"Oh, the joys of those who...delight in the Law of the Lord!" That is my ongoing experience, as I continue my 119:11 Project (first mentioned in this post) to memorize the book of Psalms, in their entirety, over the next three years (fifty psalms a year). I continue to review Psalm 1, memorized last week, and am now ready to type from memory Psalm 2, from the New Living Translation: Why are the nations so angry?So fun. In case you haven't figured it out already, I'm not sweating the punctuation. I'm already finding that memorizing entire psalms (as opposed to a verse here and a verse there) uncovers new depths of meaning and understanding to me, almost without effort. The connections and context between one verse and another become much clearer as I repeat the words of the psalm and commit them to memory.
Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
The kings of the earth prepare for battle,
the rulers plot together against the Lord
and against his anointed one.
"Let us break their chains," they cry,
"and free ourselves from slavery to God!"
But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then in anger he rebukes them,
terrifying them with his fierce fury.
The Lord declares, "I have placed my chosen king
on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain."
The king proclaims the Lord's decree:
"The Lord said to me: 'You are my son.
Today I have become your Father.
Only ask and I will give you the nations as your inheritance,
the whole earth as your possession.
You will break them with an iron rod,
and smash them like clay pots.'"
Now, then, you kings, act wisely.
Be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God's royal son or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst
of all your activities.
For his anger flares in an instant,
but what joy for all who take refuge in him!
So that completes the first two weeks in my journey. I don't know if time will permit me to post like this every week (the next few weeks will be consumed with a teaching commitment in Indiana, away from home, so I don't know how much I'll be blogging). But I'll post updates when I can. I'd love it if some of the readers (both of you, even!) of this blog travel this road with me.
Found your blog recently via "Next blog"! I'm signed up to get it via email now and have been blessed by the prayers on your daily prayer blog. I memorized Ps 119 a few years back....it took an entire year! You may want to save one of your 3 years just for that one! Have fun with your chapter/book memory journey. You are so right about the deeper connection to the words and message. Thanks for taking the time to post and share your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for following my blogs, Jan! And thanks also for the comment....although you're scaring me a little bit. A whole year to memorize 119. Eesh! I know that one (and a few others) would take me weeks, maybe even a whole month, but that's why I had planned only 50 (instead of 52) a year...and plan to catch up also by doubling up some weeks, like when I hit Psalm 23 and Psalm 1117 and 131. But now you've got my palms all sweaty! :)
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