The Faith Log

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Psalm 131 ~ Quieting Myself in Yahweh

One thing I notice quite a bit in praying the Psalms is how one psalm sits next to another. In the psalm I worked with yesterday, Psalm 130, the metaphor was of the watchman, diligent, focused and waiting for the morning. Today, in Psalm 131, the metaphor is of a weaned child sitting quietly with its mother, waiting patiently. Both instances speak of an assurance that God knows and cares, that help will certainly come and our needs will be met.

Quieting Myself in Yahweh ~ from Psalm 131

My heart is not lifted up
With pride or self-importance,
As if I have any good thing in me
That did not come from Yahweh.

My eyes are not lifted up in arrogance,
As if I was sufficient of myself
To think anything as of myself.
I have no room for the ego
That eases God out.

I do not concern myself
With things too deep
Or too difficult;
It only gets me agitated,
Frustrated, confused.
And Yahweh does not need my advice.

But I quiet myself, calm myself,
Take my eyes off me
And put them on Yahweh.
I am like a young child,
Sitting with its mother,
Trusting that she knows and cares,
That is how my heart is with Yahweh;
He knows and cares.

So I set my expectation on Yahweh
And wait for Him,
Patient and content.
All is well, now and forever.

Personal Confessions from the Psalms
Prayers and Affirmations for a Life of Faith, Happiness and Awe in God
by Jeff Doles

Preview with Amazon’s “Look Inside.”

Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon), epub (Google and iTunes) and PDF.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Psalm 130 ~ Forgiveness and Help

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

Forgiveness and Help ~ from Psalm 130

Out of the depths of my soul,
The center of my being,
I cry out to Yahweh;
He hears my voice
And is attentive to my cry for help.
He does not count my sins against me,
Otherwise, I could not stand before Him.
But He forgives me, pardons me, cleanses me,
Because of Jesus,*
And I love Him, trust Him,
Live in awe of Him all the more.

I wait patiently for Yahweh;
My expectation is set on Him.
I listen for His voice
And trust in His promise.

I watch for Yahweh,
Intently, diligently,
More than the watchman of the night
Waits for morning.
Yahweh’s help will come
As sure as the morning.

Set your expectation on Yahweh,
Trust in His faithful love.
He will rescue you
With the abundance of His help,
And forgive you of everything,
Because of Jesus.

* “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Psalm 128 ~ Extravagant Blessing of Yahweh

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

The Extravagant Blessing of Yahweh ~ from Psalm 128

O the happiness
Of following Yahweh,
To love Him, trust Him,
Live in awe of Him
And walk in His ways.

We enjoy the rewards
Of the work of our hands,
The work He has given us.
Yahweh takes care of all our needs.
We are happy and prosperous,
And all is well with us.
We are like a fruitful vine,
Our home like a vineyard,
Our children like olive plants
All around our table.

See, this is how Yahweh wants to bless
All who love Him, trust Him,
And live in awe of Him.*
Yahweh blesses us
That we may enjoy
The prosperity of His kingdom
All our days,
And see our children’s children
Walk in His blessing
And in His ways.

* See Deuteronomy 28:1-14.

For more on Psalm 128, see Divine Portrait of Prosperity: Psalm 128

Monday, November 28, 2011

Psalm 127 ~ A Legacy in Yahweh

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

A Legacy in Yahweh ~ from Psalm 127

We trust in Yahweh
To build our house,
Our family, our legacy.*
Otherwise, all our work
Would be pointless.

We trust in Yahweh
To watch over His people,
To hedge us about
With His protection.**
Otherwise, all our vigilance
Would be in vain.

It is useless to toil
From morning to night
And go to bed worried.
Yahweh is our source and supply.
He blesses the work of our hands***
And gives us His provision,
Even in our rest.

See, children are a heritage,
A divine inheritance,
Yahweh’s gift to us.
They are a blessing
And they become our legacy ~
God’s gift, and ours,
To the world.

They are like arrows
In the hand of the mighty and skillful,
To be sent forth
With strength and direction.
It is a very happy thing
To have a quiver filled with them.

