a psalm

i've been struggling with God. learning what it looks like to give control over to Him and to trust Him with my life. to accept that He knows my future, and He knows what He wants it to look like. also trying to remember that He is the God of justice and mercy. of love and wrath. and He is able to be the God of opposites because He is the Alpha and the Omega.

whenever i struggle, i find it helpful to do something creative. for some reason it helps bring me closer to God in a way that is easy and comfortable. this week i've been praying and thinking and reading the psalms. i came to psalm 101, and for some reason i was prompted to re-write it. and i thought i would share.

psalm 101
of elisabeth. a psalm.

i will sing of Your love and justice;
to You, O LORD, i will sing praise.
i will try, with Your help, to live a life of justice and mercy--
will You help me?

i will treat my family with love and grace.
i will not enter into temptation purposefully.

the deeds of the unjust--especially those that they claim to do in Your name--frustrate me.
those deeds i hate. they will not be my deeds.
those whose heart is focused on violence and lies shall not be close to me--
for i will have nothing to do with evil.

whoever slanders the poor or meek--
those i will try to give a new point of view;
whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart--
i will speak to them the truth of Your justice.

my eyes will be on the marginalized in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
i will entreat the faithful and just to minister to me.

no one who speaks lies as if they are truth will dwell in my house--
for they do more damage than good.

every morning i will seek Your truth, and put to silence the wicked in myself;
and i will seek to bring the Kingdom of the Lord to this city.

we're leaving for india this week. while we're gone luke and i will be blogging from here. hopefully on a more regular basis than we have been previously...