Sitting with the Psalms
Several of us in the Open Ears community are travelling together with the Psalms. This is not some speedy, whistle stop tour! We are taking it slowly and gently, sharing our thoughts by email as and when we want to.
We are taking each Psalm and ‘sitting’ with it, allowing us time to meditate and wait on the Holy Spirit - and each other - to speak into our hearts. If you haven’t yet joined the Bible Together group, please think about it.
I thought I would share with you, in this blog, some of the precious nuggets which I have received already, and we’ve only looked at the first five Psalms!
The Psalmists are very real with God! They acknowledge that He is Sovereign and yet they seem to have no qualms in telling Him exactly what they think about the world in general, and about what is happening in their own lives. That has encouraged me to be more honest in my prayer life, to acknowledge that I am angry about happenings in the world, and to cry (literally, at times) at the injustice and cruelty I see daily through the news.
Then I receive reassurance that, yes, there is much wickedness in the world but, in the bigger picture - God’'s bigger picture - the wicked are “like chaff that the wind blows away”, (Ps 1:4), and that “The Lord watches over the way of the righteous.” What an encouragement to walk in His ways, knowing He is watching over us with love.
The Psalmists seem to be confident in approaching the Lord with their pleas and grumbles - which usually then turn to praise and worship - because they are confident in their relationship with Him. They talk to Him as the God who is present in their every day lives, One who knows and cares about the small things as well as the big, and they rely totally on Him to get them through each day.
That has challenged me to ask myself, ‘Am I constantly and consciously sharing my busy life with the Lord, or do I ‘fit Him in’ when I have the time?’ Am I truly aware of His constancy and love, watching over me, sustaining me, delivering me? My mother used to say that she thought my Guardian Angel had to work overtime and, as one of the group said, we probably have no idea how many times we are delivered from danger!
I have also been challenged by the way the Psalmists appreciate the Lord, and want to spend time with Him; “In the morning, O lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” (Ps 5:3). “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” (Ps 4:8). We have a Ghanaian lady at our church, and I am frequently humbled when she prays, as she thanks the Lord for bringing her safely to a new day, it is obvious that her waking thought is praise and thankfulness.
Alongside out Bibles, some of us are looking at ‘Pause in God’s Presence, praying the Psalms’ by Vicki Cottingham and illustrated by Lisa Simmonds-Morgan. Vicki Cottingham – Author – Blogger – Speaker
This is the prayer from Psalm 1,
Lord God, Thank you for your Word. I delight in meditating on it as I go about my day and as I fall asleep at night. Thank you for all the wisdom found within the pages of your book. As you reveal your truth to me in your Word, may I follow your path for my life. Thank you for watching over me. Lead me, I pray. Amen
Young woman kneeling in prayer, line drawing by Lisa Simmonds-Morgan, coloured by Fay, used with permission.
