Themes in the Psalms.

Psalms is a unique and wonderful book in the Bible. It’s like reading 150 different short stories—stories about people experi- encing life in all its many flavors. There are chapters and verses that highlight great events and victories. And there are writings de- scribing very difficult circumstances and failings. You will feel the ups and downs as you consider what theses verses mean for you.

In my preparation I noticed there are themes that tie these various stories and situations together. I think having an understanding of these themes will be helpful for your understanding the Psalms, and more importantly for being able to see yourself in them. These themes paint a picture of what I saw God saying through the Psalms. I know they will lift your spirit as you get ready to dive into these verses.

God’s goodness

We have a saying in our church that goes “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.” I used to take that saying for granted. After reading in depth through the Psalms and writing about these verses I won’t do that anymore. The richness, depth and intention of God’s goodness changed my life.

God’s goodness is part of his character. He treats you with goodness, kindness and understanding because his character is good, and only good. To the core of his very being, God is good. That impacts everything he has done and will do in the future. It gives you confidence that though the world sometimes doesn’t seem to make sense, you can always count on the Lord to be good to you. No matter what you face, look at Jesus and see that he will bring you only good.

God’s Steadfast Love and Faithfulness

These words are used in many of the verses you will read about in this devotional. They are outcomes of his goodness. The writers of the Psalms are very transparent about the dangers and disap- pointments they faced. And they are equally clear that through whatever is happening to them, they recognize God’s steadfast love and faithfulness are present and active in their lives.

You will see how this truth touches the lives of the authors in amazing ways. They will be taken, sometimes abruptly, from de- spair to gladness as they recall God’s love and call out to him for more. These characteristics of the Lord will be a solid foundation for you and provide you with hope even when things look bad. You will learn the value of knowing that Jesus’ love is pure and non- ending. It will change the reality of your life.

Living in Freedom

You are going to read lots of verses that talk about how the Lord will break the chains that bind you and keep you from living in freedom. The Lord values your freedom as much as anything else he wants to give to you. In fact, the Bible says: “For freedom Christ has set you free.” Freedom is so important that he gives it to you for its own sake.

He knows that you will not be happy in your life if you are captured by sin and its addictions. He promises that his power and authority are more than enough to bring you freedom from what- ever might be trying to keep you stuck. He wants you to be able to live like you’ve always wanted to, and to be who you’ve always wanted to be. He has the power to make these happen for you.

Joy and Praise

You are going to have your world rocked by how much joy these verses are going to bring you. You will feel your heart being filled with joy by God as you think about his goodness and love for you and then thank him for these powerful and life changing gifts. You will see that the joy you are given will be lasting and deep. It will help you overcome situations and difficulties that you face.

And you will learn how to become a joy-creator. Yes, you will be able to generate joy in your life and the lives of those around you. The fuel that generates joy is your worship and praise of the Lord. These verses will lead you into praise and you will see your heart creating joy and gladness in you. No matter what is going on in your life, you can quietly or out-loud worship Jesus, and he will bring a deep-seated and lasting joy to you.

Being Thankful

Closely related to joy are the many, many verses that talk about thanksgiving. There are going to be things that happen in your life that will bring you disappointment, hurt and sorrow. God’s word consistently says to be thankful in, but not for these things. It doesn’t make sense to be thankful for a diagnosis of cancer. But you can learn to be thankful to God even when you, or a loved one, gets that news.

Being thankful at all times is a sign that you are living in freedom, that you refuse to be captive to the events of life. It also shows that you recognize that God is in control, not you. Being thankful even in the face of bad news will release you from the dread of the news and put you on solid ground to deal with the sit- uations with a clear mind. And a thankful mindset is one of the means by which God delivers goodness into your life

Hearing God’s Voice

David and the other writers of the Psalms clearly heard God speaking to them. You can read God speaking to you in every verse you read. Its a release when you hear God—it shows you that he is always wanting to interact with you. He longs to hear your voice, and also for you to hear his. Remember as you read the verses that they are God’s words to you.

And as you get more and more used to asking God about his written words, you will learn that you can ask him questions and that he will answer you. And you will be eager to hear from him. Practice this—open your hands and give God something that you don’t want—maybe anger or fear. Then when you have given that to the Lord, ask him what he wants to give you in return. You will learn to recognize his voice in your mind and heart, and you will be so encouraged. He will respond with only good and positive things for your life, his words will give you courage, peace and joy. You will be prepared to move into whatever is happening with hope and confidence.