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DAVID’S PRAYER FOR HELP

Open your eyes and your God disavow!”

Book II - Psalms 42-72

PRAYER FOR TIMES OF GREAT DISCOURAGEMENT
A psalm by the sons of Korah

As powerful as thirst is to all in this life,
So too my need for you cuts deep like a knife.
My soul thirsts for you God, the only God living;
I yearn to come to you with praise and thanksgiving.
I’m sustained by my tears through the day and the night,
as everyone asks me: “where’s your God, your delight?”

I recall better days when my faith was so strong,
when I came to your temple as part of a throng.
We would all come to praise you, from the West and the
East;
to worship as pilgrims, to take part in your feast.

When I think of such times that now are no more,
my soul melts within me, my foundation, my core.
In distress and confusion I ask of my soul:

“why are you cast down in this dark and deep hole?
Keep honoring God I implore you my soul;
And I shall yet praise him for making me whole.”

Oh my God, oh my Lord, my soul’s in despair,
buried so deep, your voice it can’t hear.
Even more then good reason, to seek you in prayer,
So no matter how far, I won’t fall to despair.
From the depths of my soul, to the depths of your heaven, like a fountain my Lord, I reach out to you;
Through the storm of my trials my prayers push through.

In the midst of my trials, in the midst of my pain,
This is my belief and will always remain:
“God commands love and kindness to be with me by day;
To watch over me, and to clear my way.
And at night with his song he soothes my soul,
As he heals my spirit, and once more makes me whole.”

Oh my God! Oh my God! Why do you forsake me?
Stop all of my pain, from my trials set me free.
Why do you allow, evil men to oppress me?
They put me in mourning, as their words break my bones.
As they question my faith, and I answer in groans.

Oh my soul don’t lose hope, and do not despair;
For I shall yet praise him, with my poems and my prayer.

We have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us, what you have done in the past;
You drove out the nations that stood in their path, but our fathers you planted and made them stand fast.
While the nations were scattered and chased far and wide,
As you had foretold, as you prophesied.

None of their vict’ries, none of their land;
Was gained by their cunning nor the skill of their hand.
They did not gain their vict’ry by the might of their swords,
But the might of your arm and the light of your face, gave them their victories over the hordes.

You are my King God, you are my power;
Command me to win, and I’ll overpower.
Through you I will push down all who stand in our way,
Through your name we will crush our enemy today.

My trust will not be in my weapons of war,
I will not rely on myself anymore.
For you only you, save us from our foes;
You put them to shame, and you fill them with woes.

Of your deeds we shall boast from sunrise to sunrise,
And your name we shall praise with jubilant cries.

BUT NOW

You have cast us off, and you’ve put us to shame.
You’ve abandoned our armies, and denied us your name.
In the face of the enemy we run in retreat.
We’re despoiled and plundered, our defeat is complete.

You have given us up to be led to the slaughter
Far and wide we are scattered beyond the great water.
Are we so worthless, are we so small,
That you would give us up for nothing at all?

Our neighbors reproach us and call us misguided,
And by those all around us, we are scorned and derided.
You have made us a byword, to the Godless the heathens,
They shake their heads at us, their contempt for us deepens.
Of my state of dishonor I am always aware,
And the weight of my shame is too heavy to bear.
Because our accusers are many and loud,
They want vengeance against us, our destruction they’ve vowed.

All this we have suffered yet you’re still in our hearts,
We’ve stayed true to your cov’nant, still your glory departs.
Our hearts have not left you, and our deeds have stayed true.
In our darkest of times, we have clung fast to you.
You have broken, chastised us in the desolate spaces;
While the shadow of death has darkened our faces.

If we had abandoned you God as our father,
Stretched out our hands to worship another;
Would you not have shown us? Corrected our ways?
Instead we are slaughtered all the length of our days.

Awake! Do not slumber! Deliver us Lord!
All it takes is one gesture, all it takes is one word.
Why do you forget us? Deny us your grace?
As affliction, oppression, we constantly face?

Our souls are bowed down, ground into the dirt;
Our bodies prostrate, our shame is overt.
Rise up for our help Lord, let your anger awake;
Redeem us and save us for your mercy’s sake.

God is our strength and God is our refuge.
His help is immediate, his presence is huge.
We won’t be afraid, no we will have no fears.
When from under our feet, the earth disappears.
Though the mountains be crumbled and washed to the sea,
In spite of the roar and the great waves I see;
Though the towering mountains may shudder and list;
And cry out in anguish, as they buckle and twist.

But a river flows gently bringing calm and great joy,
To the refuge of God where peace we enjoy.
Since God is within her she shall not be moved.
Before dawn has broken his love shall be proved.

The nations around us rose against us in rage,
While their kingdoms prepared in war to engage.
But their efforts are nothing, for once God was involved,
The ground they stood on opened up and dissolved.

But the Lord God of hosts covers us with his peace.
In him is our refuge where our troubles will cease.
Come look at his deeds and the works of his hands,
The dark desolation made by his commands.

From the tip of the land, to its furthermost shores;
He brings about peace as he stops all the wars.
All weapons of war into pieces he smashes,
Nothing remains as he burns them to ashes.

“KNOW THAT I’M GOD, BE STILL AND DON’T WORRY!
FOR BY WHAT I DO FOR YOU, ALL THE NATIONS WILL KNOW ME!”

We have the assurance from God our Lord,
He will be our refuge he has given his word!

CITY OF GOD

Great is the LORD there is none to compare;
In his city he’s praised through our worship and prayer.
In the hearts of his people, in his holy place;
He uplifts to the heavens, by his mighty grace.

Our heart where GOD dwells, that is his own city,
GOD has lifted it high, and it shines in its beauty.
It’s the joy of all people, of all earthly creations,
It is as Mount Zion standing far from the nations.
It is the city of our GOD our great King,
As long as he dwells there, it won’t fear a thing.

The kings of the nations formed a league to attack,
Our GOD’s holy city, but were taken aback.
They felt GOD and were troubled, and in haste they retreated,
Their spirits were broken, completely defeated.

Fear gripped their bowels, cut their souls like a saber,
With a pain all consuming, like a woman in labor.
Like the fear of a sailor when his ship breaks apart,
In the storm driven seas that have stolen his heart.

As we have heard, so we have seen;
We have seen the fruition of all GOD had foreseen.
In this city, our heart, which GOD claims as his own;
GOD will establish forever his throne.

In the midst of your temple we reflect oh my LORD,
On your loving kindness which upon us you’ve poured.
All that you give us and all we receive,
Is more than our hearts could ever conceive.

Just as your nature is great and infinite,
So too your praises are sung without limit.
Righteousness flows from your right hand,
For that is the reason behind all you command.

Let all of your cities; and all faithful hearts:
rejoice in your judgment and the love it imparts.
Look closely my friend, examine your life;
How GOD has provided and protected your life.
So that you may inform the next generation;
That this is our GOD, the GOD of creation.

And forever you’ll be our GOD and our guide,
Till on earth we’re no more, and our bodies have died.

 

The day has come when God our Lord,
The mighty one stands, and utters a roar
Summoning all from the ends of the earth
To judge our past, and measure our worth.

Out of his heavens he goes forth and proceeds,
Wrapped up in light his great host he leads.
And in his path a great tempest swirls,
A roaring inferno, which twirls and whirls.

