There are times when we all feel helpless. In those moments, the Lord instructs us to take heart because there is something He wants us to understand. Taking heart comes after we “tell of the Lord’s greatness and exalt the Lord together” (Psalm 34: 3). There is a power released when a testimony of God’s greatness is spoken during a time of personal struggle.

As those testimonies are released, the Lord will begin freeing us from our fears. Those who do this will become “radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces” (vs.5). It will change how we appear in the face of helplessness. This kind of remembrance happens in the depths of our greatest desperation when we choose to pray and believe that God has heard our plea. 

As we pray with that kind of confidence, something happens, “For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him” (vs. 7). This is not a fear of punishment from God. It is a sense of awe in His majesty. No longer does a debilitating fear cripple our faith and render us helpless. The Lord will surround us overcoming our helplessness to reveal unimagined outcomes. The next verse tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (vs. 8). It is like an invitation to taste the combined ingredients of a meal to determine if it is ready to serve or needs to have something else added. When respect for God and a realization of His greatness are present, a change happens in how we see what made us feel helpless. 

In these times when we are being changed, a provision begins to happen, “For those who fear him will have all they need” (vs. 9). That promise is not just for our physical needs. It involves all areas in our lives where we begin to experience a deepening satisfaction with the Lord as we begin to receive His emotional and spiritual provision.

In the times when we feel the most helpless, an invitation is extended to us, “Come my children, and listen to me, and I will teach you to fear the Lord” (vs. 11). We need God’s help to see that our helpless feelings are a teaching tool used by God to shift our attention away from the events in our lives that make us feel helpless to the faithful Lord who wants us to see that He is at work in our lives expressing His greatness. Realizing the Lord’s presence in our place of fear and helplessness is what creates our testimony of God’s greatness. In the declaration of that testimony, no feeling of helplessness can withstand the influence of His presence.