Solace in the Psalms

Puritanhead · #1 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 10:34 AM

I've often gained solace from the Psalms of David... It shows how God is a comfortor, our provider, and we must be faithful and trust in him. It makes manifest our weaknesses and frailties as finite human beings. It is illustrative that the good Lord will pick us up and sustain us when we stumble and fall. When David was victimized by slanderers and by those who sought his life like Saul, he was adamant that the Lord was his refuge and strength. He had a repentant heart and confessed his foolishness. The fights and battles in our life are inherently spiritual in nature as we're not fighting against flesh and blood but spiritual darkness.

VirginiaHuguenot · #2 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 11:11 AM

I've heard it said that the Psalms can be boiled down to a one-word summary reflecting man's need and God's provision: Help!

Contra_Mundum · #3 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 11:16 AM

One of my professors once described the Psalter as the perfect reflection of "the emotional life of our Savior." I think immersion in the Psalter will bring each one of us to the point of ideal balance for his own emotional life. It would be an infinitely superior prescription to all the Prozac, Zantac, and Valium mood-altering pharma that is zombifying our society.

Puritanhead · #4 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 11:56 AM

Life has its ups and downs surely enough. When are loved ones suffer from disease, when we face bereavement over lost loved ones, when we endure hardship, when our brother sets a stumblingblock before us, when we lose friends, and even suffer personal or physical attacks on us-- it certainly brings us down. Nonetheless, through faith, God picks us up in the midst of our many trials and afflictions. He sustains us and draws us closer to him, and our trials work patience in our life-- and they teach us not to react in our own strength but to respond to every circumstance commensurate with God's will. Oh, how many mistakes we make along the way. God identifies with our weaknesses since he was tempted and tried in all points as we are...

If one can grasp anything from the Psalter-- it's not to let our emotions control us, but we can control our emotions by recognizing that we have a sovereign God in charge... he is our parakletos, our advocate and helper... we don't have to be a victim of our circumstances, but we can overcome them and endure them through faith.

HELP!! is an adequate summation of the Psalter.

Puritanhead · #5 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Contra_Mundum
One of my professors once described the Psalter as the perfect reflection of "the emotional life of our Savior." I think immersion in the Psalter will bring each one of us to the point of ideal balance for his own emotional life. It would be an infinitely superior prescription to all the Prozac, Zantac, and Valium mood-altering pharma that is zombifying our society.

Quote:

Originally posted by Contra_Mundum
One of my professors once described the Psalter as the perfect reflection of "the emotional life of our Savior." I think immersion in the Psalter will bring each one of us to the point of ideal balance for his own emotional life. It would be an infinitely superior prescription to all the Prozac, Zantac, and Valium mood-altering pharma that is zombifying our society.

And I concur, I loathe how mind-altering psychotropic drugs are dispensed like Pez candy even to children in our Prozac generation. I disdain the stuff and think very seldom should such medications be used... and some shouldn't be used at all, because of side effects and health risks attendant to their consumption. Moreover, there is no biological basis or test 9/10 times when it is dispensed. Many times the cure is worse than the so called disease. Some parents have the dubious assumption that a pill can replace the need for proper childrearing. Too often, the prescription drug isn't getting at the root of one's problems, but only alleviating it momentarily. Many things in our biochemical makeup--- can be altered for the better naturally by a resolute determinism to change our behavior-- For example, if we feel tired or burnt out consistently, we can resolve to exercise and get our endorphines running in the morning... and schedule a full eight-hours of sleep every night-- it gives us clarity of thought, focus and makes us more alert. We also have prayer, something the natural man eschews, but something the regenerate man knows is a powerful medium for overcoming formidable obstacles, trials and afflictions.

Joseph Ringling · #6 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Puritanhead

And I concur, I loathe how mind-altering psychotropic drugs are dispensed like Pez candy even to children in our Prozac generation. I disdain the stuff and think very seldom should such medications be used... and some shouldn't be used at all, because of side effects and health risks attendant to their consumption. Moreover, there is no biological basis or test 9/10 times when it is dispensed. Many times the cure is worse than the so called disease. Some parents have the dubious assumption that a pill can replace the need for proper childrearing. Too often, the prescription drug isn't getting at the root of one's problems, but only alleviating it momentarily. Many things in our biochemical makeup--- can be altered for the better naturally by a resolute determinism to change our behavior-- For example, if we feel tired or burnt out consistently, we can resolve to exercise and get our endorphines running in the morning... and schedule a full eight-hours of sleep every night-- it gives us clarity of thought, focus and makes us more alert. We also have prayer, something the natural man eschews, but something the regenerate man knows is a powerful medium for overcoming formidable obstacles, trials and afflictions.

lwadkins · #7 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot

I've heard it said that the Psalms can be boiled down to a one-word summary reflecting man's need and God's provision: Help!

Hmmm, never heard it put quite that way, very fitting. I like it!

lwadkins · #8 (**permalink**) 02-14-2005, 01:10 PM

I find myself turning increasingly to the Psalms to combat the feelings of being unworthy of Gods grace that well up in me at times causing me to lose prespective. Knowing that I am so unworthy requires that I remind myself frequently that God gifted me with righteousness.

Thanks be to God!