The Psalms

Right now I am doing a study of the Psalms. Read one Psalm a day. There are 150 Psalms, so it will take a little more than a third of a year to read through them. Today I read Psalm 5 and I'm going strong. (I'm posting this a few days after writing it, so hopefully I'm further along now.)

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But the words in these Psalms - songs - are just amazing to me. Many were penned by David of David & Goliath fame. he wrote his songs of joy and of death. Of worry and of triumph in God.

I think many times we put David and other Biblical men and women on such a pedestal. They were perfect and holy and righteous, weren't they?
No. They were imperfect. They were sinners. David was an adulterer, murderer and coveter. He liked the look of the neighbor lady so he had her husband killed and took her as his wife - his 8th wife at that.

But anyway, I digress.

The Psalms are an amazing story of the struggles David and the other authors faced in their lives and while we are not currently fighting a corrupt king or people, we do face many of the same adversities in life.

Take, for example, Psalm 18, when David defeated Saul (the king, who was also his father in law). vv16-19:

He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
      he drew me out of deep waters.
He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
      from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
      but the Lord supported me.
He led me to a place of safety;
      he rescued me because he delights in me.

 Do you understand that joy? When something you thought was impossible and it happened? When you were faced with grave illness and overcame? When you had enemies of any kind attacking you and you were able to win over them? It's amazing, isn't it?

One of my favorite verses in the Psalms is that of Psalm 30:5b

weeping may stay for the night,
   but rejoicing comes in the morning.

 Anyone, anywhere could relate to this. We all have struggles. We all weep through pain and heartache. But the point is, my friend, that it will not last forever. One day - maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but ONE DAY - the sun will rise and your weeping will be over.

When I had my miscarriage earlier this year I cried. I still occasionally get misty-eyed thinking of what should be happening right now. But with some time I found joy again. And if I get sad now, I allow the sadness then I find the joy again. My morning came.

The Psalms are full of wonderful advice...

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil." (Ps 37:8)
"Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Ps 62:8)

I love the prayer in Psalm 109:21-22:

But you, Sovereign LORD,
   help me for your name’s sake;
   out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
For I am poor and needy,
   and my heart is wounded within me.

 And of course, the mighty ending of the Psalms... Psalm 150:6...

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD." Everything. All living things. Praise Him!

So if you have not read the love and anguish of the Psalms, join me in this journey, friends. It promises to be a real eye opener. Don't just read it once - read each Psalm several times. Get on the computer and read several translations. Let the Word of the Lord speak to you today.