Psalm 34

Your Tabernacle, O Lord, brings revelation to us!
In the courtyard, we remember:
The white garments, our sin covering.
The sacrifices, our sin offering.
The laver, our cleansing from sin.

In the Holy Place, we remember:
The lampstand, the light of your presence.
The shew bread, the sustenance of your presence.
The altar of incense, our prayers in your presence.

In the Holy of Holies, we remember:
The veil, cover of your mercy.
The Ark of the Covenant, your law, your reality.
The Mercy Seat, your atonement for man.

Lord, may we come in from the courtyard!
May we remember your son's sacrifice,
that which covers us in pure righteousness,
that which cleanses us as water cleanses hands.

Lord, may we move through the Holy Place,
Seeing the glorious light of who you are,
tasting the sustaining flesh of your Son,
smelling the sweetness of our answered prayers.

Lord, may we enter the Holy of Holies,
as the veil torn leads us to forgiveness,
as we learn you are completely pure, holy,
and you speak our depravity fallen under grace!

Your Tabernacle! Your symbol!
Your visual aid created to teach us!
May we learn your lesson well
and always praise you for your revealing Tabernacle!

I wrote this Psalm as a response to and reflection on The Tabernacle Experience. My husband, daughter and I went to this experience, where you move through a life size replica of the Tabernacle. A narrator, via an MP3 player, guides you through the Tabernacle. Not only do you walk through it, but you also interact with it: You carry white linen with you, reminding you of the priests who wore white linen to represent a covering for sin. You throw wood on the altar to represent your own sacrifice for sin. You wash your hands in the laver, a symbol of cleansing. You light the lamp stand, remembering God's light. You eat the bread dipped in wine, a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice. You take the incense from the altar and enter the Holy of Holies, representing your prayers to God. And you stand in front of the Ark of the Covenant, awed by the Mercy Seat of God that covers the law we can never keep. It was a breathtaking experience. It brought the Tabernacle to life and put an indelible memory into my mind of what God meant the Tabernacle to be: a representation of Christ who was to come and be the final sacrifice through whom we obtain mercy and are covered in God's holiness. Wow! I think one of the neatest experiences was moving from the outer courtyard into the Holy Place. Just even the act of moving from this bright sunlight into a darker place gave me a sense of awe and holy seriousness, and also a feeling of comfort. Then moving into the Holy of Holies, an even darker place, holding the incense and smelling it and seeing the Ark...it's hard to put into words. I think I got just a glimpse of what it was like for the High Priest. How holy that time was for him and how awesome.

Psalm 33

You have sustained me, my God.
I have made it through.
Though I stumbled, though I struggled,
you never abandoned me.

O my God! You are my rock.
When all else is turbulent,
when oceans engulf me,
you steady my hand.

Without you as my Captain,
I would falter and drown.
It is your mighty care
that keeps me afloat.

Thank you, my Lord,
for standing next to me,
guiding the wheel of my ship.
protecting me from the shoals.

The Lord, my Captain,
my rock, my protector.
All praise be given to He
who is Master of my life.

Psalm 32

Lord, you have blessed me
with both a job and ministry.
Keep me ever mindful
that my employment is a blessing.
Even with its challenges,
even when I'm so busy,
let me be thankful.
I thank you for what you have made me,
how you use my talents and gifts.
My work is for you, O Lord,
and this should sustain me.
May the work of my mind and my hands
be pleasing in your sight.

Psalm 31

Thank you, Lord, for a good day.
Thank you for family.
Thank you for my baby.
Thank you for a helpful husband.
Thank you for rest.
Thank you for forgiveness.
Thank you for your Son.
Lord, there is so much to thank you for.
Help me to always remember
that everyday I live is a day to be thankful.

Psalm 30

Lord, what can I say?
I am exhausted;
my body wastes away
and my mind is tired.

Lord, give me stamina.
Help me to maintain
in the midst of sickness.
Heal me.

O Lord, I depend on you.
No matter what,
you are my sustainer.
Sustain me, now, my Provider God.

Psalm 29

Lord, I am tired.
I feel stressed, worried,
burdens weighing upon me.
Give me peace,
give me calm.
Keep my focus on you
instead of on my circumstances.
Lord, open the way to times
with a clearer mind.

