One way to get better acquainted with God is to read through the psalms, watch for statements pertaining to him, and write them down.
That last step is important, as research has proven: writing (not typing) helps us learn and retain what we’ve written [1]. In this case it will also increase our appreciation of God’s glorious attributes and gracious acts on our behalf.
I chose to participate in this exercise during Advent, and became astonished by the number of statements about God, totaling over three hundred by the time I reached Psalm 150. I even skipped over those that I remembered listing previously.
Some psalms offer a number of statements about God, one after another. Psalm 23 includes nine, Psalm 103, sixteen, and Psalm 145, twenty.
Perhaps that explains why these psalms are among the favorites of many people. Subconsciously we crave reassurance of God’s power, wisdom, and goodness working on our behalf.
A lesser-known psalm perhaps, #71, offers seven encouraging descriptors of God:
He is our sovereign Lord (v. 5) over all things, even our blunders and regrets.
No matter my poor choices, God can redeem them. “Our mistakes can never thwart the sovereign will of God” [2].
How thankful I am for that!
He is the One who’s been my hope and confidence since my youth (v. 5).
I’ve been a Jesus-follower since age four. Never have I toyed with the idea of abandoning my faith in him, because I learned early on from the saints around me:
- God is a good and loving Father
- There is purpose in everything God does
- He will bring me through whatever I might face
- He is accomplishing a good and eternal work in my life [3]
I’d be foolish to turn my back on Someone so invested in my welfare.
God is splendorous (v. 8).
We could surely add more attributes to Brooks’ list. God provides so many wonderful, spiritual blessings in Christ (Ephesians 1:3)!
He is the One who performs marvelous, mighty, and righteous deeds (vs. 16-18).
In truth, “The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things” [4].
May we rediscover the wonder of God’s deeds in evidence all around us, and respond with gratitude and praise.
He is the One who’s taught me since my youth (v. 17).
Over time I’ve come to cherish God’ Word. And even though I’ve spent many happy hours in study, its inspiration never grows old.
That is very good news.
God is the One whose righteousness reaches up to the heavens (v. 19).
That’s good news too, because “there is no perfect life, no perfect job, no perfect childhood, no perfect marriage, and no set of people who always do what we expect them to do.
“What we do have is a perfect God who is able to lead us through this imperfect life with unfailing strength, infallible wisdom, and infinite love”—Unknown.
Praise God for his attentive participation in our lives!
He is the One who’s done great things. Who is like You, God (v. 19)?
All of these descriptors, among the dozens of others proclaimed in the psalms, do make clear:
P.S. My list of God-descriptors has become the basis for personal worship. Each morning I slowly read and pray back to him one page of the collected statements. The practice renews wonder and gratitude for my marvelous Heavenly Father.
Perhaps you’d like to try it too?
[1] Denise Hughes, Deeper Waters, 89.
[2] Bev Rihtarchik, contributor to A Moment to Breathe, 151.
[3] Dr. Charles Stanley, Advancing through Adversity, 101.
[4] Hans Christian Andersen
Photo credits: http://www.pxhere.com; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.flickr.com; http://www.pickpik.com; http://www.canva.com (2).
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Your passion for God is wonderfully contagious. It’s refreshing to read your suggestions on how to get to know God in a more personal light. Thank you for your efforts to share what has been helpful to you. 🙂
I’m so glad you find refreshment here, Nancy. That encourages me!
Nancy, this is a wonderful idea for collecting praises for our God. Where better to find out about his character and glory? I honestly think this would be better than a gratitude journal. It focuses on who God is rather than what He gives us. Your picture of your collection is helpful for translating the idea to the practical.
Thank you Linda. During the collecting process I looked forward to each morning, reviewing again all God’s glorious attributes. I even found a few statements that puzzled me which sent me to commentaries for clarification. The discovery process added to the pleasure!
Once again, Nancy, your own practice has not only made you a better disciple of the Lord, but has shown us all how we can praise God and thank Him for the good things He has done, but also know that He will be with us in the times of trial and uncertainty. The Psalms hold a wealth of every emotion we can feel as humans, and gives us the answers in ways that speak to our minds, hearts and souls. Thank you, my friend, for guiding our footsteps forward as we seek more knowledge of and closeness to Him. Blessings always!
Thank you Martha for your supportive comments. Anything we can do to strengthen our faith and lift our spirits is a worthy endeavor!
