The Bride Groom Is Ready

No wishful thinking
No, a bra-ca-dab-rah…
No genie in a bottle…
No three wishes and you’re granted your request…
Faith is knowing the Holy One, He is not a guess…
Drawn by the Holy Spirit to the Savior of your soul
His solemn word, a breath, a whisper; you’re totally and completely whole…
His Shalom given, once lost, now found,
Your spirit has come home…
He is radiant and holy
He is perfection with no shadow of turning,
No accusations of any kind
His love is burning, only for you!
My heart yearns for Him, the one who gave his all
He stands upon the mountain; I hear Him call…
Come now my beloved…I’ve been waiting for so long…
Listen to the music while I sing a brand-new song…
You are the Redeemed, my wife, married to the great I Am…
Blood poured freely from the Holy Lamb…
Ever waiting and watching to bring you to my throne…
Holy and purified never to be alone…
Cradled and protected, now bone of my bone…
One together, sweet darl’n, welcome home!
With my eyes wide open I step inside the gate
How far, and long, I’ve had to wait
The waiting is now over,
In my wildest dreams I could not comprehend
The glory and the splendor, the magnificence of Him…
The world so cruel, the suffering and the pain
All worth it just to have His name…
My eyes now see, my ears now hear the roar of Heavens gain…
Worth every trial, every test, every heartache along the way,
Thank you, Yeshua, that for me you gave, life and forgiveness…
~Marla Shaw O’Neill February 8, 2022
Revelation 22:17
King James Version 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
1 Corinthians 2:9
King James Version But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
 

Open My Eyes Lord So that I May See

Open my eyes Lord, so that I might see, Angel-Armies surrounding the enemy…
All mighty, all powerful, You, Oh God, will rescue me.
Darkness and trouble come to destroy. Enemy forces in multitude. With weapons of hate they stand and wait, their army ready to advance.
Open my eyes Lord, they stand no chance.
With eyes wide open and heart full of faith, looking to Jesus, I see…
Ten thousands of ten thousand, a Holy-Angel-Army, waiting for the war cry, given at His command.
No fear of the unknown! No running in retreat! God and Angel-Army standing to their feet…
I see, fire thrown from heaven as demon’s scream and flee…
For God has opened my spiritual eyes and this is what I see!
Child of God, you may feel defeated and worthless and unloved.
But these are weapon-lies, they do not come from God above.
Take courage! Be bold!
Lord, open their eyes to see…
There is a massive Holy-Army fighting and have already won the Victory!
Shake off complacency. Chase away doubt and unbelief. By opening your faith-eyes
Give the devil grief!!!!
You do not fight this battle alone. You have no reason to be afraid
Your weapons are faith-grenades…you have faith eyes and faith ears…
Look, listen and see…
It is God and his mighty warriors; fighting for thee!!!
He’s got your back! Begin rejoicing and watch the enemy flee!!!
We fight with Holy-Armor in realms of supernatural and invisible degree…
But God already won this battle fought on life’s tree…
Pierced through hands and feet and side, His blood shed upon the battlefield and there he died…
Jesus declared; It Is Finished! Open your eyes to see…
God’s Holy Commander and Chief sounding the war-cry!!
Open your eyes, look and see. We fight from a place of victory!!!
Lord, Open our eyes so that we may see…
You and the Holy Angel Army!!!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 24, 2022
2 Kings 6:16-17
New International Version 16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
 

