January 16, 2022
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Psalm 130:1-6
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devotions, discipleship
Last week, we learned how to be sure that we belong to this movement. This week, we’re going to focus on one of the chief behaviors, or spiritual disciplines, of those who are part of Christ’s disciple-making movement. What is this behavior or practice? It’s the habit of daily seeking to hear from God through prayer and through reading His Word.
I have heard some Christians say, “Why does God speak to others but not to me?” Some actually don’t think they are worthy for God to speak to them. Or they question whether God still speaks today. What do you believe? Do want to hear God speak to you? In the 130th Psalm, the psalmist described how he sought to hear from the Lord. We can hear from the Lord.
December 18, 2021
LONGING FOR HOME AT CHRISTMAS Jerusalem had been overthrown by the Babylonians and its citizens had been taken captive. As they were force marched from Judea to Babylon, they were allowed to rest for a while by one of its rivers. Yet though their bodies were in Babylon, their hearts remained in Zion. And when
December 6, 2021
IMMANUEL, GOD WITH US, SURROUNDING US Psalm 125 is one of the 15 “psalms of ascent,” written to prepare the hearts of worshipers as they climbed up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Entourages of pilgrims like the one that traveled from Nazareth with young, 12-year-old Jesus, would have sung these songs as they came
November 28, 2021
IS IT TIME FOR THE LORD TO ACT? The psalmist saw the people of the world becoming more and more rebellious, ignoring the law of God. He called on the Lord to take action. This call was made especially acute by the fact that Psalm 119 was written as an ode to God’s Word. Usually
November 24, 2021
DO YOU SEEK THE BLESSING OR THE BESTOWER? The psalmist declared that the Lord Himself was his portion, his reward. He sought not the Lord’s hands, but His face. While others seek blessing, he sought the Bestower of all true blessings. Remember the parable Jesus told of the prodigal son? He said to his
November 10, 2021
DO YOU HAVE A HEART FOR GOD? David declared the confidence of his heart towards God. In other words, David had set and established his heart on God. He had fixed his focus on God alone. Having made God the object of his heart’s desire and confidence, he declared his intent to sing and give
November 3, 2021
FIVE WORDS FOR WORSHIPING THE LORD There are five words for worshiping the Lord given in the first two verses of Psalms 105. Do you see them? Five words for worshiping: 1) THANKS – Give God gratitude for everything. Bring your tithes and offerings into His house with thanksgiving. 2) CALL – Call on
October 31, 2021
THE SIZE OF GOD’S MERCY David attempted to describe the size of God’s mercy by comparing it to the heavens and earth. He imagined the height of God’s mercy as rising as high as the heavens, and the breadth of His mercy being as wide as the “east is from the west.” Yet in
September 18, 2021
FINDING REST IN GOD ALONE Do many opinions seem to be battling it out within your mind? You try to quiet the many voices, so that You can hear the most important One, but try as you may the cacophony continues. Have you learned to speak to your own soul as David did? For David
September 12, 2021
TRUSTING INSTEAD OF TREMBLING The psalmist knew what to do when he felt afraid. He had already decided in advance that when fear came, he would replace it with faith in God. When he felt afraid, he recalled God’s Word and praised God for it. When he felt afraid, he compared the size of his