Psalm 34[a][b]
Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.
1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
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.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
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 telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person 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.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
This psalm fits the moment here. We pray continuously that righteousness triumph, that the weak are defended, and that the Lord’s majesty is proclaimed. We rest in His promises. David was praising the Lord in this Psalm after yet another trial. The Lord never abandoned him and also delivered him. Many of these prayers recently have been supplications for the Lord’s presence because of the challenges this city faces. That cry does not cease. But the darkness is not meant to drown out the light.
There are amazing people doing amazing things in this city. Kudzukian is highlighting journeys of black business men like Jason Farmer and William Perry. Joanna Lipman is leading the Memphis chapter of Girls on the Run. GotR is an organization providing mentoring, guiding positive emotional development, and leading physical activity for girls in our community. I was able to learn about Girls on the Run because I’m lucky enough to be friends with men like Greg Spillyards of Commercial Advisors, who pulled a room together to hear a message worth sharing.
Tonight, Lord, may we feel the rush of deliverance and victory in this city. We pray for lights to grow stronger and shine brighter in all corners of our community. We pray for all listeners of The Journey be encouraged by stories of perseverance and triumph. We pray for support through time, talent, and gifts for organizations like Girls on the Run.
Lord, don’t let us settle for less. We pray for revival in this city. We pray for 1000 girls to be served by GotR this year. We pray that The Journey inspires and encourages 1000 new entrepreneurs in our community this year. We pray that connectors and influencers like Greg Spillyards continue to do the work of bringing people together in ways You inspire divinely. May we be so busy building each other up in the coming months that we forget to tear anyone down. In Your name, Amen.