Psalms Renderings Five

Pilgrimage

With hearts set on pilgrimage,

We arise each new morn afresh.

Our souls long to draw near,

The sun waits to light the way.

O precious Lord God of Hosts,

My flesh cries out for only You.

I want to be in Your holy house,

With all my me, I want inside.

Then and there the rain will pool,

The tears of joy of those arrived.

Psalm 84

Forevermore

When Mercy and Truth do

meet

When Righteousness and Peace

kiss

When all four with one another

embrace

Glory will forever dwell in our

land

And He will make His footsteps

our pathway into

forevermore.

Psalm 85

Affliction Without End

Born in affliction

And lived in as much

The whole of my life,

I have spent my days

and nights

Crying out to You, O God,

And still the terrors

Hold court over my body,

But thanks be to You,

Not my soul.

My ache is without end.

I have stretched out my hands,

Always begging for relief,

Knowing You work wonders,

But none comes for me.

Still, my spirit turns to You

The God of my salvation,

And though I go down

into the pit,

My last breath

Will trust in only You.

Psalm 88*

*a different spin on this psalm of life-long despondency

Fly Away

Who is man

who dares think

he’s all that?

Who is man

who dares make

his own way?

Who is man

who dares trumpet

his own glory?

We are the work

of God’s Hands,

His alone.

He gives us work

for our hands

to do for Him.

Who are we

that from God

we fly away?

Psalm 90

Secret Place

As long as I remain

in the Secret Place,

Nothing can harm me...

No trap can catch me,

No disease can sicken me,

No night terror can scare me,

No arrow can pierce me,

No evil can befall me,

No plague can come near me,

No lion or bear can eat me,

No cobra can strike me,

No man can slay me,

No death can overtake me...

Unless He says so.

And that is well with my soul.

Psalm 91

Strings, Winds and Song

An orchestra playing

all day and night,

Would not be enough

to give You thanks.

Songs sung on and on

until the end of time,

Would not be enough

to praise Your work.

Still it is good

to give You thanks,

It is always good

to praise Your Name.

Your love wakes with me

every morning,

And Your faithfulness

lays down with me

each night.

Strings, winds and song

with all my might.

Psalm 92