Abstract: Psalm 37

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Psalm 37

In our time, in every age prior, and those to come,

has violent and ruthless men.

Every era and generation has war, starvation, and oppression,

and those who step on the righteous- the arrogant and foolish.

Never envy them.

Whatever glamour or wealth surrounds them now,

they will spend eternity burning.

The rapist and the liar,

the greedy sonofabitch,

and the merciless dictator.

No never you mind, He doesn’t overlook,

the proud academic,

the mocking cynic,

or manipulative dick.

No, He will come for what is owed.

Make no mistake.

The Lord loves sacrifice and a generous hand,

His heart beats for working mothers and devoted fathers,

For the child who walks home instead of destroying his future,

and the single man dedicated to prayer and faith.

Righteous is not grand or sparkling,

Justice doesn’t need a parade,

and Love is our true super power.

Never be jealous of the unrighteous.

Instead, pity them.

They are marching toward the gates of hell.

Stay to your course,

Pray, forgive, and let the light shine out your life.

The same God who spoke the Universe into reality,

created time and physics,

Is in you, with you, and for you.

You are never alone,

never forgotten,

always loved.

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Abstract: Psalm 36

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Psalm 36

When a man doesn’t know God, doesn’t fear the Lord, or follow the ways of Heaven,

no limits exists.

He may kill in the name of freedom, steal in the name of justice,

and sling his manhood like a wild animal- into any hole he desires.

Oh sure, this very same man may pay his taxes and help the neighbor with a cup of sugar,

but his heart is always twisted by pride and greed.

This man keeps tabs on all his critics and vows to destroy them.

He never forgets a slight or offense or rolled-eye.

And He will lie when it suits him,

destroy what threatens him,

and align himself with those who fill his needs.

He wants more, always more, the endless more.

Those who are abused or maimed,

They are part of the price he is willing to pay,

happy sacrifices of a kind,

for the sickening glory in his head.

But the Lord…

As terrible as a man may be, the ones without Love or Mercy,

they are not champions or saints.

They’re legacies will blow away like ash after an inferno,

and everything they’ve built will be blown-up, distributed, and then forgotten.

It is the Lord who is good and just and loving.

And his kindness extends to evil men,

right up to the moment they expire.

Though we fail, He prevails.

And nothing evil men do can or will destroy what He does or will do.

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Abstract: Psalm 35

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Psalm 35

When I was a child,

I never understood why we mocked each other,

stole and lied,

and delighted the failure of others.

Why are they so mean?

And then, Lord, I joined them.

I used my words and hands to hurt people too,

even though I knew I shouldn’t.

Yes, Lord, I knew.

And over time, I started to justify the pain I inflicted on other,

blamed my parents and leaders for my flaws,

and tried to escaped my reward.

I was your enemy Lord,

angry and afraid.

And then, you saved me from all that,

forgave for me all that,

and waved off those who came for the debt I owed.

So, unlike David, I will not pray for you to slaughter my enemies.

Nah.

I pray you save them, like you saved me.

May they see your glory, feel your warmth,

and know You alone are good.

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Abstract: Psalm 34

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Psalm 34

The world wants to turn the Lord into an ATM machine or ancient spell,

we mumble the proper words and blessing comes out.

But this is not how He works, never how he works.

His promises are true,

and so, He is worthy of praise.

He doesn’t need our approval or care for our anger,

and he’s unmoved by our impatience or doubt.

He promises to provide and defend,

deliver and protect.

The Miracles are a nice touch too.

Besides, we spend too much time asking for the wrong stuff.

We pray for money instead of wisdom to be wise with the cash we have,

We demand justice for our offenses, rather than grace to endure,

And we judge our holiness or worthiness on whether our latest hope was fulfilled,

Like the Lord is Amazon, waiting to ship you another cheap gift.

Do you even recognize the blessings all around you?

The excess of food, indoor toilets, and magic flying machines?

The beauty of the pines and sycamores or the songs in the morning?

Turn your head from criticism and entitlement,

and focus your eyes on the Lord.

Give up disappointment and busy yourself on His promises to you.

The Father is always behind you and with you,

To celebrate your wins and comfort you in grief.

And he redeems those who are dedicated and committed.

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Abstract: Psalm 33

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Psalm 33

The Lord has earned our hoots and hollers,

silent prayers and heart-felt tunes,

our collective worship and individual acclaim.

He’s worth every word and sway,

as long as you can give it, everyday.

Our lives and planet mirror His greatness,

in how we invent and create,

in colorful birds and wild flowers,

and in the flavor of salt, fresh tomato and bit of basil leaf.

More than these, His greatness is in us and that wonder marches on,

toward justice for all and mercy without end,

for ourselves, the least of these, and His enemies.

The Lords commands are everlasting, elegant, and nurishing.

He fulfills His promises and rewards those who sit in His presence,

regardless of what the day may bring.

Don’t let anyone say different,

The Lord alone is Good,

Every act,

Every word,

Every command,

and every promise.

