These soldiers studied the Psalms of the Old Testament and commented on them. After learning the Hebrew literary form, some of them wrote their own Psalms and Laments, filling the ancient form with their own modern experience.
A Soldier's Psalm to His Bride
I beseech you, She-who-must-not-be-named,
Return or release me.
My patience is singed at your pleasure;
The fires burn still, but lower now;
With bundles of fuel unused, and scattered.
My spark you’ve stolen to kindle new fires;
That which was not yours to take;
Treasures gambled or lost or thrown away;
Forever gone.
You opened the world to me.
I cherished your being and dwelled in your shelter.
You’ve borrowed before and always repaid;
Why would now be different?
What’s taken is lost?
On my own I could find it,
If you wish it be found.
It was not lost, but only misplaced.
Free me to seek it. Chain me to hide it.
My life is my own, but I pray it be yours.
To thee I make this solemn vow.
To love, honor, and cherish;
For better, for worse,
For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
Until death do us part.
A Soldier's Lament
Lord, be with me and watch over me, because those who plot my death are many and dangerous.
The dangers are many in this place where I dwell; home is so far away and the days are lonely.
The faces are strange and the language so different; hate can be seen in their eyes each day.
My family I have left, so that I can protect those who cannot protect themselves; but who protects me in this place that is not my home?
Trouble and death fill my heart, because this could possibly be my last day.
Lord, be with me and keep me safe; bless my courage and strength.
Keep my enemies away, dear Lord. Weaken their hearts' desire to rise up against me; cast down their will to fight; and make my strength endure their hatred.
You have never forsaken me; you keep me close to your bosom.
Bring me home to my wife and children, so that my eyes can see no more death and pain.
I have wept for friends you have called home to you, but your love has kept me here.
Strengthen my hope and courage, so that I can strike down my enemy.
I crave the courage to perform every day, but it is you, dear Lord, who feeds that hunger; I need to go on.
Strengthen my hope and courage so that I can strike down the wolf that stands at my door.
I feared death and wanted to cower; you comforted me, and became my sword and shield.
Let peace fall unto the children of Babylon, so that the Eagle may depart the unforgiving land.
Lament for a Distant Wife
Oh great God of Man, King of Kings, giver of merciful love,
You gave me a beautiful wife and I am thankful for your blessings;
but why must you take me away from her.
Not only must we be apart from one another, but I am put in harm’s way each hour.
We were joined as one in your church only 18 months, but we have seen each other only a mere four months since.
What have we done to deserve this painful separation? I know it is your will and your will is true; Therefore, I accept that you will make things work for us.
It is hard for us to be joined as husband and wife, yet not truly know one another.
I believe that one day you will show us why you kept us apart for this time: I know your strength will carry us through these trying times, so that we can live in your name.
So I beg you not keep me from my wife any longer than necessary! I beg you to bring us together as one - as it should be.
I swear, with you as my witness, that if you return me home safely to my wife, we will live in your name for the rest of our days on earth.
Psalm Of A Woman In a Strange Land
(This poignant lament shows the tragedy of cultural misunderstanding. A soldier, who is a Christian woman, is regarded as a "fallen woman" by Muslims who see her dressed as men dress and associating on equal terms with male soldiers.)
My sovereign King, my God. Where are you?
I seek and I find nothing: I place my ear toward the heavens and I hear nothing.
For it was You who placed me amongst the heathen, amongst a group of people who don’t trust in you.
I stand defenseless and naked before them as they treat me like a loose woman who has been unfaithful to her husband.
And when I cry, they laugh, because to them it is a sign of weakness.
But it is I, your daughter, your princess, silently and desperately calling for You.
When the sun has gone down and I am alone, I am bowing on my knees and lying prostrate before you.
I humbly ask you, My God, please open your ear to my voice!
Make me strong, so that I may stand in my time of weakness; so that, when they rise against me, I am planted strong and firm like a tree.
My sovereign King, it is your strength that I am seeking: place your skin upon my skin and cover me with your wings.
I give myself to you, openly transparent; I lean on you with trust.
When my back was against the wall and I had nothing, it was you who provided for me.
You will always be my God, my King, my Lord; I will humbly, and willingly serve you for the rest of my days.
