn’t always disappear, but the weight of it no longer pierce us.

When You Want to Give Up He’s Already Coming Close

So what do you do when you’re hurting and leading?
When you’re encouraging others while needing to be reminded of hope for your own heart?

You remember this:

Let the afflicted hear and rejoice. (v.2)

That verse shocked me. Afflicted people can still rejoice, not because their pain is gone, but because their God is near.

We don’t rejoice in the pain. We rejoice in the truth, in the character of the God who rescues.

The Story Comes Full Circle

After I shared that message from Psalm 34, I went home and sobbed. Not because I was anxious, but because I had let go of the pressure to “be okay” to be used by God. While encouraging others I realized is okay to also encourage my own soul.

He wasn’t waiting for me to be strong.
He was inviting me to shift my focus from the storm to the one who calms the storm, my Savior.

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Psalm 103:1

From that Sunday morning until now, the issue hasn’t been completely resolved (Hallelujah! some of it has been worked out). But what matters is that I started suffering “well.” I trust more in my Lord now. Instead of crying with a tight chest and a heavy burden, I continue to bring my petition experiencing peace. He will act on our behalf and according to his purpose.

A Quiet Invitation for You

He’s inviting you too. If you’re tired, overwhelmed, or quietly hurting while still serving others. Psalm 34 is for you.
It’s not a promise of perfect circumstances. It’s an invitation to deeper hope.

I created a devotional called Loved & Whole to walk with you through this type of healing.
Click here to receive your 7-day devotional. It is a gentle guide to help you rest in the God who sees, hears, and delivers.