Poetry

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PSALM 139

O Lord, I’m like an open book to you;
You read my heart, my mind on every page:
I sit, I rise, I’m naked in your sight;
My every thought lies open to your gaze.

‘Tis not to judge, your burning eyes invade
My secret heart, for deeper love discerns
Your face reflected in the murky depths;
‘Tis you who for me, seeking, searching, yearns.

Unfath’mable your love, you go ahead,
You chart my path before me, and behind.
You shelter me; no mother e’er so dear
Could care, protect and hold me in her mind.

Before my mind has formed an unborn word
You know the mystery of unspoken speech;
Surrounded by your ever-present love,
I cannot wander far beyond your reach.

Your all-pervading Spirit covers me;
No matter where I go, my God is there:
If I would rise to heav’n, your dwelling place,
I find your presence infinitely near.

To hide my shame, I flee to hell’s domain,
But lo! Your gentle hand lays hold of me:
I ride the morning winds, but ‘tis your breath;
Your hand supports, traversing land and sea.

If I should think the darkness thick enough
To hide me from your penetrating sight,
How wrong I am, how comforting to know,
To you the night is just as bright as light.

You formed my substance in the secret place;
Within my mother’s womb you fashioned me:
A master craftsman, complex my design;
So thankful that you made me wondrously.

And overshadowed by your guiding hand,
No eyes but yours beheld this shapeless form;
How carefully you planned my earthly days
And wrote them in your book ere I was born.

How precious, Lord, to know I’m on your mind;
Your love, your thoughts surround me constantly;
I sleep, cocooned within your gentle arms:
I wake to find that you still think of me.

How hateful are your enemies, O God!
That they should miss the bliss of perfect trust:
Your enemies my enemies become;
I look on them with loathing and disgust.

O search me, let the passion of your eyes
Seek out the fear, anxiety subdue;
Show me the error of my wicked ways
And let me walk in harmony with you.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤



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