A look Back at the Christmas Parade

Giving Thanks Like a Skater

Photo Credit: Isaac Cropsey

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As we approach this time of year, it feels like our city—from the East Side to the West—naturally leans into what God has called us to embrace all year long: Gratitude. Scripture tells us, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). 

Gratitude is “the will of God.” That means it’s what’s best for us.

This ancient wisdom is affirmed by modern science. For the past two decades, psychologists like Robert A. Emmons, along with researchers at Stanford and other universities, have studied the effects of gratitude on the body. Their findings show that people who regularly practice gratitude have lower blood pressure, healthier heart rates, better sleep, and reduced stress. 

If gratitude is what’s best, then why aren’t we more grateful all year round? Because we forget. 

We forget how blessed we are. We forget how short life is. So we naturally resort to focusing on accumulation. We make getting more and more for ourselves the goal, which makes us grumpy, not grateful. 

But during the holiday season, we know that we’re getting a few special days that only come around once a year and that will soon be gone. The short time we have for the holidays highlight what is truly important and enable us to live more gratefully and thus live more fully. 

I’ve seen this idea in action for the last couple of years in what some would assume is a very unlikely place. 

One of the most grateful places I’ve ever seen is the DIY skatepark at Poe Mill. Some of the most grateful people I’ve encountered are the skaters who use it, skating every day like it might be their last—because, any day now, it could be.

The skatepark was built by volunteers out of the rubble of the fire that burnt down the mill in the early 2,000s. For years, skaters have enjoyed the park, but in 2020, developers bought the land and announced plans to build luxury apartments over it. Now, four years later, it appears that construction is set to begin.

These skaters know that the skatepark was a gift that rose from the ashes. They also know their time there is short and getting shorter. The result of these circumstances? Gratitude. They skate with an incredible, admirable thankfulness, enjoying every last trick.

This gratitude was on display recently at Woodbine Studio, where dozens of portraits of the skaters, taken by photographer Zach Scuggs, hung on the walls as a tribute to the good times they’ve had. It was also evident during their last official skate contest this summer on “Go Skate Day.” 

When our life is about accumulating more and more, we usually end up sitting and sulking alone. Gratitude, on the other hand, leads us to joyfully engage and build up our community.

This is another hallmark of the skatepark. Through Shelter Skate Church, a ministry led by Josue Rodriguez, which you can follow on Instagram (@shelterskatechurch), the good news, and good cheer, has powerfully overflowed into the skatepark and out to the neighborhood every Monday night for years. 

The lesson of the Poe Mill skatepark is when we humbly acknowledge that everything we have, and every day we have with it, is a gift of grace - we can truly appreciate everything we receive to the fullest.

On the other hand, entitlement, a constant longing for more, a life of accumulation leads to angst and disappointment because, on this side of heaven, nothing lasts forever. 

Let’s pray for these skaters as they’re facing this change. Let’s learn from these skaters as we face our own changes, leaning on the Spirit to give us a consistent sense of blessedness. 

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas! This season, let’s not just lean into gratitude—let's embrace it as a daily practice that shapes our hearts and minds. It’s what’s best for us. 

Once A Victim, Forever A Voice

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Ms. Toni has called Poe Mill home for 12 years. Her first impression of the neighborhood was that it was “kind of quiet and pretty friendly.” A place where neighbors greeted each other warmly and went about their day. She knew the area needed work, but the community spirit gave her hope. 

It’s true that Poe Mill is a neighborly place, overall. But because of some of the addiction issues we face on the West Side, we do see some crime on occasion. “Crime comes into the neighborhood and then leaves right back out,” Toni said, reflecting on how what she’s learned about the area’s struggles since moving in over a decade ago. 

On December 10th, 2019, everything changed for Ms. Toni. That day is forever etched into her memory. The night before, Toni was visiting with her daughter who lived on 3rd Ave. in Poe Mill. Toni lives on 4th, a little over a block away. When Toni got into her car to drive home that night, she realized that the engine had died. So she just walked home instead.

The next morning was misty and rainy, the kind of day that makes you want to stay in bed. But bills needed to be paid, and errands needed to be run, so Toni knew she needed to get up, walk back to her daughter’s house and jump-start the car. 

As Toni reached her daughter’s house, she noticed a Jeep passing by holding several young men. She now knows that one of them had a parent living in Poe Mill and that’s why they were in the neighborhood, but at the time all she knew was that she didn’t recognize the vehicle or its passengers. Something seemed off. However, there didn't seem to be a concrete reason to rush inside her daughter's home. 

But moments later, as she lifted the hood of her car, two of those young men had gotten out of the jeep, jumped over a nearby fence, and approached her from two different directions.

“They came and interrupted my whole life. My life hasn’t been the same since.”  

Ms. Toni standing in the spot where her life was forever changed. 3rd Ave. in Poe Mill. 

“They shot me in the stomach four times,” she said, recounting the attack that left her seriously injured. It appears the young men were after her purse, which they had seen her carrying as she walked down the street. 

Despite the shock and pain, Ms. Toni was somehow able to remain focused. Having a concealed weapons permit, Miss Toni was prepared to defend herself. After one of her assailants tried to wrestle her from behind and more shots were fired at her, she pulled out her gun and fired back in self-defense, causing her attackers to flee. Miracle of miracles, she remained standing the entire time. “I never hit the ground,” she recalls. The first of many miracles that surround the incident. 

“I was able to walk up the steps into my daughter’s house and across the living room,” she recalled. Once seated on the couch she instructed her daughter’s roommate to grab a towel. The roommate froze in panic, but a neighbor, a teenage boy named Immanuel, rushed over from across the street, into the house to help, getting towels and stopping the bleeding. Ms. Toni doesn’t think Immanual was there by accident. Rather, for Toni, he was another miracle, there to act as a testament to his name which means, “God with us.” 

The scene was chaotic. Everyone was trying to process what had happened. Yet, strangely, Ms. Toni remained aware, sitting up, and able to talk. 

