Psalms: Rediscovering The Undiscovered

I have long been aware that the Psalms are believed to be among the most highly read books of the Bible amongst Christians.  But the Psalms are a book, I've most of my Christian life, managed to avoid reading.  When I thought about it this week and considered my attitude, I could only come up with the pathetic excuse that I don't like poetry.  I can still recall sitting in my A' level English Literature lessons groaning when the word 'poetry' was mentioned.  I liked novels, I liked Shakespeare and I even had a fondness for a bit of Chaucer, but poetry?  What was it about poetry I recoiled from? 

The vulnerability it so often reflected.  The vulnerability of both the author and the reader.  Allowing the depths of yourself to be laid bare in order to understand and empathise with the author, to suffer in the turmoil of somebody anguished, to celebrate in the jubilation of somebody overjoyed and to love with the lover who had love requited and to weep with the lover who didn't.  A bare tearing open of the soul.

So, I read a little about the background of the Psalms and how to approach them and what struck me is that I have to allow them to become a mirror of my own soul.  Many years have gone by since we could argue a camera never lied, but take a basic mirror and stand in front of it - and you see yourself for who you are.  At times we appear more beautiful than at others.  At times we appear refreshed, at other times weary, but whatever is reflected back at us is who we are, as a basic mirror has yet to be able to manipulate the image stood before it.

Delving into the Psalms will reveal to me every emotion I possess. I find it incredibly easy to build a wall around myself defending my vulnerability, but incredibly hard to allow the defensive bricks to be knocked down.  My wall receives regular repointing and it's a part of my personality that I hope the Psalms will knock through.  I want them to penetrate my soul and lead me to a better understanding of myself and of the God I seek to trust.

As I read the Psalms I hope the words I meditate on will be an articulation of my own thoughts, revealing my hopes, my joys, my fears, my disappointments, my praise and my confidences in God.  I hope they will reveal to me a path to leading a more Godly life in terms of both my behaviours and my attitudes.  I want to appreciate and develop a love for a book I've long avoided and no matter who I am, where I am or what my current situation is, I long for the Psalms to reflect the thoughts of my heart and treading into them is going to be both an exciting and challenging journey.