Psalm 34

0 Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
1  I will bless the LORD at all times;
  his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2  My soul makes its boast in the LORD;
  let the humble hear and be glad.
3  O magnify the LORD with me,
  and let us exalt his name together.
4  I sought the LORD, and he answered me,
  and delivered me from all my fears.
5  Look to him, and be radiant;
  so your faces shall never be ashamed.
6  This poor soul cried, and was heard by the LORD,
  and was saved from every trouble.
7  The angel of the LORD encamps
  around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8  O taste and see that the LORD is good;
  happy are those who take refuge in him.
9  O fear the LORD, you his holy ones,
  for those who fear him have no want.
10  The young lions suffer want and hunger,
  but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11  Come, O children, listen to me;
  I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12  Which of you desires life,
  and covets many days to enjoy good?
13  Keep your tongue from evil,
  and your lips from speaking deceit.
14  Depart from evil, and do good;
  seek peace, and pursue it.
15  The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
  and his ears are open to their cry.
16  The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
  to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
17  When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears,
  and rescues them from all their troubles.
18  The LORD is near to the brokenhearted,
  and saves the crushed in spirit.
19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
  but the LORD rescues them from them all.
20  He keeps all their bones;
  not one of them will be broken.
21  Evil brings death to the wicked,
  and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22  The LORD redeems the life of his servants;
  none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Daily Prayer (based on Psalm 34:1)

Surely, Gracious God, You are worthy of my continual praise. Given all You have done for me, an endless chorus of gratitude wouldn't begin to be enough. Yet, how easy it is for me to dismiss the thought of continual praise as some sort of unrealistic exaggeration, rather than as something to which I might truly aspire. Wouldn't it be something, Lord, if I could learn to live with a consistent awareness of Your goodness, and thus with a ceaseless sense of gratitude? As impossible as this seems, this is my prayer today. Help me, Lord, to be ceaselessly grateful. May Your praise be my first thought in the morning, and my last thought at night. Even today, dear Father, remind me of Your goodness again and again, so that I might bless You at all times. Amen.

Postscript

"This, therefore, is a rule which should be observed by the saints – they should often all into rembrance whatever good has been bestowed upon them by God; but if at any time he should display his power more illustriously in preserving them from sone danger, so much the more does it become them earnestly to testify their gratitude. Now if by one benefit alone God lays us under obligation to himself all our life, so that we may never lawfully cease from setting forth his praises, how much more when he heaps upon us innumerable benefits?" ( John Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 34)

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Except for the Scripture text, all material of The Daily Psalm Copyright © 2006 by Mark D. Roberts

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The Scripture text used in The Daily Psalm is from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved