Terms of Heart

Reflections on the Psalms and the Great Psalmist,

Shepherd of Israel and Poet King David,
the man after God's own heart.

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April 9, 2017

The Heart of Psalm 119 (Part 4)

The Heart of Psalm 119 (Part 4)

“Incline our hearts to keep this law.” Each of the first four Sundays of Lent the order of worship in my church begins with the congregation repeating that refrain nine times, in response to the pastor’s recitation, one by one, of the first nine commandments of the Decalogue. In that practice we unite ourselves not only with one another who are present but also with innumerable others, across centuries and geographies, with whom we acknowledge that our shared faith is rooted in Judaic practice and heritage. And thus we claim our connection to the great psalmist David as well. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Covenant, Happiness, Law, Promise, Terms of Heart

August 14, 2016

The Heart of Joy

The Heart of Joy

In response to my June post on the Heart of Happiness, a thoughtful reader commented “I have frequently used joy instead of happy” and inquired whether or not I thought that substitution would “work.” I responded that I did not know, but I certainly would take a look at the Hebrew text and search out an answer.  Although I could easily recite from memory several verses in the psalms that speak of joy, I had never really spent much time contemplating the psalmist’s focus on joy or examining the nature of  joy in the psalms. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Covenant, Happiness, Promise, Terms of Heart

June 26, 2016

The Heart of Happiness

The Heart of Happiness

Both regular and casual readers of the psalms might legitimately question my supposition that the heart of “the man after God’s own heart” was one primarily characterized by and possessed of happiness. In light of the fact that the psalter is heavily laden with poems of complaint and lament, many of which were composed by David, I realize that mine is a bold statement. But I believe that it is supported both by the text and the life of David. So I will attempt now not so much to defend my assertion as to lead others along the path that led me to that conclusion. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Happiness, Terms of Heart, Voice

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Recent Posts

  • The Heart of Psalm 119 (Part 4)
  • The Heart of Psalm 119 (Part 3)
  • The Heart of Psalm 119 (Part 2)
  • The Heart of Psalm 119 (Part 1)
  • The Heart of Joy

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