From the earth and the heavens he summons all
In a thunderous voice he sounds his call.
That he may swiftly his judgment render,
Both to the saint and to the offender.

“COME CLOSE ALL MY SAINTS AND GATHER AROUND,
THOSE WHO BY THEIR OATH, TO MY PATH ARE BOUND.
WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR OATH HAVE MADE GREAT SACRIFICE,
WHO BECAUSE OF THEIR OATH HAVE PAID A GREAT PRICE”.

All creation and heaven will be satisfied,
For God himself as judge will preside.

“HEAR OH MY PEOPLE AND I WILL SPEAK,
FOR EVEN AGAINST YOU MY JUSTICE I’LL SEEK.
FOR I AM GOD, I AM YOUR GOD!
MY JUSTICE IS RIGHTEOUS, AND WILL NEVER BE FLAWED”.

“AS ATONEMENT YOU’VE BURNT OFFERINGS IN MY NAME
AND YOU’VE MADE SACRIFICE TO WIPE AWAY BLAME.
I WILL NOT REBUKE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID THEN,
FOR I SPOKE AS YOUR GOD, AND YOU LISTENED AS MEN”.

“FOR NON-STOP YOU HAVE OFFERED, AND I’VE SEEN WITH MY EYES,
ALL YOUR BURNT OFFERINGS, AND YOUR SACRIFICE.
BUT NO MORE WILL THAT DO, IT NO LONGER SUFFICES,
I WILL NOT TAKE YOUR LIVESTOCK AS BURNT SACRIFICES.”.

“FOR ALL OF EARTH’S BEASTS AND ALL OF EARTH’S CATTLE,
ARE RIGHTFULLY MINE, THEY ARE MY OWN CHATTLE.
I KNOW ALL THE BIRDS THAT FLY IN MY MOUNTAINS,
ALL THE WILD BEASTS ARE MINE, THEY ALL DRINK FROM MY FOUNTAINS”.

“WOULD I NEED TO TELL YOU IF I WERE IN NEED?
IF I WERE HUNGRY AND NEEDED TO FEED?
NO I WOULD NOT, FOR THE WHOLE WORLD IS MINE.
ITS FULLNESS AND BOUNTY, AND ITS GLORY DIVINE”.

“DO I NEED TO DRINK BLOOD? OR EAT OF YOUR MEAT?
INSTEAD, OFFER THANKS, AND YOUR VOWS MAKE COMPLETE.
IN THE DAYS OF YOUR TROUBLES, CALL ONTO MY NAME;
I WILL COME AND SAVE YOU, AND MY WORK YOU’LL PROCLAIM”

God in his mercy his warning conveys,
To the evil, the wicked, this is what God says:

“WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE MY STATUTES TO CITE?
TO RELY ON MY PROMISE AS THOUGH YOU DID RIGHT?
SINCE YOU HATE MY INSTRUCTIONS AND MY TEACHINGS IGNORE;
SINCE WITH THIEVES YOU AGREE, AND ADULTERERS ADORE”.

“YOUR MOUTH IS EVIL, AND YOURE TONGUE FRAMES DECEIT.
YOU HATE YOUR OWN BROTHER, AND YOU SEEK HIS DEFEAT!
YOUR OWN MOTHER’S CHILDREN, YOU HATE AND YOU SLANDER;
WHEN YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN, THEIR STRENGTH AND DEFENDER”.

“ALL THESE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE, AND I SAID NOT A THING.
NOW YOU THINK YOU ARE LIKE ME, THINK YOU’RE GOD AND YOU’RE KING.
BUT THIS WILL NOT LAST AND I WILL SET THINGS STRAIGHT.
SO CONSIDER YOUR WAYS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE”.

“SO THINK HARD ALL OF YOU, WHO HAVE STRAYED FAR FROM ME,
LEST YOU FALL TO MY WRATH, WITH NOWHERE TO FLEE.
BUT TO ALL WHO ARE MINE, AND WHO FOLLOW MY WAYS,
WHO KEEP RIGHT THEIR AFFAIRS, ALL OF THEIR DAYS,
THOSE I WILL REWARD BEYOND IMAGINATION,
FOR THEY WILL PARTAKE AND ENJOY MY SALVATION.

Contemplation of David when the Edomite Doeg,
Told Saul that David was with Ahimelech:

Oh mighty man why are you proud of evil
When the goodness of God endures from time primeval.
Like a sharp razor, your tongue seeks destruction,
By guile and deceit, and words of seduction.

Evil you love, more than anything good,
Rejecting God’s truth, lies and falsehoods you choose.
Your tongue is perverse, choosing words that deal hurt,
To bring pain and destruction, its skill you exert.

God shall likewise destroy you, forever and ever,
From this land he will drive you, all your ties he will sever.
From the land of the living you shall be uprooted,
For by God for your evil, you shall be prosecuted.

The righteous shall see this, and they all shall take heed.
They shall say, “this is he who God’s grace did not need.
Instead he relied on his riches and wealth,
his cunning, his evil which has brought him to death”.

But me I will trust forever in God,
I will be like a fruit tree that is planted by God.
I will praise you forever for all that you do,
Before all your saints I will give you your due.

So I’ll wait on your name, for no matter how long.
For your name is good, and your name is strong.
There is none like you, Oh God of creation,
Who keeps watch over me ever since my formation.

This is a song of David betrayed

When the Ziphites told Saul, where amongst them he stayed:

I call on your name Lord to save and secure me,
Through your might and your strength vindication I see.
Let the words of my mouth ascend to your ear.
My prayers and anguish I pray that you hear.

For strangers have risen to cause me great strife,
Evil men seek destruction of my soul and my life.
Such men are oppressors their own lives they condemn.
They rejected the ways you have set before them.

But behold, God is with me in all of my strife,
He is also with those who safeguard my life.
All of my enemies he will repay,
for the evil they’ve done me, their wages he’ll pay.

Cut them off with your truth, cut them off with your hand,
For the evil they do, and the lives they demand.
To you Lord I’ll give my thanks and my praise,
For the good that you’ve done me all of my days.

For my God has saved me from all of my troubles,
He has shown me his will as my enemy crumbles.

The silent dove in distant lands; King David named this prayer,

When Philistines took him in Gath and held him in despair:

Be merciful to me Oh Lord, for people would swallow me whole,
They fight me all day to subdue and oppress to destroy my spirit and soul;
My enemies hound me throughout the whole day,
Those who fight me are many, God help me I pray.

In God I will trust when I am afraid
God’s words I will praise and I won’t be betrayed.
In God is my trust, so I will have no fear
For what can flesh do when my God is near.

They derail my words and give them false meaning,
They plan evil against me their hate all consuming.
They join together and stalk me all day,
As they seek out occasion to take my life away.

How is it justice if through evil they win?
Cast them down in your anger, let them pay for their sin!
You’ve kept track of my exile, you have saved all my tears,
In your book you have written all of my prayers.

When I cry out to you all my en’mies turn back
For with fear and confusion you disrupt their attack.
This I know, Oh my God, for on my side you’re standing;
Your word I will praise as you do all my fighting.

In the Lord, in my God, I have put my trust;
His word I will praise for it’s righteous and just.
What can man do to me with God by my side?
I will never have fear, in peace I’ll abide.