Yahweh builds our house
And increases it with children;
He builds their houses
And increases them, as well.
They will be mighty in the land
And will prevail at the gates of the city,
With the purpose of God in their hearts
And the wisdom of God in their mouths,
And they shall change the world.

* “Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks … And the LORD will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground” (Deuteronomy 28:4, 11).
** “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways” (Deuteronomy 28:7).
*** “The LORD will command the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you … The LORD will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand” (Deuteronomy 28:8, 12).

For more on Psalm 127, see Inheriting Destiny.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Psalm 126 ~ Yahweh Frees the Captives

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

Yahweh Frees the Captives ~ from Psalm 126

When Yahweh set me free
From the bondage I was in,*
It was like living in a dream,
A wonderful dream come true.
My mouth was filled
With shouts of joy and laughter.
It was evident to everyone around
That Yahweh had done
Great things for me.
Indeed, Yahweh has done
Great things for me,
And I am very happy.

But there are many others
Who are still oppressed,
In bondage, held captive;
I cry out to Yahweh
To rescue them and set them free.
Make them like streams
That makes the desert bloom.
I sow my tears for them,
That I may reap a harvest of joy,
Singing the victory song with them.
I carry this with me,
Sowing the seed wherever I go.
I know I will come again,
Shouting for joy
Because of the harvest.

* Jesus fulfills what was written by the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-21). Peter proclaimed that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” (Acts 10:38).

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Psalm 121 ~ I Turn to Yahweh

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

I Turn to Yahweh ~ from Psalm 121

When I am in distress or need,
Where do I turn for help?
I look to Yahweh;
He is my mountain,
My refuge, my strength.
My help comes from Yahweh,
Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Yahweh will not let me fall
But will set me on firm ground.
He keeps me, guards me,
Sets a hedge all around me.
He is always watching over me
To protect and provide for me.
Nothing sneaks up on Him. Ever.
See, this is how Yahweh is
With all His people,
All who look to Him.

Yahweh is my protector;
He shields me from harm
By day and by night.
Yahweh keeps me from evil
And guards my life.
He watches over
My comings and goings,
Now and forever.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Learning to Pray the Psalms

A little over twenty years or so ago, I had the privilege of going on a couple of retreats with a group of Presbyterian men to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, a Cistercian (Trappist) community in Conyers, GA. On both occasions, Father Gus (Dom Augustine Moore) spoke with us about prayer, particularly about praying the Psalms. Father Gus had entered the order as a young man at Gethsemani Abbey, in Trappist, KY, and was now quite advanced in years. He had come to a lot of wisdom in those years and had, at one time, served as abbot at Holy Spirit Monastery. I was just beginning to learn to pray the Psalms in those days, so I was interested in what he would have to say.

Two things stand out for me from those talks. First, he said that as he prayed the Psalms, “I just let the lines work on me.” The steady rhythm of praying the lines of the Psalms, day after day, year after year, formed him and transformed him. Second, he said that as he prayed, he would sometimes feel the “zoom of the Holy Spirit.” I was not quite sure at the time just what he meant by that, though I later found out for myself.

Since then, I have carried those two things with me as I have continued to pray the Psalms. The lines have worked on me and changed my life. They have become a conversation, a relationship, between God and me. I speak to God in the Psalms, and He speaks to me. They have set some things in me that have become very precious to me ~ I have come to see that God has always had a great desire for the nations and the generations, and I intercede for them on that basis, from the Psalms. The experience of praying the Psalms has been defibrillating for my heart. Line by line, it has been bringing my heart into alignment with the heart of God. I have also often experienced the “zoom” of the Holy Spirit ~ times of deep joy or intense peace, or unexpected compassion, or even the inarticulate groaning of the Spirit that Paul talks about in Romans 8:26 ~ while praying the Psalms. I have experienced these things even as I have been working on this project of personal confessions I have adapted from the Psalms. All these things I also hope for you as you read these confessions.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Psalm 118 ~ Giving Thanks to Yahweh

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

Giving Thanks to Yahweh ~ from Psalm 118

I give thanks to Yahweh,
Because He is good,
Because His covenant love
Is always there for me,
And always will be.