Psalm 28

I praise you, O God, for this beautiful day!
Sunshine fills my spirit with joy!
O thank you for light and warmth,
for energy in the air.
Glorious is the day in your sight,
the day that you give to man.
Lord, thank you for a time to feel life,
to know that Spring is coming.
Praise to the Lord of seasons,
who changes them in due time with His hand.
You, O Lord, are our Magnificent Creator!

Psalm 27

Lord, comfort my tired body.
Give me good rest tonight.
Let your hand of peace
be my guide in the night.

Psalm 26

Lord, protect my nights.
Worries and fears interrupt me;
my mind is afraid.
Lord, make my trust strong,
make my trust steadfast.
When worry creeps in,
when fear appears,
remind me of your faithfulness.
May my mind rest in your promises,
the truth that your love is everlasting.
Banish disturbing thoughts
and put my mind at peace.
Lord, you are my Almighty God;
in you I will ever trust.

Psalm 25

Thank you, Father, for rest,
for time to relax and rejuvenate.
Thank you for time with family,
for time with no pressure.
Lord, it is a blessing
to rest, to feel no worries.
Thank you for your gift this day,
for a simple, precious respite
from the labors of the week.

Psalm 24

O Lord, calm my frustrations;
bring peace to my heart.
When anger arises, keep me focused
on your truth and presence.

Lord, emotions are strong;
at times they dominate me.
Spirit, help me to control
the feelings within.

Like reigns on a horse,
may my passions be mastered by me;
May I not be commanded by
my overwhelming passions.

I praise you, Lord, for your serenity;
this is what brings me back to sanity.
Lord, my Almighty Guide, keep me always
under your precious sovereignty.

Psalm 23

To those who are hurting,
who are sick or depressed,
cling to the Lord your God!
The Lord is ever present;
His promise to be with us stands.
If you cannot feel Him,
then know He is with you
and rest in this knowledge.
The Lord has His arms around you;
He carries you as His own.
The Lord is faithful to His children;
He never abandons them to fate.
Yes, the Lord is carrying you even now;
hold tightly to Him!
He will see you through
for He has a plan for you
and you will fulfill His plan.
Oh may you make the Lord your covering
and shield as He fights for you!

Psalm 22

The grace of the Lord is precious.
The Lord's unconditional love
expresses the truth of His grace.
The Lord pardons those who fail
through His own sacrifice.
Without the Lord, I would despair,
a sinner lost in my sin,
with no hope of freedom.
Praise to the One who frees me!
He has opened the door for me,
the door of liberty, to live holy.
What can I do but respond,
respond with a desire to serve?
Yes, I will serve my savior.
I must use this freedom freely given
wisely and with responsibility.
Guide me, O Spirit, so that my life
is lived well, a life pursuing and expressing
the love I have for my Savior God.

Psalm 21

How precious are the children of the Lord!
The Lord gives His love to them unconditionally;
He seeks their good at all times.
The Lord guides their ways;
He watches over their steps.
What people are more cared for than the Lord's?
He is a shepherd, guarding them against wolves.
He is a captain, steering through their storms.
He is a general, fighting for their cause.
The Lord's lovingkindness reaches higher than the skies.
Praise the Lord, you His children!
Praise the Father for His care!

Psalm 20

My mind calls out to you, God,
in the depths of the night.
How thankful I am that you
rule both day and night.
I am not alone, even in darkness,
for you, O God, are ever present.

As God's presence in the shadow,
so is His comfort in struggle.
Dark days may cover our paths,
but the Lord always walks alongside us.
Call to the Lord Almighty in your trouble,
for He upholds us in our trials.

Psalm 19

God's glorious hand is seen in His world.
God uses His creation for His people.
The rain falls, causing growth.
The sun shines, producing light to see.
Greenery grows, bringing forth
both food and beauty.
Living creatures do as they were created,
providing companionship, usefulness,
provision and proclamation of God's creativity.

And oh, the glory of man!
God's highest creation cries out His own image,
as he uses his intellect, his mind, his will
as a reflection of His very Lord.
As man feels and moves and breathes
he shows he is designed of a Creator higher than he.

God is Almighty Creator!
Worship the Lord who has made
both you and your world!
To God be the glory for beautiful design!

Psalm 18

Children are a gift from the Lord.
It is He who creates their being,
who fashions their personalities.
Give thanks to the Lord
for the children that are yours.
God has brought them into this world
to learn His ways and live for Him.
Pray for the children that are yours.
Make your prayers daily, continually,
imploring God's will in their lives.
Guide the children that are yours.
Be a blessing to your little ones,
shaping them through God's truth for
children are a gift from the Lord.

