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Day 326: Psalm 20- Prayer before Battle

Springtime 2016 on the Springwater Trail

My psalm of the day today, psalm 20 is a companion to my psalm of the day for tomorrow, psalm 21.

I did not realize this.  I was reading from my psalm book last night. I always put the date in the book, to keep track.  I accidentally put 03-31-2016 on psalm 21.  When I realized what I had done, I sat frozen for a bit. I believe I have a bit of OCD. Self-diagnosed, of course. But still. I notice this about myself. Little things will sometimes paralyze me. Like small decisions in life. Or minor mistakes. Luckily I am not like this when I play piano!

But fortunately, I discovered with further study that these two psalms go together. So today I have two psalms of the day!

"Psalm 20 and 21 go together. Both are Battle songs. The 20th psalm precedes the battle and the 21st follows the battle. Psalm 20 is a Psalm of Prayer for the Battle, while Psalm 21 is praise for the victory of the battle. Psalm 20 Anticipates victory."http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/scripture/sermons-on-psalms-20.asp

This is good to know. Now before I have a "battle" I will pray psalm 20. Afterwards, psalm 21!


Psalm 20
May the Lord answer in time of trial;
may the name of Jacob's God protect you.

 May he send you help from his shrine
and give you support from Zion.
May he remember all your offerings
and receive your sacrifice with favor.

May he give you your heart's desire
and fulfill every one of your plans.
May we ring out our joy at your victory
and rejoice in the name of our God.
(May the Lord grant all your prayers.)

I am sure now that the Lord
will give victory to his anointed,
will reply from his holy heaven
with the mighty victory of his hand.

 Some trust in chariots or horses,
but we in the name of the Lord.
 They will collapse and fall,
but we shall hold and stand firm.

Give victory to the king, O Lord,
give answer on the day we call.

Psalm 21
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the King;
how your saving help makes him glad!
 You have granted him his heart's desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.

 You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
 He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age.

 Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendor, you have granted your blessings to him forever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.

 The king has put his trust in the Lord:
through the mercy of the Most High he shall stand firm.
 His hand will seek and find all his foes,
his right hand find out those that hate him.

 You will burn them like a blazing furnace
on the day when you appear.
And the Lord will destroy them in his anger;
fire will swallow them up.

 You will wipe out their race from the earth
and their children from the sons of men.
 Though they plan evil against you,
though they plot, they shall not prevail.

For you will force them to retreat;
at them you will aim with your bow.
O Lord, arise in your strength;
we shall sing and praise your power.

Spring has sprung with a vengeance here in Portland. The high today will be 73! I hardly know what to do, how to dress. I am experiencing a moment of OCD paralysis.  I cannot decide if I should go to the trail or to the gym. Really beautiful weather for the trail, but the first leg of it is a campground for homeless people. I have never been approached or bothered by them in any way, but I am always a bit on edge because a young lady was raped on the trail in Gresham a few weeks ago.  I carry mace. And grouping all people who are homeless into a criminal category is wrong, but I admit that the path has lost a bit of its peaceful serenity it had last year.  

In a way, confronting my issues along with empowering myself to walk on a public path should lead me to the trail today!

 The world can be a battlefield at times. 

Perhaps I had better pray psalm 20!

I have a day off today from teaching. My chamber music group is doing a concert at a retirement community.  I took advantage of this time and allowed myself to sleep in.

I am going to make a mango smoothie and contemplate my day. 


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