Assurance of God’s Protection

Living in the shelter of the Most High
Abiding in the shadow of the Almighty
I will say to Her
“You are my refuge and my strength
My God in whom I trust”
For She will deliver me from the snare of my doubts
And from my deadly depression
She will cover my faults with Her righteousness
Under Her wings I will find refuge and hope
Her enduring faithfulness is my shield against hopelessness
I will not fear my night terrors
Nor my daily failings
Not my dark depression
Nor my blinding doubts
A thousand doubts may trouble me
Ten thousand failings may preoccupy me
But She will protect me
She will open my mind to hope, to love, to eternal life
Because I have made Her my refuge
The Most High my dwelling place
No evil will befall me, no doom will come near me
She commands Her angels to protect me, to guard me always
To bear me up when I am cast down
To keep me from tearing myself to bits
So I will trample all my doubts and darkness, depression and disasters
God has promised
Through steadfast love, She will deliver me
With enduring faithfulness, She will protect me
When I call to Her, when I cry out, She will answer
She is with me through all my troubles, big and small
She rescues me, saves me, redeems me
With eternal life, she will quiet all my anxious striving
And show me Her salvation. Amen.

A song for the Sabbath

I will give thanks and sing praise to my Sovereign God, the Most High
I will remember and declare God’s steadfast love in my youth
God’s enduring faithfulness in my old age
With music and song, with prayer and reverence, I will give praise
My joy and my gladness are all God’s work, God’s great work in my life
Too great for my limited understanding
Though I struggle, though I doubt, though I fail again and again
God will prevail
I am saved, forever
Despite my struggles, despite my doubt, despite my failings
God succeeds, forever
And so I am saved and favored, a child of God, my Lady Wisdom
Destined for good, not evil
Destined for love, not hate
Destined for peace, not conflict
Destined for hope, not despair
Destined to flourish as God’s good seed grows in me
And bears good fruit, even as I age
Maybe especially as I age
Because God is good, my gardener, my rock
My savior, my righteousness, my Lady Wisdom. Amen.

The majesty of God’s rule

The Almighty is sovereign, robed in majesty, stronger than death
She created me, all of me
And is with me always
In darkness and despair
No less than in light and joy
My emotions flood me
My wants drown out my peace
My fears thunder
My disappointments rage
But mightier than these is the Almighty, my God
Almighty God, Wisdom Woman, Your decrees are sure peace
Living with awareness of You is holiness forevermore. Amen

God is sovereign, in majesty and strength
Creator of all, creator of me
And it is all good, secure forever and good
Except it is not
Evil exists
What we call sin exists
Separating us from good
Inside me and all around me
And I don’t understand that
(But Paul says nothing can separate us from God’s steadfast love)
Because God is mightier than evil, stronger than sin
Forever
Bigger, better, greater, more powerful
Than the floods of doubt, depression, despair, darkness
That roar high and overwhelm me
More powerful is my God, my Lady Wisdom
But still, still, those floods come
Overwhelming my good, my faith
Yet I am called to believe
Despite all evidence to the contrary
That God’s commands are supreme
That God’s own holiness is mine
Forever. Amen (and sigh)

O Sovereign, You God of vengeance
You God of vengeance, shine forth!
Rise up, O Judge of everyone
Give to the proud what they deserve!
No, wait! I am proud, so often
With so little reason
Thank goodness, thank God
You do not give me what I deserve
But what Your steadfast love provides
But Sovereign God, how long shall I struggle
With the wicked, weak parts of me
With thoughts and feelings that I despise
How long will they trouble me
They crush me, Sovereign Lady Wisdom
They defeat my best efforts
I try to be good to all
Especially the marginalized, the disenfranchised
I try to be generous and merciful
But I forget, or I get tired or cynical
I am the dullest of people
Foolish when I should be wise
Forgetting Your knowledge of me
Forgetting Your teachings and Your discipline
You know my deep and lofty thoughts
Ha, You know they are but an empty breath
Bring me the happiness of Your discipline, O Sovereign
To order my unruly spirits
Save me, again, from days of troubled thoughts
Pits of dirty despair
Do not forsake me, do not forget me
Help me to live Your justice, Your righteousness
Help me to follow You with an upright heart
Who but You lifts my spirits
Who but You defeats my worst tendencies
If You do not help me, I am surely lost
Whenever I think that I will slip forever
Beneath my own muck
Your steadfast love, O Sovereign Lady Wisdom
Lifts me and holds me
When the cares of my heart are many
Your consolations cheer my soul
Can my best selfishness do that
Can I create a better world for myself
Too often I feel that my worst tendencies
My pride, my need to be right, my fears, my anxieties
My critical judgments of others
Too often I feel these band together to make me ugly
To destroy my innocence and joy
But You, only You, are my stronghold and refuge
In You my better qualities arise
With You my wickedness is defeated, wiped out
You, my Sovereign God, my Lady Wisdom, will wipe them out. Amen

Let me sing a song of wonder and joy to Lady Wisdom
Let me rest in Her presence with thanksgiving
Let me make a joyful noise to Her with my song of praise
God is great
Sovereign over all the petty distractions of my life
Creator God, Maker of mountains and seas
Sovereign of the rich times and the parched times in my life
You created me
Blood and bones, skin and thought, sinew and feelings
You created me
So let me bow down and worship You
Let me kneel before You as my Creator, Savior, Helper
I am Yours
So, please, help me to live as Yours
With contentment not fear
Generous not grasping
Soften my hard heart
Do not despise me for my lack of faith
Because of my unruly heart’s doubts
Lead me from my times of testing You
And quarrelling with myself about You
Please do not leave me stranded in my desert times
Thirsting without water
Doubting without faith
Demanding without gratitude
Wandering without rest. Amen.