Psalms

For nearly a year I concentrated on a study of the psalms in my daily devotions. After completing that adventure I came to the following conclusions.

The psalms express both the heart-cry of mankind in his search for God and his heart-throb when he finds Him. They contain the full range of feelings as people express themselves to God and the full range of God’s responses. Both of these span the spectrum of reactions from full-blown anger to overwhelming love. The psalms paint a picture of what a relationship with God can be like. Woven into the record is an acknowledgment of our humanness. All the emotional roller-coasters, the celebrations of praise, the mental anguish, the displays of power and the bouts of despair are reflected.

The psalms affirm the various ways in which people relate to God.

The contemplative person listens and loves to be alone with the Lord.

The aesthetic admires the beauty of His creation and perfection of His ways.

The activist is committed to doing things, to be working for the Lord.

Relational people express love to others and enjoy the Lord as a Friend.

Demonstrating joy, acting out emotions, and displaying our worship in physical actions is the exuberant arena of the experiential person.

Tucked away in a den somewhere is the studious believer, discovering jewels of truth in the mine of God’s Word.

All of these are found in the psalms. No wonder they are the most read portion of the Bible.

 

Henry Wiebe