This summer we plug into the poetic playlist of the Psalms, the hymn book of Jesus, in order to encourage and equip our hearts to sing the Lord’s song through the ups and downs of the everyday, in the confidence of his care and keeping.
Sunday 5th July
We begin with a cry from the heart in the darkness ‘how long O Lord?’ However, the lament is not a sinking into despair, it teaches us to do what the Apostle Paul urged the Philippians to do, to turn from anxiety to the Lord who is near (Phil. 4:5-7), to bring faith to fear, to cry to the helper and call the heart to entrust itself to him. How can we do that in the moment? We see our Saviour take this psalm to his lips in the deepest of valleys, we see his functional faith and the vindication of his life, and we remember, he has sung this song for us, the foes will never prevail, and we can truly sing to our soul ‘he has been good to me.’
Sunday 19th July
Last time we heard the lament of Psalm 13, the cry ‘how long?’ rises in the midst of adversity. However, the writer makes the telling move – from fear to faith on the foundation of fact, the realities of God. Recalling his goodness past gave grounds to appeal for provision in the present. Despair becomes an anthem of hope as exasperation becomes entrusting. This is the Saviour’s song, and ours ‘in’ him. This week we reflect on reasons for rejoicing in the wisdom of Psalm 14. The initial diagnosis is sobering, the world walks in folly, hearts set against the grain of reality to pursue the havoc of autonomy. Yet despite the universal condition, there is a distinction, there are God’s people, the company of the righteous, how can this be? Salvation has come out of Zion, there is a restoration and refuge, his name is Jesus, let all his people be glad!