August 17-23

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The Psalms are a book of poetry, and Hebrew poetry differs greatly from modern, Western poetry. Where our modern poetry focuses on sound, personal expression, and experimentation, Hebrew poetry focuses on thought, repetition, and theological truths. The psalms are prayers put to music. In Judaism, they are known as the first prayer book.

The psalms are a great way to teach ourselves prayer. I often find myself completely caught up in my mortal life and the things around me. My brain is often consumed with things like tasks, stressors, and responsibilities. And because my brain is consumed with it, it’s very easy for my prayers to become consumed with it. 

The psalms have something to say about that. 

Psalms 1:1-2

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

There is a lot we could talk about there, but I want to put a couple phrases together to bring out an important idea. “Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

I remember being young and thinking that life would get awfully boring if I spent all my time thinking about religious things. Don’t get me wrong. I liked church. I liked seminary. I read my scriptures, and my favorite thing in the world was EFY (now FSY). I just remember believing that meditating on the Lord’s law day and night meant reading scriptures and listening to conference talks nonstop. 

While I find a great deal of goodness in studying the word of God, and while I highly recommend prioritizing those things in your daily life, I have found that meditating on the Lord’s law all day can look like many things. 

When I was on my mission, I remember feeling that I wanted to spend my entire life that focused on Christ. I vowed to prioritize Him off my mission as much as I did on my mission. I was excited to come home, but I was adamant that there were many things I didn’t want to lose. I had found joy in being surrounded by the gospel all the time, and I didn’t want to let that slip away from me.

As I got home, I found myself in the same situation as everyone else. You still love the gospel, but there are extra responsibilities and priorities. It’s hard to listen constantly to conference talks when you need to be spending plenty of time in textbooks. It’s hard to listen to General Conference when you have young kids who need you. 

There were many ways that the Lord comforted me when I missed the days where my studies were quiet and uninterrupted. When I felt exhausted and wanted to be strengthened and focused but was constantly being needed, the Lord whispered many things to make me feel better.

One of those lessons influenced what I believe about meditating on His law all day and night. The way to describe it is in relation to my mother. 

I call my mom a lot. When I walk my dog, drive my kids somewhere, cook, clean, or any other miscellaneous task that requires my presence but minimal thinking, I call my mom. There are plenty of times that I don’t have anything to say. We don’t necessarily fill the entire call with talking. I just have her on the phone. I walk around doing my stuff with an airpod.

I don’t have to go visit my mom down south in order to invite her into my life. I get to carry her with me. I don’t have to be constantly talking about our relationship or all that she’s given me or studying stories from her life to feel close to her. Those are good things to do, but they are not the only tools for our relationship. 

Meditating on the law of the Lord day and night does not mean going to the temple for the whole day and night. It doesn’t mean separating yourself from your responsibilities in order to go and meet Him. I don’t have to be constantly reading scripture or listening to conference talks. I don’t have to try and keep a “gospel” thought in my thoughts at all times. Those are good things to do, but they are not the only tools you have to build your relationship with Christ.

Rather, I try to remember to frame my day through the perspective of Christ. It reframes all of my happy moments and worries. I come to understand why the psalm describes you as blessed when you meditate on the gospel constantly.

When I feel weary, I remember that the Lord says to lose ourselves in service. When I truly let go of my own needs and trust Him to take care of me, I find a much happier existence.

When I run into uncertainty or instability, I remember that the Lord promised to uphold the righteous. I remember my past experiences where He has shown up, and I cling to Him. I find myself much less scared.

When I find myself overwhelmed with responsibilities, I remember that God’s first priority is being our Parent. I reorient myself and let go of what’s not important. I find joy in being a mother rather than seeing it as an obstacle.

The list could go on and on. I don’t need to be reciting the Articles of Faith on repeat throughout the day in order to be described as meditating on God’s law throughout the day. Rather, I can go about my day and reframe it under what the Lord has taught me about life. His law teaches us how to build a life, and it teaches us how to look at our lives in a way that brings joy. There is a reason you’re blessed when you let His law influence your life.

I testify that meditating on His law all the time really does bless you. I testify that constantly turning your mind towards trust and eternal priorities is what will fill you. It will soften the worries, sweeten the good moments, and bring peace to all of it. The Lord knows what He’s talking about.