Most of us eat every day, some of us too much, because yesterday's
food is not enough to supply energy for today's needs. Why then, do
some of us expect yesterday's portion of heavenly manna, the word of God to
keep us through today's challenges. On this program, we are going to change
all of that. Let's experience God's words today and receive the power we need
to live healthy, vibrant lives. Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,
author speaker, Elle David Harris. Good morning, good morning, Good
morning. It is Sabbath, December thirty, twenty twenty three. Hello,
my name is El David Harris. I am your host, and this is
your Daily Portion where we give you God's Word every single day, and today
is no exception. We are continuing in our new I shouldn't say continuing.
We are beginning our new lesson study series in the Book of Psalms, the
Book of Psalms, and our caption for today is how to read the Psalms.
How to read the Psalms. We'll get into that in just a moment,
but first I'd like to say welcome to you and ask you to go
over to your Daily Portion dot com. Please join our online community. Also,
please let us know in that same link where you are in the world,
and pick up the Your Daily Portion book at your Daily Portion dot com.
This is how we build faith and fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray
and then we will get underway. Father in Heaven, thank you for giving
us this new Sabbath morning and for the privilege that we have to open up
your word. And I'm asking you now to please fill us with your holy
spirit. Please give us your understanding and teach us how to hear from you
in your word. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen and Amen again.
How to read the Psalms? Okay, so the first thing that I'm
going to share with you is basically, how do we read anything the Bible?
How do we read anything in the Bible? The question I have for
you is what is the definite purpose for reading in scripture? Go ahead and
type it in the chat. What is the definite purpose? Maybe pick your
number one purpose for reading in the scripture? Could it be discovering God?
Think about it? Could it be discovering God? Inspiration tells us that when
we are reading in the scriptures, it would be better for us that to
read with a definite end in view, a definite purpose in view, and
that definite purpose being how does this relate to my salvation? Then reading a
whole lot of passages with no definite purpose or end in view one passage,
how does this relate to my salvation? How does this relate to the plan
of salvation? Then to read a whole lot of passages with no definite purpose
in view. That's something just to think about. And that is the same
case for the Book of Psalms. Part of me. Let me read now
from the Book of Luke, chapter twenty four Versus forty four and forty five,
just to continue this idea, and the Bible reads. Then he said
to them, these are the words which I spake unto you while I was
still with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in
the Law of Moses, in the Prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And
he opened their understanding that they might comprehend the scriptures. Wasn't it wonderful that
the Bible is saying Jesus reporting in his own voice that the scripture is all
about Jesus, That the scriptures are highlighting who Jesus is and how he is
saving us from our sins. Who Jesus is as creator, who Jesus is
as redeemer. It's a beautiful thing. I'm getting tongue tied this morning.
It's a beautiful thing to see that Jesus gave clarity the love of Moses.
The prophets, and the Psalms actually identify who Jesus is, and then we
can see the workings of God through that ministry, even before Jesus was revealed
as Jesus or Emmanuel, meaning God with us. It's a wonderful thing.
So the lesson writer actually says, the Psalms have been a prayer book and
a hymn book for many of God's people throughout the ages, and through the
Psalms are predominantly the psalmist's own words addressed to God. The Psalms did not
originate with mortals, but with God inspired their thoughts. Very interesting perspective,
and so of course you know we're going to get some takeaways here. Number
one, I want you to read as inspired prayers and hymns. Inspired prayers
and hymns. When you go to Psalm chapter forty two as an example,
the Bible says you know, David is really trying to get out of the
dumps, and he's saying, why art thou cast down O my soul?
Like, why art thou disquieted within me? And then he begins to bolster
his own confidence through the power of God, and he says, hope thou
in God, even the Living God. And he goes through this time of
darkness and he remembers when he used to enjoy going into the presence of God,
and something just isn't working so well at this moment in his life.
And he's saying, Okay, you don't need to be discouraged, you don't
need to be sad. God is still on his throne. You can have
hope in God. And so if you are down in the dumps, if
you are having difficulties with your relationship with God, if you need to repent,
you can think of some of these prayers in the Psalms, in Psalm
fifty one, in Psalm chapter thirty two, Psalm chapter forty two, and
say, Okay, these are inspired prayers, and so I can model my
life after these kinds of prayers. And the same thing with hymns. If
you read in Psalm chapter one hundred. You read in some of the Psalms
in the sixties, you can do the same thing. These are a divinely
inspired collection of prayers and hymns that express deep spiritual truths and human emotions.
We are not trying to hack our spiritual our human emotions, but we cannot
be driven by them. Utilize them in personal devotions and even in community.
Okay, here's another one. Understand the historical and cultural context. Acknowledge the
historical and cultural background of the Psalms, recognizing that they were written in ancient
Israel and reflect the experiences and worldviews of their authors. There are times that
you have to apply these things based on your own experience, but understand clearly
from the context what was happening in the days and for the people that were
writing and to the people who were receiving the Psalms at that and then number
three. Embrace their universal messages despite their specific historical context. Recognize the universality
of the psalm's themes. We find faith in the Psalms, we find repentance
in the Psalms. I did cite Psalm chapter fifty one on we do see
praise. I cited John Is on my mind. I cited Psalm chapter one
hundred and praise and apply their timeless messages to our lives today and our spiritual
practice. And so those are just a few tips about how we can read
the Psalm so much more, so much more. But I'll just pause right
there. The lesson writer says, the Psalms have been written in Hebrew poetry
by different authors from ancient Israel, and so the Psalms reflect their particular world.
However, universal messages. Accepting the Psalms as God's word and giving close
attention to the Psalm's poetic features as well as their historical, theological and liturgical
context, is fundamental to understanding their messages, which reach across thousands of years
even to our day. And now I'm done with reading from there, let
me ask you, what is your favorite song? What is your favorite psalm?
And why? Go ahead and type it in the chat? What is
your favorite Psalm? And why? Let me read one before we go,
from Psalm chapter sixty two, and I'll just read verse eight. Trust in
Him at all times, e people, pour out your heart before him.
God is a refuge for us. Sillah. That means pause, contemplate.
I love that Psalm because it shows that we can trust God and that he
will always be our refuge. Have a wonderful rest of your Sabbath Peaks.
Thanks for joining us listening. Friends. Always remember we cannot live by bread
alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. This
has been your daily portion with El David Harris. Make it a great day. Yeah,