Sing to the Lord

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

A few months ago I came across Psalm 93 and immediately fell in love with the first four verses:

Sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
    proclaim his salvation day after day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
    he is to be feared above all gods.

I’m not a terrific memorizer, but God’s Holy Spirit put in my heart that I should learn it. So I memorized it one verse at a time day after day. When I was pretty comfortable with the first three verses and a little less with the fourth, I sat down with my guitar and started noodling around. (“Noodling around” is a technical musical term meaning exactly what it sounds like: “fiddling around”.)

I don’t normally write a song that way. I usually have the beginning notes come to me in a dream or even when I’m doing something totally unrelated to music. So having a tune come so easily was unexpectedly wonderful. As always, however, I refined the tune somewhat over a period of days.

But that part of the tune only covered the first two verses. Then I saw a reference to Psalm 150: 6 in a devotional I was reading. I made note of it and came back to it later and added it to the first two verses, soon coming up with a tune for that part, too.

That just left verses three and four. The tune for #3 grew naturally from what had come before, but I was having problems with #4. Because verse 4 refers to the Lord as One to be “feared above all gods,” it didn’t seem like a contemporary way to describe God’s superiority since Christians consider God to be the only God. As you can see from the lyrics below, I felt led to describe God as “most worthy of all to be praised.”

l wanted to mention that because it is the only deviation from the NIV translation of the Scripture. Otherwise, you could sing the song directly from the Scripture.

An audio recording is found here, and a free lead sheet is here.

So, the very short song ended up being worded thusly:

Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing to the Lord all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise His name
And proclaim His salvation day after day.

Let all who have breath praise the Lord.

Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous deeds among all peoples.

For great is the Lord
And most worthy of all to be praised.

As you know if you’ve been following this blog, I’ve not only written more than two hundred songs, but twenty-four Christian novels. The rough draft of #25 is finished and I’m in the process of editing and revising it.

The Devil and Pastor Gus is one of my favorites. Below the graphic for that book is a graphic displaying the covers of the twenty-four.

Links you might be interested in:
My website
My Amazon Author page

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Create in Me a Clean Heart, O Lord

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

I suspect that most people are familiar with the biblical story about King David committing adultery with Bathsheba and then trying to cover up his sin by sending her husband to the front of battle, where he was sure to be killed.

David didn’t get away with his double sin, however.

The baby Bathsheba conceived by David was very dear to the him, but God punished him by permitting the newborn to die. The prophet Nathan not only knew the truth, he confronted the king about it. David repented and wrote Psalm 51, seeking the Lord’s forgiveness.

Psalm 51: 10-12 isn’t just a good prayer for us when we’re repenting of some wrongdoing, it’s a good prayer when we simply need to freshen and strengthen a less that perfect relationship with the Lord .

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

I kept my rewording of those verses to a minimum in this song, but I’m not sure which translation of the Bible I was working from.

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Don’t turn me away from Your presence, Lord,
Or withhold Your Spirit from me.
Don’t withhold Your Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of Your salvation;
Let Your Spirit make me whole once more.

Create in me a clean heart, O Lord,
And renew a right spirit in me.
Lord, renew a right spirit in me.

You may listen to a recording of this song here. You’ll find a free PDF of this song here.

Over the last fifteen years or so I’ve written and published twenty-four Christian novels. They’re all available on Amazon in both print and Kindle editions. I’m currently editing and revising #25.

Links you might be interested in:

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Our Father in Heaven (The Lord’s Prayer)

Posted on June 3, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

Even Christians who haven’t memorized much Scripture can probably recite The Lord’s Prayer. I purposely said “recite” because actually praying those words can be difficult with the words coming to our minds and mouth automatically.

Jesus didn’t tell His disciples to pray that prayer, but to use it as a guide for their prayers. Can you do that? It’s hard at times, isn’t it?

That’s one reason I often use this song for praying because I didn’t word it exactly the way Jesus did. Even after singing it probably hundreds of times during my morning devotional times, I can usually still focus prayerfully on the words.

Our Father in Heaven, holy is Your name.
May Your kingdom come, may Your will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.

Lord, give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our wrongs as we forgive.
Lord, turn us back from temptation’s door,
And keep us safe from the Evil One!

Our Father in Heaven, holy is Your name.

You may listen to it here and, if you desire, get a free lead sheet here.

Not only have I written over two hundred songs, I’ve also written and published twenty-four Christian novels. One of them is shown below, and the graphic below that contains thumbnails of the covers of all twenty-four.

Links you might be interested in:

 

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Learning to Touch Lives

Posted on May 27, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

This song is not necessarily a Christian song as such, but it ought to be quite relevant to Christians.