When I was in a tight spot,
I cried out to Yahweh;
He answered me
And set me in a wide place,
An abundant place.

Yahweh is for me,
So I will not be afraid
Of anyone or anything;
They cannot harm me.
The covenant love of Yahweh
Casts out all my fear.*

Yahweh is for me and He helps me,
So I will look on in victory
Over whatever comes my way.
It is better to trust in Yahweh
Than in the wealth and power of people.

When I was surrounded by the enemy,
I cut them short, subdued them,
By the name of Yahweh.
They surrounded me like stinging bees,
But their fire was quickly put out**
By the name of Yahweh.
They pushed me hard to make me fall,
But Yahweh helped me.

Yahweh is the source
Of my strength and my song;
Jesus is most certainly my salvation.
The house of God’s people
Rings with loud victory songs
And praises to Jesus.

The right hand of Yahweh
Does mighty things.
The right hand of Yahweh
Is always ready to help me.
Jesus, at the right hand of the Father,
Has done mighty things for me;
He is worthy of all my thanks and praise.

He gives me life,
So I will live and declare
What Yahweh has done for me.
Though trouble came
Yahweh brought me through it,
And He has opened to me the gate
Where His people enter in;
So I will come and give thanks to Yahweh.

I thank Him because He answered me.
I thank Him because Jesus is my victory.
Jesus, the Building Block
Rejected by religious folk,
Has become the Cornerstone
Of God’s new building.
Yahweh has done this
And it is marvelous in my eyes.
Yahweh has made this day happen;
I will whirl and twirl for joy
And be light-hearted in it.
I want everyone to know His blessing.

Yahweh sets me in a wide place
An abundant place.
Yahweh gives me prosperity
And causes me to succeed.
I enter in by the name of Yahweh,
Welcomed by His people,
And I am blessed.

Yahweh is God and He gives me light;
I will direct my praise to Him.
He is my God;
I will give Him thanks;
And tell everyone how great He is.

I give thanks to Yahweh,
Because He is good,
Because His covenant love
Is always there for me,
And always will be.

* “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).
** “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one” (Ephesians 6:16).

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Psalm 116 ~ Why I Love Yahweh

A personal confession from the Psalms.

Why I Love Yahweh ~ from Psalm 116

I love Yahweh;
Because He hears my voice
And answers the cry
Of my heart.
He turns His ear
And listens closely to me;
I will go to Him about everything,
As long as I live.

Yahweh is full of grace and favor,
All He does is right and just.
He is tender and compassionate,
And protects the simple in heart.

When I was down, broken,
He rescued me, lifted me up.
My heart found its peace,
Because Yahweh dealt
Bountifully with me.
He saved my life,
Dried my tears,
Directed my steps
Onto solid ground.
I will walk with Yahweh
And enjoy a life pleasing to Him,
A life of faith.

What thanks shall I give to Yahweh
For all His blessings and benefits?
I will drink deeply
From the cup of salvation,
The cup of healing and deliverance,
The cup of joy in Jesus.
And I will proclaim
The name of Yahweh,
Right here, right now,
In the presence of His people.

The people of Yahweh
Are precious in His sight;
Their death He does not treat lightly
Or allow easily.

O Yahweh, I am Your servant.
I am indeed Your servant,
The son of Your maidservant.*

I offer my praise to Yahweh
And declare His name
Right here, right now,
In the presence of His people.

* This is very personal for me as I think of my mother and my grandmother, both mighty women of God who have now gone to be with Jesus.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Psalm 115 ~ All My Glory is in Yahweh

For many years now, my favorite verse, the one I come back to again and again, has been Isaiah 50:4. “The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of disciples, that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to listen as a disciple.” That has been my desire with this project of psalm confessions and, indeed, with all my writing ~ to sustain the weary one with a word.

All My Glory is in Yahweh ~ from Psalm 115

To Yahweh alone
Goes all the glory;
I will praise Him
For every good thing in me,
Because of His covenant love
And faithfulness.

