"For who is our Creator, but
the source of Love.
And who is Life, except the
Divine Presence.
You, who gird me with strength,
and lead me in the way of Truth.
You make my feet like hinds' feet,
and set me secure on the heights.
You teach me the way of justice,
that I might speak out against oppression.
You give me a hunger for silence,
that I might know the power of prayer,
and You support me in solitude.
You give me freedom to choose the
journey road; I elect the narrow way.
For I pursued my fears and faced them;
and did not run back until I was free.
I saw each one through, so that they
were not able to rise;
they were transformed by love.
For You enabled me with strength
to look deep within;
holding me when fears threatened
to overwhelm me.
For this I will extol You, O my Beloved,
among the nations,
and sing praises to your Name.
Peace, gratitude, love, and assurance are
gifts bestowed by Love.
May all peoples live in your Truth
in the land peace of forever.
Amen."
Psalm 18 continued
Psalms for Praying, Nan C. Merrill
Earlier this week someone asked me, "What are the Psalms? Are they entertainment?" If one never needed to believe when belief seems impossible, or never needed to look at life and oneself with honest gut-wrenching assessment, or never experienced an inexplicable joy that must overflow the narrow banks of the heart, the Psalms could perhaps be considered quaint remnants of an ancient time. Yet, for many, the Psalms are much more, and have been for centuries. Brother Victor in Blessings of the Daily, writes: "In reading the sayings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, we learn of the importance attached by them to psalmody. In an arid and empty desert, the Psalms were their daily bread. They would not have survived the desolation of the desert without this daily nourishment."
The Psalms help move our hearts from the rocky, rugged, and often lonely land of struggle into a place of peace. Daily bread. Essential and divine.
Thank you, once again
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