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Many of us have had a new appreciation of the ministry of the Psalms in our own lives during the last few difficult months.  In a unique way they have spoken into our situations as the psalmists have cried out to the Lord in their times of crisis and we have received comfort, strength, encouragement and challenge from the Lord through them.

This devotional book by Alec Motyer, a much respected Bible scholar, is a very useful and helpful addition to a collection of daily devotions especially for anyone who seriously wants to get to grips with the Psalms and to see Christ within.  The author gives his own translation of the Psalms from the Hebrew which makes for illuminating and very helpful reading.  Whilst the flow is not always as easy to follow as in English, perseverance is worth it, as a greater richness and beauty is revealed which has caused me to value the Psalms even more in my own walk with the Lord and to use as a study tool in preparation for talks and studies.  In his introduction Alec Motyer notes that he does not aim to tell you what the Psalms mean, but to try and offer you a few helps towards discovering for yourself what they mean. A church member who is currently using it for their daily devotions comments:  

“The book is very helpful if using the Psalms for daily devotions. The Psalms are arranged in sequence from the beginning to the end with a small group of two or three Psalms for each day.  The prayer thoughts for each group summarises the main themes of each group with many references to other books of the Bible.”

Whilst this is a book for serious study either for daily or occasional use, the author offers precious devotional insights.  I would recommend this study book of the Psalms as a good addition to any Christian’s bookshelf. 

Eleanor Hazael