Neighbors who heard the shots had called 911. When the emergency vehicles showed up, she walked herself to the ambulance, and stayed alert for the entire ride. When she saw that they had made it to the hospital she finally let herself rest, spending the next few days in her hospital bed. “I don’t remember much from those days, except waking up and seeing my daughter and my son,” she said. 

Her son reminded her that “she has always been a fighter,” and she was doing a good job fighting now, while she laid in the hospital. Then, a final miracle came to light, the bullets had not hit any vital organs and she was released to go home after only being hospitalized for one week. 

Through it all, Ms. Toni felt the presence of God guiding her. “At the end of the day, it was all God,” she reflected. “He intervened, he strengthened me, and he had me prepared.”

The ordeal ended up being much more than just a moment of survival for Ms. Toni—it was a revelation. It brought her closer to God, strengthening her faith and commitment to His plan. “I got closer to Him after that happened. He’s always been a part of my life. I used to go to church with my grandmother, and  now I’m on the right path, doing what He wants me to do,” she said.

Ms. Toni now views her life through the lens of divine purpose. “God revealed that I have a purpose: to do His will, to do what He asks of me,” she said. Her experiences with gun violence have transformed her into an advocate, speaking out against the dangers that plague communities like Poe Mill. She is involved in several non-profits and is starting her own which she plans to call “Applying Love.” Her story reminds us all that the tragedies we face don’t keep us from our purpose, they often clarify it. 

She spends most of her time these days serving and speaking, especially sharing her story, which has given her a platform to testify of God’s power and protection. She has come by and shared her testimony with us at Griggs during a Sunday morning service. 

“We may look like nobodies to some people because of where we live, but I’m here, and I’m an activist,”

Ms. Toni said, firmly making her case for Poe Mill’s hopeful future. 

When I asked her what she believed Poe Mill needed she said, “We need more police presence. The kind of police presence where they’re interacting with the kids and showing kindness to the homeless.” she said, calling for authorities to be engaged in the area proactively. 

She believes the neighborhood needs a community center, a place for people to gather, support one another, and have some fun - something she says Poe Mill is good at. 

We agree. Our hope at Griggs is to continue to be that community center,  especially while the neighborhood is without a more traditional one. 

Though she believes in and advocates for certain changes and reforms, Ms. Toni knows that the change Poe Mill needs starts from within. “We need to learn to take care of things at home. Once we take care of things at our own home, then we can take care of others,” she said. 

Her vision for Poe Mill is one of community togetherness and gospel-centered love. The kind of love Jesus taught us to share. 

With that kind of love coming down from above, planted, and growing in our hearts, she believes that the neighborhood can rebuild and become just as vibrant and prosperous as any other, despite the hardships its residents face.

“God is still here. He has never left us,” she says confidently, rejecting the notion that any hardships we face are because God is finished with us. She still has the hope she moved into the neighborhood with. 

“If he had left us, we wouldn’t be here,” she adds. I’ve heard many people say that, or something like it before. But there’s nothing quite as powerful as hearing Ms. Toni say it. 

Thank you for reading! Check out more by subscribing to our quartlerly newspaper here.

The Poe Mill Christmas Parade

On Sunday, December 1st we’re having our annual Poe Mill Christmas Parade from 3-5 p.m. We do this in partnership with Park Place Church of God. 

Poe Mill Residents

If you live in Poe Mill all you have to do is come out on your porch between 3 & 4 p.m. and wave as we drive by. We'll stop and pass out gifts and candy to everyone we can!

And anyone living in or out of Poe Mill can join us in the gym at Park Place at 4 p.m. for some carols, cocoa, and Christmas fun.

Volunteers

Here's the schedule for the parade: 

• 2 p.m. - We decorate the floats in the Griggs parking lot together 

• 3 p.m. - We line up at Park Place and then drive around the neighborhood passing out candy and gifts. 

• 4 p.m. - We meet up in the gym at Park Place Church of God for carols, hot cocoa, and a tree decorating contest. 

There are a few ways to jump in. Griggs is providing two tractor-trailers and our two vans and we need volunteers to help decorate and ride on those. Additionally, you can bring and deck out your own vehicle to drive in the parade! Finally, whether you’re able to make the parade or not, you can join us at 4 in the gym at Park Place for the carols, cocoa, and Christmas fun. 

However you decide to get involved, let us know! Email julia@griggschurch.com to tell us you’re coming or get your questions answered. 

What is a Saltbox?

This summer we printed our first issue of Saltbox Quarterly, a community newspaper by Griggs Church. You can sign up to receive them each quarter, for free, via mail. Here’s the article we placed in that paper answering the question, “What is a Saltbox?”

Thank you for picking up our first issue. , you made history — at least Griggs history.

Griggs, a church in Poe Mill, is dedicated to delivering the good news. But we also love sharing other kinds of good news, especially as we celebrate and document the vibrant lives of those in the mill villages of West Greenville, SC.

What started as a quarterly update for our supporters seemed to be morphing into a community newspaper so we decided to embrace it, print it, and put it out there. We’re not journalists or even writers, but we enjoy giving things a shot and just seeing what happens. We hope you enjoy it too, but if you don’t, just remember - you get what you pay for. This newspaper is free.

The name of our paper draws inspiration from the saltbox houses that define our community’s architectural landscape. These homes, with their distinctively long, angled roofs, resemble the wooden salt boxes found in early American kitchens.

Saltbox homes were a staple in New England mill villages in the 17th century. When textile entrepreneurs made their way south in the 19th century, they brought this design with them because these homes were cost-effective and relatively easy to construct.

Pioneers like F.W. Poe knew these homes were built to endure. The original purpose of the sloped roof was to prevent snow from piling up and caving in on living rooms up north. Saltbox houses are designed with sturdiness and longevity in mind and as an added perk, they provide a bit of extra space compared to other working-class homes.

The people who live in these historic saltbox houses seem to embody the same sturdiness and longevity. Their resilience, perseverance, and ability to adapt reflect the qualities of their dwellings.

In every beam - and every inhabitant - of these saltbox houses, we see the spirit of a community that thrives through challenges, standing strong and unwavering.

