Redemption and Refuge

 

The Lord redeems his servants …

—from Psalm 34:22

Throughout Psalm 34, King David has extolled the virtues of God as protector, helper, guide, and deliverer. He continues that theme with these words, found in Psalm 34:22:

The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

God has chosen those He wishes to belong to Himself—those whom He chooses as His ambassadors. And, He has redeemed them from the penalty of sin and death. He vouchsafes their redemption. He opens the way for them to take refuge and find protection from the evil that would devour them.

As we begin a new day, we are numbered among those whom God has called to Himself, through the redeeming power of His Son, Jesus. Therefore, we are indeed redeemed and we are given a place of refuge. We can hide under God’s protection from the evil that would enslave us. We can find a place of safety in a world filled with traps. We can rest safely in the arms of the God who loved us enough to sacrifice His one and only Son in our behalf. We are of all people most blessed.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

The Wicked Will Fail

 

Evil will slay the wicked …

—from Psalm 34:21

Have you ever encountered someone truly wicked, someone who made your life way more difficult, and you thought to yourself:

“How does this person get away with what he or she does?”

If you’ve had such an experience, you’re not alone. Many of us have asked this question time and time again.

Yes, many of us, particularly in work situations, have encountered someone in power over us who uses that power to demean, harass, control, and make the lives of the persons reporting to that one miserable. Such a person often has extremely low self-esteem, and tries to boost his or her esteem by treating others harshly.

On rarer occasions, such a person may actually meet the definition psychologists use for a “sociopath.” Most often, by clinical definition, such a sociopath has no empathy for others, sees the world only as it relates to his or her own ego, divides the world into people whom he or she can manipulate (“buddies”) and people whom he or she cannot manipulate (“targets”), and has the ability to skillfully lie about almost everything to get his or her own way.

King David recognized the burden that such people represent to God’s dearly loved children. That prompted David to write these words found in Psalm 34:21:

Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

The very acts these evil people commit will ultimately slay them. In addition, anyone who opposes God’s righteous children will be condemned by God and by others. So, it’s a very good idea to not wonder if such a one will always get away with what they do. They won’t. Ultimately, they will always reap the evil they have sown.

The lesson for those of us who belong to God, through Christ, is that we must guard our minds and hearts, so that we do not emulate the behavior of those who are truly evil. Making people afraid of us is not leadership. Winning people’s hearts and minds works far more effectively than any other management philosophy.

As we begin a new day, let’s remember to emulate Jesus. If we set our minds and hearts to doing that, we will not fall prey to the evil influences around us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Lord, The Deliverer

 

A righteous one may have many troubles …

—from Psalm 34:19

Whenever we get into trouble, we often need someone to help us. That trouble may be something that has occurred as a result of sin in our lives. It can also be the result of something over which we have absolutely no control: such as illness, or disease, or harm to us brought on by someone else. Nevertheless, when we realize we have fallen down a deep hole, we need someone to help us out. King David recognized this very fact when he wrote these words found in Psalm 34:19-20:

A righteous man (or woman) may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him (or her) from them all; he protects all his (or her) bones, not one of them will be broken.

This passage is often used as a Messianic prophesy referring to the death of Christ on the cross where, despite their normal procedures, the Roman soldiers did not break any of Jesus’ bones. But, it also stands on its own as yet one more example of how God patiently waits to render aid to His dearly loved children whenever trouble assails them.

As we begin this new day, let’s celebrate the reality of God’s divine Presence in our lives. He is our protector, He is our helper, He is our loving Father who looks out for us. And, when we see those in need around us, let’s show God’s agape love by being willing to help those in genuine need.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Saving the Crushed in Spirit

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted …

—from Psalm 34:18

I once felt crushed in my spirit at a very early age. Please let me explain.

I was only seven years old at the time. I had spent a week on the shore of Lake Erie, near Silver Creek, New York. We had rented a cottage from a friend of my father’s. It was a fun time and one that opened an entire new chapter in my life.

In the rented cottage right next door, the one that actually had frontage on the Lake, lived a mother, a father, and the most beautiful little seven-year-old girl I had ever seen. I was very surprised to learn that this family also had their primary residence in my hometown of Bradford, Pennsylvania. While I lived on the north side of the city and attended the Sixth Ward Elementary School, this delightful little girl lived on the west side of the city and attended the Hobson Place Elementary School. Until meeting at the Lake, our paths had never crossed in our relatively small city of 18,000 people.

We had a delightful time at the Lake that week. And, for the first time in my young life, I became utterly fascinated with this magnificent girl. Her name was Vicki. Even after more than 71 years, I can still remember exactly what she looked like: the sun reflecting off the Lake and illuminating her beautiful pale skin.

I came home from that week at the Lake and felt lost—absolutely lost. For days I moped around the house. My mom tried to assure me that Vicki was just one of many delightful young ladies I would meet in the course of my life. But, that didn’t relieve the sense of loss that I felt. I was truly crushed in my spirit.

