Today our sermon study takes us
to the wonderful, yet challenging
book of Psalms. The narrative
found in this marvelous book is a
combination of songs and prayers.
The actual title of this book,
Psalms, comes to us from the
Greek Septuagint translation of
the Old Testament. We can imagine
so many of the different
Psalms coming from hearts as
shared in the attitude of praise as the people sang
their affirmation and worship to God.
In the schools of the prophets, and on into the time
of Christ’s earthly ministry, the students were all
taught to ‘pray the Psalms’. There is something
quite incredible to pray the words that are so rich
with worship of the relationship that God has with
mankind. It has been said that “Praise is the prayer
that changes everything!” You see, when we hear
our voices reciting these passages of scripture that
are very full of such language, we tend to sense that
our faith is growing.
There really is something powerful in these words,
and when they are expressed aloud, even with no
one else listening, our hearts hear these praises to
our faithful God, our loving Lord. And when these
words and the expressions of our own lips are
combined, we are changed. This is the result of us
hearing ourselves declaring the faithfulness, the
holiness, the power and grace of God and we are
transformed by our worship.
It may not be simple to trace this concept in your
own life, and yet, I am quite certain that it has
happened to you. The Psalms are absolutely
extraordinary in the ways that we, as readers, are
reminded of Who God is.
In Chapter 44 we find that God’s people are struggling
to accept what it seems as the silence of God,
that He doesn’t seem to be living out His Covenant
with the people. They are beyond despondent
following a defeat in battle and now they are anxious
to know what God is up to.
When we feel like this perhaps we forget that we
serve a God Who is very relational, He longs to
connect with our hearts, He is anxious to bear our
burdens and He is faithful to forgive our sinful
tendency to separate ourselves from Him. I remember
a song that I heard years ago, “If God’s not
there, guess who went away.”
Every time I hear those words I think about the
powerful message that God is walking with us, that
He will never leave us. May we purpose that we will
never leave Him!
Warmly,
Pastor Phil
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