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lichés  are  a  way  of  life.  with God!
                                                                                           They keep us from having
                                                                                    Cto  reveal  our  true  selves.  God's  Word  was  written  to  be
                                                                                    Rather  than  being  a  vehicle  for  studied, understood, and applied,
                                                                                    expressing  true  feelings,  such  and  the  book  of  Psalms  lends
                                                                                    empty words often cover up the  itself most directly to application.
                                                                                    real person. But genuine relation-    We understand Psalms best when
                                                                                    ships are built on honest commu-      we "stand under" them and allow
                                                                                    nication,  where  we  share  with  them  to  flow  over  us  like  a  rain
                                                                                    others who we really are. It is only  shower.   We  may  turn  to  Psalms
                                                                                    when honest feelings are shared  looking for something, but sooner
                                                                                    that  real  people  can  be  known,  or later we will meet Someone. As
                                                                                    loved, and helped at the deepest  we  read  and  memorize  the
                                                                                    levels.                               psalms,  we  will  gradually  dis-
                                                                                                                          cover how much they are already
                                                                                    Often,  patterns  of  superficial  part of us. They put into words our
                                                                                    communication spill over into our  deepest  hurts,  longings,
                                                                                    talks  with  God.  We  easily  slide  thoughts,  and  prayers.     They
                                                                                    through  well-worn  lines  recited  gently push us forward to being
                                                                                    for decades, or we quickly toss a  what  God  designed  us  to  be  -
                                                                                    cliché  or  two  at  God  and  call  it  people loving and living for Him!
                                                                                    prayer!  There is no doubt that God
                                                                                    hears  and  understands  these               — ooo OOO ooo —
                                                                                    feeble  attempts,  but  by  limiting
                                                                                    the depth of our communication,  When  you  want  to  find  comfort,
                                                                                    we  become  shallow  in  our  read Psalm 23.
                                                                                    relationship  with  God.  But  He
                                                                                    knows us, and He wants to have  When  you  want  to  meet  God
                                                                                    genuine communication with us.        intimately, read Psalm 103.

                                                                                    At  the  centre  of  the  Bible  is  the  When  you  want  to  learn  a  new
                                                                                    book  of  Psalms.  This  great  prayer  and  give  thanks  to  God,
                                                                                    collection  of  songs  and  prayers  read Psalm 136.
                                                                                    expresses  the  heart  and  soul  of
                                                                                    humanity.  In  them,  the  whole  When  you  want  to  learn  a  new
                                                                                    range  of  human  experiences  is  song, read Psalm 92.
                                                                                    expressed.  There  are  no  clichés
                                                                                    in  this  book.  Instead,  David  and  When  you  want  to  learn  more
                                                                                    the  other  writers  honestly  pour  about God, read Psalm 24.
                                                                                    out their true feelings, reflecting a
                                                                                    dynamic,  powerful,  and  life-       When  you  want  to  understand
                                                                                    changing  friendship  with  God.  yourself more clearly, read Ps. 8.
                                                                                    The psalmists confess their sins,
                                                                                    express  their  doubts  and  fears,  When you want to know how to
                                                                                    ask  God  for  help  in  times  of  come  to  God  each  day,  read
                                                                                    trouble,  and  they  praise  and  Psalm 5.
                                                                                    worship Him.
                                                                                                                          When you want to be forgiven for
                                                                                    As you read the book of Psalms,  your sins, read Psalm 51.
                                                                                    you will hear believers crying out
                                                                                    to God from the depths of despair,  When you want to feel worthwhile,
                                                                                    and you will hear them singing to  read Psalm 139.
                                                                                    Him in the heights of celebration.
                                                                                    But  whether  despairing  or  rejoi-  When  you  want  to  understand
                                                                                    cing,  you  will  always  hear  them  why  you  should  read  the  Bible,
                                                                                    sharing honest feelings with their  read Psalm 119.
                                                                                    God.  Because  of  the  honesty
                                                                                    expressed by the psalmists, men  When you want to give praise to
                                                                                    and  women  throughout  history  God, read Psalm 145.
                                                                                    have  come,  again  and  again,  to
                                                                                    the  book  of  Psalms  for  comfort  When you want to know that God
                                                                                    during  times  of  struggle  and  is in control, read Psalm 146.
                                                                                    distress. And with the psalmists,
                                                                                    they have risen from the depths of  When  you  want  to  please  God,
                                                                                    despair to new heights of joy and  read Psalm 15.
                                                                                    praise as they also discovered the
                                                                                    power  of  God's  everlasting  love  When you want to know why you
                                                                                    and forgiveness. Let the honesty  should worship God, read Ps. 104.
                                                                                    of the psalmists guide you into a  [Life  Application  Bible,  Tyndale
                                                                                    deeper and genuine relationship  House Publishers, Inc., 1988].
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