Over these past couple of weeks, I’ve continued dwelling daily in the psalter. I start every morning listening to a reading of a psalm, followed by at least one song that takes either all or a part of that song and sets it back to music.
This daily rhythm has been a blessing to me, every day. I’ve found more joy in daily routine activities like brushing my teeth, watering plants, and cleaning out my cat’s litter box since I’ve started listening and singing along to psalms throughout the whole process.
To be clear, that doesn’t mean every day has been easy. In fact, I’d rank this past week as one of my all-time lowest on the mental health front. Being a human in this world is still really hard for me sometimes. But wow, if my darkest days are what allow me to connect so deeply to the raw human emotions that come out in some of these psalms, I’m honored to receive them and to live through them in Christ’s strength.
This past week, I finished putting together the second installment of my Psalms playlist on Spotify, covering Book 2 (Ps. 42-72) of the psalter. As with Book 1, this playlist includes every lyric of every psalm, in order:
Some of these lines have really resonated with me. Some are just really satisfying to sing. Some I’ve clung to as my own meditations and prayers. Some include:
Psalm 42 (The Sing Team): “When I’m staring at the ground, it’s an inbred feedback loop that brings me down. So it’s time to lift my brow and remember better days, when I loved to worship You and learn Your ways with the sweetest songs of praise…”
Psalm 44 (Poor Bishop Hooper): “We have heard with our ears, oh LORD. Our fathers have told us…”
Psalm 46 (Shane & Shane): “Lord of Hosts, you’re with us: with us in the fire, with us as a shelter, with us in the storm. You will lead us through the fiercest battle. Oh, where else would we go but with the Lord of Hosts?”
Psalm 50 (Cellus Hamilton): “If I’m hungry, do you think I’d come to you to give me some? Like I ain’t the owner of the world that you been livin’ on?”
Psalm 51 (Shane & Shane): “Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me, O God. Cast me not away from your presence. Take not your Holy Spirit. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”
Psalm 56 (Red Rocks Worship): “Be gracious. You are the one who keeps my feet falling. When I’m afraid, I put my trust in you. Your word, I praise. I will not fear what man can do. You are keeping count of all my tears. I am confident that you are for me, now until the end. Your word, I praise. I am confident that you are for me. I won’t be afraid.”
Psalm 56 (Sight & Sound Theatres): “Though my tears may fall, though my heart may break, I will trust in you. In the wilderness, in the darkest place, I will trust in you. I will trust in you. When I am afraid, you’re my hiding place. I will trust in you; I will trust in you.”
Psalm 57 (The Worship Initiative, Writers Well, Shane & Shane): “You are exalted, oh God, above the heavens! Come, let your glory cover the earth. You have saved me from the roaring lion. Awake my soul to love you. Awake my soul to sing.”
Psalm 62 (Sovereign Grace Music): “You’re my salvation and my salvation, my steadfast hope that won’t be shaken. My soul will wait, my soul will wait for you.”
Psalm 65 (Hillsong Worship): “Oh, paint the field bright and golden! Drench the harvest with your rain. God’s river filled with living water that flows to all, as you ordained…”
Psalm 66 (Shane & Shane): “Every mountain sing high, every valley sing low, and everything in between sing the harmony!”
Up Next: Personal reflections on the NFL Draft, taking place this week in my home neighborhood of downtown Detroit.
Detroit, Reformed. 
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