Comfort from the Word – Day 5

₁O God, you are my God,

and I long for you.

My whole being desires you;

like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land,

my soul is thirsty for you.

₂Let me see you in the sanctuary;

let me see how mighty and glorious you are.

₃Your constant love is better than life itself,

and so I will praise you.

₄I will give you thanks as long as I live;

I will raise my hands to you in prayer.

₅My soul will feast and be satisfied,

and I will sing glad songs of praise to you.

₆As I lie in bed, I remember you;

all night long I think of you,

₇because you have always been my help.

In the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

₈I cling to you,

and your hand keeps me safe.

₁Whoever goes to the LORD for safety,

whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty,

₂can say to him,

“You are my defender and protector.

You are my God; in you I trust.”

₃He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers

and from all deadly diseases.

₄He will cover you with his wings;

you will be safe in his care;

his faithfulness will protect and defend you.

₅You need not fear any dangers at night

or sudden attacks during the day

₆or the plagues that strike in the dark

or the evils that kill in daylight.

₁₅When they call to me, I will answer them;

when they are in trouble, I will be with them.

I will rescue them and honour them.

₁How I love your Temple, LORD Almighty!

₂How I want to be there!

I long to be in the LORD's Temple.

With my whole being I sing for joy

to the living God.

₃Even the sparrows have built a nest,

and the swallows have their own home;

they keep their young near your altars,

LORD Almighty, my king and my God.

₄How happy are those who live in your Temple,

always singing praise to you.

₁₁The LORD is our protector and glorious king,

blessing us with kindness and honour.

He does not refuse any good thing

to those who do what is right.

₁₂LORD Almighty, how happy are those who trust in you!

₁I look to the mountains;

where will my help come from?

₂My help will come from the LORD,

who made heaven and earth.

₃He will not let you fall;

your protector is always awake.

₄The protector of Israel

never dozes or sleeps.

₅The LORD will guard you;

he is by your side to protect you.

₆The sun will not hurt you during the day,

nor the moon during the night.

₇The LORD will protect you from all danger;

he will keep you safe.

₈He will protect you as you come and go

now and for ever.

₁How good it is to give thanks to you, O LORD,

to sing in your honour, O Most High God,

₂to proclaim your constant love every morning

and your faithfulness every night,

₃with the music of stringed instruments

and with melody on the harp.

₄Your mighty deeds, O LORD, make me glad;

because of what you have done, I sing for joy.

₅How great are your actions, LORD!

How deep are your thoughts!

₆This is something a fool cannot know;

a stupid person cannot understand:

₇the wicked may grow like weeds,

those who do wrong may prosper;

yet they will be totally destroyed,

₈because you, LORD, are supreme for ever.

₉We know that your enemies will die,

and all the wicked will be defeated.

₁₀You have made me as strong as a wild ox;

you have blessed me with happiness.

₁₁I have seen the defeat of my enemies

and heard the cries of the wicked.

₁₂The righteous will flourish like palm trees;

they will grow like the cedars of Lebanon.

₁₃They are like trees planted in the house of the LORD,

that flourish in the Temple of our God,

₁₄that still bear fruit in old age

and are always green and strong.

₁₅This shows that the LORD is just,

that there is no wrong in my protector.

₁Praise the LORD, my protector!

He trains me for battle

and prepares me for war.

₂He is my protector and defender,

my shelter and saviour,

in whom I trust for safety.

He subdues the nations under me.

₃LORD, what are mortals, that you notice them;

mere mortals, that you pay attention to them?

₄They are like a puff of wind;

their days are like a passing shadow.

₅O LORD, tear the sky apart and come down;

touch the mountains, and they will pour out smoke.

₆Send flashes of lightning and scatter your enemies;

shoot your arrows and send them running.

₇Reach down from above,

pull me out of the deep water, and rescue me;

save me from the power of foreigners,

₈who never tell the truth

and lie even under oath.

₉I will sing you a new song, O God;

I will play the harp and sing to you.

₁₀You give victory to kings

and rescue your servant David.

₁₁Save me from my cruel enemies;

rescue me from the power of foreigners,

who never tell the truth

and lie even under oath.

₁₂May our sons in their youth

be like plants that grow up strong.

May our daughters be like stately pillars

which adorn the corners of a palace.

₁₃May our barns be filled

with crops of every kind.

May the sheep in our fields

bear young by the tens of thousands.

₁₄May our cattle reproduce plentifully

without miscarriage or loss.

May there be no cries of distress in our streets.

₁₅Happy is the nation of whom this is true;

happy are the people whose God is the LORD!

₅You are all round me on every side;

you protect me with your power.

₆Your knowledge of me is too deep;

it is beyond my understanding.

₇Where could I go to escape from you?

Where could I get away from your presence?

₈If I went up to heaven, you would be there;

if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there.

₉If I flew away beyond the east

or lived in the farthest place in the west,

₁₀you would be there to lead me,

you would be there to help me.