Psalm 30
- God can get angry sometimes, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Kind of like the opposite of a housecat.
Psalm 31
- The writer was feeling down and humiliated, but God saved him. Notice the dual track here: the psalm alternates between describing the writer's depression and illustrating God's ability to get him out of that depression. Writers are tricky.
Psalm 32
- The main message here is that nobody's perfect, and God knows it. Just make sure you pay him your dues.
Psalm 33
- God watches everyone and everything, and his works function so perfectly that they sound like music on a cosmic scale. Nifty.
Psalm 34
- God gathers his loyal followers to him and preserves even their bones. When you die, God will remember you as faithful. Sweet deal. Just watch out for the non-righteous.
Psalm 35
- The author here got bullied by his enemies, and cries out to God for help. In exchange, he'll make God famous with his words. Considering the longevity of the Psalms, it looks like they did something right.
Psalm 36
- Watch out—the wicked are everywhere. Being close to God is "drinking from the fountain of life" (36:9), and God's light is given to his followers.
Psalm 37
- Patience, people. God will come to the writer's aid, and when he does, things are going to get crazy.
Psalm 38
- This is one sick writer. He's tired, in bed, and regretful. God is the only one he thinks can save him from his wounds, both physical and spiritual.
Psalm 39
- Apparently the writer said something way wrong and is doing some serious groveling before God. He'd also (ahem) like a little help from God digging out of his current jam...you know, if God's not too busy.
Psalm 40
- In this psalm, the writer thanks God for all he has done for him, and then decides to tell everyone else about it, too. It's like free publicity…almost.
Psalm 41
- Poverty, betrayal, deliverance—the writer is going through some serious ups and downs. This God character has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.
Psalm 42
- This one's kind of bittersweet, as the writer reflects on better times and asks God why he has been absent.
Psalm 43
- More longing: this time to be back in Zion in God's presence.
Psalm 44
- The writer reflects on the stories he was taught about God's might on the battlefield and declares that he remains faithful despite a recent string of defeats.