Panting After the Lord

You have not heard anything quite so disconcerting as an American bulldog breathing and panting after a vigorous run. The first time I heard our granddog Ellie after a workout in the yard, I feared she was in dire need of medical attention.

American bulldogs are brachycephalic, which means they are short snouted. Ellie was panting as God intended her to do. He specifically constructed her nose and face in just that way, so she could get a sufficient amount of oxygen.

In the same way American bulldogs were created to pant for more oxygen, God's children were created to pant after our awesome and amazing God!

Psalm 119:130-132 instructs us to open our mouths and pant, to long for God's commands and precepts.

The unfolding of your words gives light;

it gives understanding to the simple.

I open my mouth and pant,

longing for your commands.

Turn to me and have mercy on me,

as you always do to those who love your name.

Psalm 42:1 compares our fervor for seeking God to a parched deer panting for streams of water.

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

Then, what exactly does it mean to "pant after God"?

World English Dictionary at dictionary.com defines panting as: breathing hard and quickly after exertion; breathing with more effort than usual; convulsive breathing, as from violent exertion or excitement; a short, quick, labored effort at breathing; a gasp; to long with breathless or intense eagerness; or to yearn.

Collins English Dictionary1 adds that panting is: to have a frantic desire (for).

As I think about Ellie's convulsive, noisy breathing after her exuberant physical exertion, I must ask myself, "Can others see and hear my panting after God?"

In my quietest meditations and prayer time, "Am I intensely and breathlessly, earnestly, and frantically yearning for my LORD?"

Faith walks being with a strong desire to commune with our Creator. These Psalms incite us to search our hearts for an even more fervent yearning after our awesome God! This impassioned and breathless pursuit should be increasing as we journey onward. An ardent zeal for a close relationship with God and a burning commitment to follow His commands should be blazing within us . . . even when persecution and trials surround us.

May we emulate the psalmist at the end of Psalm 42 by placing our hope in God, and by praising Him, our Savior and our God, as we pant breathlessly in our pursuit of Him!

As the deer pants for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God.

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.

When can I go and meet with God?

My tears have been my food

day and night,

while men say to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

These things I remember

as I pour out my soul:

how I used to go with the multitude,

leading the procession to the house of God,

with shouts of joy and thanksgiving

among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

My soul is downcast within me;

therefore I will remember you

from the land of Jordan,

the heights of Hermon - from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me -

a prayer to the God of my live.

I say to God my Rock,

"Why have you forgotten me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?"

My bones suffer mortal agony

as my foes taunt me,

saying to me all day long,

"Where is your God?"

Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42

1 pant. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th

Edition. Retrieved September 10, 2010, from Dictionary.com website:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pant

Lukewarm

At the top of my "Things I Hate List" are: lukewarm showers, lukewarm soup, lukewarm handshakes, and lukewarm friends. Hurrying into a mildly warm shower on a frigidly cold winter morning is almost torture. Reaching out my hand for a firm handshake, only to touch a limp noodlish grasp, just plain irritates me. Spending time with people who claim to be friends, yet during visits, they busily text, daydream out the window, or talk about themselves constantly, forces me to place them in my "Don't bother; they are lukewarm about friendship" category. Lifting a spoonful of vegetable soup to my mouth, anticipating a hot bite of goodness, only to encounter a tepid broth makes me gag.

Imagine how Christ feels when we are lukewarm in our service for Him. Imagine how Christ feels when our affection for Him is tepid.

Revelation 3:16 could not be clearer:

"So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Strong's lexicon defines "lukewarm" as "the condition of the sould wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervour of love."

Dictionary.com (Random House Dictionary) defines "lukewarm" as "moderately warm; having or showing little ardor, zeal, or enthusiasm; indifferent."

Lukewarmness (yes, that is a word) or indifference in faith is the worst condition! Such a half-hearted attitude about Jesus is inexcusable! If we believe Christ is who He said He is, how can we be apathetic in our love for Him, wishy-washy in our devotion to Him, and chilly in our gratitude for the grace He has bestowed upon us!

This is not a place to be neutral. Christ expects us to declare ourselves in earnest - either for Him or against Him. Revelation 3:17 calls these phlegmatic, unresponsive folks "wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked."

Indifference is so important to the LORD that a severe punishment is even threatened in Revelation 3:16. Just as lukewarm vegetable soup induces gagging and vomiting, lukewarm church leaders or churchgoers turn Christ's stomach. Their neutrality sickens Him, and He cannot and will not bear them for long.

