Solomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP ). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?
peace
Last time, I wrote about the names of God, looking at a handful of psalms for the ways that God is described. As I meditate on and come to believe that God truly is “my stronghold, my refuge, my light, and my salvation,” I will find it easier to experience the perfect peace that Isaiah promises to those who stay fixed on God.
It’s knowledge of God that allows us to trust Him, and knowing these names is one way to know Him better. The Psalms also reveal His nature in more detail as David and other writers praise God at length for different aspects of His character. Today, I want to point you toward just a few psalms that can build our faith in God.
Need a reminder that God is able? Take Psalm 29, as an example; David begins with “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.” The rest of this psalm describes God’s majesty and power. For instance, David tells us:
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
David goes on to tell us that “the voice of the Lord strips the forests bare” — clearly the voice of the Lord is powerful. But look at the end of the psalm:
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
Though he is awed by God’s power, David is not scared. Instead, he sees that God’s power and majesty is at work on behalf of His people: the fact that God is “enthroned as king forever” means that He truly can give strength to us and bless us with peace.
Psalms 34 and 36 are wonderful reminders of God’s mercy and love. In 34, David tells us of his own experience of God’s mercy, encouraging us to “taste and see that the Lord is good”:
I sought the Lord, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
In Psalm 36, thinking about the hearts of evil men prompts David to celebrate God’s steadfast love:
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.
With these images of God in our heads and in our hearts, we can be certain that God cares for us.
The sons of Korah celebrate God’s rule in Psalm 47:
Clap your hands, all peoples!
Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,
a great king over all the earth.
And Psalm 95 reminds us that God is worthy of our worship:
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In both of these, we are told that God is “a great King” above all others — a great reminder that God is well able to handle whatever we might face.
Psalm 93 adds to this idea, telling us that God’s rule brings stability:
The Lord reigns; he is robed in majesty;
the Lord is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.
Your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.
In a sense, the very first words are enough: “the Lord reigns.” That’s all we need to know, all we need to think about. A problem comes that threatens to overwhelm us — we speak to that problem, “the Lord reigns.” Emotions flare out of control, worry engulfs us; the answer is that the Lord reigns, the world is established and shall never be moved. What an amazing thought!
I could keep going: Psalm 91 promises us God’s hand of protection, 104 reminds us of His creation, His order, and His provision (have you ever considered that lions wait on God to feed them?); Psalm 121 assures us that God is ever-watchful over us, neither slumbering nor sleeping.
Whatever your need, whatever my need, the Psalms point us toward a picture of God that meets that need. Truly, as Peter says, grace and peace are multiplied to us as we know God.
- filed in living the life, peace series
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Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.