Psalm 119

My favorite college class was on Psalms. 

Our first assignment was to categorize each of the psalms in a spreadsheet. We created our own categories (worship, lament, praise, etc.), and after reading each psalm we put them in the appropriate column(s). I had never studied scripture so methodically, and it was enriching in heart and mind. (It also jump-started my love of spreadsheets!) Our assignments continued to be varied in nature: studying the historical context behind a given psalm, extrapolating how David felt when writing, and authoring our own psalm to be “performed” in front of the class. One assignment was to find a quiet spot in nature, meditate on our favorite psalm, and record our thoughts!

Despite growing up in the church and being familiar with the Bible, I quickly discovered that I had no idea how to integrate study of scripture into my life.  I wasn’t thinking of the ways that Scripture could make more room for God in my life! I thought merely reading it was enough--and there’s nothing wrong with “just” reading it--but I had rarely studied anything below the surface of the text. Studying historical context, meditating on a few verses, and even categorization was eye-opening for me in the best possible ways. I hadn’t realized that I’d gotten stuck in the thought that scripture study required a seminary degree and hours spent in the library surrounded by dusty commentaries and supplemental texts. I had been intimidated by the idea of studying scripture, but as it turned out one doesn’t need a seminary degree to do so! Ordinary people—people like me—could find in Scripture powerful tools for making room for God in my life.

The most important takeaway from my semester studying Psalms was discovering the worth of making room in my life for God’s word in various ways, shapes, and forms. I dove into Psalms head first and resurfaced with a deeper relationship with God and His Word.

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, and the psalmist uses those verses to express how he loves the scriptures in various ways. My challenge to you this week is to choose a different way than you normally would to interact with the Bible. You could do some research about the context behind a passage you’ve been reading, or you could choose a quiet spot to be still in nature while meditating on your favorite scripture. Perhaps you could even write your own psalm!  Whichever method you choose, blessings on you as you interact with His Word today!