Journey through the Psalms

I am starting a new bible study - one that will take me through the Psalms. I have always loved the Psalms - just never got into them. I guess I thought they were bible candy. In otherwords - alot of pleasant sounding verses to fill your heart, sing and dance to praise the Lord. I thought that Psalms were to be uplifting and fun to read - in stark contrast to Proverbs which are suppose to lecture to you on how you should live. I read Proverbs - one a day for a month - and was totally transformed. So now - I am working on the Psalms. I was hoping to read all the psalms this summer - well at least before Fall. (I have three months - starting today. : ) ) So I thought I would post my journey throught the psalms on my blog.

Psalm 1:1-5 (Message)
1 How well God must like you--you don't hang out at Sin Saloon,
you don't slink along Dead-End Road,
you don't go to Smart-Mouth College.
2 Instead you thrill to GOD's Word,
you chew on Scripture day and night.
3 You're a tree replanted in Eden,
bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf,
always in blossom.
4 You're not at all like the wicked,
who are mere windblown dust--
5 Without defense in court,
unfit company for innocent people.
6 GOD charts the road you take.
The road they take is Skid Row

During this study it reminded me of being a Freak for Jesus in High School - Young Life, Youth Group, (brush with fame - I use to hang out at the South Daytona Baptist Church - where the band Casting Crowns was birthed), Youth Alive, New Beginnings/Happenings/Cursios.... I remember the feeling I had. I was sold out for Christ. I flourished. Then something happened - LIFE. Going off to college being exposed to the world. As a back slidden Christian, returning to Christ - experiencing the transformation again - I was more cognitively aware of the change. When you truly give your heart to Christ everything in your life, head to toe, is changed. Your questions will eventually change from ‘How close can I get to the secular world and still be saved?’ to ‘How far can I flee from the secular world and closer to Christ??’
That is work of God in our hearts - the difference between the desires of Christ and the desires of the world! You might not notice it RIGHT AWAY. Rather it's a process that unfolds DAILY. One morning you wake up and somehow something you have done every day seems "wrong" or (for me especially) makes your stomach feel all tied up into knots. The best description I have heard is Joyce Meyer's - When you give your heart to God - it's like being pregnant. You find out you are pregnant - but no one, even you, can see it - till one morning you wake up and BAM - there's a baby in that belly. Same with Christ's transformation in us. Each day is a transformation and each day something changes in you to pull you closer to him and farther from sin.

To me this Psalm exemplifies what it means to love Christ with your entire heart, soul, and mind! It also reminds us of the subtle ways the world - pride, unbelief, profanity, selfishness (it's all about me me me me me), etc, etc… We can either chose Christ - and flourish OR chose the way of the sinner and come to a destructive end.

PLEASE don't misunderstand me either - Christ meant us to BE IN THE WORLD - just not A PART of the World. Sometimes that is a hard concept to grasp - or actually do. know for me it is VERY hard to do.

PLEASE feel free to add your comments. I would love discussion as I journey through the psalms.