A Summer In Psalms

Reading Plan

June 3, 2016

Follow along in the Reach App or print off the plan

PURPOSE

This plan will take you through the entire Book of Psalms over the course of the summer, while we as a church dive into a few specific passages along the way.Reading through Psalms helps us encounter God’s profoundly beautiful love and glory, which in turn allows us to worship and praise him as he ought to be. Truly knowing God helps us love him and those he’s placed around us in ways we could not otherwise.

HELPFUL TIPS

Encountering God in the Bible is one of the greatest things human beings can experience. Here are some tips to help you as you move through this reading plan:

  • Set aside and prioritize specific time dedicated to reading the text for the day. Ensure that this time is focused exclusively on the Bible.
  • Pray before you dive in. The Bible was written by God for you to know him and love him. Ask him to open your eyes to what he wants you to see and for him to ready your heart to see and embrace whatever is in the text you’re reading.
  • Read through the passage, thinking, asking questions, and looking for answers along the way (or at the end). Sometimes passages are challenging, this isn’t to keep us out, but to draw us in deeper, when a superficial reading would be unhelpful. Think and pray through the text.
  • Look for arguments being made by the author with connector words like “for” or “because” or “therefore”—these sometimes signal a truth about God or a promise he’s made to those who love him. The Bible is filled with arguments intended to not just increase our knowledge, but deepen our conviction about who God really is.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Here are a few things that are important to remember when reading Psalms:

  • This book is comprised of rich and powerful songs and poems, and has acted as the prayer book of the people of God for thousands of years.
  • Although many psalms are ascribed to King David, it’s clear that at least some portions of this book originated from different authors at different points during Israel’s history.
  • It’s important to recognize the immediate context the psalms were written within, usually included in the title header. Sometimes psalms have a messianic function (on top of its original purpose) which means they ultimately point to Jesus Christ as our promised rescuer, and were quoted in the New Testament by Jesus and his apostles.
  • Sometimes the psalms have graphic language and intense concepts, many of which are connected to the harsh reality in which they were written. Digging deeper into the context of a passage with a Study Bible or commentary may be helpful in uncovering how a Christian is to understand and apply such texts.
  • Many at Reach have picked up Tim Keller's new book about Psalms, The Songs of Jesus. Consider doing the same to provide a great supplement to your time in the scriptures.