Category: Scripture Reflections

The Psalms of the Day

Have you ever read the Psalms of the day?

The Bible helps us to express our emotions and focus our prayer, and this is especially true of the Psalms. What does godly sorrow sound like? How should we pray for those who are overtly attacking us? Where can we find genuine words of contrition and repentance? All of this, and much more, is in the Psalms.

I highly recommend reading the Psalms of the day. This method of daily Bible reading can be especially helpful if you are going through a tough time, if you are struggling to pray meaningfully, or if you want to grow in your love for God and your awareness of His presence and provision.

You might be thinking, “Alright, I’d like to do this, but what in the world are the Psalms of the day?” Let me offer a brief explanation.

There are 150 Psalms. Divide that by 5, and you get 30.

There are usually 30-31 days each month (Feb is the exception). So, you start by reading the Psalm number that corresponds to today’s date. The date of this post is 10/01/2019, so you would begin with Psalm 1.

Then you add 30 to the day’s date and read that Psalm. Then you add another 30, and so on until you run out of Psalms.

On the first day of the month, the readings are Psalms 1, 31, 61, 91, and 121.

On the second day, the readings are Psalms 2, 32, 62, 92, and 122.

You get the idea.

This method of reading the Psalms would have you through the whole book of Psalms in a single month. I’ve found this method a great way to lead family Bible readings, and the Psalms are a marvelous place to turn for personal devotions as well.

May God bless your reading of His word, and may your hope in Him grow deeper and stronger with every reading.

A note about Psalm 119:

Since Psalm 119 is quite lengthy (you can read it in about 10-20 minutes), you could read Psalm 119 alone on the 31st of those months with 31 days.

Or you might notice that Psalm 119 is broken down into 22 sections (one section for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet), and you could devise some other method for reading through Psalm 119 along with your other daily readings. For example, you might read one section on each weekday of the month along with the other Psalms of the day.

Marc Minter is the senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Diana, TX. He and his wife, Cassie, have two sons, Micah and Malachi.

Connect with Marc on Twitter or Facebook.

Grace to Die and to Live

I have only recently begun to enjoy the benefits of reading Scripture aloud while sitting alone. There have been numerous times that I have thought, “I never knew it said that…” Psalm 119 has also been a longtime favorite portion of Scripture for me, but this was my first time to read the whole thing aloud in one sitting. I found myself thinking at least three things as I read, and I continue pondering them now.

First, my soul felt deep conviction every time I read “…with my whole heart…”

I know that Christ’s summary of God’s law is a preeminent love for God with the “whole” or undivided heart, but I have long understood that my heart was wholly devoted only before I became a Christian and that devotion was not in the category of ‘love for God.’ Upon deep reflection, I am not sure there is a single second of my experience when I have wholly sought God, kept His law, or observed His precepts. Even at my best moments of truly seeking, keeping, and observing, I remain fully able to relate to the ‘wretched man’ of Romans 7. I find a true heart in me (thanks be to God), but still a divided one.

Second, my heart longed to swim in the delight of the psalmist… the delight found only in the presence of God, which is experienced in and through His word.

I recall fleeting moments of this delight, temporary indulgences in the sweet joy of God’s imminence. Oh, I know that He is always near, but there have been those times when I have come to the end of myself, times of utter despair with regards to temporal securities, and the awareness of God’s faithful presence has been so palpable that I lose all but love and joy and peace and contentment in Him. These memories were the longing of my heart as I read about the psalmist’s delight. I too delight in God, find joy in His promises, experience safety under His precepts, and long to feel the soul-invigorating nearness of presence.

Third, my resolve was inflamed among the flickering repetition of the psalmist’s own commitment.

“I will meditate…” and “I have chosen…” and “I cling…” and “I hasten…” and “I incline my heart…” These are the words of one who has set his mind on conforming his will, and this is no dispassionate task. What determination must a man have to rail against his own will?! Only those who have set themselves on such a course will know of its ominous and arduous path. And yet, this is the call of every Christ-follower – take up your cross and die… lose yourself… put away your old self… and deny yourself. These are the demands of the highest call, and these are the promises of the One who is faithful to enable, to enliven, and to bring such a transformation to completion.

May God forgive and correct my divided affections; may He make me aware of His nearness; may He grant me grace to die and grace to live.

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