Book Review: The Gift of the Psalms

I’ve recently finished reading through this neat little gift book, The Gift of Psalms. I’ve thumbed through dozens of similar gift books and quite frankly, usually think of them as think slices of sentimentalism with no real substance, wrapped in leather and foil and sold to the highest bidder. This book, however, is a cut above the rest.

The Gift of Psalms shares 50 well-selected Psalms and gives, on the page opposite each one, a good devotional. Rather than simply being pseudo-spiritual, these devotionals are packed with scriptural insight and practical application. For instance, this line, based on Psalm 96 reads, “Remember, He is coming to judge the earth with righteousness. It is good to praise the Lord, because when we give testimony to His holiness we are reminded of our need for Him.” Great thought!

In addition to the book, three audio CD’s are included that contain the whole of the text – the Psalms themselves and the devotional readings. I popped them in and was pleasantly uplifted while cruising around the busy streets of Bentonville.

The book would make a nice 50-day journey through the Psalms for anyone, and would definitely be a nice gift for someone special.