Thank you for pushing us on to greater knowledge and worship of our God!
Shoulder to shoulder we press on together, Patty!
Nancy, I love this. Writing down what you gleaned from the Psalms about God and using it for worship is such a wonderful idea. I am someone who likes to write down what I study from the Bible, even my prayers. I always find that I remember them much better and it helps me focus.
The psalms are my go to for when my emotions are all over the place. They help me Center my focus on God.
Blessings 💙
Thank you, Manu. I’m like you–writing things down helps me focus. It’s why I take sermon notes too. / Praise God for giving us the psalms that express our thoughts and emotions, especially when words fail us!
That shot of your notebook…! And I can also attest to the blessing of letting the psalms into my prayer life. In fact, I’ve stumbled upon a little book by Eugene Peterson that takes the reader through the psalms in a year, highlighting just one verse per day and then turning it into a prayer. It’s not a comprehensive reading of the psalms. I do that at a different time, but it sure is a nice thing to end the day with. TT
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Would that Peterson book be titled, A Year with the Psalms? You’ve got me intrigued, Michele (as so many of your book recommendations do)!
YES! It’s a very cute little book, quite thick, but on the small side so when I go somewhere, it’s convenient to bring it along. His insights are characteristically fresh, and often colored with hymn lyrics or quotations from sources I’ve never encountered.
Thank you Michele. I’m putting it on my TBP list!
I, too, like to write things down by hand. I love your morning practice. It is very inspiring! Thank you for the sharing this message with us, and for the invitation that we might try this for ourselves. I love the book of Psalms, and often reflect on the passages. God’s Holy Word is new to us each day. I no longer have my mother, but I do have her Bible. She underlined certain passages, and it is a beautiful thing to read the lines that stood out for her.
Isn’t it wonderful that God’s Word IS new to us each day! Such an awe-inspiring reality. / I agree that to have Bibles once belonging to loved ones provides a beautiful connection to them, even though they’re no longer with us.
Thank you, Nancy. I love reading the Psalms. I have many written down and also use them in my prayer time. His Word is new and fresh every morning!
AMEN, Pam, and praise God his Word is new and fresh every morning. Such a glorious phenomenon!
Nancy, this is such an inspired way of seeing more clearly the character of God and His strength and power as revealed through the Psalms. What a wonderful way of worshiping Him! I appreciate the focus of looking at how others–especially David and Asaph–saw and experienced Him in all His glory. This was wonderful.
Thank you, Dayle. The psalms are such a rich resource of encouragement, inspiration for praise, and models for prayer. Also, could we aspire to anything greater than experiencing God’s glory?! The psalms help us do that too–Hallelujah!
In times of trouble, I like to read the psalms outloud as a prayer
I agree, Matt. There’s something about reading out loud, even to ourselves, that makes the meaning more potent. Thank you for adding that strategy to the conversation!
This spoke to me: “I’d be foolish to turn my back on Someone so invested in my welfare.” On a smaller scale, it would be like throwing away a scholarship for college.
I am grateful that I am moved by the Holy Spirit to communicate with my Savior daily through prayer and the word. He ties everything together, reinforcing the strength of our relationship and most of all His love for me.
Amen and well said, Cheri!
I love the Book of Psalms. Thank you for reviewing Psalm 71 so closely.
You’re welcome, Anna. It was a delightful exercise for me!
yes, Nancy, I’ve noticed that adding writing to my devotional times is helping me be a whole lot more aware of the power of what I’m reading from His Word. maybe this is truer as we get older? not sure, but I’m thankful to have discovered the combination of reading, writing, and speaking the Scripture right outloud. i’m rediscovering verses that i never really noticed before. thank you, Lord.
It seems we gain more understanding and impact when we slow down our thinking, allowing our minds and hearts to respond more fully to what we’re reading. And you’re right, Linda, about the value of reading scripture, writing it, and listening to ourselves speak it. There’s more impact as we engage more of our senses. These practices do enhance our experience!
Love your practice of God-descriptors, Nancy. Beautiful!
Thank you, Wynne. I’m so glad God inspired me to participate in the practice!
Nancy,
Take time to take it in. In Christ, Gary
Gary Avants Forbear Productions * *garyavants66@gmail.com garyavants66@gmail.com
A clever summary statement in six words, Gary! Well done!