I put my confidence in Yahweh;
He is my Helper, my Defender.
He remembers me,
To bless me.
Yahweh blesses all who honor Him,
Who live in awe of Him,
From the greatest to the least ~
And there are no “least” with Him.

Yahweh gives us increase,
Adds more and more to our blessings,
To us and our children.
We are blessed by Yahweh,
Maker of Heaven and Earth.

Heaven belongs to Yahweh,
And He has given the earth
As an inheritance
To all who are His.
His kingdom comes
As His will is done
On earth as in heaven.*

We will not be silent
But will praise and adore Yahweh
Now and forever.

* Adapted from the prayer Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 6:10).

Monday, November 21, 2011

Psalm 112 ~ A Life Well-Lived with Yahweh

A personal confession from the Psalms.

A Life Well-Lived with Yahweh ~ Psalm 112

I live in awe of Yahweh;
I love His instruction
And delight in His ways.
O the happiness!

My descendants will be mighty in the land.
My children, and their children,
And their children’s children
Will all be blessed,
Empowered by heaven,
Wealth and riches in our houses.
We walk with Yahweh
And that changes the world,
Now and forever.

We will always have
Light in the darkness.
We will be gracious,
Full of compassion and tenderness.
We will show favor
And lend help to those in need,
And good will come back to us.
We will conduct all our affairs
With sound judgment and integrity.

We will not be shaken by anything;
Yahweh will remember us
And take care of us.
We will not be afraid
When bad news is in the air;
Our hearts are firmly established,
Trusting in Yahweh.
We will not fear the enemy;
We are sustained by the peace of Yahweh.
Nothing will be missing,
Nothing will be broken;
All will be restored, made whole,
And we will rejoice in the victory.

We will give freely to those in need,
For we will always have more than enough
For every good work.
It will show the goodness of Yahweh
And bring praise to His name.*
Our influence and honor will increase
And the effect of walking with Yahweh
Will continue to make us a blessing to others.

* “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work … For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you” (2 Corinthians 9:8, 12-14).

See also Divine Portrait of Prosperity: Psalm 112, The Happiness of Living in Awe of God, The Rightness Effect and Light in the Darkness.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Psalm 103 ~ Yahweh’s Benefits

A personal confession from the Psalms.

Yahweh’s Benefits ~ from Psalm 103

Everything in me gives praise to Yahweh.
All my heart, all my soul, all my might
Gives thanks to His name ~
There is none like Him in all the world.
I continually think of His benefits,
All the wonderful things He does for me.
I count on them.

He forgives me ~ of everything!
He heals me of all sickness and disease.
He rescues me from danger and destruction.
He crowns me, surrounds me
With His faithful love and tenderness.
He satisfies my desires with good things
And renews my youth like the eagle’s.

Yahweh does what is right,
And establishes justice
For all who are oppressed.
He makes His ways known
And shows His mighty works
To His people.

Yahweh is full of grace and mercy;
He is patient with me,
And shows me the abundance
Of His faithful love.
He does not deal with me
According to my sin ~
Jesus took that to the cross
And made me right with God.*

As far as heaven is above the earth,
That is how big His love is for me.
As far as the east is from the west,
That is how far He has carried
My sin from me.
As a father is tender toward his children,
That is how Yahweh is toward me.

Yahweh’s faithful love for me is forever.
It reaches to my children,
Even my children’s children,
Because I am in covenant with Him
And I walk in His ways.

Yahweh has established His throne;
His kingdom rules over all.
I come before Him with boldness
To receive His grace and mercy,**
And I am seated at His right hand,
With King Jesus.***

* “For He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:10-11). “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
** “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
*** God has “made us alive together with Christ … and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:5-6).

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Yahweh is The LORD

The other day on Facebook, someone who read one of my personal confessions from the Psalms asked, “Who or what is Yahweh?” I was happy for the question, since it gave me an opportunity to explain a few things that are very precious to me about the Psalms.

