GOD IS . . . IN THE PSALMS

Introduction

The Psalms are the largest collection of ancient lyrical poetry in existence.  Many of them address God directly with their expressions of petition and praise.  They reveal all the religious feelings of the faithful:  fears, doubts, and tragedies as well as triumphs, joys, and hopes.  The writers of the Psalms frequently drew on their experiences for examples of mankind’s needs and God’s goodness and mercy.  For our consideration in this devotional exposition of the Psalms, we want to consider some of the GOD IS revelations.

GOD IS!  How simple the statement; how profound the truth.  When Moses needed an assurance, a badge of identity as God dealt with him on the back side of a desert, he asked God for an answer to give the people when they questioned the source of his authority.   “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name?  What shall I say unto them?”  God said to Moses, “I AM THAT I AM . . . I AM hath sent me unto you”  (Exodus 3:13-14).

When asked to express his idea of the eternal nature of God, an unidentified student replied, “It is devotion, without beginning or end; existence, without bounds or dimensions; present, without past or future.  His eternity is youth, without infancy or old age; life, without birth or death; today, without yesterday or tomorrow.”1

So one of the many things that God is in His infinite nature is eternal.  Many scriptures

attest to this fact.  In Habakkuk 1:12 we read, “Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One.”  The prophet could not believe that Chaldea would be successful in annihilating Israel for God had eternal purposes for His people. 

Short and transitory is the life of man; with God this is not the case.  “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God,” proclaimed the psalmist (90:2).

            Another passage shows us something of God’s imperishable nature.

            I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:  thy years are 
            throughout all generations.  Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth:
            and the heavens are the work of thy hands.  They shall perish, but thou shalt
            endure:  yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou
            change them, and they shall be changed:  But thou art the same, and thy years
            shall have no end (Psalm 102:24-27).

Revelation 1:8 shows us that the past, present, and future lie in these words for the name of God:  “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the almighty.”  To grasp the wonder of it all certainly is overwhelming.

The psalmists experienced the reality of God’s eternal presence as they penned words testifying to the fact that He is, has been, and will be.  As we examine some of their statements, hopefully we can get a closer look at the nature of God and His eternal presence in this world.  Our spiritual man should be lifted up as we consider the Lord God whom we serve.  If we could but fully realize that He is ever before us revealing the many aspects of His nature, what joy and strength would come to our souls.