Bible: 5 Poetic Books

Lesson 4: The Book of Psalms, part two: Passionate, but not Positive!

Inspiration and Activities

Psalms has inspired a wealth of songs and poems today. Now that we've gone through the wide range of emotions contained within the psalms, let's just be free for a moment, free to enjoy the beauty of some of the lines you can find in Psalms. Look at the following snippets, and if you see something that catches your eye, something that inspires you to write, then stop reading this page and get on with it! Here we go, in no special order:

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither ...

[The image of a never-ending supply of water, quenching our thirst, but doing more than just quenching—allowing us to grow, flourish, and bear fruit…]

...you are a shield around me

[God is a powerful protector. If you wanted anyone to be “on your team”, wouldn’t you pick the most powerful one you could? We can take comfort knowing that we have the toughest one on our side…]

Let the light of your face shine upon us

[Light guides us, shows us the way. It also provides warmth, if from the sun (or the Son!). Like water, it too leads to growth. So let the sunshine in, and let the Son shine in!]

all night long I flood my bed with weeping

[We’ve all had times like this. We understand what it means to suffer. Use that to empathize with others, and show compassion. Something good can come out of something negative. And remember—there are no tears in heaven!]

you are the helper of the fatherless

[God is our father, so we are never fatherless. Like a good father, He gives us discipline when we need it, and He takes care of our needs. We can trust Him for that.]

they set their arrows against the strings to shoot from the shadows...

[Have you suffered the “slings and arrows” of others? Have you had troubles “come out of nowhere”? Remember that God is our shield…]

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.

[Again, a protector, and a solid foundation in whom we can place our faith!]

The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me.

Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it.

...he drew me out of deep waters.

[Notice how in response to very negative events, God has the power to lift us out above them!]

my arms can bend a bow of bronze

[He gives us strength!]

I beat them as fine as dust borne on the wind; I poured them out like mud in the streets.

[We can overcome adversity!]

My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me.

[We need to soften our hearts to be open to God’s blessing…]

...find refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Inspired? Great, now go write a terrific poem!

Still not inspired? Great! Even more reason to go to your Bible, open up Psalms, and do some more in-depth reading!

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