2023
Daily Devotionals Archive
“THE LORD HATH DECREED OUR PRAISE TO HIMSELF”
Praise to God is not optional. His very being demands the praise of His creation. Creation cries out praise unto the creator and all who follow God through His precious Son, Christ Jesus, sing Him praise. But what about those who do not follow Him or love Him. They too will one day bow down in praise to His righteous majesty! The Lord has decreed or set in order the very praise that He receives. He is worthy of our praise.
Psalm 148:1—6 “1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights. 2 Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts. 3 Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. 4 Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created. 6 He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.”
“THE GREAT & VAST WISDOM OF JEHOVAH GOD”
Who are we to question whether God knows our needs or whether He truly knows everything! He knows, He sees, and He cares. Jehovah has no area in all of creation that is outside of His knowledge or His site.
Scientists believe according to their calculations that the universe has 200 billion trillion stars. That number alone is more than any human could dare to try and comprehend. What is even more mind-boggling than that is what the Psalmist says about the stars in relation to Jehovah God. When we consider His position and ability in relation to the stars that He created, we ought to just let our mind rest a little bit. God has got this!
Psalm 147:4, 5—”4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.”
“LIFE PRESERVING GOD”
Everything about the Lord is life! It is God alone who brings the lost from death to life. It is God alone who brings the broken and hurting back to their feet. For those who are in Christ and yet find their self in a dry and weary season, it is the Lord that preserves them in their season of despair. God is by the side of those grieving the loss of a companion or child. He is a father to the fatherless. He is our life preserving God!
Psalm 146:8, 9—”8 The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: 9 The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.”
“WHOLLY HOLY”
As Christians, we are able to do righteous deeds and acts because of He who lives within us. His word compels us to lie Holy and Righteous lives. The call to do so does not make it happen. We as Christians can live immorally and act in ways that are in no way conducive to He whose name we bear.
The God we serve is incapable of being wrong or unrighteous. There is nothing that He does or decrees that has even a trace of unholiness. He is wholly Holy! Whatever He elects to use to work His will is Holy. Whatever He works in our life for His glory is Holy. God and every intricate detail of His attributes is Wholly Holy! Praise His Holy name!
Psalm 145:17 “17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.”
“NOT ON MY WATCH”
We have no control over the willingness and action of praise in those around us. I cannot make you praise the Lord, and even if I could, there is no way for me to ensure that it is authentic. No one can make me praise the Lord; likewise, if it were possible, no one could make it authentic.
We do have a personal choice to praise the Lord. We have a choice to not be the missing link in His praise. By God’s grace, I am not going to stop praising the Lord and His mighty name! No, not on my watch. He has been too good to me, and His mercies are innumerable. I’ll never stop singing His praises. By God’s grace, His praise will never stop with me, not on my watch. What about you?
Psalm 145:1–5 “1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever. 2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. 5 I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.”
“MERCY BREEDS HAPPINESS”
Happiness is most often dictated by happenstance. In other words, our circumstances at the moment determine whether we are happy. Joy and happiness stemming from joy is a totally different place to draw from the well of happiness. God has been merciful to us all. The fact that you are reading this daily devotion is proof that God has been merciful to you yet another day.
David recites the many mercies of God in Psalm 144. Those mercies are many in the areas of protection and provision. The reality of these mercies upon us all is the well by which we draw joy and happiness. He is a merciful God! Rejoice in His mercies today!
Psalm 144:15 “15 Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.”
“MY GOD THINKS MUCH OF ME”
There are natural emotions that overcome us concerning those that are closest to us. Each time one of my boys hit a milestone in their life from the time they were little fellas, we celebrated them and thought so much of who they were in relation to us. You see, they belonged to my wife and I. They also were cut out of the same clay as we were.The commonality of our humanness is irrevocable.
When we consider God’s care for us, we quickly see a great difference. He is high and He is Holy. God is not created nor is He cut from the same clay as us. He stands alone and beside Him there is no other. He is God and we are not. With this reality in mind, how incredibly humbling it is to think that the God of all creation thinks much of me. I had nothing to offer Him. There was nothing I could do to make Him proud and happy. The only thing I ever did that was consistent was to sin against Him and yet, He saved me!
God takes notice and me and He takes notice of you! He thinks so much of us that He came and bled and died on a cross to purchase our unworthy soul. He thought enough of us to save us and redeem us! Praise God, my God thinks much of me! I am so unworthy and He is the whole of worthy!
Psalm 144:3 “3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!”
“PRYING FOR A RIGHTEOUS ANSWER”
It’s most common for our prayers to be tilted toward our desires and wants. After all, that is why we pray, right? We pray for things that we can’t do for ourselves or get through ourselves. We need the Lord’s help, and we should never stop asking Him for it!
David’s prayer in Psalm 143 sheds light on a key component needed within our heart when we call out to God in prayer. Our heart should desire for God’s righteous answer. If God always answered according to our desires and perceived needs, He would have to go against His character. He is righteous and He can answer no other way than to answer according to His righteousness. David does not have to pray for God to make His answer righteous, He is praying for God’s righteous answer. May we desire to have our heart desiring God’s righteous will, even when it is different than our own.
Psalm 143:1– “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.”
“RELEASED FROM THE INWARD PRISON”
There are many things that can imprison us even as Christians. This is the opposite of what it means to be a Christian. Jesus even tells us in: “John 8:36– “36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” We can become imprisoned in our mind to fear, uncertainty, danger, and all the “what-if’s.”
David had become overcome with fear and the anxiety associated with the unknown of how things would turn out while in a cave and his enemies were after him. We too can become paralyzed from fear and uncertainty during difficult seasons within our life. What is our answer? Pray for the Lord to release you from this inward prison and surround you with righteous people and influence. The very act of praying takes your attention off of the root of the problem and places it on the solution. God can release us from the inward prison that incarcerates our mind! Call out to Him!
Psalm 143:7–“Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.”
“GUARD MY HEART & MY WORDS”
“PRAYING TO BE DELIVERED”
If we could see what we are up against each day of our lives, we would be afraid to get out of the bed each day. There is evil all around us and there is a ploy and agenda from the evil one to attack us and bring us down. What are we to do about the unknown specifics of the enemy’s agenda?
Pray! We are to pray that the Lord delivers us from harm and evil and any traps or stumbling blocks the devil sets before us. The enemy was using Saul and Doeg to attack David. God was sought by David to deliver him. When we pray preemptively for deliverance, it heightens our awareness of the enemy plotting against us. We can never go wrong by taking things known and unknown to the Lord in prayer.
Psalm 140 1—4 “1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; 2 Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. 3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah. 4 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings.”
“GOD DON’T MAKE JUNK”
We’re told to believe in ourselves from the time that we are little children. We’re told to have self-confidence and be sure of ourselves. We’re told to be proud of who we are and what we have made of ourselves. All these things that we are told to believe about ourselves comes crashing down when we can’t muster up enough pride and confidence to do so. At that time, we often plummet into a deep pit of despair and sometimes even depression. The reality is, we shouldn’t have confidence in ourselves. We need to take the Lord’s word to heart concerning who we are.
We are created by Him, and we are made by His hands with meaning and purpose and no two people are identical. He has put His special touch upon each of us. You are special and you are unique. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Don’t believe what others say about you. Don’t even believe what you believe about yourself. Take God at His word concerning you.
Psalm 139:14—”14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
“THE INESCAPABLE GOD”
“GOD’S PROMISES TO THE LOWLY”
“ALL KINGS WILL SING HIS PRAISE”
The Lord’s salvation is available to all who call on His name. Unfortunately, not everyone will call upon His name and those who do not shall perish. This is true even of the most prestigious and powerful kings across the globe.
David prophetically speaks of a time when all kings shall praise the Lord. At this time, all the kings of the world will hear the voice of the Lord. They will have no other choice but to praise Him. There is no other option in all of His glory. This will not be a willing praise, but rather an inevitable praise of who He is. No person will escape confessing that He is Lord, even the kings of the earth. He is God and one day, no one will be able to deny it!
Psalm 138:4, 5– “All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, When they hear the words of thy mouth. Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: For great is the glory of the LORD.”
“HE ANSWERED ME”
Israel was known for its singing and praise and worship. God gave them the promise land and it was theirs so long as they followed in His statutes. When they elected to depart from Him, their consequence was Babylonian captivity! This is exactly what happened.
The Psalmist describes a time when the Israelites were in captivity and the Babylonian slaveholders commanded them to sing. They had no song left in them. Their choices had led them away from God into the enemy’s hands. They only reminisced about their blessed homeland. They had lost their song!
When we make choices to disobey God and follow the ways of the world as Christians, there are consequences. The enemy has his way with us and our disobedience costs us greatly. We get to the point that the good way of our salvation is merely a memory. We seem so far from home that we lose our song! It’s difficult and sad to end up here; but praise God, He allows us do overs. If this is where you are. Call upon the God of Heaven and wait for rescue and restoration. Get your song back through obedience!
Psalm 137:1—4 “1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”
“LOSING OUR SONG”
Israel was known for its singing and praise and worship. God gave them the promise land and it was theirs so long as they followed in His statutes. When they elected to depart from Him, their consequence was Babylonian captivity! This is exactly what happened.
The Psalmist describes a time when the Israelites were in captivity and the Babylonian slaveholders commanded them to sing. They had no song left in them. Their choices had led them away from God into the enemy’s hands. They only reminisced about their blessed homeland. They had lost their song!
When we make choices to disobey God and follow the ways of the world as Christians, there are consequences. The enemy has his way with us and our disobedience costs us greatly. We get to the point that the good way of our salvation is merely a memory. We seem so far from home that we lose our song! It’s difficult and sad to end up here; but praise God, He allows us do overs. If this is where you are. Call upon the God of Heaven and wait for rescue and restoration. Get your song back through obedience!
Psalm 137:1—4 “1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. 2 We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. 3 For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. 4 How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange land?”
“MANY ARE HIS MERCIES”
Psalm 136 is a Psalm that praises God for His many mercies. This Psalm deals with very particular mercies and many of which are very applicable to His children today. It would do us as His children a great deal of good to sit down every little bit and begin to survey His many mercies within our own life. If you ever begin to be at a loss for words (which you won’t,) pick up your Bible and read the entirety of Psalm 136. Wow, what a chronicle of these many mercies.
Psalm 136:1—“1 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
“THE FUTILITY OF FALSE GODS”
Most people do not see the worship of false gods as a common practice. We believe for the most part that those things were mostly during the early days of pagan practice and worship dating back to Abraham’s day and Moses and moving forward. The sad reality of this assumption is that is false. False god or idol worship is very present today.
If we’re not careful, we too, even as Christians will find ourselves placing our trust in things or people in place of Jehovah God. We can be duped into believing that our fulfilment will come in a new home, car, large savings account, grandeur retirement or any other material possession. We can be duped into believing that all will be well if we could just land that next great job, or secure the person of our dreams, or maybe increase our social circle with popular people in it.
The Psalmist speaks of the futility of placing trust in false gods. We can make anything into a false god and when we substitute the true and living God for a false god, we ourselves become as useless as the false god we have made or worshipped. Trust in the living God with everything in you. In Him is life, power, provision, salvation, and limitless glory!
Psalm 135 15—18 “15 The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; 17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. 18 They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them.”
“THERE IS NO god LIKE OUR GOD”
“GUARDING THROUGH THE NIGHT”
The Psalmist prays for blessings from God to the servants who guarded the Temple through the night hours while the others slept. Varying schedules and circumstances leave many living their life through various portions of the day/night. It takes us all lifting the house of God in prayer. When we are not together in worship, may we find ourselves praying for protection over God’s people and His house. When we are together in His house, may we find ourselves lifting our hands in praise to the King.
Psalm 134:1, 2—“1 Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. 2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD.”
“CHRISTIAN UNITY”
The Bible is not silent about Christian unity. Too often, we excuse ourselves from laboring to be the solution in our lack of unity. Unfortunately, the church is not always a place of Christian unity. The church is made up of the body of Christ and that body is made up of humans. Where there are humans, there are flaws.
This Song of degrees of King David expresses the beauty and goodness of Christian unity. There is nothing more pleasant than to witness brothers and sisters in Christ dwell in harmonious unity! Here is what we must learn; we cannot control the effort of others in this area; however, we can control our effort. Love your fellow brother and sister in Christ. Forgive them, be patient with them, work at unity with them, and watch the goodness flow from Heaven’s throne to His children.
Psalm 133:1—” 1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”
“COVENANT KEEPING GOD”
The Lord promised to David that his children would sit upon his throne if they would keep His covenant and His teachings to them. Unfortunately, David’s children went astray, and the result was their being taken into Babylonian captivity.
Their going astray did not diminish God’s covenant though. The New Testament/Covenant opens in the Gospel of Matthew in Matthew 1:1— “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”; God’s covenant is fulfilled through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ came in flesh through the lineage of King David. All who profess Christ are in the same lineage through Him.
Praise God, we will reign forever with Christ because God’s Covenant is never broken! May we worship Him this day and every day for the rest of our time this side of Heaven!
Psalm 132:12—” 12 If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore.”
“AMBITION TO DO SOMETHING FOR GOD”
David had a long and consistent ambition. He longed to build a Temple for God and the Ark of God! This desire never subsided. He was full of ambition to do this unto His God and Savior. That ambition of King David to build the temple was not the will of God. Rather, God’s will was for David was to lead His people.
What we should learn from Godly ambition is this, so long as we have ambition to serve Him and to do something for Him, He will give us what we need to do so. His will does not always line up with our ambitions of service, but in our consistent ambition to serve Him, He will give us more than enough opportunity to serve Him. Be zealous and full of ambition to do something for God and then, do the things that He calls you to do!
Psalm 132: 1—5 “1 LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: 2 How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; 3 Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 5 Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.”
“COME HUMBLY BEFORE OUR GOD”
Far too often, we causally come into the presence of our Thrice-Holy God! He is God and He is to be reverenced and feared. He is indeed approachable and that was made possible by Christ’s work on the cross. He tore the veil and made a way for all who call upon His name to approach God the Father. Accessibility to Him does not mean we’re not to reverence Him.
David speaks of his humility and reverence as he comes before the Lord in prayer. May each day that we live be lived in humble service and reverence to our Great God and King! We are nothing and He is everything! We need not to think highly of ourselves but rather, we are to think ever so highly of our Heavenly Father! May we humble ourselves each day and acknowledge who it is that we serve and live and die by. May we come humbly before our God!
Psalm 131 1, 2—“1 LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. 2 Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.”
“HOPE IN PRAYER”
Prayer is not just a formality or practice that Christians are required to do. No, prayer is talking to God and hearing from God. To talk to God and hear from God brings about anticipation and hope. God answers our prayers. He always answers according to His will. He always hears our prayers.
We all sin! How do we receive forgiveness? We ask in prayer! 1 John 1:9 teaches us that He is faithful and able to always forgive us when we ask! This breeds great hope within us! I encourage you to pray today. Pray throughout the day. Give Him your needs, fears, wants, desires, and anything else in your life. Give it all to Him in prayer and may the hope of God saturate your soul. God hears our prayers; God answers our prayers. Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Psalm 130:1—5 “1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.”
“GOD’S PEOPLE SHALL PREVAIL”
“DAILY SUSTENANCE IS BETTER WITH THE LORD”
There are people who enjoy the fruit of their hands that do not know the Lord. Millions of people work and labor and the fruit of their labor yields homes, cars, food, water, hobbies, and the lists go on and on. However, their sustenance is lacking a key component to attaining any lasting fulfilment to the fruit of their labor. What is it? The accompaniment of the Lord!
There is a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment in the fruit of our labor when we serve the Lord daily. There is nothing like talking to Him daily and praying for provision and thanking Him for blessing and then sitting back and partaking of those very requests. To serve the Lord in Godly fear and honor and to incorporate Him in our day to day lives is most rewarding. Don’t just survive and get through this world; do so with God by your side and give Him your best effort every day. At the end of each day and ultimately, at the end of your life, it will be a precious thing to look back over the things you’ve needed; things you’ve enjoyed; and the provisions made and see God’s hand on all of it.
Psalm 128:1, 2—” 1 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. 2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.”
“CHILDREN ARE GIFTS FROM ABOVE”
We live in a culture where children are considered an inconvenience not worthy of dealing with. Children crimp our career paths, social fellowship, and sadly, they are viewed as an unwanted weight that weighs down selfish desires.
The word of God teaches us the very opposite of today’s culture. Children are a gift from God to us. The ability to procreate is a reward from God. For a man to have a home with children is likened to a man at battle with a quiver full of arrows. There is confidence in the home where children dwell just as there is with the man who is equipped for battle.
Whether you have children in diapers, or your children are grown and married themselves; cherish them! Cherish them as gifts from above. Whether your children or the children of others; they are all gifts from God. May we acknowledge that and pour our lives into theirs and prioritize investments into them.
Psalm 127:3, 4, 5—” 3 Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. 4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. 5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.”
“WE MUST HAVE GOD’S BLESSING”
There is human effort for self-sustainability in nearly every aspect of life. We take care of our bodies and spend great amounts of money to preserve our lives. We work and labor to protect and maintain our homes through regular maintenance. We take great measures to protect ourselves from harm’s way and even death whether it’s wearing our seatbelt, installing an alarm system in our home, or arming ourself for protection.
You fill in the blanks however you’d like but one thing is for sure, our efforts are in vain if we do not have the blessing of God upon our life and efforts. We must have His blessing on our life, home, jobs, health, families, and anything else that we value. If we fail to see this reality, we will trust in our sole ability to sustain ourselves. This practice is rooted in pride and is disrespectful to our Lord. He has all power and means to sustain us in, through, or to anything or place. Seek out His blessing in all our endeavors. We must have God’s blessing!
Psalm 127:1, 2—“1 Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. 2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”
“GOD BLESSES FAITHFULNESS”
During Israel’s time in captivity, their faithfulness was rewarded by the Lord. He ultimately brought them out in deliverance. There were many tears shed and much pain felt, however, God blessed their faithfulness.
As Christian’s, we are never promised an easy road with no pain and with no opposition from the enemy. The reality of the Christian walk is filled with ups and downs and adversity along the way. Pain does come and sometimes its even unbearable. This we know in anything life throws at us while serving the King, He will bless faithfulness. Whether we’re weak, sick, afflicted, persecuted, or facing the trial of our life, may we be found faithful to the Lord and His work. He will bring blessing!
Psalm 126:6—” 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.”
“REJOICE, FOR HE HATH SET US FREE”
The Psalmist writes a celebratory Psalm concerning the deliverance of Israel from Babylonian captivity. When freedom came, it was like a dream too good to be true. The freedom of being set free brought about laughter, singing, and praise.
Looking forward to the New Covenant, Christ Jesus has brought about freedom out of bondage to all who call upon His name. We too experiencing the greatest captivity; we experienced enslavement to sin and all its misery. Jesus provided a way of escape for the captive and thank God; He has set us free. May we rejoice every single day of the freedom God has granted us in Christ Jesus. It seems too good to be true, but praise the Lord God forever, it is a reality of the finished work of Calvary.
Psalm 126: 1, 2—“1 When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. 2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.”
“The Lord is Good to the Good”
Our prayer for the righteous is that the Lord be good unto them. The Bible teaches us that none of us within our own righteousness is good (Romans 3:10.) However, those that are in Christ are good because we are robed in His righteousness. He is good to His children. We have the ultimate outcome, life eternal in a perfect body and city, with our perfect Savior.