An Airborne Paratrooper's Psalm
Lord, I am an Airborne Paratrooper. Protect us all as we fall from above and hold us with your hand as we land on the ground to engage in battle.
As I land I do not know the dangers that are ahead of me; I will fear no enemy’s ability nor underestimate his power. I will fight him with everything I have until death shows who the victor is.
I will never quit, and I will never surrender if I still have the means to fight, though I may be the last Paratrooper.
Leaving a fallen comrade will never be my path; I will never fail a fellow Paratrooper. Leaders will have my fullest loyalty and those I lead will know that I expect the same.
May God bless my family through these hard times, but may they always know I am fighting for their freedom and guarding the rights that this country has granted us.
Death is always waiting below as I jump out of this airplane: Lord, lead the way as I follow you to the ground.
When you call my fellows home from the sky, I know they watch down on me; I will jump for their honor and remember their names....
In the day or night, in peace or war, my goal is to succeed in my mission; even if asked to give my life, I will do it proudly, for I belong to a proud and glorious team.
I forever will be an Airborne Paratrooper, protector of the skies; I will never fail, anytime, anyplace, anywhere: I am Airborne! (R.C.)
A Psalm for the Covenant of Marriage
Behold, this day I will make a new spiritual covenant with the love of my life.
My Lord, the world seeks to judge us because we are of different colors, but you are the artist who paints the brighter picture.
Today marks the day of a new life as two lives are joined together to make one.
Love, honor, respect, crowned with service to God, will be the formula for success.
Together we will make the eagles jealous as we soar high in the sky, yet humbly serve the Lord.
Together we will be the example of why God joined man and woman.
We will multiply our seed as our father has found favor and blessed thy womb.
I am hypnotized by your presence, for it is of the morning in spring.
Thy fears are many, but we must trust in the Lord.
Finding favor in the arms of another will destroy that which God created for us.
We are blessed if our image mirrors the testimony of the Lord.
Cursed be the day that the Lord is not present in our hearts.
Blessed are the pictures of our love shown to the mind of the world by the angels.
Cursed be the day that we violate this covenant.
Oh Father, bless our home: may we find peace in it.
Cursed be the day that the love for me is greater than the love for you.
Bless us at work and may we escape death as we travel to and fro.
We will renew this covenant yearly; it will be kept in our hearts and manifested through our actions.
Let all who have ears hear and bear witness to this sacred covenant.
Great Mother, I beseech you! Bring your tears of joy so that life may flourish again.
Lament of a Soldier for His Family
My Lord, my God, I am your obedient and loyal servant.
I dedicate my life's success to your name, and I understand that all rewards are blessings from your hand.
You have given me the most powerful of all blessings: a rich and loving family.
As you watch over all of your children, I put forth my efforts to do the same for mine;
To provide life's necessities, and just a few luxuries, I must dedicate my time to an unforgiving career.
In normal work, I can balance the requirements of a loving family wit professional obligation.
But when work calls for extended separation from my family, I find myself fighting lonely and hopeless feelings:
Lonely for the missing pieces of my life, now an empty void in my heart, and hopeless, unable to protect the things which I cherish so.
I now ask you Lord: why must such a great distance separate me from those I love, in order to provide them with a happy and fruitful life?
Should I be torn between the guiding light of my love, and what I must do to keep that light burning, bright and intense?
My faith in your wisdom is strong and unwavering; I know you will bring my pains to ease.
I commit myself to this course, for I believe you will return me to those I love most; please be watchful and mindful of my flock.
Your arms are strong and comforting; I rest peacefully, knowing you hold my family when I am distant.
I will always be true and faithful to what you will have as your will, for you are my lord and my God.
Psalm of Faith
I am here for you O Lord; in your house I await you; God of power, God of might, please have mercy on me.
You have brought me out of my home, across the vastness of your world; in the land of sand, far from my family and loved ones I now stand;
Close to the blessed land where the covenant was made, even closer to where our savior, your servant. was born.
Many times I was shown your greatness, O Lord, by another; shown how great you are by her, and that I can confide within you.
But my heart drifts from you O Lord, like a vessel being pulled out to sea; like a sailboat sitting in the water with no wind.
Lost am I, like a blind man in the wood with no guide, lost and cannot find my way.
