February 18, 2018
To take delight is to take great pleasure and joy. David wrote this psalm as one who had learned to find his joy and satisfaction in the Lord. As he took delight in the Lord the desires of his heart were brought into alignment with the Lord’s heart, so that he wanted what the Lord wanted. What the Lord wants is not smaller than what you want. But what He wants is harder to obtain. For only the Lord can give you what will truly satisfy your heart.
February 17, 2018
The quality of the love of God is unfailing and its quantity is as vast as the heavens. David knew and wrote of the love of God. Yet, its highest expression is found in Christ. For He is the apex of God’s love expressed. He is the demonstration of God’s love for all to see. As the apostle Paul wrote, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).
February 13, 2018
A CALL TO WORSHIP
David invited others to come with him to worship the Lord. He wanted to hear testimonies of the Lord’s greatness and he wanted to sing songs praising the Lord’s name. It is good to praise the Lord alone. Yet, it is even better to praise the Lord together with other believers.
February 12, 2018
HOPE’S ANCHOR
Our hope must have a secure anchor, otherwise it is merely a wish. Biblical hope is like a rope and its anchor is the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything we hope for is “Yes” in Jesus. All our hopes all our dreams are only fully realized in Christ.
February 4, 2018
Have you heard of the “Jesus Prayer?” It goes like this, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” When you don’t know how to pray, pray the Jesus Prayer. Call on Jesus to have mercy on you and He will answer your cry. This prayer hinges on the quality of Christ’s mercy, not our worthiness. For though our sins may be as scarlet, His mercy can wash them “white as snow” (Isa. 1:18).
January 30, 2018
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
David wore his heart on his sleeve in this psalm. He prayed to the Lord with passion and very personal connection. David’s prayer life was one of intimacy with God. His psalms are helpful to those of us who desire a similar prayer life. Today, I pray along with David, “Lord, my Savior, lead and teach me today. I will put my hope in You all day (not just part of the day) long.!”
December 31, 2017
It’s become my habit to highlight a verse from each of the four daily readings in the One Year Bible on the last day of the year. So, on this last day of 2017, I offer a prayer for all of us from each of the readings:
From Malachi, I pray that we will receive healing and the power to go out kicking up our feet like young calves.
From Revelation, I pray that we will look forward to Christ’s return and be blessed by the promises of His Word.
From Psalms, I pray that we grow in our awareness and acknowledgement of God’s “mighty acts” and “excellent greatness,” so that we are always praising the Lord.
From Proverbs, I pray that as members of His Bride, the Church, we would be be clothed in “strength and honor,” always “rejoicing in time to come.”
I pray these prayers over all of us, knowing that His Word is true, His promises sure, and His ear, always listening, ready to answer the prayers of His people.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
December 28, 2017
Since the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have observed that there are an almost infinite number of stars in the universe. In our own Milky Way galaxy there are over 100 billion stars. And scientists estimate that there are at least 10 trillion galaxies with each containing a similar number of stars. When dealing with such incredible numbers, who could possibly count the stars? The Bible says that God can. He not only knows their number, “He calls them all by name.”
Ancient human observers gave the stars names like “Betelgeuse,” which in Arabic means “armpit,” describing its position in the constellation they called “Orion the Hunter.” Modern astronomers prefer more precise nomenclature, giving the star Betelgeuse the designation “HD39801.” I suppose they ran out of Greek letters and Greek gods rather quickly once the Hubble launched.
But an infinite God has no problem naming an infinite number of stars. He has yet to share these names with us, but I’m thinking that He prefers the ancient names to the modern ones.
December 28, 2017
What was the psalmist’s resolution? To “praise the Lord!” The psalmist directed both his own “soul” and that of his audience to “praise the Lord!” This was a matter of firm resolve. He recognized the tendency of his soul to droop into discouragement and to focus on worldly things. Yet, he was determined that as long as he lived, he would live a life of worship.
In this season of making new year’s resolutions, perhaps we can join the psalmist. Let us resolve that while we “live” and have “being,” we will praise the Lord!
December 24, 2017
David asked the Lord for revival and rescue. He did not try and make the case that he had earned or deserved it. But rather, that the Lord should do it for the sake of His own name and righteousness. In other words, he prayed, “Lord revive me because I call on Your name. Rescue me because it shows Your righteousness.”
You may feel unworthy and beyond redemption. You may feel you must put things in order before coming to the Lord. But you couldn’t be more wrong. Stop focusing on your own shortcomings and inadequacies, instead focus on the character and adequacy of God. Your revival and rescue come out of God’s name and righteousness, not your own. Pray according to the character of the Lord.
Upon whose name shall we call? The name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). And upon whose righteousness shall we depend? Christ’s righteousness (Rom. 3:22).