The unrighteous will not be rewarded with good from God. The fact is the unrighteous will be banished forever with all workers of evil. This is a sad and terrifying ending for the unrighteous. Sin must be punished and paid for. This is true because God is a good and righteous judge. I am so thankful that He has imputed His righteousness to my bankrupt account and made me good in God’s eyes.
Psalm 125:4-5 “Do good, O LORD, Unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: But peace shall be upon Israel.”
“If Not For The Lord On Our Side”
David recalled the miraculous and mighty hand of the Lord watching over His children countless times. Had it not been for God making provision and protection for the Godly, they would have been overtaken and extinguished by the enemy. Their enemy sought them out to sink his teeth into them as does a predator on his prey. However, the help of the Lord on their side proved to be enough time and time again.
When we examine our life in Christ, we are brought to complete marvel at how His hand has been with us and upon us. The many times the enemy sought us out to destroy us, but God had other plans. If not for the Lord on our side delivering us day by day, we would all be stomped out by the enemy. The Lord our God is always for the Godly! His children are always in His sight!
Psalm 124:1—8 “1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; 2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: 4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: 5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 6 Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
“Looking For God’s Favor”
We desire the favor of our family, co-workers, and friends. It’s desirous to receive favor from those who mean so much to us. How do we seek that favor? We do so by showing them love, adoration, and expression such through our actions. We work and labor for our family. We support and make ourselves present for our friends, and we treat our co-workers with respect and decency because they are there to do a job just like us.
What does it look like to seek the favor of God? We must live our life devoted to Him and His ways; all the while, we’re looking for His favor to reciprocate back to us. It’s an expectation. Not that He owes us anything. He does not; but when we look to Him for our instruction, provision, and protection, we expect it. We’re exercising our faith in Him for all things. There is no feeling like knowing that the favor of God rests upon us as His children. Live for Him and look for His favor in and upon your life.
Psalm 123:1—4 “1 Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. 3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. 4 Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.”
“Love for God’s House”
“The Stability of God’s City and God’s People”
God’s City is Jerusalem. God’s people are all who have placed their faith in Him through His Son, Christ Jesus. John spoke of the new city of Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven. There will always be the city that rests below the Mount of Zion. Those who will dwell there for all of eternity are exclusively those who belong to God by grace through faith.
There will always be a people of God and there will always be a city of God. Those who trust in the Lord will never be removed. It’s impossible to remove His people or His city! The Psalmist reminds us of this truth in God’s word! Praise God for the stability of God’s city and the stability of God’s people; neither shall ever be abolished by anyone or anything! We have God to thank for that!
Psalm 125:1, 2—“1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. 2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.”
“He Is My Safe Place”
Psalm 121:1—8 “1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
“Take Rest, The Lord Hears You”
The enemy always screams at us that the Lord is not listening, He does not hear us in our distress. This is a lie from the enemy! He not only hears us, but He sees us too. He is always at work. He does not sit idle at any time, and He certainly does not allow times of trouble to come our way without reason and purpose. He Loves you, and He is working His will and plan. Take Rest and keep calling out to Him. He hears you!
Psalm 120:1—” 1 In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and he heard me.”
“Proper Understanding”
“Overcoming Being Easily Offended”
What does it make us when we are offended by the words or actions of others? Human: it makes us human. However, what does it make us when we are easily offended by the actions or words of others on a consistent basis? That makes us someone who is spending far too much time away from God’s word.
The word of God is the greatest tool at our disposal to overcome being easily offended. You see, our strength comes from His word. Our instruction comes from His word. Our outcome comes from His word. People are going to be people and people are flawed and fallen, just like we are. His word is always rock solid and the same. Dust yourself off and get into His word and those stumbling blocks will turn into steppingstones in our faith.
Psalm 119:165—” 165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”
“God of Truth”
In the day and age that we live in, we count it a win if we are dealing with someone who tells the truth and keeps their word a good portion of the time. It’s as if we make provision for the inevitable; people just are not going to be completely honest nor keep their word all of the time.
Thankful to God that He keeps His word all the time. From the beginning of Genesis through the end of Revelation, He is a God of truth, and He never wavers on what is right, what is wrong, nor does He waver on His righteous judgement. He keeps perfect records, and He acts accordingly. He is our God of truth! If we look to man, we will be disappointed. If we look to God, He is Truth 100% of the time.
Psalm 119:160—” Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
“Leaving Nothing Unsaid”
Far too often, we say much more than we need to. Whether it’s in a fit of anger towards someone who has offended us or a disagreement at work with our superior or fellow co-worker. When disagreements get out of hand at home, we say far more than we should and more times than not, we wish we could take back certain words.
The flip side to this is not saying enough to God. We do not need to withhold anything from God. We should pour our heart out to Him. All our fears, emotions, questions, concerns, and all the many “what-if’s” that our mind can conjure up. We should leave nothing unsaid to our Lord. He can handle it. Nothing is going to catch him off-guard. Give it all to Him and follow the teachings of His precious word. It’ll do your heart some good
Psalm 119:145—”145 KOPH. I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O LORD: I will keep thy statutes.”
“Desiring Sinlessness”
No one is sinless. The Bible tells us clearly that we are all sinners in Romans 3:23. Just because we are sinners does not mean that we are to become content with our sinfulness. Our desire should be sinlessness. So long as this is our goal, we will continually strive to be more like the only one sinless, Christ Jesus! Call out to God, ask that He keep you from sins misery.
Psalm 119:133—”133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.”
“Decluttering the Mind”
Everyone’s mind varies from person to person. For some, their mind has no off switch. It’s always thinking about work, relationships, the next step in life, so on and so forth. For others, the mind is saturated with doubt, anxiousness, and fear. Then there are those who fill their mind with useless things that are of no benefit to them spiritually at all.
Decluttering our mind involves eliminating vain thoughts. These are thoughts with no end goal, nor do they have anything beneficial to our spiritual well-being. There is no amount of will-power that will rid us of vain thoughts. Those thoughts must be occupied by something else. The Psalmist said that he hated vain thoughts but loved the God’s Law.
The more of God’s word that we ingest, the less cluttered our mind becomes. When we fill our mind with His word, we will learn to love the benefits associated with His word and hate the disadvantages of a cluttered mind. His word will sharpen us and take the mess out of our mind.
Psalm 119:113—”113 SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.”
“The Well-Lit Path”
As believers, we are to watch every step that we take and choose each path very carefully! What if the way gets dark and the paths do too? Well, they will! This is why we need a “well-lit” path.
God’s word is a lamp to illuminate each step we take so that we do not trip or stumble. Applying the Bible to our daily lives gives us sure footing because we can see where each step is resting. His word will light up the paths that we have to choose from and for that, I am forever grateful. Open your Bible each day that you may stay on a well-lit path.
Psalm 119:105— “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
“Getting the Edge on Each Day”
Each new day presents its own set of blessings, challenges, setbacks, and surprises; both bad and good. The Bible teaches us that we do not know what tomorrow holds and when we examine our life, we can all see, that statement is a boatload of truth. With each passing day and all the unpredictable’s coming at us, we need to “get the edge on each day.”
The Word of God is this edge. There is nothing we can do or plan for that is of any more benefit to us that the word of God! The word of God will give you wisdom over your enemies, understanding, discernment, and a hatred for deception and all things that are wrong. This is the importance of a daily intake of the word of God! It’s the only real way to get the edge on each day.
Psalm 119:97–104 “97 MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
98 Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me. 99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts.
101 I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.
102 I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.”
“Settled in Heaven”
In an ever-changing world where nothing remains stable and things that we cherish change all the time; we have something that is never-ending and unchanging. God’s Word is settled in Heaven. No matter what comes our way, no matter the size of the storm, nothing will change the Word of God!
Take rest in this truth today, tomorrow, and for all of eternity! One day, the Word, Christ Jesus will stand before us and we shall see Him face to face. Trust in the Word, the Word is forever settled in Heaven.
“For ever, O LORD, Thy word Is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.”
Psalm 119:89-90
“When the Wicked Come Against You”
We are living with our head in the sand and very naïve if we believe the wicked of this word will not set their self against us because of our walk with the Lord. The enemy has his people just as the Lord has His. When we choose to live for the Lord and pattern our life according to His word, His strength will come through. The Lord has His army of children too; let us befriend His word and His people. This is how we will withstand the attacks of the enemy!
“I made haste, and delayed not To keep thy commandments. The bands of the wicked have robbed me: But I have not forgotten thy law. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee Because of thy righteous judgments. I am a companion of all them That fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. The earth, O LORD, is full of Thy mercy: Teach me thy statutes.”
Psalm 119:60-64
“Holding on to His Word”
There is never a bad time to read the word of God. Never. However, the times that we need it the most is in times that we may not have the heart to pick it up and search out its answers. When life is throwing one gut punch after another one and our mind and heart is all over the map, let’s be honest, it is difficult to calm everything down and concentrate on His word.
For the very reasons stated, this is why it is of the most importance to to have a daily intake of His word. We are to meditate upon it. This is how we learn His word and hide it in our heart. When this becomes our norm and those gut punches come, and they will; His word will rise to the top for our benefit and strength. This is how we are to hold on to His word.
“I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law. This I had, because I kept thy precepts.”
Psalm 119:55-56
“Liberty in God’s Law”
Liberty is not what crosses a person’s mind when they hear the word law. No, restriction, parameters, and limitations is the thought. We know that civilization must have laws and guidelines to go by, otherwise, it would be total chaos. In America, the norm has been this; live and abide by the laws of the land and you will be granted endless opportunity to succeed within the parameters of the law.
God’s Law is the perfect version of this. God’s Law is righteous and whole. There are no loopholes in His law nor imperfections. God’s Law is perfect in every way. If we abide by His word in our day to day lives, interactions with people, friends, and family; we will walk in the Freedom and Liberty of His word. There is no Liberty like the Liberty found from abiding in His word!
“So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty: For I seek thy precepts.”
Psalm 119:44-45
“Desire for His Truth”
The only thing that is concrete in this life that lasts for all of eternity is God’s Word. Obedience to His word is the gateway to abundant living in Christ. His word is the standard for all morality and everything good and whole. His word is the mirror that shows our flaws and yet the supply chest that gives us all the tools to fix the flaws.
The Psalmist prays for a desire to keep his word and to discover the many wondrous things of the Word. This should be our desire as well. Oh that we would have a great desire for His truth and also have a great desire to discover heights and depths of His word that we have never lived. We will never achieve either of these desires until we discipline ourselves to read and study His word on a consistent basis. Then and only then will we develop a desire for His truth.
Psalm 119:17–18 “17 GIMEL. Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep thy word. 18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.”
“Hidden Advantage”
It’s always amazing to watch teams, no matter the sport, pull out hidden strengths that no one seen coming. That’s the art of preparation. You prepare for anything and everything and whether those scenarios play out or not, you are ready.
There is a hidden strength and advantage that the Lord calls us too from His word. He shows us the advantage that helps us to live our life clean, and holy. More importantly, He shares with us how we are to live in such a way to enable us to not sin against the Lord Himself.
We are to hide God’s word in our heart. This means that we are to read it, ingest it, learn it, and when the enemy comes after us with his tricks and schemes, we will have the hidden advantage. What a wonderful thing it is to withstand the wiles of the devil and refrain from sinning against our God. Take His word to heart and hide it there! You will never regret the advantage that it gives you in battle.
Psalm 119:10–11 “10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
“Happy are the Blameless”
What does it mean to be blameless? For the Christian, it means everything. To be seen as blameless before the Holy God of Heaven is mind-boggling. You see, we are sinners. We don’t just make mistakes. We sin! The very reason Christ went to the cross is because of our sin.
Christ has redeemed us, and we are forever blameless before Holy God. The Psalmist speaks of a “Happy Blamelessness.” This is the state of emotion that the Christian who is following the Word of God experiences. The child of God who is already blameless before Holy God, experiences the happiness conducive to that reality when their life is lived in accordance with His word. Don’t look for happiness in all the wrong places! Go to His word and abide in it!
Psalm 119:1 “1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.”
“Never ending Mercy”
Psalm 118:29 “29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
“Cornerstone”
The Psalmist gives a Messianic psalm concerning the position of the Christ to come. All down through the ages as the hope continued to build for the coming of the Messiah, no one could have ever imagined that when He did come, He would be rejected. However, that is what happened. The very mention of His soon arrival at birth caused chaos and a plot to take His life.
God’s plan would not be deterred. Christ was born and from that day, He was rejected by his own people and certainly the religious elite. Every plot the devil used to decimate Christ, failed. He came and totally wrecked the religious system. This Messianic prophecy as all bible prophecies do, came true. Christ was rejected and yet He became the chief cornerstone of salvation and true and living faith in God! He is my chief cornerstone. My everything rests in and upon Him!
Psalm 118:22 “22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.”
“Taken to the Woodshed”
There is an old saying I heard a lot growing up from my father and an older generation of folk. That saying was: “taken to the woodshed.” An older generation of people remembered back when they misbehaved as a child, one of their parents would take them to the woodshed to correct them. The woodshed was a place separated from the house and was not part of the dwelling where the family lived. Being taken to the woodshed was not pleasant. The phrase meant that discipline was being enforced.
The Lord punishes those that He loves. The Psalmist uses the term: “chastened.” This word simply means: “punishment.” When we sin as a child of God, the Lord don’t treat us as an enemy and take our life. No, He punishes us. He spiritually “takes us to the woodshed.” He doesn’t do this in front of the whole family, but He sure enough takes time out to discipline us.
It’s never pleasant, but it is always beneficial and for our good.
I’m thankful to my Lord for loving me enough to correct me instead of taking me on out. That is what I deserve, but the Lord walks me down that pathway to the woodshed, and with His great love, he disciplines me for my own good and His glory. He is a loving Father.
Psalm 118:18 “18 The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.”
“My Strength and My Song”
As we navigate through life and deal with the ups and downs, and the setbacks and the tragedies, we find ourselves making it through. I look back on certain seasons in my life and I recall the immense battle and struggle during those times. I think to myself, I made it!
This is a strategy of the enemy. He wants us to believe that it was our strength, and our faithfulness that allowed us to make it through difficult trials and seasons. The reality of it all is this. The Lord is our strength. The Lord is our song. The Lord is our salvation.
If we are His; we are His child. Our salvation is of the Lord. The strength that we have to make it through anything is the Lord’s strength. Anytime that our heart is able to produce a song of praise, it is only because He has given us a song! May we never get caught up into thinking that any trial we make it through is because of our great strength and perseverance. We must always look to heaven and acknowledge that the Lord is our strength and our song!
Psalm 118:14 “14 The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.”
“Choose the Lord Over Everyone”
It’s always good to have friends and people that you have confidence in. They have proven their self to be faithful and true, therefore, you have built up confidence in them. We all know people like this.
There is a downside to placing our confidence in man. The downside is the fact that they are merely men. Whether it’s a friend of many years or a leader; they are cut out of the same sinful clay that you and I are. They too, can fail. When they do, our confidence in them gets crushed and we are left drowning in disappointment.
God’s word teaches us that it is far better to put our trust and confidence in the Lord rather than man, no matter their stature or prominence. The Lord is rock solid and never changes. Trust the unchanging God of the universe. Always choose Him to place your trust and confidence in. He will never fail!
Psalm 118:8, 9—”8 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. 9 It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
“Winning Team”
Part of being in the family of God is having brothers and sisters in our corner. They are with us through thick and thin. They are with us when others come against us and the enemy sets snares for us. This is comforting to have a team like this around us.
It gets even better! Not only. Do we have a team of believers in our corner when the race gets long and the battle gets weary, but we have the Lord who is right beside everyone that is on the team. The Psalmist says that the Lord takes our part alongside our team of believers. With this comforting thought in mind, we can look at our enemies in satisfaction; knowing that our Lord has placed us on the winning team!
Psalm 118:7—”7 The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.”
“Fearless Soldier”
As a child of God, you have a crosshair on your back. The enemy hates you and he will use his army to attack you. This army is made up of unregenerate people. This can be intimidating to think about at times, especially when you do not know who or what is coming at you.
We are not to fear nor fear what man can do to us. Why? The Lord is on our side! He knows what is behind us, beside us, and in front of us. He sees the various angles the enemy is taking against us and yet He is right by our side. Take rest in the Lord and be the Fearless Soldier that He has enabled you to be! God’s Got This!
Psalm 118:6—”6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?”
“The Lord Gave Me Some Space”
Sometimes, there are seasons in our life that we become very crowded; Crowded by tragedy, circumstance, people, situations beyond our control, and then sometimes the hardest of them all, we become crowded by the consequences of our decisions.
It’s in these times that we feel the pressure of life pushing us around leaving no room for relief. This creates miserable living and snuffs all hope out from our foreseeable future. However, we do have hope and we do have an option. We are to call upon the Lord in these crowded spaces and ask for His help.
The Psalmist paints a beautiful picture of God answering His child’s plea for help. He picks that child up out of the crowded space that they are in and places them in a large space. The pressure lets up when the father steps in. Thank God that He gives us some space when things get too crowded. Trust Him and try Him. Call upon Him today!
Psalm 118:5—”5 I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.”
“Universal Praise”
God is not to be praised by only a few. He is to be praised by all the nations. He is to be praised by all people. Obviously, he is not being praised by all people and nations; with this in mind, we must share Christ to the nations. Every second that he allows sinful man to dwell upon this earth is a demonstration of his mercy and kindness. Let us, that know Him as our Father, praise Him every day by sharing Him every day.
Psalm 117:1, 2—”1 O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.”
“The Delight of the Lord”
One of the most grueling things that we face as humans is the death of our loved ones. Whether it’s a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or dear friend; the weight of grief can be unbearable during that season of loss.
Is anything felt or experienced in heaven when our loved ones die? The Bible teaches us that the heart of God is moved when one of His children die. If our loved ones died in Christ, the psalmist said that their death is a delightful scene to our God. You see, if they die in Christ, they are going to spend eternity with Him.
My family experienced, and continues to today, immense grief over the loss of our 14-year-old son, Titus, on December 24th, 2021. We grieve for him to this very day. The Bible teaches that when our son died, who knew the Lord, he was precious in the sight of the Lord upon His death. Praise God, the Lord is happy to see His children come home. One day soon, all His children are coming home and we too, shall be precious in His sight!
Psalm 116:15—”Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.”
“The World Is Watching, Walk Righteously”
The World is always watching. For us who bear the name of Christ, we must remain very conscious of this reality. We are not of this world, but we are in the world. The Psalmist had determined that he was going to walk in a Godly way among the rest of the world.
How are we to do this? First, we must realize that we are living our life every second of the day in front of the Highest God! Once we acknowledge that, and live our life accordingly, we will walk righteously before the world who is watching. I pray to be determined to walk Godly before my God and the world each passing day.
Psalm 116:9—”I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.”
“Ending in Rest”
The Lord’s mercies are new upon us every day. There are things that we deal with nearly every day that we are inexperienced with. We don’t always have the answer or experience to deal with the challenges of each new day. This is where the Lord’s help and provision comes in.
At the end of each day, it’s a good practice to take a few moments and rest in the Lord. Consider His help and provision for that day, talk to Him in prayer, and read His word. This is not a practice that I make regularly at the end of the day, but there has never been a day that I did this, and then regretted it. We should end our day in rest for the soul.