The Way Truth and Life

Have I not said, he who drinks of me shall never thirst, he who hungers after my righteousness will be filled?
I hear you daughter and I understand. The earth is in travail, it’s crying out for life.
I am that life. I am that truth and yes, I am that way.
Life is who I am. Truth is who I am. The Way is who I am.
But many have chosen death. They’re still eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
They’re believing the lies, thinking it is the truth.
They’re walking in the way that is taking them in the opposite direction I have set for them.
They are blind leading the blind and they will both fall in the ditch.
There is only One Way. No other way will be found. It’s straight and narrow, but they do not want this way. They think the way they have chosen is the best way, but it is the way of destruction and death.
I have spoken through my prophets. I’ve left them my Word and My Spirit but they seek another way. They say my way is too difficult it’s archaic and primitive. But my mercies are new every morning and My Way is lit by my Light.
Being blind they cannot see and being deaf they cannot hear.
So, I sent my Son, My Spirit but they mocked him, killed him and went their own way.
This world is crumbling it will not last, but My word is eternal. Walk in my Spirit live in me, and I will show you the pathway to life.
Do not be discouraged, do not give up. Love one another. Do good to one another. This is My way.
The way to life is my Son.
The way to Truth is my Son.
The Way is my Son.
While you are in this life keep your heart tuned to My Spirit. Keep your eyes opened to My Truth. See with Spiritual eyes. The heavenly places where I dwell, you may dwell also.
Right now, this moment, you are in a heavenly place with me. It is My Spirit telling you these words to encourage you and lift you on High. I love you, daughter. You are not alone. There is a heavenly host listening, watching and cheering you on. Rejoice in Me. I have called you and I am holding you in my hands. Even now My Peace is upon you. My Joy is filling you with New Strength and New Life. Share my life with others. You have nothing to fear. I AM with you.
Thank you, Papa. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit. Amen!
Marla Shaw O’Neill 1/11/2022
John 14:6 New International Version Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Matthew 5:6 King James Version Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
 John 4:14 The Passion Translation 14 but if anyone drinks the living water I give them, they will never be thirsty again. For when you drink the water I give you, it becomes a gushing fountain of the Holy Spirit, flooding you with endless life!” [a]
Footnotes
  1. 4:14 The Greek verb for “springing up” is hallomenou, and is never used for inanimate objects (water). It is a verb used for people (living things) and means “jumping” or “leaping up.” The Septuagint translates this verb elsewhere as an activity of the Holy Spirit.

Praise is the Key that Unlocks the Prison Door

Are you struggling to fit in? Do you question your worth? Is your life at a standstill? Do you wonder why you were ever born? These questions do pop up from time to time. We may all have had or are having these kinds of thoughts but let me tell you this, it may help, I hope so.
People come from all walks of life. Different backgrounds, different areas of the world. We’re all different even if born in the same family, no two people are the same. It’s God’s design, he made us all unique even animals and snowflakes, stars and planets even the air we breathe is different. We may be similar in many ways but we are all individuals with a particular set of molecules designed to be different and since God doesn’t make junk, we are all precious and a masterpiece made in His image to be unique for a distinct purpose.
Stop the struggle to fit in and stand out. You are worth more than fine gold or jewels. If you’re standing still right now, then stand still and know that God is God. He’s got you right where he wants you.
(Paraphrased)* God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” “Call unto me and I will show you great and mighty things that you’ve never seen.” “Cast all your cares, frustrations, questions on me, for I, care for you.” Come to me and I will not reject you. I will give you rest. When you search for me with all your heart, you will find me. Put me first in your life and I’ll turn everything around for you. I long to bless you and give you good things. But because of your pity parties and self-indulgence you can’t hear me, you can’t see me. You’re blind, deaf and dumb. Self blinds you to my truth. It keeps you bound in a self-made prison, and you become lost and afraid.
These are the tactics of the enemy of your soul. But, when, you take your eyes off yourself, what you want, what you desire, what you lack and put them on me. The cloud of despair and depression lifts and the Son begins to shine. I said S O N, because it’s only through my Son that you can be freed from your self-made prison, Freed from bondage. Freed from sin that separates you from the truth.
You start with Praise! Praise takes your mind off of yourself and puts it on me the only one who can help you out of the Mulley grubs. Your self-thoughts can keep your trapped in a pit that gets deeper and deeper the longer you linger in that atmosphere. But Praise is the wind that will cause you to soar in the heavenly places where I am, and I come into your heart and mind and free you. I break every chain; I extinguish every fireball that is hurled at you by the enemy. You are no longer caught in a whirlwind of destruction. No longer bound by fear and lack. Your mind becomes free and whole to bring true worship to your creator and you know beyond a shadow of a doubt who I AM! Joy infiltrates your being. Faith comes alive. Hope is restored. Life is full of promise and new horizons.
Put on your Praise Garments and see with new vision who you are, where you are going and what you are created to do. The how will manifest because you are no longer walking by sight you are walking in the Spirit…The Holy Spirit will lead you and guide you into right thinking, right living and will position you to gain what you could not obtain in yourself. Without me (Jesus) you can do nothing, but with me, you can do all things because I give you, my strength. The Joy of the Lord is your strength.
Yes, feast on all the treasures of the heavenly realm and fill your thoughts with heavenly realities, and not with the distractions of the natural realm.
Your crucifixion[a] with Christ has severed the tie to this life, and now your true life is hidden away in God in Christ. And as Christ himself is seen for who he really is, who you really are will also be revealed, for you are now one with him in his glory! Colossians 3:2-4 The Passion Translation
Footnotes 3:3 The Aramaic could be translated “Your death and your life are both hidden with the Messiah in God.”
~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 8, 2022
Acts 16:25-26
King James Version 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
*Scripture references:
Psalm 46:10
1 Peter 5:7
Jeremiah 33:3
Matthew 11:28-30
Jeremiah 29:13
Psalm 103:5
Matthew 15:14
Isaiah 61:3
2 Corinthians 5:7
Philippians 4:13
Nehemiah 8:10

