Your house, God, is my desire?

LORD, who may dwell?

Your dwelling is my yearning.

Your presence is my longing.

Your voice is the sound my ear strains to hear and my heart beats to know.

Your table is filled with all that satisfies the hunger of my soul.

The fire in Your hearth warms my chilled bones.

Your parlor is where I find rest.

Your house is where my soul will find itself at home.

Until then, I am restless and unsettled.

So, grant that I might walk a blameless walk.

Help me to live righteously and speak truthfully, sincerely, and gently.

Remind me to love my neighbor and live in that love.

Prod me to speak only words that uplift.

Shake me within if I ever start admiring the evil in people.

May I honor You and those who reverence You.

May I be a man of my word, whatever it costs.

May I be generous with others, for You have been generous with me.

Guard and help me guard my integrity and the rights and dignity of others.

And when I fail, forgive me and put me back on track to try again so that I might be at home in your presence, a part of Your family, and a man who lives like a member of Your household.

Amen

Who shall ascend thy heav'nly place,
Great God, and dwell before thy face?
The man that minds religion now,
And humbly walks with God below.

Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean,
Whose lips still speak the thing they mean;
No slanders dwell upon his tongue;
He hates to do his neighbour wrong.

Scarce will he trust an ill report,
Nor vents it to his neighbour's hurt:
Sinners of state he can despise,
But saints are honour'd in his eyes.

Firm to his word he ever stood,
And always makes his promise good;
Nor dares to change the thing he swears,
Whatever pain or loss he bears.

He never deals in bribing gold,
And mourns that justice should be sold;
While others gripe and grind the poor,
Sweet charity attends his door.

He loves his enemies, and prays
For those that curse him to his face;
And doth to all men still the fame
That he would hope or wish from them.

Yet when his holiest works are done,
His soul depends on grace alone:
This is the man thy face shall see,
And dwell for ever, Lord, with thee.

by Isaac Watts

 

Psalm 15 The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm

God, who gets invited
    to dinner at your place?
How do we get on your guest list?

“Walk straight,
    act right,
        tell the truth.

“Don’t hurt your friend,
    don’t blame your neighbor;
        despise the despicable.

“Keep your word even when it costs you,
    make an honest living,
        never take a bribe.

“You’ll never get
blacklisted
if you live like this.”

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson