Title: Praise. Of David.
Ingrid's dad used verses 16 and 17 as a Grace before meals, as many others do:
The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, * and you give them their food in due season.
You open wide your hand * and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and every shall be. Amen.
Keeping and Jettisoning
Psalm 145 Exaltabo te, Deus
1 I will exalt you, O God my King, *
and bless your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless you *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
there is no end to his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works to another *
and shall declare your power.
5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty *
and all your marvelous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, *
and I will tell of your greatness.
7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness;*
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 The Lord is loving to everyone *
and his compassion is over all his works.
10 All your works praise you, O Lord, *
and your faithful servants bless you.
11 They make known the glory of your kingdom *
and speak of your power;
12 That the peoples may know of your power *
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; *
your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14 The Lord is faithful in all his words *
and merciful in all his deeds.
15 The Lord upholds all those who fall; *
he lifts up those who are bowed down.
16 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.
17 You open wide your hand *
and satisfy the needs of every living creature.
18 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and loving in all his works.
19 The Lord is near to those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.
20 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; *
he hears their cry and helps them.
21 The Lord preserves all those who love him, *
but he destroys all the wicked.
22 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *
let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever.
Explanation
This is, as the title announces, a lovely Psalm of Praise, marred only by verse 21b, with its assertion that the Lord "destroys all the wicked." The Lord revealed in Jesus desires the redemption of the wicked.
Next: what would you keep and what would you jettison?
Psalm 146 Lauda, anima mea
1 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, O my soul! *
I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind; *
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The Lord loves the righteous; the Lord cares for the stranger;*
he sustains the orphan and widow, but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The Lord shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations. Hallelujah!
Photograph from the Chicago Botanic Garden
as a Lenten harbinger of the Easter Garden
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