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Most of us eat every day,
some of us too much, because yesterday's

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food is not enough to supply energy
for today's needs. Why then, do

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some of us expect yesterday's portion of
heavenly manna, the word of God to

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keep us through today's challenges. On
this program, we are going to change

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all of that. Let's experience God's
words today and receive the power we need

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to live healthy, vibrant lives.
Welcome to your Daily Portion with your host,

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author speaker, Elle David Harris.
Good morning, good morning, Good

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morning. It is Sabbath, December
thirty, twenty twenty three. Hello,

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my name is El David Harris.
I am your host, and this is

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your Daily Portion where we give you
God's Word every single day, and today

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is no exception. We are continuing
in our new I shouldn't say continuing.

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We are beginning our new lesson study
series in the Book of Psalms, the

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Book of Psalms, and our caption
for today is how to read the Psalms.

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How to read the Psalms. We'll
get into that in just a moment,

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but first I'd like to say welcome
to you and ask you to go

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over to your Daily Portion dot com. Please join our online community. Also,

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please let us know in that same
link where you are in the world,

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and pick up the Your Daily Portion
book at your Daily Portion dot com.

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This is how we build faith and
fellowship. Let's go ahead and pray

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and then we will get underway.
Father in Heaven, thank you for giving

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us this new Sabbath morning and for
the privilege that we have to open up

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your word. And I'm asking you
now to please fill us with your holy

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spirit. Please give us your understanding
and teach us how to hear from you

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in your word. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen and Amen again.

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How to read the Psalms? Okay, so the first thing that I'm

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going to share with you is basically, how do we read anything the Bible?

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How do we read anything in the
Bible? The question I have for

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you is what is the definite purpose
for reading in scripture? Go ahead and

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type it in the chat. What
is the definite purpose? Maybe pick your

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number one purpose for reading in the
scripture? Could it be discovering God?

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Think about it? Could it be
discovering God? Inspiration tells us that when

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we are reading in the scriptures,
it would be better for us that to

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read with a definite end in view, a definite purpose in view, and

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that definite purpose being how does this
relate to my salvation? Then reading a

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whole lot of passages with no definite
purpose or end in view one passage,

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how does this relate to my salvation? How does this relate to the plan

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of salvation? Then to read a
whole lot of passages with no definite purpose

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in view. That's something just to
think about. And that is the same

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case for the Book of Psalms.
Part of me. Let me read now

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from the Book of Luke, chapter
twenty four Versus forty four and forty five,

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just to continue this idea, and
the Bible reads. Then he said

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to them, these are the words
which I spake unto you while I was

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still with you, that all things
must be fulfilled, which were written in

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the Law of Moses, in the
Prophets and the Psalms concerning me. And

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he opened their understanding that they might
comprehend the scriptures. Wasn't it wonderful that

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the Bible is saying Jesus reporting in
his own voice that the scripture is all

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about Jesus, That the scriptures are
highlighting who Jesus is and how he is

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saving us from our sins. Who
Jesus is as creator, who Jesus is

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as redeemer. It's a beautiful thing. I'm getting tongue tied this morning.

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It's a beautiful thing to see that
Jesus gave clarity the love of Moses.

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The prophets, and the Psalms actually
identify who Jesus is, and then we

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can see the workings of God through
that ministry, even before Jesus was revealed

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as Jesus or Emmanuel, meaning God
with us. It's a wonderful thing.

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So the lesson writer actually says,
the Psalms have been a prayer book and

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a hymn book for many of God's
people throughout the ages, and through the

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Psalms are predominantly the psalmist's own words
addressed to God. The Psalms did not

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originate with mortals, but with God
inspired their thoughts. Very interesting perspective,

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and so of course you know we're
going to get some takeaways here. Number

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one, I want you to read
as inspired prayers and hymns. Inspired prayers

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and hymns. When you go to
Psalm chapter forty two as an example,

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the Bible says you know, David
is really trying to get out of the

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dumps, and he's saying, why
art thou cast down O my soul?

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Like, why art thou disquieted within
me? And then he begins to bolster

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his own confidence through the power of
God, and he says, hope thou

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in God, even the Living God. And he goes through this time of

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darkness and he remembers when he used
to enjoy going into the presence of God,

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and something just isn't working so well
at this moment in his life.

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And he's saying, Okay, you
don't need to be discouraged, you don't

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need to be sad. God is
still on his throne. You can have

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hope in God. And so if
you are down in the dumps, if

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you are having difficulties with your relationship
with God, if you need to repent,

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you can think of some of these
prayers in the Psalms, in Psalm

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fifty one, in Psalm chapter thirty
two, Psalm chapter forty two, and

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say, Okay, these are inspired
prayers, and so I can model my

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life after these kinds of prayers.
And the same thing with hymns. If

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you read in Psalm chapter one hundred. You read in some of the Psalms

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in the sixties, you can do
the same thing. These are a divinely

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inspired collection of prayers and hymns that
express deep spiritual truths and human emotions.

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We are not trying to hack our
spiritual our human emotions, but we cannot

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be driven by them. Utilize them
in personal devotions and even in community.

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Okay, here's another one. Understand
the historical and cultural context. Acknowledge the

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historical and cultural background of the Psalms, recognizing that they were written in ancient

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Israel and reflect the experiences and worldviews
of their authors. There are times that

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you have to apply these things based
on your own experience, but understand clearly

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from the context what was happening in
the days and for the people that were

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writing and to the people who were
receiving the Psalms at that and then number

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three. Embrace their universal messages despite
their specific historical context. Recognize the universality

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of the psalm's themes. We find
faith in the Psalms, we find repentance

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in the Psalms. I did cite
Psalm chapter fifty one on we do see

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praise. I cited John Is on
my mind. I cited Psalm chapter one

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hundred and praise and apply their timeless
messages to our lives today and our spiritual

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practice. And so those are just
a few tips about how we can read

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the Psalm so much more, so
much more. But I'll just pause right

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there. The lesson writer says,
the Psalms have been written in Hebrew poetry

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by different authors from ancient Israel,
and so the Psalms reflect their particular world.

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However, universal messages. Accepting the
Psalms as God's word and giving close

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attention to the Psalm's poetic features as
well as their historical, theological and liturgical

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context, is fundamental to understanding their
messages, which reach across thousands of years

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even to our day. And now
I'm done with reading from there, let

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me ask you, what is your
favorite song? What is your favorite psalm?

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And why? Go ahead and type
it in the chat? What is

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your favorite Psalm? And why?
Let me read one before we go,

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from Psalm chapter sixty two, and
I'll just read verse eight. Trust in

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Him at all times, e people, pour out your heart before him.

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God is a refuge for us.
Sillah. That means pause, contemplate.

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I love that Psalm because it shows
that we can trust God and that he

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will always be our refuge. Have
a wonderful rest of your Sabbath Peaks.

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Thanks for joining us listening. Friends. Always remember we cannot live by bread

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alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God. This

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has been your daily portion with El
David Harris. Make it a great day. Yeah,