Once before, God, was I confused, and you cleared the way for me; my path was cleared by you as wind clears the fog.
Although I couldn’t see the whole stairway O Lord, I could see the first step.
With faith as my guide I took that first step; like the railing to guide me up the steps, faith was there.
O Lord my God, light up my faith in you again, as a torch lights the cave.
Lay the path to righteousness in front of me so that I can follow; my heart is willing. God: please show me the path so I may follow.
Show me the way to righteous, O lord, and I will follow and keep you in my heart.
Forever, God, will I remain one of your pupils and fight against the wicked and the sinful.
You are the one and only, true mighty God, and in you will my faith be placed.
(Shawn S.)
My Personal Lament
My God, my Creator, my Father, the horizon is always and forever changing;
And with this, I am never able to feel at peace.
I fear the unknown as it knocks on my door, peeks through my window, and breathes down my neck.
At night, peaceful rest does not exist;
Instead, my soul is restless like the ocean waters during a great storm.
Father, my heart knows that you have never forsaken me;
For when I feel at my lowest and it seems as if all hope is lost, you are right there by my side, singing love into my soul like the canaries sing me a morning song.
When my mind and heart rage war upon each other, you are always there to abolish the temptations and keep my spiritual pathway illuminated.
But why is accepting the new so troublesome to me?
O Lord, please give me the strength to face this beast that haunts my thoughts from sunrise to sunset and the darkness in between.
I desire to metamorphose with the unknown like the chameleon effortlessly adapts to his ever changing environment;
Upon a rock he turns gray, on a healthy leaf he is green, and on a limb he is brown.
With my newfound strength, I will welcome change into my home;
I will feed it, nurture it, and grow with it.
I will teach my future children of your love, kindness, and mercy;
And they will teach their children and their children’s children.
You will always be my Infinite Spirit; no one or anything will ever fill your rightful place in my heart.
(Kera M.)
A Soldier's Psalm to His Bride
I beseech you, She-who-must-not-be-named,
Return or release me.
My patience is singed at your pleasure;
The fires burn still, but lower now;
With bundles of fuel unused, and scattered.
My spark you’ve stolen to kindle new fires;
That which was not yours to take;
Treasures gambled or lost or thrown away;
Forever gone.
You opened the world to me.
I cherished your being and dwelled in your shelter.
You’ve borrowed before and always repaid;
Why would now be different?
What’s taken is lost?
On my own I could find it,
If you wish it be found.
It was not lost, but only misplaced.
Free me to seek it. Chain me to hide it.
My life is my own, but I pray it be yours.
To thee I make this solemn vow.
To love, honor, and cherish;
For better, for worse,
For richer, for poorer,
In sickness and in health,
Until death do us part.
A Soldier's Lament
Lord, be with me and watch over me, because those who plot my death are many and dangerous.
The dangers are many in this place where I dwell; home is so far away and the days are lonely.
The faces are strange and the language so different; hate can be seen in their eyes each day.
My family I have left, so that I can protect those who cannot protect themselves; but who protects me in this place that is not my home?
Trouble and death fill my heart, because this could possibly be my last day.
Lord, be with me and keep me safe; bless my courage and strength.
Keep my enemies away, dear Lord. Weaken their hearts' desire to rise up against me; cast down their will to fight; and make my strength endure their hatred.
You have never forsaken me; you keep me close to your bosom.
Bring me home to my wife and children, so that my eyes can see no more death and pain.
I have wept for friends you have called home to you, but your love has kept me here.
Strengthen my hope and courage, so that I can strike down my enemy.
I crave the courage to perform every day, but it is you, dear Lord, who feeds that hunger; I need to go on.
Strengthen my hope and courage so that I can strike down the wolf that stands at my door.
I feared death and wanted to cower; you comforted me, and became my sword and shield.
Let peace fall unto the children of Babylon, so that the Eagle may depart the unforgiving land.
Lament for a Distant Wife
Oh great God of Man, King of Kings, giver of merciful love,
You gave me a beautiful wife and I am thankful for your blessings;
but why must you take me away from her.
Not only must we be apart from one another, but I am put in harm’s way each hour.
We were joined as one in your church only 18 months, but we have seen each other only a mere four months since.
