Psalms 113-116 from my new book:

A NEW LOOK AT THE OLD PSALMS

Praying the Psalms: a modern interpretation

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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 113

L

et all servants of God praise our Lord Jesus Christ from morning to night, now and forever. He is the King of all nations, and his glory reaches to the highest heavens. No one can compare to Christ our King who looks down from his regal throne in heaven at his humble subjects below. Yet he stoops to lift up the lowly and restores their dignity. His Church will gladly serve as a nurturing and protective mother to all his children. Alleluia!

Psalm 114 and 115

(These two psalms have a lot in common, so many authorities combine them.)

T

he Jewish people left Egypt and sought sanctuary in the Promised Land. The Red Sea and the Jordan River withdrew to allow safe passage, and the earth shook. Why? Because the Almighty willed it, just as he willed the water to gush forth from a rock in the desert.

It was not the people who accomplished these miracles, but God himself. So let us give him the glory that is due. Otherwise, other nations will wonder if our God exists at all. They cannot see him, but we know where he is — he lives in heaven from where he rules everything on earth.

God does what he wants, for he is omnipotent. Men’s idols have no power. They may be made of precious metals, but they cannot speak, see, hear, smell, feel, walk, or even grunt. And those who believe in these false gods are just as brainless as the metal statues they forge.

The Israelites believed in the Lord God. There is nothing fake about him. He helped and protected his people; they revered and trusted him. The Lord was ever mindful of those who honored him, and he blessed them, the small and great alike.

May the Lord bless you, make you prosperous, and help your family to grow. He is the one who created the universe and his home in heaven, but he gave the earth to his children. Those in hell cannot praise you, Lord, but we who still breathe praise you and will continue to praise you for all eternity. Alleluia!

Psalm 116

I

love the Lord because he answered my prayers when I called upon him. I was in danger of dying, and the prospect of spending eternity in hell grieved me greatly. Then I begged the Lord to save my soul. He is merciful, just, and especially protective of the dispirited. He saw that I was humbled and rescued me.

Be at peace, my soul, for the Lord was kind to you and saved you from eternal damnation. He healed my pain and removed the stones along my path to keep me from falling. The Lord has given me a new lease on life, and he will not find me lacking again. Alleluia!

Because I believed in God, I called out. I was in dire straits and in my delirium I cried, “You cannot trust people!” Only God can be trusted. How can I repay him for all he has done for me? I will drink deeply of the cup of salvation he has offered me and dedicate my life to him. I will let the world know just how much the Lord cares about the salvation of his faithful.

Lord, I am not worthy to be called your servant. Look upon me more as the servant of your servant. You shattered the chains of sin that bound me. I will praise you, Lord, and avow before all your people what I have sworn to you in private. May God, all his holy ones in heaven, and his faithful ones in his Church on earth give witness to my testimony. Amen. Alleluia!

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Cover image: Christ the Saviour (Pantokrator)." Web. 25 Sept 2016.
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"Creative Commons License." Web. 18 May 2016.
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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.