Glory!
Ascribe to the Lord, you sons of might
Ascribe to the Lord what is His right
Proclaim to all His pow’r and fame
Give honor to His glorious Name.

His holy beauty prompts our praise
Our voice in tribute now we raise
Thundering loud, we hear His voice
He shakes the earth, our souls rejoice.

Over the trees and waters broad
The majestic, pow’rful voice of God
Flashes of light’ning strike the earth
The mountains leap, the deer give birth.

Leb’non’s forests He strips bare
With flames of fire everywhere
Within His temple all things shout
“Glory to God!” they all cry out.

When all was flooded He was King
He reigns forever o’er everything
He makes our feeble strength increase
And blesses all His sons with peace.

© 2014 J Dan Small

O Lord my ROCK, I call to You
   Do not be deaf to me
If You don’t heed my desp’rate plea
   Then, Lord, what will I do?

Down to the pit I’ll surely fly
   I lift my hands and face
Up to Your high and holy place
  Please help me lest I die.

Don’t drag my soul away with those
   Who love iniquity
Who act toward others amiably
   But in their hearts oppose.

Reward the evil plans they make
   Repay their wicked deed
For all their schemes and selfish greed
   In justice, vengeance take.

Because they don’t Your works regard
   The things Your hands have made
Their wickedness will be repaid
   Their lives You will discard.

Blessed be the Lord Who heard my voice
   And answered my appeal
He is my strength, my help, my shield
   And makes my heart rejoice.

Because I trusted He came through
   I thank Him with my song
For those who now to Him belong
   He is a Savior true.

So rescue now Your chosen ones
   Bless Your inheritance
Now as our Shepherd take Your stance
   In Your arms hold Your sons.

© 2014 J Dan Small

   The Lord is my light
He is my salvation and strength.
   So whom shall I fear?
The wicked rise up to devour
   They stumble and fall
Tho an army encamp against me
   My heart will not fear
Tho against me a war may rage
   My confidence holds.

There’s just one thing I desire from the Lord
   And that one thing I will seek
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
   His face to see every day
I long to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
   To meditate on Him
There in the safety of His tabernacle
   He hides me from my foes
On a rock high above all my enemies
   He sets my feet secure
With shouts of joy and songs of praise
   I come before Him now.

Hear me, O Lord, when I cry with my voice
   Have mercy and answer me
You said to me, “Just seek My face”
   My heart says, “Your face I’ll seek!”
Please do not hide Your face from me
   Do not turn Your servant away
You’ve always been my help and strength
   So do not forsake me today
You are the God of my salvation
   Tho father and mother forsake
You always will take care of me
   Upon You I will wait.

Teach me Your way, O Lord, I pray
   And lead me in paths that are straight
Do not deliver me to my foes
   Who breathe out their lies and hate
Unless I believed, I would have despaired
   Your goodness I will see
Take courage, my heart, and wait on Him
   In the land of the living you’ll be
So do not despair but wait on the Lord
   Your faith He will reward
When all around your soul gives way
   Just wait, I say, on the Lord!

© 2014 J Dan Small

O Lord, defend my innocence and my integrity
I’ve always trusted in You, Lord, without a hint of doubt
Examine, Lord, my mind and heart, test me and You will see
Your lovingkindness I have sought, pursued relentlessly.

I have not sat with wicked men, from hypocrites abstain
Idolatrous, deceitful men, I hate their gatherings
In innocence I wash my hands, at your altar remain
With thankful voice I worship You, Your wondrous works proclaim.

O Lord, I love Your dwelling place, Your glory there is seen
So do not take my soul away with those who spurn Your ways
Because of my integrity, have mercy and redeem
Among the saints I bless the Lord, His kindnesses esteem.

© 2014 J Dan Small

O Lord, I lift my soul to You
    In You, O God, I trust
Let not my enemies succeed
    Nor let me be ashamed.

Indeed, none of the ones who wait
    On You will be ashamed
But any who deal treach’rously
    Will surely be disgraced.

Make me to know Your ways, O Lord
   Help me to learn Your paths
Teach me and lead me in Your truth
    For You I wait all day.

You are the God who rescues me
    I ask You to recall
Your tender mercies and Your love
    For they are from of old.

Remember not my youthful sins
    Nor all my rebel ways
According to Your mercies, Lord
    Your goodness now recall.

