Tag: Psalms

Praise is not a compliment,    not a friendly recognition of a favor. It's an outpouring - a soul    wrenching expression of longing and loyal love. It isn't a sugar stick,    doesn't require a smile, though it can end with one. Psalm 150

I'm suspicious of victory     or maybe superiority that comes from winning. Perhaps I     just can't stand to lose. No matter what, victory concerns me deeply.     The manic acts of celebration halt me. I question the logic.     Defeat is always lurking nearby. Psalm 149

Slouching in front of the pantry,    staring at the tangled packages filled with nothing, replaced with hope    or negligence. This is the moment where God's compassion fills deeply.    But this is also the precipice. Foul feelings shimmer and lure me    to the edge of a thick resentment. The guardrails are missing. The sign-    post is a reminder of warning. But the breakers sound beautiful    in their peerless allure to console. How weak the heart. How brave the child    who snatches me from my betrayal and wraps me in complete trust. How    stupid I am to forget God's heart. Psalm 145

If I feel planted     when so many are denied rooting, am I a Hebrew,     disenfranchised in the desert night or Egyptian born?     Am I hiding in caves or hunting? A Galilean,     or am I slaughtering innocents? God, rally the time     when neither will be true of any! Psalm 144

I've been underneath the soil - darkness so blinding my ears muffled in response. I was surrounded by friends. My dad, less than an arm's length, but presence was lost. The imagination wants to invent monsters and false images to fear. But at some point, a living person touches your hand, and you are not alone. Psalm 142