Psalm 34
The gospel is an invitation to find our full satisfaction in God. And Psalm 34 is an invitation to taste and see the goodness of—as seen in the gospel—together. David invites us to taste and see b/c David knows something about the human soul. The human soul is hungry—it is searching after that thing that will ultimately satisfy. Relationships, money, successful career, status. The Bible is helping us to see here that none of those things will satisfy the deep hunger of our soul... Jesus is the only one who can satisfy the deep hunger of our soul.
Psalm 32
In the quiet moments of life—when all the distractions fade—we are all too familiar with that nagging feeling of guilt. Ever since Genesis 3 humanity has had a problem with guilt and shame. In short, we don’t want people to see the “real me”. We don’t want people to see who we are—we feel the need to cover up. You might not believe in heaven or hell but there’s also a part of you that feels unsettled and not OK with yourself. It’s why we overwork, overspend, overexercise, and the list goes on and on. The good news of the gospel and the message of Psalm 32 is that we indeed have a covering. And the key to unlocking that in our life is found through confessing our sin.
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 shows us that there is one thing in this life that we cannot live without. Every single one of us has something that immediately comes to mind. Whether acknowledged or just functionally lived out there is something in our life that we think we can’t live without. Things like money, a spouse, your career, recognition, your possessions. The Psalmist is not saying that those are unimportant or that they don’t matter. Rather, he shows us, that none of those things are the one thing. Instead, God’s presence in our life is the one thing we actually need.
Psalm 24
Psalm 24 shows us the extent of God’s right over everything. This is good news for those who follow Christ. He is the Creator God who rules and reigns over creation. He is the Holy God who sets the standard for morality and our approach to Him. He is the Victorious God who conquers over every enemy and enters into His rightful place as the King worthy of worship. He is the King of glory. This is good news for followers of Christ because Jesus Christ is the true living God who became creation, lived a perfect life, and conquered sin and death by taking our place. We have full assurance in God’s presence because of Christ. He is the King of glory!
Psalm 23
This life is full of deep, dark valleys—places of hurt, pain and ultimately death. The well-known Psalm 23 reminds us that our Lord is our shepherd king! He is our provider, protector, and promise keeper. We are His sheep and are dependent on His goodness and grace to save us and sustain us for His glory and righteousness. The life of a Christian under the care of the Good Shepherd could not be more safe, secure, and abundant. Psalm 23 reveals the heart of God for mankind and is a picture of the gospel now and what’s to come.
Psalm 16
Where is man at the greatest point in his life? What experiences of life are enough to fulfill, either in life or in death? These “high view” questions are at the core of Psalm 16. King David, under threat of death, needs something to get between him and the trouble, a joyful confidence that cannot be shaken. Before God, he finds a covering that he can confide in, a connection in relationship with God and others, a contentment in the Lord that spills over into praise, and a completion that gives hope and permanence. All this is available and accessible to Christians because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Psalm 8
All of us want to know that we have meaning in life. The bad news, though, is that sin has caused us to completely lose focus of what that meaning is and where to find it, which is why Psalm 8 is so crucial to our life. This week we looked at how your purpose and meaning has already been given in the majesty of God (not in your intellect, or your abilities, or even your morality). Each of us were created by God and in doing so God has given us meaning.
Psalm 3
All of us have things that we fear in our life - big fears, small fears, normal fears, irrational fears, which is why Psalm 3 is so crucial for our spiritual formation. Psalm 3 specifically shows us how to deal with the issue of fear in our life. In Psalm 3 we found that the Bible doesn’t simply give us platitudes or cute Hallmark sayings to recite when faced with fear. Instead it gives us real “in time” help from a God who is not distant or uncaring or unconcerned. God wants to meet you right where you are at with whatever fear you are living in or with this morning. He doesn’t want to leave you there…he wants to pull you out from it.
Psalm 1
The Psalms are the language of the soul and they provide for us the full expression and experience of a real life relationship with the living God. And Psalm 1 lays the foundation for the entire book by providing the context for what’s to come by laying out the two possible paths that we can travel on in life. One path leads away from God and brings death – the other towards God and brings life. We all walk on one of these two... which one will you choose?