In my work I was recently prompted to look up Psalm 34 — then did some reading and found the following:
In an article by Nancy deClaisse-Walford, she writes “…Psalm 34 is an alphabetic acrostic. Each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems were the works of highly skilled literary artists and functioned in ancient Israelite literature in a number of ways. Acrostics were most likely memory devices to aid in private and public—that is, individual and corporate—recitation; in addition, literarily, they summarized all that could be said or that needed to be said about a particular subject, summing it up from alif to tav, from A to Z. Adele Berlin suggests further that in an acrostic, the entire alphabet—the source of all words—is marshaled in praise of God. One cannot actually use all of the words in a language, but by using the alphabet one uses all potential words.”
The idea of the acrostic appealed to me — the concept of using the full range of the alphabet to praise God…so I wrote one for Psalm 34 myself. You may want to look up the original. This is my take, alphabetically :-)
Always I will give thanks to God.
Before all I will tell of God’s wonderful works.
Claim aloud with me, God’s greatness — let’s join our voices together.
Did I not pray and God delivered me from my fears?
Even the oppressed are glad for God’s action in their lives.
For all who are helpless who call on God, God answers.
Guardian angels protect those who honor God; God keeps them safe.
How good God is! Happy are those who find security with God.
Instill these truths in your children, and in your children’s children.
Jackals may go hungry for lack of sustenance, but those who turn to God lack nothing.
Listen my friends, and I will share with you the good news of God.
Maybe you are searching and would like to find a safe place with God.
Nothing will separate you from God, God listens — and hears — all.
Oppose — as does God — those who do evil things.
Prepare your hearts for righteousness.
Quiet your soul so you can hear God speaking to you.
Return to God if you have been discouraged — God does not give up on you, never will.
Suffering is a human event, not one that comes from God; but God is with you in your suffering.
Through all, God will preserve you.
Unique and beloved of God is who you are, every one of you.
Valley or mountaintop, no matter where you are, God will be with you.
Wicked people make their hell on earth — their day to day living is their punishment.
X or Y chromosome, God the Father, God the Mother, matters not. God parents us through all of life.
You are God’s, and will be saved and protected by God.
Zealously guard your relationship with God. “For God so loved the world…” — God is zealous for you…and you…and you…and you.