I don’t know about the rest of y’all, but when I read through these Psalms, it gives me emotional whiplash. David starts out half of them by complaining and begging for God to redeem him or save him. Then, the other half is spent praising and celebrating the Lord. However, when they switch back and forth every other one, it leaves me feeling a little exhausted. Yet, I reflect on my own prayer life and realize I am the same way. Oftentimes I find myself begging for help then the next minute praising and celebrating only to be whining again the next minute. Thank God for his patience with us!

This is a common theme throughout the Psalms: praise and pout. Yet, despite the beginning and middle, we see David always comes back to a common thought by the end of the Psalms: gratitude. At the end of each Psalm David shows his gratitude to God despite his own shortcomings and recognizes that in a world of inconsistency, God is the only constant. He is our rock and foundation of faith, trust, gratefulness, and security.

As we read through the Psalms, let us reflect upon how they relate to our own circumstances rather than judging David for his range of emotions. There are Psalms for celebration, joy, heartache, betrayal, hope, and disgrace. What a beautiful expression of our journey with God throughout our life of faith.