Right in the middle, the center of most Bibles are the ‘Psalms of David’; I remember Dr. Billy Graham telling me, along with some 5,000 other people, that just place your finger in the middle of any Bible and… there you will find the Psalms.

Interesting that at the core of the history of God and People are the Psalms, an encyclopedic record of human emotions. The Psalmist (not always King David but I’m sure his name added a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’) portrays with appropriate pride his commendable emotions and hesitatingly but definitely allows access to emotions less than commendable.

Some people choose to protect ‘the poor faithful’ from venomous and fire-breathing emotions by simply, and unjustifiably, excising them from public reading. But this should not be so.

Consider these verses from Psalm 40

“Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed
who seek after my life to destroy it; *
let them draw back and be disgraced
who take pleasure in my misfortune.
16Let those who say “Aha!” and gloat over me be confounded, *
because they are ashamed” verses 15-16

It is with honesty and vigor, determination and focus that our inner demons are faced and exorcised; but not alone, at best in conversation with friends, at “best best” in partnership with the Lord.