MORE THAN A BOOK OF CELEBRATION

Recently, I decided for devotional reading to read the book of Psalms….what a great choice of reading! I’ve read through Psalms many times but this time my reading was little different than before.

 Allow me to open this blog by expression my deep appreciation and love for the book of Psalms. I absolutely and unequivocally love Psalms. The poetic nature for which each writer writes is simply amazing to me. The openness and honesty in expressing the reality of their life experience as a Christian provide encouragement and hope to the reader.

 However, I believe the book of Psalms has been mistreated and misunderstood because most of the attention given to the Psalms is related to celebration. Take a moment to think about it, we run to Psalms 9 - “I will praise You, O Lord with my whole heart”, Psalms 100 - “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord”, Psalms 150 - “Let everything that has breathe praise the Lord”,  Psalms 34 – “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise will continually be in my mouth”, Psalms 48 – “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised”, and so on and so on. We read portions of Psalms that are what we would consider to be shouting material by ignoring the context of the Psalms.

 If we read the Psalms only for celebration, we’re not reading each Psalms for what they’re meant to be. They’re testimonies of a believer’s life experience expressed with truth and honesty. The book is poetry that wakes up emotions that fit the truth of life reality that says….

It can be hard out here for a Christian most times!

Psalms is not only filled with celebration it is an expression to an amazing array of emotions that many of us can relate as being fully-devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

• Loneliness: “I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalms 25:16).
• Sorrow: “My life is spent with sorrow” (Psalms 31:10).
• Regret: “I am sorry for my sin” (Psalms 38:18).
• Contrition: “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalms 51:17).
• Discouragement and turmoil: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me” (Psalms 42:5)?
• Shame: “Shame has covered my face” (Psalms 44:15).
• Fear: “Being scared senseless” (Psalms 55:1-23).
• Anger: “Be angry, and do not sin” (Psalms 4:4).
• Grief: “My eye wastes away because of grief” (Psalms 6:7).
• Brokenheartedness: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34:18).
• Pain: “I am afflicted and in pain” (Psalms 69:29).
• Abandonment: When You Feel Alone - Psalm 22:1–31
• Disappointment: Psalm 107:1–43
• Uncertainty: Psalm 19:1–14
• Restlessness: Psalm 42:1–11
• Outrage: Psalm 137:1–9
   
  Each Psalms is designed to take us on a testimonial journey that leads us back to the One who is ever present and participating in our lives daily, GOD! We cannot really celebrate the Psalms without paying attention to the fact that despite the cries for help in the Psalms, by the end of the Psalms there is joy and hope for a better tomorrow. That's how I'm reading the Psalms now. Each Psalms is personal between the writer and God and we’re privileged to read to learn from they’re journey through this thing called life.
   
  Until, next time …. Selah…