Where is the middle of the Bible? If you’re up to date on your reading (or pretty close) then congratulations, you’ve found it! There are two correct answers for identifying the middle of the Bible. If you count chapter by chapter, then Psalm 117 is the middle; a nice short couple of verses before you get to the extraordinarily lengthy Psalm 119. However, if you count verse by verse, then Psalm 118:8 is the middle. One cannot help but to be curious about what you find in the middle, even if the central heart of the Bible is the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When I look at Psalm 117, option #1 for the middle of the Bible, I see Praise, Love, Faithfulness, and Praise again. The Psalm is bookended by the phrase “Praise the Lord,” and the reason for such praise is the great love and eternal faithfulness of the Lord. In the Gospels we also find love and faithfulness at the heart, so in this way the middle (Psalms) of the Bible and the heart (Gospels) of the Bible overlap into one shared center. If Psalm 117 and the Gospels have love and faithfulness at their central heart, it leads me to wonder if I have love and faithfulness central in my heart. If we learn to pray from the Psalms, it follows that if we reflect on God’s love and faithfulness, the praise of the Lord comes naturally. And if we know God’s love and faithfulness, we learn to love and be faithful as well. Learn from the best. Yet if Psalm 118:8 (and/or verse 9) is your preferred method of describing the middle of the Bible, we find Refuge. Once again, Refuge is found in the middle (Psalms) and the heart (Gospels) of the Bible, creating a short list of what is central. Psalm 118 is passionate about finding refuge in the Lord, and this Psalm begins and ends with “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his love endures forever.” If we have found refuge in Jesus, we will naturally be led to give thanks to him! If we have experienced refuge in Christ, then might we also seek to have our hearts shaped to be people of refuge: those who offer relief, respite, and safety to those who are struggling, in need, or feeling shaken and insecure. This is where the middle and the heart create a center once again. What is in God’s heart? Love, Faithfulness, and Refuge. I want those things in my heart too. I want to experience Christ’s love, live in it, and learn to share it with the world through God’s faithful transformation. And I hope that transforms me into someone who praises the Lord and gives thanks along the way. How about you? - Pastor Steven