Have you ever visited a church you’ve never been to before and been greeted by practically no one? Did you feel like going back again? I doubt it. My wife and I experienced that many years ago, and we still remember the coldness we felt there. Wouldn’t that be the same for you, too?

Wouldn’t a simple “hi” or a handshake have made you feel welcome? And wouldn’t it have given you more of a reason to come back rather than to continue avoiding it?

Smiling at someone or shaking hands is just the beginning, though. Really getting to know someone takes time, time for them to accept your interest in and concern for them.

While smiling and shaking hands aren’t greetings only Christians use, they’re a simple means of making a positive influence on someone who might need to be noticed and shown concern about. But wouldn’t it good to also pray for ways to really connect with that person?

A recording of this song may be heard here. A free PDF lead sheet is available here.

When I meet someone for the first time
And I shake that person’s hand,
I touch his life in a physical way
That says, “I know you’re there.”

But my prayer is to learn to listen
To just what he thinks and how he feels–
So I may learn to touch his life
In a way that says, “I care.”

I write Christian novels as well as songs.  Have a gander at Why Not? shown below or look over the image below that which shows the covers of all twenty-four of my  novels.

I’ll be back again next Wednesday. Please join me then. Better still, sign up to receive these weekly posts by email.

Links you might be interested in:

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When I Walk with Him

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

Over the years I’ve had a number of people tell me several of my songs would make good children’s songs. I suppose that’s because of their simplicity. It’s fine with me for people to think that, even though I have only written a couple of songs specifically for kids.

I can’t recall whether this song is one of those or not, but you might want to listen to it with that idea in mind. Here’s a link to the lead sheet.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Nothing is impossible when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Nothing is impossible when I walk with Him.

Though the night is dark, I know I won’t get lost.
Jesus lights the way ahead when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Jesus lights the way ahead when I walk with Him.

Though the path is steep, I know I won’t fall down.
Jesus takes my hand in His when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Jesus takes my hand in His when I walk with Him.

I am not afraid of what tomorrow brings.
Jesus whispers words of hope when I walk with Him.
When I walk with Him, yes, when I walk with Him,
Jesus whispers words of hope when I walk with Him.

I remember walking on a very dark road years ago without a flashlight of any kind; I had to hit my shoe against the pavement to be sure I hadn’t wandered off the road. I recall another time when I was walking on such steep steps–there weren’t any railings–that I was sure I would fall down.

You may not have experienced that kind of darkness or steepness literally, but I can’t keep from believing that you have experienced an emotional or spiritual darkness or steepness sometime in your life. If you are truly a Believer, the certainty of the last stanza is what brought you through.

Of my twenty-four novels, Rosa No-Name is probably my wife’s favorite. Interestingly,  it’s not just a stand-alone novel, it is also both the prequel and the sequel to Found in Translation, even though it’s not a young adult novel. In intrigued? Check it out.

Of 

Links you might be interested in:

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Sometimes I Wonder

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

Have you ever found yourself in such a miserable situation that you questioned whether you could work your way out of it, even with God’s help? Or have you ever been so resentful of evil people who are getting away with all kinds of bad things that you question why God doesn’t just wipe them out? Or do you read about the numerous innocent victims of hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes and wonder why God doesn’t prevent those disasters from happening?

If so,  you aren’t alone. If God is truly good and loving–I believe He is–why does He permit bad things to happen? I don’t think we’re going to find a satisfying explanation while we’re still living on earth. God’s ways are beyond our ability to understand. Better to hold on to questions like those till we get to Heaven.

But will we even get answers there? Heaven is a perfect place. It doesn’t have any of those things we question the existence of on earth. And I believe Heaven would be less than perfect if we could even remember the questions we wanted answered on earth.

What do you think?

You may listen to this song here and view or download a free lead sheet here.

Sometimes I wonder why the righteous suffer,
And I make a mental note to ask God by and by.
But when I get to Heaven and meet Him face to face,
I know I will forget to ask, for Heaven is a perfect place-
With no memories of earthly pain.

Sometimes I wonder why the wicked prosper,
And I make a mental note to ask God by and by.
But when I get to Heaven and meet Him face to face,
I know I will forget to ask, for Heaven is a perfect place-
With no memories of earthly wrongs.

Sometimes I wonder why disasters happen,
And I make a mental note to ask God by and by.
But when I get to Heaven and meet Him face to face,
I know I will forget to ask, for Heaven is a perfect place-
With no memories of earthly woes,
And no memory of earthly wrongs,
And no memory of earthly pain,
And no memory of earth at all.

