Psalm 39

 Told each other: Talk

will only aggravate.

Resolved: No words when

opponents are around.

Quiet for many days,

no voice pro or con.

But emotions boiled,

could not stay silent.

God, is my life over?

Help me confront death.

Life is a mere moment

no matter poor or rich.

God, what’s our future?

You alone bring hope:

free us from sin’s grip;

silence senseless scorners.

Told each other: Be still—

God is in control.

But we can’t bear this

austere discipline.

God, listen, help us please:

help all refugees.

Help me find Your Peace

with Joy before I die.

Psalm 38

 Divine Parent, please don’t lash out at Your

hurting children, wounded by Your anger,

beaten down under Your frown,

infested with guilt.

One hates herself for foolish binges;

deep in debt, she never stops weeping.

Another is old and listless

with a sore back killing him.

O God, we long to help ease their pain:

we sigh with her; his hurts crease our faces;

our hearts break for many more.

Our vision decays.

People avoid us, sick of our grieving

while landmines explode under children’s feet.

Strategists ignore dire needs;

officials deceive.

We turn inward, tongue-tied, waiting for You—

God, we trust You: please show us what to do.

May we not bow to tycoons

who boast of their loot.

Wise Judge, we admit our wrongs and failures

but we are despised for being poor.

Holy Spirit, help us endure;

keep our motives pure.

Psalm 37

 We tell each other:

Stop stewing about happy-go-lucky

fiends; they will shrivel like scorched grass.

Bank on God; do good work; enjoy Earth’s gifts;

love God and be free of want.

See God’s Spirit brightening all we do

like sunbeams at dawn and noon.

Hold still for God, jumpy minds:

listen; wait; breathe in God’s Spirit.

Stop stewing over wealthy scoundrels;

anger cooks our own goose, boils off goodness.

To God’s humble dependents

Earth is bequeathed in Peaceful Abundance

after greedy crooks abscond.

Wars displace and maim poor friends;

ruthless leaders destroy good citizens;

their bombs kill their own children.

God’s Love Power trumps coercion.

Though God-fighters flash, they will fizzle,

drowned in debt—while God-lovers keep giving—

joyous, vibrant and healthy.

Elders say they have never seen

kind people lonely or their kids hungry.

Watch people who do good deeds:

there is a bright future for Peacemakers—

in the trenches, then Home Free with God.

Psalm 36

 God, hear blind self-admirers’

snide laughter, piled on strident

in-your-face, godless chatter.

Read their minds at midnight, processing spite.

Holy God of endless, sky-high, True Love:

Your Justice is ocean-wide;

You Care for all who are alive;

we Flourish in nature’s intricate web.

God, how exquisite Your Love!

You calm our panicked spirits,

nourishing us with Wisdom.

Enjoying You we discover New Joys.

Source of all Love: keep our love bold and true,

playing, singing New Heart Tunes.

Let no snobbish mind pervade;

may self-worshippers trip up, slip away.

Psalm 35

 Attack the attackers, God.

Suit us with Hate-Proof Armour,

wielding Your Word Baton.

Holy Spirit, be our Secret Service;

blow away life-draining demons.

Some try lacing truth with nonsense:

catch them with their own catch phrases;

shock them by their own short circuits.

I shout from my truest self:

“God, You are the Greatest!—

Champion of the helpless poor.”

Fast talkers fire questions,

hurl barbs into peace talks.

Those we have cared for like family

smile at our misery.

God, why the centuries long delay?

Come, rescue us from fear’s clutches;

we long to praise You in great crowds.

God, stop blind, proud haters; stop those

mockers of humble Earth-Tenders;

shame those who kick people around.

Let justice-doers’ joy erupt in song,

honoring You Who enjoy

filling Your servants’ lives with joy.

God, may all our voices laud You always.

Psalm 34

 Twenty-four seven we yearn to praise,

whisper “Yes, Love” with each waking breath,

yearn to show hurting people God is Good,

yearn to come together singing hoorays.

I looked for someone when I was scared stiff;

an angel banished my paralysis,

carried me beyond every trouble

to where light surrounds God-worshippers.

Savour Divine Love, everyone;

revere God in holy simplicity.

Hunger weakens strong young hunters

but God-searchers are fully satisfied.

Love living? Yearn for a long, good life?

Watch your words, nothing foul or false;

avoid violence; follow Peace Path blazes.

God’s Kind Eyes and Ears hold humble humans

but brutes will be deleted from all screens.

God responds to honest soul cries,

comes close when hearts fracture,

restores life to knocked out spirits.

We all make or step in messes

but God brings us out in one piece.

Culprits’ own sick lifestyles kill them;

Divine Counsellor’s rehab frees us.

Psalm 33

Sing for joy to God, straight-talkers;

praise is natural for life-lovers.

Strum jazz guitars, ripple keyboards;

write great hymns, create new music

for the Voice of Sacred Scripture’s

Master Author ever rings true.

God Who prizes Truth and Justice

fills the world with nature’s Love Notes.

By Divine Wisdom’s ordering

stars emerged, galaxies were born,

lands arose from wild waters.

Attention! Stand in awe of God

Whose Voice creates and activates.

God confounds warlords’ strategies;

Divine Peace Plans cannot be foiled.

God-loving groups thrive in Glad Lands.

God our Maker sees our actions.

Mega-armies can’t keep us safe;

brute force, breakneck speed lead nowhere.

Spirit shines through Love-Way pilgrims,

takes us through drought and death to Life.

We wait, relying on our Guide,

full of Joy. God, keep us near You.