Day 125 – Psalms: Book 1

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.” Psalm 23:1 NLT

Reading Psalm 1to Psalm 41

While the Psalms are not organised by topic, it is helpful to compare dominant themes in each section of the Psalms to the five books of Moses. The first collection of Psalms (mainly written by David) is similar to the book of Genesis. Just as Genesis sketches how mankind was created, fell into sin, and was then promised redemption, many of these Psalms discuss humans as blessed, fallen, and redeemed by God.

What is theologically known as Book 1 of Psalms, the writers praise God for his justice, express confidence in God’s compassion, recount the depravity of humanity, plead for vindication, ask God to deliver them from their enemies, speak to the blessedness of the forgiven sinner, and portray God as our Shepherd. We should worship God with the same sense of adoration and reverent fear as found in these beautiful scriptures.

Prayer: Father, thank You that the Psalms compare with the rest of Your Word and with our lives. Thank You for the growth we can experience as we work through Psalms and take these words to heart as we accept You as our Shepherd and look to You for guidance. Amen.