Yahweh is a commonly accepted pronunciation of what is called the Tetragrammaton, that is, the four Hebrew letters that comprise the personal name of God in the Old Testament. Those letters are יהוה (from right to left: yod, he, waw, he). Transliterated into English, they are YHWH. In most English translations, this word is indicated by the word “LORD” in all capital letters. We also find this name in shortened form. For example, in Psalm 68:4 in the NKJV, the name of the LORD is called “Yah.” Also, the word “Hallelujah,” found frequently in the Psalms, means “Praise Yah.”

I prefer to use “Yahweh” instead of “the LORD,” because it is the personal name by which God revealed Himself to His people in covenant. He is God and Lord and King ~ those are titles of His office, and I love them all ~ but since He invites us into personal relationship, I like using the personal name He has revealed to His people, especially since I am writing about these Psalms in terms of that personal relationship.

As a Christian, I understand the use of “Yahweh” or “the LORD” in the Old Testament as speaking of the God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I also find Jesus throughout the Psalms. For example, in Psalm 2, when God speaks of “My King” and “My Son,” and the psalm writer refers to “His Anointed,” I understand all of this to be in reference to Jesus, the Son of God, whom God anointed to be the Messiah King (“Messiah” and “Christ” both mean “the Anointed”). I see Jesus whenever the psalm writers speaks of “the king” or declares “the LORD reigns.” Only Jesus, who is often called the “son of [King] David” in the New Testament, is qualified to fulfill all the wonderful promises God made concerning “the king,” for example, in Psalm 72.

Another way I see Jesus throughout the Psalms is in the reference to “salvation.” One of the Hebrew words translated as “salvation” is yeshuah, which means “Yahweh Saves.” Taken as a name form, it is Yeshua, which in English has come to be rendered as “Jesus.” Remember when the angel of the Lord told Joseph that Mary would “bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). It excites me when I pray through the Psalms and come across yeshuah, because I know it is ultimately talking about Jesus. A similar word used of salvation is yasha. Inasmuch as it refers to the salvation that comes from Yahweh, I find in it, also, a reference to Jesus.

Of course, I could rewrite each of my psalm confessions using each of those names and titles ~ the LORD, God, King, Yeshua, Jesus, the Lord Jesus, and another name I have come to love: King Jesus. This would not change the substance of the Psalms for me, because they all refer to the one true God ~ the God of Israel, the God who became flesh and dwelt among us, the God who is king over all the earth. But for now I have decided to use the Hebrew name found in the Psalms, YHWH, and go with the pronunciation “Yahweh.” As you read through the collection of psalm confessions I have written, you will find that it is in King Jesus the Messiah that we have the fulfillment of all the blessings God promises in the Psalms.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Psalm 101 ~ Honoring Yahweh

A personal confession from the Psalms.

Honoring Yahweh ~ from Psalm 101

I praise Yahweh
Because His love is faithful
And His decisions are wise and just.
I will ponder the way of wisdom ~
Yahweh will help me in this ~
So I may walk with a heart of integrity
Before all who are in my house.

I will set nothing vile before my eyes,
Or entertain such things in my thoughts.
I will have nothing to do
With those who promote them.
Those who are perverse in heart,
I will send away from me;
I will have no regard for them.
I will also have nothing to do
With those who gossip and slander,
Nor will I tolerate arrogance or conceit.

I will show favor to those who are trustworthy
And honor to those who are honorable,
And I will gladly sit with them.
I will walk with those who walk with integrity.

Those who act deceitfully
Will find no place with me,
And I have no time
For those who try to flatter me.
I will be watchful
And I will not associate
With those who embrace evil,
So that I may honor
Yahweh and His people.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Psalm 94 ~ Yahweh Sets Things Right

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

Yahweh Sets Things Right ~ from Psalm 94

When the enemy comes
To steal, kill and destroy*,
Yahweh settles the score;
He sets things right
And puts an end to evil.
He pays back the arrogant
What he has earned,
And the wicked
What he deserves.
So I will leave it in Yahweh’s hands.

Yahweh teaches me by His Word
And leads me by His Spirit,
And I am very happy because of it.
He instructs me,
Even in the hard times.
He gives me relief from adversity,
Until the wicked are no more.
He will never reject or abandon me,
For I am His own dear treasure.
His judgments set things right,
And those who are right in heart
Will see and follow them.

