Day 11: Psalms 31-33

Psalm 31

1	In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; *     deliver me in your righteousness.
2	Incline your ear to me; *     make haste to deliver me.
3	Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold; *     for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.
4	Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *     for you are my tower of strength.
5	Into your hands I commend my spirit, *     for you have redeemed me,     O LORD, O God of truth.
6	I hate those who cling to worthless idols, *     and I put my trust in the LORD.
7	I will rejoice and be glad because of your mercy; *     for you have seen my affliction;     you know my distress

8	You have not shut me up in the power of the enemy; *     you have set my feet in an open place.
9	Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; *     my eye is consumed with sorrow,     and also my throat and my belly.
10	For my life is wasted with grief, and my years with sighing; *     my strength fails me because of affliction,     and my bones are consumed.
11	I have become a reproach to all my enemies and                               even to my neighbors, a dismay to those of my acquaintance; *     when they see me in the street they avoid me.
12	I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; *     I am as useless as a broken pot.
13	For I have heard the whispering of the crowd; fear is all around; *     they put their heads together against me;     they plot to take my life.
14	But as for me, I have trusted in you, O LORD. *     I have said, "You are my God.
15	My times are in your hand; *     rescue me from the hand of my enemies,     and from those who persecute me.
16	Make your face to shine upon your servant, *     and in your loving-kindness save me."
17	LORD, let me not be ashamed for having called upon you; *     rather, let the wicked be put to shame;     let them be silent in the grave.

18	Let the lying lips be silenced which speak against                               the righteous, *     haughtily, disdainfully, and with contempt.
19	How great is your goodness, O LORD! which you have laid up for those who fear you; *     which you have done in the sight of all     for those who put their trust in you.
20	You hide them in the covert of your presence from those                                who slander them; *     you keep them in your shelter from the strife of tongues.
21	Blessed be the LORD! *     for he has shown me the wonders of his love in a                                besieged city.
22	Yet I said in my alarm, "I have been cut off from the sight of your eyes." *     Nevertheless, you heard the sound of my entreaty     when I cried out to you.
23	Love the LORD, all you who worship him; *     the LORD protects the faithful,     but repays to the full those who act haughtily.
24	Be strong and let your heart take courage, *     all you who wait for the LORD. Psalm 32 1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *     and whose sin is put away! 2 Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, *     and in whose spirit there is no guile! 3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *     because of my groaning all day long. 4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *     my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *     and did not conceal my guilt. 6 I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." *     Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. 7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in                                time of trouble; *     when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. 8 You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; *     you surround me with shouts of deliverance. 9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you                               should go; *     I will guide you with my eye. 10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *     who must be fitted with bit and bridle,     or else they will not stay near you." 11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *     but mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD. 12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the LORD; *     shout for joy, all who are true of heart. Psalm 33 1 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous; *     it is good for the just to sing praises. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; *     play to him upon the psaltery and lyre. 3 Sing for him a new song; *     sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet. 4 For the word of the LORD is right, *     and all his works are sure. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; *     the loving-kindness of the LORD fills the whole earth. 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, *     by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts. 7 He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin *     and stores up the depths of the sea. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; *     let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to pass; *     he commanded, and it stood fast. 10 The LORD brings the will of the nations to naught; *     he thwarts the designs of the peoples. 11 But the LORD'S will stands fast for ever, *     and the designs of his heart from age to age. 12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD! *     happy the people he has chosen to be his own! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven, *     and beholds all the people in the world. 14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze *     on all who dwell on the earth. 15 He fashions all the hearts of them *     and understands all their works. 16 There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army; *     a strong man is not delivered by his great strength. 17 The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; *     for all its strength it cannot save. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, *     on those who wait upon his love, 19 To pluck their lives from death, *     and to feed them in time of famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; *     he is our help and our shield. 21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, *     for in his holy Name we put our trust. 22 Let your loving-kindness, O LORD, be upon us, *     as we have put our trust in you.

Day 10: Psalms 28-30

Psalm 28

1	O LORD, I call to you; my Rock, do not be deaf to my cry; *     lest, if you do not hear me,     I become like those who go down to the Pit.
2	Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, *     when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
3	Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the                               evildoers, *     who speak peaceably with their neighbors,     while strife is in their hearts.
4	Repay them according to their deeds, *     and according to the wickedness of their actions.
5	According to the work of their hands repay them, *     and give them their just deserts.
6	They have no understanding of the LORD'S doings, nor of the works of his hands; *     therefore he will break them down and not                                build them up.
7	Blessed is the LORD! *     for he has heard the voice of my prayer.
8	The LORD is my strength and my shield; *     my heart trusts in him, and I have been helped;
9	Therefore my heart dances for joy, *     and in my song will I praise him.