Psalm 116:6, 7—”6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. 7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.”
“When Death Was Arrested”
If we only knew the protection God provides for us every second of the day. If the spiritual realm was unfolded and we could see the enemy’s plot against us, we wouldn’t dare to get out of bed each day. From a spiritual sense, the enemy had us before our salvation. We were walking dead men. We were on a straight line to Hell, but then death was arrested and God saved our unworthy souls!
He is worthy of our praise, we were as good as gone, But then the Lord reached down and saved us. He arrested the death that we were already experiencing. You see, we were dead in our trespasses, but the Lord brought us from death to life. Praise His name forever! I will never forget the day that He arrested my death, changed my direction, and established my feet upon the rock of Christ Jesus!
Psalm 116: 3–5 “The sorrows of death compassed me, And the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; Yea, our God is merciful.”
Psalm 116:3-5
“He Hears Me”
The enemy will do everything within his power to convince us that God does not hear our prayers. When he accomplishes this, our love for God becomes distorted. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. God hears the prayers of His children.
The Psalmist explains the reasoning behind his love for the Lord. His love for God is due to Him hearing his prayers and petitions. God heard the prayers of the Psalmist and because of that, his confidence was set in the Lord.
Child of God, He hears your prayers too. His answers may not be what we always wish them to be, but His answers are always right. We cannot trust our feelings when it comes to God, we must trust His word. The Bible says that He hears our prayers and He leans down to us when we call out to Him. Trust His Word. When the enemy shouts in your head, “He doesn’t hear you!” You rare back and shout right back at him: “He Hears Me!”
Psalm 116:1, 2– ““I love the LORD, Because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, Therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.”
Psalm 116:1-2
“The Futility of False Worship”
Our God, the God of the Bible, He is all powerful and does as He pleases. This reality is coupled with the reality of His divine attributes. This means that He exudes love, mercy, and grace; all while exuding justice, power, and all things righteous.
The false gods of all religions have no power. They are represented by images and ideologies. The followers of false religions are no more powerful than their false gods. There is endless futility in false religions and false gods. However, the God of our Christian faith is the one and only true God. His power is limitless, and He sits in the heavens, doing as He pleases. Praise His mighty name!
Psalm 115:3—8 “3 But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. 4 Their idols aresilver and gold, the work of men’s hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.”
“To God Alone be Glory Forever”
One of the most blasphemous things that we can do is give or receive personal praise and glory for anything that God has done in our life. God does not share His glory with anyone, and we must know our proper place. We are fellow image-bearers of God. We are created by God. Nothing good in our life is a result of our goodness or accomplishment. He alone is worthy of all honor, glory, and praise.
Psalm 115:1—“1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.”
“Tremble at the Presence of the Mighty Deliverer”
God is a mighty deliverer. He always has been, and He always will be. The Psalmist calls the earth to a Godly fear due to the Lord’s mighty presence. He is always on point, and He is always near to deliver His own.
During the mass exodus of His people, the Lord provided deliverance to them. He turned a standing rock into a thirst-quenching water for their parched lips. He is still in this business today. The lost man is dead in their trespasses and the saints can find themselves in a desert land. The Lord is the mighty deliverer. Tremble in awe of His presence to be our mighty deliverer.
Psalm 114:7, 8—“7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; 8 Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.”
“Never Ending Praise”
Too often, our praise is dictated by our feelings or circumstances. It’s easy to allow that considering how moveable our emotions are. However, the Lord and His greatness never changes! He is always Lord. He is Lord during good seasons; He is Lord during bad seasons! Because of this immutable truth, we are to praise Him. The Psalmist put it best concerning when we are to praise the Lord, it is to be never ending praise.
Psalm 113:3—“3 From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.”
“Rest Found in Righteousness”
It pays to live your life for the Lord. It pays those around us, and it pays us too. Much of serving God involves how we are to treat others. We are children of the light; therefore, we are to lead others to the light of the Gospel. Doing so involves demonstrating love and compassion to all people. We must see the lostness of man and the pain associated with the unsaved, and we’re to be moved with compassion.
When we demonstrate love and compassion through the light of the Gospel, our heart is fixed upon Christ, and we find rest in the security of our salvation. Everything that we do, say, and contribute to in our life should be derivative of the fact that we are His and we are clothed in His righteousness. Live for Christ, take His light of the glorious Gospel to the ends of the world. That is the greatest demonstration of showing gracious compassion. A life lived as such will lead us to rest; yes, rest for the righteous.
Psalm 112:4—7 “4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5 A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. 7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.”
“Proper Praise”
Many people attempt to separate praise and worship to God from the local gathering of His people in His house. Saying’s such as: “I can worship God just as good from home, a deer stand, or the lake as I can from a Church house.” Indeed, worship can be offered from any location you find yourself, however, the normative practice of the Old Testament worshiper, and the New Testament worshiper and the normative of the Lord Jesus Christ, was to be found together in His House with His people.
The Psalmist speaks of praising the Lord with his “whole-heart.” It is no coincidence that this mention is accompanied with praising God in the assembly of His people and in the congregation. The Proper praise of God’s children is done so in fellowship with His church in the congregation of His people. We should never assume otherwise. Find yourself in God’s house on God’s day, with God’s people, and offer up to King Jesus proper praise.
Psalm 111:1– “1 Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.”
“Christ is Lord”
Long before Christ was born in a manger in the town of Bethlehem, David, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, wrote about the Lordship of Christ. No other view of Psalm 110 makes any sense outside of viewing it as a Messianic Psalm of Christ. This Psalm is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament.
Psalm 110 speaks of the Godhead as if Christ already exists at the time David put it to pen. How could this be? Well, there never has been a time when the Godhead didn’t exist. Christ always has been and He always will be. He is Lord over all and we should worship Him as such. Some of the most awe-striking words ever spoken by David concerning the Messiah are found in Psalm 110! YES, Christ is Lord!
Psalm 110:1–“1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
“God, Hold Not The Peace”
There are times when the enemy is revolting against us, and we know it. He never stops his assault, there are just sometimes that it’s clearer. There is power in calling out to God and requesting His action on our behalf. When the enemy wages war against us and he uses people in doing so, call out to God, and ask Him to not be silent on your behalf. There is power and confidence in calling out to God to intervene on our behalf when the enemy is fighting!
Psalm 109:1, 2— “1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.”
“A Better Help from Above”
Having friendships is a blessing and has proven to be very beneficial as we navigate through life. But there are times and situations when any help from man just isn’t enough. David went so far as to call it vain! When things arise that are too big for man to do anything about or to help us through, we need the Lord to step in and go before us and shield our way. He alone can stomp out our enemy! Praise His Holy name!
Psalm 108:12, 13 “12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.”
“A Heart Fixed on Praising the Lord”
Praise and worship are commands from the Lord. The choice that we have is whether we are going to obey the command or disobey. This is a choice that we should make at the beginning of each day. We should wake up and choose to praise and worship the Lord all day! Choose to sing His praises at home, the workplace, and wherever your day leads you. Set your heart on worship! He is worthy of being praised!
Psalm 108:1—3 “1 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. 3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.”
“When God’s Mercy Supersedes Rebellion”
The Psalmist calls out to God to remember Him with the same favor that He showed His rebellious people when they were wandering through Egypt. Israel had forgotten the many mercies of the Lord and yet, He showered them in mercy and calls their attention to His mercy.
How often do we rebel against the ways and will of God and then He brings us to a place that forces us to acknowledge His mercy? The greatest trials and obstacles that we face, God puts us in a place that draws our attention to Him and forces our recollection of His mercy in the past. Even in rebellion, God has a way to shower us with His mercy!
Psalm 106:4—9 “4 Remember me, O LORD, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; 5 That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance. 6 We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly. 7 Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea. 8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known. 9 He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up: so he led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.”
“The Duty of God’s Child”
If we belong to the Lord, we are His child. Being His child does not negate our responsibility to praise Him and to make Him known among the people around us. We have a duty to talk to Him in prayer. Our duty also extends to testifying of His glorious works to the people in our life. We are to sing songs of praise to Him and speak of His glorious work. This is our duty and this we can do!
Psalm 105:1, 2— “1 O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. 2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.”
“Meditate upon His Majesty”
Psalm 104 is centered upon the majesty of our Lord. When we consider the complexity of creation and all that it takes to sustain it, it draws our attention to the sheer majesty of our Maker. If the Lord cares enough to sustain the birds, cattle, insects, fields, mountains, and trees, He surely cares enough for you. Take a moment today and look around at His Majestic creation and all that He is responsible for. Meditate upon His Majesty.
Psalm 104:10—18 “10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills. 11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. 12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. 13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works. 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; 15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make hisface to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart. 16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; 17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. 18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.”
“The Benefits of Belonging to Him”
Salvation from God brings so much to our life. If the Lord saved us from Hell and never did another thing for us so long as we live, we could never thank Him enough. The Psalmist speaks of some benefits that are associated with belonging to the Lord. It pays big-time to belong to King Jesus!
First and foremost, He has forgiven us of all our sins. If we are in Christ, our sins are forgiven, both past, present, and future! We are secure in Him. He heals all our sickness’. Many times, he heals them here on earth, and He certainly heals them all when we go on to see Him.
The Lord takes messy lives that are full of destruction and exchanges them to us for crowns of His love, kindness, and mercy. He supplies us with food to eat to nourish our bodies to serve Him yet another day. The benefits of belonging to Him are endless and one day, the ultimate benefit is seeing Him face to face. What a glorious day that will be!
Psalm 103:2—5 “2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
“God Supersedes His Great Creation”
When we consider the creation of God, it’s vastness, and yet, very meticulous order. My, what a mighty God we serve. He tells the oceans where to stop, and the creeks, springs, and rivers where to flow. He draws water to the clouds and then nourishes the grass, trees, and lilies with rainfall. He kisses the grass with dew each morning and blesses us with sunshine from above. His creation is a marvelous thing.
With all these wonderful truths in mind, God still supersedes His creation. One day, the earth is going to burn with fire, but our God shall forever be. He is going nowhere. He is from everlasting to everlasting.
Psalm 102:25—27 “25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.”
“Going with Godliness”
David comes to a place in his life that he chooses to vow to God, Godly living! David’s vow is a good training God for us today. We should make a vow to God that we are going to do our very best to live a Godly life before others and more importantly before our God!
We do this by behaving in a Godly way both in public and in the privacy of our home! We’re to guard our eyes and ears from evil as well as our company. It’s good practice to stay away from those who slander others. It’s good practice to surround ourselves with good and Godly company. We can never go wrong when we go with Godliness!
Psalm 101:2—6 “2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. 4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. 5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. 6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.”
“Serving God with Joy”
Serving Jesus can be labor some! It’s not always easy to work and labor in the work of our Savior! Fact is, sometimes, it can be downright hard to serve the Lord. We must prepare ourselves to serve the Lord with joy.
How do we prepare ourselves to serve the Lord with joy? We must know who He is and know who we are. Everything about us that is good, He has made. His great salvation, His daily provision, and his overshadowing presence. It all comes from Him. We are to enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise, thanking Him for all His wonderful blessings and mercy. When we get this right, our service to Him will be with joy. He is Good!
Psalm 100:2—5 “2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, andbless his name. 5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
“Bowing At His Mercy Seat”
The Psalmist gives a solemn picture of the worshipper bowing before the throne of God. This Psalm gives a sneak peek into the future of the reigning King of kings. Psalm 110:1 says: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” In Psalm 99:5, the psalmist calls for worshippers to exalt the Lord and worship at His footstool.
One day, every enemy and foe will be forever under the footstool of the Lord Jesus Christ. Things that grieve us and cause us trouble today will be under His footstool. His Holiness shall reign forever and ever! We’re to worship Him in Spirit and truth all the days of our life, and one day, we will be able to bow down at His footstool and worship our conquering King!
Psalm 99:5—”Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.”
“Joyful Noise”
As children of God, we are called to offer Him praise! His mercy never fails. Because of His mercy, we are saved and on our way to heaven. So, what are we to offer our saving God? We are to offer Him a joyful noise.
Each week, we stand in the congregation of His house and His people and songs of worship permeate the church. Do you sing along and offer Him your voice of praise? We drive our vehicle every day, to and from work, school, and other places we must go; Is the radio dialed into His music? Are we offering Him praise on our stereo system in the car?
We encounter people every day of our life. How much of our conversation involves praise to Him? At home, does the praise stop? You see, we are called to always make a joyful noise to Him. He is our Savior and King. He is worthy to be praised!
Psalm 98:4—6 “4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. 5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. 6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.”
“The Confusion of Idol Worship”
Few Christians. Believe that idol worship is all around us today. However, the worship of idols is very present among us. As Christians, we slip into idol worship unaware sometimes. We idolize things such as: material possessions, careers, relationships, children, spouses, and even churches and ministries. How do these things become idols? These things named are some of the most important things to us. Our love and care for them can become unbalanced and trump our love and care for the Lord.
The Psalmist speaks of how those who worship idols will be confounded. Those that worship graven images and idols, they all shall be confounded. Why? They are fake and false. They cannot provide us with the provision of our God in Heaven.
Although our career, material possessions, relationships, and children may not be graven images, when we allow them to become idols, we will come up short just as any graven image will. God is to be first and He is to be worshipped. There is none beside Him. Don’t be confused and let down by placing other things and people in places only fit for God!
Psalm 97: 7–9 ““Confounded be all they that serve graven images, That boast themselves of idols: Worship him, all ye gods. Zion heard, and was glad; And the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of thy judgments, O LORD. For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: Thou art exalted far above all gods.”
Psalm 97:7-9
“God Judges All”
One of the most recited verses by sinners and saints alike is from the mouth of Jesus: “Judge not, lest ye be judged.” Often, this verse is used to condone or protect one’s sin. How dare another Christian or preacher point out another’s sin. This verse is so twisted and taken out of context, If God Himself stood before some of us and called out our sin, we would cry: “Judge not!”
Sadly, we forget, God judges all people. He judges the righteous and the unrighteous. His judgement is right and Holy. His judgement is fully accurate. One day, the record will be set straight. He will judge the whole earth.
Psalm 96:13–““Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.”
Psalm 96:13
“Sing to the Rock of our Salvation”
Meditating upon the salvation of our God will always bring us to a place of worship. He brought us from the cold and dreary graveyard of our sin to a place of life everlasting. When we dwell upon where we were, the destination of our eternity, and our separation from God, it calls us to sing praise unto the Rock of our Salvation.
Psalm 95:1–3 ““O come, let us sing unto the LORD: Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, And make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, And a great King above all gods.”
Psalm 95:1-3
“Calling for the Justice of God”
It is no secret to anyone that wickedness seems to go unchecked in this world that we live in. In many cases, the wicked deeds of the unrighteous are even defended by our law. This can be very labor-some for us to deal with. However, this is nothing new. The Psalmist cried out to God for justice.
We should do all that we can to live righteously in this sin-cursed world. In doing so, we ought to be proponents for that which is good, right, and holy. We must understand though, there is so much wrong and injustice among us, we alone cannot correct it. We must call upon our great God and King. Much of Psalm 94 is just that, they Psalmist calling out to God for justice. The ray of light is found in the last verse of this Psalm. Yes, God will ultimately pay what is due to those who act in ungodly and unjust ways. May we turn our fretting into praying for justice.
Psalm 94:23–““And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; Yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.”
Psalm 94:23
“The Magnificent Majesty of our God”
The Lord our God is unmoved by the floodwaters of life. The world is crumbling around us and the decay is very present due to the fall of man, and yet, our God is clothed in eternality and righteousness. His might far exceeds any and all threats that we may face.
As life throws all it can at us, may we rest assured that God is in control. He has a purpose for all things. He is right, He is Holy, and He is all-powerful. How magnificent and majestic is our God! He is worthy to be trusted in the good times and He is worthy to be trusted in the bad times.
Psalm 93:1–5 ““The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; The LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: The world also is stablished, That it cannot be moved. Thy throne is established of old: Thou art from everlasting. The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; The floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, Yea, than the mighty waves of the sea. Thy testimonies are very sure: Holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.”
Psalm 93:1-5
“The Goodness of Giving Praise”
Giving thanks and praise to King Jesus will work wonders on the inside. You see, often our praise and thanksgiving is determined by our circumstances. This should never be. When we recollect all the many blessings and wondrous things the Lord has done for us through the years, and then we begin to thank Him and sing praises unto Him, it will shape and mold our perception of God in the bad times.
If our scope of God is only during the bad times and we fail to give Him thanks and praise for the full scope of our life, we will have a very unfair and distorted view of Him. When we wake in the morning, praise Him for His mercy and love. When we lie down at night, praise Him for His faithfulness. The Goodness of Giving Him Praise is the benefit associated with looking at God through the lens of faithful longevity.
Psalm 92:1–4 ““It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, And to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, And thy faithfulness every night, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; Upon the harp with a solemn sound. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.”
Psalm 92:1-4
“Saturated in His Shadow”
There is never a time that God’s child is out from under His shadow. He is a steadfast God who always knows where His children are and what they are up against. He is not a part-time God who picks and chooses what to oversee in your life.
The Adamic Fall dealt a fatal blow to mankind in the Garden of Eden. Because of man’s sin in the garden, this earthly body is cursed and all of creation. Within this reality, we still have a God in heaven who reversed the curse through Christ’s finished work at Calvary.
No matter what you are facing today, tomorrow, or 10 years from now, if you know Christ, you are saturated in His shadow. He’s got us! One day, we will be able to step out from under His wing and there will be threat of anything any longer. Until then, we must trust that the Lord overshadows us in every season of life.
Psalm 91:1–6 ““He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: My God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”
Psalm 91:1-6
“From Eternity Past”
One thought that the human mind cannot reconcile to reason is the eternality of God. It is one thing to process the fact that God always will be looking forward. It is a whole other thing to process the fact that God always has been. There was never a time when God was not. It matters not whether you believe the earth is 6 to 9,000 years old or 20 billion years old, how ever far back you wish to go, God is there.
This truth should give us great comfort in knowing that God always has been and therefore, He always will be. There is nothing he hasn’t seen or dealt with. There is nothing that has ever occurred to God! He always knew you would exist. He has always known when you will cease to exist. He is from eternity past. What an awesome and mighty God we serve!
“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
Psalm 90:2
“There Is None Like Our God”
God is established from everlasting to everlasting. His grace, mercy, and salvation is available to all who call upon His name. None in heaven nor on earth can compare to Christ our King. He is to be reverenced and praised at all times. There is none like our God!
“And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O LORD: Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints. For who in the heaven Can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty Can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be had in reverence of all them that are about him.”
Psalm 89:5-7
“Ready to Forgive”
Forgiving someone can be one of the hardest things to do. Often, we make it much harder than it should be. Our willingness to forgive rests upon everything being just right. We often put a process in place that must be followed in order for our forgiveness to be granted. Things such as:The person who offended us must make the first move; Fact is, the person who offended us must make all the moves. Then and only then will we even begin to consider granting forgiveness.
I am so thankful our Lord is always ready to forgive. The Lord doesn’t set lots of hurdles for us to jump before granting us forgiveness. No, the Lord delights in forgiving us when we sin. He delights in showering us with His mercy. Because of His goodness, He is ready at all times to forgive us. This truth is available for all who call upon His name. God is good and ready to forgive!
