Martin Luther – Psalm of the Day

This guy certainly mad a big splash! Every now and then Sistertech hears a bit of, well, gossip, about Luther. Some days it’s “The nerve! Who did he think he was?!” to “What in Heaven’s name took him so long?” It is only because of my supreme unflappability that Sistertech smiles at both sides and says, “I service all manner of computers. It makes no difference to me whether their owners are Catholic or Protestant.” That shuts them up rather quickly.

The Psalm is a foretaste of that famous hymn of Marty’s, er, Luther’s A Mighty Fortress is Our God:

Psalm 46:

¹God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
³though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

You have to admit, the hymn is glorious. True, the tune is a bit ponderous, but those were ponderous times, I suppose.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.