When life affords us an abundance of material possessions, the devious trap of indifference is an easy position to adopt. As our needs are supplied and oversupplied, we must guard against overlooking the feeding of our souls. We must be earnest and repent of any aloofness or tepidity in our pursuit of Christ.

"The soul is a different thing from the body, and must have accommodation suitable to its nature, or else in the midst of bodily prosperity it will be wretched and miserable." Matthew Henry

Questions to Consider Spiritual Temperature:

• Do I have a passionate concern for the lost?


• Am I always prepared to give the reason for my hope?


• Do my thoughts center soley on worldly things and circumstances?


• Do my thoughts center on me?


• Do I live my life overwhelmed with anxiety and worry, or do I live in the peace only Christ can give?


• Do I love God first? Do I love others as He teaches me to do?


• How often do I make God a priority in my life? Do I talk to Him? Do I learn more about His character and what He has done for me by digging into His living word?

Revelation 3:19-22 says:

"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

Dear Heavenly Father,

May I be a pleasing taste to you. May I hear your clear call to overcome. May I repent and be fervently earnest about seeking you! May I ask you daily to protect me from deceiving myself. May you guard my heart and mind, so I am not complacent. May I not become so blase, that I forget all that Christ has done. May my heart burn with a red-hot fervor and love for you, and may I never be chilly in my service to others. Amen!

Fan the Flame

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good."

1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

As Christians, we cannot entirely extinguish the person of the Holy Spirit, who indwells us, but we certainly can dampen the manifestations, gifts, and revelations of the Holy Spirit, if we do not fan the flame. We can squelch or suppress our faith and the faith of others into a lukewarm mediocrity, if we are not diligent to stir up our hearts.

God tells us exactly how to accomplish this. He tells us to pray continuously, to know His precious Scriptures, to preach His word faithfully, and to proclaim Jesus Christ as Savior. We must protect our zeal for the Lord; we must increase our knowledge of God through Bible study, so we may come to know His character more completely and deeply. Indifference suppresses the work of the Holy Spirit, but our steadfastness and eagerness to listen to the guidance of the Helper we have in the Holy Spirit will move our fervor into ardent devotion.

God sent us His Holy Spirit to teach us, tell us of things to come, to abide in us, to empower us as witnesses, to heal us, and to encourage us. We can take these promises to heart, and without hesitations we can fan the flame that indwells us.

Through the Holy Spirit, our faith in that which we hope for, the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our fire for our Heavenly Father may remain ever-burning and brilliant.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Let me never quench His fire through my negligence, indifference, or sin. Enable me to fan the flame of my Helper, so your will may be accomplished. Help me be a willing and fervent servant, ever conscious of my actions and inactions. Continue to teach me through the Holy Spirit of your character, your promises, and your precious Son, my Savior, Jesus Christ. In His Name I pray. Amen!

Conversations

When our daughter was young and at home, our house was overflowing with noises - giggling girls at slumber parties, blaring television shows, ear-splitting music, telephone yakking for hours on end, the incessant drone of a hairdryer. Did you know that a typical 1875 watt full-sized hair dryer emits up to 87 DBAs, which is actually louder than noise in a video arcade?

Is your house full of noise?

Is your house full of the noise of talking?

How would you describe your household's conversations? Do they include trivia and interesting facts? Are they about authors and best-selling novels? Are they about the latest movies or music? Are they full of gossip?

How often does your household talk about God...or to God? How long of a time passes before our precious Lord's name is mentioned? Is He mentioned at all?

The Bible is full of examples and encouragments regarding our conversations, but several verses in Deuteronomy are my favorites.

"And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when he said to me, 'Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.'" Deuteronomy 4:8-10

These verses remind me not to forget the things of our Lord or let them slip from heart as long as I live. Then, more importantly, I am specifically told to teach my children and the children after them. The noise in my household should include such talking.

This decree is so important to ourselves and our families that Deuteronomy 11:16-21 not only tells us to fix His words in our hearts and minds, but goes one step further.

"Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. The the LORD's anger will burn against you, and He will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth."

We are to teach them to our children, talking about them when we sit at home, when we walk along the road, when we lie down, and when we get up. That means that the talking noise in my house or in the presence of anyone who belongs to my household had better center around the Lord I claim to love!!

Corrie Ten Boom spoke of her family having scripture in their shoes as a reminder during severe persecution that they were standing on the foundation of the LORD. They knew how precious God's Word was, and since they could not speak of it aloud, they found a way to honor, remember, and respect its power and significance.

