PSALMS
This book is the hymnal of the Bible. The word psalm comes from a Greek word that means “a poem sung to musical accompaniment.” Many psalms were sung in the Jewish temple, and the New Testament church also used psalms in worship (1 Cor. 14:26;
The psalms express man’s praise to God for who He is and what He does. They also express man’s need of God in times of trial and his confidence that God will help. You will find in the psalms a full range of human emotions, from ecstatic joy to despair and contrition. You will also find a revelation of God that brings comfort and encouragement when you trust Him.
That explains why the book of Psalms is so greatly beloved by God’s people, for each of us can identify with the writers as they found God’s grace sufficient in the experiences of life. No matter what your circumstances or feelings may be, there is a psalm that perfectly fits your situation.
The book is divided into five sections, each one ending with a doxology: (1) chaps. 1–41; (2) chaps.
Where to Look in the Psalms
When you cannot sleep
Pss. 3–4
When you have sinned
Pss. 32;
When you are ill
Ps. 31
When you need God’s guidance
Ps. 25
When you are traveling
Ps. 121
When people create problems
Ps. 37
When you are downcast
Pss. 42–43
When sinners seem to succeed
Ps. 73
When you are afraid
Pss. 27;
When you “feel old”
Ps. 102
When you worry about the future
Ps. 34
When you think about death
Ps. 116
When you are in deep waters
Pss. 124;
When problems seem bigger than God
Ps. 139
When you just want to praise Him
Ps. 103
Jesus Christ in the Psalms (Luke 24:44)
The King
Ps. 2 with
The Son of man
Ps. 8;
The Resurrection
Ps. 16 with
The Crucifixion
Ps. 22:1–21;
The Shepherd
Ps. 23;
The sacrifice for our sins
Ps. 40:6–8;
Judas’s betrayal
Ps. 41:9;
The royal Bridegroom
Ps. 45;
The Ascension
Ps. 68:18;
The rejection
Ps. 69:4 with
The eternal Son
Ps. 102:25–27;
The divine King-Priest
Ps. 110;
The Stone
Ps. 118:22–23 with