Most of us love the psalms. They hit us right where we are. They move us to praise God, love God, honor God. They help us deal with some of the difficulties we face in life. But if you’re like me, you always feel like you are missing something when you read one. You know there is a deeper meaning, you just can’t seem to grasp it. Maybe I can help.
psalms
Believing in the God of the Psalmists, Part 10: God is Love
(If you are stumbling across this for the first time, you may want to start at the beginning of the series and work your way through the links at the end of each post. Or check out the index for this entire series of posts. We’ve learned so much about the psalmists and their relationship with God. I hope today’s is no exception.)
God is Love
A popular modern approach to God as revealed in the Bible is to change God between the testaments. Folks look at the God of the Old Testament as a harsh, legalistic, sometimes mean, sometimes brutal, judging God. Then they come to the New Testament and say all that has changed. Now, God is a God of love. He doesn’t judge, He is never harsh. He just wants us to know how much He loves us.
However, that doesn’t mesh with the Psalmists view of God at all. Despite the brutal judgment God sometimes administered, the Psalmists were completely sure that God was a God of love. The psalmists mention God’s love 123 times. Consider just a few of the statements.
- God’s steadfast love is precious (Psalm 36:7).
- We enter His house through His steadfast love (Psalm 5:7).
- He delivers us for the sake of His steadfast love (Psalm 6:4).
- He is merciful and forgets our sins because of His steadfast love (Psalm 25:6-7).
- His steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts Him (Psalm 32:10).
- His steadfast love endures all day (Psalm 52:1).
- God answers our pleas because of His steadfast love (Psalm 69:16).
- His steadfast love holds us up when we think we’ll slip (Psalm 94:18).
- His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 100:5).
This story of God’s love crescendoes in Psalm 136. Here the Psalmist repeats “For his steadfast love endures forever” 26 times. In fact, this was most certainly a liturgical psalm used in public assemblies and worship for the Jews. The priest or officiate would say the first line of each couplet and the congregation would shout the refrain–“For his steadfast love endures forever.” What an amazing experience that must have been, hearing the entire congregation praise God for his love as the stories of God’s love were repeated to them.
No doubt, the psalmists were sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes hurt, sometimes angry, sometimes lonely, sometimes joyful, sometimes bitter. But they always knew God loved them.
How can we not pray to a God whose steadfast love for us endures forever, no matter who we are, where we come from, or what we’ve done?
Whatever you do today, don’t forget–God Loves You!
(I think we’re going to take a little break from this study of the Psalms. But keep your eyes open, in a few weeks we’ll get back to them and start learning to look at ourselves the way the Psalmists did.)
Believing in the God of the Psalmists, Part 9: God is Near
(If you are stumbling across this for the first time, you may want to start at the beginning of the series and work your way through the links at the end of each post. Or check out the index for this entire series of posts. We’ve learned so much about the psalmists and their relationship with God. I hope today’s is no exception.)
Option Three
I just finished reading N.T. Wright’s Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense
With the first approach, prayer is nothing more than an exercise of reaching inside and meeting the divine within you. That is not prayer, that is just introspection. With the second, prayer is nothing more than…well, nothing. It is really pointless. For the deist prayer is sending some message out into the void to one who simply doesn’t listen. If he does, he doesn’t respond.
But there was also Option Three: it says God is not everything, but He is near. It says heaven and earth connect in real ways. It says we can walk with God and talk with God. He listens and responds. His response doesn’t have to be in some space crossing, super miraculous interjection of God’s power in the world. Rather, He can work through the world because He is in the world.
Option Three is the option the psalmists accept.
God is Near
I know this may seem odd because the Psalmists often spoke of how far away God was. “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1). Or “How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). Reading these statements, we may be tempted to think they took Option Two. However, that is not true. These statements showed how they felt because of their struggles. It doesn’t show what they really believed about God.
In fact, despite these feelings the Psalmists almost always come around in the very same psalms to show what they really believed. Psalm 10:14 says, “But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation, that you may take it into your hands; to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless.” Psalm 13:5-6 says, “But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
No doubt, at times it feels like God is far away, like He is hidden behind the clouds or off in the distant reaches of space ignoring us. The psalmists felt that way. But instead of turning their back on God, they went to God about it. Why? Because despite how they felt, they knew God was near. When they felt that way, they didn’t resign themselves to believe it was that way. They knew that was wrong and went God about it.
In fact, there were other times when the psalmists just flat told us God is near.
“The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”–Psalm 34:18.
“But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true.”–Psalm 119:151.
“The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”–Psalm 145:18.
We can call on God. He is near. He listens. He responds. No doubt, there are times we won’t feel that way. In those times we can cry out to God because He is near.
(Come back next week to learn that God is love.)
Believing in the God of the Psalmists, Part 8: God is My Shepherd
(If you are stumbling across this for the first time, you may want to start at the beginning of the series and work your way through the links at the end of each post. Or check out the index for this entire series of posts. We’ve learned so much about the psalmists and their relationship with God. I hope today’s is no exception.)
God is My Shepherd
Psalm 28:9 says: “Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”
Psalm 80:1 says: “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!”