As I write these words, I can’t help but chuckle at my own childish foolishness. The setting that summer at the Lake was a truly unique experience. In no other setting would I ever have had the opportunity to meet and to get to know this little girl. She and I came from totally different worlds. I later learned that her family was well off financially, had a lovely up-scale home, had really nice clothing, and had a country club membership, while I came from a relatively poor family. She spent her time in various activities that included riding horses, water skiing, and learning to play golf. I spent my leisure time at church and reading books about electronics and radio stations.

I never had the opportunity to connect with her again. By the time I reached Junior High School, where all the Elementary Schools funneled into a single building, her family had moved to another city. Then I later learned, they moved back for a short time and, all too soon, moved away again. But, from all accounts that I heard, by that time she had transformed into someone that seemed quite unlike that delightful little girl I had met many years ago. I am absolutely certain that, very soon after we first met, she had no memory of me whatsoever.

When it comes to feeling crushed in one’s spirit, many of you could tell a much more realistic and much sadder tale of some very serious event in your life that caused a deep hurt in your very soul. My illustration seems quite trivial in comparison. It sticks in my mind only because it was the first time I had experienced such helpless feelings. Of course, in the many years since those long-ago days, I have had some genuine tragedies that have plunged me into an ever-deeper sense of spirit-crunching despair.

Fortunately, King David shares these comforting words from Psalm 34:18:

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

When we experience a genuine time of hurt and disappointment in our lives, God stands ready to reach down with His arms of love and give us a holy hug. He knows what it is to experience loss. After all, He gave up His one and only Son, Jesus, to become the One who paid the penalty for our sins, dying on the cruel Roman cross of torture. As Jesus took on the sins of all humankind, in His holiness and for a brief moment in time, God had to turn His back on His only Son.

Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story. But, as we begin this new day, whenever we wonder if anyone can relate to what we may be experiencing in our lives, we can rest assured that God can. He understands. He will comfort us and He will heal our broken hearts.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

God Hears Us

 

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them …

—from Psalm 34:17

If you fall down a deep hole and yell for help, help will not come if no one can hear you. That seems self-evident. You may cry out over and over again. If no one can hear you call, then help won’t come.

But, if you cry out for help and someone is specifically listening for that cry, aid will come to you quickly. That’s the concept that King David wanted to convey, when he wrote the words found in Psalm 34:17:

The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

God is always listening to our cry for help. Therefore, as we begin another new day, we can launch out into the world knowing that God is always listening to our cries that indicate we need help. We don’t ever have to face a time when no one is listening. God is ever-present and always attuned to the sound of our voices. Why? Because God loves us with His unfailing, undying love. He has called us to come to Him and receive every good and perfect gift that He longs to joyfully give to us.

In like manner, as followers of Jesus, we can keep our own ears tuned to hear the genuine cries for help that may come from those who have very real needs. When we hear those cries, we can answer them on behalf of the God who loves us and desires us to show His agape love to others.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

An Angry Face

 

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil …

—from Psalm 34:16

Has anyone ever given you an angry look? Maybe it was one of your parents, when you persisted in doing something that they had told you not to do. Perhaps it was a teacher, who had made it clear there were rules to follow, but you decided to do what you wanted to do anyway. It might even have been your boss at work, who would let you know that what you were saying in a meeting was not acceptable.

I had some friends growing up who spoke about their dad having what they called “The Look.” Their dad was a quiet man, who never said very many words. But, whenever one of his sons did something wrong, he could instantly shame them by giving them “The Look.” This is exactly what King David has in mind when he writes about God in Psalm 34:16:

The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

God has “The Look,” and it communicates all too well whenever someone does something that displeases Him. We may not see “The Look.” But, we can sense “The Look,” through the indwelling Holy Spirit, whenever God gives us “The Look.”

I know that it is not fashionable today to speak of God as someone who might get angry. But, Scripture makes it clear that a holy God cannot tolerate sin. That’s why He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to become a human and die on the cruel cross of Calvary to pay the penalty for the sins of all humankind.

God wants the children that He chooses to belong to Himself to become more and more obedient to His will and to His written Word. So, as we begin another new day, let’s determine to do just that—let’s become obedient children, as a sign of our love and appreciation for the God who first loved us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

His Eyes Are On Us!

 

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous …

—from Psalm 34:15

I always enjoy seeing the sign that reads:

“Warning! Neighborhood Watch!”

This sign reminds me that the people living in that particular neighborhood feel a responsibility to themselves and to each other to remain vigilant. They keep watch on what is going on in their surroundings. There is less chance of crime occurring whenever the people stay alert.

Not long ago, a “Neighborhood Watch” person reported to police that a moving van had pulled up to a house across the street. The neighbor knew that the people had experienced a death in the family and had traveled out of state for a funeral.

When the police arrived, they found criminals attempting to steal all of those people’s possessions. You see, the crooks had watched the obituaries to find someone that had died out of state. Then, they targeted the loved ones, who had gone to attend the far away funeral. Thanks to “Neighborhood Watch,” the criminals were arrested and their plot was foiled.

King David praises God for His ever-vigilant watchfulness in Psalm 34:15:

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.

As we begin a new day, let’s remain thankful that God watches over us. His eyes never leave us. His ears listen for our cries asking for help. We can move confidently into this day knowing that the God who loves us with His everlasting love keeps us always in view. He remains attentive to our cries for help. He listens for our expressions to Him of our love.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}