In each issue, you can look forward to good news. We’ll share stories about the people, events, and traditions that have shaped our side of town. We’ll explore our history and share the gems we find along the way.

While we honor our past, we also look to the future. Just as saltbox houses have inspired modern architectural designs we hope our newspaper will inspire fresh ideas and foster a sense of innovation within West Greenville. We’ll tell you all we can about the current residents and organizations who are making good things happen.

We see a bright future and a new era on the horizon, from Sans Souci to Welcome. Stepping into that future involves recognizing those who are hidden, celebrating and collaborating with our wonderful non-profits and ministries, and equipping our neighbors to meet the immediate needs around them.

One hope we have is that we can, at times, unify the city and the county, the Eastside and the Westside. Both have strengths and perspectives to bring to the table that, when realized, will make the Upstate an even better place to live.

Fall Family Photos

If you have a Photo from Fall Family Fun Night 2024 email it to mitch@griggschurch.com and we’ll add it into the post (may use it on social media too)!

Fall Family Fun Night

Welcome! We’re very excited about FFFN 2024, one of our favorite annual events. Here is everything you need to know!

For those who are attending

Fall Family Fun Night is THIS Sunday, October 27, 2024 from 4-6 p.m. at Park Place Church of God (221 Orders Street) right in the middle of the neighborhood. You can let us know you’re coming at this facebook event!

FFFN is a huge Trunk or Treat event in Poe Mill. Come on out and bring everyone you can. You can easily find parking in the lot out front of (or beside) Park Place’s main building.

Feel free to wear costumes or not, whatever you’d like. We will have a bounce house, a huge inflatable slide, giant jenga, giant checkers, giant connect 4, inflatable basketball game, inflatable baseball game, facepaint, and more...

Restrooms are in the gym building. There are sensory friendly halloween baskets, candy, and toys available for the kids who need them. The event always goes extremely well and we've never had any issue, but since we always have large crowds (We expect 250-300 people) we have a security team in place so all our guests can feel looked after and super safe. 

Come and stay for however long you’d like any time between 4 and 6 p.m. this Sunday afternoon.

For those who are volunteering

If you haven’t yet, touch base with Julia Henderson (Julia@griggschurch.com) and she will let you know who your main contact/leader is for whatever you are doing. We need every volunteer there no later than 3:30 p.m. (though some volunteers are required to come at an earlier time, you will know who you are). Every volunteer gets a lanyard with a name tag in it, pick it up from the Welcome tent when you arrive.

At roughly 3:45/3:50 we will have a short time of prayer with Park Place Church of God volunteers at the sound tent. During the event, you can feel free to get some food, just make sure your activity is covered while you do. If you have any issues during the event ask your team leader, or Mitch, Carter, or Julia. Trunks can start packing up and heading out right at 6 p.m. The more people who stick around to help us clean up and tear down the better, but we do have a tear down team already in place. Pray for and lean on the spirit for divine appointments during the event.

You can find a complete volunteer guide at this google doc.

A look Back At Girls Night

Last Wednesday night was fantastic. Thank you to all those who volunteered to make it happen. We had a great group of ladies come out for food, s’mores, hot chocolate, and fellowship around the fire.

David St. John’s Story

David St. John came to Poe Mill via a mission trip with his home church, Grace Church. He fell in love with the place and decided to keep on serving with us at Neighborhood Network every Sunday night at 4 p.m. throughout his whole senior year. Click the image below to view a video about the experience.

Here’s just a piece of what you’ll hear: "One of the things I realized when I started serving, was that I actually had the capacity to do a lot more than I thought. The more I've worked on pushing through an uncomfortable situation, the more I feel like God has made me comfortable doing that. God has given me a privilege and let me into an area where he is working."

How We Helped After Helene

Hurricane Helene hit Poe Mill hard. Branches littered the streets, trees toppled onto homes, and a few residential roads were completely blocked. Poe Mill was amongst the last to receive power and Poinsett Hwy was pretty late in the game in getting the stoplights working again. 

Interestingly, our church got its power back late Saturday night, just 36 hours after the storm. By Sunday, we opened our doors to members who needed to charge phones or cook meals. A little over 10 people came.

Dozens of our people served throughout the week in organic ways, having each other over and swapping essential items. Those are some of my favorite ways in which you all served. I’ve heard so many stories of generosity and I’m sure I haven’t even heard them all. 

A team of Griggs members also served in these ways throughout last week: 

• We gave out $5 gift cards to Spinx 

• We gave out  bags of ice 

• We gave out snacks, bottled water, and flashlights 

• We provided some childcare 

• We held a Neighborhood Network event on Friday for all our kids/youth of Poe Mill

• We cleaned up a yard and fence that were majorly affected by a fallen tree 

One thing I noticed was the gratitude. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much gratitude in our church and neighborhood. Everyone wanted to help, even those we were helping! 

One man we gave ice to, despite needing it himself, handed us a ten-dollar bill and asked us to give it to someone else in need! Some of our unhoused neighbors helped clean up our church parking lot and grass where branches had fallen.  

The pain of the hurricane isn’t over, especially for those in Western North Carolina. There’s much suffering still being endured and much to do. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who, through your generosity, gratitude, and giving, followed Jesus through the storm last week. 

Very proud of you all,

Pastor Mitch

Grace Members Podcast

Pastor Mitch was asked to discuss Poe Mill, Griggs Church, and our partnership with Grace Church on the Grace Church Members Podcast. The episode dropped last week so give it a listen! You can listen to it here or search “Grace Church Members Podcast” wherever you get your podcasts. 

Griggs Guy’s Night

All photos by Isaac Cropsey

Griggs Groups: Productivity

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken."

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

We are so proud of all those engaging our Griggs Groups. Griggs Groups takes more commitment than almost anything else we do as a church. Not only do you have to show up on a weeknight, but you also typically have to participate. Unlike Sunday mornings where you mostly get to listen, at Griggs Groups you inevitably do the hard work of getting involved in the lives of others. And that participation is the main point of groups. That participation is productive.

