Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;”
[Praise be to you, Lord, for your rich faithfulness, for your persistent love, for your deep commitment to your children. Praise you that you always watch over us, that you hear every prayer, every word, every thought. Praise you that you are totally aware of what is going on in our lives.
Your love is strong and deep and powerful. We can trust you to hear us whether we sense it or not, and to work out what is best, whether we understand it or not.]
Psalm 34:16 “the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
[What a stark contrast: from total redemption to total rejection. In your great Love, Lord, you hate evil and will deal with those who choose to live in it.
The greatest evil is to reject Jesus and His offer of forgiveness. Out of that rebellion and pride flow every other evil. At the right time, you will righteously end the earthly lives of all such rebels and wipe out even the memory of them. Praise you for your rejection of evil so that it may not continue in Heaven.]
Thank you, Lord, for your goodness which under girds us in our griefs, permeates our problems and transforms troubles into the next step up as we praise you for who you are and what you are doing in them–even though we cannot see any good at the moment.
I praise you for allowing the present problems in our lives with Barbara’s illness. I ask that out of your love and wisdom, your righteousness and grace that you give us a fresh “Job experience” (Job 38-42) of seeing your greatness and glory so that we may continually bow before you in humility and confess, “I have nothing to say; you are right Lord, praise you for what you are doing.” And I praise you now for whatever you will do, Lord, for you know what is best.