What have we done to deserve this painful separation? I know it is your will and your will is true; Therefore, I accept that you will make things work for us.
It is hard for us to be joined as husband and wife, yet not truly know one another.
I believe that one day you will show us why you kept us apart for this time: I know your strength will carry us through these trying times, so that we can live in your name.
So I beg you not keep me from my wife any longer than necessary! I beg you to bring us together as one - as it should be.
I swear, with you as my witness, that if you return me home safely to my wife, we will live in your name for the rest of our days on earth.
Psalm Of A Woman In a Strange Land
(This poignant lament shows the tragedy of cultural misunderstanding. A soldier, who is a Christian woman, is regarded as a "fallen woman" by Muslims who see her dressed as men dress and associating on equal terms with male soldiers.)
My sovereign King, my God. Where are you?
I seek and I find nothing: I place my ear toward the heavens and I hear nothing.
For it was You who placed me amongst the heathen, amongst a group of people who don’t trust in you.
I stand defenseless and naked before them as they treat me like a loose woman who has been unfaithful to her husband.
And when I cry, they laugh, because to them it is a sign of weakness.
But it is I, your daughter, your princess, silently and desperately calling for You.
When the sun has gone down and I am alone, I am bowing on my knees and lying prostrate before you.
I humbly ask you, My God, please open your ear to my voice!
Make me strong, so that I may stand in my time of weakness; so that, when they rise against me, I am planted strong and firm like a tree.
My sovereign King, it is your strength that I am seeking: place your skin upon my skin and cover me with your wings.
I give myself to you, openly transparent; I lean on you with trust.
When my back was against the wall and I had nothing, it was you who provided for me.
You will always be my God, my King, my Lord; I will humbly, and willingly serve you for the rest of my days.
An Airborne Paratrooper's Psalm
Lord, I am an Airborne Paratrooper. Protect us all as we fall from above and hold us with your hand as we land on the ground to engage in battle.
As I land I do not know the dangers that are ahead of me; I will fear no enemy’s ability nor underestimate his power. I will fight him with everything I have until death shows who the victor is.
I will never quit, and I will never surrender if I still have the means to fight, though I may be the last Paratrooper.
Leaving a fallen comrade will never be my path; I will never fail a fellow Paratrooper. Leaders will have my fullest loyalty and those I lead will know that I expect the same.
May God bless my family through these hard times, but may they always know I am fighting for their freedom and guarding the rights that this country has granted us.
Death is always waiting below as I jump out of this airplane: Lord, lead the way as I follow you to the ground.
When you call my fellows home from the sky, I know they watch down on me; I will jump for their honor and remember their names....
In the day or night, in peace or war, my goal is to succeed in my mission; even if asked to give my life, I will do it proudly, for I belong to a proud and glorious team.
I forever will be an Airborne Paratrooper, protector of the skies; I will never fail, anytime, anyplace, anywhere: I am Airborne! (R.C.)
A Psalm for the Covenant of Marriage
Behold, this day I will make a new spiritual covenant with the love of my life.
My Lord, the world seeks to judge us because we are of different colors, but you are the artist who paints the brighter picture.
Today marks the day of a new life as two lives are joined together to make one.
Love, honor, respect, crowned with service to God, will be the formula for success.
Together we will make the eagles jealous as we soar high in the sky, yet humbly serve the Lord.
Together we will be the example of why God joined man and woman.
We will multiply our seed as our father has found favor and blessed thy womb.
I am hypnotized by your presence, for it is of the morning in spring.
Thy fears are many, but we must trust in the Lord.
Finding favor in the arms of another will destroy that which God created for us.
We are blessed if our image mirrors the testimony of the Lord.
Cursed be the day that the Lord is not present in our hearts.
Blessed are the pictures of our love shown to the mind of the world by the angels.
Cursed be the day that we violate this covenant.
Oh Father, bless our home: may we find peace in it.
Cursed be the day that the love for me is greater than the love for you.
Bless us at work and may we escape death as we travel to and fro.
We will renew this covenant yearly; it will be kept in our hearts and manifested through our actions.
Let all who have ears hear and bear witness to this sacred covenant.
Lament to the Earth Goddess
Demeter, Mother of the Earth, hear the pleas of your child!