Yahweh stands up for me
Against those who do evil;
He puts Himself between them and me.
When my foot slips,
Yahweh holds me up,
By His faithful love.
When I am troubled with worry,
Yahweh comforts me,
Calms me down,
Cheers me up.

Yahweh is my strong place,
My safe place,
My solid place.
He will take care of everything for me,
So I will leave it in His hands.

* Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Psalm 92 ~ The Hand of Yahweh in My Life

A personal confession from the Psalms.

The Hand of Yahweh in My Life ~ from Psalm 92

How good it is to give thanks to Yahweh.
I sing praises and glorify His name:
The Most High ~ there is none greater.
I announce His steadfast love every morning,
I declare His faithfulness every night.
I celebrate them all day long,
Because Yahweh has made me light-hearted
By what He has done for me.

Yahoo! for the hand of Yahweh in my life.
How awesome the things He has done,
How profound His thoughts.
He is able to do exceedingly abundantly
Above all I can ask or imagine,
According to His power at work in me.*

Yahweh increases my strength
And continually anoints me
With fresh fire.
I see the defeat of my enemy,
The collapse of those who come against me.

I flourish like a bountiful palm tree
And grow strong and stately like a redwood.
Yahweh has planted me in His house,
And I prosper in His courtyards.
Even when I am old,
I will still bear fruit;
I will remain fresh and green,
Declaring that Yahweh is right
In everything He does.

* “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Psalm 91 ~ My Sheltering Place

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

My Sheltering Place ~ from Psalm 91

I dwell in the sheltering place of the Most High,
And abide under the shade of the Almighty.
Yahweh is my refuge and my strong place;
He is my God and I trust in Him.

He will surely rescue me
From the trap of the enemy,
And from deadly disease.
He will shelter me, safe beneath His wings.
His faithfulness is my shield and armor.

I will not fear the terror that stalks the night,
The weapon that comes by day,
The sickness that lurks in the darkness,
The destruction that lays waste in plain sight.

A thousand may fall at my side,
Ten thousand at my right hand.
But it shall not come near me.
I will witness, from a safe place,
The result that comes to the wicked.

Yahweh is my refuge,
The Most High is my dwelling place.
No evil will befall me,
No plague will come near my house,
For He gives His angels charge over me,
Orders concerning me,
To protect me in every way.
They take me up with their hands
To keep me from harm.

I walk upon the lion and the cobra;
The strong and cunning deceiver
Is under my feet.

I have set my love upon Yahweh,
And He will deliver me.
He will set me on high,
Because I have known His name.
When I call upon Him,
He will answer me.
He will be with me in trouble,
He will rescue me and set me in a place of honor.
With long life He will satisfy me,
And show me His salvation,
His Yeshua ~ Jesus!

Monday, November 14, 2011

Psalm 84 ~ Yahweh’s Dwelling Place

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

Yahweh’s Dwelling Place ~ from Psalm 84

I love the dwelling place of Yahweh,
Lord of the Angel Armies.
How wonderful it is to be in His presence;
It is the delight of my soul.
My whole being cries out for joy
Because of God, who is my life.

The happiness of dwelling with Yahweh!
I will praise Him everyday,
Now and forever.
The happiness of having God as my strength!
My heart is on a journey with Him.
When I pass through the valley of dryness,
It wells up with refreshing springs,
Pools of blessing and prosperity.
The closer I walk with Him,
The stronger I become, day by day,
Until I stand before Him
At journey’s end.

Yahweh, Lord of the Angel Armies,
Hears my prayer;
He is attentive to my cry.
Yahweh is my shield, my protector.
He looks upon me with favor
Because of Jesus, His Anointed One.

One day with Yahweh
Is better than a thousand without Him.
Just looking in at His doorway is better
Than dwelling sumptuously with the wicked.

Yahweh is a glorious king,
Our sun and our shield.
Yahweh gives grace and glory;
He does not hold back
Any good thing from me.*
O the happiness of trusting in Yahweh,
Lord of the Angel Armies.