I think The Devil and Pastor Gus is one of my best books. Check it out and see if it might appeal to you. You may quickly access my Amazon Author page by scanning the QR code on the graphic containing pictures of my twenty-four book covers.

Links you might be interested in:

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I Can’t Count Them!

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

No sheep this week. Well, not exactly.

Here are the lyrics to a song I wish I could duplicate the style of for other songs. But the meaning is far more important than what someone might consider one of my better recordings. Listen here and read the lyrics shown below. The lead sheet is here.

In the ocean,
I wonder how many schools of fish there are.
I can’t count them.
In the forest,
I wonder how many different trees there are.
I can’t count them.
In the meadow,
I wonder how many blades of grass there are.
I can’t count them.
In the graveyard,
I wonder how many have died without the Lord.

refrain
I can’t count them! I can’t count them.
The numbers are too great.
I can’t count them! I can’t count them.
But Jesus knew and loved each one.

In the desert,
I wonder how many grains of sand there are.
I can’t count them.
In a blizzard,
I wonder how many flakes of snow there are.
I can’t count them.
In the night sky,
I wonder how many flecks of light there are.
I can’t count them.
All around me,
I wonder how many will die without the Lord! (refrain)

According to one source, approximately 117 bullion people have lived on the earth during its existence. 45-50 billion people have lived on earth since the time of Jesus. Only around eight billion of those have identified themselves as Christians. That leaves an awful lot of people who haven’t been or aren’t Christians now. Deceased individuals who have either died without ever hearing God’s Good News or who heard it but lived and died without believing.

The Census branch of the United States government has a “pop clock” that shows some really interesting current statistics about the rate of world population growth and much more. Back when I worked at the International Mission Board, I programmed a version of the pop clock, but this one is much more thorough. Take a look at the clock here. You won’t be disappointed.

Today’s individual Christians aren’t responsible for the spiritual condition of the people who came before us or all of the nearly countless unsaved people living in the world today. But how can we look around us at the small number of lost people–sheep–we’re in contact with now and ignore their spiritual needs?

Jesus couldn’t. He died for each one of them.

I’m still working on my 25th Christian novel, Wait for Me. I’m about half done with the rough draft, and I’m finally progressing at a decent rate of speed.

I’ve written novels for a variety of age groups, but A Twisted Rainbow is one of only a few coming of age novels. I recently reread it for the first time in years and really enjoyed it. Maybe you would, too.

Links you might be interested in:

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All Like Sheep (B)

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

Last week I mentioned that I was going to post a different version of “All Like Sheep” today. What I didn’t tell you is the only difference is the length — eight stanzas (thanks to repeated lines) compared to two:

We’re all like sheep who’ve gone astray, (3X)
Lost in our best intentions.

We’ve nibbled our way down unknown paths, (3X)
In search of greener grasses.

The Good Shepherd found me And brought me back , (3X)
Though it cost His life to save mine.

And now I dwell in His Father’s fold, (3X)
And feed on His abundance.

His door is always open wide, (3X)
And everyone is welcome.

But few know where to find the fold, (3X)
And fewer still have entered.

That’s why I stand outside the door. (3X)
That’s why I share my story.

We’re all like sheep who’ve gone astray. (3X)
Come in, make this your home now.

Why did I write two songs with identical lyrics? I wish you could see me smiling at that question. Honestly? I just couldn’t see myself ever singing the longer version for anyone. So I wrote both at the same time.

Incidentally, I thought I would never finish recording this version, which you may listen to here. This lead sheet only includes the first four stanzas. It’s easy enough to fit the last four in if you should ever need to.

Jesus was familiar with Isaiah 53:7, which prophesied His crucifixion. Not as the Good Shepherd, however, but as the perfect sacrificial lamb who would provide mankind’s ultimate salvation from sin.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

Yet He takes the truth of Isaiah’s prophesy and combines it with His knowledge of Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:11.

“I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

In John 14:6 Jesus acknowledged Himself as the only way to come to the Father.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Doesn’t that make you think of the ultimate sheep fold? Heaven.

It seems that everyone wants to go to Heaven. But in the words of an old spiritual, “everybody talkin’ about heaven ain’t goin’ there.” Christians alone are assured of eternal life in Heaven because we’re Jesus’ sheep and we know He is the door to the fold. So how can we fail to stand “outside the door” and point the lost to Him?

I’m working on my twenty-fifth Christian novel, but progress is slow. Impractically Yours is one of my favorites; it’s actually a rewrite of my very first novel. Use the QR code on the graphic with the covers on it to access my Amazon Author Page.

