Tim Riordan - Songs From the Heart: Meeting With God in the Psalms

Wisdom Speaks: Life Lessons fromProverbs

Have you ever wished for a How To book onlife? God has given us one in the book of Proverbs. Join pastor andBible teacher Dr. Tim Riordan on a journey through this book ofwisdom where you will study one of the most read books of theBible. He begins with help on how to study Proverbs and then offersa topical discussion on a variety of issues addressed in the pagesof this cherished book of wisdom. Each chapter concludes withadditional questions for personal application. Through Proverbs,wisdom speaks. Are you listening?

Yea though I walk through the valley ofthe shadow of death, I will fear no evil for Thou art with meThe young, Jewish boy quoted this most familiar Psalm as he sathuddled in fear in a shelter in the heart of London. While Hitlerand the Third Reich sought to destroy England and her allies duringyet another bombing, at least one child reached into his memory andfound solace and hope in the Shepherds Psalm. Little did this boyknow at the time, but he would later trust Jesus Christ as hisSavior, grow to be a man, and eventually teach me systematictheology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth,Texas.

Who has not found comfort and encouragementfrom the Psalms during some time of difficulty or personal failurein his or her life? The book of Psalms has been called humanityshymnbook for a reason. It seems that regardless of ones religiouspersuasion, the Psalms have been a resource for which people havereached during times of great tragedy and upheaval. Through thisbook, people have encountered God, found comfort, and discoveredthe courage needed to take the next step into the unknown. Whilethis wonderful book of the Bible is loved and cherished, it is alsomisunderstood and overlooked. One could spend the rest of his lifemining out the riches contained within jewel encrusted cavernsknown as the Psalms, and though he would come to the end of hisdays with a rich life and a full heart, he would discover the questfor understanding the Psalms had barely begun.

The Psalms contain for us a glimpse into thepersonal lives of the followers of God as they poured out theirhearts to God in song. As they were originally written, the Psalmsprovided a resource to use in Jewish worship during times offestival as well as times of personal anguish and reflection. Forus today, we find a rich resource that still expresses the burdensof our lives and the desires of our hearts. The reader will findthat while reading through this treasured book of Psalms, he willsee a reflection of himself on every page and read the prayerswithin his own heart in every verse. The challenge for us is tounderstand the Psalms and to know how to use them today in worshipand life.

Songs from the Heart is offered as aresource to help us in our quest to mine out the spiritual wealthcontained in this treasure trove of inspired Jewish poetry. We willdiscover a clearer picture of God and a distinct call to worship.In order to get the most out of this book, it is best for you tounderstand my original intent. I have divided the book into twoparts. The first part is a brief overview of the book of Psalms.This is in no way comprehensive, and there are numerous other booksavailable that will guide you deeper in gaining a firm grasp of thePsalter. I have sought to equip us to better understand the contextof the 150 chapters of Psalms. In the first chapter, you will seethe Psalms put into the context of Old Testament Jewish worship.Have you ever thought about how the Psalms were originally used?The first chapter contains a story of a family who lived around 800B.C. in a thriving city about forty miles south of Jerusalem. Whilethe story of the family is fictional, I sought to help us seehistorically how a family would have used the Psalms in personalworship and corporate worship at a festival celebration. It is myprayer that this story will whet your appetite to dig deeper into amore in-depth study of the Psalms.

The second chapter provides for us a focusedstudy on the big picture of the Psalms by looking at some of theunique qualities of Jewish poetry and presenting an overview of thewhole book. This chapter will offer some foundational truths thatwill help you put much of the Psalms into its proper context. Whilethis section will be a bit different from the other chapters, youwill discover it to be helpful as you study the Psalms. Thebackground information provided in the first three chapters willilluminate your heart to the spiritual truth contained in thebook.