Psalm 44b

Psalm 44:9-26
Protection

But now we’re rejected and humbled to dust,
You no longer march out, our armies repulsed.
Before all our foes you have made us retreat,
Our enemies plunder and we face defeat.

You’ve given us up, they devour us like sheep,
To all the world’s nations your people you sweep.
You sold off your people, a pittance retail,
Receiving no profit as gain from the sale.

To all of our neighbours we’re made a reproach,
The scorn and derision of all who approach.
You’ve made us a byword the nations among;
The people their heads shake at what has been done.

Disgrace is before me; I’m covered with shame,
All through the long day as each one takes his aim -
Reproaching, reviling, how their taunts torment,
The enemy railing, he's on vengeance bent.

All this has now happened, though faithful to you,
Rememb’ring your covenant, staying still true.
Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed
Away from the path that before us you laid.

But you crushed and made us for jackals a lair
And covered us over with darkest despair.
As if we’d forgotten the name of our God
Or spread out our hands to praise a foreign god.

But God would have seen that, he knows the heart deep,
Yet for you we face death; we’re slaughtered as sheep.
Awake, Lord! Arise now! O why do you sleep?
Don’t leave us for ever, your face hid don’t keep.

Forget not our misery, our troubles all round,
We’re brought down to dust; bodies cling to the ground.
Rise up, Lord, and help us; O show us your face,
Redeem us and show us your unfailing grace.

Psalm 44a

Psalm 43:1-8
Protection

O God, our ears have heard; our fathers have told
What you did in their days, in great days of old.
Your hand drove out nations, our fathers to sow;
The peoples you crushed and our fathers made grow.

Their winning the land was not done by their sword,
Nor did such a victory their own arm afford;
No, your right hand, your arm, the light of your face,
These did it for love’s sake, you did it by grace.

You’re my King and my God, the one who decrees,
Who decrees for Jacob such great victories.
Through you we push back those who us do oppose,
Through your name we trample on all of our foes.

My sword brings no vict’ry, I don’t trust my bow,
You shame my opposers, you bring down each foe.
In God we are boasting through all of our days,
For ever and ever your name we will praise.

Catechism 4

Q&A 22-27
CM

In what condition had God made
Adam and Eve at first?
Holy and happy they were made,
That's how they were at first.

Happy and holy did they stay?
No, they against God sinned.
Our parents sinned in just what way?
They ate the fruit God banned.

Forbidden fruit, why did they eat?
Because they'd not believe
What God had said. Let us repeat:
No, they would not believe.

Who tempted into sin this pair?
The devil tempted Eve,
And she with Adam did then share,
He took the fruit from Eve.

What was it to our parents came
When they sinned at the tree?
They sinful, mis'rable became,
Happy not, nor holy.

Psalm 43

CM

Me vindicate, O God, and plead
My cause against a state
That wicked is; relief I need
From men who lie and cheat.

You’re God my stronghold, my relief,
Why am I turned away?
Why must I go about in grief,
Oppressed by foes all day.

Send forth your truth, send forth your light,
And let them be my guide
And bring me to your holy height,
The place where you reside.

Then at God’s altar I’ll be found,
With God, my joy, my bliss,
And with the harp I there will sound,
O God, my God, your praise.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

Psalm 42

CM

As pants the deer for streams that flow,
I pant for you, O God.
My soul the God who lives would know,
When can I meet with God?

My tears my food both day and night,
While ‘Where's your God?’ men shout.
These things my memory brings to light
As I my soul pour out:

How to God’s house I would progress,
Lead multitudes in song,
With shouts of joy and thankfulness
Among the festive throng.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

My soul’s downcast within again,
So I’ll remember you
From Hermon’s heights, from Jordan’s plain
And from Mount Mizar too.

Deep calls to deep beneath the roar
Of your high cataract;
Your waves and breakers on me pour,
Across me they have swept.

By day the Lord directs his love,
At night his song’s with me -
A prayer to my life’s God above,
To God my rock I flee:

I - ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I mourning go?
Why is it that I’m constantly
Cowed by the enemy?’

My bones in mortal agony,
My foes all taunting me,
They all day long still say to me
‘Where is your God? Where’s he?’.

Why are you, O my soul, downcast?
Within, why so disturbed?
Put hope in God, you'll praise at last,
My Saviour and my God.

Psalm 41

CM

Blessed he who to the weak shows care;
The Lord in times of strife
Will save; the Lord that man will spare,
He will protect his life.

The Lord will bless him in the land,
Yield not to his foes’ will.
When sick, the Lord will strength command,
Raise him from bed when ill.

'O Lord show mercy', this I said
'For I've wronged you. Heal me.'
'When will he rot, his name be dead?’
Harsh speaks my enemy.

