When I first began Bible journaling and doing a deep read of the Bible, I was going to start in the Gospels to study the ministry of Jesus and who He called Christians to be. However, God led me to start the book of Psalms.
And it took me almost four months.
It was timely because, at the time I started reading Psalms, I was in a very fragile state in my life. I was house hunting in a TERRIBLE market and grappling with triggers about where I was in life. And, in that moment, I needed to read a book that deals with vulnerability and openness about your concerns with God, while still praising and trusting Him in the process. And that’s what Psalms is.
Alright, so for those who don’t want to read my mini dissertation below, here are the key themes I learned from Psalms:
Key Takeaways:
- Praise and worship unto God
- Vulnerable, HONEST prayers to God
- Reminders of Who God really is and His faithful love
- Our shortcomings and Who God has called us to be
Praise & worship is a huge theme in the book of Psalms. There are several different psalms that praise God and are actual songs for Him. In fact, certain chapters in Psalms have been made into Christian songs. Case in point, “One Thing” by Marvin Sapp comes from Psalm 27. Many of the psalms acknowledge God’s greatness and that it’s important to give Him thanks for all that He has done. For example, in Psalm 150:6, the psalmist shares, “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”
There is an incredible amount of vulnerability within this Psalms as well. The psalmists, particularly David, didn’t shy away from being real about their pain, sorrow, and concerns during life’s problems, and wondering where God is. For those of us who grew up in the Black church, many of us were raised to not question God. But David, the main psalmist featured in Psalms, clearly did it all the time. “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” he asked in Psalm 13. This is a man after God’s own heart who also had his own struggles and sins, and also was on the lam at several points of his life. There is a power in honest, vulnerable prayers to God because He already knows how we all feel.
Another key theme of Psalms is a reminder of Who God is and His FAITHFUL LOVE that keeps us. God has all power, wisdom, and control over the entire universe…and yet and still, He is forever loving to us. “Faithful love” is a phrase that is repeated often throughout Psalms. Other versions may read “steadfast love” or share that His love endures forever. Whatever way it reads, it comes down to one thing: God’s love is CONSISTENT. It’s not going anywhere, no matter what. We may deal with the consequences of our own wrong actions, but God still loves us unconditionally. And because of His faithful love and sovereignty, we know that we can trust His plans for our lives.
The psalmists also acknowledge human sin in the book of Psalms. We have shortcomings and we all need God’s mercy and forgiveness. Psalm 51 shows that need for forgiveness and repentance, where David asks the Creator, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” That’s something that I’m always asking God for!
I’m grateful to be on my Bible journaling journey and will be sharing more Bible breakdowns like this!
What have you learned from reading Psalms?
Imperfectly B 