Hello, Lord God.
You have taken a good long look at me, haven't you?
You know me inside and out and back to front.
Whether I'm feet up with a glass of wine or reluctantly doing the vacuuming,
you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I'm off out for coffee with a friend
and when I finally climb under the duvet;
Nothing gets past you.
Before I've even decided what to say
You know what it's going to be (even when I shouldn't say anything at all).
You surround me on all sides.
You have touched me with mercy.
I can't get my head around it;
It's far too big for me.
There's nowhere I can go that you aren't already there.
How can I get away from you?
Why would I want to? - and yet there are times when I do...
Why would I want to? - and yet there are times when I do...
If I'm having a great day where everything goes my way;
If I can't do anything right and I feel like giving up, you're there too.
Even if I drag myself out of bed to see the sunrise,
Or if I fly to the other side of the world,
Wherever I go, you'll show me the way.
If I say, 'That's it - it's all gone wrong
There's no point in trying any more,'
you can bring hope in the darkest of days
and turn trouble into triumph.
Because you made the very heart of me;
You put me together just the way you wanted me.
Just look at me - I'm a masterpiece!
Yes, me, even me.
Yes, me, even me.
Even when I don't feel like one, I know that you don't make mistakes.
Your creation is flawless.
From before I was born you were watching me
As I grew from the tiniest of cells, you took care of me.
From the earliest moments of my existence, you were full of love for me.
You had a plan for me from the very beginning;
You hold my life in the palm of your hand.
Oh, Father, if only I could grasp who you are;
you are so far beyond my imagination.
If I could get a glimpse of your glory
It would blow my mind.
Awake or asleep, you are right here next to me.
...
Lord, check out every last bit of me.
Look at my heart - at what I believe and what I feel,
and in my head, at what I think.
You know what I'm like.
If there is any part of me that you would change,
Show me and help me put it right
so that I can be all I can be -
so that you can use me for all that you can -
so that I can be all I can be -
so that you can use me for all that you can -
so that I will be yours for eternity.
Amen
That's my Psalm 139, Father. With apologies for missing out the bit about annihilating bloodthirsty folks. Still not sure what to make of that bit.
My Lord and my God.
Here I am.
(Edited and reposted from last year. I come back to this psalm over and over again. You see, it was written for me.)
(Edited and reposted from last year. I come back to this psalm over and over again. You see, it was written for me.)
This is AWESOME. But, I need to correct something you said. You see, Psalm 139 was written for me, Helen. :>) I'm going to re-post this on my blog. I love it! For the unchurched or the back-slidden, this would speak to them in a way anyone could understand it.
ReplyDeleteI keep coming back to this Psalm as well. It speaks to me and blesses me. What an awesome God to love us this way so completely and unconditionally.
Amen to that. 'Amazing love, how can it be...'?
DeleteThank you for your faithful encouragment, Steven. Your wise words really help me.
What's a "duvet" for us American English folks?
ReplyDeleteHee hee! Tweeted you a reply.
DeleteA quilt? A fluffy thing that sits on top of the bed? :-)
Lovely! We must be twins! This Psalm is written for me too.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're in the Christian Poets & Writers group on Facebook, or I might have missed this.
May God continue to bless you and your good work.
Thank you Mary. I'm glad I am too; some great stuff there. Thank you for reading, and also leaving a comment.
DeleteI love this. Can I print it out and stick it by my workspace please? This psalm has helped heal so much in my life and I was very excited to read your version. Thanks :) Lynn
ReplyDeleteHi Lynn
DeleteOf course! That would make me very happy. Thank you so much for your encouragement. It means a lot.
Not only you, my friend. This lament could have come straight from my heart too. It is beyond our comprehension how intimately we are known and loved by God. Your delightful rendition of Psalm 139 expresses it so well.
ReplyDeleteNothing about our lives is a surprise to Him. That can feel embarrassing and shaming and a blessed relief all at the same time.
Remember that you are infinitely precious to Him and keep that close to your heart when doubts and fears strike. He's got you covered! Blessings :)
Once again, thank you Joy.
DeleteWise words that I need to hear. I think if we could only get a glimpse of the enormity of His love for us, so much rubbish would just fade away.
Thank you for your encouragement. Again!
lovely
ReplyDeleteThank you. For reading and leaving a comment. :-)
DeleteMy favourite psalm beautifully re-written. Thank you, Helen.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mel. Coming from you, that means a lot.
DeleteI guess the fact that many of us see this as our favourite psalm tells us a lot. There's something about it that hits the spot, isn't there? I like your rendition.
ReplyDeleteThank you Fran. I like the psalms - always find the way I'm feeling there if I look hard enough - and this one, well, He sees me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the encouraging words.
You've written a beautiful version! I love it!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
DeleteHelen-Oh, such power in your version of Psalms...so honest. Thank you for sharing. I needed to hear your words just as much as I need to hear the original version over and over and I could relate to so many things you said. Hope you are having a beautiful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dionne. I'm glad it spoke to you. I love the psalms, and this one is very special to me.
ReplyDeleteIt's a cold, cold, snowy weekend over here - snowmen and snowballs and teetering along pavements and wet socks and gloves. Hope yours is cosy and peaceful. Hx
So precious! Have you seen Beth Moore's Bible study on the Psalms of Ascent? Part of the study is to rewrite the Psalms as personal prayers. I love your words for this one.
ReplyDeleteI love psalms, your rewrite of this is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteYay,I finally got time this evening to read this:-) and I'm so blessed from doing so. It's such a reminder for me that God really did intend for me to be me:-) Helen be encouraged by tge feedback. You're very gifted and annointed. HE has great plans for you. Remain faithful in the little things and get ready for the BIG plans God has for you:-)
ReplyDelete