The Woven Psalms

There are a lot of great books about the Psalms, so if you're interested in going deeper into these prayers, Mike shares his favorite resources that have influenced this podcast. Links: Psalms 1-72 (Kidner Classic Commentaries), Derek Kidner: https://www.amazon.com/Psalms-1-72-Kidner-Classic-Commentaries/dp/0830829377 Psalms 1-72 (Teach the Text Commentary Series), C. Hassell Bullock: https:/...

Starting at Psalm 1 and ending at Psalm 150, Poor Bishop Hooper (the husband and wife duo of Jesse and Leah Roberts) released a simple, meditative song each week for nearly three years. In this interview, Mike talks to Jesse Roberts about his journey with the Psalms, the process of creating original music for the Psalms, and the impact of these prayers in their family and in their ministry. Links:...

“The earth is the LORD’s and the fullness thereof…” (Psalm 24:1) The Psalms are poems of ancient Israel, and they involve themes and categories that we in our modern time might not understand, concepts like the temple and purification. But this rich context of the past, Old Testament people of God is an invitation to know more about the God of the Bible who never changes. The Woven Psalms is a ref...

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) The Psalms are well-known and beloved by many people, and certain psalms have a resonance in our souls because we have heard them often and perhaps even memorized parts of them. And yet familiar psalms can become wondrously strange to us when we study them anew and come out the other side with a deeper appreciation and love. The Woven Psalm...

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1) The Psalms are inherently communal, which is sometimes surprising given that some psalmists describe their intense loneliness. The Psalms give words to our isolation, but we must not forget that these are also corporate songs for the community of God’s people. It’s one thing to sing a lament alone; it’s another thing to sing a lament with ot...

“O LORD, in your strength the king rejoices…” (Psalm 21:1) The Psalms often assume the reality of war. In a fallen world filled with evil and injustice, the psalms frequently describe the presence of war and even rejoice when, through military victories, the God of love and power delivers his people by punishing the wicked. There’s never a glorification of war in these songs; the glory is reserved...

“May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!” (Psalm 20:1) The Psalms are about kings and nations as much as they are about prayer and worship. That much is inescapable, especially because Psalm 2 is an introduction that sets up the book of Psalms as a drama between God’s promised Anointed King, his enemies, and those who find refuge in him. The Woven Psalms is a reflective, unhurried, and prac...

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1) The Psalms speak about God speaking to us, so they invite us into a conversation. The Creator and Redeemer God communicates with his people, and then we respond both by speaking to him and by teaching one another the true and perfect words of our Lord. The Woven Psalms is a reflective, unhurried, and pr...

“I love you, O LORD, my strength.” (Psalm 18:1) The Psalms are usually short meditations and conversations between the psalmist and God, but sometimes we find a psalm that is long and descriptive, with lots of different images and emotions. There are hills and valleys, rising tension and decisive conclusions. These kinds of psalms invite us to step inside a story, experience it, and then make it p...

“Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!” (Psalm 17:1) The Psalms show us how to relate with God both as our friend and as our judge. The psalmists will often move fluidly from a conversational intimacy to a formal plea for vindication and back again, because in their minds, God is both near to his people and high above humanity as the transcendent, sovereign Lord. The Woven Psalms is a refle...

“Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.” (Psalm 16:1) The Psalms offer us a comfort and peace that we may not feel right at this moment. When we are having a difficult time but we read the psalmists proclaiming their joy in the Lord, it’s not hypocritical to pray these prayers. Rather, we’re asking God, “Even in these circumstances, give me this kind of faith, this kind of trust, this kind...

“O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent?” (Psalm 15:1) The Psalms are as practical and relevant as any other part of the Bible. They are poetry, yes, but they are songs that are meant to teach us, shape us, and form us. They give us the wisdom and instruction that we need to live a life with God according to his ways. The Woven Psalms is a reflective, unhurried, and practical podcast about praying...