Whenever one on me attends,
He lies. Meanwhile his heart
Amasses slander, then he spreads
These things to every part.

Against me all my foes conspire;
The worst for me conceive,
‘A vile disease will him bemire;
His bed he'll never leave.’

My close friend whom I learned to trust,
Who with me shared my bread,
Has his raised heel against me thrust
But you have mercy, Lord.

O raise me up, let me repay.
I know you’re pleased with me,
My enemy holds not full sway,
My ruler he'll not be.

You do in my integrity
Uphold me constantly
And in your presence you set me
For ever more to be.

So bring your praise the Lord before,
The God of Israel praise,
From evermore to evermore
Amen, amen, always.

Catechism 3

Q&A 14-21
SM

So where can you learn how
To love God and obey?
The Bible is the one place now,
Then read that book we say.

Who did the Bible write?
It was those holy men
Who had the Holy Spirit's light,
He taught those holy men.

Who were our parents first?
Adam it was and Eve.
How were they made our parents first?
What is it we believe?

God Adam's body made,
He made it from the ground,
Then from that body Eve he made
And so the two were found.

What else did God supply?
Besides their bodies, what?
He gave them souls that could not die
That's what from him they got.

And do you have a soul
Besides a body, say?
Yes. I've a never dying soul,
That's how it is today.

A soul - how do you know?
The Bible tells me so.
'What is my soul?' All that should know
And love God too – that's so.

Psalm 40b

Psalm 40:11-17
Ballerma CM

O Lord, your mercy don’t withhold,
With love and truth surround.
For troubles vast and manifold
All round me now are found.

My sins in front of me have sped
I cannot see ahead.
They’re more than hairs upon my head,
Within, my heart is dead.

Be pleased, O Lord, me safe to make:
To help me, Lord, make haste.
May all who seek my life to take,
Be brought down and disgraced;

May all who ruin for me seek
Turned back, lose their good name.
May those ‘Aha! Aha!’ who speak,
Be shocked at their own shame.

But all who seek for you, may they
Be glad in you with joy;
Let all who love your grace still say
‘The Lord be lifted high!’

Yet needy still I am and poor,
Lord, think of me, I pray.
My deliv'rer, my help, you are;
My God, O don't delay.

Psalm 40a

PSALM 40:1-11
Ballerma CM

I waited for the Lord did I,
With patience ’til his time;
Until he turned and heard my cry
And took me from the slime.

He lifted me out of the pit,
Out of the sinking sand.
My feet upon a rock he set,
Enabling me to stand.

He put a new song on my tongue,
Praise to our God, a hymn.
A host in fear see what God's done;
The Lord - they trust in him.

The man who trusts the Lord is blessed,
All false gods he denies.
He does not seek the proud for rest
Or turn aside to lies.

How many wonders you have done,
O Lord my God, what care.
For us you’ve planned a greater sum
Than any can declare.

A sacrifice you don’t desire
But pierce my ears instead;
Burnt offerings, too, you don’t require,
Or offering up the dead.

‘I’m here, I’ve come’ I said to you,
‘It’s written in the scroll.
Your will it’s my desire to do
Your law is in my soul.’

Proclaim I righteousness not woe,
My lips I do not seal.
In the assembly great, you know,
O Lord, I you reveal.

Your righteousness I don’t conceal;
Your saving love my song,
Your love and truth, yes, I reveal
To the assembled throng.

Psalm 39

SM

I said, I'll watch my way,
From sin keep my tongue free;
A muzzle on my mouth I'll lay,
While sinners are with me.

But when I silent stood,
From movement having ceased,
Not even saying one thing good,
My anguish it increased.

My heart grew hot in me,
As I did meditate,
The fire it burned; my tongue ran free
With words I now relate:

Lord, show me my life's end,
The number of my days;
Let me know just how soon I'll spend
My life, its earthly phase.

You've made my days to be
The merest hand in breadth;
My years' span you pass easily,
And each life's but a breath.

A phantom, that is man,
As he goes to and fro.
He heaps up wealth, bustles in vain -
For whom, he does not know.

Lord, what would I now see?
My hope to you it flies.
From my transgressions set me free;
Let fools not me despise.

Silent; my mouth was bound -
It's you who has this planned.
Remove from me your scourge. I'm downed
By blows from your own hand.

You charge men and you scold,
It is because of sin;
As a moth you consume their gold -
He's but a breath, each man.

Please hear, O Lord, my prayer,
My cry for help hear tell;
Be deaf not to my tears but care.
An alien here I dwell.

I am an alien,
Like those who came before.
Look from me, make me glad again
Before I am no more.

