Sincere Gratitude: The Greatest Gift

06/29/2008 Filed in: A Season of Psalms
Sincere Gratitude:  The Greatest Gift   (Psalm 34)
 
 
You should practice personal worship
    • Your worship should be continuous
[1] I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
    • Your worship should be contagious
[2] My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
    • Your worship should be corporate
[3] Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.
 
You should promote your personal witness
    • God delivered me
[4] I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
    • God delighted me
[5] Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
    • God defended me
[6] This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.  [7] The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
 
You should seek personal wisdom
    • Taste the Lord
[8] Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
    • Tremble before the Lord
[9] Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
    • Turn to the Lord
[10] The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
    • Turn from evil
[11] Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.  [12] Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,  [13] keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.  [14a]  Turn from evil...
    • Turn to good
[14b] ...and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
 
You should personify personal wonder
    • The Lord sees and hears
[15] The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;  [16] the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.  [17] The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    • The Lord rescues
[17] The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;  [18] he delivers them from all their troubles.  [19] A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all;  [20] he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
    • The Lord judges
[21] Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
    • The Lord redeems
[22] The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.