Think about this for a moment—what is the church called to do?

Off the top of your head you may list things like this…

• Pray for people

• Care for the sick

• Meet needs

• Lift people up

• Share the gospel

These are certainly some of the roles of the church in the world. And in the earliest days of the church, it was clear that these tasks were the work of the entire body.

However, in the West today, there's been a shift. Because we have the resources, we often look to pastors or church staff to take on these responsibilities. While it's biblical for pastors to lead in these areas, it's not biblical for the church to expect that only the pastor should be doing these things.

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul talks about God's desire for the whole church to be involved in the work of the ministry so that all of the people outside the church might be saved by the gospel…

First, we see Paul saying that he has a specific role as a full-time church leader…

"For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle…” - 1 Timothy 2:7

But, he then says…

"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands…" - 1 Timothy 2:8 -

"[I desire] that women adorn themselves…with good works…” - 1 Timothy 2:9-10

So we see that we have some who are taking on ministry as a more vocational role, but all the men and women are to be involved in the mission. There are several reasons for this, but one is that a single man doing everything is counter productive. Everyone doing something is super productive. This is, in part, why we do groups.

Consider this

• What's more productive? One person praying for all those in authority (as it tells us to do in 1 Timothy 2:1), or the entire church praying together?

• One person visiting all the sick, or each Griggs Group taking care of their own sick?

• One person managing every need in the church, or each group supporting their own group members?

• Which brings about more blessing, as Ecclesiastes speaks of? Waiting for one person to notice when you’ve fallen, or having a community where everyone lifts each other up?

• If God’s desire is for all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4) what would be the better approach? One person somehow sharing the gospel with the whole world or everyone sharing the gospel with the lost in their little world?

In this letter to Timothy, and other places like Ephesians 4:11-12, we see a pattern: church leaders guide and help, like Paul is guiding Timothy, and Timothy is guiding the church at Ephesus.

But "being the church" means everyone committing to the work simply because they’re Christians, not because of a position. This greatly increases our capacity to do all the church is called to do in the world.

Biblical community is productive. It’s the body meeting the needs of the body, and the body of Christ reaching out to the world. We are stronger, more effective, and more faithful to our calling when we work together.

Griggs Groups take a lot of individual investment and participation. But it is so, so worth it.

Griggs groups: protection

One of the core reasons we gather in small groups is for our protection—specifically, protection from false teachings, whether they come from outside sources or from within our own hearts. When we hear teachings that don’t quite sound right, our group can help us discern the truth. Similarly, if we have theological ideas but aren't sure if they're accurate, sharing them in a group setting allows others to provide guidance and ensure we stay on the right track.

“Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” - Proverbs 11:14

This verse captures the essence of why we meet in groups: safety in numbers, wisdom in community.

We actually see this in the books we’re studying through in groups this semester. As we study the pastoral epistles, we see Paul writing to his protégé, Timothy, guiding him on how to lead and protect a group of believers. Paul instructs Timothy to act as a shepherd, helping them navigate the dangers of false teachings and misguided ideas, whether these come from others or their own hearts.

Right from the start of 1 Timothy, Paul addresses the issue of false teachings. He emphasizes the need for correction, highlighting how essential it is to provide that correction:

“As I urged you when I went to Macedonia, remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach false doctrine or to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies.” These false teachings promote empty speculations rather than God's plan, which operates through faith. - 1 Timothy 1:3-4

We need to guard against our tendency to pay attention to “myths and endless genealogies.” Think of this as a warning against getting caught up in those misleading theological TikToks about the Nephilim, or demons, or the timing of the Lord’s return. They’re interesting, but we must not give them too much of our study time as, ultimately, they do not instruct or compel us to be more like Jesus. Sometimes we don’t even know we’re getting sucked into an unhelpful rabbit trail or too focused on a 2nd or 3rd tier issue. This is why we must engage with our community often. It helps us stay the course.

I know, sometimes our weekly meetings might seem uneventful. You might wonder, “What are we doing this for again?” The answer is simple: protection. Protection from what? Protection from bad theology. When we’re alone, it’s much easier to develop incorrect beliefs because there’s no one to check our blind spots or help us think through things we might overlook. This is a big deal.

You might think theology isn’t something that impacts your daily life as much as time management, money management, or work. But in reality, bad theology can lead to a misguided sense of identity. And a misguided sense of identity can cause you to stray from what God has called you to do, leading you to lose sight of the “why” behind your time, your money, your work, and everything else in your life.

This is why, in the rest of 1 Timothy (especially chapter 1), Paul repeatedly talks about his own identity in Christ (Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief“). He wants to remind Timothy of his (Timothy’s) identity and, in turn, remind us of our own. Paul concludes this chapter by urging Timothy to remember his identity and use it as the fuel needed to complete his task.

“This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare…” - 1 Timothy 1:18

Our groups are here to protect us from forgetting our task.

So, as we gather every Wednesday night, let's remember that our meetings are not arbitrary. There is a purpose behind why the Scriptures ask us to come together like this. In community, we find safety, wisdom, and protection. Let’s hold on to that truth and continue to grow together.

Bonhoeffer on griggs Groups

Ok. So Bonhoeffer didn’t talk about Griggs Groups directly. But he did write a classic book on Christian Community called Life Together. If you want a robust, practical, theologically rich take on the importance and purpose of fellowship, give it a read.

One of the quotes I appreciate the most is, “The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.”

It speaks to our fleshly desire to curate a Christian community. To include who we wish and ignore who we aren’t naturally drawn to. We mistakenly believe that powerful community happens when we’re with people who are really like us or who we really like.

The scriptures point us to the truth — that community happens not because of the people around us but the God above us who is working within us. Our job is not to be gatekeepers, only diving deep with people we’re impartial to. Our job is to love the body of Christ, and God will provide powerful community for us and through us.

Let’s love and appreciate all the different participants in our groups, trusting that God has something for us through them and that God has something for them through us.

Psalm 19: Learning to Listen

1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.

