Today we begin reading the Psalms of David that are not related to specific events in his life. We will read them in their numbered sequence, but if you notice gaps in the numbering, it’s because we already read some of them in the context of David’s life story.

If you went through David’s Psalms in our reading today and read just the first line of each, would you be intrigued to read more? Read these first lines and see if any of them spark your curiosity.

“Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.” Psalm 12:1

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” Psalm 13:1

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?” Psalm 15:1

“Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge.” Psalm 16:1

“Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry.” Psalm 17:1

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Psalm 19:1

“May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.” Psalm 20:1

“The king rejoices in you strength, Lord.” Psalm 21:1

Don’t you want to know more about why David thought faithful people had vanished from the human race? Why did he think God had forgotten him? What made David say that people who don’t believe in God are fools?

We could ask a lot of questions about these Psalms! And that’s one of the ways to get the most out of reading them.

Two Questions for the Psalms

Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller of Austin, Texas, suggests that asking just two questions will open the Psalms up for anyone who wants to enjoy them. Try asking the following about each of the Psalms you read.

First question: Who is talking to whom?

Psalm 12 begins with the words, “Help, Lord” which tells us this Psalm is about someone speaking to God. David is the writer and the Lord is the one he addresses.

In Psalm 14 we read, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” and it moves on to tell us that God is looking down from heaven on all mankind. This Psalm might be God talking to people.

We start by asking who is talking to whom and then move on to what they are saying.

David might start the conversation and hear God respond, or vice versa. The Psalm might suddenly include you and me, as when David tells God he’s going to tell everyone what he has learned. Sometimes all of Israel speaks to God and other times God speaks to them.

Second Question: What is the picture here?

Pastor Wolfmueller says that since the Psalms are poems, and poems are word pictures, the Psalms are full of pictures. What images do you see as you read the Psalms in today’s passages?

For instance, Psalm 19 gives dazzling descriptions of God’s creations in the heavens. What do you see when you let your mind wander through this passage?

Some of the Psalms describe people; some describe God. Sometimes we see a portrait of someone going through deep emotions. You share the Psalmist’s experience when you let the word stir images in your mind.

Psalm 12

David had some complaints about people in Psalm 12. He said he couldn’t find a faithful or loyal person in the whole human race. Was that an exaggeration? Maybe, but it’s how he felt about people that day.

David was tired of people telling lies, boasting, and saying only what they thought the crowds wanted to hear. These people thought they could say anything and get away with it.

“By our tongues we will prevail; our own lips will defend us – who is lord over us?” Psalm 12:4

And these proud, deceitful people oppressed the poor; they plundered those who couldn’t defend themselves. But David saw that it wouldn’t go on forever.

“’I will now arise,’ says the Lord. ‘I will protect [the poor] from those who malign them.’” Psalm 12:5

Unlike people who lied, God meant exactly what he said.

“The words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.” Psalm 12:6

David passed his soul’s distress back to God. “You, Lord, will keep the needy safe, and will protect us forever from the wicked, who freely strut about when what is vile is honored by the human race.” Psalm 12:7

Psalm 13

Have you ever felt forgotten by God? At least one time in his life David felt that way — it went on day after day. He wondered, “Will you forget me forever?” Psalm 13:1

He prayed for the light to return to his eyes, and for the depression that felt like death to be lifted from his soul. David didn’t want his enemies to think they had beaten him down. He wanted the Lord to help him get over his despair.

When we pray from the depths of desolation as David did here, and then pause to listen we may hear what David heard from God. It slowly dawned on David that God loved him, and that he had saved him. David’s heart lifted and he finished this Psalm by saying,

“I will sing the Lord’s praise for he has been good to me.” Psalm 13:6

What a turnaround for David! What a model for praying through despair.

Psalm 14

This is a Psalm about people who say there is no God. David says they are foolish! He also observes that people who don’t believe in God tend to fall into bad behavior. “They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one that does good.” Psalm 14:1

But God sees them. He watches the earth to see if anyone is seeking him. Sadly, he mostly sees people turning away from him. We all sin; we all become corrupt. “Do all these evildoers know nothing?” Psalm 14:4

And once again David notices that it is the poor who suffer most when wickedness prevails. You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge.” Psalm 14:6

That gives us a clue about how to pray for the poor. We can pray that they will find refuge in the Lord; and then we can offer ourselves to help them.

The Psalm finishes with a rousing call for God to come to Zion and restore his people. “When the Lord restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!” Psalm 14:7

Psalm 19

Charles Spurgeon said that God has given us two great books by which to know him: The book of Scripture and the book of nature. Psalm 19 takes us deep into the book of nature and then commends to us the book of Scripture.

Psalm 19:1-6 is a meditation on the glories of the heavens and the messages about God that stream from them. People can only look on in wonder at the displays God presents day after day. The stars spin across the sky all night and the sun rises like a champion every morning. It’s as if God pitched the sky as a tent where he can display his glory, with the sun, the original Superstar, lighting up the stage.

From the glories of nature, David’s thoughts turned to the glories of the Scriptures. He found them “perfect, refreshing, trustworthy, right, radiant, firm, and righteous.”(Psalm 19:7-9) For him the Word was as glorious as the night sky.

And to David the Law of the Lord was more precious than pure gold. God’s words were sweeter than honey. “By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11

The Word had the power to make David aware of his hidden faults and he prayed that the Lord would deliver him from them. “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.” Psalm 19:13

David closed this Psalm with a prayer that we can use every time we interact with the Psalms:

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

On Your Own

There isn’t space in this blog post for me to go into each of the nine Psalms in today’s reading. But that’s a good thing!

Now that you know the questions to ask of each Psalm, “Who is talking to whom?” and “What’s the picture here?” you can enjoy exploring them yourself.

The book of Psalms is written to be read over and over. It was the songbook of Israel and it’s the prayer book of Jesus and the Church. You will find a Psalm for every occasion as you read through them. You can write down the ones that mean the most you in your journal or notebook.

Make the Psalms your own and they will teach you how to pray and worship.