My household's conversations are not being threatened or stopped by persecutors. We have absolutely no excuse not to focus our talking and teachings where they belong.

Next time you pause to listen to the noises in your house, critique the conversations. Evaluate your own ... at home ... walking along the road ... when you lie down ... and when you get up!

Dear LORD,

Thank you for giving us your written Word to tell us what you have accomplished in the past according to your will and your purpose. Bring it to my attention all of the times that my words and conversations are not pleasing to you. If you are not the primary focus of my noisy chatter or my quiet meditations, make that abundantly clear to me. I do not want to disobey you or dishonor you. Thank you for all that you have done for my forefathers. Thank you for all that you have done for me. Thank you for all you are planning to do for me and my children and my children's children. Amen!!

Foul Stench

For the past 10 days I smelled an odd, funky odor as I walked from our family room into our kitchen. I assumed the smell would disappear on its own, but instead, it intensified to a disgusting stench, and I literally became a woman on a mission. I checked the cabinet under the sink; I looked behind and under the refrigerator to make sure nothing nasty was living there; I scrubbed the kitchen floor (the water wasn't even dirty); I examined our water dispenser closely, and finally I got a nasty whiff from a decorative rug that resides on the floor between the family room and the kitchen. Immediately, I jerked that rug and its pad off the floor, and I threw them (note, I did not toss them) into the garage. I rechecked the kitchen later in the day, and "Wa-lah," the odor was less intense. By nightfall, the stink was gone! Mission complete!

When my husband arrived home, I shared my mission impossible success story, and I speculated aloud if our granddog Ellie had had an accident on the rug. I continued, "I haven't spilled anything on the rug, so I am really baffled."

Sheepishly he looked at me and said, "I might have spilled something on the rug."

"Might have? Don't you know for sure if you did or you didn't?"

The room got silent, and at that point, I knew for sure that this wonderful man, who had seen me frantic and frenzied in my search for the origin of this horrific, offensive odor was the culprit!!

How much more offended is our LORD at the stench of our sins? His perfect nose is affronted and disgusted by the nauseating stink of our inequities.

Isaiah 3:8-9 speaks of such a parade of sin:

"Jerusalem staggers,

Judah is falling;

their words and deeds are against the LORD,

defying His glorious presence.

The look on their faces testifies against them;

they parade their sin like Sodom;

they do not hide it.

Woe to them!

They have brought disaster upon themselves."

Our blatant parade of words and deeds that are against the LORD defy His glorious presence. They are a putrefication, instead of the sweet perfume He so deserves from us.

I threw out the offensive rug. Acutally I hurled it across the garage, as far from me as I could get it. As I did so, I thought, "I need to hurl my daily sins farther away than my eyes can see. I need to cleanse my life of my daily stench, by bringing my transgressions before the Father."

My loving God initially gathered me in His arms when I smelled the absolute worse. While I was at my all time stinkiness, while I was a loathsome abomination because of my wickedness, He sent His beloved, only Son to die for my sins, (my original stench). He extended His amazing and perfect grace through Jesus Christ's death, resurrection, and ascension, just so I could be reconciled and restored to Him!

May I reverently and with joyous thanksgiving praise Him for removing my foul stench. May I glorify Him and bless Him by confession daily transgressions I have committed in word and deed. May I hurl them farther away from me than I can see by bringing them to my Redeemer and Sustainer!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for removing my original putrid stench when I was corrupt and depraved. Thank you for giving me the privilege and special blessing of bringing my daily inequities to you for cleansing and forgiveness. May my life be a fresh, sweet, pleasing perfume to your perfect nostrils! Amen.

Grief

Grief is an odd emotion because in reality it is more of a process of phases, more than just a single feeling or emotion. No two people experience it exactly the same way. No two people experience it for the same length of time. No two people experience its phases in the same order, nor is there any guarantee that the phases will not be repeated.

I wish I had never had cause to understand grief's components. However, when my second parent died in 1998, I felt anguish and sorrow so severely, I was unable to put such bereavement into words until recently.

My mom died in 1990 after a long, painful tedious battle with cancer. Her death was bittersweet; I was relieved her cancer-ridden body was free from more suffering, but selfishly I wanted her here on this earth. I wanted her to play a significant role in my daughter's life, and I wanted my best friend, my confidante, my precious mother, to remain in mine.

Then, when my father died unexpectedly in 1998 from a complication from a rare auto-immune disease, all of the sadness and distress I felt at my mom's death resurfaced. The new grief seemed to merge with my past misery. My generous, intelligent mentor and daddy was no longer part of my life, and the compounded mental and emotional pain crushed me.

I fully understood broken-heartedness. My heart was severed into razor-sharp shards, and I experienced an ache that cut through every fiber of my mind and body. The weighty, oppressive bereavement was almost more than I could bear, and I barely functioned for quite a while.

Such grief is often experienced at the death of a beloved parent, a spouse, a child, or a childhood friend, but it also may rear its powerful head at the loss of a job, at the death of a marriage, at the realization that certain expectations and aspirations will remain unfulfilled, or at the sorrow felt over the sin of this world.

A person's process of grief should never be labeled as right or wrong. . . it just is what it is. Well-meaning family members and friends often tried to instruct me on how long grief should last, but I certainly never found a universal expiration date.

Often the process is described as circular because it does not follow a sequential, chronological list, where one phase after another is faced and completed. Instead, a person may begin one phase, may stop part way through, may move on to another aspect, and then return to a previous one. Some mourners experience more than one stage at a time, skip one all together, or remain planted in one for an extended period of time. Grief does not follow any particular pattern! Grief is unique to each individual, and as long as it is not physically or emotionally destructive, I say, "Let it run its natural course."

Many articles I read included common components:

• Shock - This includes numbness, disbelief, and a lack of reality. Shock is a defense mechanism that allows us to survive emotionally. However, coming to terms with the loss is essential in the healing process.


• Denial - Instinctively we do not want to face the occurrence of something bad. Denial is thoughts or words such as, "I don't believe it; it can't be!" Grief is painful emotionally and physically, and it is critical not to suppress it through denial. Acceptance of the loss is important.


• Bargaining - This involves mental "what ifs" and "if onlys".


• Guilt - This stage is often difficult to deal with alone. It may ultimately be resolved by understanding that all of us are humans, who give the best and worst of ourselves to others. Their actions or reactions to us are their responsibility, not ours.


• Anger - This phase must be handled carefully because these complicated reactions can be destructive to ourselves, as well as to others. This phase may include a yearning or pining for the deceased, and weeping, anxiety, and confusion may accompany anger.


• Depression - This component may include a strong desire to withdraw and disengage from others and from enjoyed activities. Yearning may become less intense, but feelings of apathy may intensify. If this deep emotional sorrow manifests itself physically, seeking counseling, a support group, or medical assistance for chemical imbalances may be necessary.


• Resignation - A new state of normalcy may emerge; energy levels increase, and an interest to rejoin life returns as the loss is accepted as reality.


• Acceptance and Hope - Sadness may still linger, but acceptance allows us to move forward without grief's constant interference. Gradually painful memories diminish, while positive warm memories emerge. New feelings that life still has purpose and meaning arise.

Grief's pace and path are unique and personal. Hopefully, by understanding grief's primary components and its unique nature, we can empathize and encourage one another better.

Our Heavenly Father does not promise immediate comfort, yet He certainly provides us with many tools for healing - His Word, His Son Jesus, His children, His Holy Spirit, and Himself. We know Jesus experienced grief (He wept at Lazarus' tomb - not because Lazarus was dead, but because of the blindness and unbelief of followers; i.e., He wept for blindness and missed opportunities; He wept over Jerusalem). We know that God allows grief to enter our lives, and often it is a path - a path to Himself.

Complete comfort and healing from the horrific pangs of grief is however, promised to us in heaven, because no tears will be present there. Then God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Mourners on this earth will be comforted by hope of the world to come. Mourners on this earth are comforted because they trust Jesus Christ!

These verses are just a smattering of Scripture that have helped me during times of grief:

"I lift up my eyes to the hills -

where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,

the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip -

He who watches over you will not slumber;

Indeed, He who watches over Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you -

the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm-

He will watch over your life;

the LORD will watch over your coming and going

both now and forevermore.

Psalm 121

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

for to you I lift up my soul."

Psalm 143:8

"My eyes have grown dim with grief;

my whole frame is but a shadow."

Job 17:7

"I will be glad and rejoice in your love,

for you saw my affliction

and knew the anguish of my soul."

Psalm 31:7

"Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;

my eyes grow weak with sorrow,

my soul and my body with grief."

Psalm 31:9

"Though He brings grief, He will show compassion,

so great is His unfailing love."

Lamentations 3:32

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.'"

