The first words of Psalm 4 – answer me, reminds me of a petulant child, stomping their foot and making loud demands. The words also can be a cry for help, or a cry of despair. Psalm 4 The writer of Psalm 4 is confident that God is with him. He calls upon “God of […]
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The book of Psalms is the prayer book of the early Hebrew community. In it you find the full range of human emotion, including anger. So, what do the Psalms teach us about anger? Anger in the Bible Human anger is seen as a natural part of human behavior in the Bible, though one that […]
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Some days are filled with wonder over all that God has done, others not so much. Perhaps you are feeling discouraged as the weeks of sheltering in place and being confronted by the coronavirus everywhere you go creep into months. Perhaps you feel stuck in a state of limbo, getting nowhere fast, waiting for good […]
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Why do we say that someone who peppers his speech with swear words has a “colorful” language? I personally think their language is drab and dull. Not only does it show a lack of vocabulary, it shows a lack of imagination. Now if you are looking for colorful curses, you need look no further than […]
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It’s only paranoia if your fears are not based in reality. Are the fears expressed in Psalm 83 real or paranoia? What do you do when God appears to be silent? Do you imagine the worst? Psalm 83 Psalm 83 starts with the people calling to God, trying to wake him up. The people are […]
Read More Have you ever gone through a time of loss and disorientation? Sometimes these are necessary for spiritual growth. Theologian Walter Brueggemann divides the Psalms into three categories: psalms of orientation, disorientation and re-orientation. This week’s psalm, Psalm 79, is a psalm of disorientation. Psalm 79 Psalm 79 is a communal lament. The temple has been […]
Read More You’ve heard the saying, vengeance is mine, says the Lord. If I had my way, it would be, says me, or at least I would like to dictate the shape this vengeance might take, like the writer of Psalm 58. Psalm 58 – Images The writer calls for vengeance. In his defense, he is not […]
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“Everybody lies” – so says Dr. Gregory House from the popular TV series “House.” Cynical, yet it rings true, we all lie at times. It is a social skill first formed at the age of reason, seven, then developed over time. Anyone who insists they never lie is a liar. The writer of Psalm 52 […]
Read More Psalm 35 is all about the writer. He writes, me, me, me. His whole focus is on himself and asking God to do for him. In doing so, it is a very human psalm in the midst of all the Psalms where human emotion and error is so prevalent. In contrast to Psalm 34 wherein […]
Read MoreEvery Lent he followed a strenuous discipline of prayer and fasting, eating very little. He considered this sacrifice to be so little in comparison to all Jesus did for us. His children, however, dreaded this season because, beset by hunger pains, he was irritable and cranky all Lent. The woman had just lost her baby. […]
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