Lesson One

Our Wonderful God

Memory Verse: Psalm 48:1
Further Study: Psalm 139:1-12; Proverbs 8:22-36, PP 33-35

My husband and I are different when it comes to music. It’s not the genre that divides us; it’s music versus lyrics. When he hears a song, he hears the music—chords I do not. He can read a book or sleep blissfully with music playing. I cannot. Why? Because all I hear are the lyrics. Yes, I recognize a beautiful tune or memorable melody, but if the lyrics can’t be understood or make no sense, I’m done.

Recently I’ve been reading through the Psalms. Guess what? All lyrics! For whatever reason the Lord saw fit for the music to be forgotten and simply left us the words.

If you haven’t read through the Psalms, you should. You will be blessed.These songs will strike a chord in any heart. For me, particularly David’s. As I read his psalms, I have learned to recognize his voice.

I am a praying person. I talk with God all the time. We have a relationship, but my conversations with God seem ordinary when reading David’s lyrics. His soul is fully present in his laments, as well as his praise. What about me? If I’m honest, I may have a handle on the laments, but my prayers of praise may be lacking.

How is it with you? Do you find your prayers full of asking? Are you one who challenges and reasons in your time with God?

Sometimes in the midst of everyday life, our list of what we wish for or want grows. It grabs our attention and our time, while our praise wanes. It’s okay. God gets it. You’re in good company. David also did his share of complaining. But here’s the difference. It is never all that he is. His psalms insert praise either at the beginning, the middle, the end, or all three.

Overwhelmed? Work, kids, or life consuming you? Register your objections to God. He wants you to. But before you start down your list, count your blessings first. I know, you’ve heard it before: “Count your blessings and suddenly everything will be okay.” No, your problems won’t disappear, but your spirit will change. Listing our blessings evokes praise—praise to the One who is there for all our needs. Suddenly your prayers will become psalms, maybe not as poetic as David’s, but music to God’s ears and yours. And you are renewed.

 

DIGGING DEEPER 

Of the 150 Psalms, 73 are attributed to David as the author. We know, though, that David actually wrote two more—Psalm 2 and Psalm 95. How do we know? The New Testament speaks of David’s authorship and then quotes from these psalms (Acts 4:25 and Hebrews 4:7). Ellen White, in Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, page 49, credits Psalm 45 to David bringing the total to 76.

The entire book of Psalms has one simple theme: People have problems and God is the solution. While reading all the psalms is something you should plan to do at least once, busy people sometimes need to know where they can find help fast. Depending on your circumstances, try reading some of David’s words to find sympathy, understanding, and strength as he did in His Creator.

Feeling lonely? Read Psalm 25.
Feeling tired? Read Psalm 6.
Feeling overwhelmed? Read Psalm 121.
Lacking confidence? Read Psalm 71.
Feeling abandon? Read Psalm 22.
Feeling ignored? Psalm 131.
Feeling joy? Read Psalm 65.
Think God no longer hears? Read Psalm 13.
Want to praise Him? Read Psalm 103.
Awed by creation? Read Psalm 19.
Wondering about the future? Read Psalm 27.
Feeling scared? Read Psalm 23.
Feeling discouraged? Read Psalm 62.
Feeling guilty? Read Psalm 130.
Feeling betrayed? Read Psalm 55.
Feeling triumphant? Read Psalm 68.

MAKING IT REAL 

1. If you are someone who journals, find time to make a list of your blessings. Then use your list to pray a psalm of praise and thanksgiving.
2. Feeling poetic? Write and sing your own psalm praising God.
3. Too busy? While cooking or cleaning, sing a hymn of praise.
4. Involve your family at worship time. Together make a list of your blessings. Then read Psalm 136, inserting your family list in the place of the first line of each verse from 2-25 (if you do the entire psalm, you will need 24 things). Read it aloud together.

 

_________
Merle Poirier writes from Silver Spring, Maryland, where she works as the operation manager for Adventist Review and Adventist World magazines as well as the designer for KidsView, a magazine for 8-12-year-olds. She enjoys spending time with her family including being the grandmother of two active little boys, who greatly enjoy Starting With Jesus.

 

Coming next week:
“LUCIFER’S SAD CHOICE”

Based on Proverbs 29:18;
Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:2-19; PP 35-43; SR 13-19

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