Psalms, Day 5 Readings

A Song of Doubt and a Song of Faith  

Today's first reading is a song about the despair of the Jews while they were in exile in Babylon.  Defeated by God's enemies, they wept as they remembered their special homeland.  Worse, it seems that some of the Babylonians taunted the Jews, asking them to sing some of their religious songs -- thinking them quaint.  This request pained the people of God, who wondered aloud if it was possible to sing these prayers and songs of faith in such an inhospitable land.  Perhaps they even questioned their faith, wondering if the God they worshiped might not exist -- after all, they had been defeated by foreigners who did not worship God.

Read Psalm 137  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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The second reading is a song that praises God for steadfast love and presence.  God endures forever, where humans do not.  And God provides for all people, if they are willing.  Unlike kings and rulers, God's time never runs out.  Eventually, God can save prisoners and even defend the weak (like women, children, and strangers).  This is the God whom the people of faith praise.

Read Psalm 146  (NIV)   (NRSV)   (CEB)

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Reading the Bible in Its Entirety

If you are planning to read the Bible in its entirety, you should read Psalms 121-150 today.