Psalm 86:5–““For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; And plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
” A Prayer for the Church”
There are and have always been enemies of the Lord’s people, the true church of the Living God! They hate the church, they hate the God of the church, and they hate all that God’s church stands for. Make no mistake about it, there is a concerted effort within our nation to abolish the church as we know it.
The Psalmist prayed an imprecatory prayer against the enemies of God’s people. He prayed and asked the Lord not to remain silent. He desired the Lord to move on behalf of His people against the enemies. May this be our prayer today. Although we do not know or see the hand of the enemy in every way, we know there is an assault on the church and the God of the church. May we always pray for the Lord to speak on our behalf and move on our behalf against the enemies of the church! God is able and God is faithful!
Psalm 83:1—5 “1 Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. 2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee”
“The Righteous Judge Will Come”
We do not have to look far to find poor legislation, unfair alignments, and people treated poorly by those in power. The poor are often looked over and treated unfairly, the orphan does not have the opportunities that others do, and various types of afflictions are ignored. Our nation defends and funds the slaughtering of thousands of babies each year. Our constitution states that we are to defend the people.
One day, our Righteous Judge and King will judge the little gods of this world. This means that He will judge the leaders and legislatures and those in power for how they treated the poor, afflicted, and less fortunate. He will never forget, and He will judge. Our Lord is a Righteous judge! Praise His Holy name!
Psalm 82:1—8 “1 God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods. 2 How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. 3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. 5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course. 6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. 7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes. 8 Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations.”
“Get Up & Praise the Lord”
Praising the Lord is a choice. If our praise is predicated upon our feelings, how will we ever give Him praise in the deep trials of life? Chances are, we won’t! God gives us hands to lift, voices to sing, and lives to dedicate to His praise. Lift your voice to Him in song whether at home, in the car, or in the Lord’s house. Whatever you do, whatever season you are in, get up and praise the Lord!
Psalm 81: 1, 2— “1 Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob. 2 Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.”
“Oh Lord, Forget Our Sins”
The Lord chastises His children. This means that He punishes us because of our sin. He loves us; therefore, He chastises us. The unique thing about His chastisement is this, if we have asked for forgiveness, He has forgiven us, however, our chastisement may continue for a time only determined by Him.
The Psalmist calls out to God to remember no more, their iniquities from the past. He prays for the Lord’s tender mercy to shower them in a quick way. His prayer for God’s mercy is rooted in his desire for the glory of the Lord’s name to be shown for because of His mercy and forgiveness shown to the people.
May we long for our Lord’s name to be glorified for His great mercy and forgiveness of our sins. I was a wretch and deserved any punishment the Lord imposed upon me. I have sinned after I have been saved and deserved any punishment the Lord handed down to me. But Praise God, His mercy has been new to me every day and the glory of His name has been witnessed because of His mercy to me!
Psalm 79: 8, 9— “8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low. 9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.”
“Remember & Teach God’s Wrath from the Past”
God has always been righteously consistent in his dealings with those who are disobedient to Him and His ways. Psalm 78 outlines this consistent pattern of the Lord. The Psalmist encourages the reader to teach their children the judgement of God upon the disobedient in the past so that their hope, trust, and obedience will be pledged to Him in the future. May we remember, in God’s grace and mercy, He is also a God of judgement and chastisement.
Psalm 78:5—8 “5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: 6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: 7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: 8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.”
“The Steady Track Record of our God”
One of our greatest mishaps, when trial and tribulation comes knocking at our door, is failing to remember our Lord’s track record in our life. When I examine the providential hand of God in the whole of my life, I stand amazed at how faithful He has been to me. I also stand amazed at how forgetful I am of His great provisions.
The Psalmist speaks of the Lord’s steady track record in his life, and it builds great confidence within. We too can renew our confidence in the Lord by remembering His faithfulness to us through the thick and thin. He has a steady track record.
Psalm 77:5—15 “5 I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. 6 I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. 7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? 8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? 9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. 10 And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. 11 I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. 13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? 14 Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.”
“None Can Stand Against the Anger of the Lord”
We witness the grace and long-suffering of the Lord every day of our lives. The nose-dive that our nation and world is taking into the depths of depravity is like none before. It’s as if no regard is being given to the reality that Holy God is in Heaven witnessing everything.
Some today, boldly revolt against the holiness of God, as if they are a match for Him. God is to be feared. He is great, mighty, and terrible in His power, holiness, and His judgement. Once the anger of the Lord is kindled and He unleashes it upon the sinfulness of depraved individuals, it will be unparallel to anything ever experienced.
As Christians, instead of waiting on the Lord’s anger to revolt against the unregenerate, we should pray for His mercy and grace in their lives. We should pray for them to be saved. None can stand against the anger of the Lord, this ought to move us to our knees in urgency to prayer.
Psalm 76:7, 8—“7 Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? 8 Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still”
“God Places and Replaces People”
There are seasons when leaders need to be ousted by our estimation. There are seasons that we fill we have really set ourselves in a nice place in life. There are seasons that are bad and seasons that are good.
We need not trust in ourselves no matter the trajectory our life seems to be taking. We must trust God at His word. He sets people up and takes people down. This is true for world leaders, national leaders, state leaders, and this is true on a personal level too. When we’re exalted, He places us where we are. When we are less than, He places us there too. God is in control. May we learn to trust the sovereign hand of God. He’s got this!
“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, Nor from the south. But God is the judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.”
Psalm 75:6-7
“God’s Work of Salvation”
If we believe only what we read and see in the newspapers and cable news, we will think that the only one at work within the world is the devil. However, nothing could be further from the truth. God is always at work among the nations. Nothing will stop His work of salvation.
We can rest assured that the Lord is working His mighty work of salvation among the nations. We have a job that He has commissioned us to do and that is to proclaim the good news that Jesus Saves! With this is mind, we must remember, God’s work of salvation is not thwarted by our lack of obedience to proclaim the good news. He is working His work of Salvation. He is still saving souls. Thank God for His work of Salvation!
“For God is my King of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth.”
Psalm 74:12
“Answers Found in the Sanctuary of God”
There are innumerable questions that arise in life. There are things that we don’t understand. There are questions that seem to have no answer. The Psalmist, Asaph, struggled with how the wicked seemed to go unscathed. Their wicked living and wicked tongues seemed to go unpunished. He was in a bad place in his mind.
Asaph arrived at a place where he began to see the big picture. Where was this place? It was none other than the sanctuary of God. In the Temple of God, where the Word of God was read and proclaimed, Asaph received understanding.
Much help and understanding is still found in the house of God. It’s in the house of God that we hear the word of God taught and proclaimed. We receive instruction and proclamation of God’s word and we receive answers and understanding to life’s mysteries and questions. Never neglect gathering together in God’s house. There too, we shall find the answers that we desperately need.
“When I thought to know this, It was too painful for me; Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then understood I their end.”
Psalm 73:16-17
“Nothing Short of Wondrous”
We have heard all of our Christian lives to never question God. The more I have thought of that, the more ridiculous I believe that teaching is. His word tells us to cast our cares upon Him. With this in mind, just because we don’t utter our questions from our lips, does not mean that the questions are not in our hearts. God knows the deepest crevices of our hearts.
God is perfect and righteous in everything that His hand is on. Nothing gets past the throne of God! He is perfect, all-powerful, and He is always working His wondrousw works among His people and the nations. We do not always see the whole picture; Fact is, we rarely do. However, we can rest assured that he is working His wondrous works in all things. May we bless His mighty and glorious name forever. He is nothing short of wondrous!
“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only doethwondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: And let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. Psalm 72:18-19
“Nothing Short of Wondrous”
We have heard all of our Christian lives to never question God. The more I have thought of that, the more ridiculous I believe that teaching is. His word tells us to cast our cares upon Him. With this in mind, just because we don’t utter our questions from our lips, does not mean that the questions are not in our hearts. God knows the deepest crevices of our hearts.
God is perfect and righteous in everything that His hand is on. Nothing gets past the throne of God! He is perfect, all-powerful, and He is always working His wondrousw works among His people and the nations. We do not always see the whole picture; Fact is, we rarely do. However, we can rest assured that he is working His wondrous works in all things. May we bless His mighty and glorious name forever. He is nothing short of wondrous!
“Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only doethwondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: And let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. Psalm 72:18-19
“I’m a Wonder to the World”
Anyone that truly knew our life before Christ, they now watch in amazement of the wondrous work of God in our life. If I were to put my life to pen and lay it all on the line, many would be shocked, some would be amazed, and others would be embarrassed of my past for me. Why? My life was unraveling from the work of sin and the enemy.
Fast forward 22 years to my present life and nothing looks the same. There are scars from my sinful past, and there are scars from my walk with the Lord too. There is no way that I could have navigated my life to where it is today, in Christ, on my own. My life in Christ is a “Wonder to the World!” If you are in Christ, for those who knew you best, your life is a wonder too! Give Him Praise for His wondrous work in you.
“I am as a wonder unto many; But thou art my strong refuge. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise And with thy honour all the day.”
Psalm 71:7-8
“The Joy of Seeking the Lord”
One of the greatest misperceptions of being born again is that you will always be filled with joy once you are saved. What’s not to be joyful about? I mean, we were on our way to Hell and now we are not. That should fill us with great joy! Right? Well, it certainly is something to be joyful about, however, joy in the Lord is also a pursuit.
The Psalmist draws our attention to “seeking” the Lord. Let all those who seek the Lord, rejoice! If we take the notion that the joy of the Lord will flood our life simply because of who we belong to, we are going to be disappointed. To seek the Lord is to find joy. To seek the Lord is to love His salvation. To seek the Lord is to praise His Holy name. Don’t grow stagnant in your relationship with Christ, pursue Him and your heart will be flooded with joy! Magnify His Holy name!
Psalm 70:4—” Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.”
“Hear Me Lord”
David found himself in difficult times. He had many enemies that sought to kill him, and they did so without justification. The stress associated with this up and down life that David lived was emotionally brutal.
In all of David’s trouble, the trouble he didn’t solicit and the trouble that was self-inflicted, he knew whom to come to for help. God’s lovingkindness is matchless, and His mercies are innumerable. God sees us, hears us, and He moves on our behalf. When we cry out to Him, “Hear me Lord,” rest assured, He hears us!
Psalm 69:16, 17—”16 Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. 17 And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.”
“Thankful for the Temporary and Temporal Blessings”
Serving the Lord has endless blessings and benefits. There are so many things that we take for granted each day that is a blessing from the Lord. For those of us that are saved, salvation is the greatest gift bestowed upon us. Salvation is settled and resting in the bedrock of His marvelous grace and mercy. No one can take that aways and it is eternal.
There are blessings that we enjoy each day that are not guaranteed forever. It is these things that we often forget about. Things such as our health, our home, our vehicle, food in the cabinets, money to go out to dinner on, and many other day-to-day desires and needs that we have. God blesses us so much. We are not guaranteed those things and the list could go much longer.
David praises God for these temporary blessings from God that are gifted to him daily. We too should never cease to be thankful to God for the eternal blessing of salvation and the temporary blessings of each day.
Psalm 68:19—“ Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
“Make Loud the Praise of Our God”
We make a lot of noise over a lot of things! We make noise over our favorite athletes and teams. We make lots of noise over our favorite College teams! We align ourselves politically to candidates and political parties and often make lots of noise for them. We stand and cheer for our children and grandchildren when they score a basket or round the bases to score for their team. We make lots of noise for various things!
It is high time that the children of God make loud the praise of our God! He is worthy to be praised. He is always right! He is the eternal victor in all things! He reigns forever more and beside Him, there is no other! He has granted us eternal salvation and His presence never leaves us! He is God of all creation and Lord over all! Let us rise and “Make Loud the Praise of our God!”
Psalm 66:1, 2—”1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: 2 Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.”
“Happy Am I, for I Have Been Chosen”
As a child of God, we should be happy that God chose us to be His very own. Once we are saved, we have choices to make every day of our lives concerning our service to King Jesus. However, no matter what service and sacrifices we pledge to our Savior, had He never chosen us to be His child, we would still be in the grave of our sins.
Praise God! If you belong to Him, you are His because He chose you to be His very own. What grace and mercy He hath bestowed upon us! May we rejoice and be happy, for we have been chosen in Christ!
Psalm 65:4—”4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”
“Removing Fear from the Enemy”
Fear is an emotion that is good when it is in its proper place. If we were to stand at the edge of a cliff with jagged rocks all the way down and the bottom reached 100ft, to fear slipping off that edge is a good thing.
The bad side of fear is dealing with its grueling effects to our psyche and our health. God has our enemy under his power. We can rest assured of that. David speaks to another side of reality concerning our enemy; He speaks to the fear of our enemy. David asks the Lord to hear his voice in prayer and to preserve his life from the “fear of his enemy.”
You see, God has our enemy! How awful it is to fear what God already has under control. Call out to God today and ask for His deliverance of the very fear you have of your enemy or circumstance. It isn’t worth carrying around any longer.
Psalm 64:1—”1 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer: preserve my life from fear of the enemy.”
“Preparation for the Daily Drought”
Everything the world has to offer is linked to the dead and dry nature of the carnal and secular world. We exist in the land of the dead all while being part of the living through Christ. This world is a dry and dreary place that requires devotion to Christ and seeking Him early and often.
A good practice for us as Christians each day is to seek the Lord early in the morning. We should seek Him before we head out into the spiritually dry places of the world. When we get hydrated during the first part of the day, the dry and dreary elements of the world take far less toll on us spiritually. Seek Him early, seek Him often; The drought is real but so is the spiritual hydration from God and His word! Prepare daily for the spiritual drought of this world.
Psalm 63:1, 2—”1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; 2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.”
“Rest Assured”
God alone is our foundation, and our salvation. In Him, we shall not be moved. He is our shelter and refuge from the storm and all harm that may come our way. The faster we learn this truth, the better off we will be. He is the only constant truth within our life. He is the constant reality that never shifts or changes. May we rest assured in Christ alone!
Psalm 62:6—8 “6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. 7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him always; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.”
“Placing Trust in the Proper Place”
There are many things that we place our trust in. Things such as money, retirement, careers, churches, and even certain people. The reality of these places that we place our trust in is that they can all fail us. The shifting of certainty in these things can breed fear and our false foundation of trust begins to give away.
David, while in great fear and anxiety due to his enemies and the ever-shifting sands of uncertainty in his life, learned to place his trust in the proper places. He learned to praise the solid foundation of God’s word and God alone was where he had learned to put his faith and trust in. Because of these principles learned, David continually learned how to overcome his fears of what men could do to him. May we learn this incredible truth today.
Psalm 56:4–“4 In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.”
“Seeking Spiritual Rest”
David often found himself in great fear of his enemies. His emotions were all over the map as a child of God. This should sound familiar. We too find our emotions all over the map, especially when we are in great fear of a situation or circumstance. In David’s overwhelming fear, he wished that he could have wings like a dove and he would fly far away into the wilderness. If only he could have wings like a dove, he would escape the storms of fear and uncertainty and find rest in the wilderness.
We know that we can’t actually fly away from our fears, but Isaiah speaks a great word to us that gives us great hope in Isaiah 40:31–“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Hang in there child of God, fear is always from the enemy and never from God. He gives us a sound mind and peace. Wait upon the Lord and He will lift you above the fear into a place of spiritual rest.
Psalm 55:6–8 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
“Seeking Deliverance from The Master”
There are times when we need to cut all the needless verbiage in our prayers and get down to where the rubber meets the road. We need to come before God and simply cry out to Him with our immediate needs. Often, we beat around the bush with our real needs and dilute our prayers to nothing more than vain repetition.
King David had a way of crying out to God and getting straight to the point of his immediate needs. We stand to learn a great deal from His practice of seeking God and His salvation. Let us come humbly before God, but may we come boldly before his throne with confidence that He will hear us and answer our plea. He is the Great and Mighty God!
Psalm 54:1, 2– “1 Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.”
“The Depraved Fool”
Jesus strongly condemns us calling anyone a fool in Matthew 5:22. It’s a very serious thing for any of us to deem a person a fool. It’s a whole other issue when God calls a man a fool. I have listened to many hours of atheist men whose intellect was far greater than mine, and honestly far greater than most common men. They often have a vast well of knowledge about a number of subjects, many of which require much study at a deep level.
It is not our place to call these atheistic people fools; However, God does call them fools. It is God’s place and He has full authority to do so. He is their creator. God describes the intellect of the self-professed atheist person, and also their character. May we never become mesmerized by the craft and cunning words of the professing atheist. God has proclaimed to us that they are nothing more than a fool and nothing good comes from them.
Psalm 53:1– “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.”
“The Boastful Tongue of the Unregenerate”
There is a big difference in a child of God sinning and the unregenerate lost man. The child of God is sorrowful and embarrassed of his sin. The lost man is loud, brash, and arrogant about his sin. There is no shame when his sin is seen or found out; There is only pride.
There should always be this sharp contrast between a saved person and the unregenerate. Child of God, when we sin, our head should hang in misery. It should break our heart. If we take pleasure in our sin and boast about it, that is a strong indicator of ungodly character. We’re never anymore like a lost person than when we sin and then brag about our sin. If you are saved, do not live and act like the lost man. Sin is nothing to brag about and it is everything to be ashamed of.
Psalm 52:1–4 “1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.”
“Leaving Sins Misery Behind”
King David’s sin with Bathsheba left him empty, hopeless, and miserable. He had lost all joy in his relationship with God. His gladness was gone and his health even began to deteriorate. He desired a clean heart and a right direction within his soul. David even felt as if the Lord’s spirit had been removed from him and he missed that. David desired restoration!
As children of God, the best place we can find ourselves when we’re rebelling in sin is misery from God’s chastisement. It isn’t fun, it isn’t supposed to be fun. We’re not to be happy in sin as God’s child. If we’re happy and care-free while living in sin, that is a sign of a more serious condition; lostness. God chastises those that he loves which are those that belong to Him.
Child of God, don’t wait another day to repent and turn to God for mercy and restoration. Leave sins misery behind. Cry out to God for Restoration. He will restore His broken children!
Psalms 51:8–13 “8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”
“The Lord Desires Truth in the Hidden Parts of Our Soul”
In David’s sin with Bathsheba, He tried every way possible to cover up his sin. To cover it up would mean to escape the consequence of his evil doing. Long before his sin was discovered, David’s sin had dirtied up the hidden parts of his heart.
God doesn’t limit His care and concern for our righteous cleanliness to what people see in the open. God cares about the hidden recesses of our heart and soul. This is the first place He deals with us. Failure to repent and come clean before Him and in Him will result in open revelation of our sin.
He is a loving and caring God to care about the hidden places of our heart. He knows that sin works its way from the inside and ultimately reveals itself to the outside. He does not desire this for His children. Come clean before God and confess your sins to Him and turn from the error of your way. He desires truth from the deepest and most hidden places of your heart to the very parts that everyone sees. Live in truth!
Psalm 51:6, 7–“6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
“The Backsliders Prayer of Forgiveness”
The Backslider is a child of God who has sinned and left the way of God! He/She still belongs to God and because of that, misery is at every turn while living in this backslidden condition. David found himself in this condition following his sinful affair with Bathsheba. It costed him His integrity and it costed him his child by Bathsheba. God took the child as chastisement for David’s sin!
David begins his prayer of forgiveness by asking for mercy. He has already experienced that God can take away anything He chooses to. He calls out to God asking for His mercy. He proceeds to ask God to cleanse him from his sin. David acknowledges his sin, and He acknowledges the most important person he sinned against was God Himself.
