3 Reasons the Psalms Encourage Us
This morning, while meditating on Psalm 1, I read the following inset in the Beyond Suffering Study Bible. The title of the inset is “Suffering and Disability Themes,” but I think these insights are encouraging reasons to spend time in the book of Psalms.
Joy is good medicine. Though many have tried, no one has adequately described the awesome power of joyful praise and worship. The transformation brought by uplifting songs in the face of life-shattering struggles is wonderful. Praise can not only change one’s perspective but also heal the heart, body, and soul. In times of discouragement, joyful praise can be our greatest hope (43:5).
God determines the timing of his intervention. We are not spared the troubles of life simply because we are God’s children. The psalms wrestle candidly and honestly with these realities. While we know that God rescues his children, his compassion and mercy do not compel him to intervene immediately. Yet, he is always on time. Even as we ask, “O Lord, how long will you forget me?” (13:1), we can have faith in our heavenly Father, who loves us too perfectly to rescue us too soon.
We can surrender our questions to God. As human beings, we sometimes feel we have the right to ask God a lot of questions—Who? (14:7); What? (116:12); Where? (39:7); Why? (2; 22). Thankfully, God knows us and accepts our questions as part of our worship when we ask them with hearts fully surrendered to his will.
