FEBRUARY Psalms of Lament, Trust, and Praise: Psalms 26-29

“One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” -Psalm 27:4

CHAPTER OF THE WEEK: Psalm 27 You can read it every day or just once, pray it, meditate on it, talk about it, or find other resources about it.

VERSE OF THE WEEK: Psalm 27:4 You can memorize it, read it every day or just once, pray it, meditate on it, talk about it, or find other resources about it.

ON THE LOOKOUT: Over the next few months, we’ll be taking a look at the different categories of the Psalms. There are all sorts of categories and themes in Psalms. Keep looking for attributes of God,  prophecies and allusions to Jesus, things we can trust God with, and add to your list looking for the theme of the week.

RESOURCE OF THE WEEK: Sermon on Psalm 27 by Dusty White YouTube link

SONG OF THE WEEK: “Psalm 27” by Jonathan Ogden YouTube link, Spotify link.

PLAYLIST FOR THE WEEK: Here is a playlist with songs from Psalm 26-29 YouTube link, Spotify link. Here is an extra playlist of all the songs we covered this month Spotify link.

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: As you read Scripture this week, see if you can categorize or find themes in the passages. Especially look for verses of praise or trust next to verses of lament.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “‘Gazing’ is not a one-time glimpse but a steady, sustained focus. It is not petitionary prayer but praising, admiring, and enjoying God just for who He is. David finds God beautiful, not just useful for attaining goods.” – from Songs of Jesus by Timothy Keller.

THOUGHTS on Psalms 26-29

The recommended weekly Psalms reading plan is based on an average of verses to read each day, but rather providentially sometimes the group of Psalms covered each week seem to form a pattern. This week, three out of the four Psalms were mixed with themes of trust and lament. Psalm 29 stands alone as all praise. The Psalms were put in order years after they were written so we don’t have to read them in context of each other, but it is great to see that the arrangement of the Psalms is purposeful. If you read Psalms 26-29 back to back it does seem to take you on an emotional journey through lament, trust, and praise.

Lament Psalms. I’ve referenced the idea of Psalms of lament, but I haven’t gone into detail yet. There is just so much to learn! Did you know 89 out of 150 of the Psalms are laments? That’s 40%! That’s more than any other type of Psalm. So, what is it? A lament is an expression of deep sorrow. These can also be termed “complaints”. This is not just a temper tantrum or a first world problem like someone cutting you off in traffic or your favorite restaurant being closed or having to walk in the rain to get to your car. These Psalms are about crying out to God because of the injustice and evil in the world. Sometimes the Psalmist is observing the evil in society, or asks for deliverance or vengeance, or sometimes he questions what God is doing and if God even hears him. Here are some examples from this week’s Psalms:

-Pleading for justice: “Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts. Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. Because they do not regard the works of the Lord or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.” (Ps. 28:3-5)

-Pleading for God to hear and answer: “Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!” (Ps. 27:7)

-Pleading for salvation/vindication: “Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.” (Ps. 26:9-10)

We will be taking a closer look at laments and the different subcategories, but for now, it’s when the Psalmist is crying out to God because of a deep sorrow.

Trust & Praise Psalms. We took a look at a Psalm of trust last week. Basically, it’s when the Psalmist proclaims trust, rest, and confidence in God. Praise is worshiping God for who He is and what He has done. These often go hand in hand. As we praise God, it’s easier to be reminded why we can trust Him. The Lord is my shepherd so I can trust His good care over my life. And the reverse is true. When we say, “God, I trust you”, the natural continuation of that statement would be “I trust you because of who You are”. Praise fosters trust in God and trust in God results in praise.

The emotional rollercoaster of lament, trust, and praise. Life is not simple. Human beings are not simple. Emotions are complex and can change rapidly. We see this patterned in the Psalms. Sometimes a Psalmist starts with lament, reminds himself to trust in God, and ends with praise (Psalm 28). Sometimes a Psalmist begins with praise, questions what God is doing, and ends with trust in God (Psalm 27). This reminds us that it’s ok to have emotions. It’s ok to acknowledge hurt and injustice. It’s also ok to be feeling lament and trust at the same time. God gave us a heart and a mind to process what happens to us and in the world around us. Just as evil won’t magically disappear this side of heaven, sometimes our feelings don’t magically change right away. Somehow we have to live with the trials and pain in our lives while still holding fast to His truth. God gave us the Psalms so we would have examples of how to communicate all these feelings to God. He equipped us to ride the emotional rollercoaster of life without falling out.

How do we use the Psalms? It seems kind of obvious, but we use the Psalms as prayers. They aren’t magical words that if repeated verbatim so many times a day will give us special powers or privileges. They are templates for how we can talk to God. Just as we have specific communication templates with other humans such as small talk, pointed discussion, friendly banter, flirting, arguments, etc. Psalms gives us specific templates to talk to God. As you read through a Psalm, try praying as you read. It might look something like this: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? (Psalm 17:1) God, thank you that You light up my life. You have forgiven my sin and keep me from falling into the darkness of this world. I saw this first hand just last week as You guided me away from a tempting sin. Guide me as I encounter this specific temptation today. You are my salvation. I can’t save myself, but You sent Your Son to save me. Thank you for your grace! Please help this unbelieving friend come to know Your salvation. God I thank you that I do not need to be afraid. I am anxious and worried about this specific thing. Give me direction and peace. Remind me of your loving faithfulness, kindness, and sovereignty. I also pray for family members as they go through a specific trial. Help them to depend on You instead of being absorbed by fear.”

For more help and ideas about praying Scripture check out this post, video, or book. Praying through the Psalms to help organize or process our complex emotions is not just refreshing but vital to deepening your relationship with God. I challenge you to try praying Psalm 27 at least once this week. You will not be disappointed!