Just like David, when we find ourselves in a backslidden condition; When we have left the ways of our God and we are subject to God’s terrible chastisement; we must call out to God asking for His mercy and cleansing power. There is no joy in the life of a backslidden Christian. Although David’s sin with Bathsheba was pleasure for a moment, the lasting effects of God’s chastisement diminished any pleasure he previously found in His sin. Call out to God and get clean before Him!
Psalm 51:1–4 “1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.”
“God Owns It All Anyways”
God demanded that His people offer animal sacrifices in worship and in covenant with Him. They were to bring specific animals to the priest to offer in sacrifice to God and the methods God called for was very meticulous and specific.
The Psalmist draws attention to the fact that God will never rebuke His people for offering sacrifices to Him. He also did not need the animal sacrifices they offered or our own sacrifices for His own consumption. He is God! If He needs anything, He will take it Himself. He owns it all!
As we seek God and worship Him, we must realize, our offerings to Him must be from our heart. Anything that we sacrifice for service to our Lord must be from our heart. He does not need money; He owns it all anyway. He does not need material things given to Him to sustain Him; He owns them all anyway. He does not even need any service that we render to Him, He is God and stands alone.
However, He does indeed desire our offering of thanksgiving and worship. His Holiness requires it and He Himself desires it. We get to offer Him service. We get to offer Him offerings. Just remember, when we fail to give Him our time, money, and resources, He owns them all anyway. Ownership means control and He can do as He wishes. God owns it all anyway!
Psalm 50:8–14 “8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. 9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: 15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”
“The Sobering Thought of God’s Coming”
The climax of the Christian faith is that we shall see our God face to face someday. One of the mistakes we make in our view of this glorious time is that we will not stand before Him in judgement. God will judge His Church. Our salvation is forever settled, but our works following conversion will be judged.
God will one day gather all of His people, those who have come to Him by faith alone, and He will judge us. Christ will judge us as the Bible teaches us in John 5:22. His Church has entered the New Covenant through Christ Jesus and His sacrifice. Repentance of sin and looking to Christ alone is this Covenant.
The Lord will judge us righteously before this great and mighty gathering. This is a sobering thought child of God. Yes, we are saved and nothing will change that. However, we will stand before Christ our King and our works will be judged. May this sobering thought call us to live our life in righteousness and Holy pursuit. We will see our God one day soon!
Psalm 50:1–6 “1 The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. 3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. 5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.”
“The Hopeless Peril of Trusting in Wealth”
There is nothing in and of itself wrong with wealth. The problem is when we believe our wealth puts us at an advantage spiritually. The Psalmist calls the people to hear his meditation on this subject.
For those that trust in wealth and take pride in their abundance will soon find out that it’s all empty and vain hope. No amount of wealth can buy your friends and family out of their depraved condition. Their soul cannot be redeemed with the corruptible resource of wealth. No one’s wealth can save their wretched soul from Hell.
Wealth does not move the needle one inch toward holiness with God. All men must be born again by the precious blood of Christ Jesus our Lord! Bless His Holy name!
Psalm 49:6—9 “6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7 Noneof them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) 9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.”
“God Guides to the Very End”
God began bringing people unto Himself over four thousand years ago. The people He has brought unto Himself have all come by faith. Righteousness imputed unto man can only come this way. Abraham was justified by faith and all who followed the same pattern are God’s children!
One day, all of God’s redeemed from the Old Testament to the present will be gathered in the great city of God prepared for His children. We will be with Him and He will be with us, and this shall be the norm forever and a day! Until this day approaches, God will guide us through His word which is the embodiment of His Holy Spirit. He will lead and guide us all the way to our last breath. Take comfort child of God that whom He saves, He will guide until the end.
Psalm 48:14—“For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.”
“Sing the King Praises”
King Jesus is worthy of our praise. Fact is, when we pause to ponder His greatness and power and mighty works, we are drawn to a place of praise and adoration. He created this universe and all the stars and planets in the galaxy. He breathed life into us all and ordained our existence. He balances and sustains everything from the asteroid falling at incredible speeds to the ocean raging from wind and rain. He feeds the sparrows, deer, and the smallest of insects; He feeds me. His eyes never sleep nor does He ever slumber. He remembers not our past and He is already in our future. His goodness and mercy never fails. Oh, dear child of God; Sing the King Praises!
Psalm 47:6, 7– “6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.”
“Clapping and Shouting”
There is an unholy allegiance and praise that we give to pop-stars, athletes, favorite sports teams, automobile brands, politicians, and many other things. Not that we can’t enjoy any of these things or they are in and of themselves wrong, but when our praise and allegiance to the likes is greater than our praise to King Jesus, we have a serious lack of priority and emphasis in our life.
We that are redeemed by Christ’s blood, we have the most to be happy about and we should be the last people to contain our praise. He came to us in the muck and mire of sin and picked us up, cleaned us up, and established our going. He saved our wretched soul from Hell.
Everyday of our life, we ought to offer Him praise. We have become so dry in our lives and in our churches that we are unwilling to give the Lord handclaps of praise or a shout of Hallelujah. David calls the redeemed of the nations to clap their hands and shout unto God! He is worthy! He is King over all the earth!
Psalm 47:1, 2– “1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2 For the LORD most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.”
“Be Still”
We can get so busy with life, enamored with chores and tasks, and cluttered with non-essentials in day-to-day living that we forget God. We forget how great and awesome He truly is. We forget His majesty and holiness. We forget to make mention of him to those around us whether it be saved saints or the lost heathen.
There is such a need to spend some quiet time with no distractions in the presence of God. To do so will develop a sense of worship and adoration for Him that He rightfully deserves. There is an acknowledgement of His deity that accompanies getting alone with Him in the quiet stillness of the day. Peace overcomes us and praise and exaltation of Him will ensue within our soul and to those all around us. Let us “be still” and know that He is God!
Psalm 46:10– “10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
“The Peaceful River Flow”
The Bible on numerous occasions speaks of a peaceful river to the people of God. There is a constant and never changing river accessible to the child of God. From this river flows grace, forgiveness, peace, instruction, stability, and promise. These are all things that this world lacks and money cannot buy.
Psalm 1 references the person who delights in the law(word) of God as someone who is like a tree planted by the rivers. That tree has constant flow of water and proper nutrients to withstand everything the elements throws its way. Jesus said in John 4:14—”14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
As children of God, we have access to this river of peace. It flows from his throne and it’s accessible to us through his word. Don’t live a spiritually thirsty life. You have access to it, open it up and read it. Apply His word to your everyday life. The river of peace will saturate your soul.
Psalm 46:4— “4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.”
“No Fear”
“No Fear” was a popular slogan and company name in the 90’s that took the clothing industry by storm and even branded their very own energy drink. The premise behind their slogan was to promote “No Fear” associated with extreme sports, death, and fast adrenaline-seeking living. The fact that they marketed the phrase only proved that people indeed are overcome with fear of various things.
David speaks the same phrase long before this clothing and marketing empire came about. David speaks of all those who trust in the Lord and the fact that He is our refuge and strength as people who will not fear.
He illustrates an extreme scenario of how difficult life can become and yet, we will not fear. Why or how? God is our refuge and strength. It is never because we are strong or extreme or possess some unrealistic ability to overcome fear. We do not fear because God is our refuge and strength.
Psalm 46:2, 3—”2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.”
“God’s Presence in Trouble”
Most of us can identify with times that folk have cut and run on us due to our circumstances. Sometimes people do not know how to react to our mess. Sometimes they do not care to even try. It’s in the darkest of times that we need those closest to us to be by our side; Unfortunately, it does not always work out that way.
There is some great news to take comfort in. To the child of God, you are never alone. God will never cut and run on you, no matter how difficult your situation is. Fact is, David had learned to see God as a “very present help” during his trouble. May we take confidence in an ever-present God in times of trouble. He doesn’t run away, He runs toward us.
Psalm 46:1–“ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
“Remember When”
One of the greatest booster shots for our faith is remembering when God alone completely took care of a battle within our life. When I look back into my childhood and recall the many times that the Lord alone took care of my parents in times of deep despair and battle, my faith rises up in me. When I recall battles in my own life that I thought would take me out, God showed up and took over. Recollection of those times build my faith. When I recall the times within the church I pastor that the enemy was warring against us and God alone fought and won the battle for us, my faith rises up in me.
David recalls stories of how God delivered his people from enemy hands. His people were delivered in such a fashion that God received all the credit. It wasn’t through any power within the people; It was God!
When we recollect within our heart and mind the many times that the Lord has fought our battles and won the victory, we are brought to our knees in praise and prayer. Our battles are not fought and won by our might, but by the mighty hand of God!
Psalm 44:6– “6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.”
“Get Up and Praise the Lord”
David once suffered oppression from his enemies and the one thing he longed for was the opportunity to be restored to the temple! He asked God to make a way among his enemies to get back to that holy and sacred place of worship. When he prayed for this to happen, he had a plan for when it did. David planned to pick up his harp and praise the Lord.
Each week, we as Christian’s have the opportunity to freely go into the house of God. No matter what we have faced during the week, at least we can go into the house of God and find shelter from the storm, lift His name in praise, and receive instruction.
May we never squander the opportunity to get up and praise the Lord! Get to His house and praise His Holy name. If we make this a consistent practice, we will question the legitimacy within our own heart of staying down and out. We will see that He is our hope, strength, and our all-in-all. At the dawning of each new day; “Get up and Praise the Lord!” As each Lord’s day comes around; “Get up and Praise the Lord!”
Psalm 43:4, 5– “4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
” The Investment of Being Charitable”
America is a very unique nation with multiple takes on giving and being charitable. Americans are such independent thinkers, our various takes on giving to the poor is all over the map. Some see helping the poor through charitable donations as a means to show love and compassion. Others see it as an unhealthy enablement of those in poverty to remain in poverty. Then there are those who see their own struggles and never consider ways they can give to the poor.
The Bible has much to say about the poor. The fact is, over 2000 references are made concerning the poor. The Bible also gives us very clear instructions and outcomes for our reaction to the poor. When we have an opportunity to help someone who is struggling in poverty or financially, we should invest in them which ultimately invests into our own future.
David teaches us that those who consider the poor and helps them is happy. Why? Because the Lord will deliver the man/woman that helps the poor when their time of need and trouble comes. The Lord will reward His charitable children with provision, protection, and healing in his time of need. What an investment in the life of someone else that spiritually reciprocates a spiritual blessing to us from our God. Be willing to consider the poor and help them in their time of need.
Psalm 40:1–3 “1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. 3 The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt makeall his bed in his sickness.”
“Too Many to Count”
It’s so easy to get zeroed in on the negative in our life. We all have some to spread around. David came to a conclusion about our Lord that can help us all to focus on His goodness. When we begin to count his wondrous works blessings, and mercies, they are too many to number.
I challenge you to take a moment each day and begin to count the Lord’s many works in your life alone, when you do, you will soon see that He is an awesome God that supersedes all negative things that we may be facing. We could never possibly count His many and wondrous works in our life, however, we should attempt to count them to minimize our focus on the negative things around us.
Psalm 40:5—” Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”
“Turning to Truth”
We live in a day and age where the wicked are praised and regarded as guides to happiness and accomplishment. These same people live wicked lives in the public’s eye and should never be regarded as the standard to which anyone pursues fulfillment in life. These people are often proud and dishonest. Whether it is an athlete, movie star, pop star, or internet sensation; do not follow the likes of this world.
Our Lord demonstrated humility, kindness, leadership, authority, and consistent truth. Fact is, He still does! He is our standard and template by which we turn to. He is truth always in every aspect of our life. Christ will never steer us wrong! Let us always turn to Christ as our guide and source of truth in everything.
Psalm 4:4—“Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.”
“I Have a New Song”
When the Lord saves us, He puts a new song in our mouth. Before salvation, our life sang a dreadful song of sin and death. No matter how good life was before Christ, it was as good as it was going to get. Death and eternal damnation followed us around like a bloodhound. There was no escaping it.
The day Christ saved us, we were given a new song. This song is reserved only for the redeemed. This new song is about life everlasting made possible by the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. The Lord uses this new song (our new life in Christ) as a testimony to lead others to His saving Grace. Don’t ever stop singing this new song called “The New Life in Christ.” Others see and hear. Sing to the heavens the song of the redeemed!
“And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: Many shall see it, and fear, And shall trust in the LORD.”
Psalm 40:3
“Out of the Muck and Mire”
The day the Lord heard our cry for forgiveness, He picked us up out of the muck and mire of sins grave! We was in the muck and mire of sins bondage and there was no bottom to the pit of despair that sins curse had birthed us in. This is total depravity with no hope.
Then one day Jesus came by and called us from death to life. He lifted us up out of that horrible pit of mire and muck and set us on the rock. He placed us on the rock of Christ Jesus. Nothing has ever been the same since.
Christ picks us up, cleans us off, and places us on His firm foundation. Lives that once were meaningless and going nowhere now have foundation, purpose, and direction. He has brought us out of the muck and mire and I am forever thankful for His saving grace!
“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”
Psalm 40:2
“Knowing Where to Look for Our Purpose and Meaning”
Most of us at some point become very curious for the answer to this question: “What is the meaning and purpose of my existence?” This is a loaded question that can lead us to a place of confusion and lead us to an unsatisfactory answer. The key is to whom we ask this question.
If we ask this question solely of ourself, we will look at people and circumstances around us and develop an answer. Sometimes, the answer we come up with is meaningless. We see so many people who have lives so much more awesome than ours and we can’t even begin to fathom what kind of purpose our life could have. Sometimes, when we ask this question of ourselves, we get overwhelmed at how much need there is in the world, and we don’t know what direction to take in our life that we might find meaningful existence.
If we ask others what our meaning or purpose in life is, we may get a jaded answer based off of their perspective which may be based upon their own selfish desires. So what do we do? We do like David and ask the Lord for the purpose and meaning that He has for our life. Life is so short and full of vanity. We must humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for the purpose and meaning He has for our life. He will show us through His word and there is no better place to be in life than living on mission and on purpose for King Jesus.
“LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; That I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; And mine age is as nothing before thee: Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.”
Psalm 39:4-5
“Learn from the Godly”
I have been privileged to know many Godly Christian’s in my life both men and women. The consistency in their life was looking to the Lord and His word in every season they faced. I have been by the bedside of so many of them as their family said their goodbye’s. There was one thing that surpassed all the grief, pain, and hurt in those last moments; Peace! The peace of God that follows the child of God all the way until the moment they meet the Prince of Peace is so tangible in those moments.
Unfortunately, as a pastor for many years now, I have been by the bedside with grieving family and friends of people who were dying lost and undone. The one things that surpasses all the grief, pain, and suffering is the absence of peace. There is no peace that awaits the end of the wicked. No matter how many good qualities and good times are reminisced about their life, that is as good as it gets. They slip off into a Christ-less eternity where there will never be any ounce of hope that peace will ever come.
As we live our lives each day, may we look to the lives of those who trust God with all their heart. Look to those who have lived many years walking hand in hand with the Master. May we learn that their contentment and their peace, that seemingly gets greater with each passing day, comes from their intimate walk with the Lord. Oh that we learn from the Godly!
Psalm 37:37 38– “37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.”
“The Lord Loves Judgement”
Complete and total righteousness is an attribute of God. He, our Lord God is Holy! He cannot accept anything less than righteousness, He cannot stand in the presence of anything less than righteousness, and He will not dwell with anything less than complete and total righteousness!
The wicked will be judged and and the righteousness are judged too. He loves righteous judgement for both. How can this be? Because the Lord God is Holy and Righteous and He is the standard by which He judges. When the wicked are judged, He is Holy. When the righteous are judged, He is Holy. The wicked perish in eternal hell and the righteousness liver forever with Him.
Christians are righteous only because Christ’s righteousness has been deposited into our bankrupt account. That deposit has brought us up to reconciliation with God. His judgement does not diminish against us, He sees total righteousness in us through His Holy Son Jesus. We are forever declared righteous and justified through Him. The wicked on the other hand shall perish forever in righteous judgement if they fail to repent and turn to Christ alone for salvation. In both cases, God loves His judgement because it is righteousness judgement 100% of the time.
Psalm 37:28– “For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.”
“God’s Guidance”
The child of God does not live in the world of happenstance. The Lord not only is with us each step of the way, He actually guides our steps. This truth is not hard to accept when things are going great in our life. It’s a whole other story when tragedy comes our way or hardships. We do not want to accept that God is on the scene ordering our steps then. We feel as if we have to make excuses for Him during those times.
God is God all the time. He is never on vacation and He never takes a break from our life both during the good times and the bad times. Sometimes, the Lord orders our steps to go right through difficult and troubling waters. It is His will, and we must trust that His will is perfect.
In these times of hardship and trial as a believer, sometimes we fall and often we fail. We still have the promise that He will not allow us to be destroyed. He is with us every step of the way. I used to have a coach who always said: “Trust the process.” We need to learn this truth, God orders our steps and even when those steps lead us to failing due to our inability, the Lord will pick us back up! This is God’s Guidance.
Psalm 37:23, 24– “23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. 24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”
“Little With Righteousness= Much”
In American life, we measure greatness by quantity and how big things are. If you have a big house, then surely you have a great life. If you drive a really nice car, surely you are successful. If your vacations are lavish and lengthy, then surely that means that. you live an accomplished life. Americanism has taught us that “Bigger is Better and Bigger is More.”
The Bible teaches us that if we have little materialistically and monetarily but yet have righteousness, it is better than the wicked person who has great riches. You see, everything that anyone attains in this life will lose it when they die and this world ultimately burns. Righteousness imputed to us through Christ’s atonement shall never be lost.
Righteousness is a demand from God to have a relationship with Him now and for all of eternity. Money cannot buy righteousness, only the blood of Christ. If you know Christ as your Savior, it is better than having all the money and possessions in the world. Do not ever forget that.
Psalm 37:16– “A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.”
“Investing Too Much In Anger”
The day and age that we live in, anger is treated as if it is a virtue. Anger, outrage, and chaos are the norm now and it has slipped in to the Christian life as well. The Bible systematically teaches us that anger leads to sin. Anything less than righteous anger always results in destructive behavior whether externally to others, or internally in a personal way.
Life is too short to live in anger and rage. In the moments leading up to this emotion, we feel justified. We feel as if there is a productive outcome to follow, but in reality, it destroys us from within and harms innocent bystanders around us. Sometimes those who our anger hurts are the ones that mean the most to us.
May we learn to stop investing time and energy into anger and wrath. Instead, let us invest that same time and energy into prayer and meditation on God’s word. It will do us and everyone around us some good!
Psalm 37:8– “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”
“When Our Desires Meet the Will of God”
There is something to be said about putting God first in our life. It is not unnatural to have hopes and dreams. Sometimes, those hopes and dreams include material possessions and wants; These wants do not necessarily mean that they are needs.
God sometimes gives us the desires of our heart. From the beginning of my marriage to my wife, I desired to have a few acres with some cattle and a little space between us and anyone else. Our first home was a little 900 square feet fixer-upper that needed a whole lot of love. God seen us through and we loved our first home. We outgrew it and God blessed us with our next “want.” I wanted a brick home with little maintenance. God granted us that home for 13 years in the same community I grew up in. This is where all three of our sons were raised.