Because the Lord is good and right
    The sinner He instructs
The meek He guides toward justice and
    The humble learn His way.

For those who keep His covenant
    His paths are love and truth
Pardon my sin for it is great
    For Your name’s sake, O Lord.

Who is the man that fears the Lord?
    Show him which path to choose
His soul will prosper and his kin
    Dwell long upon the earth.

The Lord confides His secrets to
    The ones who fear His name
His covenant to them He shows
    That’s why I look to Him.

My eyes are ever on the Lord
    From traps He sets me free
Now turn Your eyes toward me, O Lord
    In mercy see my grief.

The troubles of my heart have grown
    I’m lonely and oppressed
Look on my troubles and my pain
    Deliver from distress.

Forgive my sins, protect my soul
    My enemies increase
With cruel hatred they attack
    Please rescue, O my God.

For You I wait, in You I trust
    Let me not be ashamed
Let truth and righteousness prevail
    Your people, God, redeem!

© 2014 J Dan Small

The earth is the Lord’s and all it contains
    The world and the people therein
Built upon waters and resting on seas
    It all belongs to Him.

Who may ascend to the hill of the Lord
    Before His great holiness stand?
Only the one with clean hands and pure heart
    Whom all falsehood and lies have banned.

All who refuse to serve idols or lies
    And will not his neighbor defraud
The generation that seeks our Lord’s face
    Gains righteousness, blessing from God.

Hearken, ye gates, lift up your heads
Your ancient doors swing wide
Behold the King of Glory comes
Now welcome Him inside.

Who might this King of Glory be?
The strong and mighty Lord
Mighty in battle, conq’ring One
Worthy to be adored.

So open wide you ancient gates
The Lord of Hosts is here
Before the King of Glory bow
His Majesty revere.

© 2014 J Dan Small

The Lord is my Shepherd, He meets all my needs
Along peaceful rivers, in green pastures feeds.

My soul He refreshes down paths that I take
He leads me in right ways all for His name’s sake.

When passing through valleys no evil I fear
In death’s darkest shadows Your presence is near.

You lead with your staff and correct with your rod
Then set right before me the table of God.

My head You’ve anointed, my cup overflows
Your goodness and mercy surround as I go.

All the days of my life Your love follows me close
And someday, forever, I’ll dwell in Your house.

© 2014 J Dan Small

Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachtani
My groaning cry it seems You will not heed
My God, My God, You have forsaken me
So far from helping in my hour of need
All day, O God, I cry and You don’t hear
And all night long to You alone I plead.

You alone are holy
Enthroned upon our praises
Trusted by our fathers
And You delivered them
They trusted, Lord, their prayers were not denied
You rescued them, You heard their desp’rate cry

But look at me, less than a worm am I
Despised by men, they sneer and spit and say,
“He trusts in God, let Him deliver him
“If God does care He’ll rescue him today.”

But You did bring me forth
From my own mother’s womb
I’ve trusted You since then
Relied on You from birth
You’ve been my God right from my mother’s womb
Oh, be not far from my distress and gloom.

Strong bulls with horns are circling ’round me
Like hungry lions they threaten to devour
My life’s poured out, my bones are out of joint
My heart, like wax, is melted in this hour
My strength is gone, my tongue cleaves to my jaw
The dogs surround me and my soul does cower.

You lay my soul down in the dust of death
As evil men encompass me around
My hands and feet they pierced with cruel nails
They look and stare, their insults do abound
Stripped and naked I can count all my bones
They cast lots for the garments they have found.

In Your strength, O Lord, the king is filled with joy
And in Your salvation You have made him glad.

You, Lord, have granted all his heart desired
And have not withheld anything that he requested.

You have crowned his head with abundance of good things
He asked You for life, You extended it forever.

Because of Your salvation, his majesty is great
Honor and glory make him most blessed forever.

Gladness overwhelms him because of Your presence
He trusts in You, Lord, Your love makes Him secure.

But those who hate You will feel Your hand of judgment
You’ll swallow them up and Your fire will destroy them.

They plotted against You –their schemes will not succeed
Their offspring have no future among the sons of men.

When they see Your arrows they run for their lives
But we will exalt You and celebrate Your pow’r!

© 2014 J Dan Small