God’s Love

Jesus Is Lord - The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is a biblical... | Facebook

Love is the fruit of the Spirit. In that fruit we will find sections of…
Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control
You will find all of these characteristics included within God’s love.
If you have the love of God within you, you will also have joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
It’s not different fruits. It is One. And that fruit is called LOVE. God’s love. In his love all the other sections are found.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit by accepting the Lord Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior we are filled with God’s love, his joy, his peace, his patience, and kindness and generosity, his faithfulness, gentleness and his self-control.
His love has to be cultivated and practiced so that all the other qualities will also emerge within us. As we mature in Him all of his attributes will also mature within us.
God is love.
When we are sad, we can still have his joy. When everything around us is in chaos we can still have his peace that passes all understanding. When there is stress and uncertainty and we are stretched beyond human limits, his patience will sustain us. The world can be so mean and hateful, but being filled with God’s love we can still be filled with his kindness. Greed and selfishness are all around us but we don’t have to participate we can be full of God’s generosity because of His love. With commitments being broken in marriages, employments, friendships, partnerships, we can remain faithful because of God’s love within us. People can be rough around the edges and hateful, offendable and in a rage but God’s love will display his gentleness in the way we interact toward others, even, if they do not behave the same way. And last but not least, God’s love helps us to practice his self-control so that we are a power-house under his control, anointed by him to serve and honor him. Self, has to die, because of the Love of God so that he can live, in us.
It begins and ends with the love of God. His love in us gives us Holy Spirit power to live this life in obedience to the one who created all things. The one who came to earth, died and resurrected so that we could be renewed and live forever in Him and He in us!
Let God’s love rule our hearts and all the rest of God’s attributes will manifest in every area of our lives.
The fruit you want to be produced in you is Love. From there all the rest will follow.
Do you want Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control? Then eat the fruit of the Spirit which is Love. God’s love!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 6, 2022
Galatians 5:22-23 New Living Translation 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
 