Eighteen years had passed and I no longer even prayed for that house with some acreage, a creek, and a few cows. I had all but put that dream to rest. Then in 2018, God opened up a door for my wife and I to have our first dream place. I look out each morning to a creek, a spring, cattle, and my home rests in the middle of our mini-farm. I don’t say this to brag on me or my wife, but instead, I say this to remind you that God hears the desires of His children’s heart.
Don’t give up or let your hopes and dreams die. Delight yourself and everything you do in the Lord. Serve and live for him daily. Put Him first in your life. Dedicate your life, marriage, children, job, and possessions to Him. Keep Him first as best as you can. He gives us the desires of our heart!
Psalm 37:4– “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”
“The Happiness of the Godly”
It’s extremely difficult to not focus on the evil deeds of the wicked within our nation and even greater, our world. All around us, we are watching everything unravel and greater and greater evil is being shown to us each passing day and it is desensitizing us and making us numb.
It seems as if the wicked prosper and the Godly do not, but this is not reality. David says to “not fret because of evil doers”in Psalm 37. We can get anxious at the works of the unrighteous or we can pray for them and look for our redemption. The day is coming when the evildoers will be cut down and they shall wither away. Until that day, we must trust in the Lord and His provision to sustain us. This is where the Happiness of the Godly is found!
Psalm 37:1–3 “1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.”
“The Universal Care from God to His Creation”
Too often, we minimize the scope of God’s vast care, knowledge, and compassion. It’s easy for us to see that He cares for His own and has us in His best interest. It’s another thing to see His great care to all of creation.
Whether it is seeing deer grazing in the fields, the ground-hog burrowing into a hillside for shelter, or the bird that starts each morning chirping and going out for its food that is always providentially there; it’s all possible through the care and compassion of our Lord.
From the rain that falls, to the oceans that each drop ultimately reaches; from the snow-capped Rockies to the blazing heat of the desert; God has care, control, and compassion over all of it. He is a merciful God whose mercy reaches unto the clouds; His righteousness likened unto the greatest of mountains, and His judgement reaches to the deepest of all depths.
May we always trust in the provision of our God and King! His plate is full every second of the day and yet He is never tired, slumbered, or overworked. He has cared for all of His creation. One day, He will make it all new again. Until that day, we must take confidence in His mercy and faithfulness to us as mankind and also to His vast creation.
Psalms 36:5–7 “5 Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. 7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.”
“Understanding the Wicked”
One of the worst mistakes we can make as Christians is assuming that non-believers are really good people that just happen to be unconverted. The opposite is true. Unconverted people hate God and do so with no fear of Him and with great pride in their heart.
We must understand that lost people need regenerated. They do not need to relent to God and add Him to their “already awesome lives.” No, they need regenerated within their mind, heart, and soul. Anything less than this will result in eternal damnation.
What is our part in this reality? We must acknowledge the lostness of man and share Christ with them. We mustn’t play along with their “good works” mentality and watch them slip off into a Christ-less eternity. We must understand that they are lost and the Gospel is the power of God unto their salvation. Nothing more and nothing less.
Psalm 26:1–4 “1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. 3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. 4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.”
“Turning People To The Lord”
No one desires to have enemies seeking to destroy them. Whether it is attacking one’s reputation or someone seeking to harm in other ways; this is not on our bucket list of things to come our way.
David was in a season of attack from Saul. David handled this pursuit on his life in a Godly way. On several occasions, he could have taken physical action. However, that would have placed a dark blemish on His testimony. So what did David do? He turned his enemies over to the Lord.
When someone seeks to do us harm in any way, our natural reaction is to retaliate with facts and fury! Instead, we should learn to react in a different way. We should pray imprecatory prayers for our enemies and for ourselves. This is praying prayers to God asking Him to take over the enemy and handle them in His way. This is to pray prayers of blessing over our own life while seeking for God to handle the enemy. I have seen it too many times; God will handle the acts of the unrighteous against His children. Trust Him and pray for His protection, deliverance, and provision against all angles one may take against you.
Psalm 35:1–5 “1 Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me: fight against them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help. 3 Draw out also the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. 4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. 5 Let them be as chaff before the wind: and let the angel of the LORD chase them.”
“Proper Focus & Attention”
Our attention gets focused on the wicked and their evil deeds. Too often, we neglect proper attention and care to those who know the Lord and serve Him. That proper attention is given to those who wreak havoc on our nation and culture.
The Lord is our example in all aspects of life and how we are to live our life. David reveals whom the Lord sees and hears and whom the Lord does not see and hear. It would do us good as believers to emulate our Lord’s attention and care. He gives his attention and care to those who are righteous and living for Him and He turns His face from those who do evil. Those who are evil will be forever forgotten.
Let’s look to His children and give proper care and concern for those who are righteously pursuing Him. The wicked need no more attention than what they already are receiving. We are in this world; we are not of this world.
Psalm 34:15–17 “15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.”
“Desiring Longevity and Abundance of Life”
Many people live long lives but not everyone lives a long life of abundant living! A life can be endured or a life can be lived in abundance. Now I am not talking necessarily about having a bank account full of money or property full of materialistic things. I am talking about abundant living in peace and righteous union with Christ.
David poses the thought: “Who is someone that desires life and many days?” He then proceeds to answer how someone finds this type of life. This person is to guard their tongue from evil talk and speaking evil to or of anyone. This person is to leave evil and practice that which is good. Seek peace and pursue it.
It’s important to note that both of these scenarios cannot be lived synonymously. We must first desire the longevity of an abundant life, and if we are to attain it, we must depart from evil and pursue that which is good in our speech and with our hands and feet. We must pursue righteous living. It is then and only then that we will begin the journey to long and abundant living.
Psalm 34:12–14 “12 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
“Taste and See that He is Good”
One of the great errors of those who have received the Lord’s salvation is failing to invite others to see for themselves. I have been saved for many years and no one can convince me otherwise that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. He has been my everything in good and bad times. He has never left me nor forsaken me in my lowest of times.
If we praise the Lord at all times, there is a curiosity that accompanies those within our circle of influence who do not know the Lord as their Savior. Invite those around you to taste and see His goodness. He is mighty to save and He is mighty to be with anyone who calls upon His name. It’s not a matter of whether He will work for others as He has worked for you; He will work for anyone who calls upon His name. Invite others to taste and see just as David did!
Psalm 34:8– “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
“The Angel of The Lord”
There are instances in the Old Testament where the angel of the Lord is mentioned. Who is the angel of the Lord? There are only three mentions of the angel of the Lord in the entire book of Psalms. The angel of the Lord is none other than the pre-incarnate Christ.
The angel of the Lord never leaves the side of those that fear the Lord. He is always with us no matter what we face in this life. The angel of the Lord took on flesh in the New Testament and His name is Jesus. The same reference to the angel of the Lord in Psalm 34:7 is made concerning the Lord Jesus Christ in Hebrews 13:5 as the Lord says: “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” The angel of the Lord is never mentioned in the New Testament because the Lord is manifested in the flesh.
We’re not to worship angels, but we are to worship King Jesus. He has come and He has sent His Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into all truth. The same Lord that was represented in the angel of the Lord is with us today. He is dwelling with all who fear Him and put their faith and trust in Him.
Psalm 34:7– “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.”
“Fail Not to Praise the Lord”
There are times when it’s easy to praise the Lord for His goodness. There are also times when it is not so easy to give Him praise when times of trouble are upon us. It’s easy to give give Him credit for the good times; oddly enough, it seems easy to place blame on Him during times that are not so good.
David had learned to give the Lord praise at all times. If his mouth was moving, the Lord’s praise was rolling off of his tongue. This is coming from a man who’s emotions and life was like a roller coaster. When we read the Psalms, we see that David was all over the map with his emotions. We see praise, and then we see tears. We see fear, and then we see courage. We see humility, and then we see pride. David fears his enemies one moment, and the next he is praying imprecatory prayers against them.
Life is going to happen to all of us. There are times when life can’t get any better, and then there are times when life can’t get any worse by our estimation. This one thing must remain the same; praise the Lord at all times and may praise and adoration for our Savior be on our lips during all seasons of life.
Psalm 34:1– “I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
“The Lord Acknowledges those who Fear Him”
There is an abundance of importance for the Lord’s children to have Godly fear of Him. To have Godly fear of Him is to trust and hope in His mercy. My boys had a respectful fear of me when they were growing up. This fear was not based upon me harming them or being cruel to them; this fear was derived from their trust in me that I would take every measure possible to ensure their safety. This was true even when they were wrong. I loved them enough to correct them.
God loves us so much that His heart is tender toward those who fear and trust Him. When trouble comes to us, we wait for the Lord to intervene on our behalf. Just as He protects us when we make poor decisions, He looks out for us when trouble comes our way too. His eye is always upon those who fear and trust Him! He is a good God!
Psalm 33:18—22 “18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. 22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”
“The Blessing of a Nation“
There was a time in the history of the United States of America that the hand of God and His blessing was upon it. America was predominantly a Christian nation and the vast blessedness that everyone enjoyed was derivative of this truth.
Much has changed these many years since. America has plummeted into apostasy. Remnants of a one-time blessed nation are seen, but the hand of God’s mercy and blessing is becoming less and less. Why? Our nation no longer looks to God as the God of our nation. I read a recent poll released on Fox News Channel and it revealed that only 39% of America believed that faith/religion was important. This is troubling!
How do we reverse this? We must begin with ourselves and our home. It is our responsibility to make God the center of our home and evangelize our children and our family. For every person that is reached with the gospel of Christ. Within a nation, the Lord’s hand of blessing is extended a little more. Reach your spouse and children; reach your siblings and parents. Make the effort to reach your nieces and nephews; reach your cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. Reach for the blessing of our nation one soul at a time.
Psalm 33:12— “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”
“The Power of God’s Word“
If you ever come to the place in your life that you doubt the power of God’s word, look at the account of creation in God’s word. Everything that we see in creation from the mountains, the sea, the rivers, trees, bees, and all of creation; God’s word spoke this all into existence.
Considering the power of His word in creation, how much more is His word necessary for us to navigate through life’s journey. We desperately need the power of God’s word, the foundation of it to build our life upon. His word is powerful; His word is enough! Start making His word a priority today! You will not come to be disappointed.
Psalm 33:6—8 “6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.”
“God’s Word is Right“
One of the greatest problems in modern Christianity is failing to trust in the sufficiency of scripture. When we deviate from the word of God, things can never go right nor end well. Too many times, the Lord is given credit for things that He has nothing to do with and often, He is given blame for things that He does not deserve blame for.
God is confined by nothing, except one thing: His every word. Truth rests upon the Word of the Living God. His word is always right and any deviation from His word, as believers, will always end up wrong. One can never start wrong, stay wrong, and end up right. God’s word is pure and always right; for Him to allow anything contrary to His word to be right would cause Him to go against His very character
God’s work is always centered on truth. As believers, we must trust in the sufficiency of His word and have faith that His word is always right because His word is always truth. Live and minister in this truth.
Psalm 33:4—“For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.”
“Beautiful Praise from the Redeemed“
Everyone likes to receive accolades of some sort during their lifetime. Whether it’s achievements in the workplace, academics, or maybe something that has been worked for a period. It’s nice to receive kind words of recognition.
For me, I find no greater honor in my life than to be recognized by my boys. Anytime they gave me a little something that they made for me as a child on Father’s Day, it always meant the world to me. After our family lost our youngest son, Titus, the greatest compliment that I ever heard was from one of Titus’ teachers. She said to me: “Your son was so proud to call you his dad, the pastor of Strong Tower Baptist Church.” That still means more to me than 300 church- members giving me words of kindness.
God the Father hears mention of His name a lot. Most often, it is empty words of reference to Him in a general sense. But when His children rejoice in Him and give Him praise, it is a beautiful thing. The Psalmist says that praise from the upright/redeemed is beautiful. If you belong to Him, give Him praise. It is the right thing to do and it’s the most beautiful thing a child can do for their father in heaven.
Psalm 33:1—“Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.”
“Happy In The Lord“
We can always find things to be unhappy about. The fact is that life hands us many ups and down’s and we often get focused on the things that cause us to be unhappy. David calls his attention himself to rejoice and to shout for joy!
David had many seasons of turmoil and dreadful anticipation in his life, but he had learned to trust in the Lord and shout for joy nonetheless! There are three things worthy of continual joy and praise in our life as a Christian; We’ve been clothed in His righteousness, salvation is ours, and our heart has been made new. Hardships come and hardships go, but these three things for the believer is resting on the bedrock of scripture. Let’s take heed to David’s call to be happy in the Lord and shout for joy!
Psalm 32:11– “Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.”
“Songs of Deliverance“
The Lord is our hiding place. When the weight of the world seems to be resting on our chest and there is no relief in sight, He is our hiding place. You see, no one knows what we’re facing or will face like He does. He knows exactly where we are at.
The Lord knows exactly when and where our victories will come. When we’re in the heat of the battle and it seems as if we’re about to fall, He surrounds us with songs of deliverance! We don’t even realize that He has already won the battle for us. He goes before us and shields our way. The Lord encompasses us with songs of deliverance.
The unique thing about these songs of deliverance is this; we don’t always hear them, but the enemy sure enough does. When the Lord steps on the scene in our battles, the enemy knows. The only time songs of deliverance can be sung is during victory. This passage gives credit to the Lord for these songs of deliverance surrounding us. The reason is this, He is our deliverer, and He alone knows when victory has come before anyone else. Selah— “Stop, look, and listen.”
Psalm 32:7—“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.”
“Happy Am I, for My Sins Are Gone“
I have heard my wife say so many times in testimony, “if all He ever did for me was forgive me of my sins, that is enough for me to serve and praise Him the rest of my life.” Too often, we are so quick to forget the greatest thing the Lord has ever done for us; He has forgiven us and covered our sins.
We should clear our mind of all the things we have yet to see the Lord move in within our life and focus on the greatest things He has done for us. We have even been redeemed by His blood! We are blessed indeed!
Psalm 32:1– “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”
“Unashamed Trust“
In a world that questions everything, it should come as no surprise that faith is at the top of the list. As Christians, we blush sometimes when our faith is called into question. Whether it is sickness, disease, or death that comes knocking on our door; we are faced with the decision to trust the Lord.
Let us never be ashamed to put our faith in the Lord. Do not allow the critics or the pressure of the culture cause you to balk on your faith both privately and publicly. He is worthy to be trusted and He is our only hope! May we never be ashamed of our Faith or our King!
Psalm 31:1– “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.”
“The Love of a Chastising God“
Just as an earthly father corrects his children, our Heavenly Father corrects us as His child. We have heard since we were small, “I’m only doing this because I love you.” The times we heard those words just before receiving our punishment, we had our doubts! However, no good father allows his children to go unpunished for doing things that could physically hurt them or harm them in other ways moving forward in their life.
God loves His children; when we sin and do things that cause harm to us and maybe even others, the Lord is going to correct us. Why? Because He loves His children. The Psalmist reminds us that the Lord’s anger does not endure long toward His own. He turns His favor toward us and in that favor is life.
When the Lord is correcting us, it is not fun. We do not like the chastisement of the Lord. Who would? It’s the most righteous punishment one can ever endure. There is no rebuttal or arguing with the Lord. He is right in His actions 100% of the time. David reminds us that the dreadful season of His correction is only for a night, but joy comes in the morning. I always look for that morning!
Psalm 30:5– “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
“Give Him Praise and Glory“
The great and mighty power of the Lord God Almighty is worthy of all our praise and glory! He is mighty and matchless. He alone is our Mighty God and King! David speaks of the mighty power of His voice. May we always give Him the praise that He deserves!
Psalm 29:1–11 1 Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. 3 The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth: the LORD is upon many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon. 6 He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. 7 The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire. 8 The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in his temple doth every one speak of his glory. 10 The LORD sitteth upon the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth King for ever. 11 The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.”
“Believing for that Better Day“
If there were no expectations at the end of our life as a Christian, this world and all its trials and tribulations would be too much to bear. However, we continue to put one foot in front of the other and enjoy the blessings of our Lord during the good times and we lean on Him ever-so intently during the bad. This we know, we believe to see the goodness of God in total fruition in the land of the living one sweet day.
Wherever we find ourselves today, whether in a season of blessing and joy, or a season of trial and tribulation; wait upon the Lord! We are to wait upon the Lord, for He will give us the strength we need to face everything life throws at us. We take hope in the fact that one day, yes, one sweet day, we shall behold the totality of God’s goodness in the land of the living!
Psalm 27:13, 14— “13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
“Simplifying the Christian Life“
Gotta go, gotta do, gotta be, and gotta keep it up! That’s the norm of most people’s life. We’re so busy with various things. Whether it is goals to meet, responsibilities to fulfill, or some sort of weird vindication in life that we are reaching for; we are busy!
David had come to a place in his life that his faith had become simplified. He had narrowed it down to one primary desire; David desired to seek after the Lord and to be in His house. Seeking after the Lord and worshipping in the Lord’s house had come to bring the most fulfillment to David. David was a busy man of great importance all of his life, but he had narrowed it all down to one primary desire. He desired to seek the Lord and dwell in the Lord’s house.
We have much to learn from this in our busy lives full of hectic schedules and many due dates. If we’d work on narrowing down our desires so much that our main desire was to seek the Lord and dwell in His house, it would prove to be of the upmost benefit to us. Fact is, failing to do so will hinder our seeking of the Lord the way we should. I pray that I begin this process today.
Psalm 27:4– “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.”
“Loving His House“
There are those who cherish the house of the Lord and those who conjure up excuses for not cherishing it. There are many reasons the child of God should cherish the Lord, but Psalm 26:8 gives two important reasons.
Christians should love the house of the Lord because of who dwells there; The people of God. Our brothers and sisters in Christ dwell in the house of the Lord. These are the very people we will spend eternity with. These are the people that we share the same common bond of salvation by grace through faith with.
Secondly, the church is where honor is given to our Lord. Songs are sung, praise is given, and He speaks through His word. There is no reason for a child of God to excuse themselves from His house except for a providential hindrance. May we love and cherish gathering in the Lord’s house to fellowship with saints and our Lord.
Psalm 26:8—“8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.”
“The Preserving Effects of Integrity“
Life sometimes throws curveballs at us and we find ourselves scrambling to find a way out of certain situations. Whether we find ourselves dealing without our own self-created mess due to our poor choices, or someone else has created a mess for us; we find ourselves scrambling to fix things. In our desperate effort, we’re sometimes tempted to go about it in an ungodly way.
No matter what you are facing in life, choose Godly integrity in all your ways of handling things. Our carnal nature will always rise up within us to make choices based upon human reasoning versus biblical reasoning. Our ways of handling things from a carnal perspective will always yield us a carnal result.
May we learn to choose integrity and uprightness in life’s choices and how we live and respond to whatever we find ourselves living through. Doing so will build and preserve Godly Character.
Psalm 25:21– “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.”
“Forgetful God“
We all have things in our past that we are not proud of. If our sins from our youth were exposed for the world to see, many of us would never want to leave our home due to the shame associated with it.
David asks the Lord in prayer not to remember the sins of his youth, but instead, remember him according to his tender mercy.
As a child of God, I, like many, have many things from my past/youth that I am ashamed of. I am ashamed I was ever involved in such sin and behavior. There is something wonderful about our Savior; He does not remember our past sins! When He forgives, He forgets.
