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Oh, the multiplied joy of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with those who miss God's mark,
or teach others to scoff,
but who delight in the Law of the Lord,
who ruminate on it day and night.
They become like a tree transplanted by an irrigation channel,
giving fruit at the right time,
its leaves never decay and fall;
everything they do thrives.
Not so the wicked, they are like trash
the wind whisks away.
The ungodly shall not stand in the Judgement,
nor the mark-missers in the gathering of (those God declares) righteous.
The Lord knows the way of the righteous (leads to joy and fulfillment),
but the way of the wicked shall be destruction.
(Psalm 1 DKB Interplation)
Covenant-keeping Lord:
I am surrounded by sinner's advice,
tweeted and face-booked and all of prime time,
watching the sycophants by the blue hearth-fire
espouse their opinions and offer for sale
just what I need to be glamorous and happy.
But the believers who live in your Word
are scoffed at and made out as bigoted villains,
homo-phobics and crazies possessed by illogic!
But what could be stranger than people who say
owning a Chevy helps cheat the Apocalypse,
or grandmas sling babies to grab some Doritos,
or freedom is some kid who pees in a pool,
or politicians proposing to get us back solvent
by spending more money we haven't got?
Insanity! Vulgarity! Hypocrisy!
What does the science that scoffers adore
say about faith and those possessed of it?
Don't we live longer, aren't we more happy,
don't we heal faster and tolerate stress?
Ask the scientists who study neurotheology.
Jesus, I know sin starts out as envy:
why can't I have that or be like this here.
I tune in and watch them, read in my mags,
stars and celebrities and all that they have.
Sin rides piggyback on my desires.
So I give it a try, take that first step,
my conscience is shouting, "You idiot, stop!"
And then I discover my conscience is wrong.
This is exciting. This is eye-opening.
Whoever said sin was bad for you, baby?
Sin is delightful. Sin is appealing.
Sin has such side effects of its possession,
one of which is, I can control this.
But the facts of addiction soon make themselves real.
That same high takes more and more of my substance.
And it's not just cocaine or heroine,
it's anything man-made I try to inject
into the God-shaped vacuum within.
Stuff that I wanted now bores me to tears,
stuff that I need seems to elude my grasp.
It's hard to live with wicked who prosper;
it's terrible watching the godless admired.
Now wonder Americans easily consume
more anti-depressants than anyone else,
surrounded by plenty, and yet so unhappy.
Who can be saved in a world such as this?
Who can be rescued from sin's harsh addiction?
Who can raise children untouched by the filth
of sexual predation and manipulation?
Who can be righteous in times such as these?
Nothing we do will rid ourselves of it,
no moral decision, no twelve step program.
Our only Savior in this cruel world,
is Jesus, Yeshua, Risen from death,
conquering every ungodly possession.
O Holy Spirit, let your wind blow
all of the trash attached to my soul,
blow it away in your whirlwind of love.
Sweep over my spirit as You did in creation,
dividing my darkness from Your righteousness.
Amen.
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