Psalm 34: Not An Incomplete God

I read Psalm 34 this past year in my daily Bible study plan, and there was a pattern that stuck out to me. In almost every verse, there is a reference to something being complete, or something that is always done. The Psalm used words that described completeness both in the positive and negative: “all,” “continually,” “none,” “not one,”. These words allude to the idea that there is no lack with God. There is no room for anything different than what has been promised or vowed. That is because God is not an incomplete God. He is a Complete God. He doesn’t give partially, or forgets to add something. Whatever He says, will happen (Isaiah 55:11). Whatever He has begun in us, it will be completed in us (Philippians 1:6), and no one else. His holy name even alludes to a form of never ending and never lacking (Exodus 3:14). “I AM” in Hebrew is translated to just “I am and will be”, or just “to be”.[1] That name in itself is complete. He is a Complete God. And because God is complete, we in turn have to be complete in our prayer, thankfulness, faith, and trust.

Psalm 34 Summary

Psalm 34 Encourages us to bless the Lord at ALL times (v. 1). We are promised that God will deliver us out of ALL our fears and troubles (v. 4-5). When we trust and fear the Lord, we have NO WANT for anything, and we do not lack ANYTHING (v. 9-10). And though we may have many troubles, God delivers us from ALL of them (v. 19), establishing Him as bigger than any problem we may face. We are protected by God, and NONE of our bones are broken (v. 20). When we trust in Him for everything, NONE OF US will be condemned or forsaken (v. 22).

Prayer

            Philippians instructs us to bring everything to God, no matter what it is (4:6), and in exchange, God’s peace will be with us. This peace surpasses ALL understanding (4:7), which means only God can understand it. The overwhelming gift of peace from God is something that is never withheld from us and comes by giving our all to God. Jesus tells us that God is aware of ALL that we need (Matthew 6:31). Once we pray to God, and give Him the glory without seeking outside praise, then we can experience God’s goodness as He intended for us since the very beginning (Matthew 6:2-6, 16-18, 33-34), and we can experience ALL of it.

Thankfulness

            1 Thessalonians 5:18 requires us to give thanks to God for EVERYTHING and during ANYTIME. We must be complete in our thankfulness, and not be ungrateful. We should never grumble or complain but thank God that we have an opportunity to look to him. I know when I’m in difficult situations, it’s an opportunity for me to realize that I need God. So, I try to be thankful for every situation. And I continually pray that God uses the situation to draw me nearer to Him. And one thing that helps is remembering what God has brought me through. We have to remember the bad as much as the good. King David instructs us to praise God and remember ALL that He has done for us, including delivering us from ALL our sins and illnesses (Psalm 103:1-3).

Faith

            I aspire to be the centurion that Jesus spoke of, complimenting his great faith (Matthew 8:8-10). That was complete faith that Jesus himself had not found ANYWHERE in Israel. Job also shows us how to have complete faith in God, by praising Him despite his hardships, and giving reverence to Him as well (Job 13:15). Job says that NO PURPOSE of God’s can be withheld from Him (Job 42:2). David prayed to God that His promises would be fulfilled concerning Israel (1 Chronicles 17:23). Later on, King Solomon praises God for fulfilling those same promises (2 Chronicles 6:4, 14). Having a Complete God means having complete faith that God will do what He says, and praising Him at all stages, not the least at the end, where we finally receive our reward. And God’s promises always come, no matter how long it takes!

Trust

            Trusting in God is one of the most difficult things we can do. However, the times I do trust in Him, I realize how minute my problems are, and I’m filled with peace. 1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast ALL of our cares onto him. This is how we become complete in trusting a Complete God. Complete trust is proven to be beneficial for us every time. And trusting in God for me means realizing that God is the ultimate one in control, no one else. Which means that God knows exactly what I need, what I feel, and what my future is (Job 23:10, 13-14). Nothing I do can change God’s final plan for my life (Job 9:3-12). Every decision I make, or even think about making, God has seen it. He has His hand on every little thing, even things I don’t think about! (Luke 12:7). And especially things that are definitely out of my control. David remembered God’s promise to Israel, how He blessed them to the land of Canaan, even when they were “few in number” (Psalm 105:11-12). And God even told David that if all He had given to him had been too little, He would have given him more (2 Samuel 12:8).

Can you imagine that? If God had any doubt that the blessings He’s given us were not enough, He would not hesitate in given us more. The blessings we have now: waking up in the morning, being able to see, to hear, to walk, to feel, to think, to work….those are sometimes overwhelming for me. The sudden $20 we find in our pocket, or the sudden acceptance for a job offer or educational opportunity—things that seemed impossible— are given to us as if it were the most natural thing. Because it is. God’s complete faithfulness should ignite a desire to be completely faithful to God. And we show our faithfulness by praying, thanking, and trusting—completing trusting— our loving Father to give us what we need. Because He is not an incomplete God.

-Sherry Amor

[1] Bible Project, God’s Name Has Changed? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLrGM26pmM0