You are my portion, Lord; I have promised to obey your words. (Ps. 119:57)
What song do you sing? Do you find that a song from the radio or from church gets stuck in your head on repeat? The Psalms are songs, and hundreds of years ago, they may have been accompanied by catchy tunes that had David and his friends humming “teach me your decrees” all day long. I wonder if any of them ever remarked, “I just can’t get that ‘You Are My Portion, Lord’ song out of my head!”
Very often, we engage Scripture with our intellect, and we pause our physical selves and our creativity. When was the last time you drew a picture, composed a tune, or moved your body to engage Scripture? Reading and interacting with the Psalms provides a perfect opportunity to explore all aspects of who God created us to be. He created us in his image, so we are also creators, yet so often we set aside our creative selves when we engage Scripture.
Consider exploring this psalm creatively. Make up hand motions and movements to do while reading it. Draw an image that stands out to you. Create a tune to sing with a few phrases from the psalm. Like the psalmist, list your commitments to God, and end with a prayer to be teachable. Maybe God has something to teach you through play and creativity.
Whether lament or praise, find a new song to sing today.
Erin Crisp is mom to three teenage boys, wife to a Wesleyan pastor, and vice president at an EdTech company. Erin loves to learn and to create meaningful learning experiences for others through teaching, designing, and consulting.
© 2022 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