* “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Psalm 81 ~ Fully Satisfied in Yahweh

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

Fully Satisfied in Yahweh ~ from Psalm 81

I hoot and holler
To Yahweh our strength.
I shout out for joy
And bellow a victory song,
Because the God of Jacob
Is my God, too.
It is time for loud music
And celebration.

Yahweh ordains festivals,
Merriment for His people.
Because He delivers us
From every oppression,
Removes every burden
From our shoulders,
And we are free.

When I faced adversity,
I cried out to Yahweh.
He stripped away my fears,
Made me strong,
And rescued me.
He answered me with thunder
From the chambers of heaven;
He rolled over the enemy
With His lightning.

I listen for Yahweh’s voice
And confess His word.
I come into agreement with Him
And follow what He says.
He alone is God
And I will worship no one but Him,
The One who set me free.

I open my mouth wide to Yahweh,
I enlarge my expectation toward Him.
He will satisfy me with abundance
And every good thing.
I love His voice and I walk in His ways.
He subdues my enemy,
Turns His hand against my adversary.
He fills me with the best
And satisfies me with sweetness.

See also Yahweh Your God, Who Brought You Up from the Land of Egypt and Open Wide Your Mouth.

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Psalm 77 ~ The Tenacity of Faith

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

The Tenacity of Faith ~ from Psalm 77

I cry out to Yahweh.
I cry out fervently,
Because I know He hears me.
There may be a wait,
But I know He will answer,
And He will not be late.

In my distress I turn to Yahweh.
I pour out my heart
And lift up my hands in prayer.
I will not give up.

I remember Yahweh,
How He helped me in the past.
I bring my complaint to Him;
I ponder and groan,
But I do not give up.

I think of the old days, the good times;
They seem so long ago,
But I do not give up.
I call to mind my songs in the night,
The old songs, the victory songs,
And deep in my heart,
This I know ~

Yahweh has not set me aside.
He is not suddenly displeased with me.
His covenant love has not failed.
His promises are still with me.
He has not forgotten to show His favor.

Though I am overwhelmed,
And it seems like He has changed,
I do not give up,
But I remember again His mighty deeds,
All the wonderful things
Yahweh has done for me.
I will meditate on them,
Ponder them deeply.
For Yahweh does not change,
No matter how I might feel.
God’s way is His own business,
And He takes care of His own,
Of those who belong to Him.

Who is as great as Yahweh?
He does wonders
And shows His strength
To His people.
He stretches out His arm
And redeems our lives.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Psalm 73 ~ A Sudden Realization

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

A Sudden Realization ~ from Psalm 73

Truly, Yahweh is good to His people,
To those whose hearts belong to Him.
There was a time when I doubted this.
I almost lost my footing
When I saw fools boasting of their success,
And the immoral enjoying prosperity.
Though their ways were wrong,
I envied their results.
They seemed to be thriving,
While I was just surviving.
I was confused.

“Has it all been in vain ~
This playing fair and doing what is right?
It doesn’t seem to work
And every day feels like a burden.”

That is what my mind thought,
But had I opened my mouth
To speak in agreement with it,
I would have been untrue ~
To Yahweh,
To His people,
To myself.
My heart knew better,
But when I tried to understand,
It just wore me out.

Then I came into the dwelling place of Yahweh;
I saw the glory of His presence,
And suddenly I realized ~
The wicked and their prosperity do not last!
Their way is precarious
And eventually leads to destruction.
I was foolish to have doubted Yahweh,
I was like an animal
That has no understanding.

The truth is that I am always with Yahweh
And He is always with me,
Holding on to my hand,
Guiding me with His divine wisdom,
And when all is said and done,
He will receive me with glory and honor.

Yahweh in heaven is on my side,
And there is nothing I desire on earth
Apart from Him.
If my body should grow weak
And all my faculties fail,
He will still be the strength of my life
And my inheritance forever.