He alone moves the Earth around the sun,

remember that.

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Abstract: Psalm 32

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Psalm 32

Confession is the key to a clean soul,

and leads to life.

And really, who can hide from the Lord?

We act like stupid cats, our heads hidden under the couch,

our body exposed to the world,

the effects of our sin visible to anyone with working eyes.

And make no mistake, sin weighs heavy our souls, plagues our minds,

and takes root in our physical bodies.

But then, when we face the Lord,

and admit our wrongs…as often as needed…

He is faithful to wipe away all that plagues our souls.

For the worldly man, proud of hurt he inflicts on others and himself,

he is blind to this truth.

But for those of us who love Jesus, this is more true. (For the enemy wants to make you blind to your sin, or he wants you to be convinced you can’t change.)

Better out than in an old man told me,

and this is never more true than with sin.

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Abstract: Psalm 31

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Psalm 31

Yep, I ran to you,

crying and snotting and shivering like lost dog.

But, I am not ashamed.

You are my home,

my peace and my guiding star.

This I learned after years of failure and self-pity.

Took me long enough,

To learn how magnificent You are.

You have my grateful heart forever.

And now, I have a spine in my back and vision in my heart,

And this will not due, not for the those who loved me weak and afraid,

and use my gifts to prop themselves up like kings.

Regardless, You shine and me,

and I will not waste time or words on people bound to slave ways.

I’m no slave.

I’m a son of the King and will conduct myself as such.

Like those before me and the ones to come,

I will put my trust in the hands of the Lord.

He is our hope forever.

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Abstract: Psalm 30

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Psalm 30

You my Dude and always will be.

Each and every moment when my head was low,

and my heart was buried under self-pity,

You were there.

And more than that,

You didn’t let me fail.

You are my compulsion, my reason for living,

And I will whistle my tune for You.

Your correction is swift but sweet,

And all my tears are dried when the morning comes.

Yes, even in the nights when I felt alone,

and stretched my ear to hear your voice and heard nothing but silence,

I knew you were there, that my feelings were wrong,

as wrong as a feeling can be.

You are Emmanuel, God with me.

Forever ever.

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Abstract: Psalm 29

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Psalm 29

Give the Lord his due,

Recognize Him for who He is, powerful and eternal.

Bow your knee and move your mouth,

You’ll praise Him willingly or unwillingly,

But You will praise Him.

The Presence of God is everywhere I look,

In the Redwoods, the thunder of tide upon the rocks,

and shrouded in the mystery of the fog rolling in off the sea.

He carved the Grand Canyon with His breath,

pulled the Rockies from the Plains,

And hid His glory in the Appalachians.

He sends the rain in the drought and cool wind after a hot summer,

And He calls the blooms forth, so the orange groves give us their fruit.

He is the One who said “Let their be light,”

Creating time and matter, sending them barreling across a new reality.

He is, was, and will be.

Always Good, always Present,

Always God.

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Abstract: Psalm 28

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Psalm 28

I’m ashamed I’m here in this place,

where I am desperate and sullen and afraid.

How long is this cycle going to repeat itself?

Will I ever learn?

Are You, Lord…are you even listening?

Don’t treat me like an enemy or a fraud.

I do dumb stuff, but my heart is with you,

now and always.

I have only ever desired to walk closer to you and see your face,

please don’t let me fall like a hater or those who mock you with human wisdom.

I am not those men.

You know I need your kindness and a miracle.

You know exactly where my stress comes from.

So, I thank you for what your are about to do,

And will do, because I know you.

I’ve experienced your long and generosity all the my life.

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Abstract: Psalm 27

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Psalm 27

He is my fire and my blanket,

what can anyone do to me?

He is my guard and my protector,

who will step to me?

I’ve got receipts.

The one thing I ask for and long to see,

is the shining face of God.

He is all I need to survive the attacks and storms to come.

Lord, don’t hide from me.

Show me your Holiness,

I’m ready for you to blow my mind and unleash the power of my heart,

as only you can.

So that my friends and enemies know,

You alone are God.

In the mean time, while I wait,

I will strengthen my heart with Your words,

and remember the gifts and blessings already given to me.

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Abstract: Psalm 26

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Psalm 26

Am I worthy?

Ain’t I your boy?

They called me fool, but I stuck to you,

Didn’t I?

Good ahead, test me.

I know who I am, because I know You.

I don’t gossip or complain or scheme to screw people over.

And I am bold I walk before You.

And I will go on doing so, being bold and loving You,

Regardless of feeling or situation.

You know all these things about me, my heart, my motivations, and my aim.

Save me from this quagmire and set my feet on higher ground.

David wrote of his innocence and integrity, but I can’t.

He said he didn’t take the company of liars and cheats,

yet, Your king was and did all those things.

And You remembered him and saved him anyway.

I'm not King David, devoid of any sense of guilty or sin.

I know who I am, what I’ve done.

And I still choose You,

unworthy and guilty as anyone could be,

I choose you Lord,

And I will never turn back from this vow.

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