For me this year, it's been the Psalter.
The Psalter is a fancy word for the book of Psalms, that 150 chapter songbook smack dab in the middle of the Bible. It's been said that while the rest of the Bible speaks to us, the Psalter speaks for us. In its pages, I can pretty much guarantee you will find words that will both match your mood while giving you hope. Feeling good, bad, angry, hurt, lonely, joyful--Whatever it is, your emotion will be in there directed at God, with God often speaking (or whispering) a response.
But when you are without hope, feeling like you are being tossed in life's storms, the Psalter is at it's very best.
Over Lent, one of my spiritual practices has been reading the Psalter through Psalm by Psalm, roughly one per day. And what I've noticed during the course of this season is how very close the Psalmist knew that God was.
I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength; the Lord is my foundation, and my refuge, and my deliverer.--Psalm 17
Our God is our refuge and strength, a helper in afflictions which mightily befall us.--Psalm 45
Save me, O God, for the waters are come into my soul.--Psalm 68
O Lord, hear my prayer, give ear unto my supplication in Thy truth; hearken unto me in Thy righteousness.--Psalm 142
All throughout, whatever the setting, one thing is for certain when you read the Psalter; the firm and certain knowledge that God is near and is within earshot of your call.
I need that right now. WE need that right now. More than anything else, I'm thinking. To know that we are not alone. To know that "social isolation" does not pertain to the God of love. To know that we can find hope even in a pandemic because nothing in our life is lost on the God who will never lose us.
The Psalter. It's the Pandemic Songbook. And for that I am grateful.
No comments:
Post a Comment