A Modern Psalm

I’m reading a Bible study called Coffee with the Savior by Kristen Myers. She is a friend of mine, and gave me a copy of her book as a gift. The focus of the study is about turning to Jesus for friendship instead of fruitlessly searching for that one “perfect” human friend to satisfy my deep longings. Oh, that message is so timely in my life right now!

The book compares time with Jesus as if He were a friend you were meeting for coffee. You greet Him the way you would a girlfriend: with a welcoming hello, a hug, a compliment (“It’s so good to see you. You look great! Did you cut your hair?” [Sidebar: could you imagine asking Jesus that?! I’ll bet He would chuckle with me.]), followed by catching up on life, sharing any heartaches or joys, and finishing with a promise to meet again – tomorrow, next week, when?

I’m in chapter three right now, which – in simplistic terms – would be the “compliment” stage. Kristen writes about how we can spend time praising Jesus (and how He does that for us too), and there are Psalm references that demonstrate what that looks like. Kristen asks the reader to write these praises in his/her own words. I wrote my verses as if Jesus had come over to have coffee in my living room, but they quickly evolved into a thank you note I might write to Him after our visit:

Hello, Jesus! It is so good to see you. I love when you visit with me and we can hang out. I always feel better when I’m with you. You listen to me and care for me. You encourage me and tell me how loved I am. Thank you for the gifts you lavish on me: the sunshine you just poured through my window, the quiet in my house, the sweet memories of holding my kids this morning, the breeze rustling my trees in the yard, the warm scent of Dan’s hugs. You always know just what I need. I feel so blessed to be your friend!

Sometimes, I wonder what it must have felt like for the Bible’s authors as they were writing the letters, poems, and first-person accounts that make up our holy scriptures. Since the words were inspired by the Holy Spirit, did the authors feel a certain one-ness as they were writing? Personally, I love writing and can get into a groove – some call it “flow” – when I’m writing. There are times that phrases (praises!) and words just fall out of my head, and I have no idea where they were rooted deep inside me. Don’t get me wrong: I am not comparing my writing to the Scriptures! But I am wondering how it felt for them to feel so deeply intertwined with the Author Himself. My silly “psalm” that I wrote this morning is really just a bit of gibberish, but I felt closer to my Friend when I wrote to Him. Can you imagine how much greater that feels when you’re writing in tandem with Him? Holy, inspired, and knowing without a doubt that He is using you for His purpose in reaching a thousand lifetimes yet to come.

Have you ever written a psalm of praise? Try it, and talk to Him as if you were leaving a comment on His heavenly blog. Wouldn’t it be awesome if we gave Him as much time as we give to our Google Readers? (That’s a rhetorical question, y’all. Something I am directing at my own wandering heart!)

Happy writing!