by Amanda Teo

Created on: March 17, 2009

Desperate to find a new way to express your love? Well I just have the right answer for you!

God never ran out of ideas expressing His affections to us. He always found new approaches to touch our hearts. Not only did he show his love through Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Creation and His stories, but also through His Psalms.

In order to dig deep into Psalms, let us imagine Psalms to be highly valuable treasure. The more you understand Psalms, the sooner you get a hold of the treasure.

Reading a treasure map can be tricky. You got to look out of landmarks, make sure you're heading the right direction and keep your eye on the big "X". There are very few words on that map; it's mainly filled with pictures. It's concise so you got to thoroughly look through it to fully comprehend it. Psalms is just like that. Each verse is to the point. It says exactly what it wants to say compromising of only a few words.

"The Lord is my Shepard I shall not be in want." (Psalms 23:1)

Wow! The Psalmist uses no more than 11 words and yet has the ability to bring across such a powerful message that leaves us in awe.

Why is the Lord being compared to a shepherd? To grasp that idea, we have to first understand what a shepherd does. A shepherd takes care of sheep. Sheep is known to be the stupidest animal on earth. A shepherd is needed to guide them to a safe place, lead them to green pastures and quiet waters. We are the sheep and God is our shepherd. The lord constantly protects us, watching each step that we take. Would you of comprehended all that the first time you read it? I think not. It proves we always have to search a little deeper than what the Psalmist states.

So often we just glance through the verses and never take time to search a little more. As we read Psalms, keep in mind that poetry is a unique language filled with images. It consists of metaphors and similes that can't be taken literally. They pack the greatest meaning in each word and phrase. You got to read it slowly and meditate on it. It takes time to appreciate Psalms. Remember not to rush through it.

There are three important factors to look for when you're interpreting Biblical poetry. Look out for parallelism, deduce the imagery and pay attention to the conclusion. With these three things in mind, it will help you gain a better understanding of Psalms.

"Blessed is the man

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked

or stand in the way of sinners

or sit in the seat of mockers."

Psalm 1:1 displays a three-part parallelism.

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