Sunday, March 26, 2017

Psalms 39 and 40 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS
Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

A New Look at the Old Psalms

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I present here a new perspective on the psalms. I have rewritten them from a New 
Testament Christ-centered point of view. I did not try to capture the poetry of the 
psalms – I leave that to more gifted writers – but I attempted to capture their message
with a more modern interpretation.
God bless,
John
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Psalm 39

L
ord, the wicked annoy me, but I am trying to keep quiet in their presence. I have reached a point where I cannot take it anymore. How long, Lord, will I have to endure this? I know I am just a pilgrim passing through this life, a life that is fleeting, only a breath in your eyes. Much of my life is spent in misery and pain. Save me, Lord. I do no evil myself, nor am I preachy, but these evil people ridicule me because I spoke up. I place all my hope in you, but you have made life so difficult for me that I am speechless from exhaustion. Your chastisement is just, but I am too weak to withstand any more of your discipline. My life is passing quickly. Give me some moments of peace before I must depart.

Psalm 40

J
esus speaks to the Father about his incarnation. “Father, I came into this world to carry out your plan. I spread the good news of your faithfulness, saving power, and unfailing love. Burnt offerings were no longer enough. You required a divine sacrifice, as it was written in the scriptures, to atone for the sins of the world and restore the covenant between you and man. I united my will to yours, Father, but that led to my betrayal, torture, crucifixion, and death. Yet you heard my prayer, lifted me out of the tomb, and restored my life. You have given me cause for rejoicing. May others see what great joy comes to those who trust in you.”

Let us all offer our own song of thanksgiving to the Father for all the innumerable and marvelous things he has done for us. Amen.9

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Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spas_vsederzhitel_sinay.jpg
"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

9The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 709.

This book and other books I have written are posted for your reading pleasure at Booksie.

Scriptural quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 
copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois
60189. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2016 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this material must 
be done in its entirety with the copyright notice intact. This book is not for sale, but is 
offered to the public free of charge for the glory of God.

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