This is an attribute of God that we do not have ourselves. We can forgive but rarely forget. Our Lord is a “Forgetful God” when it comes to our sins being under the blood! When our sins are under the blood of Christ, they are gone as far as the east is from the west and He remembers them no more!
Psalm 25:7—“Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.”
“Taught by the Shepherd“
As a child of God, we have experienced the salvation of the Lord. He has rescued our life from death and destruction. There should never be any question on whether we should follow Him or adhere to His teaching.
Our desire as His child and prayer should be that He show us His way and will for us as well as teach us how to follow and walk in the path of His will and way. He is Lord God Almighty and He is to be trusted. As our Shepherd, it is always His will and way to lead us into righteousness.
Psalm 25:4, 5—“4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.”
“Ashamed of Waiting“
Faith is confusing to the world. We live in a day and age that waiting is not an option. We want what we want, and we want it now. We will go to extreme lengths to get what we want when we want it.
Often, I read back through my prayer journal of months and sometimes even years gone by; to my amazement, God has answered so many prayers from the past. As a child of God, it is so worth waiting upon the Lord. Give your cares and concerns to Him. Give Him all the impossible situations and give Him your dreams that seem so distant and very unlikely. Never be ashamed of waiting on the Lord and His provision! There is nothing to be ashamed of when God’s child patiently waits upon the Lord. Keep asking in faith and never be ashamed of waiting on God’s perfect timing!
Psalm 25:3—”Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:”
“Ashamed of Being Ashamed“
We live in a culture that is by and large, shameless. Nothing causes people to blush. Sin is open and rampant. Unfortunately, some of this shamelessness has bled over into the church and modern-day Christianity.
Nothing should bring more shame to a believer than being ashamed of our God! He has redeemed us and set us free. In His work on the cross, He hung naked in open shame for our sins. There was no sin in Christ and yet He was made to be sin, to bridge the gap for our redemption.
David declares his confidence in God and asks that He help him not to be ashamed. May this be our prayer too; both today and every day hereafter. May we lift our head up high, not in pride, but lift it up to heaven and call upon our great God and King. If there is any place in our life that we’re ashamed of our Savior and our faith, my prayer is that we become “Ashamed of being Ashamed.”
Psalm 25:1, 2— “1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. 2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.”
“Access Granted“
The Psalmist asks a very important question in Psalm 24:3: “Who hall ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? The Psalmist immediately answers his own questions: Vs. 4 “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted his soul up to vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.”
The question of the Psalmist and his answer is very troubling. The crux of both question and answer is: who can approach God? No-one! No human has clean hands and a pure heart. No human is sinless and free of guilt concerning vanity and vain pursuits. No person is free of deceit. This is where Jesus comes into the equation.
Christ has granted us access through and by His righteousness. Christ’s hands have always been clean and His heart has always been pure. Christ’s will has been in perfect alignment with the will of the Father and deceit has never been in his mouth or heart. He has granted us access by robing up in His righteousness. A Mighty Savior He is!
“Ownership“
One of the greatest truths a person can come to know is that the Lord owns everything. The air that we breathe, the ground that we walk upon, and the heavens above us. He owns it all. Ownership means power and authority.
God is not lacking in anything. He can change your life no matter what comes your way. Whether it is resources that you are lacking, certain people that you need, or any material possession; God has total ownership over the earth and all that is within. Call out to Him & share your needs and desires with Him.
Psalm 24:1—“The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
“His Goodness is Running After Me“
Psalm 23:6– “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell
in the house of the LORD for ever.”
The Lord, our Shepherd, protects, feeds, and sustains us. All of our days as His sheep, the Lord
provides for us. When we go wayward, He pursues us. When we get hurt and scuffed up from
our disobedience, He bandages our wounds and gives us care. When we get separated from the
flock, He comes after us. He is the Good Shepherd.
All the benefits of being a child of God come down to one fundamental truth of this passage; He
who is good and He who is mercy follows us all the days of our lives. His goodness runs after us
each passing day. The ultimate fulfillment of His goodness and mercy pursuing us is Heaven.
One day, we will be forever with our Lord in His house. We will be with Him forever in the place
that He has prepared for His children. Until that first day of eternity that shall never end, His
goodness will run after us. Praise His name forever!
“Protection & Provision Amid The Enemy“
The two primary functions of a shepherd are protection and provision. Protection from the predators that lurk privily, looking into the herd to find the weakest link. The moment one looks weak & distracted; the enemy makes his move.
David gives an incredible picture of protection and provision. “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.” (Psalm 23:5) He speaks of the Lord as his Shepherd, preparing a feast for him amid his enemies! What a thought, the enemy is looking on and yet David can pull a seat up to the table and eat of the Lord’s food. It seems as if the enemy can’t do anything about it either.
The oil and the cup represent the Holy Spirit of the Lord and the joy of the Lord. Our Shepherd ensures that we eat amid the enemy and that we are protected by the Holy Spirit. Having joy, even while the enemy is lurking around, is a direct benefit of belonging to the Good Shepherd. He is our “Protection and Provision Amid The Enemy.”
“The Dark Valley of Death“
Death is a reality that will make its way to every man if the Lord tarries His return. It is painful to grieve the loss of a loved one whether a friend or family. There are long nights and dreaded days that accompany the loss of those we cherish the most. This perspective comes from those who have experienced the loss of loved ones.
Then we have the perspective of the person who is traveling through the dark valley of death personally. In the Valley, you are walking in the lowest of lows. Hope was that little ray of light peeking through that is now seemingly gone. This valley leads to death. What will we ever do?
The Psalmist changes direction in whom He is talking to in Psalm 23 verse 4. Up until now, he has been speaking words of confidence to whomever shall hear/read them. Now his words are going directly to the Shepherd. He acknowledges that he is indeed walking through the valley of the shadow of death, but he does not fear. The Shepherds rod and staff comforts him.
You see, valleys open into wide-open country with endless provision. The dark valley of death for the Saint of God is merely the gateway into eternal delight in Christ our Lord. For a Christian, everything is worse than death. Death is victory for the child of God! Death is the pinnacle of faith for the child of God. Death is when our faith becomes our site. Fear no evil, God is with His sheep all the way through eternity.
Psalm 23:4—“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”
“The Shepherd Leads His Sheep“
Christ leads His sheep. Unconverted men and women do not follow Christ and His righteous ways. David speaks of the Lord leading him into the paths of righteousness for His name sake. This is what the Good Shepherd does for His sheep. He leads His sheep into righteousness ways.
The unconverted man cannot even find the paths to righteousness, let alone, walk in them. The unconverted man does not look for the paths of righteousness; he couldn’t know them even if he were to see them. As Christians, the Lord leads us into the paths of righteousness because we are his and we know his voice. He leads us into the paths that we grow in His grace and that His name may receive glory.
Trust the Lord’s leadership and guidance. He knows what is best for you. His ways are right and good. They are right and good for your betterment and for His glory. Listen to the Lord and follow His voice. The Bible is the Word of God. Follow His Word into righteousness.
“God My Restorer“
There are times when life hands us a bag of rotten apples. We didn’t ask for them, we didn’t make poor choices that led to receiving them, nor is it punishment from God to correct us. It just so happens to be the part of life that is unexplainable. In these times, destruction seems to be the new norm and restoration, at best, is a faint possibility in the future.
David said in Psalm 23, “He restoreth my soul:” The worst feeling in the world is when we are perplexed within our own soul. Yes, trials and tribulations come to us in so may ways, but it’s the seasons of life that our soul is troubled seemingly beyond repair; those times are the worst. When the despair of our very soul is heavier than anything that we’re actually facing; those seasons are the worst.
David speaks hope into our soul from the reality of his experience with God. David had experienced restoration from the God of restoration who gives us grace and mercy all the days of our life. We’re to never give up nor lose confidence in the Lord. He will restore our soul. Circumstances sometimes change for the better and sometimes they do not. The one thing that will change is the despair of our soul. God will restore us and equip us for any and all things that come our way.
“Divine Drink“
Sheep are timid animals; they also need water like all animals do. Many other animals take no issue with swift and turbulent water. Some will even drink from dirty pools of water. Sheep need calm and clean water.
We, likened to sheep, can get timid and spiritually thirsty to the core of our soul at times. The Lord our Shepherd will lead us to the cool and refreshing waters for our soul. Christ Jesus is our still water. He restores and refreshes us. The Lord doesn’t want His sheep drinking stale and stagnant water. The Lord does not desire His sheep to be gripped by fear when in need of a divine drink of water. Therefore, He leads us to calm and clean water for our soul. He leads us right to Himself for a Divine Drink.
Psalm 23:2– “he leadeth me beside the still waters.”
“Divine Rest“
David speaks of our Lord and Shepherd as “making” us lie down in green pastures. Every blessing in our life is from above. The busyness of our life will cause us to look right past our blessings. Sometimes we get so full of ourselves that we need to be “made” to lie down.
The imagery that David gives us in Psalm 23 is that of the sheep that has toiled with struggle and hardship for a season; now the shepherd has led and made the sheep lie down in green pastures. There is something interesting about busy-bodied sheep; Busy-bodied sheep, looking for food and satisfaction, will not lie down until they are full and content. Hungry sheep will always wonder around.
What a lesson for us to learn. Is the reason that we are going non-stop is that we are feeding on the rubbish of life instead of God’s green pastures? As His sheep, the time will come when we are forced to realize that this world and all that it has to offer and all of its busyness will not satisfy. It is Christ alone that will fill us. May our day come that our Lord makes us to lie down in green pastures and rest in Him. He is the portion of all that we need.
Psalm 23:2– “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:”
“The Lord is Mine“
Few passages of scripture are more familiar than the twenty-third Psalm. This Psalm has been read and preached thousands of times. It has brought comfort to thousands of Christians during times of grief and loss. This Psalm is soothing to the troubled soul of the Christian.
The Lord is MY shepherd. I am thankful that I can assure others that He will be there for them and love them without end. I am thankful that the Lord is at work in the lives of brothers and sisters in Christ. I am thankful that many Christians can find comfort in Psalm 23, but there is so much more to this Psalm. There is a personal component that David reveals in this Psalm that is true for every believer.
The Lord is MY shepherd. He is MY Savior; He is MY friend; He is MY God; and He is MY everything! When no one else can understand my heart and emotions; He does! When no one else has the words to say; He does. When the stillness of the night saturates my hurting heart and soul; He is MY shepherd! Because He is mine, I shall not want! He is enough and He is mine! Praise His Holy name!
Psalm 23:1. “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”
“Hanging In Open Shame“
As David spoke of Himself in his time of distress, his words become the reality of the cross for Christ. Our Lord, who was the total picture and fulfillment of purity was stripped of what little bit of dignity he had left while hanging on the cross. His body was brutally beaten, blood poured from His wounds, and He hung helpless on the cross as the darling Lamb of God.
As if this scene couldn’t get any worse, the Roman soldiers stripped Him of His loin cloth and Christ hung in open shame on our behalf. The shame of hanging naked for the world to see is a picture of our naked sin. He took our place. He took our shame. Because of Christ bearing the the punishment and shame of our sins, we can lift our head and walk in the freedom that He has provided for us!
Psalm 22:18– “18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.”
“Christ’s Abandonment = Our Gain“
Psalm 22:1– “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”
The words of the Psalmist sound so familiar. Why? These are the very words of Christ when he cried out to God on the cross! These words uttered by David in this Psalm in a time of great distress pales in comparison to the very Christ who utters the same words from the cross.
Because Christ cried out in total abandonment on the cross, I, as His child, shall never cry out to deaf ears. I will never face abandonment by God because Christ faced it for me. I will call on the Lord and He shall hear my plea. Thank you Jesus for being separated for our sake!
“The Lord Takes Joy In Our Salvation“
Psalm 21:1– “ The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!”
The New Testament speaks of Christ’s joy. This reference to His joying speaking of the Lord’s sacrifice on the cross. Hebrews 12:2 “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The Psalmist is speaking of the Lord’s joy in the salvation that He has provided to us. Not only did Christ go through Hell on earth to provide us victory from sin, He took great joy in doing so. I can’t comprehend how such pain and suffering in our Lord’s death could bring Him joy, but the Bible says that it did. King Jesus took joy in providing salvation for us. Let us take joy in proclaiming the goodness of God!
“Spiritual Weapons of Warfare“
Psalms 20:7–9 “7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. 8 They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. 9 Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.”
Christians always get into trouble when battles are fought through the flesh instead of the through the Spirit. Our carnal nature is to rise up and defend ourselves whether its an attack from someone or the enemy is using many tools in his arsenal against us.
We’re not to trust any means of physical altercation whether it’s verbal or God-forbid we physically attempt to handle conflict. We must remember the name of the Lord. He will fight our battles and our enemy(s) will be brought down as the Lord raises us up. Refrain from using your own means to defend yourself as a believer against the attacks of the enemy; look to Him and remember the name of the Lord. He is our supreme “Weapon of Warfare!”
“When We Need to be Heard“
“The Lord hears us.” For those who know the Lord, a phrase such as that has become cliché. We speak our own language of Christianese about our faith and about our lord, but how sincere are we? David speaks of the favor of God with those who are His. He does indeed hear us!
If there is ever a time that we want the Lord to hear us, it is in our day of trouble. These are days or even seasons of trouble, heartache, and sometimes even tragedy. We desperately need the Lord to hear us. David’s Psalm gives us confidence that He will. David even uses the name of one of God’s children who was anything but good most of the time. Jacob was a scoundrel, but he was God’s scoundrel. David says, “the name of the God of Jacob defend thee.” The fact that the word uses such a phrase reveals to us the Lord’s faithfulness to hear us based on His goodness and mercy. Just as Jacob was undeserving, we are too. However, we are still his and He hears us in the day of trouble. Call out to Him! He hears you and He will come to your rescue.
“Meeting the Father’s Impossible Demands“
Psalm 19:8–“ 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
The Lord’s Law is always right. It is never easy for us to accept, why? God’s Law is perfect and we are not. When we examine the perfect Law of the Lord, we quickly see our imperfections against it. His commands for us to obey His Law is pure and eye opening. God never lowered the standard of His Law upon man. However, He did make a way for us to meet His demanding Law. He came to us in the person of Christ and fulfilled His own demands on our behalf at Calvary.
When I see my imperfection in keeping His perfect Law, I run to Christ! He not only kept every single intricate detail of God’s demands, He has imputed His righteousness to my account. I no longer have to look at God’s Law with dreadful doubt; I now look at His Law and see the beauty of the cross and God’s Love for me. He made a way to uphold His Law and demands and still yet make a way for me. Thank you Jesus!
“The Perfection of God’s Word”
Psalm 19:7– “ 7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
God’s word instructs us. Fact is, its instruction is perfect for any and all needs or situations that life hands to us. Nothing can take a broken life going a hundred different directions and bring a calming renewal like the word of God when being lived out and applied. The word of God is His testimony. John 1:1 reveals to us that the word of God, is GOD! Applying God’s word renews our mind and gives us wisdom in areas where ignorance is plenteous. Read and apply His word every single day. Doing so will change your life!
“Speechless Praise”
Psalm 19:1–4 “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun”
The Psalmist says that the heavens declare the glory of God and the sky reveals His handiwork! As each day passes by, his creation declares to all of mankind that there is a creator. However, this declaration is without words. It is God’s creation itself declaring the glory of God and His majestic creation. A ball of fire so hot that it keeps the earth from freezing God’s creation into extinction; it has been suspended in the heavens as the only star within our solar system. Our solar system is the tabernacle that houses the sun. Day after day, the sun declares the glory of God in speechless praise. If your praise begins to subside, look around at creation and join creation in their praise to our Triune creator!
“Living Rock”
Psalm 18:46– “The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.”
A profound peace accompanies the life of a believer when his/her mind dwells on the fact that God lives! He is the foundation of any and all hope in the lives of His children. Nothing has or ever will change the externality of the Lord God Almighty. He is our living hope and foundation. Let us praise and exalt His mighty name!
“Light for the Righteous”
There is assurance in the steps and pathway of the righteous. Those who are saved are justified and declared righteous through the finished work of Christ on the cross. However, the child of God is to strive to live righteous daily. This is done by applying God’s word to daily living.
God’s word lights our way in this dark and dreadful world. His word illuminates pathways that lead us over our obstacles. God’s word is perfect and pure. His word leads and guides us to our refuge. Thank God for the illuminating power of the Word of God!
Psalm 18:28–30 “28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. 29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. 30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.”
“Wide Open”
Serving Jesus is often viewed as a very restrictive and constrictive life. Nothing could be farther from the truth. True freedom is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. In our sin, we are bound to our carnal nature and desires of our Adamic nature. We are servants of sin and we are constantly under sins bondage.
There is nothing more limited and constrictive than being a slave to sin and sin nature. You can only do what comes natural, and everything that comes natural, as a sinner, leads you closer to ultimate damnation. It’s a never ending circle of fire.
The Psalmist says that God brought him into a “large” place and delivered him. Once Christ has saved us, the shackles of sin are broken. The imminence of eternal death is no more. We have been set free to love, forgive, live, and pursue life like never before. Our limit is eternity, where there are no limits. God’s salvation has delivered us into a “large place.” His delight in His children is constant and refreshing! Today is a new day and our freedom in Him is wide open!
“Strong and Mighty Deliverer”
Psalm 18:17—“He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.”
The devil is too much for us! His grip is crushing and his ability to manipulate is unmatched. He is our strong enemy! Even when people become our enemy, we must always remember that the devil is the one masterminding it all. This becomes taxing upon us physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
Our Lord is the strong and mighty deliverer. It is Christ alone who can deliverer us from the enemy. If you are a born-again child of God, you have been delivered from the strong enemy. Live and breathe in the freedom that is provided to us who are in Christ! Christ is the strong and mighty deliverer.
“When Darkness Fell and the Earth Shook”
Some 2000 years ago, there was a cataclysmic event that took place. The Son of the living God bore the sins of the world on a cross on Calvary’s hill. After extreme punishment endured upon His body, the Roman soldiers nailed Him to the cross by driving spikes through His hands and feet. Christ hung there in agony in final prayer to the Father; Christ hung His head and willingly died!
Darkness fell upon the earth as Christ hung there; the slain Lamb of God! A sacrifice had been offered. Christ’s body was buried in a tomb, but just as He had said, He came forth out of that tomb alive and well. Sin had been conquered, death had been defeated, and everlasting hope was finally available to all of mankind. This was the darkest day of mankind and the most earth shattering and ground shaking event to ever take place. The Psalmist gives us a peek inside these days unlike the Gospels. The Psalmist gives us a glimpse of the Almighty and the Heavens. What an incredible scene this is! Let us be thankful for His sacrifice and resurrection so that we don’t have to face the wrath of God and eternal darkness and damnation! Glory to King Jesus!
Psalm 18:7–11 “ 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. 10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.”
“The Lord is Mine”
Psalm 18:2—“The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
In an ever-shifting world, there is one foundation that is unmovable. In a world where there is no place to hide from pain and suffering; there is one who provides an impenetrable shelter. In a world where no one can provide a way of escape from harm and hurt; there is one who delivers. His name is Jesus! Christ is our shield! If you know Christ as your Savior, He is forever yours and you are forever His.
“I Will Love the Lord”
Psalm 18:1—” I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.”
When considering the many provisions that our Lord makes for us every minute of the day, we should be moved to love Him more. The Lord is our strength. Every breath that we take, every step that we take, and every day that we live, the Lord is our strength!