“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalm 14:1)  The Psalms don’t assume that we share their worldview; they acknowledge that there are people who think differently about God and the meaning of life. Yet they also attempt to persuade us to align with the biblical worldview so that we would avoid what is evil and false and find what is good and true in a life with God. The Woven Psalm...

“How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1) The Psalms ask God questions – hard questions, big questions, questions that we might think God would be offended to hear. The psalmists are unafraid to be utterly, brutally honest with God because he welcomes us and hears us. Ironically, expressing this kind of raw emotion to God leads us to greater trust and safety in his steadfast lov...

“Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone…” (Psalm 12:1) The Psalms are words. They are the words of the psalmists, and they are the words of God, inspired and inerrant. And sometimes these psalms speak about words themselves, teaching us how to respond to and rely on God’s Word in our daily lives. The Woven Psalms is a reflective, unhurried, and practical podcast about praying every psalm in the B...

“In the LORD I take refuge…” (Psalm 11:1) The Psalms bring us into the middle of the situations that the psalmists are experiencing. The action is happening, the conversation is already taking place, and we’re pulled into it because this is how real life works. We need God’s help in the midst of the mess. The Woven Psalms is a reflective, unhurried, and practical podcast about praying every psalm...

“Why, O LORD, do you stand far away?” (Psalm 10:1) The Psalms offer us an analysis of evil. When the psalmists cry out to God for justice and refuge from suffering, they often describe those who are causing them this misery. Therefore, the Psalms serve as a warning for us. If we see ourselves in these descriptions of wickedness, it will hopefully lead us to repent and cry out to God ourselves for...

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart…” (Psalm 9:1) The Psalms are often written from the perspective of the sufferers and the oppressed. We are given an opportunity to hear the cries of the victims, and when we ourselves are victims to injustice and evil, we can find comfort in these ancient prayers that give voice to our pain. The Woven Psalms is a reflective, unhurried, and practi...

“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:1) The Psalms are about God; they are prayers and songs meant to guide our hearts in worship to the Creator and Savior. Yet the Psalms are also about us; they explore the human experience, they demonstrate the depth and breadth of human emotion, they show us the role of human beings. The Psalms ask, “Who are we? What is our p...

“O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge…” (Psalm 7:1) The Psalms have a balanced perspective on justice. The Bible doesn’t often allow us to see people as entirely innocent or entirely guilty, because even the most innocent victim can do wrong in the way they call for justice and even the most guilty criminal can change their ways and be reformed. There is right and wrong, but the one true standar...

“O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.” (Psalm 6:1) The Psalms are much more honest with emotions than we are. We often hide how we feel not only from others but also from ourselves or from God. We might feel pressure to say that we’re fine even when our lives are crumbling. But the Psalms can open a pressure release valve that allows us to be vulnerable in the safe...

“Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my groaning.” (Psalm 5:1) The Psalms invite us to meditate not only on what we are experiencing and how we are feeling but also on the character of God. They honor the troubles and distress that we’re in, but then they lift our eyes out of our circumstances so that we can see how God fits in with everything around us. It’s a reorientation, a new perspective,...

“Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!” (Psalm 4:1) The Psalms are literary masterpieces, some of the greatest poems and songs ever written, and like all great works of art, they surprise you and take you down paths you didn’t expect. They force you to think, to ask, “Why did the author say this and not that?” They are meditation literature, intentionally written for us to read and rer...

“O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me…” (Psalm 3:1) The Psalms are sometimes written out of a specific situation and life event for the author, but they are also written to be sung and prayed by the people of God in every time and age and situation. For example, most of us have not experienced a time when our child formed a rebellion against us to overthrow the kingdom. That wa...

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” (Psalm 2:1) The Psalms are global in their scale. Yes, there are many psalms that are intimate and personal prayers, but there are also many psalms that are broad and universal, aiming to give us a grand vision of the world from God’s perspective. Beggars and kings, those who suffer and those who rule — all can find their song in the book of...