May 15, 2021
ARE YOU WORSHIP-READY? The psalmist opens with the Hebrew word, “Hallelujah” (“Praise the LORD”)! With this exclamation of praise, he both announced his intention and invited the participation of his fellow worshipers. He was determined to praise the LORD with “all his heart.” Have you made the same determination? In order to bring whole-hearted
May 13, 2021
LET THE LORD BE YOUR DEFENDER David asked the Lord to rescue him from his accusers. Rather than trying to defend himself, he asked the Lord to defend him. Notice the basis on which he asked for help. He asked God to save him according to the Lord’s “faithful love.” David didn’t ask according to
May 11, 2021
WHERE DO YOU TURN WHEN IN TROUBLE? The psalmist gave thanks to God for His deliverance in times of trouble and distress. He praised the Lord for bringing them out of the darkness and gloom of slavery. Perhaps a reference to Israel’s time of being enslaved in Egypt. He gave thanks to God as Deliverer.
April 23, 2021
DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE! Have you ever heard of the “Urgent-Important Matrix?” It is a time management system made popular by Stephen Covey’s book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” The matrix teaches that every task can be placed in one of four possible quadrants: Q1) Urgent and important, Q2) Important, not urgent, Q3)
April 16, 2021
LOVE AND TRUTH ARE REVEALED IN CHRIST Personifying the divine attributes, the psalmist wrote of a day when faithful love and truth would finally join together and righteousness and peace would embrace. “Faithful love” is the translation of the Hebrew word “chesed,” which can be translated “mercy” or “covenantal love.” This is God’s kind of
April 9, 2021
GOD DELIGHTS IN RAISING UP THE SMALL TO GREATNESS This is a description of King David, whom God took from the sheep pens to the throne room, raising him up to be Israel’s greatest king. David was born in Bethlehem, one of the smallest towns in all Israel. He was the youngest of his father
April 6, 2021
OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FUTURE GENERATION The psalmist instructed the people of God not to hide the testimony of faith that had been handed down to them by their forefathers. Instead, they must “tell a future generation” all that God had done for them. The truth is, we are always only one generation away
April 5, 2021
WHEN GOD KEEPS YOU AWAKE The psalmist spoke of a time when God had kept him awake. He couldn’t stop his mind from remembering the past and considering his troubles, when finally he considered the possibility that it was the Lord who kept him from closing his eyes. So he sought the Lord in his
March 30, 2021
WHAT’S YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN? The psalmist asked that the Lord not abandon him when he became old and weak. He knew that the Lord had cared for him since birth, but he wanted to be sure that the Lord wouldn’t forget him in his final days. As we age, we die by degree. Our
March 28, 2021
JESUS DRANK THE CUP MEANT FOR US This psalm of David found its fulfillment in Christ’s suffering on the cross. Reading the four gospels together, it appears that Jesus was offered at least two drinks and perhaps three. The first drink offered, according to Matthew and Mark, was wine mixed with gall or myrrh.