Psalm 29:1-2

A Psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.

You are Glory and Strength, You are Holiness, You are Majesty and Power, You are the Almighty, You are Grace, You are Love, You are Grace, you are Mercy, You are Wisdom, You are the I AM.

Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 29:3-9

The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

The Voice of the LORD! The Word of God! The Logos! Spoken all into creation, speaking all into creation and will speak all into creation! Speaking salvation, mercy, love, peace, joy, reconciliation, transformation, restoration. Speaking justice, redemption. Speaking righteousness and goodness. Speaking light and life. The Word made flesh and dwelt among us.

Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 29:10-11

The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever. May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!

From everlasting to everlasting, You are King, You rule with love and mercy, You are the Lord of Peace. And Your strength, Your grace, Your mercy, Your compassion flow down to Your people as the floods rampage through the land when the dike breaks. You are greatly to be feared and revered.

 Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 30:1-3

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of the temple. I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord/ blessed be Your glorious Name. You have poured out Your love upon me, Your have lifted my feet out the muck and mire and set me on solid ground. You are my Lord and Master, to You I owe all.

 Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 30:4-10

Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. As for me, I said in my prosperity, "I shall never be moved." By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed. To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy: "What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!"

Your Word is a goad to my conscience. Your Law is a scourge to my rebellion. In Your mercy, You renew. In Your grace, You restore. In Your love, You bless. In Your light, You teach. In Your goodness, You are the Exemplar. You are my Lord and my Master.

 Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 30:11-12

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Lord, this morning I need to have my tiredness turned into dancing, I need to be filled with gladness and vigor. I need the strength to shout Your praises and to cry out my thanksgivings in the assembly of Your people. I need my silence to be broken; I need to fill my mouth with Your praises and it will become a two-edged sword against my lack of energy.

 Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 119:111

Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

Lord, what a contrast as we deal with the consequences of two estates that have evaporated into the voracious appetites of the medical system, compared with the treasure laid up in heaven, Your word, hidden in our hearts, an everlasting treasure, a treasure that neither moth nor rust can destroy. A joy everlasting. Praise You for Your indescribable generosity.

Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 31:1-5

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In you, O LORD, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.

All those promises in John 14-17, all the assurances that You are with me and I am yours. The knowing that You will be my rock and my refuge at all times, in any circumstance, through weeping and sorrow and through singing and dancing. O, Lord, keep me in this place of obedience to You and Your Word.

I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD. I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul, and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy; you have set my feet in a broad place. Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away. Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have been forgotten like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. For I hear the whispering of many-- terror on every side!-- as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.

Lord, we heard a very sad tale last night, one of loss of a home and a serious doubting of Your benevolence. Are they blaming You because they misread Your will for them? Was there an overriding covetousness for a house that masked Your leading? Or is this stripping of all assets Your way of bringing them closer to You?

But, Lord, how do we show Your love and mercy to them without standing between them and Your plan for them?

 Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love! O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.

And I lift up my friends today, that You will comfort them, lead them, that they will turn again to You. That those doubts of Your goodness and benevolence will vanish as they see that Your plan for them is to bring them closer to You through this trial.

Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Voices Together for Thursday, 7 October 2010

Psalm 28:3-5

Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.

Lord, protect me from those temptation which take root in my soul and lead to evil desires. Give me the strength, wisdom and discernment to recognize the very first sprouting of desire and the power to root it out, pull it up by its roots and discard it. Let these temptations not grow into those desires characterized by lust, greed, pride, self-will, impatience, anger, ...

Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.

Psalm 28:6-7

Blessed be the LORD! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. (7) The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

As I go into this day, I need Your strength and shield. I need Your hand covering me and Your wisdom guiding me. Help me, Lord, to see exactly what is needed and to present those requirements with clarity and grace. Cause those who have the control of these resources to look with grace upon my requests.

 Voices Together is also available in a weekly formats suitable for distribution within prisons and for insertion into church bulletins at this location.