Day Nine : 8th December

Isaiah 35

3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear! here is your God.
He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;

and on Advent Sunday, Denise sang this version of Psalm 139:

Chorus:

Yahweh, I know you are near, standing always at my side.
You guard me from the foe.
And you lead me in ways everlasting.

Verse 1
Lord, you have searched my heart,
And you know when I sit and when I stand.
Your hand is upon me protecting me from death,
Keeping me from harm.

Verse 2
Where can I run from your love?
If I climb to the heavens You are there;
If I fly to the sunrise or sail beyond the sea,
You will hold me close.

Chorus

Verse 3
You know my heart and its ways,
You who formed me before I was born,
In the secret of darkness before I saw the sun
In my mother's womb.

Verse 4
Marvellous to me are your works;
How profound are your thoughts, my Lord.
And were I to count them, they'd number as the stars,
And I'm always yours.

Chorus

"The words and music are by Dan Schutte, copyright 1971 & 1974, but I changed two lines. [writes Denise.] The last line in v2 was "still I'd find you there." and for v4, the last couple of lines were "Even if I could count them, they number as the stars, You would still be there." I found the last verse awkward, so went back to the psalm in the prayer book and took the words back to what was there, which led to v2 being changed as well."