In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can understand his errors?
Cleanse me from secret faults.
13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins;
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19

Psalm 19 is one of the most beloved psalms, second only perhaps to Psalm 23. It has been said that Psalm 19 is like Psalm 119 in miniature—CliffsNotes on the largest psalm. Aside from its beautiful poetry and clear structure, what draws most of us to this psalm is the assurance that God is speaking.

Almost every believer will have an experience where God seems to be silent, not speaking at all. We then tend to get frustrated and become convinced that God needs to work on His communication skills. Psalm 19 insists that, in reality, we’re the ones who must work on a skill—our listening skills. And as hard as that can be to hear, it’s good news that all is not as we thought and that God does indeed share His words with us.

Creation as Evidence

For some, the most shocking part of Psalm 19 is the beginning (verses 1-6), which tells us that God speaks to us through creation. What can be hardest to learn, then, is that we must learn to listen to God through His creation.

The theological term for this is “general revelation.” God “reveals” truth to us through what He has made, even in its broken state. For example, “the heavens” are set up in such a way as to declare there IS a glorious God.

The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Psalm 19:1

Think about it, God didn’t have to put anything above us. We could be on a blank canvas with nothing above us. But God has established us under outer space, and in doing so, He has generally revealed Himself. Though it’s a general revelation, it is a solid revelation. It’s communication. He’s saying, “Hey, I’m here!”

In fact, the created order is such clear communication that Romans 1 says we will be condemned if we do not respond to it; if we do not humble ourselves and listen to what the Lord says through His earth.

One year in college, I studied through a particularly long and brutal winter. I was taking 19 credits, participating in extracurricular activities, and barely ever left campus.

In April, around Spring Break season, my friends took me to the beach. I grew up in Indiana, so I hadn’t been to the beach very many times before, particularly after childhood.

I remember walking out onto the shore after months of battling Seasonal Affective Disorder, feeling the sun and the sand, seeing the vast ocean, and breathing in the clean air.

Within minutes, I was in the middle of a full-on healing experience like I’ve never had before—a revival of sorts.

I felt like the scenery was a great choir, and the ocean was like a great altar I could kneel on after hearing God’s great sermon, which was coming through each wave.

I was humbled before my Creator just at the sight of His creation. Have you ever had that experience? Most everyone has.

And just that experience alone is enough to reveal God to you, even if you haven’t read the Bible. If you receive that revelation and seek Him, you will find Him. If you walk away from that moment in pride and lack of interest, you can’t say, “God never spoke to me.” He did speak. With every sunrise, He reminds the world that He is present, dependable, and involved. Are you listening?

Creation as Instruction

Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.

Psalm 19:2

Creation does more than just testify that God exists; it shows us what God is like. Creation even shows us what God is like in relation to us!

Most of us modern thinkers, even modern Christians, think of nature as irrelevant, don’t we? When we think of learning, we think of textbooks and computers. Nature is for vacation but not for wisdom. I’ve been in some churches where if someone were to say they learned something from nature, they would be accused of New Ageism.

But that’s not what Scripture says, and just FYI, that’s not what Jesus said. He believed in Psalm 19.

Think about Jesus’ teaching on anxiety. What does He base His teaching on? Nature!

The external world He created guides us as we deal with our internal world, which can be so unsure about who God is and what He’s like. How will God relate to me?

In Matthew 6, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this:

 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 6:25-30

How do we deal with anxiety over whether or not God is good and will provide? Jesus says to look at the birds, the grass, and the lilies. His underlying assumption is that you should be able to know something about the Father by looking at the creation of the Father, because the Father speaks through His creation.

Do you want God to speak to you in the middle of your anxiety? Take a sabbath from screen time and just go observe what God created and ask Him to use it to reveal something to you about Himself. Mark a day, put it on your calendar, and go somewhere beautiful. Who knows what you’ll hear?

If you don’t feel like you hear anything, then go back out there. If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again. Learn to listen to God through observing creation.

Of course, this isn’t the only way in which God communicates, and thus it’s not the only way in which we listen. There is also special revelation, which is God’s Word, as expounded on in Psalm 19:7-11. There we find God’s perfect communication. The Scriptures contain the specifics we need to know about God and life. We must read the Word, meditating on it day and night.

However, the main point remains the same. Whenever we’re tempted to believe that God needs to improve His communication, we must calm our hearts, trust Him, and accept that we’re the ones who must work on listening.

Psalm 8: Small and Significant

1 O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set your glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants, you have ordained strength, because of your enemies, that you may silence the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained,

4 What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him?

5 For you have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor.

6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

7 All sheep and oxen— even the beasts of the field,

8 The birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8

If we’re using the framework of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation, this is a Psalm of orientation. Notice the bookends of the poem, the repeating sentences in vs. 1 and vs. 8, and you’ll get the sense that David just feels lucky to be alive. He sees the glories of creation. He sees how beautiful it is and how perfect it was meant to be and he simply feels excited to be part of it. When do you feel this way - that you’re just lucky to be alive?

The Bible word for this feeling is “Blessed.” It was the feeling we were made to be lost in all of the time. Because of the fall, we must wait until the last day to feel blessed fully and continually. But even in this age, we can sense glimpses of it when, like David, we embrace who we truly are.

you Are Small

Verse 2 seems to stick out, doesn’t it? It seems as if the whole poem would flow better without vs. 2. However, it’s the appropriate follow-up to vs. 1, even if it seems abrupt.

How majestic is God’s name throughout all of the earth? It’s so majestic that he needs no help in receiving his glory before his enemies. Even toddlers, who can barely form words, can sing about God and it’s enough to prove his goodness amid his foes. He doesn’t need the strength of kings and armies to prove he’s legit.

This, of course, is proven when Jesus was in the temple right before his crucifixion, and children were crying “Hosanna!” While the most powerful men in Jerusalem are plotting his death. Today, billions of people across the globe are clear that Jesus is Hosanna in the Highest, just like those kids said. They don’t need the powerful men of the temple to prove it.