I will praise you in public so all people may see,
That my vows made to you, are sacred to me.
You have delivered my soul from its death,
As it struggled to live to take just one more breath.

Will you not keep my feet on your path?
So that I may yet live, avoiding your wrath.

TRUST IN GOD

Have you forgotten me oh Lord? It seems like you have left me.
How long will this continue LORD? Will this forever be?
How long, Oh LORD, will I search for you? Will you hide your face from me?
And leave me to my own device, to live in misery?
Without you Lord I have no peace, I have no joy at all.
How long, Oh LORD, will our en’my rejoice, and anticipate my fall?

To understand that everything is just as you have planned,
open my eyes and let me see the wisdom of your hand.
Open my eyes and let me see the wisdom of your ways,
for otherwise I might succumb and death consume my days.

For otherwise our enemy his victory will proclaim,
another wretched soul he’ll take, another one he’ll claim.
For every time I slip from you this enemy rejoices,
in hopes of moving me from you, he’ll praise my foolish choices.
But God my faith is in your hands and my salvation too,
for you have blessed me to no end, my soul belongs to you.

A poem of David to be used for teaching

As he turned back to God with prayers beseeching;
“We were fighting our battles with Mesopotamia,
As well as our battles with the Zobah of Syria
When from valley of Salt Joab returned
having slain his twelve thousand, having pillaged and burned”:

In the midst of our vict’ries we suffered defeat
For you have cast us off in displeasure complete.
Oh Lord please have mercy, your favour restore,
Be amongst us in battle, as you were before.

You have made the earth tremble under our feet,
You have broken its core with utter defeat.
Oh Lord heal this breach that is of our own making,
For our world in its anguish is trembling and shaking.

We have been complacent so you showed us hard things,
Made us drunk with confusion and the shame that it brings.
You planted your banner amongst us in days,
When we pleased and obeyed you and followed your ways.

Even now while we’re fallen we’ll continue to fly
Your banner of truth, and wave it on high…
For if we fix our eyes on your banner, your truth,
And give you our love with the passion of youth,
We will be delivered we’ll be saved by your hand,
You will plant our feet firmly on the ground where we stand.

God in his holiness rose up to speak:
“I will rejoice for my mercy you seek
I will divide Shechem and I will measure
The valley of Succoth which I hold as my treasure.
Gilead is mine, Manasseh I led,
Ephraim I value as the strength of my head.
Judah also is mine, my laws he dispenses
To keep you from sinning, from making offences.
I will use Moab to wash soiled feet,
Upon Edom I’ll step, as I break their conceit.
Because of my doings the works of my hands,
You will give shouts of vict’ry over Philistine lands.”

Oh Lord! Who will lead me against the strong city?
Who will lead against Edom to fight without pity?
Won’t you do this for us Lord? Won’t you lead us again?
Even though you’ve abandoned our armies and men?

Give us help in our troubles, for our strength is in vain;
But you God! Your power, nothing can contain.
With God leading we’ll follow, with great valor and trust;
For he’ll trample our ene’mies as though they were dust.

A poem of David:

In confident silence upon God my soul waits
For from him comes salvation and my peace he creates.
He, only He, is my rock and salvation
He is my defense, the God of creation.

Oh you evil people how long will you persist
In attacking a person…When will you desist?
Like a teetering fence or a buckling wall,
You shall be slain, with a crash you will fall.

You study God’s word just to find a flaw;
To find a loophole, and defile God’s law.
They are ever deceitful, they claim great holy love,
But their spirit is evil, cursing God up above…

Be patient my Soul, wait on none but the Lord,
Accept help from none other, for I wait on God’s word.
He and he only is my rock and salvation,
He is my defense, the God of creation.

In him my salvation, in him is my glory
The rock of my strength, who has written my story.
Trust in him my people, trust in him at all times,
Pour your heart out before him, pray to him oftentimes.

For God is our refuge he stands up for us all;
He will always preserve us he will not let us fall…
Trust only in God, all else is illusion,
The power of humans is but a delusion.

Persons of stature are filled with their lies,
While persons with none, are like mist in God’s eyes.
Both have no substance they are empty, they’re bare,
If their content is weighed, it is lighter than air.

Do not seek to advance through thefts and oppressions
Do not be consumed by your wealth and possessions.
God spoke to me once and I heard with both ears,
That all power is his; and that calmed all my fears.

Besides power oh God, you have mercy and grace;
Our faith and our praise you’ll reward to our face.

Hear my voice Oh my God, as I pray in my night,
Break my dread Oh my Lord, of the enemy’s might.
Hide me Oh Lord, from the schemes of the evil,
Who against you rebel, and cause death and upheaval.

Whose tongues have been sharpened as the sharpest of knives,
To be used as dread weapons to destroy blameless lives.
By stealth they attack with their words and their lies.
They are without fear as they take by surprise,

They encourage themselves in their evil designs,
As they plan out their ambush in their secret confines.
They ask themselves smugly, “who will know these are lies?”
“As long as we’re winning and our enemy dies?”

With due care they research, and great evil they study;
For their minds and their hearts are cunning and bloody.
But God knows they are evil, and he will strike back
With no warning they’ll fall, wounded by his attack.

All who see them shall flee, as they see with their eyes;
As God makes them stumble and trip on their lies.
After thoughtful reflection all shall recognize,
The doings of God which they see with their eyes.

All shall tremble in awe at this recognition,
And submit to God’s Love of their own free volition.
The righteous who trust him shall be glad and not sorry,
And for those of good heart God will be their glory.

Oh world shout out in joy to God, sing the honors of his name.

And let your praises soar on high, with glory and acclaim.
Say to our God in song and prayer: “How awesome are your deeds;
your power submits the enemy, who victory concedes;
And all the earth shall worship you, your protection they shall claim;
And they shall raise their voices and sing praises to your name”

Come open up your eyes and see, the works that God has done,
The awesome things he’s done for us, the battles he has won.
He turned the sea into dry land, so his people could walk through,
Unimpeded by the waters, and in him our joy was true.
He will rule the earth forever, by his power and his grace,
Beware all you rebellious, nothing’s hidden from his face.

Come bless our God you people, and make his praise be heard;
He keeps our souls from dying, and planted in his word.
For you oh God have proven us, refined us in your fire;
Just as silver is refined, its value to acquire.
You have bound us to captivity with affliction you have scourged us.
You have let men ride all over us… into fire and floods you’ve cast us.

Through all of this you’ve carried us, through all of our debasement,
You’ve brought us to a place of wealth, a place of great contentment.
I will enter in your Holy Place, with offerings and praises;
To honor all the vows I’ve made while I suffered in dark places.
I will offer you my sacrifice from all that I possess…
Come and hear all you who fear him how he saved me from distress.

And even as I cried to him with pain I could not bear;
My tongue extolled his virtues, and I thanked him in my prayer.
But if sin hid within my heart, the Lord would not have heard me,
But God did hear my voice in prayer…and attended to my plea.

Blessed be God who has not turned away the prayer I pray, nor my desperate pleas;
Who has not withheld his grace and his mercy, as I beg for both on both of my knees.

Let God arise and let it be that his enemies are scattered.

Let those who hate him flee in fear, their arrogance be shattered.
As smoke is driven before wind, and wax melts before fire,
May all your enemies be slain, even as they conspire.

