Psalms ~ Desiring God

Seven Weeks In The Book Of Psalms

As Karen mentioned yesterday, Pastor Frank started a seven week series this past Sunday on the Psalms. It doesn't matter how many times I've read through the Psalms, I still find something new each time I read them again. No matter what any of us are going through or dealing with in our personal lives today, there is a Psalm that can minister to us. This is because David spoke from the depths of his heart and soul out of what he was experiencing at the moment. His words prove to us that he was just as human as each one of us. He sinned. He felt lonely. He felt betrayed. He felt abandoned. He felt forgotten. He felt forgiveness. He felt relief. He felt overwhelming joy. You get the point. No matter what we feel, there is a Psalm we can relate to.

John Calvin said it like this:

Psalms are an anatomy of all the parts of the soul. For no one will find in himself a single feeling of which the image is not reflected in this mirror.

I encourage you to join with us in reading through the Psalms over the next 7 weeks by reading a Psalm or two each day. If you read three Psalms a day you will make it through the book of Psalms in just over seven weeks. The other option is to read through the same Psalm each day for the week prior to Pastor Frank preaching on it. I personally like this option. I am looking forward to meditating on one chapter all week to see what God speaks to me personally, and then hearing Pastor Frank preach about it the following Sunday. (You can click here to listen online and subscribe to these messages.)

Week One ~ Psalm 63

1 O God, you are my God;

I earnestly search for you.

My soul thirsts for you;

my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land

where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in your sanctuary

and gazed upon your power and glory.

3 Your unfailing love is better to me than life itself;

how I praise you!

4 I will honor you as long as I live,

lifting up my hands to you in prayer.

5 You satisfy me more than the richest of foods.

I will praise you with songs of joy.

6 I lie awake thinking of you,

meditating on you through the night.

7 I think how much you have helped me;

I sing for joy in the shadow of your protecting wings.

8 I follow close behind you;

your strong right hand holds me securely.

9 But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.

They will go down into the depths of the earth.

10 They will die by the sword

and become the food of jackals.

11 But the king will rejoice in God.

All who trust in him will praise him,

while liars will be silenced.

(New Living Translation)

Prayer is the breath of my relationship with God. It is what brings life to that relationship. This morning the words from verse 1 jump off the page at me. "I earnestly search for you." Webster's Dictionary defines 'earnestly' as: "characterized by or proceeding from an intense and serious state of mind." Today I am challenged to come to God, not just in casual prayer, but to come with an intensity; to come with a seriousness, calling on the name of the Lord. To come not just as one coming for a quick little drink at the brook, but to come as one who's very soul is thirsty. To come into His presence as one who is serious about meeting with my God. And to come as one who depends on God to sustain me.

Lord, today I search earnestly for you ~ I thirst for you ~ I long for you ~ I honor you ~ I think about you ~ I praise you ~ I follow close behind you.

We'd love to hear feedback from you. Leave us a comment and let us know what it is that God is speaking to you as we read through the Psalms together.

Psalm 1

Not that we would post all 150 Psalms on the blog...I just woke up this morning excited about being in a church with a Pastor who seeks after the heart of God.

In case you were not able to attend City Bible Church the past weekend, over the next several weeks, Pastor Frank will be teaching out of the Psalms. (Click here to subscribe to these messages.) He is exhorting us to have a passionate desire for God, the way David did in the Psalms. He asked everyone to read at least one Psalm a day during this series.

Here is Psalm 1 from the New Living Translation:

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not

follow the advice of the wicked,

or stand around with sinners,

or join in with mockers.

2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,

meditating on it day and night.

3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,

bearing fruit each season.

Their leaves never wither,

and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!

They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.

5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.

Sinners will have no place among the godly.

6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,

but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

The verse that stands out to me today is verse 3. I want to bear fruit in every season. Whether summer or winter...I want to bear fruit.

We are so fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest because the trees and shrubs do actually bear fruit year round. We have an abundance of rain and mild temperatures. Other areas of the world are not so fortunate. Climates can be very harsh and there are seasons NOTHING grows.

By purposefully planting myself in the House of the Lord, I can know that He will always supply an abundance of His Spirit. And where His Spirit is...there is freedom and peace. I can be in the darkest season of my life, yet He will come through for me.

Thank you Jesus that I can trust Your love for me will never run dry. When I plant myself near you, I will never have to fear a drought. I can count on the fact that You will provide for me, even in the darkest of times. Allow my life to soak up every word You have for me. Yes, let me bear fruit no matter the season. Let this be a witness to Your faithfulness and love.