When we declare Jesus, he is glorified, and others may believe us. But it’s not because we’re big and compelling, as if Jesus needed our help in the PR department. It’s because we’ve embraced how small we are. That’s when his bigness can be clearly seen.

And if you look around you’ll figure out that you are indeed small.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

Psalm 8:3-4

Do you hear David's heart in this line of the poem? It’s like he’s looking up at the night sky in ancient times where there were no street lights or skyscrapers filled with fluorescents, and you could see the galaxies in full bloom. And he says, “When I look up at the stars I don’t just feel small, I realize I am small.

The Milky Way is about 100,000 light years in diameter and contains an estimated 100 billion stars. They’re so far away that light from the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, takes over 4 years to reach Earth. Yet they’re massive enough that we can see them. Stars like Betelgeuse, a red supergiant, have diameters that can be up to 1,000 times larger than the Sun. And that’s just our one galaxy. The estimate is that there are a trillion or more galaxies, apparently going on to infinity

When we think about the vast universe above us, we are perplexed. Like, with all of that going on, why does God choose to spend his time with us? Why does God desire a relationship with us? Why would he become one of us? David is marveling at that question. This brings him to humility which is where a sense of blessedness begins. It’s through embracing our smallness we begin to feel just lucky to be alive.

Notice, though, that David isn’t humbled to the point of despair in this Psalm. He is brought low, but not cast out. In fact, in his lowness, he feels brought near. He says God is mindful of us. God is with us.

You Are Significant

David feels small, but he doesn’t say “ I don’t even matter.” He doesn’t fear being abandoned or forgotten. He embraces his smallness, but he also embraces his significance. Verse 4 questions why God would visit man. In the very next verse, we see that God doesn’t just visit man, he exalts him.

“For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of your hands; You have put all things under his feet.”

Psalm 8:5-6

As human beings, we have been made a little lower than the supernatural realm. We are not as big and as powerful as the angels are. Yet it’s we who have been given souls. God personally formed man with his own hands out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1 say that he personally formed us in our mother’s wombs as well.

We are born in the likeness of God. We are his image. We were chosen to mirror his majesty. He’s the father and we’re his children. He’s the king and we’re princes. He reigns and we reign with him.

One of the best definitions of what it means to be an image bearer of God and to have the privileged position of humanity comes from a theologian named Carmen Joy Imes who says we were created to “be partners with Yahweh.” It’s a significant thing to be the partner of God.

It’s a significant thing to be a son of Adam who was placed in the Garden of Ed “to dress it and keep it.”

It’s as if God set Adam in his divine living room and said, “Put the couch where it would be best, pick art for the walls, and organize the bookshelf. Since we’re going to live here forever, we’ll share the space, and decorate it together.”

God says, “I’ll create the animals, but you’re my partner so you name the animals. We’ll do it together.”

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, All sheep and oxen—Even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, And the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.

Psalm 8:6-8

You are small. You’re not the creator. You’re the created. But you ARE significant, you’ve been given a significant position in that creation, to partner with God in cultivating it. He has given us dominion and set all things under our feet

Even though we sin and lose control of our dominion, and even find sin taking dominion over us, he still confirms our significance.

Hebrews 2 reflects on Psalm 8 and says this:

But one testified in a certain place, saying: “What is man that You are mindful of him, Or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”  For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him…

Hebrews 2:6-8

So truly God has given us everything and called us to rule with him in all of creation, Then why do we have so many worries? Why do we have so many problems? Why do we feel such a lack of dominion?

Sin has broken everything — even our relationship with the world around us. Genesis 3 tells us that, for now,  the grounds produce thorns, and there is pain in childbearing, and people, as significant as they are, die. It’s here YOU may start to question if you are going to be forgotten or abandoned because you don’t see your special position being so…special. Hebrews acknowledges this at the end of vs. 8.

“…But now we do not yet see all things put under him.”

Hebrews 2:8

Humanity is facing problems. We don’t see humanity ruling alongside God in perfection. Have we lost our significance?

No.

It’s been proven to us even further. Hebrews 2:8 says that we don’t see all things put under our feet. Verse. 9 says…

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

Hebrews 2:9

There is no doubt that you matter to God. There’s no question as to whether or not you are on his mind. Jesus has proven your significance by visiting his world and dying on the cross for you so that your death may be destroyed. After your death, like him, you will rise again. And just as he has been exalted to his proper place at the right hand of the Father, one day you will be exalted again to your proper place as his partner in perfection.

David, and whoever wrote Hebrews, both acknowledge their glorious position in the created order. It’s not pride, it’s not arrogance, it’s simply our Biblical identity. When we put away all of our self-loathing and self-hatred and embrace the fact that God has given us significance, we step into that feeling of blessedness.

Where we feel so thankful, so lucky to be alive, our mantra once again becomes what it should have been since Genesis 1…

“O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!”

Psalm 2: Tolerating chaos

1 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,

3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.”

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,

6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.”

7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2

Psalm 2 is a companion to Psalm 1, in that they both set up themes to expect throughout the rest of the book. Psalm 2 tells us that, as we read the rest of the Psalms, we’ll find the mega themes of chaos and kingship.

If you’ve read the Psalms, you know this is true. So many of the Psalms are about kings, or written by a king, or written about bad kings and the damage they do (like we find in Psalm 2:2). And much of the Psalms are poems written by someone experiencing chaos either externally (in the world around them) or internally (in their own little world). “The nations rage” and so do their negative emotions.

What we hope the Psalms would provide, in our naivety,  is an answer that magically makes the chaos of the world (and our world) disappear. What we find instead is the good news. Specifically, something called, “Messianic Psalms,” that promise a coming king who will dispel the chaos forever one day in the future. Not just a king who will make it all disappear, but one who will judge the chaos (Psalm 2:9) and rule over our chaotic hearts with grace and truth.

Who is this promised king?

Well, it certainly isn’t King David. He did not clear the world, or his own life, of chaos. And it wasn’t Solomon, who was king after David. He had 700 wives and 300 concubines. That’s about as chaotic as it gets.