However, the psalm we think of the most when it comes to shepherding is Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
But what does it mean to be a shepherd. I love Phillip Keller’s book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23
However, for our brief purposes, we see a shepherd as a leader, a provider, a protector and a restorer.
1. God is My Leader
As my shepherd, I follow God’s lead. As Americans, we don’t like this much. We like to strike out on our own. We like to go it on our own. We want to blaze a trail. We want to lead the way. We want to find and discover new things for ourselves. Sadly, when we sheep try to do this, we get ourselves in trouble. We burrow into brambles from which we cannot escape. We discover fields with poisonous weeds and diseased grounds. We actually don’t really go anywhere, we just trample our own little circle until it is useless.
As long as we see ourselves as our own leaders, we are going to be in trouble. We have to see God as our leader, our shepherd. When we, like the psalmists, become excited about God as our shepherd, we change. We don’t strike out on our own. We follow the leader. We know we can trust Him. His leadership is beside quiet, still waters, not trampled, disturbed, diseased waters. He makes us lie down in green pastures. He leads us in paths of righteousness. We know that He will lead us on to the higher ground, the greener pastures.
How could we not pray like the psalmists when we understand the only leader we can trust is God?
2. God is My Provider
He prepares a table. Some suggest this sections changes the metaphor from shepherd to host at a banquet. Perhaps that is the case. However, I am not completely convinced. But in either case we learn about our God. He provides for us. He feeds us.
He sets the table for my spiritual feast. He anoints my head with oil. My cup overflows. I’ll never thirst while under His care. Therefore, I can expect goodness and mercy to follow me all the days of my life.
Oh, I know that I can’t sit on my hands and just expect God to drop food down from heaven. But, in the end, I understand that every good gift I have comes from the Father above. How could we not pray like the psalmists when we understand that the only true source of all good gifts is God our Shepherd.
3. God is My Protector
Our enemies roam about us. The path we walk is the valley of the shadow of death. Predators and dangers loom large on all sides. We are but sheep. We have no defenses. If we did try to defend ourselves, the most we could accomplish is to run in circles, bleating helplessly until we collapse from exhaustion only making ourselves easier targets. While we rely on ourselves from protection, our only hope is death.
However, our God is the good shepherd. He protects us from the enemy. We need fear no evil. God, with His rod and staff, will protect us. Yes, we can’t help but see discipline in that rod. But we know our God’s discipline is for our good. We can trust Him, even if we don’t always understand it at the time. The enemies may look on, but they cannot overpower us. No matter what we face, we know our Shepherd will carry us through and bring us out on the other side.
That doesn’t mean we will never face hard times. That doesn’t mean we’ll never face flash floods, rock slides, predatory attacks on our journey to the table top grazing lands. It simply means our Shepherd will lead us through. If we will only follow Him.
How can we not pray like the psalmists when we know our only hope against the enemy that attacks is our Shepherd?
4. God is My Restorer
Perhaps this is the most important. We are sheep. Even when we love our Shepherd, we go astray at times. That is just what we do. We wander on to a ledge to get a little scrub of grass and then can’t find our way back. We get caught in a thicket from which we cannot escape. We wander out of the prepared field into dangerous regions. Sometimes we just get lazy, lay down, roll over, and can’t get up.
We thrash about. We bleat and holler. We kick and scream. We run in circles. Eventually, we stop, exhausted, downcast, distressed. There is nothing we can do. All seems lost. Our only hope is a quick and painless death, but we know it will be a slow and painful process.
However, we do not have to fear, our ever watchful Shepherd is there. Instead of disinheriting us for acting like sheep. He restores us. He refreshes us. He provides for us. He comforts us. He sets us back on the path of righteousness and leads us onward.
What a great shepherd we have.
How can we not pray like the psalmists when we know our Shepherd wants to restore us, lifting us up on His shoulders, carrying us back to the clear streams and green pastures, comforting us?
If we want to pray like the psalmists, we must be as sheep and let God be our Shepherd. He is the great God who loves, leads, provides, protects, and restores.
(Come back next week as we learn that the Psalmists saw God as near.)
Believing in the God of the Psalmists, Part 7: God Is My Rock
(For those keeping track of the days, I know Monday is supposed to be our Springboard for Your Spiritual Life. I spent half of yesterday at the tire store getting tires and alignment on the Suburban. Despite being told I was on the network, I couldn’t access the internet. Then, just when I was going to get to make it to the office and put up my posts, Ryan, my seven-year-old, had a bike accident and I had to get him to the ER for stitches. He’s fine, just scraped up, thanks for asking. So, I’m putting up yesterday’s post now and will add in today’s Springboard for Your Family Life later today.)
Praying Like the Psalmists
If you are stumbling across this for the first time, you may want to start at the beginning of the series and work your way through the links at the end of each post. Or check out the index for this entire series of posts. We’ve learned so much about the psalmists and their relationship with God. I hope today’s is no exception.
Believing in the God of the Psalmists: God Is My Rock
Psalm 18:1-3 portrays it perfectly:
I love you, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
This is, perhaps, the most important aspect of the Psalmists’ belief in God. God was not simply an ethereal being out in the obscure heavens. He was a very real presence.
