12th June 2026
I have been reading two psalms over the past couple of days. The first, Psalm 33, is from the lectionary for this week; the second, Psalm 88, is from Guidelines Bible reading notes. You may want to read them in full – they are quite short – but here is a selection of verses that capture their sense:
Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
Psalm 33: 1-3, 22 (NIV)
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
…
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
I am overwhelmed with troubles
Psalm 88: 3-4, 18 (NIV)
and my life draws near to death.
I am counted among those who go down to the grave;
I am like one without strength.
…
You have taken from me friend and neighbour–
darkness is my closest friend.
The Psalms are probably the most personal of all the Biblical literature, the most emotionally engaging. Elsewhere we find adventure stories, pearls of wisdom, history, complex theology… all worth a read, but when we encounter the Psalms it feels like we are sat listening to folk like ourselves, questioning the difficult times, praising the good times, sometimes just going through the rituals of life.
Perhaps you identify with the writer of Psalm 88, struggling with events and questioning if God is still around. Or maybe you are full of joy, singing praises to God throughout the day. I suspect most of us find ourselves moving between the two.
Ian Waddington