The Psalms
Only the hand of God could make words written so long ago SO applicable to life today. When I have trouble sleeping, I have come to turn to the Psalms, and they never fail to quiet my spirit. I used to think there was NOTHING but peace to be found in these writings, at least the ones I understood. Lately, I have come to realize they are songs of praise, yes, but they are also prayers wrenched from the heart of suffering mankind who is reaching out to the God of the universe, begging to be heard, to be healed, to be accepted, to be forgiven, to be heard.
Someone told me within the last year, when sharing about a particular problem in my life, that I should make a study of the Psalms. He said the Psalms would help me learn how to cry out to God when I was in pain and how to praise Him in joy. I did make that study and found incomparable encouragement and assurance in that someone so very, very long ago felt the same way I do sometimes. The writers expressed anger, trust, fear, faith, deep sadness, great joy…………….all the ups and downs that we experience in this life.
There are many passages that stand out. Psalms 3 and 4 are uppermost in my heart right now, because they speak of someone who may have trouble sleeping but express confidence that, “I lie down to sleep and rise again, because the Lord sustains me……………………..” and, in another place, the same thought is verbalized because, “you alone make me dwell in safety .”
What a wonderful encouragement the personalities in the Bible are to me. None of them were perfect; none had sterling silver lives. But they kept on trying and trusting that God was going to forgive. Even those referred to as “the father of the faithful,” “a man after God’s own heart,” and those in the NT who went on to become central figures in the establishment of the church and the spreading of the gospel of Christ……………….did so after having made grave mistakes.
I am so thankful for the grace given through Christ, who WAS perfect……..because I’m not. Aren’t you?
TODAY’S SMILES:
- We will probably have a new baby girl in the family by Friday!
- Enjoying an evening with four of our favorite people.
- Getting more yard work done, as well as dragging some old lumber to the street. Our back yard is looking SO good.
- An e-mail from a former boss and friend.
- Emmy decided she liked Squeezits after all but no longer likes corn pudding.
- The squirrels around the house that are just pets.
- Lower humidity hence nicer days here for a little while.
See you tomorrow night. May you sleep well and be blessed with much joy and love.
meowmix
July 1st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
I agree Judy, the Psalms are just full of imitations of our lives, and yet what amazing comfort we can find in them. Hebrews is a favorite of mine too. It reminds us that we have a Perfect sinless Savior, who knows all of our temptations and mediates on our behalf.
Hope you aren’t having a lot of sleepless nights. I go through spells of not sleeping and it is miserable. Someone told me it happens when you get older. My response to that is “who’s older?”, or even more sarcastically, I will say….”and your point is?”
I like your “smiles” they are full of blessings you have been experiencing and are soon to experience.
July 1st, 2009 at 5:28 pm
The psalms helped me express my anger at God when my uncle and best friend died many years ago. I don’t read them all that often but it is a study worth the time.