My days are wasted in this desolate land. You provide neither comfort nor relief from the elements you have unleashed upon this, your living body.
Your children are willful and destructive and your anger has grown with no end in sight.
What must your children do to appease you?
What must your children do to appease you?
Storms race across the seas to destroy whole cities!
The cry of the souls of the dead linger tortured in the air.
The cry of the souls of the dead linger tortured in the air.
The promises made were not kept. The Great Mother has forsaken us!
The blessings of your presence were once felt everywhere. The ground upon which I walked was solid without fail.
The kiss of your breath brought relief on those days of insufferable heat. Your tears quenched the dry earth and brought life to fields made barren by the sun.
The kiss of your breath brought relief on those days of insufferable heat. Your tears quenched the dry earth and brought life to fields made barren by the sun.
Demeter…Great Mother…you have at one time loved us…can it not be so again?
Great Mother, I beseech you! Bring your tears of joy so that life may flourish again.
Breathe your gentle breath, so that once again we may bear the heat.
Sooth your seas, so that your children will not flee in fear of you.
Forgive your children, for we have only begun to learn.
Upon my oath, your children will see their wrongs, and work to undo the damage wrought.
Bring me your blessings so that I can reveal them to all.
(Cynthia Merchant)
Lament of a Soldier for His Family
My Lord, my God, I am your obedient and loyal servant.
I dedicate my life's success to your name, and I understand that all rewards are blessings from your hand.
You have given me the most powerful of all blessings: a rich and loving family.
As you watch over all of your children, I put forth my efforts to do the same for mine;
To provide life's necessities, and just a few luxuries, I must dedicate my time to an unforgiving career.
In normal work, I can balance the requirements of a loving family wit professional obligation.
But when work calls for extended separation from my family, I find myself fighting lonely and hopeless feelings:
Lonely for the missing pieces of my life, now an empty void in my heart, and hopeless, unable to protect the things which I cherish so.
I now ask you Lord: why must such a great distance separate me from those I love, in order to provide them with a happy and fruitful life?
Should I be torn between the guiding light of my love, and what I must do to keep that light burning, bright and intense?
My faith in your wisdom is strong and unwavering; I know you will bring my pains to ease.
I commit myself to this course, for I believe you will return me to those I love most; please be watchful and mindful of my flock.
Your arms are strong and comforting; I rest peacefully, knowing you hold my family when I am distant.
I will always be true and faithful to what you will have as your will, for you are my lord and my God.
Ever Un-namable Longing
Ever unnamable Longing of the human heart,
Ever unnamable Longing of the human heart,
Though the path I choose may not be the one you wanted,
It’s dedicated to you all the same.
(Daniel M.)
Psalm of Faith
I am here for you O Lord; in your house I await you; God of power, God of might, please have mercy on me.
You have brought me out of my home, across the vastness of your world; in the land of sand, far from my family and loved ones I now stand;
Close to the blessed land where the covenant was made, even closer to where our savior, your servant. was born.
Many times I was shown your greatness, O Lord, by another; shown how great you are by her, and that I can confide within you.
But my heart drifts from you O Lord, like a vessel being pulled out to sea; like a sailboat sitting in the water with no wind.
Lost am I, like a blind man in the wood with no guide, lost and cannot find my way.
Once before, God, was I confused, and you cleared the way for me; my path was cleared by you as wind clears the fog.
Although I couldn’t see the whole stairway O Lord, I could see the first step.
With faith as my guide I took that first step; like the railing to guide me up the steps, faith was there.
O Lord my God, light up my faith in you again, as a torch lights the cave.
Lay the path to righteousness in front of me so that I can follow; my heart is willing. God: please show me the path so I may follow.
Show me the way to righteous, O lord, and I will follow and keep you in my heart.
Forever, God, will I remain one of your pupils and fight against the wicked and the sinful.
You are the one and only, true mighty God, and in you will my faith be placed.
(Shawn S.)
My Personal Lament
My God, my Creator, my Father, the horizon is always and forever changing;
And with this, I am never able to feel at peace.
I fear the unknown as it knocks on my door, peeks through my window, and breathes down my neck.
At night, peaceful rest does not exist;
Instead, my soul is restless like the ocean waters during a great storm.