Psalm 17

Time seems an enemy to me, O Lord.
My schedule fills, my life is busy.
I complain of never enough time in a day.

Lord, is this dilemma truly displaced priority?
Show me, O God, where my time should lie.
Keep me from falling into this trap.
I desire to serve you and to use the gifts given to me.
Direct my efforts to what you have planned.
Change time from my enemy to my friend,
time as an agent of your purposes.
May my time bring glory to your name!

Psalm 16

A new day has dawned.
The Lord brings forth the daylight.
As the sun spreads its warmth,
so the Lord bathes His children in light.
The Lord is light and truth.
When He speaks, darkness is banished.
Hearken to the Lord's words!
The words of the Lord are perfect,
shining into the shadows.
The words of the Lord are flawless,
illuminating His will.
Come to the Lord, you who seek truth
and take hold of the Lord's light!

Psalm 15

The love of the Lord is eternal.
He gives it to His children freely
and extravagantly.
The Lord takes joy as He lavishes
His lovingkindness on His followers.

Praise to the love of the Lord!
The Lord seeks a relationship,
a relationship of intimacy,
a relationship rooted in love.
The Lord pursues His beloved,
pursues them to the ends of the earth.

Praise to the love of the Lord!
It is given unconditionally;
it is a gift waiting to be claimed.
O Man, accept the Lord's gift.
Take fellowship with the Lord
as it is offered before you!

Praise to the love of the Lord!
Through His love we find peace;
through His love we find forgiveness.
Let the Lord's love rule your life.
Open your heart to God's truth
and let your true Father reign!

The love of the Lord is eternal.
He gives it with an open hand.
Let all men seek the Lord
and experience divine favor.
Praise to the love of the Lord!

Psalm 14

Thank you for my family, O Lord!
I had my own plans for my future,
but I am so grateful you saw farther than I.
My path was so clear to me,
but you were to be the lamp.

Thank you, my God, for lighting my way,
for showing me your will and not mine.
Without you, I would not be who I am now.
I would be following a road determined by me
and it would be a road not suited for me.

Lord, you see our futures.
You know the journeys you have determined.
I praise you for my husband and daughter,
for turning me to them when I wanted to go astray.
Thank you, my Lord, my Lamplighter God!

Psalm 13

God is my protection.
He is a strong tower about me,
a shield covering me.
Though darkness should come,
though trials should buffet,
God is a steadfast guard over my life.
Praise to the One who fights for his children!
Like a shepherd facing the wolf is my God.
He defends the cause of His loved ones
and is the refuge that they find.
Our God is our Protector God!
Hold on to the One who is your defender!

Psalm 12

What beauty descends from the sky!
Your creation floats downward, O Lord,
the delicacy of exquisite creativity.
What mind could conceive of such elegance?
Tiny white flakes, mistaken by the human eye
for simple nebulous forms of snow.
Yet, take a closer look and the minuscule shapes
reveal intricate design from the mind of the Maker.
Who could mold such fragile, definite structure
unless it be the Lord of all creation himself?
There is truth in the snowflake;
this glorious pure substance itself
cries out the praise of its Creator!

Psalm 11

Be the Master of my Soul, O Lord!
I sense the wandering of my heart.
When troubles come or when life crowds in,
my spirit drifts.

Command my vessel, my Captain God!
I want to sail in your path.
When the waters are rough and stormy,
keep my hand on the prow.

If left on my own,
my ship will fall off course.
Steer me onward, God Almighty,
to shores of your own making!

Psalm 10

I am weary, O Lord.
Come to my aid.
Sustain me as the candle
sustains the flame.
Prosper my days and nights.
Keep my success in your hands.
Come to my aid, my Almighty,
for my weariness is waxing!

Psalm 9

God has sustained me this day.
To Him alone I give the glory.
When I feel like I will fail,
the Lord himself works in me.
If the Almighty were not with me
my life would drone on meaningless.

Who assigns substance to my existence?
The Lord God, Yahweh, Almighty Creator!
All I am is founded in the work of the Lord.
I could not be who I am without my God.
Ascribe to the Lord praise for His love of man!
Ascribe to the Lord the praise due His name!

Psalm 8

The Lord looks down from on high;
He looks down on the men he has made.
The Lord is their sustainer;
The Lord is their provider.

