LOVERS OF TRUTH

Meaning in Psalm 140

Alfred D. Byrd

KNOWING of God's protecting the weak
And granting justice to those in need
Should move the righteous, lovers of truth,
To praise their Maker and give their thanks
To the One Who fills the world with life.
The ones who love their Maker love peace,
But many will choose a way of war.
Protect us, our God, from those whose will
Is to break the peace, to start a fight,
To soil their neighbors with lies for gain —
To make the lives of others bitter.
Poisonous serpents, humans can be
When they sting a friend with words of shame.
Another likeness: trappers who set
A snare beside a path to deprive
A neighbor at peace of home and hope.
The world is heartless without our God
To light us a path to reach the Throne.

LET'S SAY to God, "We belong to You,
The Mighty to save, our Friend in fights.
Please hear our pleas for rescue from harm.
Don't give the haters of truth their way.
Success will feed their pride in evil.
Mocking their God, they'll grind their heel
Against the face of the poor and weak.
Please show the wicked how wrong they are
By turning their plans against themselves.
May they feel the heat and spring the trap
Intended for us who love what's right.
Defeat their evil and turn to good
The hearts of those who love to do wrong.
You win, our God, by changing a heart
From choosing darkness, hiding its deeds,
To seeking the light that comes from You."

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