Today, I thought we might walk through a chapter in the
Psalms together.
Each week, we’re reading 5 chapters or so with the intent of
discovering (and re-discovering) the true nature of God – who He has revealed
Himself to be through the Scriptures. Not letting our imaginations or others’
opinions shape our concept of the high and holy God, but letting the Word of
God do that for us!
So, we are combing the Psalms looking for HIM! What have YOU
found of our God in the first 25 chapters of Psalms?
I’m finding that my card file isn’t big enough! God doesn’t
fit in my box! Every time I look at my growing list, I’m overwhelmed by the magnificence
I find there. My God is so much bigger than I imagine Him to be and stunningly beautiful!
Let’s look at Psalm 21 (reprinted here in the ESV) and I’ll show you a little
of what my method looks like. Yours might be different and I’d love to hear
about it!
1 O Lord, in your
strength the king rejoices,
and in your salvation how greatly he
exults!
2 You have given him his
heart's desire
and have not withheld the request of his
lips. Selah
3 For you meet him with
rich blessings;
you set a crown of fine gold upon his head.
4 He asked life of you;
you gave it to him,
length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great
through your salvation;
splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 For you make him most
blessed forever;[a]
you make him glad with the joy of your
presence.
7 For the king trusts in
the Lord,
and through the steadfast love of the Most
High he shall not be moved.
8 Your hand will find out
all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who
hate you.
9 You will make them as a
blazing oven
when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them
up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
10 You will destroy their
descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children
of man.
11 Though they plan evil
against you,
though they devise mischief, they will not
succeed.
12 For you will put them
to flight;
you will aim at their faces with your bows.
13 Be exalted, O Lord, in
your strength!
We will sing and praise your power.
My first read-through of the Psalm is simply to gain an understanding of the Psalmists’ overall intent in writing it. Footnotes can be helpful at times for this, as can the Psalm titles. Once I understand the overall flow or message, I read it again looking for how the Lord reveals Himself in it. I have a Bible I don’t mind writing in and make notes as I go, but you could also use a notebook to write down the characteristics and corresponding verse reference. Here’s a picture of a page from my Bible. I write in pencil so I can erase it later if I need to!
At this point, I grab my card file and start writing. Every
characteristic has a “title card” and a card or multiple cards with the verses
written out. Yes, I write them out – It helps me to meditate on God as He
describes Himself, and it is meaningful when I go back to review or find a
verse! Here are pics of my file box and a section of cards…
Now for Psalm 21 – Here are the characteristics of God I
noted as I read:
Vs. 1: Strength, Joy-giver, Salvation
Vs. 2-3: Generous
Vs. 6: Joy-giver, Present with me
Vs. 7: Steadfast love, Most High
Vs. 8: Searches hearts
Vs. 9-12: Wrathful, Just, Victorious
Vs. 13: Strength, Power, Praiseworthy
As I meditated on these truths about God, I noticed once
again that this is a Psalm that begins and ends with the Worthiness of our God.
The fact that this is so common in Psalms demonstrates that my God is worthy of
my praise AT ALL TIMES – because of who He is, not because of what I think or
feel. When I need help figuring out what to praise God for, the Psalms help me
and convict me! Just from the first and last verses of this one, I learn to praise
Him because of His strength, power, and salvation! If for no other reasons than
these, it is enough! And more of what we read this week lends itself to praising
our God who is Worthy.
22:3 Our holy God is enthroned in
the praises of His people
22:26 The Lord satisfies those who
seek to praise Him
25:6-7 & 17-18 Confession of
sin is a most necessary component of praise – in fact, you can’t help but turn
to God in repentance when you see Him as He is because you will see what you
are not!
In Psalm 21, I could clearly see the generosity of the God
we serve, and I had to stop to consider with thanksgiving His generosity to me.
In Psalm 22, the picture of the high and holy God making His
throne in the praises of His people brought me to my knees in worship and
adoration. The picture of Jesus found there is a powerful reminder of His great
work on the cross to purchase my salvation.
In Psalm 23, the Lord reveals Himself as my Shepherd. The
depth of His love, attendance, and care are inconceivable. Yet He welcomes me
in His mercy and goodness.
In Psalm 24, there is great rejoicing in the King of Glory –
the LORD strong and mighty! Unapproachable in His holiness, yet who receives
those who come to Him covered by the righteousness of Christ!
So, here’s a challenge for this week – As you study Psalms
26-30, write out a prayer of praise to God for who He is. Consider sharing it with
us in the comments below! It is always encouraging to hear others give praise
to our God – I learn from it, and my heart rejoices and overflows with yet more
praise!
I am praying always for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment