Devotional Messages

DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE

Psalm 143:8 – Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust.  Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.  (NRSV)

The Psalms are special.  Throughout most of Christian tradition, they have been set apart from other parts of the Bible.  Why? Unlike most of scripture, the Psalms are frequently addressed directly to God.  This makes them a wonderful aid for prayer.  Many of the psalms are songs of praise, and it is vital for Christians to engage in praise regularly, in order to keep our focus on God.  Some of the psalms cannot really be described as praise, but they are still addressed to God.  We may have trouble relating to the pain or anger being expressed by the writers of some psalms.  And yet, there is much we can gain from reading them.

Why?  Because our faith is always in danger of becoming about God, rather than in God.  So much of scripture talks about God, tempting us to think that a life of faith merely requires talking about God.  But the Psalms remind us that a true Christian must also talk to God.  Our faith is a relationship, the one that is supposed to shape and guide our lives.  We cannot be strongly influenced by anyone that we only talk about, but not with.

Reading the Psalms shows us that we can talk to God about anything.  Whether we’re joyful or thankful or pained or bitter or angry, the psalmists show us how to pour that out in prayer.  And frequently, they also illustrate how doing so brings us back around to praise.  Reading the psalms regularly gives us a way to “hear of God’s steadfast love in the morning” so that we can learn “the way we should go.”  I hope we will all take a fresh look at the Psalms as this new year begins.  God is waiting to hear from us!