10	The LORD is the strength of his people, *     a safe refuge for his anointed.
11	Save your people and bless your inheritance; *     shepherd them and carry them for ever. I am intrigued by this verse "The LORD is the strength of his people…"  Does that mean God gets his strength from his people?  Or that the people get their strength from God?   I want it to mean God gets his strength from his people. Psalm 29 1 Ascribe to the LORD, you gods, *     ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his Name; *     worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thunders; *     the LORD is upon the mighty waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice; *     the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedar trees; *     the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon; 6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *     and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. 7 The voice of the LORD splits the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; *     the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. 8 The voice of the LORD makes the oak trees writhe *     and strips the forests bare. 9 And in the temple of the LORD *     all are crying, "Glory!" 10 The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; *     the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore. 11 The LORD shall give strength to his people; *     the LORD shall give his people the blessing of peace. "Ascribe to the LORD, you gods."  What "gods" is the psalmist referring to? In verse 6, we read "He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox."  What a pleasant coincidence.  I am at the Mount Hermon retreat center for a women's retreat this weekend.  I'm not sure I want to skip like a young wild ox. Psalm 30 1 I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lifted me up *     and have not let my enemies triumph over me. 2 O LORD my God, I cried out to you, *     and you restored me to health. 3 You brought me up, O LORD, from the dead; *     you restored my life as I was going down to the grave. 4 Sing to the LORD, you servants of his; *     give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness. 5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, *     his favor for a lifetime. 6 Weeping may spend the night, *     but joy comes in the morning. 7 While I felt secure, I said, "I shall never be disturbed. *     You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong as                               the mountains." 8 Then you hid your face, *     and I was filled with fear. 9 I cried to you, O LORD; *     I pleaded with the Lord, saying, 10 "What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? *     will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness? 11 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; *     O LORD, be my helper." 12 You have turned my wailing into dancing; *     you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy. 13 Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; *     O LORD my God, I will give you thanks for ever. The psalmist thanks God for saving him from enemies.  Verse 6 I have heard many times.  "Weeping may spend the night, but joy comes in the morning."  Everything is better after a good night's sleep.  I like the translation from The Voice:  "The deepest pains may linger through the night, buy joy greets the soul with the smile of morning." That tells my my pain may still be there and is not forgotten, but joy is available when I am ready.

Day 9: Psalms 25-27

Psalm 25

1	To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; my God, I put my trust in you; *     let me not be humiliated,     nor let my enemies triumph over me.
2	Let none who look to you be put to shame; *     let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.
3	Show me your ways, O LORD, *     and teach me your paths.
4	Lead me in your truth and teach me, *     for you are the God of my salvation;     in you have I trusted all the day long.
5	Remember, O LORD, your compassion and love, *     for they are from everlasting.

