“I sought the Lord, and He answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame…
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”
During the month of April 2023, my husband and I rented a condo in Palm Coast, Florida. We transplanted ourselves into a new environment, new community and new rhythms for our month away from Indiana. Whenever I have been to a beach area, I am consumed by the sounds, sights and sands of the ocean. I am able to feel my spirit soar and my imagination rise like the tide. The rhythm of my day changes to accommodate the need to be connected to God through the sand and the sea, the roar and tumble of the waves, and the rise and fall of the tide.
This trip was no different, other than the fact that I had 30 glorious days to listen to the ocean, praise God with the roar of the waves, and let my prayers soar with the seagulls. Each morning I read from the Psalms out load while sitting on the beach or on the deck of the condo. I gasped, smiled and laughed in awe when the words sounded like the cries of my own heart (Psalm 16, Choose Joy). I lifted my hands in the air with words of praise (Psalm 103). And sometimes, I sat quietly reflecting on the cries of distress from the Psalmist, wondering how I would respond in the same circumstances (Psalm 59).
READING THROUGH THE PSALMS
This rhythm of reading the Psalms each morning was new to me. I have been reminded frequently of the power and emotion found in the Psalms during sermons, Bible studies, podcasts and blog posts. But before this trip, I did not have a regular system or plan to spend time in this Book of the Bible on a regular basis. However, I wanted this to be part of my opening prayer to God each morning on this trip. I brainstormed my own ideas and read through some suggestions online. Here are a few of the ideas to consider if you would like to join me in this daily practice.
Method #1: Since there are 150 psalms in the Book of Psalms, then reading five consecutive chapters each day will allow you to finish the Book in 30 days. For those months that have 31 days, then you will have either a rest day or a catch up day at the end before beginning the next month. For the month of February, you will need to read a few more chapters on some of the days to end on time.
Method #2: Create a Psalms Reading Jar. Use 150 popsicle sticks (or pieces of paper), and number them 1 through 150 with a marker. Put the sticks/paper in a jar. Each morning draw five sticks and read the chapters corresponding to each number. Don’t replace the sticks into the jar until the end of the month when you are ready to start a new month. You may also use a second jar to hold the sticks that you have already completed. This might be a fun project to make as a family if you want to read along with kids or grandkids.
Method #3:
Since the chapters of the Psalms tend to stand alone, I decided to read five chapters a day using the following system:
Day 1: Psalms 1, 31, 61, 91, 121
Day 2: Psalms 2, 32, 62, 92, 122
Day 3: Psalms 3, 33, 63, 93, 123
Day 4: Psalms 4, 34, 64, 94, 124
Day 5: Psalms 5, 35, 65, 95, 125
Day 6: Psalms 6, 36, 66, 96, 126
Day 7: Psalms 7, 37, 67, 97, 127
Day 8: Psalms 8, 38, 68, 98, 128
Day 9: Psalms 9, 39, 69, 99, 129
Day 10: Psalms 10, 40, 70, 100, 130
Day 11: Psalms 11, 41, 71, 101, 131
Day 12: Psalms 12, 42, 72, 102, 132
Day 13: Psalms 13, 43, 73, 103, 133
Day 14: Psalms 14, 44, 74, 104, 134
Day 15: Psalms 15, 45, 75, 105, 135
Day 16: Psalms 16, 46, 76, 106, 136
Day 17: Psalms 17, 47, 77, 107, 137
Day 18: Psalms 18, 48, 78, 108, 138
Day 19: Psalms 19, 49, 79, 109, 139
Day 20: Psalms 20, 50, 80, 110, 140
Day 21: Psalms 21, 51, 81, 111, 141
Day 22: Psalms 22, 52, 82, 112, 142
Day 23: Psalms 23, 53, 83, 113, 143
Day 24: Psalms 24, 54, 84, 114, 144
Day 25: Psalms 25, 55, 85, 115, 145
Day 26: Psalms 26, 56, 86, 116, 146
Day 27: Psalms 27, 57, 87, 117, 147
Day 28: Psalms 28, 58, 88, 118, 148
Day 29: Psalms 29, 59, 89, 119, 149
Day 30: Psalms 30, 60, 90, 120, 150
I like this method because I can use the date to remind me my starting Psalm for the day, then I keep adding 30 to that number until I reach the end of the Book. (For example, on May 1st, I read Psalm 1, then 31, then 61, then 91 and finally 121. Does that make sense?)
“You make known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with JOY in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.” (emphasis mine)
PRAYING THE PSALMS
Frequently, I found myself especially drawn to specific verses of the Psalmists within one of the chapters. I used the verses as the basis for my prayer at the end of my time with Jesus each day. (I will close this post today by praying Psalm 16:11 below.) I hope this helps and motivates you to walk through the Psalms as part of your scripture reading. Jump in today or start on the first day of the next month. Either way, the time you spend in the Word of God will change you and grow your faith by not only understanding God’s character better, but also allowing His love wash over you through His words…reminding you of your value and worth. You are known, cherished and loved completely by Jesus. You are perfect just the way you are, my Friends.
PRAYER:
Abba, Father. You know me completely. You reveal to me each day the path and plan for my life. Help me respond to your nudges, Jesus. You fill me with JOY just by being a beloved child of Yours. Regardless of what I am going through in my daily life, I know that I am Yours always and You will be with me always here on earth and through eternity. I choose YOU, God, and therefore I CHOOSE JOY in all things. Amen.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
- Do you read through the Psalms regularly? If so, what is your method? Please share in the comments below.
- What is your favorite Psalm?
- Consider sending a note to a friend or family member who needs some encouragement. Write your favorite verse(s) from the Psalms on a card, in a text, or in an email and send it to them. Allow the love of Jesus to work through you to lighten the path and show love for one another.
Hugs and blessings to you all,
Stacy
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