Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
A new “Adult Sabbath School Study Guide” lesson quarterly for our first quarter of 2024 titled “Psalms”, and our first lesson titled “How to Read the Psalms”. As the quarterly introduction states, “The Psalms are prayers and hymns of the Bible par excellence”. As such, the authors take poetic license, exaggeration, and even hyperbole. The Psalms represent certain feelings at a certain time, set to song or poetry. Feelings are just that, feelings. Honest feelings, “uttered in praise, joy, sorrow, and despair…” (ibid). Maybe we can enter into the writer’s feelings at these moments. Maybe we can’t. “The Psalms bear witness to a spiritual journey that is common to many of God’s children” (ibid). Though maybe not striking a corresponding chord in you at this moment.
It can help to understand the setting of a particular Psalm. For example, vengeance. The psalms are directed to God; Holy Spirit inspired prayers/ hymns to God. How could the Holy Spirit inspire these prayers, especially the vengeance psalms? Because He is the Spirit of Love … AND the Spirit of Truth. If you are depressed; would not the Holy Spirit help you to express that depression to God? If you have been wronged and so, so angry; would not the Holy Spirit work with you to express that to God? The Psalms are models of talking with God as to a friend. Psalms are honest expressions of people’s feelings.
Is every truthful thought or feeling, one that is inspired by the Holy Spirit of truth? Is it imperative that we only express good thoughts in our prayers? Or does the Holy Spirit enable us to tell the truth about our thoughts and feeilings, so He and us can do something about those thoughts? Healing can only begin when you finally tell the truth. In the book of Psalms, the writers are expressing them to God.
David is a man of war… and also a man after God’s own heart. In Psalms 109:1-21, David prayed, “Please do this to the people”. But in Psalms 139, he prays this most honest prayer. No fibbing to God. This is clear in the Psalms… pray the truth. Job was honest before God. He did not pray for vengeance. Later in life, David did not seek revenge, either (Absalom).
Christians have a long history of thinking this way… vengeful. David felt that way. Vengeance is a natural feeling to have. What to do with the natural feelings? If you feel angry and vengeful, would it help to read the Psalms? If you are depressed, would the Psalms help? When the Psalmist was depressed, he took it up with God. He described his depression in many great details. The Holy Spirit then led the Psalmist to think about God. Which leads him to eventually resolve his depression. Many Psalms follows this format. First, the writer starts with an honest admission of his depression, anger, feelings. Not just an honest admission, but an honest admission to God. Then God can actually do something about it, leading your thinking by the very Holy Spirit that led you to honestly admit the truth. By the end of many Psalms, the writer and the Holy Spirit have worked through to a favorable conclusion. (Hmmmmm?? Admitting the truth… that’s the very definition of confession).
God tells us he would like to relate to us as friends… to not be afraid. Friends talk plainly and honestly. So, God has given us a sampling of very honest prayers in the Psalms. The Holy Spirit first helps us see the truth about God… that He loves us and is approachable. Then the Holy Spirit leads us to see the truth about ourselves, so we will tell the very truth about ourselves to our trustworthy and loving God.
How should you pray about being seriously wronged? Be honest and forthright. God does not tell us what is wrong about us… and then tell us the remedy. He leads us to see it ourselves… and to see the remedy ourselves. He leads us to see the truth about ourselves and to speak the truth about ourselves. And to realize it is safe to do it with Him.
When you pray, be truthful and open, because God wants to help YOU. You are the object of His affection. God wants us to be honest with Him. He wants us to know it is safe to do that. This is not rebelling. Friends of God pray honestly, communicating with God as with a friend. The Psalms are preserved for us for this reason. God says, in effect, “I like it when you pray like this … even in-front of people. It shows that I am a God to be approached, especially during difficult times”.
With brotherly love,
Jim