5 Year Journey to Write My Book is Complete

August 16, 2021

The Red Letter Psalms, is a rich experience of God speaking directly to you, the reader, for the entirety of the Psalms.

While contemplating the Psalms, the idea came to me like a whisper in my ear, “Flip the Psalm”. It was an intriguing concept, born, perhaps, of a longing to hear God’s voice. So, I tried it: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want”, became, “I, the Lord, am your Shepherd, you shall want for nothing”. I was struck with the beauty of the shift in perspective.

And, so, began a five-year-long project of flipping the perspective of the entire book of Psalms. It became a devotional journey for me. The more I researched, the more it became obvious that the whisper I heard was indeed the Spirit. The reversed point of view worked for the entire 150 chapters without any real complexity. Certainly, there were a few sticky passages; David was, after all, a man of war as much as of poetry. But, what truly convinced me, was the beauty of God’s love exploding from Psalm after Psalm, revealing just how intimately God cares for humanity.

Here is an example from Psalm 23:

Original (DAVID’S PERSPECTIVE)

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

BECAME

My Reinterpretation (GOD’S PERSPECTIVE)

“I, the Lord, am your shepherd; you shall want for nothing. I give you rest in green pastures and lead you beside still waters; I restore your soul. I lead you in paths of lovingkindness; for I keep My word. Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you have nothing to fear, for I am with you. My shepherd’s rod and staff are there to comfort you. I will prepare a banquet for you in the presence of your adversaries. I will anoint your head with oil, until your cup overflows. Surely My goodness and mercy will follow you all the days of your life; and you will live in My house, forever.”

I have been encouraged by people sharing about how God is moving them as they read, rather than about “my” book. In reinterpreting the perspective of the Psalms, it has always been my hope that the beauty of God would become clearer, that we might all come to see God is indeed, “Love”.