6	Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions;  remember me according to your love     and for the sake of your goodness, O LORD.
7	Gracious and upright is the LORD; *     therefore he teaches sinners in his way.
8	He guides the humble in doing right *     and teaches his way to the lowly.
9	All the paths of the LORD are love and faithfulness *     to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
10	For your Name's sake, O LORD, *     forgive my sin, for it is great.
11	Who are they who fear the LORD? *     he will teach them the way that they should choose.
12	They shall dwell in prosperity, *     and their offspring shall inherit the land.
13	The LORD is a friend to those who fear him *     and will show them his covenant.
14	My eyes are ever looking to the LORD, *     for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
15	Turn to me and have pity on me, *     for I am left alone and in misery.
16	The sorrows of my heart have increased; *     bring me out of my troubles.
17	Look upon my adversity and misery *     and forgive me all my sin.
18	Look upon my enemies, for they are many, *     and they bear a violent hatred against me. 19  Protect my life and deliver me; *     let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you. 20  Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, *     for my hope has been in you. 21 Deliver Israel, O God, *     out of all his troubles.   Another woe is me psalm.  "Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions…"  I am 53.  I am still a youth!   Psalm 26 1 Give judgment for me, O LORD, for I have lived with integrity; *     I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. 2 Test me, O LORD, and try me; *     examine my heart and my mind. 3 For your love is before my eyes; *     I have walked faithfully with you. 4 I have not sat with the worthless, *     nor do I consort with the deceitful. 5 I have hated the company of evildoers; *     I will not sit down with the wicked. 6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O LORD, *     that I may go in procession round your altar, 7 Singing aloud a song of thanksgiving *     and recounting all your wonderful deeds. 8 LORD, I love the house in which you dwell *     and the place where your glory abides. 9 Do not sweep me away with sinners, *     nor my life with those who thirst for blood, 10 Whose hands are full of evil plots, *     and their right hand full of bribes. 11 As for me, I will live with integrity; *     redeem me, O LORD, and have pity on me. 12 My foot stands on level ground; *     in the full assembly I will bless the LORD. The psalmist is making a list of why he is worthy of God's help.  See how good I've been?  I don't think that's how it works.    Psalm 27 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear? *     the LORD is the strength of my life;     of whom then shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers came upon me to eat up my flesh, *     it was they, my foes and my adversaries, who                               stumbled and fell. 3 Though an army should encamp against me, *     yet my heart shall not be afraid; 4 And though war should rise up against me, *     yet will I put my trust in him. 5 One thing have I asked of the LORD; one thing I seek; *     that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days                               of my life; 6 To behold the fair beauty of the LORD *     and to seek him in his temple. 7 For in the day of trouble he shall keep me safe                                in his shelter; *     he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling     and set me high upon a rock. 8 Even now he lifts up my head *     above my enemies round about me. 9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation with sounds of great gladness; *     I will sing and make music to the LORD. 10 Hearken to my voice, O LORD, when I call; *     have mercy on me and answer me. 11 You speak in my heart and say, "Seek my face." *     Your face, LORD, will I seek. 12 Hide not your face from me, *     nor turn away your servant in displeasure. 13 You have been my helper; cast me not away; *     do not forsake me, O God of my salvation. 14 Though my father and my mother forsake me, *     the LORD will sustain me. 15 Show me your way, O LORD; *     lead me on a level path, because of my enemies. 16 Deliver me not into the hand of my adversaries, *     for false witnesses have risen up against me,     and also those who speak malice. 17 What if I had not believed that I should see the goodness of the LORD *     in the land of the living! 18 O tarry and await the LORD'S pleasure; be strong, and he shall comfort your heart; *     wait patiently for the LORD. This one starts off strong. The psalmist asks for nothing.  He gives simple statements of fact.  Then we veer into the cries for help against the enemies.  Who are these enemies?  Neighbors?  Armies?  Nature?  Self?    We sing a song at church based on the first two verses.   I don't know HTML.  Often when I copy the psalm from the online Book of Common Prayer, the formatting is thrown off.  I'm not sure how to fix it, but as long as all the words are there, I'll just go with it.

Day 8: Psalms 22-24

Psalm 22

1	My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *     and are so far from my cry     and from the words of my distress?
2	O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *     by night as well, but I find no rest.
3	Yet you are the Holy One, *     enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4	Our forefathers put their trust in you; *     they trusted, and you delivered them.
5	They cried out to you and were delivered; *     they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6	But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *     scorned by all and despised by the people.
7	All who see me laugh me to scorn; *     they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8	"He trusted in the LORD; let him deliver him; *     let him rescue him, if he delights in him."
9	Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *     and kept me safe upon my mother's breast.
10	I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; *     you were my God when I was still in my                               mother's womb.
11	Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *     and there is none to help.

12	Many young bulls encircle me; *     strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13	They open wide their jaws at me, *     like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14	I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; *     my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15	My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *     and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16	Packs of dogs close me in, and gangs of evildoers circle around me; *     they pierce my hands and my feet;     I can count all my bones.
17	They stare and gloat over me; *     they divide my garments among them;     they cast lots for my clothing.
18	Be not far away, O LORD; *     you are my strength; hasten to help me.
19	Save me from the sword, *     my life from the power of the dog.
20	Save me from the lion's mouth, *     my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
21	I will declare your Name to my brethren; *     in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
22	Praise the LORD, you that fear him; *     stand in awe of him, O offspring of Israel;     all you of Jacob's line, give glory.

23	For he does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither does he hide his face from them; *     but when they cry to him he hears them.
24	My praise is of him in the great assembly; *     I will perform my vows in the presence of those who                                worship him.
25	The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the LORD shall praise him: *     "May your heart live for ever!"
26	All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to                                 the LORD, *     and all the families of the nations bow before him.
27	For kingship belongs to the LORD; *     he rules over the nations.
28	To him alone all who sleep in the earth bow down                                 in worship; *     all who go down to the dust fall before him.
29	My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him; *     they shall be known as the LORD'S for ever.
30	They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *     the saving deeds that he has done.
	The first verse contains, of course, Jesus' words on the cross.  This psalm seems to make a pact with God.    Take care of me, vanquish my enemies.  I will in turn praise you forever.  And my descendants too.  Prayers like that are as old as time. This psalm reminds me of Mother Teresa.  She famously heard God speak to her and tell her to help the poor of India.  She spent the next decades praying for God to speak to her again (maybe to tell her to get the hell out of India!), but was met with silence.   Her faith, however, was unwavering. Psalm 23 1 The LORD is my shepherd; *     I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *and leads me beside still waters. 3 He revives my soul *     and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake. 4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; *     for you are with me;     your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those                              who trouble me; *     you have anointed my head with oil,     and my cup is running over. 6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days                              of my life, *     and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. The most famous psalm of them all.  I grew up singing this version, which I love--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3rRqA9VfIE.  This psalm has been read at countless funerals.  It has been recited in battle trenches, in airplanes with turbulence and before exams.  An all-occasion psalm! No whining, no pleading, just a statements of fact.  Beautiful.  Psalm 24 1 The earth is the LORD'S and all that is in it, *     the world and all who dwell therein. 2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas *     and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep. 3 "Who can ascend the hill of the LORD? *     and who can stand in his holy place?" 4 "Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *     who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,     nor sworn by what is a fraud. 5 They shall receive a blessing from the LORD *     and a just reward from the God of their salvation." 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, *     of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. 7 Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; *     and the King of glory shall come in. 8 "Who is this King of glory?" *     "The LORD, strong and mighty,     the LORD, mighty in battle." 9 Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; *     and the King of glory shall come in. 10 "Who is he, this King of glory?" *     "The LORD of hosts,     he is the King of glory." This psalm asks "Who can ascend the hill of the LORD? and who can stand in his holy place?"   I disagree with the answer.  Clean hands and a pure heart?  Nowhere does that person exist.

