Psalm 33 from my book, "Praying the Psalms for the Unborn Child."

Psalm 33
Praise to the Creator and Preserver.

1 Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.
2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the LORD is upright,
And all His work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the LORD;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

13 The LORD looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;
14 From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.
16 The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in You.

Praise the Lord God, you who seek His will. Sing praises to His Son, the Word, who has established a new covenant (new song) between us and the Father. The Word, Jesus, is faithful in carrying out God's plan of salvation. He loves those who do what is right and just and showers them with His divine mercy. (33:1-5) The Word and the Holy Spirit (breath) created the universe⁶¹. Through their power God tamed the primeval cosmic ocean (waters) and created heaven and earth⁶². We stand in awe of the mighty power of God and of the Word through whom all things were made.

Throughout history⁶³, our efforts have counted as nothing when compared to the power of our God. Nothing can stand against the plans of His heart. The faithful are indeed blessed because He has made them His adopted children (inheritance) (33:6-12). God looks down from heaven and observes all His creatures whom He created in their mothers' wombs (fashioned their hearts). He sees how weak their efforts are to conquer their enemies. Without His aid, they are doomed to fail (33:13-17). Yet He will provide for the needs of those who revere Him and trust in His mercy and will bring them to everlasting life (deliver their soul from death). We trust in the Lord and rejoice in His protection. Have mercy on us, Lord, for You are our hope (33:18-22).

Prayer for life: Jesus, Your sacrifice on the Cross has made us adopted sons and daughters of the Father, who formed us in the womb. He promised to protect those who keep His Word and lead them to heaven. Yet there are many who reject His commandment to honor all life from conception to natural death. Have mercy on them, Lord. As for me and my baby, we will rejoice in Your loving protection for our hope in You will not go unrewarded. Amen.

Have a blessed day!
John

⁶¹The Orthodox Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008. 702. Print.

⁶² Brook, John. THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER An Introduction to the Divine Office for All Christians. 1st ed. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1992. 160. Print.

⁶³ Brook 161.

Scripture (Psalms 25-36) taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Copyright © 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is offered to the public free of charge in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the glory of God.