Psalm 38

O Lord in wrath don't chasten me
Or scold me angrily.
For arrows from you have pierced me,
Your hand's come down on me.
Due to your wrath, my frame lacks health;
My sin makes my bones tear.
My guilt it will me overwhelm,
The weight's too great to bear.

My wounds turn foul, they loathsome grow -
For I'm a fool, so bad.
I am bowed down and brought so low;
Throughout the day how sad.
My back with searing pain is wracked
No health my frame has known.
I feeble am, completely cracked.
With anguished heart I groan.

Before you, Lord, my longings lie,
I cannot hide my sighs.
My heart it pounds, my strength will die,
The light's gone from my eyes.
My friends and my companions stray,
Because of all my wounds,
My neighbours far away they stay,
Each one me he avoids.

To take my life their traps they lay,
They seek my destruction.
They speak about my end all day,
They plot their deception.
I'm like a deaf man, who can't hear,
A mute, whose mouth is dry;
I'm now like one who does not hear,
whose mouth gives no reply.

For you it is, O Lord, I wait;
Lord God, you will reply.
I said “Don't let them deprecate,
Gloat, when my foot goes wry."
For I have started to regress,
Always my pain's with me.
I my iniquity confess;
How my sin troubles me.

How many are my vigorous foes,
Who for no cause despise.
They all my good with ill oppose,
The right I seek with lies.
O Lord, do not be far from me;
My God, don't me forsake.
O Lord, my Saviour, come help me,
O to my aid, come quick!

Catechism 2

Q&A 6-13
SM

Are there more gods than one?
There's only one; one God.
One God but how many persons?
Three persons but one God.

Who are these persons three?
The Father and the Son,
The Holy Spirit – that makes three -
The Father, Spirit, Son.

Does God like us have a body?
No, God is a spirit.
Infinitely, eternally
Yes, God is a spirit.

And where is God? Where's God?
God's everywhere, you see.
Can you see God? I can't see God.
But he always sees me.

Are all things to God known?
Yes. Nothing's hidd'n, it's true,
Can God do all things? Yes he can
His holy will he'll do.

Catechism 1

Q&A 1-5

SM

Who made you? God made me

And what else did God make?

God all things he has made to be.

Yes, all things he did make.

And why did God make you?

Why did he make all things?

For his own glory, it is true,

That's why he made all things.

How is God glorified?

By loving him and this -

Doing what he commands (your guide)

God's glory comes through this.

Why should you glorify?

Because he has made me

And takes care of me, that is why

I must give him glory.

Psalm 37c

Psalm 37:33-40
CMD

If the Lord's pleased with a man's way,
He makes his footsteps firm;
Though he slip, he'll not fall away,
The Lord's hand will confirm.
I once was young and now I'm old,
Yet still I've not beheld
The righteous left or by him sold,
Their children begging bread.

They're always generous, each request
They gladly seek to meet.
And all their children will be blessed.
Do good and spurn deceit
You'll then enjoy the land always,
The Lord he loves the just,
He never faithful ones betrays,
Forever he'll protect.

The offspring of the wicked find
Their lives cut short, their days.
The good they will receive the land
And live in it always.
The good man's mouth says what is wise,
What's just is on his lips.
The law of God in his heart lies;
And his foot never slips.

Sinners wait good men to devour,
They seek their very lives;
The Lord won't leave such in their pow'r,
He uncondemned survives.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way,
It's you that he exalts.
You will gain it, the land survey,
When sinners he demotes.

I've seen a bad man, harsh, before,
Grow tree-like from the ground,
But he soon passed and was no more;
I looked, he wasn't found.
The blameless note, the upright see;
There's hope for men of peace.
But sinners all destroyed will be;
The wicked's hope will cease.

Salvation all the righteous know,
It comes down from the Lord,
Their stronghold in the time of woe.
He'll save, he'll help afford,
The Lord delivers, he sets free,
He saves from wicked men,
Because they refuge take in him.
Amen, amen, amen.

Psalm 37b

Psalm 37:13-22
CMD

Against the righteous sinners plan
And gnash their teeth at them;
But such men the Lord laughs to scorn,
He knows their day will come.
The wicked take and bend the bow,
And draw the sword for fight,
To poor and needy ones bring low,
To slay those who're upright.

But these swords in their own hearts go,
Their bows will all be spoiled.
Better the little good men know
Than many sinners' gold;
The wicked's pow'r he will erase,
The Lord good men works for,
The Lord he knows the blameless' days,
Their birthright's evermore.

In times of dearth they'll wither not;
In famine, know his aid.
The Lord's foes wane, the wicked rot,
Their flower falls, like smoke they fade.
The wicked take but don't repay,
The righteous gladly give;
With the Lord's blessed the land will stay,
Those cursed by him won't live.