Day 7: Psalms 19-21

If you look at the Psalms in the Book of Common Prayer Psalter, you will notice Latin phrases before each psalm.  These Latin phrases are the first words of each psalm and serve as a kind of title for each psalm.

Psalm 19 Caeli enarrant

1	The heavens declare the glory of God, *     and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2	One day tells its tale to another, *     and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3	Although they have no words or language, *     and their voices are not heard,
4	Their sound has gone out into all lands, *     and their message to the ends of the world.
5	In the deep has he set a pavilion for the sun; *     it comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber;     it rejoices like a champion to run its course.

6	It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of it again; *     nothing is hidden from its burning heat.
7	The law of the LORD is perfect                               and revives the soul; *     the testimony of the LORD is sure                                and gives wisdom to the innocent.
8	The statutes of the LORD are just                               and rejoice the heart; *     the commandment of the LORD is clear                                and gives light to the eyes.
9	The fear of the LORD is clean                               and endures for ever; *     the judgments of the LORD are true                                and righteous altogether.
10	More to be desired are they than gold,                               more than much fine gold, *     sweeter far than honey,                                than honey in the comb.
11	By them also is your servant enlightened, *     and in keeping them there is great reward.
12	Who can tell how often he offends? *     cleanse me from my secret faults.
13	Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; *     then shall I be whole and sound,     and innocent of a great offense.
14	Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my                               heart be acceptable in your sight, *     O LORD, my strength and my redeemer. It's that last verse that I have heard a million times.  Preachers use this verse before preaching their sermon.  At one church that I attended, the rector amended the verse to say "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight…"  That change makes us all a partner in the sermon.   Psalm 20 1 May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble, *     the Name of the God of Jacob defend you; 2 Send you help from his holy place *     and strengthen you out of Zion; 3 Remember all your offerings *     and accept your burnt sacrifice; 4 Grant you your heart's desire *     and prosper all your plans. 5 We will shout for joy at your victory and triumph in the Name of our God; *     may the LORD grant all your requests. 6 Now I know that the LORD gives victory to his anointed; *     he will answer him out of his holy heaven,     with the victorious strength of his right hand. 7 Some put their trust in chariots and some in horses, *     but we will call upon the Name of the LORD our God. 8 They collapse and fall down, *     but we will arise and stand upright. 9 O LORD, give victory to the king *     and answer us when we call. Another call for help against enemies.   Psalm 21 1 The king rejoices in your strength, O LORD; *     how greatly he exults in your victory! 2 You have given him his heart's desire; *     you have not denied him the request of his lips. 3 For you meet him with blessings of prosperity, *     and set a crown of fine gold upon his head. 4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him: *     length of days, for ever and ever. 5 His honor is great, because of your victory; *     splendor and majesty have you bestowed upon him. 6 For you will give him everlasting felicity *     and will make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king puts his trust in the LORD; *     because of the loving-kindness of the Most High, he                               will not fall. 8 Your hand will lay hold upon all your enemies; *     your right hand will seize all those who hate you. 9 You will make them like a fiery furnace *     at the time of your appearing, O LORD; 10  You will swallow them up in your wrath, *     and fire shall consume them. 11  You will destroy their offspring from the land *     and their descendants from among the peoples of the earth. 12  Though they intend evil against you and devise wicked schemes, *     yet they shall not prevail. 13   For you will put them to flight *     and aim your arrows at them. 14  Be exalted, O LORD, in your might; *     we will sing and praise your power. Another childish view of God destroying the enemies.  Get off your butt and do something for yourself!