toThis year as a church family we are reading through the Psalms.  It is unique in many ways.  It is the longest book in the bible and contains poems that touch every human emotion. It has been organized into five books, and contains many smaller “collections” such as the Psalms of Ascent (Ps. 120-134).  Many, if not most, of the Psalms are prayerfully directed toward God: “Answer me when I call, God” (Ps. 4:1), “Listen to my words, Lord” (Ps. 5:1), “Lord do not rebuke me in Your anger” (Ps. 6:1).

 The book of Psalms was written to encourage us to worship God every moment of our lives and not just on Sundays.

 At the heart of Psalms, is the worship of God. For example, He is worshipped for His magnificence: “Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!” (Ps. 8:1).  For His glory in creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands” (Ps. 19:1).  For His provided victory: “Lord, the king finds joy in your strength. How greatly he rejoices in your victory” (Ps. 21:1).  And for His wondrous works “Sing to Him, sing praise to Him; tell about all His wondrous works!” (Ps. 105:2).

Many of the Psalms reveal a profound sense of anguish and frustration on behalf of the Psalmist. Sometimes it is because of the rejection by the God of Israel (Psalm 74). At other times, it is because “the water has risen to my neck. I have sunk in deep mud, and there is no footing” (Ps. 69:1-2).

Here are a few lessons from the Psalms in it’s entirety.

Lesson 1:  Life is hard, but God is good.

All of God’s people throughout the ages have dealt with difficulties to varying degrees. Think about the life of Job.  The saints who composed the Psalms were no exception. They had enemies (Ps. 3:7), they felt forgotten and anxious (Ps. 13:1-2), dealt with lies and deception (Ps. 12:1-4), and sensed that God had abandoned them (Ps. 22:1). Yet this was no reason to stop praising. God is a deliverer (Ps. 37:40) and he would be faithful. It is always right to praise Him (Ps. 52:9).

Many psalms call God’s people to worship. Among them are Psalm 29: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name: worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness” (Ps. 29:2), Psalm 103, Psalms 95-100, Psalm 134-135, Psalms 146-150, and many more.

Lesson 2:  We are called to meditate and reflect on God’s Word.

Psalm 1 serves as an introduction to the book, advising the reader of the clear advantage of gaining a blessed life by meditating “day and night” (Ps. 1:2) in God’s Word.

The longest Psalm is 119. It speaks of the Psalmist’s love for God’s Word (Ps. 119:97) and all that it is capable of doing. Psalm 19 contrasts God’s voice through creation (Ps. 19:1-6), with his written instruction (Ps. 19:7-8). Psalm 1, the introduction to Psalms, tells us to mediate upon God’s Word so that our lives will be fruitful, and “whatever (we do) prospers” (Ps. 1:3)

It is no coincidence that Psalms is the longest book in the bible. It is the “go to” book for anyone who does not know where to go in a time of spiritual need. As the largest book, and the book in the centre of the bible, it is the easiest to find. So a curious man or confused woman, simply need open the bible to the middle and will happen to find words of encouragement and direction.

It is not just a book to be studied and amazed with; it is a book to be applied. It’s application is often simple. The exhortation to “Praise the Lord” (Ps. 148:1-4) should lead to the reader saying or singing, “Praise the Lord!” After reading Psalm 1, the reader should accept it as their responsibility to meditate upon the rest of the book. If so, they will be blessed

Lesson 3:  Worshipping God and prayer should be a way of life for every follower of Jesus. (see Psalm 29:2; 103; 95-100; 134-135; 146-150)

Many psalms call God’s people to worship. Among them are Psalm 29: “Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name: worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness” (Ps. 29:2), Psalm 103, Psalms 95-100, Psalm 134-135, Psalms 146-150, and many more.

Prayer is the explicit theme of Psalm 61: “God, hear my cry; pay attention to my prayer” (Ps. 61:1), and is the implicit theme of many, many Psalms, such as Psalm 51: “Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love…” (Ps. 51:1).

Psalms can function as a handbook to prayer. Picking up a bible, opening it to Psalms, reading aloud slowly, setting your heart on God, will aid your prayer life immensely. In our culture that is inundated with social media and information that is constantly barraging us, it is so hard, but so necessary to turn it off, and meditate on God’s Word. Psalms can help us do that.

Lesson 4:  There is a Messiah coming. (see Psalm 2; 22; 24; 72)

Many Psalms are messianic in nature. Psalm 2, Psalm 24, and Psalm 72, among others, all point to a future king and kingdom.

The Messianic passages, such as Psalm 22, are strikingly amazing. Psalm 22 offers a glimpse of Jesus on the cross: “they pierced my hands and my feet” (Ps. 22:16).

God has written pre-history into this (and other) passages. We marvel as we realize that God planned Jesus to enter history at a certain time and has written about it hundreds of years before it happened.

I am continually amazed after many years of reading through the Psalms how the Lord uses it to bring a freshness to my faith.

How has the Book of Psalms encouraged your soul?  Tell us about it in the comments.