I came to the end of a journey today. I wish I could tell you the exact date that this journey began, but that really isn't important. My journey was through the book of Psalms. I first started reading it as an attempt to have a better laid out plan for my daily quiet time with God. In the beginning, I didn't think I would ever make it to the end, but now that I'm there, I'm sort of sad.
There are two very important truths I've gained on this journey, and I urge you to see if you can relate to them.
(For further info on the layout of Psalms, see *** below.)
If you take an honest look at your own life, wouldn't you say that there have been wonderful days where you felt God's blessings were over-abundant and His grace and mercy overflowed? It's on those days where all you want to do is praise Him. Then, there were days of sorrow and desperation where the cry of your heart was to just make it through the day?
I feel like I'm in good company with the authors of the Psalms! They genuinely penned what their heart was feeling and didn't sugarcoat anything. I can identify with their emotions, although we often aren't totally honest with others about what is truly going on in our hearts.
The second truth I gained from this journey deals with the discipline of personal Bible study. Growing up in the church, the concept of spending time everyday in the Word was not foreign to me. Honestly, I have always felt bad for not having enough discipline to have a time of daily Bible study on a consistent basis. Up until a couple of years ago, I truly lived with a great deal of guilt for not having read the Bible all the way through. I guess I felt that if I was a "super-Christian" or a better Pastor's Wife, I would have read the Bible through, and done it in a year!
Do you experience any of this guilt?
Guilt can be paralyzing and cause you to not want to do anything since you can't do it all. I'm here to tell you that it is not God's desire for you to be bound by guilt. His Word offers a freedom that only comes from Him. You won't find freedom by being a good little church-goer, or by meeting the expectations of other believers, or even by having a quiet time out of mere obligation.
I became determined not to live my life bound by guilt. I wasn't going to beat myself up anymore, but rather, I was going to completely give this area of my life to God. God freed me from the chore of "having" to read my Bible, and it became a privilege.
You see, God's timing is perfect. When He pressed upon my heart the need to simplify things and read a psalm and proverb a day, He knew that I was going to be walking down a path where I would commiserate with the psalmist and feel like I couldn't go on.
He knew I would need to be reminded of His unfailing love.
He knew He'd need to remind me that I needed to trust Him.
He knew I'd need to be reminded to praise Him.
He knew I'd need to be reminded that His plan for me is superior to mine.
I could literally go on and on about how He would place the perfect chapter in front of me on just the right day. Only God can do that!
So, if you need a revival to your quiet time, maybe the Psalms is the perfect place for you to start. You don't have to duplicate what I did, feel free to. I started by reading one or two chapters a day from Psalms and one chapter from Proverbs. I coordinated the book of Proverbs with the days of the month since there are 31 chapters in Proverbs. Needless to say, with 150 chapters in Psalm, I made it through Proverbs several times and then decided to move on to another book of wisdom, just for a change of scenery!
Reading the Bible is a conglomeration of many small journeys. It doesn't have to be one grand feat taken on with an invisible stopwatch ticking in your ear as the days of the year pass by. You also don't have a school marm kind of God who slaps your wrist when you miss a day.
I know for a fact that I will use the book of Psalms again in my future study time, as it was so rewarding. I hope that you, too, will delve into this wonderful gem found right in the middle of your Bible.
***One thing to know when reading Psalms is that they are not written in chronological order. For instance, the 23rd Psalm was written shortly after David was anointed King, but the 2nd Psalm is believed to be written at the end of his reign. Sort of backwards, huh? The psalms were compiled to be used in worship, not as a timeline of historical events. In fact, unless you read the notes of your Bible, you might not even be aware of the context in which the psalm was written (time, place, etc.).
There are two very important truths I've gained on this journey, and I urge you to see if you can relate to them.
- My life looks a lot like the book of Psalms.
- Reading the Bible has become a privilege, not a chore.
(For further info on the layout of Psalms, see *** below.)
If you take an honest look at your own life, wouldn't you say that there have been wonderful days where you felt God's blessings were over-abundant and His grace and mercy overflowed? It's on those days where all you want to do is praise Him. Then, there were days of sorrow and desperation where the cry of your heart was to just make it through the day?
I feel like I'm in good company with the authors of the Psalms! They genuinely penned what their heart was feeling and didn't sugarcoat anything. I can identify with their emotions, although we often aren't totally honest with others about what is truly going on in our hearts.
The second truth I gained from this journey deals with the discipline of personal Bible study. Growing up in the church, the concept of spending time everyday in the Word was not foreign to me. Honestly, I have always felt bad for not having enough discipline to have a time of daily Bible study on a consistent basis. Up until a couple of years ago, I truly lived with a great deal of guilt for not having read the Bible all the way through. I guess I felt that if I was a "super-Christian" or a better Pastor's Wife, I would have read the Bible through, and done it in a year!
Do you experience any of this guilt?
Guilt can be paralyzing and cause you to not want to do anything since you can't do it all. I'm here to tell you that it is not God's desire for you to be bound by guilt. His Word offers a freedom that only comes from Him. You won't find freedom by being a good little church-goer, or by meeting the expectations of other believers, or even by having a quiet time out of mere obligation.
I became determined not to live my life bound by guilt. I wasn't going to beat myself up anymore, but rather, I was going to completely give this area of my life to God. God freed me from the chore of "having" to read my Bible, and it became a privilege.
You see, God's timing is perfect. When He pressed upon my heart the need to simplify things and read a psalm and proverb a day, He knew that I was going to be walking down a path where I would commiserate with the psalmist and feel like I couldn't go on.
"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and
saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
He knew I would need to be reminded of His unfailing love.
"May your unfailing love be my comfort." Psalm 119:76
He knew He'd need to remind me that I needed to trust Him.
"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a
He knew I'd need to be reminded to praise Him.
"I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever." Psalm 86:12
He knew I'd need to be reminded that His plan for me is superior to mine.
"I cry out to God most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me." Psalm 57:2
He knew I'd need to be reminded that my suffering was not in vain.
"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." Psalm 119:71
So, if you need a revival to your quiet time, maybe the Psalms is the perfect place for you to start. You don't have to duplicate what I did, feel free to. I started by reading one or two chapters a day from Psalms and one chapter from Proverbs. I coordinated the book of Proverbs with the days of the month since there are 31 chapters in Proverbs. Needless to say, with 150 chapters in Psalm, I made it through Proverbs several times and then decided to move on to another book of wisdom, just for a change of scenery!
Reading the Bible is a conglomeration of many small journeys. It doesn't have to be one grand feat taken on with an invisible stopwatch ticking in your ear as the days of the year pass by. You also don't have a school marm kind of God who slaps your wrist when you miss a day.
I know for a fact that I will use the book of Psalms again in my future study time, as it was so rewarding. I hope that you, too, will delve into this wonderful gem found right in the middle of your Bible.
***One thing to know when reading Psalms is that they are not written in chronological order. For instance, the 23rd Psalm was written shortly after David was anointed King, but the 2nd Psalm is believed to be written at the end of his reign. Sort of backwards, huh? The psalms were compiled to be used in worship, not as a timeline of historical events. In fact, unless you read the notes of your Bible, you might not even be aware of the context in which the psalm was written (time, place, etc.).
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