Starting 2007 Off Right

Happy new year, BGs!

Many thanks to those of you who left comments and emailed me, saying you missed your daily F&F read. What a blessing and encouragement you all are.

Well, I rested over the holidays. And I sorely needed it. I feel like a different person now, ready to jump in and do the work I need to do. I have some friends who had to write like crazy right through Christmas and New Years. That’s lousy, if you ask me.

Let’s start off 2007 with Psalm 18. Great psalm to pray in the new year. Go ahead—pray it aloud. Praise God and ask Him to bless and protect you this year. As usual, this is in the BPV (Brandilyn’s Prayer Version), which is taken from the New American Standard. Since it’s a fairly long psalm, I’m covering verses 1-3,16-36, and 46-50.

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
You are my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge.
My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon You, Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

God, You sent from on high. You took me.
You drew me out of many waters.
You delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But you, Lord, have been my stay.
You have brought me forth into a broad place.
You rescued me because You delighted in me.

Lord, please reward me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands, recompense me.
For I have kept Your ways,
And have not wickedly departed from You.
All Your ordinances are before me,
And I’ve not put away Your statutes from me.
I want to be blameless before You,
And keep myself from iniquity.
Recompense me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in Your eyes.

With the kind You show Yourself kind;
With the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
With the pure You show Yourself pure;
And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.
For You save afflicted people,
But haughty eyes You abase.
You light my lamp.
You, Lord God, illumine my darkness.
By You I can run upon a troop.
By You I can leap over a wall.

Your way is blameless,
Your word is tried.
You are a shield to all who take refuge in You.
Who is God, but You, Lord?
And who is a rock, except You?
God, You gird me with strength
And make my way blameless.
You make my feet like hinds’ feet,
And set me upon my high places.
You train my hands for battle
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of Your salvation,
And Your right hand upholds me.
Your gentleness makes me great.
You enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.

Lord, You live, and blessed be my rock,
And exalted be the God of my salvation.
You will execute vengeance for me
And subdue those who are against me.
Deliver me from my enemies, Lord.
Lift me above those who rise up against me.
Rescue me from violent men.
And I will give thanks to You among the nations, O Lord.
I will sing praises to Your name.
You give great deliverance to me.
Show me, as your anointed, much lovingkindness, Lord,
To me and to my descendants—forever.

Can I get an "Amen!" witness out there?