Psalm 91:1-2

"but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:31

Dear Heavenly Father,

May all who are experiencing grief find their peace and comfort in You! May all who stand by friends and family during grief seek Your wisdom, so those who have received your perfect comfort may also comfort others. Amen.

Genuine Meditation

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced transcendental meditation to the West in the late 1950s. From the beginning the practice was controversial, even though The Beatles were famous followers. TM involved a technique of focusing on a "mantra" - a sound, a word, or phrase that was repeated over and over and over, either aloud as a chant or silently. TM's aim was to reach a state of consciousness that was beyond wakefulness, sleep, or dreaming, in which relaxed awareness was achieved. The most controversial component was the claim that some meditating individuals could attain a state of pure consciousness, and in that state, they supposedly could influence the emotions or mental states of people around them. Other controversial claims were improved IQs and reduced violent tendencies. None of these were scientifically evaluated or endorsed, and experts argued if TM should be classified as a cult or religious sect.

In the 70's I remember reading about TM as a teenager, and for many years the word "meditation" immediately brought to mind repetitive, annoying tones, and people in white linen smocks with dazed expressions.

That image is not exactly what the psalmist David had in mind in Psalm 19.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14

In Psalm 19 the heavens themselves shout out God's majesty, proclaiming His intricate workmanship. There is no actual dialect, but their "voices" are most definitely heard! God reveals Himself explicitly through His creation! This natural revelation reaches every place and every person on our earth.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

Each time I admire the brilliant colors of God's autumn leaves, the perfect petals of the roses in our garden, His turbulent crashing waves at the Outer Banks, or His breathtaking falls at Niagara, and I pause to consider them in all their perfect beauty, I am meditating visually and in my heart on God's natural revelation in His creation. Each spectacular scene openly testifies to the genius of our Master Architect, who, as Creator, literally spoke everything into existence, not by chance, but purposefully!

Deep meditation moves us from these visual observations of God's creation to God's Biblical truths and commands, which we find in His holy word. Nothing I see or hear on this earth should go unchecked against God's perfect precepts. Spurgeon says, "We have a Bible which is large enough to be a perfect library, and which is also so compact that we can carry it about with us wherever we go."

Nothing on this earth is as worthy of our heart's deep attention and meditation as God's commands. Nothing on this earth is as worthy of our mind's focus as the Lord's ordinances. They are precious and worthy of our quiet contemplation.

Such meditation involves reflection, concentration, and contemplation. Biblical mediation involves deep spiritual introspection of our great Creator, our Redeemer, our LORD. God often reveals Himself first through His awesome creation and then draws us even closer through His living word. He teaches us and encourages us through both. He attracts our attention to Himself through His natural revelation, and then He propels us to a more intimate relationship with Himself when we ponder His written word in our hearts and minds.

David realized that God's word was even more desirable than gold because gold never fully satisfies in any quantity, and it perishes. God's Scripture is more precious because it satiates our core being, and it endures forever.

David's response should be ours. He is humbled when he observes the grandeur and splendor of God's precious handiwork because it manifests God's glory and supremacy. David is enlightened by God's word, and he is so humbled he prays for his life to be cleansed. David welcomes creation's drawing of himself to God; he treasures God's word, and he wants his resulting praises to be pleasing to God.

Just so, my meditations when beholding God's creation and when I seriously contemplate and reflect upon His word should result in an overflowing of sheer delight and gratitude to God. Such meditation should be a time of deep celebration, worshiping, exalting, and praising my Lord's sovereignty, His wisdom, goodness, love, mercy, and His power. Genuine meditation does not magically connect us with the mental states of other humans, but instead connects us with the God of the Universe!

Dear Heavenly Father,

May I be attentive to the resounding voice of your heavens and earthly handiwork, may I cherish the perfect wisdom and saving restoration You impart in your holy, inerrant Word. May I consistently and earnestly meditate in my heart all that is You! May I endeavor to please you and be approved by You! May I rejoice loudly! Amen!

"The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language

where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out into all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,

like a champion rejoicing to run his course.

It rises at one end of the heavens

and makes it circuit to the other;

nothing is hidden from its heat.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the LORD are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is pure,

enduring forever.

The ordinances of the LORD are sure

and altogether righteous.

They are more precious than gold,

than much pure gold;

they are sweeter than honey,

than honey from the comb.

By them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors?

Forgive my hidden faults.

Keep your servant also from willful sins;

may they not rule over me.

Then will I be blameless,

innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be pleasing in your sight,

O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."

Psalm 19