Psalms

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  Psalm 34:1, KJV

When my daughter was going through her terrible twos, I found I had two ways in which I could respond.  I could throw a tantrum right along with her, or I could sing hymns and songs of praise.  While I may have felt like doing the former, I chose the latter, and she would kick and scream to the off-key sounds of "Awesome God" or "Great is Thy Faithfulness".  It may not have stopped the tantrum (in fact, it would sometimes give her more to scream about - "Stop singing!!!"), but it helped me to keep perspective.  I also realized that my mom sang a lot when we kids were growing up.  Hmm...

The Psalms are there to help us keep perspective.  They remind us, again and again, of the greatness of God.  They assure us that He is our Shepherd, our Rock, our Fortress, our Help, and our Shield.  He is rich in love and goodness.  He is faithful and just.  He is our Provider, our Deliverer, and our Strength.  His mercies endure forever.  He counts our tears.  He forgives us.  He heals us.  His ears are open to our cries.  He alone is worthy of our praise, now and forevermore.