But let the righteous all be glad, before our God rejoice,
And let their joy be boundless, exalting with one voice.
Sing unto God! Sing unto Jah! Sing praises to his name;
To him who rides upon the clouds, praise him with great acclaim.

He is father to the father-less, to the widow he’s her shield,
From his Holy habitation he will join their battlefield.
He will bless the lonely person, with a family, a tribe;
The fulfillment of our spirit, words alone cannot describe.

The most wretched of the destitute he’ll bless with wealth and glory,
But the people bound to evil he will curse their land and story.
When you went before your people, led them through the barren plains…
God the earth shook at your presence, and the heavens dropped their rains,

In your presence even Sinai, mighty mountain of your law,
Shifts and shudders, moves and trembles, in your presence weak as straw.
You God, blessed us with open hand, making sure we would go on,
When your children weak and weary, felt our strength was almost gone.

They have dwelt there, all your people, in the midst of all you give;
Through your goodness you’ve provided, so the weak and poor may live.
Through his word God gave us vict’ry, our salvation he proclaimed;
As we followed, spread his message, and his victory we claimed.

And the Kings of all the armies who had vowed to bring us death,
Fled before the Lord in terror, ran till they were out of breath.
All the spoils of the vict’ry, all the blessings and salvation,
God has spread among his people… all the people of his nation.

And because God, and God only, fought the battle paid the price;
Warrior, shepherd, strong or ailing, all shall share this paradise.
All will have their share of silver, all will have their share of gold,
Be they weak, or be they mighty; be they timid, be they bold.
And as evil flees before God, scattered deep into the night;
So too darkness leaves God’s mountain, ceding to God’s Holy Light.

A mere hill that’s God’s is greater, even though it’s size is small,
than great mountains spread for miles, be they mighty, strong and tall.
Don’t be jealous mighty mountains, for this hill is our God’s throne;
He will dwell in here forever, amongst those he calls his own.

His people are weak but God mans their defenses,
His powers so great, they defy all the senses.
For God is among them with glory and grace,
Just as he is in Sinai in his Holy Place.

Oh Lord you’ve ascended to heaven, the holiest place most high,
Death itself you have slain…you have conquered, so your people would no longer die.
You’ve accepted the gifts of mankind, offered in praise and in prayer;
From even the vilest of sinners, who seek their souls to repair.

So the Lord God, the Father, may amongst us once more…
Reign supreme and dwell freely as he did once before.
Blessed be the Lord who heaps on his nation;
His blessings, his gifts, even his salvation.

For our God is the God of grace and salvation,
Who delivers from death each person, each nation.
But God shall make wounded the head of his foes
The foe who transgresses, despite all he knows:

“They can’t hide in their strongholds, nor under the sea
I will drag them all back, my justice to see;
So that you can have vict’ry, and by your hand destroy;
The evil one’s comfort, the evil one’s joy”.

After God’s mighty vict’ry, all eyes shall behold;
His triumphant procession, his glory unfold.
He re-enters his temple, his glorious abode;
As his people proclaim, the gifts he’s bestowed.

The singers before him, musicians behind;
Young girls playing timbrels, their sound so refined…
…Bless God all his people, in your congregation,
recalling his gifts to his people and nation.

See all of his tribes that make up his nation,
See Judah and Benj’min…all the tribes’ population.
Your strength is commanded by no other than God:
“God continue to bless us, guide us with your rod”.

In total submission, kings will bow to your glory;
As they kneel at your temple, in your city most holy.
They will offer as gifts, their most prized possessions,
They will offer their lives, as they make their confessions.

Hold back the beasts who come down from the river,
To attack and enslave us, and death to deliver.
Until everyone Lord, submits unto you
Scatter these foes who violence pursue.

Egypt will send envoys to God’s chosen place,
And Ethiopia will quickly stretch her hands for God’s grace.
Sing to God, sing your praises, all you Kingdoms of earth:
Sing praise to the Lord, for all you are worth…:
Sing to him who rules heaven, since beginning of time,
Who rules with his voice, a voice so sublime.

Ascribe strength to God, for he rules with perfection;
his people, his nations, giving them his protection.
Oh God you’re more awesome than your holy places,
you who strengthen your people of all different races.

Bless-ed be God, bless-ed be his great name;
For you, only you, are our God we proclaim!

Make haste, oh my God, my life to deliver
From the troubles that drown me, like a powerful river,

Turn back and embarrass all those seeking my death,
Confound and confuse them, as they cut off my breath.

Make them be embarrassed and make them turn back
Those who gleefully gloat as they plan their attack.

But let all those who seek you, be glad and rejoice;
Those who seek your salvation, praise you with one voice.

As for me I am poor, I am desperately needy,
Make haste and come to me, my salvation make speedy.

A psalm of Solomon King David’s own son,
Whose wisdom shines bright as the clear noon day sun.

1: Teach the king your justice so he’ll fairly adjudge
Teach his son to be righteous as the son of a judge;
2: So he can rule justly with no hint of corruption;
And the poor can have justice without any disruption.

3: The king through his rule shall bring peace to us all;
To all who are mighty and to all who are small.
4. He’ll bring justice in full to the weak and the poor,
The child of the needy in his arms he’ll secure.
The mighty oppressor he will shatter to pieces,
No more to torment and to do as he pleases.

5: As long as the sun and the moon shall endure,
These strong-armed oppressors of the weak and the poor,
They shall fear you forever for all generations,
Peace and justice will reign throughout all of your nations.

6: Like rain upon grass from the skies you’ll descend,
Like the life giving showers upon which all depend.
7: In his days the righteous shall prosper and flourish
Till the moon is no more, and in peace they shall nourish.

8: Till the ends of the earth his dominion extends,
From one sea to the next until all of it blends.
9: To him shall bow down those who dwell in wild places;
His foes shall submit, touch the ground with their faces.

10: All the kings of the earth shall bring presents and gifts;
Kings of Tarshish and Sheba, and the Isles full of mists.
11: Yes all kings of the earth shall fall down in his presence,
And all nations shall serve him with awe and with reverence.

12: For the poor and the needy he shall always deliver,
When they cry out to him, as their only helper.
13: He will help them and save them, from oppression extreme,
14: Their souls and their lives he will surely redeem.
For precious shall be their blood in his sight,
And he will protect them with all of his might.

15: Because he is righteous, this king, he shall live;
And the riches of Sheba to him God shall give.
In prayer without ceasing his name shall be raised,
And daily with thanks, he will be praised.

16. There shall be a surplus of crops in the land,
And the fruit trees in orchards heavy laden shall stand.
And those who await this, who dwell in the city
Shall flourish like grass, because of this bounty.

17. Forever and ever his name shall endure
As long as the sun lasts, with his honor secure.
All persons on earth through him shall be blessed
And all of the nations shall exclaim he is blessed.
18. The Lord God be blessed, he who does only good;
The mighty of Isr’el who beside it has stood;

19. Forever and ever bless-ed be his name
Let his glory fill earth, and be met with acclaim.
And all who are witness, all women and men
Shall cry out in one voice: AMEN AND AMEN

20. Thus the prayers of David, son of Jesse are ended,
Which he brought up to God, on knees that were bended.

END OF BOOK II OF PSALMS

PRAISE TO GOD AND HIS MAJESTY

Give glory to God you mighty of heaven, and also you mighty of earth;
Give him your strength for it’s his to begin with, acknowledge his might and his worth.

