Healing psalms : the dialogues with God that help you cope with life : a reader's companion to the Book of Psalms

A prominent rabbi shows how to apply the wisdom of the Psalms in our daily lives Traditionally attributed to King David, among others, the book of Psalms collects 150 songs in praise of the Lord-songs that contain some of the Bible's most beautiful and inspiring verses. Now, one of America's most esteemed rabbis elucidates the meaning of the Psalms and explains how their healing wisdom can help us in our everyday lives. Examining each of the Psalms in turn, Rabbi Joshua Haberman shows how these "dialogues with God" offer comfort in our struggles to cope with adversity and improve our lot in life, whether we're seeking deliverance from suffering, giving praise for our good fortune, or commemorating a special occasion. Though this is the only mainstream book on the Psalms written by a rabbi, the book is for people of all spiritual traditions-Jews, Christians, and people of any tradition who want to tap into the healing power of the Psalms. Joshua O. Haberman (Washington, DC) is President of the Foundation for Jewish Studies. The former Senior Rabbi at the Washington Hebrew Congregation, he has preached at the White House and at the nationally televised memorial service to honor victims of 9/11. Healing Psalms......Page 3 CONTENTS......Page 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 15 INTRODUCTION......Page 17 FIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR READING THE PSALMS......Page 19 GUIDE TO TOPICS IN THE PSALMS......Page 21 Reflection: The Two Ways......Page 25 Rejoice with Trembling......Page 26 PSALM 3......Page 27 Reflection: Coping with Fear......Page 28 Reflection: Security under God......Page 29 PSALM 5......Page 30 PSALM 6......Page 31 Reflection: God Heals......Page 32 He Will Fall into the Trap He Made......Page 33 PSALM 8......Page 34 Does Your Life Make a Difference?......Page 35 PSALM 9......Page 36 Reflection: Prayer......Page 37 PSALM 10......Page 38 Is God on the Job?......Page 39 God Is Watching!......Page 40 When You Can’t Trust Anyone......Page 41 Reflection: The Two-Front War against Corruption......Page 42 Reflection: Prayer......Page 43 Reflection: Dependence on God......Page 44 Reflection: What Is Righteousness?......Page 45 The Happiness of Knowing God’s Presence......Page 46 PSALM 17......Page 47 Reflection: Prayer......Page 48 PSALM 18......Page 49 Reflection: “You Light My Lamp”......Page 51 PSALM 19......Page 52 Reflection: The Law of God......Page 53 The Power of Prayer......Page 54 Reflection: Dependence......Page 55 Hope Is Grounded in Past Experience......Page 56 PSALM 22......Page 57 An Experience of Salvation......Page 58 PSALM 23......Page 59 Reflection: Intimacy with God......Page 60 Who Is Nearest to God?......Page 61 PSALM 25......Page 62 When Deep in Trouble......Page 63 Reflection: Prepare to Meet God......Page 64 Corruption Is Contagious......Page 65 PSALM 27......Page 66 Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Fears......Page 67 Reflection: Fear of Abandonment......Page 68 Why Expect Help from God?......Page 69 PSALM 29......Page 70 Reflection: God Empowers Man......Page 71 God, Our Lifeline......Page 72 Reflection: Optimism......Page 73 PSALM 31......Page 74 Reflection: Self-Esteem......Page 75 Confession Brings Relief......Page 76 PSALM 33......Page 77 God Is in Charge......Page 78 PSALM 34......Page 79 Does Personal Experience Confirm Your Faith?......Page 80 PSALM 35......Page 81 When Former Friends Repay Good with Evil......Page 82 PSALM 36......Page 83 Reflection: God, Our Preserver......Page 84 PSALM 37......Page 85 Reflection: Anger and Resentment......Page 87 PSALM 38......Page 88 The Trial of Illness......Page 89 PSALM 39......Page 90 Is Life Worth Living?......Page 91 PSALM 40......Page 92 Back to God for More Help......Page 93 Reflection: Indecision......Page 94 The Test of Friendship......Page 95 PSALM 42......Page 96 Reflection: God Experience......Page 97 Turn to the Future......Page 98 PSALM 44......Page 99 Keeping the Faith Despite God’s Silence......Page 100 Reflection: God in Hiding......Page 101 PSALM 45......Page 102 Reflection: Enjoy Life......Page 103 PSALM 46......Page 104 Reflection: Crisis-Born Vision......Page 105 God Rules......Page 106 PSALM 48......Page 107 Thank God, It Didn’t Happen!......Page 108 PSALM 49......Page 109 He Shall Take Nothing with Him......Page 110 Reflection: Death......Page 111 PSALM 50......Page 112 Reflection: Intimacy with God......Page 113 PSALM 51......Page 114 Reflection: Guilt......Page 115 When Words Are Weapons......Page 116 PSALM 53......Page 117 Reflection: Wonder......Page 118 PSALM 55......Page 119 Reflection: Escapism......Page 120 PSALM 56......Page 121 Reflection: Trust......Page 122 PSALM 57......Page 123 Reflection: Appreciation......Page 124 Leave Vengeance to God......Page 125 Reflection: Retribution......Page 126 God Will Justify the Innocent......Page 127 Reflection: Morning Prayer......Page 128 “Vain Is the Help of Man”......Page 129 God, Our Refuge......Page 130 PSALM 62......Page 131 Reflection: Patience......Page 132 Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder......Page 133 Reflection: Organized Worship......Page 134 Reflection: Joy in Worship......Page 135 PSALM 65......Page 136 Reflection: The Purpose of Prayer......Page 137 PSALM 66......Page 138 Reflection: Our Interdependence......Page 