When we survey how desperately helpless, we truly are, our love for the Lord will only increase. I, like David, love the Lord because He is my strength. Without Him, we are weak and frail. But with God, His strength is our strength, therefore, I will love the Lord!
“Under the Shadow of His Wings”
We take confidence in the fact God will hear our cries for help! Our Lord does not play games with our needs nor our cries for help. He hears us and listens to us intently! Our Lord showers us with kindness and mercy each day. The Psalmist asks to be hidden under the shadow of the Lord’s wings.
To be hidden under the shadow of His wings is to be hidden from the enemy! The enemy cannot steal us out from under the shadow of the Lord’s wings. He is our shelter and refuge. Rest in His protection and provision. He hears us! He listens to us! He showers us with grace and mercy! He hides us under the shadow of His wings!
Psalm 17:6—8 “6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech. 7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them. 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings”
“Trusting into the Night”
Psalm 16:7– “I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.”
Trusting the Lord does not seem as difficult in the busyness of the day! We have good times and bad times all throughout the day and such, but in the stillness of the night is often when our fears tear at our soul the most.
David had learned to glorify God in quiet and dark times of the night. He glorified the very God who had given him counsel. When our mind gets the best of us as we lay ourselves down to sleep, we must remember the good counsel of His word and praise Him in the stillness of the night! Trust Him in the morning, daytime, evening, and trust Him into the Night!
“Who Is Gonna Be In Heaven”
Psalms 15–“1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. 5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.”
Who will dwell in the Lord’s tabernacle and in His Holy Hill the Psalmist asks? In Revelation 21:3, the Bible says “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people.” In this portion of The Revelation, we see the new heaven and the new earth and the Lord Jesus is the Tabernacle of God. Who is going to be in heaven? Only those who are righteous and holy!
The Psalmist goes on to describe the practices of those who will abide with the Lord. He describes those people as those who walk righteously, does good, speaks in truth, doesn’t backbite others, nor do they commit evil to their Neigbor. David has laid out a pattern for a Christian’s life. Sadly, we fail at these requirements sometimes. However, on that day that the Lord calls His children home, we will live forever in perfect harmony and righteousness for all of eternity. We will be made whole by the finished work of Christ in our life. We should strive to live holy and righteous every day of our life because our Heavenly Father is Holy. One day, we will live with Him forever; Holy and Righteous. Only those found in Christ is going to be in Heaven. Are you in Christ?
“A Biblical Understanding of Man”
Psalms 14:1–3 “1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 2 The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
There are people who declare with intense certainty that there is no God! They attempt to convince others of their “faith” that there is no God. Then there are those who do not deny his existence but reject Him and His Holy standard for mankind. The reality of it all is this; for a man to say there is no God is foolish and has become a fool within his own heart. Man knows there is God, he just rejects Him.
Mankind has done more harm to himself and creation than anything. Man is capable of anything and is wicked to the core. None apart from Christ does good. The Psalmist says that God looked down from heaven to see if any man did seek God. He found none. There was none that did good, no, not one! This is why Jesus came to us, bled, and died! He paid our sin debt so that whosoever calls upon His name and believes upon Him, His death, and resurrection, would live. The sooner we realize that man is inherently wicked, and God alone is good and righteous, the better off we will be.
“Choosing to Praise Even While in Doubt”
There are seasons in our life when our feelings lead us to believe that the Lord is distant. Questions arise within our mind such as: “Where are you Lord?” It’s in these times that doubt leads to anxiety. Anxious feelings that you are just about to be toppled by your circumstances get overwhelming. We cannot trust our feelings because feelings are not rooted in truth. Truth is rooted in God’s word.
The Psalmist often felt these same types of feelings. He wrestled and fought with the same doubts and fears. The way that he battled them can be a valuable lesson for us to learn. He chose to praise the Lord even while in doubt and confusion. Doing so will focus our attention on the gracious and merciful track record of our Lord to us. Choose to Praise Him! He is right there with you every step of the way!
Psalm 13 “1 How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me? 3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; 4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved. 5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation. 6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.”
“The Words of Our Lord are Sure”
Psalm 12:6–7–“6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”
Very few things can a person count on in this life. People change, relationships change, friendships change, jobs change, and just about everything else we can think of changes. One of the most unsure things in this life is the words of man. We witness people boldly saying one thing while simultaneously doing something else. We hear promises all the time only to see the promises broken. Sadly, this is the world that we live in. This takes it’s toll on us because we desire sureness.
David sings of the sureness of the words of the Lord! The purity of the Lord’s words is likened to silver tried seven times in the fire. There are no impurities. His words are pure and forever. In a world where nothing is sure and everything changes, we must go to the unchanging word of Almighty God! His word will keep us, sustain us, and give us unchanging hope and stability in this ever changing world!
“The Lord Sees”
Psalm 11:4–7– “4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. 5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.”
We must trust in the omniscience of our Lord. There is nothing that he does not know. There is nothing that He does not see. His eyes are upon the children of men at all times; both the righteous and the unrighteous. He hates all sin that man commits and He will judge all sinners! No sinner will go unaccounted for. They will stand before the Judge, Christ Jesus!
Take comfort in knowing that the Lord will make all wrongs right and He does not miss any wrongdoing. He sees all! He keeps perfect record. Child of God, be grateful today and everyday for the grace that has been shown upon you in Christ’s forgiveness. God sees Jesus’ righteousness when He beholds you! The Lord likewise sees the unrighteous deeds of the wicked, and anything less than repentance, will turn to His righteous judgement. The Lord sees all!
“The Lord is Forever King”
Psalm 10:16–18– “16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. 17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.”
In this present day that we live, there are many anti-christ’s walking and talking amongst us everyday. No, they are not “The Anti-Christ;” however, they are without any doubt, anti-Christ. They oppose righteousness at all levels. They wage war against anything wholesome and good.
As a child of God, do not get down in the dumps. Jesus is Lord forever. There is coming a day when all the anti-christ foes will be no more. Christ, His Kingdom, and His citizens will rule and reign forever. As the Psalmist says: “The man of the earth will oppress no more.” Thank God, the man of heaven, Christ Jesus will reign as Lord forever!
“The Grim Reality Apart From Christ”
Psalm 9:17 “17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
There is nothing more imminent than the death of the wicked and their ways. Just as sure as oxygen is required to breath, those that forget God shall die. Each human being to ever draw breath, whose faith is not in the Lord Jesus, is wicked. The only way to be justified and clothed in righteousness is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. The wicked will die a “forever death!”
All nations that forget God will die! What makes up nations? People! When nations forget God, that is, His ways, who He is, and His Righteous demands, that nation shall die. The United States of America has been on the thin threads of grace for some time. Our nation promotes, protects, and defends much wickedness. Our blessed nation is not immune to the reality of scripture’s declaration to wicked people and wicked nations. The word “hell” in Psalm 9:17 comes from the Hebrew word, “Sheol”. Sheol means grave.
What can we do about this imminent death of a nation? Go, tell your loved ones, co-workers, peers, and colleagues about the hope that is found in Christ Jesus. Share the Gospel/Good news. Good news is only perceived as such when the reality of bad news sinks in. Good news is only good news if it reaches those who need it in time. Share His gospel and the need for His gospel.
“To Know Him is to Trust Him”
Psalm 9:10 “10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.”
To know the Lord is to know His faithfulness. From the very beginning of salvation, one’s trust in the Lord must be present. We believe upon the Lord for salvation because we no longer trust in ourself. The times that we feel the most distant from the Lord is when we shift our trust back to ourselves. When we seek the Lord and trust in His provision, He will never disappoint. He will never forsake those who seek Him. To know the Lord is to trust everything about Him. He will not abandon those who trust Him. Praise His name!
“Losing the Magnifying Glass”
It is easy to look around and see injustice, sins destruction, and unfairness. Creation itself cries out for restoration and redemption! We must be careful not to look at everything through the lens of a magnifying glass. A Magnifying glass magnifies only the things under its scope. It does not give the whole picture.
While living in this sin cursed world, we must realize that all the terrible things are under our magnifying glass. When seeing all the trouble through a magnifying glass, it removes our peripheral vision and far-sighted vision. There is a day coming when all wrongs will be made right and righteous judgement will be delivered by the Lord. The Lord and His righteousness will reign forever!
Psalm 9:6—7 6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. 7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.”
“Wholehearted Praise”
Psalm 9:1, 2 “1 I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.”
When considering our praise to God, we must realize that our praise will never exceed the room we allow for Him in our heart. Whatever we allow our heart to be attached to the most, there we will find our passion and adoration.
In the intro to this Davidic Psalm, He sings praise to God with his whole heart! He testifies of God’s great works within his life. His mind and heart are fixated on the goodness of God, and it causes him to be glad and rejoice in songs of praise!
If we fail to dwell on his goodness and mighty works, our hearts will be filled with something us. This is how our heart gets cluttered with things far less important than King Jesus. Empty your heart out and center it on His goodness and mighty works! You will have no choice but to sing praises unto Him! This is wholehearted praise! He is worthy!
“Man’s Significant Role”
“God our Ruler”
The magnitude of God Almighty cannot be comprehended. It’s taxing to the human mind to attempt comprehension of how great the Lord God is! David cried out “Lord, our Lord” in Psalm 8:1; In proper contextual definition of Lord in this passage, we see the name of the Lord as Adonai. Adonai means: “one who expresses power and authority.” God is Sovereign overall!
The name of the Lord in and of itself is strong and mighty. The name of our Lord does not bring unity; instead, it brings division and rebellion. Lost man wants nothing to do with our supreme Lord, Adonai. He reigns in power and majesty! He is Lord over all and this reality is determined by no man. It’s simply a reality. Whether you are located in the largest cities of America, or the most remote areas of the jungle, He is God, ruler of all!
Our Lord is not in the dark on anything that has happened, is happening, or anything that ever will happen. He knows where you are, what you are going through, and nothing squeaks by the throne of God! He is God our ruler! He’s got this!
Psalm 8:1 “1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.”
“God Judges All”
For many, the presumption that the wicked and their evil works shall never come to an end is a constant thought and fear. The question arises within ones heart, “Does the Lord even see my attempt to live righteous?” Before we get too impressed with our righteous living, we must realize this fundamental truth; the only desire we have to live righteous is His righteousness within us. This is not a natural inclination. There is no good within us outside of the Lord.
God is consistent in both attributes of mercy and anger. God judges the righteous and He judges the wicked and the only righteous people are those who are clothed in Christ’s righteousness. God is angry with the wicked every day. Judgement will come to all men! Dr. Adrian Roger’s once said that the only difference between the sin of lost men and saved men is this: “Lost men sin on a credit card, saved men sin on a “cash only” basis.” The wicked will not get away with their evil deeds. If they fail to repent and look to Christ, they will pay the full payment for their sins. The righteous are established in Christ. We are judged too, but praise God, we are seen in Christ.
Psalm 7:9–11 “9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart. 11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.”
“Lord, Have Mercy on Me”
Repentance is a work of the Holy Spirit in the life whom the Spirit is working. For a believer, there is no place more miserable than living an unrepentant life. There is no peace and our sin is constantly before us. We go to bed with it on our mind and we awake to it on our mind. Our Lord is convicting us of our sin and the lack of peace is His chastisement.
The key to finding peace in such a time is repentance. Repentance is yielding to the change of mind and direction that the Lord has called us to in our sin. The longer we resist His call to repent and turn, the longer we are in misery. In Psalms 6, we see the brokenness of God’s child in repentance. The Psalmist sees God’s anger and displeasure with his unrepentant heart and it has moved him to fearful misery. He cries out in confession and repentance. This is what every believer must do. Confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. Repent and turn towards God. He will show us mercy.
Psalm 6:1–4 “1 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure. 2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. 3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long? 4 Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.”
“Rejoice in His Refuge”
Christ is worthy to be praised. He is worthy to be promoted among all people. He has surrounded us with His protection and covered us in His promises. Brag on Him today and each day that He blesses you with. We are to rejoice in His refuge! His eyes are always upon us. His protection is like nothing we can comprehend! We are to rejoice in His refuge! He is a wonderful God!
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; With favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
Psalm 5:11-12
“The Man-Made Love of God”
One of man’s most wicked inventions is “a god” made according to his own standards and preferences. When we examine the true and living God of the Bible, we will quickly discover things about Him that we would rather not be true. After all, he is the father of everyone; right? He radiates love toward all people; right? NO! You see, man has a way of making his own god to look, sound, and be exactly how he wishes him to be. Man has also made a god with “man-made love” too.
One of the strongest passages in the Bible reveals to us that the God of the Bible, the true and Living God, loves on His terms which is derivative of His divine attributes. Man doesn’t get to determine who God loves, what God loves, or how God loves! We must have a proper understanding of how much God hates sin and wickedness. If we examine the cross of Christ, we will see God’s hatred of sin! He spared not His only son who was made to be sin that we could be made the righteousness of God. God hates sin!
Sin is not a living and breathing organism on it’s own. Sin is acts performed by men that break the demands of God. His demand is sinless perfection! You cannot see sin apart from mans part in it. This Psalm of David puts into proper perspective God’s position on wickedness and those who are evildoers. There’s no explaining this away. There’s no dismissing it. The weight of this passage should draw us to our knees in thanksgiving for the cross of Calvary and the Salvation that God has provided to us, Jesus met God’s demand for sinless perfection on the sinners behalf. May this Psalm of David give us a proper perspective of God’s position on sin and the sinner. May we never be guilty of making up our own version of God’s love. To do so is to make our own “god” to our liking and into our own image.
“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: Neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: Thou hatest all workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: The LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.”
Psalm 5:4-6
“Sleeping in Anger”
Unrighteous anger is an unnecessary burden to the Christian that is never justified. If it’s never justified, then it is never ok to harbor. The Bible systematically calls us to a life of peace, love an forgiveness. Every single time that I have harbored anger for a period of time, it has done me so much harm spiritually and even physically. The stress and tension that is associated with harboring anger day after day and into the night. The pressure and tension within ones soul from harbored anger is taken to bed where we lie down to “rest.” True rest never comes when that kind of tension is bound up inside a persons soul.
David writes in Psalm 4:4 “4 Be angry and do not sin; reflect in your heart while on your bed and be silent. Selah” The idea of this verse is to let unrighteous anger go. Reflect on where your heart is before lying down in bed. In other words, don’t go to bed with anger bound up in your heart. Paul reiterates this same teaching in Ephesians 4:26, 27 “26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil.” The result in living this way is opening yourself up to the devil! Seek forgiveness, seek reconciliation, and work toward restoration. Do not harbor anger during the day and take it to bed with you at night. This is a losing battle child of God! Trust Him at His word and LET IT GO!
“Our Lord of Rest and Peace”
Psalm 4:8 “8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”
The believer’s safety is in the Lord. Our rest and our peace comes from God alone. This is a direct benefit of the salvation that He has provided to His children. At the end of the day, although taxing and sometimes filled with trouble, we can lay ourselves down in the rest and peace that comes only from Him.
We can and should do everything that we can do to live a safe and productive life, but when trials and troubles come fierce against us, our best is simply not enough. We’re robbed of peace and rest if we trust in our own ability to overcome. We have a Heavenly Father who will make us to lie down and rest in Him and covers us in His peace. Trust in the God of our salvation!
“Trust During Trouble”
King David knew a thing or two about trouble. There was a time when David’s own son turned on him while seeking the power of the throne. The Bible teaches that David fled for a season during that trouble. I can’t imagine the emotion that was going through David while fleeing Absalom’s pursuit. On top of that, it was his own son. David felt desperation.
When trouble comes our way, it can be conflict with people at work, the community, and sometimes even with family. Trouble can come in the form of sickness, financial woes, and many other ways; the reality of these troubles is that they bring stress, anxiety, and unrest.
David shares his confidence in the Lord when he was in a very troubled time in his life and family. David declares his trouble and proceeds to sing aloud what his Lord means to him. He sings praises to God for hearing and answering him in his trouble. His rest comes from the Lord. No matter how bad things get, his rest is in and from the Lord! He is the same God to His children today. Call on His name and cast your burdens upon Him. You can trust God during your trouble. He will sustain you!
“LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; My glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, And he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, That have set themselves against me round about.”
Psalm 3:1-6
“Laughter From Heaven”
A Christian does not have to look far to see the many angles that the wicked take to undo, overrule, or dismiss the Laws of God. Whether it’s man’s attempt to redefine marriage and claim it as his to redefine, or mans attempt to ignore God’s assignment of gender at birth. Man has cheapened the value of life down to a view of inconvenience or choice. The long but consistent effort to destroy family rages on today. The attacks of the enemy through the unregenerate are relentless.
These attacks are nothing new. They raged against the Lord from the beginning. David speaks of this in Psalms 2 and even makes prophetic reference to King Jesus who has yet to come in flesh at the time of this Psalm. Jesus is the Anointed One spoken of.
David gives the glim future of the wicked at the hands of the Holy King of Zion, Christ Jesus. As the war against all that is Holy and Righteous rages on; laughter rings out from heaven. Holy ridiculous comes from heaven. Anger radiates from heaven against those who thwart war against God and righteousness. Payday is coming! Righteousness wins for all of eternity! God laughs at the wicked attempts to remove Him and His Law. Why? Because it is truly comical to think that man could topple our Holy God in Heaven! Trust in Christ, He is supreme and has the final say!
Psalm 2:1–6 “1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. 5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.”
“Righteous versus Un-Righteous Living”
Sometimes the question is posed, “is it worth living the Christian life?” Most often , this question is asked during seasons of difficulty. Trials and tribulations come to the righteous in ways that sometimes leave us confused and asking why.
David likens the righteous people to a tree that is planted by a stream of water. You see, a tree planted by a stream of water does not mean that storms do not come by that way nor harsh and long winters. There are still seasons of drought and harsh heat where that tree is planted. However, that tree is planted beside a place where proper water and nutrients will sustain the tree during all seasons.
The Christian that loves God’s word and practices God’s word is just like that tree. The storms come, the winters are long, and the droughts parch our dry soul, but we have a foundation and a source that the wicked do not have. We are sustained in the Lord just as the tree planted by the river.
The wicked do not have this blessing. They are like seed blowing in the wind. They will not withstand the judgement of God! It is imperative for the children of God to be rooted in His word and learn to love His word just like the tree planted by the river!
“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: But the way of the ungodly shall perish.”
Psalm 1:3-6
“The Pathway of the Righteous”
There are only two paths that any person can be on in life. The pathway of righteousness or the pathway of wickedness. There are no neutral paths. While walking in the pathway of righteousness, there are always distractions from the other pathway. There are those who give their advice on how life can and should be lived. Often, these folk from the other pathway mock and ridicule the pathway that we’re on as Christians.
As Christian’s, we cannot allow ourselves to be distracted from those who do not know Christ. They are in their lane and in no way should we be distracted by their direction or pathway. They are following signs and signals from a different headquarters. When we attempt to follow their lead and listen to their advice and or ridicule, we then become miserable.
Happiness for the Christian is found in dwelling on the Lord and His righteous ways. The Lord instructs us through His word and joy and happiness that lasts will follow. Just as no one following Interstate signs to Los Angelos will end up in Miami; no Christian taking advice from lost men will land in joy and happiness. Dear Christian, stay in your lane. Follow the instruction of the Lord. Dwell upon it at all times. Stay on the pathway of righteousness.
Psalm 1:1–2 “1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
