Finding Peace In The Psalms
By Mary Ann Pope
The Psalms is a collection of 150 songs that express a wide variety of emotions, including: love and adoration toward God, sorrow over sin, dependence on God in desperate circumstances, the battle of fear and trust, walking with God even when the way seems dark, thankfulness for God’s care, devotion to the word of God, and confidence in the eventual triumph of God’s purposes for the world.
In 1 and 2 Samuel we read of the life of David, “the sweet psalmist of Israel.” Throughout, David felt emotions that often robbed him of peace. They are not unlike the emotions that we experience. He felt loneliness, fear, anger, guilt, betrayal, shame, frustration, grief, disappointment, anguish, agony, abandonment, and despair. But David was an amazing song writer who shared his feelings in his songs. They are in the scriptures for our benefit and instruction.
David searched for peace when his father-in-law, King Saul, was pursuing him to take his life. In Psalm 59, he cried out to the Lord for deliverance. He stressed that this is no fault of his own (v. 3-4). There are pains we walk through that are also no fault of our own. He wrote Psalm 142 when he was hiding from Saul in the cave. He cried out to the Lord and pleaded for mercy. He said, “I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell my trouble before Him” (v. 1-2). In Psalm 18, David responded to God’s delivering him from Saul by expressing his love and praise for Him. He recognized that it is only by God’s mercy and provision that he had been spared. He called Him his strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, stronghold: “He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him” (v. 30). He declares, “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation (v. 46).
But David also struggled for peace when he sinned, as do we. It is one thing to endure pain. It is another thing to endure pain that you know has come from your own sin. David lost his focus on God, and was so blinded by his sin that it had to be pointed out to him by Nathan. He had committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then when it was discovered that she was pregnant, he tried to cover it up. When that did not work, he had her husband killed. In his guilt and shame, he wrote Psalm 51. He pleaded for mercy (v. 1) and asked to be cleansed of his sins. David felt dirty. He needed God to make him clean: “Wash me” (vv. 2, 7), he begged. “Cleanse me” (v. 3). “Purge me” (v. 7). “Blot out all my iniquities” (v. 9). His repentance was clearly evident. He confessed his sinfulness: “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.” His brokenness was so apparent in this psalm: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (v. 17). Our brokenness should lead to our surrender to God.
In Psalm 38, David shared the anguish he felt over his sins. Throughout he described the pain he was feeling and said “[my sins] are too heavy for me” (v. 4). “I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin” (v. 18). David ends with “Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (vv. 21-22).
David described the effect sin had on him physically in Psalm 6. We are given a portrait of David alone on his couch, weeping like a baby (vv. 6-7). His life had gone into meltdown. Amid the storm of his life, David looked to the Lord for mercy. When we are brought into the dark valleys of life as we journey through this fallen world, we have, and we need, one thing: God.
One of the consequences of David’s sin was that his family fell apart. His newborn son by Bathsheba died because of his sin. His son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar. Then his son Absalom killed Amnon and rebelled against him, attempting to take away his throne. He wrote Psalm 3 when he fled from Absalom. What must it have been like to be murderously hunted by his own child? It is extremely painful to go through family problems, whether it is our physical family or our church family. David knew that earthly help is worthless when the tidal waves of life threaten to overwhelm and drown us. Instead, he looked to God: “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head” (v. 3). Trust in God is the channel through which the deliverance and power of God may flow.
There are lessons for us in the psalms when we suffer through no fault of our own, when we sin, and when our family falls apart.
Call upon the Lord – “I call upon the Lord, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:3).
Take refuge in Him – “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1) “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” (Psalm 57:1).
Abide in His word – “I will meditate on Your precepts and fix my eyes on Your ways. I will delight in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word” (Psalm 119:15-16).
Put your trust in Him – “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You. In God, Whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4).
Focus on your blessings – “Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you” Psalm 116:7). “What shall I render to the Lord for all His benefits to me?” (Psalm 116:12). “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands” (Psalm 143:5).
Turn control over to God – “Be still (stop striving), and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). “Commit your way to the Lord: trust in Him, and He will act” (Psalm 37:5).
Praise God – Psalm 34 “O my Strength, I will sing praises to You, for You, O God, are my fortress, the God Who shows me steadfast love” (Psalm 59:17).
Share the story of God’s deliverance – “I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as You know, O Lord. I have not hidden Your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness from the great congregation” (Psalm 40 9-10).
As New Testament Christians, we have peace through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1). Jesus told His apostles as He walked with them toward His death, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). What a blessing!
Great peace have those who love Your law;
Nothing can make them stumble.
Psalm 119:165
May the Lord give strength to His people!
May the Lord bless His people with peace!
Psalm 29:11