30 Days in the Land of the Psalms: A Holy Land Devotional

by Charles H. Dyer

Read Psalms in full color.

The psalms are among the church’s finest treasures, a collection of writings where many find solace, comfort, and hope. Yet some psalms remain “locked” in a sense, containing references to places and objects modern readers have never seen and can’t picture.

Until now. From author and renowned Israel expert Dr. Charles H. Dyer comes a devotional that brings selected psalms to life. Each entry features a beautiful, full-color photo of a Holy Land site, a suggested reading from Scripture, and a reflection that incorporates Dr. Dyer's knowledge of the land. Plus, the hardcover binding and ribbon marker make it a wonderful gift or bedside read.

Some selections

God Is My Masada (Psalm 18)The City of Our God (Psalm 46)A Song from the Wilderness (Psalm 90)A Song for the Mount of Olives (Psalm 118)Solitary Prayers in Lonely Places (Psalm 120)30 Days in the Land of the Psalms is a one-month devotional that will take readers on an extended journey to Israel . . . and into the book of Psalms.

Genres: Devotional

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 2, 2017

About the author

He is an Old Testament scholar as well as an authority on Middle Eastern history and geography. A licensed tour guide to Israel, he has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East over the past 25 years, leading over 70 different trips throughout the region to countries including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and Turkey. He twice visited Iraq as an official invited guest of Saddam Hussein’s government.

When he is not working, traveling to the Middle East, or speaking, Charlie enjoys spending his time writing, reading, and golfing. He is a devoted (some would say fanatical) Macintosh computer user, and he collects antiquities—especially oil lamps from biblical times.

Charlie and his wife, Kathy, have been married for over 33 years, and they have two grown children—Ben and Becky. Becky and her husband are both graduates of Moody.

(http://www.moody.edu/edu_facultyprofi...)

Reviews

[Jeanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The size of our problems is always in inverse proportion to the greatness of our God. Big God, small problems. Small God, big problems. Praise Him for being such a great God.

This text was really a journey to the Holy land thru the book of Psalms. With pictures of significant places and descriptive narrative, it almost feels like you are there. For me, the book was two-fold, by placing yourself there, it gives you a different perspective of who God is. The 2nd is when our problems become me centered, we always obscure our view of God. Psalms always brings us back to the majesty of God. Psalms in many ways become prayers for our eyes to be opened.

A Special Thank You to Moody Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this devotional survey of the Psalms. It was a good pairing with “Experiencing the Land of the Book” (also by Dyer); some of the concepts and stories overlapped, which helped to reinforce them!

[Lghiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

A devotional is such a personal kind of writing. Readers bring their backgrounds to the process. Then the Holy Spirit uses the author’s words, guiding their thoughts and providing inspiration for understanding and change. As a reviewer, I read 30 Days in the Land of the Psalms: A Holy Land Devotional daily to capture the devotional experience.

The author, Charles H. Dyer, has a lifetime of experiences in the Holy Land, having led many tours as a licensed guide. He also has outstanding academic credentials, and I am sure he knows more about the Bible than I ever will. He excels at analyzing the structure of each psalm. I discovered at the end of my reading that I had noted many more memorable passages than usual. Dyer’s format is to draw the reader into the psalm with a description of the area the psalm would have been written in or about and some historical background. Next he talks about the format of the psalm in terms of the repetition that is so important in Hebrew poetry and why it was written the way it was. Lastly he includes a section, “Walking in Our Land,” which applies the psalm to the reader’s life.

While 30 Days in the Land of the Psalms: A Holy Land Devotional has many good points, it did not offer personal inspiration for me. I have two major criticisms. As someone who has led forty tours in the Holy Land, he could have included more photographs and they could have aligned better with the point he was trying to make. Also, his efforts to make the book sound like a tour fell flat for me. An example is his writing in several chapters as if someone had posed a question, “I am glad you asked that question.”

I found 30 Days in the Land of the Psalms: A Holy Land Devotional to be an acceptable devotional, but not sufficiently interesting to encourage me to purchase other devotionals by this author.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Moody Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

30 Days in the Land of the Psalms: A Holy Land Devotional by Charles H. Dyer is a 30-day devotional on the Psalms. It is instructed that the reader first reading the selected Psalm in the version of choice, then read Dyer's comments and application.

He brings the Bible to life in an entire new way. 30 days in the Land of the Psalms reads as if the reader is on a tour of the land of the Holy Land. It is very detailed and almost transported me back to the days of David. This devotional covered Psalms 1, 11, 18, 20, 22, 23, 30, 42, 43, 46, 48, 56, 84, 90, 91, 96, 100, 102, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 131, 133, 134, 136, 147, and 150.

I received this ARC from Moody Publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tom Burkholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book 30 Days in the Land of the Psalms, author and Israeli expert Dr. Charles H. Dyer, takes the reader on a journey through some of the Psalms with insights from the Holy Land.
This is a great devotional that has broadened my understanding of the Psalms. I especially enjoyed the reading about Masada.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was an enjoyable devotional. The author provided insides I hadn’t heard before. A great way to bring the Psalms to life and understand the deeper meaning.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard this man speak at Mt. Hermon and he has such a lovely heart. I loved this devotional and his way of looking at things.

[Kimberly Kahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational, enjoyable, and up lifting

I learned about the land and the music of Israel, but most of all, about the God of Israel - my God!!!

[Anni Welborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Dr. Dyer's 30 Days in the Land of Jesus and loved it. Having read this, I love the genre even more. I will probably never get to the Holy Land in this life, so I really loved learning bits and pieces about the culture and the land. Even though Dr. Dyer is a Ph.D., the writing was conversational and accessible for the lay reader.

I would love to see Dr. Dyer write devotional commentaries about the entire book of Psalms and Proverbs. The book of Psalms has been a favorite of many believers for millennia, and this book will help make it your favorite as well. I have my grandmother's Bible with the book of Psalms frequently underlined and tear-blistered. She would have loved reading this book. Please, Dr. Dyer, write more books like this.

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"30 Days in the Land of the Psalms" is a 30-day devotional on the Psalms. You read the selected psalm in your own Bible, then read Dyer's comments and application. He often started an entry by describing a stop as if we were on a tour of the Holy Land. He described aspects of the psalm that people who haven't visited Israel may have trouble visualizing or might misunderstand. There were full-color pictures of the different places under discussion, though many of these were different views of Jerusalem or the wilderness.

This devotional covered Psalms 1, 11, 18, 20, 22, 23, 30, 42, 43, 46, 48, 56, 84, 90, 91, 96, 100, 102, 118, 120, 121, 122, 125, 127, 131, 133, 134, 136, 147, and 150. Overall, I'd recommend this devotional, but I felt like I gained more insights from the author's Thirty Days in the Land with Jesus devotional and would recommend reading it before this one.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Susan Snodgrass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not what I thought it would be. To me, a devotional book means daily readings from the Psalms. This was not in that form. It was a good enough devotion, just not what I thought it was.


*I was given a preview copy of this book via Net Galley. My opinions are my own.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by Charles Dyer and I am not stopping until I have read them all. He brings the Bible to life in an entire new way. 30 days in the Land of the Psalms reads as if the reader is on a tour of the land of the Holy Land. It is very detailed and almost transported me back to the days of David.
30 Days in the Land of the Psalms should not be read in a rush. The best way to read it is to spend a minimum of 30 days savoring every page. It makes a great devotional both for morning and evening. I would also recommend the first book I read which was 30 days in the Land of Jesus. I have to say I liked that book even more. The pictures of both books are incredible . I thoroughly enjoyed this book and appreciate the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review