During the last year, I have read the Psalms more than I ever have in my life. One of the reasons I was drawn to them is because I became amazed at the honesty that is conveyed throughout them. Imprecatory Psalms call for vengeance. In other Psalms, doubt and fear are expressed in terms that may be interpreted as too honest by many. And yet, in reading them countless numbers of times over the last year, there are two things that stand out to me the most. The Psalmist’s return to faith in God and an amazing conviction of his “unfailing love.” In fact, you will read the phrase “unfailing love” over 30 times in our book of Psalms.

And remember, this is the Old Testament. Before Christ. Before the full revelation of God. Before “grace and truth.” Before individuals could fully understand that “God so loved the world” and that “nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Somehow in the days of the Old Covenant, the Psalmists understood that God is like this, that along with his holiness, there is a passionate love that motivates his actions towards us and gives him the desire to forgive, that the God we serve will never fail us in this life, even though we fail him, even though we fail others, even though others fail us.

So many of the Psalms were written during times of loneliness, when David or whoever the Psalmist was, felt abandoned by those who were once loyal to him. Many of the Psalms were written when David was on the run from King Saul, the famous king who knew he wanted to kill David but couldn’t quite figure out why. David had been nothing but loyal to Saul. He had never caused him any harm. David even refused to kill him, even though he was given the opportunity to twice. He would never make the decision to lay a hand on “God’s anointed.” David reacted better than most of us would in similar situations. Yet, he continued to be rewarded with disloyalty and abandonment. And during these times, he needed to be reminded that he was not alone. He needed to remember that God was with him and that he cared. He needed a strong conviction that he was loved with a love that would never fail him.

God’s love never failed David, even though he failed him. This man “after God’s own heart” eventually fell into the sins of adultery and murder, sins which were not supposed to be forgiven in the Old Testament. Yet, amazingly, David found that the unfailing love of God did not leave him even after such mistakes, that forgiveness and cleansing were his to claim. There were consequences, there can be no doubt. However, Psalm 51, a Psalm written out of the anguish of his heart, became a model Psalm of genuine repentance, along with a foreshadowing of the “amazing grace” that would be revealed in time through Christ.

I’ve learned that the Psalms are where we need to turn when we have similar feelings or go through similar situations. They will remind us of all we need to know about God. Though people fail us, God will not. Though people cut off their relationships with us or accuse us of actions we are innocent of, God will not. His “unfailing love” will always remain, and his justice will one day be revealed. It is no wonder that on the cross, it is believed by some that Jesus quoted the Psalms from memory. All the more reason to read and find comfort in them, to become convinced of the “unfailing love” of our God through them.

Do you feel forsaken today? Abandoned? Unloved? If so, perhaps the Psalms will help you feel secure in your relationship with Christ. Perhaps the comfort of the “Good Shepherd” will be yours to experience as you immerse yourself in them.