Joy Second poem in 2022

Art by Floyd Cooper
Joy is such a tiny word, three letters to express
Delight, exuberance, strength and happiness…
Like an apple or a strawberry, fruit so sweet and good…
Joy, given from heaven, sometimes misunderstood.
Joy is more than an emotion, more than feeling glee
Why it’s produced by the Spirit, where Jesus sets us free
To live totally in grace, with songs of victory!
Rejoicing with the angels, even when hard times call
Girded with truth and peace and hope, surrounded by these walls
Fire cannot penetrate, floods parted in the wake, mountains moved
When the earthquakes…Joy will be mine to take
Through all of life’s heartaches…
Joy, a constant in the battle that conquerors every fear, every doubt, every torment
Joy will shout, in silent resilience to the foe that comes to defeat…
Joy is concrete, Joy makes us complete…
In the Spirit where God meets…
Our saddest moments and deepest longings…
Joy will be sweet…
As morning gives way to joy…we will not weep
Nothing will steal our joy; it is ours to keep!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 5, 2022
John 15:10-12
Holman Christian Standard Bible 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.
11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.
Psalm 30:4-6 King James Version Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. And in my prosperity, I said, I shall never be moved.
Galatians 5:22-23 The Passion Translation 22–23 But the fruit[a] produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:[b]
joy that overflows,[c] peace that subdues, patience[d] that endures, kindness[e] in action, a life full of virtue,[f] faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit.[g] Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.[h]
Footnotes
  1. 5:22–23 The Greek word here can be translated “harvest.”
  2. 5:22–23 There is clear textual inference that the “fruit” (singular) of the Holy Spirit is love, with the other virtues displaying aspects of the greatest quality of Spirit-life, agape love.
  3. 5:22–23 This translation has chosen to supply action to these virtues, for they are not meant to be abstract virtues, but made visible with actions.
  4. 5:22–23 The Greek word for patience is taken from a verb that means “ever tapping” or “never quitting.”
  5. 5:22–23 The Aramaic word can be translated “sweetness.”
  6. 5:22–23 Or “goodness.”
  7. 5:22–23 The word self is not found in this verse; however, most translations render this as “self-control.” The word is actually “lordship,” or by implication “spirit-strength.”
  8. 5:22–23 Literally “there is no law set against these things” or “there is no conflict with Jewish laws.”

Eternity

A trillion tiny sparkles are seen from here below
As day gives way to night, God’s fireworks bestowed.
All across the atmosphere; filled with wonder at the sight
Supernatural display of glorious light!
Traveling through a time-warp at the speed of sounds unknown
We are born, live and then fully grown
Turned back to dust, as time rushes on…
Generations upon generations, ancients come and go
Waiting and watching slowly behold…
One face we seek above all others, babies held by their pondering mothers
Like vapors in the wind…
Beginning and end, with Him!
Past, present and future souls, are born and then die…
Live and let live, still the questions remain, why?
Eternity, written on the wind…
Comes swiftly there is no end.
Stars shine brightest in the darkness
All will see…as night gives way to daybreak
The light forever stays…It is His to give and His to take…
Keep shinning, keep believing
You are brighter than you think.
Do not wink and do not blink…
Watch the stars and you will see…
Eternity!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill January 1, 2022
Job 38
New International Version
The Lord Speaks
38 Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:
“Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.
“Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels[a] shouted for joy?
“Who shut up the sea behind doors
when it burst forth from the womb,
when I made the clouds its garment
and wrapped it in thick darkness,
10 when I fixed limits for it
and set its doors and bars in place,
11 when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;
here is where your proud waves halt’?
12 “Have you ever given orders to the morning,
or shown the dawn its place,
13 that it might take the earth by the edges
and shake the wicked out of it?
14 The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
its features stand out like those of a garment.
15 The wicked are denied their light,
and their upraised arm is broken.
16 “Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
17 Have the gates of death been shown to you?
Have you seen the gates of the deepest darkness?
18 Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
Tell me, if you know all this.
19 “What is the way to the abode of light?
And where does darkness reside?
20 Can you take them to their places?
Do you know the paths to their dwellings?
21 Surely you know, for you were already born!
You have lived so many years!
22 “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow
or seen the storehouses of the hail,
23 which I reserve for times of trouble,
for days of war and battle?
24 What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed,
or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?
25 Who cuts a channel for the torrents of rain,
and a path for the thunderstorm,
26 to water a land where no one lives,
an uninhabited desert,
27 to satisfy a desolate wasteland
and make it sprout with grass?
28 Does the rain have a father?
Who fathers the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb comes the ice?
Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens
30 when the waters become hard as stone,
when the surface of the deep is frozen?
31 “Can you bind the chains[b] of the Pleiades?
Can you loosen Orion’s belt?
32 Can you bring forth the constellations in their seasons[c]
or lead out the Bear[d] with its cubs?
33 Do you know the laws of the heavens?
Can you set up God’s[e] dominion over the earth?
34 “Can you raise your voice to the clouds
and cover yourself with a flood of water?
35 Do you send the lightning bolts on their way?
Do they report to you, ‘Here we are’?
36 Who gives the ibis wisdom[f]
or gives the rooster understanding?[g]
37 Who has the wisdom to count the clouds?
Who can tip over the water jars of the heavens
38 when the dust becomes hard
and the clods of earth stick together?
39 “Do you hunt the prey for the lioness
and satisfy the hunger of the lions
40 when they crouch in their dens
or lie in wait in a thicket?
41 Who provides food for the raven
when its young cry out to God
and wander about for lack of food?
Footnotes
  1. Job 38:7 Hebrew the sons of God
  2. Job 38:31 Septuagint; Hebrew beauty
  3. Job 38:32 Or the morning star in its season
  4. Job 38:32 Or out Leo
  5. Job 38:33 Or their
  6. Job 38:36 That is, wisdom about the flooding of the Nile
  7. Job 38:36 That is, understanding of when to crow; the meaning of the Hebrew for this verse is uncertain.

