PSALMS

Psalm in my own words
I have chosen a passage from Psalm 103 and I have written the verses 8-18 with my own words in this way:

8 Lord, You are merciful and gracious to me,

You are not angry at me for a long time.

9 You accuse me not forever

10 You don't deal with me after my sins;

and You don't reward me according to my misdeeds .

11 As high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is Your mercy to me.

12 As far as the east is from the west,

so far have You removed my sins from me.

13 As a father is merciful to his children ,

so are You Lord merciful to me.

14 For You know how I’m made,

You remember that I’m dust .

15 My days are like grass,

my life is like the flower on the field .

16 When the wind passes by, it's gone ,

At the place I was found, nobody knows me any longer.

17 But Your grace lasts from eternity to eternity

to those  who fair You

18 And Your justice reaches to my grandchildren

as long as I stay close to You.

My own Psalm

Lord – I want to thank You!

1  Lord, from before I was born, you knew who I am
And you had plans and a purpose for my life
For me it took a long time to find out,
- and I’m still not sure that I have,
But I’m on my way, and when I get home to You,
I'll get all the answers to my questions.

2  I’m so grateful that I was born into the family you put me in.
I couldn’t had better parents - genuine caring, warmth, love - but also limits and rules
Youngest of four I am, but no doubt about that I was loved.
Hard-working, frugal parents characterized our home - and a big heart for Your kingdom.

3  But even with this safe and warm adolescence, with You in the heart of our home,
I wanted to go my own way, and lived for many years away from you.
A messy life with bad friends and partying was not what you had planned for me
A girlfriend who did not know you
– and unsure if this was the best fundament to build a marriage on!

4  However, in Your amazing grace You found me - a night my heart was troubled.
I had gone bankrupt in my own power - I bent my knees and gave my life to you.
Something new started - could life really be that good?

5  You had a wonderful wife for me,
and after a time I became father to two beautiful children,
- first a boy and then a girl - what a luck!

6  But death knocked on our door when my wife was attacked by cancer,
but You gave us strength, and we got several good years - thank you Lord!

7  But finally You brought her home to Heaven
- and she's preserved there for time and eternity!
I was left with two children aged 9 and 10 - and with two big questions:
Why? - and - Is there a future for us?

8  In Your goodness and mercy You had a future - for both me and the children!
After a while I met Heidi – and she became the treasure of my heart!
We got married - and again I was blessed with two children - also now a boy and a girl.

9  Lord, You restore life and you heal all wounds!
Now I can say that the joy for the years with Linda is greater than the grief of having lost her.

10  Lord - how wonderful Your ways are!
I have never regretted that I gave my life to You as a young man
And I trust You for showing me the way I shall go for the rest of my life
- although this will lead me through deep valleys and over high mountains.

11 And when the life is over down here, You will take me home to Your glory.

Personal Application:

When harrowing things have happened in my life and I have been scared and shocked, I have read Psalm 107:23-30.

Reading these verses can often give me both hope and consolation and a certainty that the Lord will lead me through the storm and to a safe harbor.

²³ Some went off to sea in ships,
plying the trade routes of the world.
²⁴ They, too, observed the Lord’s power in action,
his impressive works on the deepest seas.
²⁵ He spoke, and the winds rose,
stirring up the waves.
²⁶ Their ships were tossed to the heavens
and plunged again to the depths;
the sailors cringed in terror.
²⁷ They reeled and staggered like drunkards
and were at their wits’ end.
²⁸ “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
²⁹ He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
³⁰ What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!