The psalms are different than the bulk of Scripture in that they are the record of people speaking to God rather than God speaking to people. Under the guidance and oversight of the Spirit, they have become part of the biblical witness. That doesn’t mean everything in them is in line with God’s will orContinue reading “The Reaching Hand of the Flawed Man”
Category Archives: Psalms
Blessed
Psalm 128 begins in a way familiar to the psalter—with the word Blessed. Half a dozen psalms start this way and another thirty-seven pronounce this desired state of being at some point in their writing. This much should be clear—God is in the business of blessing people! That’s not just what He does—it’s who He is.Continue reading “Blessed”
I’ve Been to Church!
In Psalms, there is the principle I like to think of as the “I’ve been to church” principle. (Yes, I know disciples are “the church,” but there is also something to the idea of “coming together as a church” – 1 Corinthians 11:18 and I’m after something like that here). You’ve “been to church” when you’veContinue reading “I’ve Been to Church!”
Reasons to Praise
The psalmist supplies us with several reasons for praising God. At the start of his list is “forget not all of His benefits” (103:2). In v. 3-8 he enumerates some of those. Applicationally speaking, this is a part of the psalm where there is plenty of room for us to personalize the psalm by thinkingContinue reading “Reasons to Praise”
Childish or Child-like?
There’s an intriguing picture in Psalm 131. It is offered to further develop and reveal the pilgrims’ perspective as they neared Jerusalem. After confessing they had steered clear of presumptuous matters (“things too wonderful for me”), we are told, “I am like a weaned child with its mother.” Not simply a child—but a weaned child.Continue reading “Childish or Child-like?”
Witnesses of God’s Glory
Mothers, I’d like to ask you a question. Think about when you first held your son or daughter in your arms for the first time. Now here’s the question: What kind of moment was that? It was a moment from God, wasn’t it? It was a moment delivered from Him to you, from His handsContinue reading “Witnesses of God’s Glory”
Rainy Nights and Dark Caves
Years ago, Brooke Benton recorded a song called, A Rainy Night in Georgia. As you might guess from the title, it was a melancholy tune that told the story of a man who had fallen on hard times. As the song began, it was late in the evening and he was “tryin’ to find aContinue reading “Rainy Nights and Dark Caves”
There’s Within My Heart A Melody
Our church had a singing recently. It was one of those where we had the opportunity to request our favorites. Only instead of calling out the name of the song, we called out the number in the songbook (as we always do). So on this particular occasion there was a flurry of “number calling” asContinue reading “There’s Within My Heart A Melody”
At Our Posts
“Bless” is a big word in Psalms. It occurs in some form over 50 times in the book. Therefore, when we encounter it in the first and last verses of the final psalm of ascent we’re not surprised, and it serves as a fitting conclusion. What began on the road to Jerusalem with a callContinue reading “At Our Posts”
“We Treat You Like Family”
This seems to be the slogan of every other business. I did a search of the phrase and the first page showed it was used by a car dealership, a medical center, a bank, and a real estate company. Sports teams also speak of their fanbases as family. (Although I have yet to find aContinue reading ““We Treat You Like Family””
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 