His Word is a Lamp: Psalms

One of the things that I observe regularly as I read the Psalms is that they are filled with intimacy. David is one of the major contributors to a number of Psalms that we read. He is a lover of the Divine, of God Himself. His Psalms are marked with longing after God (Ps.63:1), thirsting for the Lord (Ps. 42:2), delighting in Him (Ps.37:4), thinking of Him through the watches of the night (Ps. 63:6) and begging for His forgiveness so David could continue in right relationship with God (Ps. 51:1-12). 

David flat out tells God that he loves Him (Ps. 18:1). This was the King of Israel, helping to lead the nation in its worship of God. He was also a man after God’s heart (1 Sam 13:14). As such, David was driven to want to honor God and to serve Him. When we think of someone who would be an example of closeness to God, David is the picture of that example. 

Interestingly, we don’t have the musical notes to the songs that David wrote, only the words. Yet, thousands of years later, we read these poems and they speak to our souls. These Psalms help us to express our praise and our laments to God. They teach us that the range of human emotions can be part of who we are and that we don't have to make them "religious" in order to legitimize them. In fact, God created us with these emotions to help us understand what it means to be human. Psalms also teach us that we don’t have to stay stuck in our emotions but that as we bring our very lives to God, He meets us where we are and is our refuge (Ps. 46:1-2). 

I think God gave us the Psalms, not so that we would be jealous of David’s relationship with God, but to show us that we can have that same, close, intimate relationship with Him. Thankfully, God didn’t just give us the Psalms to know Him but He gave us Jesus, His only begotten Son, to show us the Father (John 14:9) and to open the way for us. Now in His Son, God is inviting us heavenward. So, I say we set our minds on Him, (Col. 3:1) and recognize that these eternal longings in our hearts have been put there by God (Eccl. 3:11b) to encourage us to seek after Him. What great news it is that He welcomes us with grace and mercy!

Keep seeking His Face (Ps. 27:8)!

Pastor Andy  

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