He is your God so give him the glory, the glory that’s due to his name;
He is your God so give him your worship, and his beauty in worship proclaim.

Even the waters, the deep mighty oceans, the voice of the Lord they obey;
At his bidding they’ll rage, only he can assuage, and return them to frolic and play.

His glory not only is seen by the eye, but is heard by the ears as it thunders;
It cannot be confined, nor can it be defined, the whole earth is awash with his wonders.

His voice is so mighty that even his whisper can split open the great cedar tree;
By its roots he’ll pull out, and toss it about, and hurl it deep into the sea.

His word orders quakes, and the wilderness shakes, and the flames from volcanoes he tames;
Even fires obey him, and rejoice in his presence, as they shimmer and dance with their flames.

He instructs living things on how to give birth: to the deer and the humans alike;
Even lightning will listen and obeys his commands, and without his permission won’t strike.

With a blast of his breath he lays forests bare, and the trees he can strip of their leaves;
So we flock to his temple to give him all glory, where our worship he always receives.

The Lord was the Lord in the days of the flood, and he’s still Lord of all things today;
He remains Lord forever, for ever and ever, and our trust he will never betray.
He’s the strength of his people, the might of their arms, their blessings he’ll always increase;
He’ll bless them forever with all of his gifts, above all though he’ll bless them with peace.

 

From the deceitful from the unjust,
Deliver me God for in you I trust.
Judge me oh Lord prove me in the right,
Take up my case as with evil I fight.

For you are my God and my strength is in you,
Why am I a cast off? What am I to do?
Must I be in mourning because of oppression?
from my enemy’s hands, and his naked aggression?

Oh send me your truths, and send me your light,
Let them lead me to you and all that is right.
To your altar I’ll come with exceeding great joy,
My songs and my poems in your praise I’ll employ.

Oh my soul don’t despair because of dark days,
Put your hope in our God, and we’ll yet sing his praise.
He is my God, who brings peace to my face,
Through his unending mercies, his unending grace.

 

A SONG OF LOVE
CONTEMPLATION OF THE SONS OF KORAH

My heart is inspired to write a good thing
I shall write of the good things from Messiah my King.
The pen of the writer is his blood, it’s his tongue,
The words that he writes, are the songs that are sung.

You Oh Lord are Messiah and you are the King,
From your lips pours God’s grace and his blessings you bring
The beauty of God in you can be seen,
You are no mere human, your birth was foreseen.

Prepare to do battle, strap your sword to your thigh;
With glory and majesty that are yours from on high.
Ride in your majesty, ride in success;
For meekness and truth in you, you possess.

Before God you are righteous and his love you have earned,
By the right hand of God, awesome things you have learned.
Your weapons strike hard at the foes of the King.
They fall at your feet as vict’ry you bring.

Your Kingdom oh God is forever and ever.
And righteousness is your symbol and scepter.
You love all that’s righteous, for it’s good in your eyes.
And you hate all that’s wicked for it’s all built on lies.

God the son, you’re anointed, by your God the Father;
You are above all, you’re compared to no other.
You are clothed in righteousness, your fragrance is sweet,
With perfume from God’s palace to anoint your feet.

King’s daughters and Queens, stood by you at this wedding,
This pouring of oil, this Godly anointing.
Listen my people forsake your old life,
Pledge yourself to your God, as if you were his wife.

To God your beauty is your faith and your trust.
For the skin of your face is but transient dust.
So give him your heart and worship him truly
And you will be blessed forever and fully. 

You will be honored by the mighty and rich,
Your help will be sought and lives you’ll enrich.
He will raise your daughters, nothing will they lack,
They will serve as examples bringing God’s people back.
Your sons shall be great, replacing your fathers;
They will rule the earth as princes and brothers.

Throughout generations, all your name will remember,
and will honor and praise it forever and ever.

Clap your hands all you people, do so with great joy;

Shout your praises to God and your triumph enjoy.
For the Lord God is fearsome and inspires great awe,
He rules over the earth, all fall under his law.

He goes out before us, subdues populations;
And under our feet he places great nations.
With great care and great thought, he chooses what’s best;
In all that he gives us so that we may be blessed.

For we are his children from Jacob descended,
His pride and his love through the ages extended.
God ascends to his throne amongst shouts of acclaim,
With the sound of the trumpets proclaiming his name.

Sing your praises to God, over and over;
For he is the King of creation all over.
Praise him by knowing what he’s all about;
And the fact that he’s God you must never have doubt.

God reigns over all peoples, and all of the nations.
He sits on his throne throughout all generations.
The princes of earth all assemble and gather,
As so do the children of God our Father.

For God is our shield, he is our defender.
He is greatly exalted in heavenly splendor.

Hear this all ye people who inhabit this earth;
Be ye rich, be ye poor, I don’t care for your worth.
For my mouth shall speak wisdom, and my heart shall convey,
Understanding of God, and will show you his way.

I will study God’s myst’ries all my life long,
I will teach them to you through a poem, a song.
When troubles abound and I sense my end near…
And when evil surrounds me, I shall not feel fear.

Those who boast of their riches and trust in their wealth,
Cannot ransom their brother, nor redeem him from death.
For no wealth on earth can redeem a lost soul,
To keep it from descending into evil’s dark hole.
To allow it the privilege of living forever.
No, no riches can do that, no wealth whatsoever.

The wise and the foolish, all persons shall die,
The savagely violent, who God’s grace do defy.
In the end all will die, leave their wealth to another,
Be it a child or a venerable father.

But even as life is on its last pages,
They plan to build houses that will last through the ages.
They buy land and lovingly give them their name.
To live on forever, to hold on to fame.

But in truth they’re no different than the beast who will perish,
Their honor will vanish, as will all that they cherish.
This then is the way that the foolish will live,
Their children will follow, and their errors relive.

Then like sheep they’ll be slaughtered, and laid in their grave,
Death shall make merry, for their souls none will save.
Their beauty will crumble, will dissolve in their grave,
Nothing will be left, of the strong and the brave.

Then on that blessed morning when God resurrects,
They will bow to the righteous, and pay their respects.
Not even their beauty will remain on that day,
For it will be consumed through rot and decay,


But God will redeem me he will save my soul,
From the power of the grave, from the power of that hole.
For God will receive me, take me up in his arms,
Restoring my body, restoring my charms.

When one becomes rich, do not be afraid,
When his glory increases, do not be dismayed.
For when he dies he takes nothing away,
His glory is stripped on that awful day.

Yet while he is living, his own soul he will praise,
And when he is successful, other men his name raise.
But in death he’ll go down with his fathers to be,
And the light of the day, no more will he see.

A man who is honored by men but can’t see,
The beauty of God, that man he shall be,
In death like a beast who succumbs all alone;
That man he shall perish, with none to bemoan.

This is a psalm of David after Nathan confronted his sin!

For what he did with Bathsheba, for the evil he carried within:

Have mercy upon me Oh God, not because I have any right,
But because of your mercy and love, that keeps me standing upright.
Do this because of your mercies, and because of your loving grace,
Which blots out all my transgressions, and leaves not even a trace.

I acknowledge my sins oh my Lord, for they won’t give me peace, let me rest;
For my sins are against you my God, against you who is the most blessed.

