(a personal psalm based on Psalm 36:1, 5-8, 10 and other scriptures)
Our world is in travail, O God.
Wicked men create schemes to fraud others;
They viciously hunt down the innocent.
Their mouths are full of curses, lies, and threats.
Blameless victims suffer at the hands of their selfishness and greed.
In prideful arrogance, they even mock You, Father.
How is it that the wicked accumulate wealth and wield power?
Their dark deeds and unjust treatment of others
stir up frustration and resentment in our hearts.
Then we remember: the days of the wicked are numbered.
Our best course of action is to contemplate You,
And affirm our trust in your wise and loving ways.
Yes, You are our God of steadfast, self-sacrificing love,
As expansive and incomprehensible as the heavens.
Evidence of your attentive love is all around us—
In the gracious people we meet,
The delightful circumstances we experience,
The unexpected gifts we receive and enjoy.
You are our God of reliable and unchanging faithfulness.
You keep all of your scripture promises—all 2,300-plus of them!
You always have and always will act according to your holy character;
Therefore we can forever trust you to do what is right.
Never will you turn your back on us,
Even if we turn our backs on you.
You are our God of perfect and transcendent righteousness,
As firm, immovable, and majestic as mountains.
Everything you do is good,
Motivated by a purity that will not forever tolerate wrong.
Your perfect plans always conform to the prudent purpose of your will.
Everything you say is truth; you cannot lie.
You are a God of certain yet merciful justice.
To be honest, we’re often mystified by your actions.
We see evil men prosper and righteous men suffer.
Your judgments are as unfathomable as the deepest oceans.
But what we do know is this, and we cling to its hope:
In your infinite wisdom you work all things for good.
You are our God of strong and ever-present refuge,
Offering comfort, peace, and security through your Word.
In your Presence we are strengthened; our faith is renewed.
You shelter us from the full force of the storms of life.
You even protect us from what we thought we wanted
And provide for us instead what You know is best.
You are our God of abundant and delightful blessings
That flow continually like a great river.
Who can count all the wonderful works you have done?
But above all, you O Lord, are the embodiment of all blessing—
In you alone we find rest, support, and salvation.
In you alone we place our trust.
Stanza #1: Psalm 10:2, 7
Stanza #2: Psalm 36:1, 10
Stanza #3: Psalm 36:5a, 7, 10
Stanza #4: Psalm 36:5b; Psalm 145:13; Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Timothy 2:13
Stanza #5: Psalm 36:6a; Psalm 119:68; Habakkuk 1:13; Ephesians 1:11; 1 Chronicles 16:27; Numbers 23:19
Stanza #6: Psalm 36:6b; Jeremiah 12:1; Romans 8:28
Stanza #7: Psalm 36:7; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 31:19-20; Psalm 9:9; Psalm 18:2
Stanza #8: Psalm 36:8; Psalm 105:5a; Psalm 62:5-8; Psalm 31:14
(Art & photo credits: www.wikimedia.com; http://www.flickr.com (2); http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.pinterest.com (2); http://www.flickr.com; http://www.dailyverses.net; pinterest.com.)
From the Inside Out 