Close Call

 

Psalm 34:2 (NIV) - I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

Psalm 34 is a special Psalm.

It is a Psalm of David that is an acrostic poem.

This means each verse begins with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

But that is not the only thing that makes it special.

Verse two is about the rejected and downtrodden.

The psalmist offers God his praise and lifts those whom society rejects in prayer.

Paul offers similar sentiments in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:4-5 (NIV) - Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Paul reminds us that we are to rejoice and glorify the Lord.

In fact, he reminds us twice!

He also reminds us that the Lord is close by even when circumstances appear dark.

He also reminds us that as Christians, our gentleness should be evidence to all.

Fortunately for us, Christ told us how he wants us to treat others.

Moreover, He demonstrated how we are to live.

As a result, we really have no choice but to praise and glorify the Lord.

And the combination of peace and joy we feel proves that the Lord is near.

As we reach out to others, especially those in difficult circumstances, they too can rejoice.

They too can glorify God.

They too can experience his nearness.

Blessings,

Jim Pokorny

The Other Brother Jim

Look for me at https://faithfulfeetteam.blogspot.com/ on Friday, July 7, 2023.

I will be back here on Friday, July 14, 2023