Not only are the Psalms the Bible's hymnbook, an Old Testament welcome to prayer, and a portrait of the struggle of faith, there's a fourth thing that we find in the Psalms: the Psalms are this gorgeous portrait of the presence and power and grace of God.
As you read the Psalms, you have to know this: as gritty as they are and as honest as they are, the Psalms are written to be God-revealing. I love what it says in Psalm 145, that his greatness is beyond our ability to understand. You can dig, and you can dig, and you can dig, and you will never get to the bottom of the glorious glory of God. The Psalms reveal a God whose infinite in power; there's nothing he cannot do. He is gloriously holy in every way and all of the time. He is full of grace and mercy. He is boundless in redeeming love. And in all of that, he is near. The Psalms reveal that God exercises all of this for the good of his children. God unleashes his infinite power, his glorious holiness, his grace, his love, for the good of his children.
I think there is no better example of this than Psalm 136. Every verse of Psalm 136 has this phrase: "For his steadfast love endures forever." Now you have to know what Psalm 136 does; it tells the entire history of Israel through the single lens of the steadfast love of the Lord.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
to him who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever...
to him who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever...
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever...
to him who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
It goes through the history of Israel and says, "This is why your history is what it is, because there is a God, he does exist, and his steadfast love endures forever!" There's nothing that can separate you from his steadfast love.
What the Psalms want us to understand is the ultimate fact of facts, of the human existence, is the existence, the power, and the grace of God. You can have university degrees, but if you don't look at life through that lens--the lens of the presence, the power, and the grace of God--you will never understand life properly.
He is infinite in power. He is glorious in holiness. He is full of grace and mercy. He's boundless in love. And he exercises all of those amazing characteristics for the good of his children. God is the ultimate fact by which we should understand everything else in our lives!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. Write your own "personal Psalm" that traces the history of your life. What are the five to ten key moments that you would highlight and remember? How is each an example of the steadfast love of God enduring forever in your life? Are you tempted to take credit for any of these life highlights, even partially, for what only God could produce and achieve? Imagine how arrogant and foolish Israel would have sounded if they boasted in these achievements in the Psalm 136.
2. Now consider the 10,000 mundane moments of your everyday life of faith. Why do you need the steadfast and forever-enduring love of God just as much in these moments as the ones you highlighted above? Be specific. What are the "little challenges" you faced this week that you needed the presence and power of God for? What are the "little victories" of faith that you experienced that were only possible because of the presence and power of God in your life? In what ways are you taking credit for what only grace could accomplish and achieve in these little moments?
Conversation Prompts to Use with Children
For Younger Children: What are your favorite things to do in life? Why do you love them so much? Did you know that only God could make these because he is the only one powerful enough? Did you know that God made these because he is so creative and smart? Did you know that God gifted these to you because he loves you so much? Who loves you the most in life? Did you know that God loves you even more than that, more than you will ever know? As much as these people love you, their love is not perfect and will disappoint sometimes. God's love for you is perfect and will last forever!
For Older Children: What have been your favorite moments in life so far, and why? How is each an example of God's love in your life? Write your own "personal Psalm" that thanks God these people, places, or moments. Are you tempted to brag about these highlights and make yourself the hero? Who do you love the most, and who do you think loves you the most? How have you experienced the imperfect love of another person? How has your love for another person been unreliable at times? How has God's love for you been steadfast, day in and day out, in the little, ordinary moments? Why do you need his love just as much in these moments as in the big ones?
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