CCC 27-3

INNOVATIVE THOUGHT & PRACTICE

The Psalms are a mirror of our soul. What a beautiful and powerful metaphor that helps us read the Psalms as intended.

The Psalms are not just the prayers of the original composer; they become our prayers as we take on the psalmist’s voice to sing our praise and bring our troubles to God. As David Hubbard once said, there is a psalm for every season of our lives. Hubbard was picking up on an insight well expressed by John Calvin: “I have been wont to call this book not inappropriately, an anatomy of all parts of the soul; for there is not an emotion of which any one can be conscious that is not here represented as in a mirror. Or rather, the Holy Spirit has here drawn to the life all the griefs, sorrows, fears, doubts, hopes, cares, perplexities, in short, all the distracting emotions with which the minds of men are wont to be agitated.” 1 The Psalms are a mirror of our soul. What a beautiful and powerful metaphor that helps us read the Psalms as intended. When we look into a mirror and see our reflection, we observe what we look like on the outside. Maybe we look just fine, but sometimes we may need to brush our hair or wipe the smudge off our cheeks. When we read a psalm, we find out what we are like on the inside. Are we moving toward God or moving away from Him? Do I find words that express my heart in Psalm 18:1 (NLT), “I love you, Lord; you are my strength,” or in Psalm 88:18 (NLT), “You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.” Walter Brueggemann famously described three of the major psalm types. 2 First, there are hymns, which he called songs of orientation. We sing hymns when life is going well. At these moments, we feel close to God and other people. We are even at peace with ourselves. Psalm 98 is a good example that praises God as our savior (vss. 1-3), our king (vss. 4-6), and our judge (vss. 7-9). Second, we sing a lament when life falls apart. Laments are songs of disorientation we pray when we are sad, angry, dis appointed, or filled with envy. Psalm 77 is a good exam ple of the psalmist who cannot sleep because he is so upset. Third, when God answers our lament, we thank Him. Thanksgiving psalms are songs of reorientation. Thanksgivings sound much like hymns, but they remem ber a previous lament, as in Psalm 30, where God healed the psalmist from a life-threatening illness. Brueggemann leaves it there, and his insights are very helpful to us. However, Glenn Pemberton adds a fourth type when he reminds us what we all know—namely, God does not always answer our laments. 3 How do we handle our long-lasting suffering? As long as our hearts are hurting, we can continue to bring our laments to God. If the book of Psalms teaches us anything, it is that we can and should be brutally honest with God. However, it is crucial to remember that God invites our

laments but not our grumbling. The biblical laments are entirely different from the type of grumbling in the wilderness (e.g., Numbers 14:1-12 ). When we lament, we bring our pain to God; grumblers complain about God to others. Grumblers have given up on God; those who lament still have hope in God. Most laments have a turn to praise or confidence at the end of the prayer. In Psalm 77, the psalmist finds the confidence to live in a troubled present and hope for the future by remembering God’s “wonderful deeds of long ago” (Psalm. 77:11), especially the crossing of the Red Sea at the time of the exodus (77:16-20). Even Psalm 88, which ends with “darkness is my closest friend” (vs. 18b), shows hope as the suffering psalmist refers to God as the “God of my salvation” (v. 1). That said, for sufferers who have moved through lament to a place of trust, psalms of confidence are a wonderful model for our prayers. The beloved Psalm 23 is the best-known example. The psalmist reflects on our divine shepherd, and as he does, he can say, “Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies” (23:4-5a). The danger is still present, but the psalmist rests in God’s care and protection. The book of Psalms is a profound resource for our spiritual and emotional lives and much more. No matter what we are thinking and feeling, there is a psalm that helps us express ourselves to God. As we do, the psalm brings us into God’s presence so we can express our selves better and initiate the transformation that brings us into a greater relationship with Him. ; Tremper Longman, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at

Westmont College. He is the author of How to Read Psalms (2nd edition; InterVarsity Press, 2025), Psalms (TOTC; InterVarsity Press, 2014), and The Cry of the Soul: How Our Emotions Reveal Our Deepest Questions about God (with Dan Allender; NavPress, 2015).

Endnotes 1 Lockyer, H. (1984). “In wonder of the Psalms,” Christianity Today, 28 :72-8. 2 Brueggemann, W. (1984). The message of the Psalms: A theological commentary (Philadelphia: Augsburg), 25-167. 3 Pemberton, G. (2013). After lament: Learning to trust God again (Abilene, TX: Abilene Christian University Press).

Christian Counseling Connection 19