Jesus, You Said

Jesus, you said, you give us peace (shalom), not like the world’s peace. John 14:27
You said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.” Matt. 22:37
You said, Do not be afraid. It is your father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32
You tell the demons to leave and they obey you. Matt. 8:28-34
You said, Come, follow me. Matt. 4:19
You said, with man it is impossible but with You, All things are Possible. Mark 10:27
You said, the one who stands firm until the end will be saved. Matt. 24:13
You said, Take heart I have overcome the world. John 16:33
You said, believe what you ask in prayer and you will receive. Mark 11:24
You said, your word cleanses us because of who You are. You are the word. John 15:3
You said, you are the light of the world! Matt. 5:14
You said, look at the birds of the air they do not sow nor reap nor store away in barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matt. 6:26
You said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Mark 11:29
You said, blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled. Matt. 5:5-6
You said, if we say we have fellowship with you but walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. 1 John 1:6
You said, to ask, seek and knock and it would be opened to us. Matt. 7:7-8
You said, you are the Good Shepherd, that you give your life for your sheep. Your sheep hear your voice and a stranger they will not follow and they can never be plucked from your hand. John 10:27-28
You said, “I am the bread of life.” John 6:48
You said, “I am the living water, all who drink of me will never thirst.” John 4:10-14
You said, you came to set us free from sin and death. When the enemy comes in life a flood and tries to drown us with sickness and fear and doubt…You lift the standard against him. You conquered hell, death and the grave. And because you were victorious, we are victorious also. Not in our own strength but in You, we can do all things because you give us your strength. (Luke 19:10; Isaiah 59:19; Colossians 2:15; Phil. 4:13)
You said, to put our trust in you and we will live and not die. John 14:1
You said, you are the resurrection and the life and all who believe in you will never die. John 11:25
Lord, we need you. Help us to open our ears to what you say and believe the truth of your word today! That what you say is true. Let us not listen to the lies of the enemy. Let us focus on your voice and hear what you are saying. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 29, 2021

