“What’s Your Favorite Psalm?”

That was the question the pastor asked my Dad shortly before Dad died a decade ago. Dad’s reply was “Psalm 24.” “You mean Psalm 23, don’t you?” (That’s, “The Lord is my shepherd …”) No, it was 24.

Dad never did explain why. Psalm 24 does have phrases that relate to Advent and Christmas, Dad’s favorite holiday. Every other Psalm in his Bible was marked up, all except 24. I’ll keep looking through his papers and his sermons. Maybe someday I’ll find out why he loved that Psalm so much.

But since then, I’ve been asking myself the same question: what’s my favorite Psalm? As Ann and I go through our daily devotions, we’ve prayed all or part of a Psalm each day. We’ve been through the whole book several times over, so I’ve gotten to know the Psalms better and better as time goes by. I won’t say I have a final answer to the question, but I will say I’ve made some “friends” in that precious book.

(Bear in mind, there are 150 Psalms. This is not an exhaustive list.)

First of all, I recognize certain friends I expect to show up at certain times and for certain occasions. Old friends, such as Psalms 24 and 96, who have heralded the joyous coming of Advent and Christmas. I expect Psalm 51 to meet me on Ash Wednesday to prepare me for the season of Lent. Psalms 118 and 120-134 provide me with words that let me join in that festive procession with Jesus, walking up the road to the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Throughout the years of my ministry, I’ve relied on Psalm 22, which has helped me take those difficult steps from Maundy Thursday’s Upper Room to Good Friday’s Hill of the Skull. And Psalm 16 has lifted my eyes to God’s promise of life on Easter morning.

I’ve depended on Psalm 23 to be there at funerals, and Psalm 90 to join it when an older person departs this life and rests with the Lord, awaiting the Resurrection. I’ve also been comforted by Psalms 121, and 91, and also Psalm 4. (I’ve especially liked the final verse of Psalm 4 before I’ve gone into surgery.)

I could go on, for the Psalms had provided many “friends” for many different occasions, but let me get back to the original question. If I had to pick an overall “favorite,” at this point in my life I would pick Psalm 8.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Why this Psalm? Short answer: it puts me in my place.

All my life, I’ve enjoyed going outside on a clear night, staring up at the stars, experiencing the vastness of the universe, realizing just how tiny we human beings are in God’s creation. Yet, God cares for us! Not only did He give us dominion over creation, He sent His Son to redeem us so we could live with Him forever—He didn’t have to do that, insignificant creatures that we are. How small, yet how loved we are by God! Mind-blowing! How majestic, indeed, is His Name!

So, what’s your favorite Psalm?