Seeking Peace, Pursuing God

“What must a man do who desires life?” That’s the question David answers in Psalm 34. In verse 14, he gives us a clear and powerful exhortation:

“Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”

There’s more here than a moral guideline. This is a spiritual roadmap. Let’s walk through it.

We Are Facing the Wrong Way

David’s first instruction is to turn away from evil. The implication is striking: we are already facing it. Evil is our default orientation. Left to ourselves, we align with it—not necessarily out of overt malice, but by living apart from God, who is the source of all good.

This turning is repentance. It’s not merely behavioral change; it’s a reorientation of the heart and will. It’s the first step toward life.

Doing Good Requires Alignment with God

David says, “do good.” But this raises a deeper question: how do we do good? Goodness isn’t just about actions—it’s about orientation. To do good, we must be aligned with the One who is good. Remember Jesus’ words: “No one is good but God alone.” (Mark 10:18)

A person who loves God does good things because they are in step with God’s heart. Goodness flows from communion with the God who defines it. Apart from Him, our “good” loses its grounding.

Peace: Sought, Pursued, and Hunted

Next, David says to seek peace and pursue it. These are strong, deliberate verbs. Peace doesn’t simply arrive. It must be sought. And once it’s found, it often flees—so we must pursue it.

To seek peace means hunting for points of agreement—worthy ones. As Christians, we unite around the Lordship of Christ and the love of God. This kind of peace isn’t shallow tolerance; it’s rooted in truth and shaped by love.

Here David seems to echo an earlier image in verse 10:

“The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”

Young lions seek and pursue prey with focused intensity. Their survival depends on it. In verse 14, David recycles that imagery—but redirects the object of pursuit. We are to have the hunting heart of a young lion, not for prey, but for peace.

This is a stunning reversal. The natural hunger of a predator becomes a spiritual hunger for reconciliation and wholeness. And here’s the promise: while even young lions go hungry, those who fear the Lord—those who turn from evil and seek peace—will not lack any good thing. Our pursuit will be successful because it’s grounded in the fear of God and led by the Spirit of God.

The Path of Peace: Repentance, Forgiveness, Reconciliation

True peace doesn’t come by avoiding conflict—it comes by healing it. That healing involves:

• Repentance – turning from evil and realigning ourselves with what is good.

• Forgiveness – releasing others and ourselves from the grip of sin and debt.

• Reconciliation – restoring relationships and mending what was torn.

This is not something we do in our own strength. The Holy Spirit empowers us and brings peace with God. Jesus Himself is our peace (Ephesians 2:14), and His Spirit makes that peace a living reality.

Pursue Peace by Pursuing God

At the heart of this verse is a call to pursue God Himself. God is good. God is the peacemaker. He is the One who made peace with us through the blood of His Son (Colossians 1:20). When we seek peace, we’re seeking Him. When we pursue peace, we’re imitating His heart.

So, if you desire life—true, abundant, eternal life—heed David’s words:

Turn from evil.

Do good.

Seek peace.

Pursue it like a lion.

Because in doing so, you’re pursuing the God who gives life and never lets His people go hungry.