Daily Lectionary in Poetry Thursday 15th January 2015

Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18

The Inescapable God
To the leader. Of David. A Psalm.

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.


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You have searched me
You know me
You read my thoughts 
You see my ways

You hear what I will say
Even before I'm clear myself
Lord you know me completely
You are wonderful yourself

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Judges 2:6-15

Death of Joshua
6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the Israelites all went to their own inheritances to take possession of the land. 7 The people worshipped the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of one hundred ten years. 9 So they buried him within the bounds of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. 10 Moreover, that whole generation was gathered to their ancestors, and another generation grew up after them, who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

Israel’s Unfaithfulness
11 Then the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and worshipped the Baals; 12 and they abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; they followed other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were all around them, and bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord, and worshipped Baal and the Astartes. 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers who plundered them, and he sold them into the power of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them to bring misfortune, as the Lord had warned them and sworn to them; and they were in great distress.

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Joshua sent the people afar
But they never strayed far from him
Even their children and their children
Followed God as had their kin

Then they lost their way
They worshipped Baal
They abandoned God
They forget it all

And God was cross
His anger raised 
He brought against them
For all their days




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2 Corinthians 10:1-11

Paul Defends His Ministry
10 I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— 2 I ask that when I am present I need not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according to human standards.[a] 3 Indeed, we live as human beings,[b] but we do not wage war according to human standards;[c] 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human,[d] but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments 5 and every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 6 We are ready to punish every disobedience when your obedience is complete.

7 Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also do we. 8 Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. 9 I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my letters. 10 For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 11 Let such people understand that what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present.


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I am Paul
I'm not greater than you
I am humble but I speak so bold
So you know it to be true

We have God on our side
We must remember this
We must show people what to do
And wrong doings we can punish

We have been given authority
But you must use it with wisdom
I'm not trying to frighten you but
Remember God is always present

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