This evil I did which was hidden to all,
Was in plain sight for you, was not hidden at all.

My sins I acknowledge so all people will see
that your judgment is blameless, as it falls upon me.

Lord my nature is sinful right from my inception,
From the very first day, from my very conception.

But you Lord you want me, to have truth deep inside me,
To have wisdom and knowledge, and from darkness be free.

So purge me and cleanse me with sweet fragrant water,
So my heart will be glad, and my faith will be stronger.

Turn away from my sins Lord, blot out my transgressions,
Forgive me oh Lord as I make my confessions.

Give me a new heart, a heart that is clean.
With a strong steadfast spirit, such as I’ve never seen.

From your Holy presence don’t cast me away,
Nor your Holy Spirit, deny me I pray.

Restore unto me the joy of salvation,
By your spirit uphold me, by your power of creation.

Then I can bear witness the rest of my days,
I can help the transgressors return to your ways.


Deliver me LORD from the guilt of my bloodshed,
so my tongue will sing loud, and your goodness will spread.

You don’t wish burnt off’rings, nor desire sacrifice,
If I just spread your love, for you that will suffice.

So open my lips Lord and my mouth shall sing praise
I will sing of your love, and your merciful ways.

What you desire are my spirit and heart,
Your love to receive and your love to impart.

Lord I failed my home and the fam’ly I lead,
Please restore and rebuild us and bless us I plead.

Then you shall be pleased with our lives that we offer.
Our lives to be yours on your altar we proffer.

Despite all the facts that the Lord God exists.

The fool in his heart with denials persists.
Despite all the things that God said he would do,
And many years later these things have come true.
Despite the precision of life and creation,
Despite nature showing God’s organization,
It happened by chance is the fools explanation.

Their motive is evil, it’s to do as they please,
In pursuit of their pleasure, with their conscience at ease.
Such men are corrupt and do terrible things,
They do nothing that’s good, be they poor men or kings.

From amongst such as these God carefully seeks
One who might be righteous, and truthfully speaks.
Who seeks understanding to know about God,
But none could be found, be they young, be they old.

All have been corrupted their nature depraved,
To the sins of their flesh their hearts are enslaved.
These workers of evil have they no understanding?
They slaughter my people and leave no one standing.

They don’t call upon God, they have no use for prayer,
They have faith in their might, and the armor they wear.
In the blink of an eye though, where there had been no fear,
Terror now grips their bowels, their distress is severe.

For God has descended and has blown them away,
As they sought to destroy us and slay us this day.
You have put them to shame God, for you have despised them,
For by their evil deeds their own souls they condemn.

But for us our salvation comes straight out of Zion,
From the hands of our God, from the hands of our Lion.
He will free all his children and gather them home,
From the ends of the earth where no longer they’ll roam.

Give heed to my cries Lord, let my prayers find your ears,
As I moan and I groan and give voice to my fears.
For the voice of the en’mys stirs fear in my soul
And their hatred towards me is out of control.

Their yoke of oppression on my neck is heavy,
From morning till night they pile troubles upon me.
My heart is constricted and severely pains me,
As the terrors of death have come out to surround me.

Fear and terror have fallen upon me
As the horrors I’m facing with ease overwhelm me.
In my desperation I prayed I had wings,
to speed me away from these terrible things.

If only I could I’d fly off on my quest,
To the desolate places for a measure of rest;
From my storms and my tempests I would hasten to flee;
On these wings I would fly till at last I am free.

Destroy them Oh Lord, these purveyors of evil,
Sow among them discord, and create an upheaval.
For I’ve seen in the city where they caused violent strife,
Day and night they maraud taking innocent life.

Day and night they patrol the great walls of the city,
Spreading mischief and sorrow, causing pain without pity.
Destruction is rampant in the midst of the city,
Oppression and lies have destroyed every safety.

Oh you who pursue me, my heart is distressed,
For it isn’t an enemy who against me is pressed.
It isn’t a person who had hatred against me,
Who now seeks my pain, my destruction to see.

For if that were the case, then I could endure it,
I would go into hiding; my weakness admit.
But no, it is you…a man like my brother,
In all things my equal, who compares to no other.

A man whom I trusted next to me to stand,
A man who would guide me by taking my hand.
From whom I took counsel and knelt before God,
Whose friendship I valued till exposed as a fraud.
Let death fall upon them. Take them quickly to hell.
For evil’s among them…in the places they dwell.
As for me I shall call upon God my defender,
My Lord he shall save me, his protection he’ll tender.

Morning and evening, and at noon I shall pray,
My voice will be loud and he’ll hear the same day.
God delivered my soul intact from this battle,
When my enemy’s numbers made the earth shake and rattle.

My God the Creator who’s existed forever,
Shall hear and afflict them and their power will sever.
For they will not change, and they will not turn back.
They do not fear God, even him they’ll attack.

This evil man lifted to violence his hands,
Against those who in peace tried to dwell in his lands.
He has broken his cov’nant he has broken his word,
He is not to be trusted for by evil he’s stirred.

The words from his mouth are smoother than butter;
But deep in his heart he seeks war on his brother.
Softer than oil is the tone of his words;
Yet it is as deadly as a pair of drawn swords.

Cast your burdens on God, be they large, be they small;
And he will sustain you, he won’t let you fall.
But the bloodthirsty men who are full of deceit,
Won’t reach half of their lives when their deaths they will meet.

You shall make them descend to the pit of destruction,
For their wicked deeds and their evil corruption.
But me I’ll trust in you, and I’ll be satisfied,
For all that I need, your hand will provide.

This is a prayer that young David gave
As he fled from King Saul, as he hid in his cave:


Be merciful to me Oh Lord, have pity on my plight,
For only you my soul can trust, to see it through this night.
And in the shadow of your wings in safety I will hide;
Until this curs-ed day has passed in safety I’ll abide.

I will cry out to God most high, who does all things for me;
And he shall send from heaven help while I’m still on my knee.
He will save me from the anger of all those who would destroy;
Who would swallow me completely, who against me would deploy.

God will come to me with mercy, he will save me with his truth,
My distress and all my worries, he will calm and gently sooth.
Lord I live among fierce lions, men whose passions are inflamed,
Who have teeth like spears and arrows, with their tongues they’ve killed and maimed.

From my darkness I send praises, far beyond the heav’ns above;
Let the earth be clothed completely, with your glory and your love.

Lord my enemies are cunning, they have set their traps for me;
The have made my soul to bow, and have forced me to my knee.
They have dug a pit to trap me, into which headlong they fall;
Their consumed in their own darkness, as in blindness they crawl.

God my heart is firmly loyal, it will always stand with you;
All my days I’ll sing and praise you, and your will I will pursue
I will rise up in my glory, I will rise at dawn to sing
Of the goodness of your story, of your goodness Oh my King.

I will sing of your love, to all of creation
I will praise you Oh Lord, to each people and nation,
Your truth can’t be contained, all borders it breaches;
Beyond all of the earth, to heaven it reaches.
Be exalted Oh God, beyond heaven and earth.
For all things you created, to all things you gave birth.

A song written by David when Saul sent his spies
To watch David’s home and make sure that he dies:

Deliver me God from the hands of my foes,
Defend me from those who against me have arose;
Save me Oh my God from those seeking my woes,
Save me Oh my God from my bloodthirsty foes.
Look at them Lord, they’re hiding, they’re lying in wait,
To extinguish my life and to seal my fate.

