Do you remember the first time you read Shakespeare?  If you are anything like me, that first exposure, with its odd language, odd cadence, and unfamiliar style, left me a bit underwhelmed.  Everyone talked so highly of the Bard and his masterpieces – why did they seem to be so flat and out of touch?  But then I saw a Shakespearian play performed, and my whole perspective was flipped on its head!  The actors, who had studied and learned their roles and who acted them out with such passion, became infectious.  I finally saw Shakespeare in the way it was intended, and suddenly the words came alive.

I think we can sometimes have a similar experience as we read the Psalms.  As we sit down to our daily passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and a psalm, it is easy to plow through the words and miss much of their meaning, their emotion.  We aren’t being exposed to the Psalms as they were intended to be received.  As poetry, as song, and with feeling. 

When we read Shakespeare the same way we read a history textbook we miss the rich flavor the author put into his work.  When we read the Psalms the same way we read Exodus, so too can we miss the rich flavor God intended in His work.  Certainly, there is a time and a way to study the Psalms, to dive into the words and the format and the technical details, but let’s not overlook the emotion of their poetry. 

I would challenge you to add a dynamic element to your reading.  Start with a simple run-through, but then spend a few minutes letting those words sink in.  Meditate on them throughout the day.  Let the poetry marinate until the words become rich and full of flavor.  Then read the psalm again – or better yet, speak it out loud.  Allow yourself to express the rich depth the genre intended, and see if what once was a bit odd seems to come alive in a whole new way.