Links you might be interested in:

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All Like Sheep (A)

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

Have you ever been around sheep? Or had the opportunity to observe sheep for a length of time? Or read a book like Phillip Keller’s little book, Lessons from a Sheepdog?

As horrible as it sounds to say, sheep are truly stupid animals! Hmm. Maybe not so much stupid as totally heedless. Left to themselves, they wander wherever the next tasty clump of grass leads them, and they get lost or end up in danger–all too easily and too needlessly.

Aren’t we human beings too much like that? Instead of relying on the Lord, we like to pursue the next tasty-looking thing we see without regard for the fact that we may be wandering away from God’s perfect plan for our lives.

The twenty-third Psalm not only compares us to sheep, but is very specific about God being our provider and defender:

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.

Isaiah 55:6 says it so clearly.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
    each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
    the iniquity of us all.

The “him” in that verse is Jesus. It is upon him that our sins are laid.

Matthew 9:36 shows Jesus’ compassion as being like that of a shepherd for His lost sheep:

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,
because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd.

“All Like Sheep” not only reflects on those Scriptures, it emphasizes the job of Christians to help guide lost sheep on the right right to Heaven.

We’re all like sheep who’ve gone astray,
Lost in our best intentions.
We’ve nibbled our way down unknown paths
In search of greener grasses.
But the Good Shepherd found me
And brought me back,
Though it cost Him His life to save mine.
And now I dwell in His Father’s fold
And feed on His abundance.

His door is always open wide, and
Everyone is welcome.
But few know how to find the fold,
And fewer still have entered.
That’s why I stand outside the door.
That’s why I share my story.
We’re all like sheep who’ve gone astray.
Come in, make this your home, too.

You may listen to “All Like Sheep” here and find the free lead sheet here. The recording is in the key of C, not A.

Next week I plan to post a different version of the same song, and I’ll include other Scriptures related to us as sheep and the Lord as our provider. I’ll also make some comments I’ve not shared today.

I’m working on my twenty-fifth Christian novel, but progress is slow. The Angel on the Hill is my most recent publication. Use the QR code on the graphic with the covers on it to access my Amazon Author Page.

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It’s Better to Be Poor

Posted on April 15, 2026 by Roger E. Bruner

What Christian author–and many a non-Christian author as well–would fail to appreciate Proverbs 25:11?

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

Proverbs 15:23 is in the same vein:

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth,
And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

Those verses are the basis for the very short introductory song that precedes “It’s Better to Be Poor.”

I used these Proverbs for the actual song:

Proverbs 16-18
Better is a little with the fear of the Lord,
Than great treasure with trouble.
17 Better is a dinner of herbs where love is,
Than a fatted calf with hatred.
18 A wrathful man stirs up strife,
But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

Proverbs 25:1
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Proverbs 27:10
Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend,
Nor go to your brother’s house in the day of your calamity;
Better is a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.

Because I used different Bible translations, it may not be obvious that all of the stanzas (not counting the short introductory song) are from Bible verses that say better this than something else.

You may listen to this song here and download free lead sheets here and here.

What joy a man feels
When he finds the right words
For just the right occasion.
Like apples of gold in a silver setting
Are words fitly spoken.

It’s better to be poor
And have riches in the Lord
Than to have vast earthly wealth
And let it ruin your life.

It’s better to eat soup
With your family and your friends
Than eat the finest steak
At the table of your foes.

It’s better to have neighbors
Who’ll come in times of need
Than have a loving brother
Who lives far, far away.

It’s better to be patient,
For patience can bring peace,
Than always lose your temper
And make bad matters worse.

It’s better to speak softly
When anger fills the air
Than try to shout your loudest
As you wage a war with words.

For the longest time I felt I needed one additional stanza. After many searches for another verse that meets the “better this than that” format, I happened upon the one with “neighbors” and “brother.”

I was adopted by Ben and Virginia Bruner when I was three days old. They never would tell me more than a tidbit about my birth parents, but when I had DNA testing done a few years ago, I learned I was the son of Steve and Julia Holko, originally from Czechoslovakia, and the brother of Sylvia, Rick, and Bob. Bob is the only one of my siblings still alive, and because he hasn’t responded to my attempts to get in touch with him, the “neighbor/brother” stanza means even more to me.

I’m working on novel #25. All of my books are available in both print
and Kindle editions. You may move quickly to my Amazon Author page by
using the QR code on the graphic depicting all of my novels. Although you may download FOUND IN TRANSLATION for $1.99, the complete ALTERED HEARTS series is available for just a dollar or two more.


Links you might be interested in:

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