A Psalm of Thanksgiving

You, O Lord, are always near,
Though I feel alone, You surround me with hesed love.
You watch over my soul with a motherŐs eye;
You guide and direct with a fatherŐs hand.
Where I would turn from the way into destruction,
You build an insurmountable wall.
Even my innermost selfish thought does not escape Your notice,
And You have planned my restoration from before the beginning.

I was blinded by the distortions of the world;
The prince of this place deceived me with lies.
"Does the Lord love you because of who you are?
Fool! His caring lasts only as long as your usefulness!"
"Only the great are happy and satisfied
Serve Him with glory and distinction and you will find favor."

So I wandered from grace to achievement,
From accepting His gift to building one of my own.
But His gift is Christ, with glory and freedom
And mine is a dark prison of works and deeds.

I cried out for help and wisdom
Insight for building the best prison.
Forgetting Your gift I sought Your power to glorify my gift.
But You saw my heart,

You heard my unvoiced cry,

You knew the answer before I asked the question.

You sent two of Your servants from a story;
They came to me by Your command.
They spoke from a book of their lives,
As they told of You and the life You bring.
They revealed Your salvation Your way --

no works, no deeds, no earned favor to show,
but love, but faith, but surrender to You.

How many times will You restore me?
You will never let me fall away from Your grace.
I will praise You for Your goodness to me;
Deep within my heart You nurture true life.