After Solomon, there came a slew of kings. Almost all of them led lives beset with chaos until finally the raging nation of Babylon really did “set themselves against” Israel (Psalm 2:2) and took them captive.

After the exile, when God’s people returned to Israel, they went centuries without a king at all. They were ruled by other nations such as Persia and Rome. Then one day a man came on the scene, in places like “the holy hill of Zion” (Psalm 2:6) saying, “Repent, for the KINGDOM of God is at hand.” This man was then baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist to the tune of a voice from heaven saying, “This is my beloved son…” (Psalm 2:7).

The messianic king is JESUS. He went out and dispelled all of the chaos around him. Wherever he went storms were stilled, blind eyes were opened, hungry stomachs were fed, sinners were forgiven, the marginalized were included, demons were cast out, and the dead were raised to life.

Then, Jesus’ enemies raged against him (Psalm 2:1). The kings of the earth conspired to overthrow him (Psalm 2:2). So they put him in cords and bound him to a cross. (Psalm 2:3).

Yet even there he overcame chaos. On the cross, he loved us. He loved us so much that he took the wrath of God for our sins. (Psalm 2:5)

Jesus took all of our chaos onto, and into, himself and then died to begin the process of dispelling it forever and ever!

His enemies thought that they had overtaken him. But THIS was laughable (Psalm 2:4). As if you could kill God’s kingly son! He did lay down his life, but after 3 days he overcame even the chaos of death and rose again from the grave, ascending to his throne in heaven shortly after! Truly he is God’s anointed, who will dispel chaos once and for all.

Where are we on the timeline?

This is happening in two phases. Phase 2 is yet to come, where he will judge the world with a final judgment (Psalm 2:9). All those who would not repent of their chaos or believe in the midst of it will be eternally punished.

Jesus came the first time as a servant but he is coming back as a king and his wrath is kindled towards those who will choose chaos over Christ.

But for those who will choose Christ over the chaos, he will make all things new and death will be no more, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor pain. He will wipe away all tears from our eyes and we will live in a new heavens and a new earth, where there is finally no more chaos and never will be (Revelation 21). That’s phase 2.

For now, we’re in phase 1. We’re in the middle of Psalm 2:8 where God says to his kingly son, “Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.”

After Jesus rose again, he sent out his disciples to preach the good news all over the world. It started in the book of Acts and continues to this day. The gospel is going out to the ends of the earth and people everywhere are repenting of sin, believing the gospel, and putting down their rage. Instead of seeing God’s commandments as bonds and cords (Psalm 2:3), they’re finding freedom in Jesus - the king who sets us free.

Will you join the people who call Jesus king? Will you be part of the fulfillment of Psalm 2:8 which is happening globally, right now, before our very eyes?

If the answer is yes, or has been yes for any length of time, you can start learning a new relationship with the chaos around you and inside of you.

A New Relationship with Chaos

It’s a relationship based on wisdom, not worry.

Psalm 2:10 tells us "Now therefore, be wise…”.  This starts with repentance. Acknowledge the futility of your OWN sin and the chaos IT causes. Strive to venture away from your sin and begin to serve the king.

Psalm 2:11 says, “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”

To serve the Lord with fear means to recognize Jesus as our king and to diligently follow His teachings. Jesus has made it clear what he desires from us: to love God wholeheartedly, love our neighbors as ourselves, care for the vulnerable, and proclaim the good news.

God has promised his son worshippers from all nations of the earth. We get the privilege to bring him some of those worshippers through sharing our stuff, our service, and our faith with others.

Is this hard? Absolutely. But serving begins to give us a new relationship with hard things.  In sin, we’re experiencing chaos for selfish reasons. Through serving, we’re experiencing chaos for the best reason of all, the salvation of the people around us.

From there, we “Rejoice with trembling” which is an act of worship and allegiance to a new king. We begin to practice gratitude and celebration for all that our new king gives to us - from our next breath to our next milestone. However, It’s not just rejoicing when things are good, it’s rejoicing because he is good.

Psalm 2:12 sums it up: "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”

In ancient times, a kiss symbolized submission. For us, it means putting ourselves under Jesus' kingship. In other words, trust in his goodness and authority. That’s the core message of Psalm 2 - trust. Trust the Son.

Trusting in Jesus brings a blessing. What is that blessing?

Something Appears

Well, it’s something we can see in the Psalmists when they’re writing these Messianic Psalms. As you read them, something curious happens.

As they focus on the coming king, their chaos doesn’t just magically disappear. Rather, something new in them begins to appear; A tolerance for the chaos.

Take Psalm 16, for example. It’s a Messianic Psalm. In verse 8 we read, “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Essentially, David says, “I am in the midst of chaos, but I can accept that…because I’m also in the midst of my King.”

Can we really accept it? Is that really possible? What if the chaos is really bad? What if it’s death itself?

The very next verses, Psalm 16:9-10 address just that.

“Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices; my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.”

If you’ve been through the scriptures before, you know that these verses are prophesying Jesus’ resurrection from death.

He accepted death, knowing he would experience God’s resurrecting power. And after Jesus’ resurrection, his disciples believed like this too. We see this very clearly in the book of Acts where guys like Peter accept even the worst persecutions.

No matter how bad they were treated by the government or their fellow Jews, they walked in wisdom, served Jesus, and rejoiced in him! Their problems didn’t go away, but what came over them was an awareness that even when they were in the midst of chaos, they were also in the midst of of Christ.

They could see God “laughing” (Psalm 2:3). God, who sent the messiah king, is totally in charge, even when the chaos seems to be. They knew this. And when they, or the Psalmists, focused on this they found the chaos to be much more tolerable.

Here’s the gist, the goal of the believer should not be the fool’s errand of escaping all chaos, but worshipping the right king. Which will have the byproduct of making the chaos much more tolerable.

Sometimes, we too may be able to laugh at it.

Psalm 1: A Lens for All We Cannot See

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Psalm 1

Psalm 1 serves as a glorious gateway to the entire book of Psalms. It tells us what we will encounter if we continue reading: a stark contrast between the righteous and the wicked.

