Listen, O God, and hear my prayer,
Do not ignore my plea.
I groan from thoughts I cannot bear
And thus You must hear me!
For foes will speak and will evoke
Impure and evil threats
And pressure me with words they spoke –
The filth their sin begets!
My heart does pound and quakes within
For death assails my soul!
Great fear and trembling do begin
For horror swallows whole!
“To fly away on dove-white wings
And find a place for rest …
Escaping all the earth-born stings
For yonder desert nest …
Let’s hasten since my shelter brings
The peace from evil’s quest.”
Father, I pray, confuse their words.
My city is abused.
By day and night the wicked herd
These flocks that are ill-used.
Destruction lingers near each door
And guile does haunt the streets.
It’s true that I could full ignore
If enemies maltreat
Or foreign foes against me stand,
Nay, I would not contend.
But it is you! A mortal man!
My neighbor and my friend!
With sweet, sweet praise and joyful laud,
Together with the wise,
We walked within the house of God,
But death is your surprise!
Into yon Sheol’s realm is clawed
Your home with no goodbyes!
Calling to God, I fix my sight.
The Lord, O how He saves.
Each morning, mid-day, and the night,
I cry for I’m enslaved.
He hears my voice despite the din
And rescues me from harm
In battles that I cannot win –
Those foes with many arms.
Enthroned is God from ancient time –
A God who longs to hear.
He humbles men with hearts of grime,
Of God they have no fear.
This one companion has betrayed
His friends and solemn oath.
His smooth-like words are just charade
For war is his true troth.
Though suavely spoken, I’m not swayed
For words like swords I loathe.
Casting your burdens on the Lord,
You’ll see that He sustains.
He will not flee when I face war –
The righteous shall remain!
But God shall bring the wicked down
Into a boxed decay;
And in the blood they drink, they drown
Then lost are half their days.
But I and my house live this creed:
“In You we trust, we trust indeed!”
Jared Travis 