The Lord Yahweh has equipped me with the anointed, skillful tongue of a teacher — to know how to speak a timely word to the weary. Morning by morning, he awakens my heart. He opens my ears to hear his voice, to be trained to teach.
Then I remembered the worship songs I used to sing in the night seasons, and my heart began to fill again with thoughts of you. So my spirit went out once more in search of you.
I lie awake each night thinking of you and reflecting on how you help me like a father. I sing through the night under your splendor-shadow, offering up to you my songs of delight and joy!
This is what Yahweh, your Kinsman-Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says: “I am Yahweh, your God. I am the One who teaches you how to succeed and who leads you step by step in the way you should go.
At night I yearn for you with all my heart; in the morning my spirit reaches out to you. When you display your judgments on the earth, people learn the ways of righteousness.
“You will find true success when you find me, for I have insight into wise plans that are designed just for you. I hold in my hands living-understanding, courage, and strength.
“I, Yahweh, probe the heart, and I thoroughly test the inner being to give to all people what they deserve according to their ways and based on their deeds.”
And I will strike down her followers with a deadly plague. Then all the congregations will realize that I am the one who thoroughly searches the most secret thought and the innermost being. I will give to each one what their works deserve.
When I was in deep distress, in my day of trouble, I reached out for you with hands stretched out to heaven. Over and over I kept looking for you, God, but your comforting grace was nowhere to be found.
Why do you remain distant, refusing to answer my tearful cries in the day and my desperate cries for your help in the night? I can’t stop sobbing. Where are you, my God?
You plant them like trees that take root; they spread their branches and bear fruit. They talk like they know you, but their affections are so far from you.