Psalms

You know, I have heard people in the past talk about how much they love to just read the Psalms, and how it's like a balm for their spirit. Honestly, I never got it! I would read two or three Psalms a day, longing for that feeling but just not feeling it.

Well, the current Bible reading plan I'm using has me read one Psalm a day. Reading them one at a time, I finally get it! I think it's because I'm not rushing through them anymore, so I'm able to pick out verses that literally make me want to sing to my God.

There are a lot of verses about David praying for deliverance from his enemies, and I don't relate to those very much, but mixed in with every single Psalm are truths about God's character, our position in Him, His love for us, and so on.

So what I've been doing is writing those verses down in a notebook. I didn't think of this at first, but as I'm reading Praying God's Word, I can see how these pages will become a prayer journal of sorts where I can just humble myself and pray through some of the verses.

That is a key thing that stands out to me in these verses: David knew his position. He was the king, and yet he bowed before the King of Kings, acknowledging that he was nothing apart from God.

Today's verses that really stood out to me are from Psalm 17:

Psalm 17:4,
"Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer."

Okay, if you would have had me read Psalm 17 last week, I never would have picked out this verse, but after being bombarded with message after message about God's grace and praying God's Word, this verse speaks directly to my heart. David's not saying, "By my own glory and righteousness and holiness, I have kept away from sin." He's saying, "By the word of Your lips, God, I have been able to resist sin." By the word of Your lips. Wow!

Psalm 17:8
"Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings."

Mostly, I just love the intimacy with God that this verse illustrates. God loves us as the apple of His eye. I believe that the original text refers to the apple of God's eye in the sense of the pupil...a part of our body that we carefully protect and guard. He also hides us under His wings as a mother hen hides her chicks. My Bible commentary refers to it as being not only a place of protection, but also one of warmth and love.