- RSS FeedSubscribe
- « Previous PostWeekend A La Carte (2/5)
- Next Post »A La Carte (2/7)
The Anti-Psalm
- 02/06/11
- 11
This week, in the course I am taking with CCEF, I read David Powlison’s reflections on Psalm 131. And as he teaches the Psalm, he re-writes it as the exact opposite—rather an interesting teaching technique. But rather an effective one, I’d say.
So here is Psalm 131, words I’m sure you know well.
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.
And here is Powlison’s anti-psalm:
Self,
My heart is proud
and my eyes are haughty
and I chase after things too great and too difficult for me.
So of course I’m noisy and restless inside; it comes naturally,
like a hungry infant fussing on his mother’s lap,
like a hungry infant, I’m restless with my demands and worries.I scatter my hopes onto anything and everybody all the time.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
Releasing on April 1, The Next
Published in 2008, this book
This is a guide that calls men,
This review of the bestselling
New to the site? You can get
This is a guide written
Comments (11)
Ouch.
A good way to extract more meaning from the Scriptures. Thanks!
Tim- This is so me. Naturally noisy and restless inside. Fussing. That’s why He has directed me to focus this year on becoming less of a Martha and more of a Mary (Luke 10:38-42). May He bring it to pass as I more intentionally sit at His feet!
Tim,thanks for sharing this. I am taking the first CCEF course in April. I can’t wait.
Hi Tim,
I like the technique, and thanks for passing this along, but I cringed. I think David missed an opportunity to capture the full essence of the passage - even in the context of good counseling.
This Psalm ends with our contentment in God through a deep understanding of who we are, not just an explanation of who we are with more self-loathing. I can appreciate David’s emphasis on sin and our ridiculousness…we need more of it…but God doesn’t just leave it at that and neither should we.
Brad
Thank you for sharing this :)
A teachable moment indeed.
Yeah, ditto!
A few months ago I was provoked by Dr. Powlison’s anti-Psalm method, so I shadowed it a bit and wrote my own anti-Psalm based on Psalm 32:
1 A Song of Nathan. Cursed is the guy whose weaknesses are revealed, whose mistakes are uncovered.
2 Cursed is the guy against whom the Lord finds fault, and in whom there is openness about his struggles.
3 For when I kept silent, my heart and conscience was soothed by getting away with my mistakes.
4 For day and night my conscience wouldn’t shut up, it took all my strength to finally silence it.
5 I ignored my mistakes and hid them from God; I said “I will keep my law-breaking from God’s knowledge.” And You didn’t notice my weakness.
6 Therefore, let everyone who is manly avoid praying until it’s absolutely necessary, surely, there will be time to call to God for help if I really need it.
7 You are the One I hide from, Your presence troubles me; You keep pressuring me to give in, but I won’t.
8 I will give you wisdom for the street; I will show you the lay of the land.
9 Be as stubborn as a mule and as independent as a horse. With all your spirit, wisely avoid being controlled—never surrender.
10 Many are the sorrows of the repentant, but constant self-willed freedom is for those who hide weakness from the Lord.
11 Be glad in yourself, and rejoice, O self-righteous and shout for joy, all you who successfully hide what is in your heart.
Psalm 32
Great post. The ‘anti’ version really helps bring out the real one!
Drewe
I like anything that gets the mind going, especially away from self and toward God’s truth. The anti-Psalm method of thinking is definitely a good jump start.