A Work in Progress….

Psalm 6:2 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.

One of the things that really appeals to me about the Psalms is the wide range of genuine emotion shown to God through this diverse scripture. This book contains the highest praise as well as the lowest agony. Nothing is withheld from God.

Psalm 6:4 Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of Your unfailing love.

I have long believed that God wants us to come to Him honestly, not sugarcoating our emotions. He wants our anger, our fear, our exhaustion (as well as our praise) because only when we pour those negative emotions out to Him can He help us to move past them in the security of His sovereign love.

Psalm 6:6 I am worn out from my groaning….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for being big enough to handle all the emotions You gave us. Thank You for allowing us to come before You, pouring out our hearts. Draw us closer through the process. Amen.

Psalm 6:9 The LORD has heard my cries for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 5:3a In the morning, LORD, You hear my voice….

Psalm 5:3 has long been a favorite of mine. I am by nature more of a morning person. On school days, I am up at 4:30 am so that I can have time to sit with my Creator before the day officially begins. 

Psalm 5:3b …in the morning I lay my requests before You….

During our time together, we explore scripture and commentary, sit quietly and contemplatively, pray, and reflect on our time. I’ve definitely got the part about laying requests before Him down, as I am often praying for needs I’m aware of and praising for blessings. I do still need to work on waiting expectantly, on laying my burdens at His feet and walking away from them, knowing that my precious Savior has got everything under control.

Psalm 5:3c …and wait expectantly.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to sit in Your presence and to listen to Your voice each day. Help me to approach every day in expectation of Your appearance, LORD, because I know You are present, You are in control, You are making a way. Thank You for always being with me. Draw me ever closer. Amen.

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy….

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 4:1 Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

I have pulled lines from this Psalm before as I try to lean on the LORD instead of my own strength, but I don’t often look at the chapter in context. Commentary suggests that David wrote this Psalm when facing some sort of attack on his reputation. 

Psalm 4:4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

Regardless of circumstances, there are two main lessons reinforced here as I walk with my Savior: 1. Be careful with my anger, especially with my words. So many times I’ve said things in anger that I wish I could take back. 2. If I want a peaceful night’s sleep, I must give my troubles to God. These days, I routinely wake up between 2-3 am. I try, with varying levels of success, to pray myself back to sleep, handing back to God the troubles I seem to have picked back up in the night to carry further.

Psalm 4:7 Fill my heart with joy….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that the only way to find peace in this world is through You. Help me to hand my anger, fear, doubt, worries—everything—over to You. Always. Fill my heart with Your joy. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will lie down in sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 3:3 But You, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.

Commentary on this chapter says, “The events are recorded in 2 Samuel 15-18, but the heart of David at that difficult time is recorded in this psalm.” I love that distinction between the events and the heart, as they are quite different. The events are clinical, newspaper-factual accounts. The heart is the emotions, the feelings involved.

Psalm 3:4 I call out to the LORD, and He answers me from His holy mountain.

I would do well to remember as I weather life’s storms that the events and the heart are distinctly separate. I may not be able to do anything about the events, but I can give my heart totally to God, no matter what. He is big enough and loving enough to handle my pain, my anger, my fear, my doubt, all of it. He is the shield around me.

Psalm 3:5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that no matter what events transpire, You know my heart. I can be real, open, and honest with You. You are my shield, Lord. You are my glory. You lift my head high, no matter my circumstances. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 3:6 I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 2:4 The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the LORD scoffs at them. 

I’m not a fan of a view of God that includes praising Him out of fear for how He will respond if I don’t. Strong relationships are not built on fear; they are built on trust, on love, on knowing each other and sharing and drawing closer. They are built on communication and respect and time spent together.

Psalm 2:5 He rebukes them in His anger and terrifies them in His wrath, saying….

Commentary says of verse 12, “The Psalmist leaves the choice with everyone: Broken or blessed?” That’s not much of a choice. That sounds dangerously close to, “Either you do things my way or I WILL make you pay.” I don’t believe in a God who wants to strong arm me into a relationship. That’s not how my God works. He wants a relationship with me. He absolutely could force my reverence, but He wants me to do the choosing.

Psalm 2:6 …”I have installed My king on Zion, My holy mountain.”

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the faith that You are a God of relationship, a God of love. I want to draw closer to You with every breath. Thank You that fear is not my motivation. Thank You for the foundation of love and respect that I have for You. Draw me closer. Always. Amen. 

Psalm 2:12b …Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers….

I have been exposed to the book of Psalms for most of my life. It feels very familiar, and at 150 poems, it’s the second longest book in the Bible. My instinct is to double or triple up on what I read each day and move on through this one.

Psalm 1:2 …but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on His law day and night.

But Psalm one seems to encourage me to linger, to sink my roots deeper, to allow my understanding of this book to grow and mature so that the fruits of my faith can be fully ripened. I am encouraged to delight in and meditate on these poems, to take my time as I read.

Psalm 1:3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for allowing me to linger in Your word, drawing closer to You. Help me, as I read through the Psalms, to grow and mature in my faith. Help me to shine Your light and praise Your name. Amen.

Psalm 1:6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Have a blessed day.