Sunday, April 30, 2017

Psalms 59 and 60 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 59

(Jesus on the cross prays to the Father for sinners whose sins he has taken upon himself.)

" S
ave me, Father, from the evil that has overwhelmed me. It seeks to destroy me, although I am innocent. Let all nations see the awesome power of our saving God. Show no mercy, Father, on pure evil. The minions of the devil openly commit their heinous acts everywhere right in front of you, as if you were not watching. Yet you will have the last laugh, for their evil intentions will amount to nothing. Father, you are my strength. You will keep me safe.

Yet in your mercy, Father, hold back your final judgment until the day of wrath when all will be called before me for their final reward or punishment. Chastise them, but let others see that you hold them accountable for their arrogance and lies. Then, on Judgment Day, those who persisted in defying you will find themselves without defense and deprived of your presence forever. For the time being, let them go their way. They will discover soon enough that their actions will bring no lasting satisfaction.

As for me, on the morning of my resurrection, I will praise you as my God of mercy who rescued me from the grave. Amen.”

Psalm 60

(A prophecy of the Church and its great impact on God’s people. The lesson it teaches must not be forgotten.)

G

od, you have abandoned us. We live in ruins. You became angry, made life difficult for us, and filled us with remorse. But then you gave us a sign of your mercy, Jesus’ cross on Golgotha. The repercussions of his death shook the earth to its core. But his death healed us and united us all, both Jew and Gentile, in one Church. He saved his people from damnation and still protects them from the snares of the devil. Be with us now, Lord, for our situation is perilous. We cannot defeat the enemy without your support. Be our strength as we strive to do your will. The wicked will have no such support. Amen.19
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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/

19The Orthodox Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008), 720.

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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