Jody Broyles

Have you ever thought about how the book of Psalms is put together?

In a library or bookstore, you’ll usually find all the crime novels in one place, cookbooks in another, and science fiction in still another. They are arranged in an orderly fashion. But when you read the collection of 150 psalms that comprise the book of Psalms, they seem to bounce all over the place.

As I was reading through some of them the other day, I was confronted with such a swing of emotions—How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! … You have given him his heart’s desire (21:1-2). And in the very next psalm—My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? (22:1). And the beloved 23rd psalm calmly proclaims, The Lord is my shepherd; I have all I need (23:1).

Then it occurred to me, life is a lot like that! One minute we’re up and everything is fine. Next minute, the phone rings and the bottom falls out of our world. Then a friend shows up and we’re able to calmly approach things. Isn’t that what you’ve experienced? In the midst of all this upheaval, it is great to know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)