The righteous are blessed, like a tree planted by streams of water, while the wicked are like chaff blown away by the wind. The righteous prosper, but the wicked are forgotten. Using the framework of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation, Psalm 1 is a Psalm of orientation. It shows us the world as it was meant to be, where everything is in its proper place.

Everything in Psalm 1 is stated concretely and with certainty. Since this Psalm serves as an introduction to the entire book, one might expect the following 149 Psalms to depict God's people living in ease and His enemies in disgrace. However, that’s not exactly what we find.

By the time we reach Psalm 3, we find God’s servant pleading for help because their enemies are prospering:

“Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me.”

Psalm 3:1

As we continue through the Psalms, we encounter numerous instances where the righteous feel like chaff and the wicked appear to be thriving. It’s almost like the opposite of Psalm 1 unfolds.

For example, in Psalm 94:3, the author asks, “Lord…How long will the wicked triumph?” Similarly, in the famous Psalm 22, David cries out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”

How do we reconcile Psalm 1 with the rest of the book?

We need to check our assumptions at the door

This is true when we enter the Psalms—and the Scriptures as a whole. What does it mean to prosper in our eyes? And what does it mean to prosper in God's eyes? Could the two perspectives be vastly different?

When we see someone on their knees begging God for help and abandoning all hope in their own strength, we may see someone who is suffering. God sees their suffering too, but he also see’s something more. Something we can’t spot.

He sees them prospering. He sees them blooming and growing up into a mighty Oak as they learn some of life’s most important and powerful truths: that they are weak and in need, but that God is for them.

Conversely, the unrighteous might feel that their lives are so good, they have nothing to pray about. But, in reality, their souls are weakening. Let’s say we see the wicked making millions through unethical practices and living it up with all that money. To us they seem strong. But perhaps, they are more like chaff than ever. God see’s that if you just take away the money, they’ll be blown away.

Look Beyond the Present Moment

We also need to look past what we see right now to understand Psalm 1. It speaks of a certain future for both the righteous and the wicked, not necessarily a guaranteed present. The present moment can be deceiving.

As you follow Jesus through this season of your life, you may feel small like chaff. But several years from now, you’ll find that in this season you were more like a small seed. And what will seeds be like in the future? Big, beautiful trees that bear fruit.

In this same season, you may be surrounded by those who don’t follow Jesus, and their lives may look like an abundant field of wheat. But their future is certain: they will soon be discarded from the harvest, as they were really just chaff.

Psalm 1 is like a gateway, telling us what we’ll see as we journey through the Psalms. But it is also like a lens through which we can interpret the rest of the Psalms (and most of life’s circumstances). The contrast between the righteous and the unrighteous doesn’t always look the way you’d think it would, but through this lens we can see the true direction both are heading in.

You may feel helpless, but if you’re seeking God, you’re actually heading for hope. You may see others as invincible, but if they’re running from God, they’re heading for destruction.

How To Use The Psalms, Starting With Your Favorite

Many believers cherish a favorite Psalm, one that has provided comfort and strength throughout their journey with Jesus. While repetition of a single Psalm can be comforting, intentionally adding a couple more Psalms to the mix can be profoundly stabilizing.

The Three Types of Psalms

Walter Brueggemann, a distinguished scholar, offers insightful teachings on the Psalms, categorizing them into three types: Psalms of Orientation, Disorientation, and Reorientation.

Psalms of Orientation

These Psalms express praise and highlight the beauty and goodness of God's creation. These are prayers offered up when life is good and everything feels right. For example, Psalm 8 marvels at the wonder of just being alive:

"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him and the son of man that you visit him?"

When do you feel oriented? When do you feel that life is as it should be and you are simply lucky to be alive? For my daughter, it’s like the Psalmist - she feels oriented when she looks at the moon and stars. We recently visited the Kennedy Space Center, and she was in awe of the galaxy. For me, it's evenings with my family, enjoying time together with snacks, movies, and laughter.

Psalms of Disorientation

These Psalms come into play when life is tough, expressing sorrow, frustration, and a plea for God's help. Psalm 13 is a potent example:

"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? Consider me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death."

When do you feel disoriented? When does everything seem out of order? It could be during times of great injustice or personal crisis.

The Psalms cover the full range of disorienting emotions, including depression, anger, anxiety, and even the feeling of being abandoned by God. This inclusion reassures us that these emotions are a normative part of the Christian experience, welcome in our prayers to God, and that we are not bad Christians for feeling them.

Psalms of Reorientation

These Psalms celebrate God's deliverance and the restoration of order after a period of chaos. They reflect moments of salvation and renewed hope. Psalm 34, for instance, is a common example:

"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

When have you felt divinely reoriented? When have you been filled with gratitude because God came through and saved the day? For me, it’s the support and healing I've received in my struggles with OCD. I’ve felt like the “poor man” in Psalm 34 on many occasions. I cried out and God saved me in his goodness.

Add to Your Favorite Psalm

Now, consider your favorite Psalm. Reflect on that one Psalm you’ve gone back to over and over. How does it fit into Brueggemann’s framework? Is it a Psalm you read when you're oriented, disoriented, or reoriented?

Now, match your favorite Psalm with two others that correspond to the other states of being.

For example, If your favorite Psalm is one of reorientation, pair it with a Psalm of orientation and one of disorientation.

Or, If your favorite Psalm is one of orientation, such as Psalm 19, pair it with a Psalm of disorientation, like Psalm 22, and then one of reorientation like Psalm 30.

Instead of just going back to one Psalm while experiencing one emotion, you’ll be going back to the Psalms with each emotion, thus experiencing a more steady recognition of God as life continually unfolds.

So, In moments of orientation, pray your favorite Psalm of gratitude and awe.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." - Psalm 19:1

In times of disorientation, pray your favorite Psalm of despair and doubt.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?" - Psalm 22:1

And when you experience reorientation, pray your favorite Psalm of salvation and grace.

"I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me." - Psalm 30:1

This practice will enrich your emotional and spiritual health, guiding you through the ups and downs of life, which the Psalms are designed to do.