The one hundred and fifty psalms in the Bible were written by several different people; we believe that David wrote many but certainly not all. The psalms were meant to be set to music and sung as a way of extolling the glory of God, but also as a way of expressing the deeply honest emotions which are certain to appear when one submits their life to the leading of God.
The psalms as given in the Bible represent longings, frustration, anger, confession, and praise of the individuals who wrote about three thousand years ago. Perhaps today psalms would sound like this:
A PSALM OF PRAISE
1. O Lord, I will praise you through all of my day;
for you have given me so many reasons to praise.
2. I will praise you when I rise;
for you have given me rest and breath.
3. I will praise when I eat my morning meal;
for you have given me time before my family goes their ways.
4. I will praise you when I drive my children to school;
for you have given resources and intellect for them to learn.
5. I will praise you when I work;
for you have given both ability and opportunity to produce.
6. I will praise you when I observe, though all too infrequent,
the beauty of the trees and grass, the river and the park;
for you have given a creation, though fallen, as a reminder of
your majesty and love.
7. I will praise you when I return home;
for you have given comfort and a loving wife.
8. I will praise you when I lay;
for you have given me warmth and peace.
9. Yes, Lord, I will praise you through all of my day;
and I will praise you for all of my days;
for you have given me so many reasons to praise.
10. I will praise you in my youth;
for you have given me strength and health and energy.
11. I will praise you in my mid years;
for you have given me family and understanding of your ways.
12. I will praise you in my aging;
for you have given guidance and protected me from selfish gain;
13. Lord, you are my love, my life, my all in all;
I will praise you at the end;
for you have given of yourself so I might live.
14. So I praise you all through my day and for all of my days;
for you have given me so many reasons to praise.
A PSALM OF LAMENT
1. Lord, the heavens and hills declare your glory;
but your people wail and cry in despair;
who can blame them for failing to see?
2. Who can blame the mother who fails to see your glory,
when her child is torn from her arms and beat?
3. Who can blame the father who fails to see your glory,
when he is unable to even feed his family?
4. Who can blame the children for failing to see your glory,
when their father leaves and their mothers dies an early, painful death?
5. Who can blame the nations for failing to see your glory,
when corruption, war, and disaster strips away all hope?
6. Who can blame your people for failing to see your glory,
when the stars do shine but evil and heartache reign?
7. Who can blame anyone for failing to see your glory,
when you allow all of this?
8. Oh Lord, return your glory to this land;
what is declared in the heavens declare again among your people.
9. It is not the time for a silent God who withholds direction;
your people are lost and wandering in need of a shepherd.
10. Now is the time for the heavens to shine in the lives of your people,
for your people to be transformed, walk in your ways, and praise your name.
11. Now is the time for your voice to be heard with thunderous clarity,
for the paths to be strained until only one remains.
12. Hear our cry! Why will you not shine? Why will you not thunder and strain?
Who can blame us for failing to see?
13. And yet, Oh Lord, your glory does shine,
and I will trust in you, in you alone, though I fail to see.
From the psalms we learn about a posture of honesty before God. Yes we pray we will one day be able to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4), but it is natural for portions of the journey to contain seasons of wrestling where we cry out for understanding. So whether we are in a season of praise or a season of lament, God is there and would love to hear our personal psalms.
Have a Christ Centered Day!
Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries
