An excerpt from Dr. Vernon M. Whaley’s book, “Called To Worship”

Now, open your hymnals to page…

What? You think I’m kidding? But that’s exactly what the book of Psalms is: a hymnal, filled to the brim with songs.

Psalms, or the Psalter, is an entire book of the Bible devoted to expressing truth through melody. Its title in the Jewish Bible is Tehilim (“praises” or “hymns”), though the word itself only occurs in the heading of one psalm (145). The New Century Version calls Psalms The Songbook of Israel. But just what kind of “songbook” is it?

The book of Psalms is a collection of poems – prayer, really – that were set to music. They were written in different time periods, by different people, to express different emotions and truths. Some of the psalms express faith in God; others mirror distress. The first psalm compares two different lifestyles: one good and one bad. The last psalm is a canticle of exuberant praise. But every psalm is a stand-alone musical composition, accompanied by instruments often named in the heading: strings for Psalm 4; flutes for Psalm 5; a gittith (zither) for Psalm 8, and so on. As a whole, the book of Psalms affords the sincere worshipper a comprehensive model for the expression of his love and praise to God.

What do all of these ancient psalms mean for us today? What good, really, are the lyrical writings of David, Asaph, and others to modern society? Let me tell you a story…

On September 15, 2004, Hurricane Ivan swept through Pensacola, Florida, turning a calm Wednesday evening into one of the worst nights of terror in the city’s history. For the next several days, families regrouped, while trying to make sense of the devastation. Thousands of people were without food, water, supplies, and power. In the pitch-black evenings, mothers and fathers, huddled around lanterns and makeshift power generators, comforted their frightened children.

Then came Sunday. The sun sparkled with hope as the clouds cleared and people began making their way to church. The little house of worship had seen bad weather before. Its congregation had assembled after many a storm. But this time, it was different. As two crude generators churned out just enough power to run the sound and light the front of the sanctuary, nearly two thousand people gathered. And they sang. And prayed.

Then one of the pastors spoke:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

“‘There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day…”Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”‘”

“‘The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.’” [from Psalm 46:1-5, 10-11 NIV]

When the preacher finished, a deafening silence filled the building, and in that moment, the Lord revealed His presence, breathing into our anxious hearts, Peace… Be still. Some wept. Others shouted hallelujah. But all were comforted by these precious words from the Psalms.

For centuries, men and women have uttered the psalms for comfort – at the bedside of a dying saint, or the graveside of a lifeless loved one. The psalms have also been read as devotions, both public and private; during celebrations and baby dedications; and even at the coronations and weddings of kings. And…people have used them for worship.

But how can we use them today, you and I, in our own private times with God?

We can pray them. Often we don’t quite know how to pray about a situation that arises. But if we turn to the blessed book of the Psalms, it will show us how to dialogue with God. Don’t know what to say to God in the midst of your suffering? Then choose a psalm that speaks to your anxiety or heartache, and ask the Lord to accept it as your own cry of help. Are you so blissful, so effervescent today, that words fail you? Do you feel foolish trying to express your great thankfulness? Then, again, use the psalms as a model, praying through a fitting passage as though its words of thanksgiving were composed by you. God loves those words. He inspired them in the first place. In reading the psalms aloud, you’ll see His faithfulness in living color.

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Devotion from Called to Worship by Vernon M. Whaley and available through your local bookstore or directly from Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN. Dr. Vernon M. Whaley is the Director of Liberty University’s Center For Worship in Lynchburg, VA.