They viewed life as a battle. They were at war. The enemy pressed around on all sides. But they had a refuge, a place where they could find comfort, protection, strength. That place was God. They did not rely on their own strength. They did not rely on the strength of men. They relied on God.
The heading of Psalm 18 claims it was written on the day when David was delivered from his enemies, including Saul. What a great story that was. David refused to lift a finger against Saul because he was God’s anointed. Yet, God brought David the victory. David may have fled to other kingdoms. He may have hidden in caves. He may have gathered soldiers. But he knew none of this was his real strength and protection, God was. Without God, the kings, caves, and soldiers would have done him on good.
Letting God be Our Rock
If God is our rock, we trust Him. We do what He says just because He said it, even when we don’t understand why. If He is our protection, we just rely on Him.
If we will ever pray as the psalmists did, we must surrender ourselves to God as they did. When David refused to strike Saul, he did so against what seemed wise. He did so against the advice of his friends and supporters. They even tried to get David to see it was a sign from God to strike down Saul. But David surrendered to God’s word. He would not strike God’s anointed. That meant his enemy would live and hunt him longer. What great faith David demonstrated there.
Who is your enemy? What is your oppression? Take your eyes off of those things and focus them on God. What is God’s will for you today? What has He said in His word about your life? Do that. Just do that. Trust God to protect you. He is the your rock, your redeemer, your deliverer, your strong and mighty tower.
Certainly, to the world you will look foolish. Certainly, they will mock you and claim what you are doing is useless. In the end, God’s way works, even if it doesn’t work the way we expected. Let God be your protector. Quit relying on your own strength and start relying on God’s. Let go in faith and put your hand in His. He will take care of you.
Our Rock and Our Prayer
Whoever we rely on is who we’ll pray to. If we simply rely on ourselves, prayer will always be a struggle. It will never be anything more than a checklist to-do item that we intend to get to but keep putting off. If we rely on parents, we will constantly be appealing to them. If we rely on government, they will receive our constant requests. If we rely on friends, we will latch ourselves on to them and not let go. However, when we see God as the source of our protection, comfort, and victory, prayer will just happen.
How can we not pray when we believe God is the only way we’ll make it through the day victorious? As long as we think we’ve got our lives under control or could if we just tried harder, we’ll struggle with prayer. The days we see God as our only hope, we’ll pray like the psalmists.
Maybe you’re struggling with that. Then let me give you the one piece of advice that has really helped me–“Act as if.” If you can’t quite say it is completely true that you can only truly survive if you rely on God today, then act as if you believed that. How would you pray then? How would you act? How would you treat others? Do that and see if the real faith doesn’t start growing.
If we want to pray like the psalmists, we have to believe in their God. Their God was their rock. He must be ours as well.
(Don’t forget to come back next week when we talk about the psalmists view of God as the shepherd.)
Believing in the God of the Psalmists, Part 6: God is King
Mondays have just been tough for the past two months. One thing and another have kept the Spiritual Springboard from being published, but I’m back in the saddle with our look at Praying Like the Psalmists.
Or check out the index for this entire series of posts.
As we examine the psalms with prayer in mind, we’ll analyze, categorize, and subdivide the psalms. We’ll look at words and phrases. We’ll examine figures, pictures, and illustrations. We’ll learn a great deal. However, the first step to praying like the psalmists has little to do with their forms and figures. It has to do with their relationship with God. If we want to pray as they did, we need to believe in the God they did.
We have already seen that they believed God is, God is the creator, God is my creator, God is the source, and God is the judge. In addition to all this, God was the king of the psalmists.
This is especially impressive considering one of the main psalmists was King David. While the psalmists recognized their earthly king and even wrote psalms about him and his place before God (e.g. Psalm 18:50; Psalm 20:9 et al), they still understood that the true and ultimate King was God.
Psalm 2 demonstrates this. The king of Israel was on the throne only because God on His throne in the heavens placed him there. Go set the king on the holy hill of Zion.
However, God was not simply king of Israel. He is the king of the universe and everything in it. Psalm 95:3 demonstrates this absolute superiority and sovereignty, saying, “For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Why pray to Jehovah when their neighbors prayed to their pantheon of gods? Because Jehovah is the king. Even if those other gods actually existed, Jehovah is the absolute ruler of all things. Why settle for minions. Go straight to the source, the ruler, the king.
Don’t misunderstand. The psalmists were absolutely anchored in their belief that those other gods didn’t actually exist. Psalm 86:10 addresses the Lord, “For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God.” There are no others.
Finally, God was not simply the king out there in the heavens with some kind of ethereal rule over the universe. God was king of the psalmists.
“Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.” – Psalm 5:2
“Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.” – Psalm 84:3
“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.” – Psalm 145:1
As King, God had the right to tell the psalmists what to do. He was an integral part of their lives. At the same time, as King, He was their protector, their deliverer, their guide. God was not just out their in the heavens; He was part of their life. He was their King.
If we want to pray like the psalmists, we must let God be King in our lives.
(Come back next Monday to learn more about the psalmists’ relationships with God. Learn to pray to God the rock, fortress, and mighty tower.)