The Psalms: Prayer, Lament, Confession, Trust, and Praise

So our first point today that we're going to consider is the Psalms teach us about who God is.

The Psalms reveal the Lord as Creator, King, Shepherd, Judge, Redeemer, Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, and Covenant-keeping God.

You see, unlike the God who appears to be weak and distant or confused or silent or changing his mind, Psalms reveals a God who is and remains the only God.

God has spoken clearly and finally and fully in and through his word.

So he speaks, he rules, he saves, he judges, he sustains, he hears and he shepherds his people, he keeps his promises.

The Psalms teach us to worship God as he has revealed himself, not as we imagine him to be.

So the central point here is this.

The Psalms teach us to worship the God who has revealed himself in his word.

Now, remember, if we go back to Psalm 1, it's not hard to remember this, but Psalm 1 sets the tone for this whole book.

Remember? There's only one way, and the psalmist at the opening of the book sets forth a clear direction for readers of this great book of the Bible by declaring that the only way for the righteous is found in what God has said.

That's why the psalmist in Psalm 1 tells us to meditate on the Lord, to chew, to digest, to consider.

to meditate, to think about God's Word, because that's the only truth that we need.

And we're living in a day of massive, as we know, confusion, chaos, and we need clarity that comes from God's Word.

And that's what God has given to us in the 66 books that constitute the Word of God.

That's why, as you read the Psalms, what you see is that God has a way for the blessed.

And that way is found in following His Word, His precepts, His principles that are found in His Word alone.

And that's why we need a book like Psalms, because not only does it help us, as Psalm 119 so clearly says, that it lights the way for the righteous, but God does that because of His Word alone that He has given to us.

and by which His Spirit uses His Word in our lives to teach us, to instruct us, to comfort us, and to convict us.

So we don't worship a vague God.

We worship a God, the Lord, who is holy, sovereign, merciful, just, faithful, and near to His people.

When our view of God is small, our worship of God will be small.

When our view of God is shaped by the Word of God, our worship becomes reverent, joyful, and God-centered.

So the main point here is the Psalms, they help enlarge our worship by enlarging our vision of God according to His Word.

And that's what we need in a time like ours, where if you look at the State of Theology published by LifeWay Research, in conjunction with Ligonier Ministries, if you look at the Gallup surveys, if you look at the American worldview studies, I should say, worldview studies, we're living in a time when people don't have a biblical view of God.

and that's concerning, but what Psalms helps us to do is to address that problem head-on by understanding who God is as He's revealed in the Word, and how that helps us in every stage, in every sphere of life, whether that's grief.

So our first point today that we're going to consider is the Psalms teach us about who God is.

The Psalms reveal the Lord as Creator, King, Shepherd, Judge, Redeemer, Rock, Fortress, Deliverer, and Covenant-keeping God.

You see, unlike the God who appears to be weak and distant or confused or silent or changing his mind, Psalms reveals a God who is and remains the only God.

God has spoken clearly and finally and fully in and through his word.

So he speaks, he rules, he saves, he judges, he sustains, he hears and he shepherds his people, he keeps his promises.

The Psalms teach us to worship God as he has revealed himself, not as we imagine him to be.

So the central point here is this.

The Psalms teach us to worship the God who has revealed himself in his word.

Now, remember, if we go back to Psalm 1, it's not hard to remember this, but Psalm 1 sets the tone for this whole book.

Remember? There's only one way, and the psalmist at the opening of the book sets forth a clear direction for readers of this great book of the Bible by declaring that the only way for the righteous is found in what God has said.

That's why the psalmist in Psalm 1 tells us to meditate on the Lord, to chew, to digest, to consider.

to meditate, to think about God's Word, because that's the only truth that we need.

And we're living in a day of massive, as we know, confusion, chaos, and we need clarity that comes from God's Word.

And that's what God has given to us in the 66 books that constitute the Word of God.

That's why, as you read the Psalms, what you see is that God has a way for the blessed.

And that way is found in following His Word, His precepts, His principles that are found in His Word alone.

And that's why we need a book like Psalms, because not only does it help us, as Psalm 119 so clearly says, that it lights the way for the righteous, but God does that because of His Word alone that He has given to us.

and by which His Spirit uses His Word in our lives to teach us, to instruct us, to comfort us, and to convict us.

So we don't worship a vague God.

We worship a God, the Lord, who is holy, sovereign, merciful, just, faithful, and near to His people.

When our view of God is small, our worship of God will be small.

When our view of God is shaped by the Word of God, our worship becomes reverent, joyful, and God-centered.

So the main point here is the Psalms, they help enlarge our worship by enlarging our vision of God according to His Word.

And that's what we need in a time like ours, where if you look at the State of Theology published by LifeWay Research, in conjunction with Ligonier Ministries, if you look at the Gallup surveys, if you look at the American worldview studies, I should say, worldview studies, we're living in a time when people don't have a biblical view of God.

and that's concerning, but what Psalms helps us to do is to address that problem head-on by understanding who God is as He's revealed in the Word, and how that helps us in every stage, in every sphere of life, whether that's grief.