Man Pouring Out His Heart to God in Prayer
Daily Devotions

Psalms: Folk Songs of Faith

A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling -- even the LORD, who is my refuge -- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. (Psalm 91:7-10)

The psalms are designed to teach us to do one thing -- to worship. These psalms reflect every human emotion, but they do so in an important way: they are emotions seen in relationship to God. This book, therefore, teaches us how to be honest before God.

  1:  The Secret Of Beauty And Strength Psalm 1
  2:  Light And Truth Psalm 43
  3:  When Feet Slip Psalm 73:1-14
  4:  The View From The Sanctuary Psalm 73:15-28
  5:  The Dwelling Place Psalm 90:1-6
  6:  The Tragic Sense Of Life Psalm 90:7-17
  7:  A Place To Settle Psalm 107:1-32
  8:  Steadfast Love Psalm 107:1, 33-43
  9:  When You Are Falsely Accused Psalm 109
10: Design And Determinism Psalm 139:1-18
11: A Prayer Of Passion Psalm 139:19-24
12: Hidden Faults Psalm 19
13: Help From The Sanctuary Psalm 20
14: The Suffering Savior Psalm 22
15: No Want Psalm 23:1
16: Where Needs Are Met Psalm 23:2-3a
17: Guidance Psalm 23:3b
18: Through The Valley Psalm 23:4
19: Worship In The Wilderness Psalm 23:5-6
20: A Song Of Resurrection Psalm 40
21: The King In His Beauty Psalm 45
22: The Sacrifice Of Thanksgiving Psalm 50
23: A Cry For Mercy Psalm 51:1-9
24: A Willing Spirit Psalm 51:10-19
25: A Crisis Of Faith Psalm 77:1-10
26: Obtaining God's Help Psalm 77:11-13
27: From Despair To Victory Psalm 77:14-15
28: Man And God Psalm 8
29: The Secret Of Usefulness Psalm 84
30: Why Give Thanks? Psalm 95:1-5
31: Hearken To His Voice! Psalm 95:6-11

A devotion introduction for October

This month, we will discover the treasure of what many regard as the richest part of Scripture. C. H. Spurgeon called the Psalms the treasury of David, and a treasury is a place where riches are kept.

The Psalms are the folk songs of the Bible, and this is a generation that loves folk songs. These marvelous ancient folk songs are much like the ballad style of music that we hear so much today, which simply recounts the experiences of various men and women. The Psalms relate the experiences of believers of the past, reflecting on the emotional upsets, problems, and disturbances that saints of old have endured. Their songs tell how they found their way through, and they are wonderful, therefore, for helping us in our emotional pressures. There is no book like the Psalms to meet the need of the heart when it is discouraged and defeated or when it is elated and encouraged. This book is absolutely without peer in its expression of emotion. The Psalms are helpful simply because they teach us how to find our way through many types of problems.

Most of the Psalms were written by David, but not all. Some were written by his choir leaders in Jerusalem, and the names of Asaph, Jeduthun, Ethan, and others appearing in the Psalms are royal choirmasters. One or two were written by Moses, and one or two by King Solomon. There are several Psalms whose authors it is impossible to identify. The whole book is a collection that has been put together by the ancient Hebrews in order that we might understand the joys and sorrows that the people of God have experienced and how they found their way out during times of difficulty.

PLEASE NOTE: The devotions for October 15-19 were written by David Roper.