As you know, I read five Psalms a day which loosely correspond with the days of month. It’s always a powerful reminder when I read Psalm 15-29 because these words have practically disintegrated in my Bible.
The pages are so written over, so cried over, and so read that many have either fallen out or faded away.
These are the Psalms the the Lord used most in my life as I was struggling through graduate school at the University of Michigan. This morning I recall the highlights of verses I kept close to my heart:
Psalm 15: I learned the power of joyful speech that believes the best about others and refuses to gossip. I would pray that my tongue would “utter no slander” (v. 3). I learned integrity and how to “keep my oath even when it hurts” (v. 4).
Psalm 16: I learned that “apart from God I have no good thing” (v. 2) and that the “boundary lines for me have fallen in pleasant places (v. 6). I learned that with God with me, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 17: I learned that if I call on God, He will answer (v. 6). I learned that I can take refuge in God (v. 7).
Psalm 18: I learned that “the Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge” (v. 1). I rejoiced that the Lord “reached down from on high and took hold of me” (v. 16) as my rescuer and redeemer. I learned that He delights in me. I learned He “turns my darkness into light” (v. 28) and that with God’s help, “I can advanced against a troop” and “scale a wall” of whatever challenges me (v. 29). I learned how He “arms me with strength and makes my way secure” (v. 32).
Finally, in Psalm 19, I learned the beauty and power of God’s word and recounted the prayer at the end that “the words of my mouth and meditation of my heart” would please Him. Enjoy Psalm 19:7-14:
The law of the Lord is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.