Meditation on the Psalms

Hello,

My journey with Christ has been marked by a few really bright periods and a lot of gray ones. As someone who was faithfully raised in the church (thank you mom and dad), there was never an abyss of darkness where I felt truly separated from the Lord. Yet sin has a nasty habit of tainting long periods of our lives whether or not we are walking with God. Which brings me to what I want to talk about today.

In the most sanctifying period of my life, one Psalm was on repeat every morning during quiet time. God was so good to deliver me from something I never thought possible, and he followed that grace with an even bigger one. My affections and discipline increased tenfold towards spiritual things. All of a sudden, all I wanted was to be in God’s presence. However I could find it, wherever I was, that was my top priority. I constantly asked the question, “How can I bring God into this new aspect of my life?”

Throughout this period, like a sweet companion, was Psalm 40. It became a theme song to the beautiful life I was now experiencing with Christ. Every morning, I started off my day with a reminder that all those years of struggle and prayer had finally led to this. Psalm 40:1-3 says this:

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

And then, in case by the end of the Psalm you have forgotten where you are without God, David ends with this:

As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God!

“I am Poor and Needy.” My deliverance comes because “the Lord takes thought for me.” This Psalm reminded me every morning where my victory had come from. It started my day in praise for what God had done and in anticipation of his continued help. I cannot describe fully the feeling of praying through a Psalm that truly resonates with you. It is one reason I encourage all my students to start their days with a Psalm. Every morning, you get the chance to pray God’s Word alongside the author back to him. It is extremely ordinary, yet magnificent when you understand what you are doing. And it has been the most intimate time with God that I have experienced.

So, if you have the change, I would encourage you to give it a shot if you have never done it. Start your day reading then praying through a Psalm. It takes 5-15 minutes, depending on the Psalm, and I am confident it will bless your day and draw you into the Lord’s presence in new ways.

-NR