Father, my heart knows that you have never forsaken me;
For when I feel at my lowest and it seems as if all hope is lost, you are right there by my side, singing love into my soul like the canaries sing me a morning song.
When my mind and heart rage war upon each other, you are always there to abolish the temptations and keep my spiritual pathway illuminated.
But why is accepting the new so troublesome to me?
O Lord, please give me the strength to face this beast that haunts my thoughts from sunrise to sunset and the darkness in between.
I desire to metamorphose with the unknown like the chameleon effortlessly adapts to his ever changing environment;
Upon a rock he turns gray, on a healthy leaf he is green, and on a limb he is brown.
With my newfound strength, I will welcome change into my home;
I will feed it, nurture it, and grow with it.
I will teach my future children of your love, kindness, and mercy;
And they will teach their children and their children’s children.
You will always be my Infinite Spirit; no one or anything will ever fill your rightful place in my heart.
(Kera M.)
Negative Cards (A Lament)
When negative cards are dealt, you play for survival.
In a world full of choices, you lose sight of the path.
I have been charged for dancing to the Devil’s tune,
and witnessed horrific things throughout my days and nights
in these streets of hatred and evil.
Bigotry taunted me; my decisions landed me in solitary.
I felt like another statistic with no name, given a life labeled, 'No Purpose'.
When I had no one and the room was still,
I called on you, Father, in my lowest time.
I asked You for forgiveness,
I asked You for forgiveness,
and to watch over my loved ones while I was gone.
You came to me in a dream, and spoke of having faith
You came to me in a dream, and spoke of having faith
and hope in this world full of poverty.
LORD God, You gave me the guidance and confidence I needed
to change my life and live through you.
You spoke to me, and my soul began to heal.
From that day forth, I have and will always live
You spoke to me, and my soul began to heal.
From that day forth, I have and will always live
through you, my Savior.
(Anthony H.)
_________________________
Commentaries on the Psalms
On Psalm 121
"Psalm 121, of all the Psalms listed, spoke not only to my heart but inspired me to be more faithful in the Lord. As I am currently deployed to a foreign land, it reassures me that God will protect me, and bring me home safely. It says to me that God will protect me from any evils which I may encounter, as I perform my daily duties.
" This Psalm was once sung by the Israelites as they returned to Jerusalem after exile. It evokes both hope and faith that God will deliver the people safely back to their homes. Verses 3 and 4 state that God will not sleep nor will he tire. He will always be there to protect them on their journey.
"Verses 5 -8 give more examples of how God will never leave the people's side. These verses made me think of when I am out on the ground with my Soldiers and they turn to me for guidance and direction. Who can I turn to? Who can help me make the right decisions to ensure that I bring all my men home safely? God will be there with me and he will protect us as stated in Verse 8, “as you come and go, both now and forever.” (Francesco F.)
On Psalm 3
"I chose Psalm 3. It impacted me the most, due to my current situation here in Iraq. Psalm 3 starts by saying O LORD, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me! These are the questions that I asked myself getting ready to come over here. I asked God what I was in store for. I asked Him questions so that his answers could put me at ease about what I was about to enter into. When I would get down and scared about coming back over here for another tour, just as Psalm 3 says, God was the shield around me. I had to feel that and believe that. I know that when I fall asleep at night and wake in the morning, it is because God sustains me. There is not a morning that goes by without realizing that. When I am face to face with my enemies, or go into a situation where I fear what the outcome could be, I ask God just as David did: Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked! When it is over, I know again that God has sustained me.
"But I think this is really a Psalm of Thanksgiving. I say that because, when I read this psalm and see how I ask these same questions, remembering that God is my shield and asking Him to strike my enemy down, I am really thanking God for getting me through that hard time when I was scared."
Another On Psalm 3
This is a Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom (his son). I am a soldier deployed to Iraq during the initial invasion of 2003. Our tank battalion set up the first Forward Operating Base. We did not establish adequate perimeter security at this time, and we were surrounded by hundreds of Iraqi civilians on a daily basis. We would sustain mortar attacks around 5 or 6 times per day, including rockets and RPG's (rocket-propelled grenades). While on patrol, we would be hit with IED's on the road, complex ambushes, and small-arms fire (AK-47; usually implemented by the enemy as sniper hits). We did not get very much rest there, for at night we would be woken up by incoming indirect fire (usually from mortars). "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around." (Psalm 3:5-6). We were literally surrounded by potential insurgents and terrorists (enemy combatants) that blended into the civilian population. We had to continue to do our jobs, however, regardless of the enemy threat.
