My Psalm: A Breath to Praise the Lord.

"My Psalm: A Breath to Praise the Lord"

Some years ago, I taught the Gospel Doctrine about this phrase found in Psalms 150:6: "Let Every Thing That Hath Breath Praise the Lord." Ironically, that is the title of this coming week's topic for Come, Follow Me.  The lessons from Psalms are immensely numerous and focus on many teachings such as gratitude, love, mercy, forgiveness, praises and blessings from God, prophecies of the life and mission of Jesus Christ, words and works from God, temples, the creation, and so many many gospel principles. 

As part of the lesson, I had everyone try their hand at writing a Psalm, and this week's lesson has the same invitation. I wrote my version of a psalm at that time. I found it again this week and revised it.  

I invite you to write a psalm and post it on your blog or other social media venues or even just share it with someone who may need to hear it.

The Psalm of Darrel: A Breath to Praise the Lord.

Oh, my Father who art in Heaven,

Thou who dwells in my heart,

Thou who diligently watches over me each day, 

Thou whose tears are mixed with mine!

My heart swells when I breathe Thy name,

when it touches my lips, 

when it rests upon my mind,

when it enters my heart.

I sing praises to thy Holy name.

My soul delights when I read Thy holy words

And the words of Thy Holy Son whose infinite atonement

breaks me free from my hapless and lonely sphere.

When I behold the majesty of the mountains, 

I praise Thee

with every breath I take or ever will take,

I praise thee.

When I watch the plants and flowers grow in my garden, 

I praise Thee.

When I am with Thy choice daughter,

my bride of 43 years, 

I praise Thee.

When I talk or think of my two beautiful daughters,

both blessings and miracles from Thee in our time of need, 

I praise Thee.

When I hold my grandchildren in my arms, 

I praise Thee.

My heart shouts glorious praises each day 

for all that I have or ever will

for I recognize it all comes from Thee.

But my heart groans because of my weaknesses, 

interrupts my pleadings to Thee,

tethers me to the lowliness of vines and roots,

holding me fast, disallowing me to move forward;

yet, I know and feel of Thy pure love for me

despite my many frailties made human because of my choices.

Yet, I kneel night and day, humbled because of my knowledge, 

yea, even my lack of knowledge, of Thee.

Often my weaknesses seep into my mind, 

cloud my vision of what may be.

Ashamed, I pray harder, take longer breaths, 

more sustained breathes, 

hoping Thou will come to me like to the prophets of old,

like the still yet piercing small voice that came to those in Bountiful.

Then, Thy consuming love envelopes me,

holds me closer than I can ever feel.

Thy closeness chases away my thoughts of weakness, 

those awful rays of darkness that shadow my vision of Thee and Thy Son.

For those brief moments, I succumb to Thy will,

and pray that I may have more brief moments to feel

thy glorious spirit spilling over me like rain waters of spring.

For those brief moments, I feel encased in Thy Holy Love,

Thy holy thoughts, penetrating me to the core of my soul.

For those brief moments, I feel I am home,

knowing what I must do to return to Thee,

contemplating ways to overcome my weaknesses,

staying quietly by my bedside,

drinking deeply of Thy Holy Spirit,

knowing ever more clearly of my path,

praying for clear visions of what I am to do,

promising, once again, “Thy will be done.”

And by day, I wax bold in my convictions, 

the words that I think and share with others,

thankful that angels surround me, buoy me up.

And thus it is; and thus it ever will be

when I obey and listen to Thy Holy word 

and from the mouths of those whom Thou has chosen.

May Thy Holy Spirit engulf me like the fires

of everlasting peace and comfort

and the glory and majesty of all Thy creations

for I now know whose I am—for I am Thine.

                         

Amen and Amen.