How They Loved Me

I love to personalize scripture and hymns. May not be correct or right or legal, but I like to do it. I love to speak the words of the Psalmist or hear the words of God spoken to me. Not the same situation, not the same time, not the same promise, but oh how I love hearing the words. This is "my" version of Psalms 91.

Psalm 91
1Whoever lives under the shelter of the Most High
will remain in the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say to the LORD,
“You are my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.”
3He is the one who will rescue me from hunters’ traps
and from deadly plagues.
4He will cover me with his feathers,
and under his wings I will find refuge.
His truth is my shield and armor.
5I do not need to fear
terrors of the night,
arrows that fly during the day,
6plagues that roam the dark,
epidemics that strike at noon.
7They will not come near me,
even though a thousand may fall dead beside me
or ten thousand at me right side.
8I only have to look with your eyes
to see the punishment of wicked people.
9You, O LORD, are my refuge!
You have made the Most High your home.
10No harm will come to me.
No sickness will come near my house.
11He will put his angels in charge of me
to protect me in all my ways.
12They will carry me in their hands
so that I never hit my foot against a rock.
13I will step on lions and cobras.
I will trample young lions and snakes.
14Because I love Him, He will rescue me.
He will protect me because I know His name.
15When I call to Him, He will answer me.
He will be with me when I am in trouble.
He will save me and honor me.
16He will satisfy me with a long life.
He will show me how He will save me.

I prepared this Psalm for this Sunday's lesson. I diced and sliced. Read about the meanings of all those words not as common now as then. How their perception of might is right and evil loses though not entirely accurate was their way of looking and dealing with God.

Early Sunday morning, I took a walk at the neighborhood track. It is located in a great field with a glorious view of sunrise or sunset, depending on the time of day. I was there for the morning show and it was absolutely beautiful. I more or less told God I was just there to listen. To the beauty, to His Words in the Psalms, and any extra commentary He wanted to throw in there. I walked and walked, tossing the scripture around. Thinking how my relationship with God had changed during my life. How the very words of the Psalms had meant so many things during each stage of living.

As I started to impart my words of wisdom and discernment about His Psalms, He stopped me somehow. It was not audible, not in anyway. But God has a habit of stopping me mid sentence. I think it is the only way He can get a word in edgewise.
He said "It was how they loved me" It was not a doctrine of theology, it was a man's expression in the best way he knew to tell the world what God meant to Him.

I could pare away at it or I could just glory in the beauty of those verses. I could join him or her in the depths of their love for our mutual Father. Sing the song with him, for Him. Wow!