Faithful on Fridays Blog

The Bible is a fascinating piece of literature as well as the inspired Word of God; this acrostic Psalm proves that. It’s a poem written by David after he eluded Saul by entering into enemy territory: Philistines. This man of God endured many times of serious troubles but God always came through for him; this is penned as encouragement for those who also need His deliverance or rescue.

An acrostic poem is a beautiful yet effective way of memorizing or simply appreciating a writing. That strange word, acrostic, means that it’s actually a strategy to help you remember: a mnemonic or memory technique. Maybe you’re familiar with HOMES as a memory device for listing the Great Lakes, or ‘every good boy does fine’ helping you remember the order of musical notes on a scale: EGBDF. We all need reminders refreshing our memories of something important. This Psalm is important.

But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:17

And they remembered His words. Luke 24:8

I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember … 2 Peter 3:1a-2b

This Spirit-inspired writing begins every verse advancing in the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. I’ll stress the first word in Hebrew, not English, hoping to make this poem more memorable.

Verse 1 begins with the first letter which translates “I will.” David made a choice to bless or bow in humility to God in all situations, whether good times or bad, and he promises praises, not complaints, to constantly flow from his mouth. That’s quite a goal for someone being hunted by an enemy, but he’s determined. With the Spirit’s help we can also strive to stay in humility, praising Him even in high-pressure times.

Verse 2 begins in Hebrew with the second letter translated “in the LORD”; Hebrew word order doesn’t match English so stay with me. David wrote that his soul, his entire being, will boast or shine a laser-beam light on God because he knows life’s circumstances, whether easy or difficult, are in His hands, not ours. Paul wrote,

In Him we live and move and have our being’ Acts 17:28a

… for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. Galatians 3:26

David invites all the humble to join Him, and in verse 3 uses the word translated ‘magnify’ or lift up His name like a cheerleader making God appear greater and greater giving Him all the credit. These verses encourage us to choose, in our position in Christ, to make His name great: three Hebrew letters, three points to etch in our memories while enduring life’s hard circumstances. Let’s join in keeping our minds focused on Him, even memorizing these verses, remembering His ultimate victory and deliverance. As God came through with an escape plan that seemed ridiculous, a strategy of pretended insanity, consequently David was delivered; he’s now writing these encouraging words to you.