Once I had a song in my head to remind me where to find specific books of the Bible, I opened the Bible more often. I gained a sense of where some of the main books were located:
Genesis – at the front of the Bible, right at the beginning
Psalms – in the middle of the Bible, at the heart of it
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – the start of the New Testament – remembering the names of these four books in order helped me geographically locate the front of the New Testament
Incidentally, those four books are the Gospels, or Good News. They tell the story of Jesus, who puts the “New” in New Testament.
Geographical Navigation
It’s really cumbersome to look for the table of contents near the front of the Bible. (Have you searched for it before?) I decided I wanted to find a more tactile way of locating specific books of the Bible.
When I open my Bible in half I most often land in Psalms. It varies which number it lands on of the 150 written by various authors. That means I have a greater chance of landing in the middle of Psalms than somewhere else, say Proverbs, which comes right after Psalms. I don’t usually run into Job (rhymes with robe), the one that precedes Psalms, but it is helpful to know it’s on the left side.
Job – Psalms – Proverbs
I think it’s poetic that Psalms is at the middle or the center of the Bible. The Psalms are the songs of the Bible and at the heart of it. These songs written by David and other authors speak from the heart and reflect the heart of those who wrote and read them. Songs of praise and thanks, sorrow or anguish, those that tell a story of remembrance or reflect a physical or spiritual journey, all spoken from the heart and to the heart of God.
These sacred Psalms give words to communicate with God in those moments of life that crave a connection for comfort, counsel, or celebration. I’m grateful that when I don’t have the words to express what I am feeling, I can turn to the Psalms and God will place the words I need on my heart.