Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Psalm surprise

One of the surprises following preaching on Psalm 1 has been the number of people who have claimed it is their "special" psalm too. One shared how significant it had been to them, a mother told me her children were memorizing it. Another said it was their grandfather's favorite.

I remember being told many years ago that every believer has a special psalm. It was said with authority, (based on what I haven't a clue - almost as though there was some divine allocation system!) While such blanket generalizations seem untenable yet, in my own experience, it is true that one particular psalm has echoed through my life so far - Psalm 16. Continuously, at several critical moments, as well as in routine humdrum, Psalm 16 has struck home. The whole psalm, and especially verse 8: I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Of course some psalms have already entered our mainstream, especially Psalm 23. But what else might there be for us? What a rich, honest resource in God's word the psalms are. Shouldn't we turn to them more than we do, and even expect encounters for a lifetime? Do you have a "special psalm"?

2 comments:

Steve Tanner at Magical Trash said...

I've always been a fan of Psalm 116, specifically v. 1-9. The whole part where "cords of death entangled me" only to be rescued is always a reassuring promise to fall back on.

Anonymous said...

When I was in high school, I sang in the church choir at my home church in Wisconsin. We began a song based on the text of Ps. 90...a difficult song that I really struggled to enjoy. One night at rehearsal, our director asked if I would open a Bible and read the psalm out loud for everyone. By the time we finally sang the song for the congregation weeks later, the words had imprinted on my heart...and to this day, I can't read the Psalm without hearing the promise of God's faithfulness "throughout all generations."