"For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; you have broken the teeth of the ungodly." (Psalm 3:7) This reminds me of the firepower in which I wielded as a gunner on an M1A1D Main Battle tank with the ability to fire some 120 mm main gun rounds at enemy combatants who dared to expose themselves while I had the ability to engage. (E.D.)
Psalm 31
"I chose Psalms 31 because when I read it I got a weird feeling in my spine. I believe in God so I know that if you ask God to protect you he will: in his own way and not the way you think you should be protected.
"Every night before I go to bed I pray to God, asking that I come home safe from this deployment, and that I will have my wife to come home to. Now that is faith... Then when I awake from my sleep I pray again to thank God for allowing me one more day in this world with the blessings he has given me: just like Psalm 31: 7 – 8, when David thanks the Lord for not giving him to his enemies.
"In Psalm 31: 9 - 18, faith is challenged by people that don’t believe. In the army, this is a daily challenge; like right now, I have this friend who is cheating on his wife and sometimes he encourages me to do it. I shrug off what he says, and I pray for God to give me strength not to ruin things with my wife. I have been deployed for one year now and still have not cheated on my wife, and I don’t plan to either.
"In the last part of the Psalm, David rejoices. God has delivered him even though he cried: “I am cut off from your sight!” He had a hard time keeping his faith, or maybe he even lost it for a while. There have been times when I started losing my faith, and sometimes it takes me a while to come home to my faith. But I always come home, because things are better in the light."
On Psalm 42: When a Soldier Looses His Faith
"I am Agnostic. Now I neither believe nor disbelieve in a higher power. But I was a Christian for many years, and therefore found that this psalm relates to my struggle with faith, and my wish that I could once again be a Christian.
"This psalm is a lament. I believe it was a “prisoner's” lament because his soul is so troubled, it is in a kind of prison. He can no longer go to worship, and feels at times that God has abandoned him. It seems he is struggling with his faith. In the end though, he knows that God has not abandoned him, and he will continue to praise God.
"Many people don't discuss their struggle with faith. Some are afraid or embarrassed to admit that they have doubt. I know that for my children's sake, I will not announce that I am Agnostic. I would hate for them to be persecuted for my choices. Here, the Psalmist openly states that his soul is struggling.
"This psalm is a lament. I believe it was a “prisoner's” lament because his soul is so troubled, it is in a kind of prison. He can no longer go to worship, and feels at times that God has abandoned him. It seems he is struggling with his faith. In the end though, he knows that God has not abandoned him, and he will continue to praise God.
"Many people don't discuss their struggle with faith. Some are afraid or embarrassed to admit that they have doubt. I know that for my children's sake, I will not announce that I am Agnostic. I would hate for them to be persecuted for my choices. Here, the Psalmist openly states that his soul is struggling.
"As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
So my soul pants for You, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and appear before God?
"I can completely relate to that. It reminds me that I am not the only one... that even Christians can struggle with doubt. This gives me hope that some day I will know in my heart what is true.
"I beg God to come into my life. I open my heart and soul to him. But I feel that my words fall on deaf ears. I never once feel that he is with me, although I yearn for that "feeling" that everyone else describes. This verse gives me hope that one day I will again be able to trust and believe:
"Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."
"Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God."
(R.M.)
God Our Protector
"Psalm 91 means a lot to me. In the military, when you leave your loved ones, many soldiers turn to religion to help them have inner peace. After graduating high school and finishing my confirmation in catholic school, I turned away from God and everything that he stands for. I joined the military, but after leaving my family I realized that I needed to find my God again."I read Psalm 91 every night when I was deployed to a dangerous area. The Psalm helped me relieve my anxieties and it purified my feelings. In the text the Psalm states: “He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.” This is one of the best sentences the Psalm contains. It lets me know that there is a magnificent being out there, whom I hope to find and understand. I tell my son that whenever he’s afraid and we are not with him, he can read this Psalm and remember that there is much good in this world."