Silent Presence

He is, time-traveler, silent listener, invisible to the human eye.
Soul-whisperer to everyone, he hears each and every sigh…
Speaking words of life, but we ignore them, we don’t even try
We’re unaware of the visitor, wanting nothing more, than our lives
To be abundantly blessed, but we pay him no mind.
He’s there in the stillness and busyness, when we laugh or joke or drive…
He’s there in the darkness when we toss and turn and wonder why,
Life is so unkind.
He’s there when the doctor gives reports of no more time…
He’s there when our babies come and when our loved ones die…
He’s there in every circumstance of our short or long lives…
Open your eyes,
Open your ears,
He’s here…
At your lowest, darkest moments, in your pain, suffering and unrest…
God is with you in every heartache and every test…
Stop, listen, feel His presence… hear his voice whispering
“Child, you are not alone I’m right here with you. I’ll dry your tears, sooth your fears. Let me carry you today. Baby, I’m never going away.”
~Marla Shaw O’Neill December 20, 2021
Psalm 139 The Passion Translation – You Know All About Me
For the Pure and Shining One – King David’s poetic song
139 Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.
You perceive every movement of my heart and soul,
and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind.
3–4 You are so intimately aware of me, Lord.
You read my heart like an open book
and you know all the words I’m about to speak
before I even start a sentence!
You know every step I will take before my journey even begins.
You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way,
and in kindness you follow behind me
to spare me from the harm of my past.[a]
You have laid your hand on me!
This is just too wonderful, deep, and incomprehensible!
Your understanding of me brings me wonder and strength.[b]
Where could I go from your Spirit?
Where could I run and hide from your face?
If I go up to heaven, you’re there!
If I go down to the realm of the dead, you’re there too!
If I fly with wings into the shining dawn, you’re there!
If I fly into the radiant sunset, [c] you’re there waiting!
10 Wherever I go, your hand will guide me;
your strength will empower me.
11 It’s impossible to disappear from you
or to ask the darkness to hide me,
for your presence is everywhere, bringing light into my night.
12 There is no such thing as darkness with you.
The night, to you, is as bright as the day;
there’s no difference between the two.
13 You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside
and my intricate outside,
and wove them all together in my mother’s womb.[d]
14 I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex!
Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking.
It simply amazes me to think about it!
How thoroughly you know me, Lord!
15 You even formed every bone in my body
when you created me in the secret place;[e]
carefully, skillfully you shaped me[f] from nothing to something.
16 You saw who you created me to be before I became me![g]
Before I’d ever seen the light of day,
the number of days you planned for me
were already recorded in your book.[h]
17–18 Every single moment you are thinking of me!
How precious and wonderful to consider
that you cherish me constantly in your every thought!
O God, your desires toward me are more
than the grains of sand on every shore!
When I awake each morning, you’re still with me.
19 O God, come and slay these bloodthirsty, murderous men!
For I cry out, “Depart from me, you wicked ones!”
20 See how they blaspheme your sacred name
and lift up themselves against you, but all in vain!
21 Lord, can’t you see how I despise those who despise you?
For I grieve when I see them rise up against you.
22 I have nothing but complete hatred and disgust for them.
Your enemies shall be my enemies!
23 God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart.
Examine me through and through;
find out everything that may be hidden within me.
Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares.
24 See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on,
and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting way—
the path that brings me back to you.
Footnotes
  1. 139:5 Or “You hem me in [lit. “besiege me”] before and behind.” The implication is that God protects the psalmist from what may come in the future and what has happened in the past.
  2. 139:6 As translated from the Septuagint. The Hebrew reads “too high to understand.”
  3. 139:9 Implied in the Hebrew, which reads “the remote parts of the sea” or “beyond the horizon to the west.” The sea is west of Israel.
  4. 139:13 The Hebrew word for “knit” or “wove” can also be translated “covered” or “defended.” God places an eternal spirit inside the conceived child within the womb of a mother and covers that life, sends the child a guardian angel, and watches over him or her.
  5. 139:15 The Hebrew text is literally “the depths of the earth.”
  6. 139:15 Or “embroidered me.”
  7. 139:16 The Hebrew could be translated “as an embryo.”
  8. 139:16 See Ps. 69:28.