As we begin to study the book of Psalms at church, we step into two truths that are not easily resolved:
life is hard,
AND
God is good.
Pastor John said we’ll hear that repeated so often in this Psalms study that we might get tired of hearing it. But, repeating it presses us to notice the tension, to stay with the reality rather than escape it.
We’re not meant to resolve it. We’re meant to dwell there, in the tension—and, not “but.”
Life presses us like hands around a sponge. Pastor John brought up the metaphor, explaining that when life squeezes us, what comes out reflects what we’ve absorbed. Then he asked us: When we were squeezed this week, what came out?
If I’m being honest, when life squeezes me, when the weight of stress, fatigue, and the habits of a lifetime press in, some old patterns and residue from a life formed before Christ come out. Decades of living without Jesus soaked in quietly, shaping instincts and reactions I’m still unlearning.
When the pressure comes, whether in the form of a difficult conversation, a moment of anxiety, or an unexpected disappointment, what surfaces can surprise me. The escape into distraction. The quick irritation that rises before patience and grace can catch up. These are the things that come out when life squeezes, evidence of what I’ve absorbed over a lifetime and reminders that transformation takes time.
I am learning to unlearn old ways and let the love of Christ take root in my heart. This is what the gospel does for me, not just forgiveness for past sins, but transformation of present patterns. What Christ has done for me, He’s now doing in me.
Psalm 1:2—“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
Meditating on God’s Word, day and night, changes what flows when life presses. Life is hard, and God is good. Both truths exist together, and both matter.
As I meditate on his Word day and night, what comes out should be the attributes of God: patience, love, faithfulness, wisdom.
Pastor John explained the Psalms carry this tension without smoothing it, showing life’s weight alongside trust in God.
Psalm 1:3—“He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
Life presses, yet rooted in God’s Word, what flows from us can bear steady fruit. The squeeze doesn’t change what’s inside; it simply makes it visible. This shows me how God uses time, pressure, and patience together.
Beginning here, with these ancient prayers and songs and Pastor John guiding us, I believe I will see that growth in real time. I’m being shaped into someone who, when squeezed, releases more of Christ and less of myself. The squeeze reveals what’s inside, and what I want revealed more and more is Christ.
Life remains hard. And God remains good.
Let me know what you think.