They are gathered against me these men of great might,
Not because I have wronged them or taken their right;
They prepare to attack me for no fault of mine,
Lord arise and defend me, undo their design.
Therefore God almighty rise and punish these nations,
Exact a steep price for all their transgressions…

At the end of the day they return to their city
With no shred of remorse, nor the slightest of pity.
They continue their evil as the dark streets they prowl,
Like an ill-tempered dog they snarl and they growl.
From their mouths spew forth things greatly obscene,
Their lips are like swords that are deadly and mean.

They feel no remorse, no pity, no fear;
For they say YOU won’t hear, that it won’t reach your ear.
On the day of your judgment they shall be ridiculed
For their twisted thinking and for how they were fooled.
But me I will wait with all else I’ll dispense,
For you are my strength and you are my defense.

My God of mercy shall come forth to meet me,
And I’ll see my tormentors cut down as a tree.
Don’t let them die Lord, so we’ll never forget;
How we were tormented, how we were beset;
And how in our despair you extended your hand
To reach out and save us and help us withstand.

No, instead by your power, scatter them far and wide;
Bring them down to the ground as you had prophesied.
So that each time we see them we will always recall,
How their power had failed and how you made them fall.
So we’ll always remember that you are our shield,
And your love in our hearts will forever be sealed.

For all they have said and for all they have done,
Let them be taken, their pride come undone.
For the words of their mouths: their curses, their lies;
Let your anger be great and seek their demise.
Let them know that you’re God, let them all understand,
That throughout this earth we are ruled by your hand.

Let them wander all day in their desolate state,
Let hunger and mis’ry be their ultimate fate.
Like a stray dog they’ll growl as they seek scraps of food,
As they howl at the night, by their hunger pursued.

But I, Oh my Lord, I will sing of your power;
I will sing of your mercy, every day every hour.
For you’ve been my defense in the days of my woes,
You have been my refuge from the enemy’s blows.
To you, oh my strength, I will sing all my praise,
For your care and your mercy, which you give me through grace.

A poem of David:

Hear my cry Oh my Lord, please attend to my prayer, I will cry out to you from wherever I’ll be.

From the ends of the earth, when my heart’s in despair, lead me on to that rock that is higher than me.

For you have been my mountain, you have been my rock, throughout all of my life a shelter to me;

Throughout my whole life a strong tower you’ve been, where I was protected from my enemy.

Forever I’ll hide and abide in your temple, I will always seek cover under your wings…

For you Oh Lord, you have heard my vows, and you treat me as though I was one of your kings,

You Lord prolong the life of the king, extending his years throughout generations.

For if he has found favor before you Oh Lord, he will be blessed as he rules over nations.

He shall abide before God forever, he will be preserved by God’s mercy and grace.

So that daily I may perform all my vows, I will sing of your goodness, and your name I will praise.

A song of David, of his joy in Jehovah
While he was adrift in the wilds of Judah:

You are my God Lord, You only You,
Your love and Your ways I will always pursue.
Early in life, and first thing each day,
I seek you Oh Lord, let me find you I pray.

As a plant in the desert, my soul thirsts for you Lord,
While my body seeks comfort, in the power of your word.
For I wish to see, your power and glory,
As I have seen it, in your sanctuary.

Your love and your kindness being sweeter than life,
Your name I will praise while yet I’m alive.
So Lord I will bless you as long as I live,
In your name lift my hands, so your love I’ll receive.

My soul shall be sated, as though filled with rich food
And with joy I shall praise you, for to me you are good.
Even though I’ve done nothing your grace to deserve,
I am grateful you’ve chosen my soul to preserve.

I thank you oh Lord as I lie on my bed,
As the slow hours crawl, to the morning ahead;
I thank you Oh Lord as I meditate
As I hold fast to you, while for morning I wait.

Under the shadow of your wings I rejoice
For you are my hope and you are my choice
My soul follows you close, without rest or distractions,
Your right hand upholds me, for you’re pleased with my actions.

There are those though who seek my soul to destroy it,
But their evil intentions you will not permit.
They shall be buried deep under the ground,
They will perish in violence, their remains won’t be found.

But I will rejoice, and in God find my glory;
As shall all who believe and let God write their story.
But God shall make silent the mouths that lie,
For they end in destruction causing many to die.

You are our God, our comfort, our lion;
Therefore all our praises await you in Zion;
And the vows that we make in our times of distress,
Unto you we shall render as your great name we bless.

All life shall come to you in worship and prayer,
For you hear the prayers we entrust to your ear.
Great are my sins they are stronger than I am,
But you will atone, they’ll be paid by the lamb.

Blessed are they whom you choose to approach you,
To dwell in your presence, your love to pursue.
For we shall find joy and be satisfied,
In your house, in your temple, and in all you provide.

You answer our prayers with great righteous deeds,
God of our salvation, who meets all our needs.
You who are God of all that he sees,
Across the great lands, and across far off seas.

By your strength you set firm, as you formed the great mountains,
By your word they sprang forth like hot, fiery, fountains.
You quiet the crashing of the waves on the oceans;
The tumult of people, their noise and commotions.

Even those who don’t know you, who have not heard your word,
Know these are God’s signs and by reverence are stirred.
For you put the joy in the glory of dawn,
And in you we rejoice when the sun is withdrawn.

You visit the earth, with your waters you bless it,
With this gift of life you greatly enrich it.
Your river is full, it will never run dry,
You provide all earth’s grain, on you all rely.

You protect all the crops, and water the fields;
You soften the earth and you bless what it yields;
You crown the season with your generous goodness;
The harvest is fat, and it bursts with your fullness.

The emerald pastures are covered with livestock;
As shepherds content, watch over their flock.
The valleys are rich and are covered with grain;
The people are singing, their joy can’t contain.

Oh God have mercy on us all! And bless us Oh my Lord!
And cause your face to shine on us, your grace on us be poured…
So all on earth will know your way, all peoples and each nation
Will know the path you’ve planned for us, the path of our salvation.

May all the peoples praise you God, may nations sing for joy,
For you shall judge in righteousness, and you’re Kingdom they’ll enjoy…
May all the peoples praise you God, may all the peoples praise you,
For then the earth shall yield its gifts, you’ll bless all that we do.

God! Our own God! Shall bless us! In everything we do,
In all the corners of this earth, his way all shall pursue.

 

Save me oh God for my soul is drowning
I am mired in the muck, I am stuck, I am floundering;
My feet make no purchase on the ground below me,
The waters are deep, as the floods overflow me.

I am tired of my crying, my throat’s cracked and dry,
My eyes dull and heavy, as though waiting to die.
As I wait for my God, for his mercy and grace,
As I wait for his comfort, for his sweet embrace.

Those that hate me for nothing, are more than the sands,
Those that would destroy me, have great, mighty, hands.
For no rightful cause their hatred they’ve sworn,
Though I’ve done them no wrong since the day I was born.

Even though I’ve returned, that which I’ve not taken;
They plan my demise from the time that they waken.
God you know all my sins, that I’m foolish indeed;
God don’t let my failings, your people mislead.

Don’t let me embarrass those who call on your name,
Don’t let them be lost, nor partake in my shame.
Because for your sake, great reproach I have suffered,
I am tired and weary, and in shame I am covered.