How does man continue to live?
Only through the Lord's blessing.
Give praise to the Lord, the Holy One,
who loves the men made in His image!

Psalm 7

Bless the work of my hands, my God!
My toil is for your glory--
Keep me ever mindful of this truth.

Train my mind to work for you
and teach my spirit to rely on you.
You alone bring fruition to my labor.

Production is a gift from the Lord!
May I be a trusted steward
of the tasks God has placed upon me.

Psalm 6

Your hand has created man, O God,
and he is beautiful in your sight.
You chose to give him your image;
he is above all other creations.
In him you have placed eternal soul;
in him is creativity and design.

O praise the Lord's forming of man!
In the womb He weaves flesh and personality.
From two single cells He brings forth a child.
The child grows in his mother's belly,
nurtured by the Lord above.
The Lord oversees precious development.

See through eyes, created to view God's wonders!
Hear through ears, designed to capture sound!
Touch through hands, formed to explore sensation!
Smell through a nose, fashioned to sustain and enjoy!
Taste through a tongue, shaped to speak and to savor!
Yes, this is the Lord's blueprint for man brought to fruition.

And what more can I say?
Do I have time to laud the creation of a heart,
beating a continual pulse or
to extol the synapses of the brain,
the willful center of the human body?
What of the muscles, the skeleton, hair and mouth?

All of man's flesh is evidence of our God!
Who can escape His perfect design?
Yes, and more--through Him comes man's skills, gifts, abilities.
To sing, dance, write, play, heal, teach,
to learn, connect, analyze and judge.
These are God's works in man.

To speak further of God's marvels,
consider man who loves with passion,
man who communicates his thoughts,
who creates from his mind new invention
and conceives things yet to be seen.
These, too, are the Lord's doing in man.

O Man, how precious you are to the Lord!
Do not abandon He who has beget you as you are!
It is to Him you owe your life, your blessings, your soul!
Bow before your Creator and acknowledge His work on your behalf.
His loyal love reaches for you whom He shaped.
Reach back, O Man, for your Author waits!

Psalm 5

Change my heart, O God!
Like a reed swayed in the wind
so my heart wavers in this world.
Sin seeks to entangle what I know to be true.

Your Word alone is truth.
Your commands are precious.
Your statutes bring blessing.
Teach my heart to obey your words.

Psalm 4

The Lord waters the earth.
He brings forth the rain
to refresh the dry land.
Through the Lord's hand
comes renewal to the earth.

As the rain falls from the sky
so the Lord showers blessings upon us.
He refreshes the dry and weary in spirit.
Through the work of His hand
comes renewal of strength.

Call to the Lord!
Let Him breathe new life into your tired soul.
Let the Lord wash you anew.
Come to the Lord with a heart open,
ready for His cleansing hand.
Call to the Lord!

Psalm 3

At night, I come before my God.
You, O Lord, rule both day and night.
The day brings to light the works of your hands.
The night ushers in the quiet beauty of stillness.
I rest in your stillness; I listen and wait.

Speak to me, O Yahweh!
As I lie in my bed, as my eyes search the darkness,
Make yourself known.
Tell me truths to fill my soul and quiet my mind.
As the moon lights the darkness, light my spirit at night.

I cherish precious time with You.
Night lacks distraction, pointing me to you.
Prayers pour forth from my lips;
I lift holy hands to you, making the night yours.
Speak to me, my Lord.
Let me hear the peaceful words of my God.

Psalm 2

Great Healer, you have answered.
We proclaim praise to your name;
We declare you are the true God,
the compassionate Lord,
who listened to our prayer
and answered us in our distress.

You have given our daughter her health--
You alone are to be praised.
In your hand is skill.
In your mind is wisdom.
When men fail to heal,
it is you who changes the body of man.

There is no God like our god.
He is truth and love.
He is healer almighty.
To our God belongs all glory.
To our God belongs all praise.
Glory to the name of our God!

Psalm 1

Hear our prayer, O God!
Bring healing to our daughter.
You alone are the Great Healer.
You alone bring the balm of healing.

May your hands move
through the hands of men.
May your wisdom be found
in the minds of men.
Be the guide to those
whose skill comes from you.

We pray for a miracle,
for your intervention,
for a change wrought
only through you.

We thank you for your care,
for the care you show to man:
your compassion, your love.
We know you hear us.
Without you, we would despair.
Praise be to Him whose eye is on man!