Those who turn from Yahweh,
Are far away from Him, and will not last.
It is good, then, for me to come close to Yahweh.
I have put my trust in Him;
So shall I tell of all His wonderful works.
Truly, Yahweh is good to His people,
To those whose hearts belong to Him.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Psalm 71 ~ Yahweh All My Days

A personal confession from the Psalms.

Yahweh All My Days ~ from Psalm 71

I put my trust in Yahweh,
He will not let me down.
He sees me through,
Because of His rightness,
Because of His goodness,
Because of His faithfulness.
He hears me and rescues me,
And I am set free.

Yahweh is a secure shelter,
A strong fortress,
Where I can always go for help,
Just as He has promised.
So my expectation is set on Him;
He gets me through the tough times.

I have trusted Yahweh since I was young,
And I am still here to praise Him.
My whole life is a testimony,
Because He is my strong place, my refuge.
So my mouth will be filled with His praise,
To give Him honor and glory everyday.
He will not leave me when I am old
Or abandon me when I am weak.

When the enemy plots against me,
Yahweh is not far from me;
He will come quickly and help me.
The enemy and the accuser
Will be put to shame,
While I add to Yahweh’s praise
Day by day.
I will tell again and again
What He has done for me,
Things too many to count.

I will walk in the victory of Yahweh,
Proclaiming His goodness,
Until I have told of His power and strength
To this generation and those yet to come.
He has done great things for me
And there is none like Him.

Though struggles and sorrows come my way,
He revives me when I’m down;
He lifts me up, increases my honor,
And gives me His comforts.
I give Him thanks and praise,
And hoop it up with joyful songs,
To tell of His goodness.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Psalm 66 ~ What Yahweh Has Done for Me

A personal confession based on the Psalms.

What Yahweh Has Done for Me ~ from Psalm 66

Come and see what Yahweh has done;
Awesome things for His people,
Awesome things for me.
He rules forever,
Revealing His power to every generation.
I will praise Him, loudly,
So everyone can hear.
He sustains my life
And gives me a firm footing.

When I was tested,
He was refining me like silver.
I was trapped, burdened, run over.
It was rough.
But He brought me out
To a place of abundance,
A place of freedom and fulfillment.
I give Him thanks and praise,
And bring Him my best.
I belong to Yahweh forever.

All who honor Yahweh,
Come and hear what He has done for me.
When I was in trouble
I cried out to Him in faith,
With praise in my mouth
And a heart clean before Him.
He heard my cry and helped me.
Praise God!
He hears my prayer
And shows me His faithful love.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Psalm 63 ~ Yahweh is Life and Joy

A personal confession from the Psalms.

Yahweh is Life and Joy ~ from Psalm 63

Yahweh is my God.
I go to Him every morning,
About everything.
All that is in me cries out for Him;
My heart, my mind, my soul, my strength,
Even my body hungers for Him.
Without Yahweh, life is a wasteland.

I look for Yahweh in His sanctuary,
In His dwelling place
Among His people,
And in my heart.
I contemplate His power and His glory.
His covenant love is better than life;
I would rather die than to live without it.

I will bless Yahweh as long as I live
And lift up my hands in praise to His name.
I am fully satisfied in Him ~ life is a feast!
I sing praises to Him with hoots and hollers.*
What joy I have!

I ponder Him as I lay upon my bed,
I think on Him in the middle of the night,
Because He always helps me.
I howl for joy, secure in Him.
I cling to Him with all that is in me,
Because He holds me up
With His powerful hand.

* The Hebrew words translated as “joy” and “rejoice” in our English versions are often very vivid, so in my psalm confessions I try to bring out the nature of these words.

Books by Jeff Doles

See WBM Bookshop for more. All of our books are also available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle, in epub at Google Play and in PDF at Gumroad.

There is Always Joy!
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Available in paperback and Kindle (Amazon),
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The Focus of Our Faith
Paul’s Letters to the Jesus
Believers at Colosse
Bite-Size Studies Through Colossians
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Copyright Information

All blog entries are copyright by Jeff Doles on the date they are posted, unless otherwise indicated. All rights reserved.

After January 1, 2015, unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the New International Version. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Before January 1, 2015, unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the New King James Bible. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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