My siblings avoid me, treating me like a stranger;
By my zeal they’re embarrassed, they’re afraid I’ll bring danger.
For my zeal for your house is like an obsession,
And your enemies set on me their aggression.

When I wept and fasted in a season of prayer,
That became a reproach which I had to bear.
Our leaders assail me, they insist I am wrong,
While the drunks in the taverns, mock me in song.

But that does not matter for to you I’ll keep praying,
Your commandments and laws I will keep on obeying.
For I know in good time, in your grace and your mercy,
I will see your salvation, and my soul shall be ready.

Deliver me Lord from the muck and the mire,
Don’t let my soul sink and in darkness expire.
Deliver me Lord from those that abhor me,
From the deep murky waters Lord let me break free.
God don’t let my troubles flood over my head,
Pull me out of the deep, do not leave me for dead.
Hear me oh Lord for you’re loving and good,
In your infinite mercy, deal with me as you would.

Don’t hide your face from me… for I am your servant,
For I am in trouble, and my prayer is fervent.
Draw close to my soul, and by your grace redeem it,
For my foes are many…my salvation requires it.

You know my failings, my dishonor, my shame;
You know my weaknesses, all of my blame.
These are my enemies, without you I can’t win,
My fight would be over before I begin.

The night won’t allow me to sleep, and the morning still finds me weary.
I searched for someone with compassion, who’d be stirred by my woes and show pity.
But search as I would I found no one, not even a shred of compassion.
I begged them for food for my hunger, what I got was not fit for consumption;
For my thirst they gave me salt water, in an effort to speed my destruction.
They showed no regard for my suff’ring, they showed not the slightest compunction.

Let their own food be cursed, sprouting maggots and flies;
Let their comfort be cursed, let it bring their demise.
Make their eye lose its light, turn their day into night,
Make their backs shake with weakness, with no end or respite.
Pour out your wrath all over their heads
Let your anger consume them, rip their evil to shreds.
May they find themselves homeless, their cities deserted,
All that they’ve built back to nature reverted.

For their mouths rejoice at the plight of the weary,
Those whom you’ve corrected they attack without pity.
They’re intent on amassing sin upon sin,
Of their own volition, of their own free will.
Till their evil is full and indeed overflowing,
With their own hand your mercy, they insist on destroying.

From the book of the living let them be erased;
From book of the righteous forever effaced.
But me I have nothing, I repent with great sorrow;
Let salvation bring me a better tomorrow.

God’s name I will praise with poems and songs;
I will raise up his name to where it belongs.
Out of all I can give him this pleases him best
For in this my love is clearly expressed.

The humble shall see this and they shall be joyful
The heart of the righteous shall live and be grateful.
For the Lord does not hate, the pris’ners he’s bound;
And the Lord hears the poor for his love they have found.

Let heaven and earth praise him forever;
The seas and all in them, all life whatsoever;
God will save his people, make their land a great nation,
That they may dwell in it, and have as possession.

His servants’ descendants shall this land inherit;
Those who love his name, shall always dwell in it.

1: In you oh my Lord, I place all my trust, let my faith not be disappointed;
2: Save me in your goodness, hear my desperate plea, with your grace let me be anointed.

3: You be my home, where I’ll live forever, for you’ve given command to protect me;
For you are my fortress, and you are my rock, my salvation forever you will be.

4: Deliver me God, from the hands of the wicked, from the cruel, the unrighteous, uncouth;
5: For you are my hope Lord, you are my trust, from the earliest days of my youth.

6: By you I’ve been held, upright from my birth, and delivered from my mother’s womb;
My praises for you will be constant and true, even after I enter my tomb.

7: Many look at my trials, in amazement and wonder, but my faith stays rooted in you;
8: May my mouth always be, filled with your praise and honor, all day long may my praises be true.

9: When I’m old and I’m weary, and my muscles are empty, please God remember my needs;
Please do not forsake me, in all that I do, please make sure that your bounty pre-cedes.

10: For my enemies speak much slander against me, they make plans my soul to attack;
11: They say “God has deserted, forsaken and left him, kill him now for he cannot fight back”.

12-16: Be not far from my side, come quick to my aid, day and night your protection I claim;
Let my enemies be, confused and consumed, dishonored and covered in shame.

As for me I’ll continue to hope without pause, each day my praise I will show,
I will speak of your ri-ghteous-ness, of your salvation, for the length of my life I can’t know.

But I will go on in the strength of the Lord, on his mighty strength I’ll draw daily,
I will speak of your grace, all of my days, for its all due to you and you only.

17: Oh my God, oh my God, from my youth you have taught me, throughout all I’ve declared it your wonder;
With all of my might, tried to do what was right, praised your name in a voice strong as thunder.

18: Oh Lord don’t forsake me, please grant me my prayers, even now that I’m old and grey headed…
Till I’ve brought you my children, and those still unborn, even though I am weary and faded.

19: Your righteousness Lord, towers high above all, there are none that compare unto you;
Surely all must acknowledge, that you have done great things, none can match anything that you do.
20: You who have shown me great trials…and great tribulations, and you shall refresh me again;
You shall raise me up from the bowels of despair, and place me again among men.
21: You will add to my greatness more than I’ve ever had, you will comfort me from every side;
Till the pain and the anguish, that I’ve ever felt, forever inside me has died.

22: I will praise you oh God, with my songs and my music, for your faithfulness to me Oh Lord,
To you I will sing, and my poems I’ll bring, in your praise I will fashion my word.

23: As I sing to you, my thanks and my praises, my lips will greatly rejoice;
And my soul Oh my Lord, which you have redeemed, shall join in exuberant voice.

24: And my unruly tongue, shall be tamed and shall speak, all day long of your unfailing love,
For those who seek my pain, who seek to destroy me, you will shame and destroy from above.

THE JOY OF FORGIVENESS

Oh how blessed the person whose sins are forgiven,
Whose sins are all taken away;
and blessed the person from whom God takes the guilt in whose spirit deceit does not lay.

When I failed to repent and confess all my sins, and my guilt was not taken away;
my bones felt like water, no longer were strong, they felt wasted and full of decay.

For your hand on my soul was angry and heavy, I was groaning all night and all day.
This sense of despair, I cannot explain, nothing can my terror allay.

As the grass that is beaten, by the sun in mid drought, that is burnt and its countenance weathered;
my soul is dried up, it is brittle and cracked, and my strength within me is shriveled.

So I swallowed my shame, and my sins I confessed,
as my wrongs I exposed and lay bare;
You forgave me my sins, you forgave me my guilt, before even I finished my prayer.

Knowing this then oh Lord, everyone who knows of you, shall offer their prayers to you;
When troubles beset them with the force of flood waters,
God will stop them they’ll never break through.

You’re my place to hide in, my shelter from trouble, You surround me with your saving grace;
To those who will listen, I will teach and instruct you, I will teach you God’s love to embrace.

Be not like a horse and be not like a mule, who is guided without understanding;
Who needs bridle and bit to be kept by your side, who always requires firm handling.

The soul of the wicked will always be tortured, will always fear doom from above;
But those who love God, rest in peace and in joy, they are always surrounded by love.

So be glad in the Lord, and rejoice all you righteous, give thanks to the Lord from the heart;
For the Lord is with you, he will never desert you, from your side he will never depart.