This is from my morning devotional and quite appropriate:
Psalm 118
1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever!
2Let Israel say,
‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’
3Let the house of Aaron say,
‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’
4Let those who fear the Lord say,
‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’
5Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.
6With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?
7The Lord is on my side to help me;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in mortals.
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes.
10All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12They surrounded me like bees;
they blazed* like a fire of thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.
14The Lord is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’
17I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
18The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.
19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
20This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
21I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
22The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
23This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes.
24This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.*
25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.*
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27The Lord is God,
and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.*
28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God, I will extol you.
29O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
MY COUNTRY, TIS OF THEE ...
1. My country,' tis of thee,
sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
land where my fathers died,
land of the pilgrims' pride,
from every mountainside let freedom ring!
2. My native country, thee,
land of the noble free, thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
thy woods and templed hills;
my heart with rapture thrills, like that above.
3. Let music swell the breeze,
and ring from all the trees sweet freedom's song;
let mortal tongues awake;
let all that breathe partake;
let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.
4. Our fathers' God, to thee,
author of liberty, to thee we sing;
long may our land be bright
with freedom's holy light;
protect us by thy might, great God, our King.