Selections from the Book of Psalms

One of my favorite "books" of all time is the Book of Psalms. It gives a lot of great insight into its author with powerful, colorful language and themes. The book starts off with an explanation of, if not a directive for, the ideally behaved person. The heart of the book tells of King David's tragedies and triumphs, his values and beliefs, and more words of wisdom for those who seek to live good lives. The book ends with a fascinating reflection on the nature of the universe and holiness, leaving the reader with the notion that all living beings are connected to spirituality.

The first verse of the first Psalm reads, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners nor sits in the seat of the scornful." This is essentially a statement reflecting on the author's (ostensibly King David's) perception of a good person: one who keeps oneself in the company of righteous people, one who does good deeds, and one who is at peace with the words and actions of others.

The Psalms continue, frequently relaying the message that those who do choose to live such a life of goodness are likely to be in God's favor and receive blessings, but not without prayer. The last verse of Psalm 38 (Ps. 38:22) is one such prayer for divine assistance. It reads, "Make haste to help me, o Lord, my salvation."

Psalm 72 gives an explanation of how people will be judged. It seems that divine judgment goes beyond what is set forth in the first Psalm. 72:2 reads "He shall rule on (your) people with righteousness and (your) poor with judgment."

Psalm 100, verse 2 contains one of my favorite phrases and directives in the entire book of Psalms: "Serve God with joy." This, in my opinion, outlines one of the best ways a religious person can live. Without joy, how could a religious person serve God? Such an important task cannot rightfully be done with an air of contempt. In fact, the verse takes this directive a step further saying, "come before His presence with singing." This implies that joy is not enough. Rather, an outward act of happiness and reflection of one's inner light, if you will, is required to make the most of one's service to God.

Finally, the book of Psalms ends with a detailed list of the musical ways in which one can and should praise God. Its last line, another of the most potent verses, provides an eternally wise summation of the nature of spirituality: "Every soul praises God. Praise God!"

Note: The translations of these verses are the best approximations I could get from the original Hebrew text into modern English.