Psalms 21-25
FIVE SIMPLE PLEASURES:
Arriving home after driving a hundred miles in a snowstorm- Tucking into jacket potato and bolognese when really hungry
- Watching my friend get into writing
- Singing through the songs for my dad’s funeral
- Cuddling up on sofa in front of TV with dogs
PSALM 21: OUR GOD IS A GREAT BIG GOD
Surely you have granted him unending blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence. v6
Some people always seem to find something to moan about. They concentrate on what they do not have, rather than what they do. And it drains the life and joy out of them. I prefer to be around those who have learnt to look on the bright side. Not to pretend everything is fine when it’s not, but to be able to find some good in everyday, however bad the day. There is always something to be grateful for, however small.
PSALM 22: SO WHERE IS YOUR GOD NOW?
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me. v14
The Psalms are full of language for pain. So poetic and descriptive. Describing the indescribable. But the common thread is this – however bad things are and however much it feels like God has abandoned me, I will trust Him because of all that He has done for me and His people throughout history and all that He has promised to do.
PSALM 23: GOD WILL PROVIDE
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul. v2-3
The most well-known Psalm of all time. And for good reason. This Psalm will see you through the bad times. God is with you. God will give you all that you need. God will restore your soul.
PSALM 24: THE KING OF GLORY
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it. v1
‘All that we have is yours, and of your own do we give you’. Everything belongs to God. Everyone belongs to God. It’s therefore our job to look after everything and everyone.
PSALM 25: IN YOU I TRUST
Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Saviour,
and my hope is in you all day long. v4-5
In you, O Lord, I put my trust. It really is as simple as that.
