I love the Psalms, but I find that I have a bit of a weird relationship with them. They become what I read when I don't feel like reading.When I lose track of reading daily through a particular book, I reluctantly flick open my neglected bible, and just end up going to Psalms because it seems easiest. I won't have to think too much, and I'll get some nice words to make me feel good.
Simultaneously I am putting too much emphasis on the Psalms, and also devaluing it--assuming it to be easy and unchallenging, and only about the comfort I can get from it. Rightly or wrongly, I equate this to Hebrews 5:12-13, which says-
You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature..
I know this is not referring to Psalms, but I think in a similar way, I make Psalms my 'milk' and never really manage to properly get onto solids. I think the more I do try to work through the 'solids' in the bible, the more I can also appreciate the 'milk'-- as an accompaniment, rather than the sum total. I don't know. Maybe I'm cheapening the Psalms by referring to them as 'milk' in the first place.
3 comments:
I TOTALLY do the same thing. Not sure why/when it started!
The Psalms are definately my favourite book in the Old Testament - possibly the Bible! Last year I read nothing but the Psalms (on my own) for the whole year - and this year I plan to read them through again twice (almost finished the first run now).
I can honestly say that, in the last 2 years, God has taught me heaps about Himself through the Psalms. They're so RICH! I can't imagine how others could see them as 'milk' - but then I totally understand them being a wonderful 'entry point' for when the Bible's been gathering a bit of dust.
Yeah I don't know when it started for me either Soph-- I think its one of those things you drift into. I do think thought hat we are sort of led to believe that Psalms are easy reading, and a way for young christians to get into the bible. True up to a point.. there's also a massive ammount of depth in them to dig out.
Pete, yeah they are one of my favourites too. That is cool that you are reading them all the way through--I have never done that before. Sorry, I agree that they are not milk, but I guess I was trying to say I fall into the trap of thinking they are, or treating them like they are. Maybe they become 'milk' when you just look at them solely for your own comfort, and not dig deeper into their meaning and what they say about God, and also Jesus.
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