139 Reflection: Retribution......Page 140 PSALM 68......Page 141 Reflection: Gratitude......Page 143 PSALM 69......Page 144 Suffering for the Sake of God......Page 145 Reflection: The Book of Life......Page 146 Reflection: Hope and Patience......Page 147 PSALM 71......Page 148 We Grow More Dependent upon God with Age......Page 149 PSALM 72......Page 150 Reflection: Leadership......Page 151 PSALM 73......Page 152 When Good Things Happen to Bad People......Page 153 Reflection: Envy......Page 154 PSALM 74......Page 155 Reflection: Making a Comeback......Page 156 Reflection: “With Firmness in the Right”......Page 157 God Is with the Humble......Page 158 PSALM 77......Page 159 Seeking God in Days of Trouble......Page 160 PSALM 78......Page 161 Does History Teach Us Anything?......Page 164 Reflection: Models......Page 165 Search Your Own Soul When Disaster Strikes......Page 166 PSALM 80......Page 167 Reflection: Forgiveness......Page 168 PSALM 81......Page 169 Reflection: Pray with Joy......Page 170 Reflection: How Long?......Page 171 Enduring the Silence of God......Page 172 PSALM 84......Page 173 Reflection: Personal God......Page 174 Spiritual Foundations of Peace......Page 175 PSALM 86......Page 176 Pray for the Power of Decision......Page 177 PSALM 87......Page 178 Reflection: Jerusalem......Page 179 Prayer in Hopeless Situations......Page 180 Reflection: Hope......Page 181 PSALM 89......Page 182 Reflection: The Problem of Evil......Page 184 PSALM 90......Page 185 “As a Tale That Is Told”......Page 186 PSALM 91......Page 187 Reflection: Old Age......Page 188 PSALM 92......Page 189 Reflection: Gratitude......Page 190 Reflection: Uncertainty......Page 191 PSALM 94......Page 192 Reflection: Rehabilitation......Page 193 PSALM 95......Page 194 Reflection: Today!......Page 195 All Belongs to God and God Belongs to All......Page 196 PSALM 97......Page 197 Reflection: Morality and Its Source......Page 198 The God of Israel Is the God of Mankind......Page 199 PSALM 99......Page 200 Reflection: Holy......Page 201 Reflection: How to Serve God......Page 202 Reflection: Moral Leadership......Page 203 PSALM 102......Page 204 Reflection: Fear of Death......Page 205 PSALM 103......Page 206 Reflection: Physical and Moral Renewal......Page 207 PSALM 104......Page 208 Reflection: Sin and Sinners......Page 210 PSALM 105......Page 211 Reflection: The High Value of Memory......Page 212 PSALM 106......Page 213 Reflection: Punished but Not Rejected......Page 215 PSALM 107......Page 216 The Hard Knocks of Experience......Page 217 PSALM 108......Page 218 Reflection: Uncertainty in Life......Page 219 PSALM 109......Page 220 God Will Not Abandon the Weak and Needy......Page 221 Reflection: Disappointed......Page 222 Reflection: Whom Should We Thank?......Page 223 PSALM 111......Page 224 Reflection: The Fear of God......Page 225 Reflection: Worries and Fears......Page 226 PSALM 113......Page 227 Reflection: Coping with Depression......Page 228 Reflection: Mood Determines What You See......Page 229 We Are in Charge of the Earth......Page 230 Reflection: Mankind’s Responsibility......Page 231 Pulled Back from the Brink of Death......Page 232 Let All Nations Praise God!......Page 233 PSALM 118......Page 234 A Joyful Comeback......Page 235 PSALM 119......Page 236 The Glorification of Torah......Page 242 Reflection: Rejoicing in God’s Teachings and Commandments......Page 246 Reflection: On Being a Nonconformist......Page 247 Look Up to the Mountains......Page 248 PSALM 122......Page 249 Reflection: Jerusalem......Page 250 Reflection: Coping with Insoluble Problems......Page 251 Salvation at the Brink of Disaster......Page 252 PSALM 125......Page 253 PSALM 126......Page 254 Reflection: No Gain without Pain......Page 255 Reflection: Take Time for Reflection......Page 256 Reflection: What Makes a Good Marriage?......Page 257 Strength through Hardship......Page 258 Reflection: Stronger through Struggle......Page 259 Reflection: The Search for God......Page 260 Reflection: Humility......Page 261 The Ark, the Sanctuary, and God’s Presence......Page 262 Reflection: Life Is Relationships......Page 263 Reflection: Communication......Page 264 Prayer Is Not Always Begging......Page 265 Reflection: What Prayer Will Do......Page 266 Thank God, Again and Again......Page 267 Homecoming......Page 268 “You Answered Me”......Page 269 PSALM 139......Page 270 Where Is God? Where Is He Not?......Page 271 PSALM 140......Page 272 Reflection: Gossip......Page 273 Reject the Partnership of Evildoers......Page 274 PSALM 142......Page 275 Reflection: Ask and You Will Receive......Page 276 Why Should God Help You?......Page 277 PSALM 144......Page 278 Reflection: The Brevity of Life......Page 279 PSALM 145......Page 280 Reflection: The Biblical View of God......Page 281 PSALM 146......Page 282 Reflection: Protect the Stranger......Page 283 God, the Cosmic Power, and Personal Being......Page 284 PSALM 148......Page 285 Reflection: God Unifies the World......Page 286 Reflection: Act on Your Beliefs......Page 287 The Great Hallelujah......Page 288 Reflection: Praise and Praise Again......Page 289 SOURCES......Page 290 Joshua Haberman elucidates the meaning of the Psalms and explains how their healing wisdom can help us in our everyday lives. Examining each of the Psalms in turn, Rabbi Haberman shows how these "dialogues with God" offer comfort in our struggles to cope with adversity and improve our lot in life.