May 23, 2016
How do you “store up” (“hide”) God’s Word in your heart? First believe it and receive it. Then, study and commit it to memory, so that it begins to re-write your thinking. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, He responded with Scripture every time. Memorize and repeat the Word to face today’s challenges.
May 21, 2016
A good reminder during a political year.
May 13, 2016
David declared his intent to “give great thanks” to God in “the midst of the throng.” Not little thanks, but “great” thanks. Not private thanks, but public, in the middle of a noisy multitude. David, who often wrote of his gratitude in a psalmist journal, declared his intent to shout out loud thanks with his “mouth,” and not just his pen. He saw no separation between his private and public faith. He was ready to stand in the “midst” of a cacophonous crowd and be heard praising the Lord.
May 2, 2016
This psalm of David begins with an introspective imperative that every detail of his life, both within and without, would live in a continuous state of worshiping God. Was there an area where David worshiped his own will or had found his desire focused on another? If so, he commanded himself to “let all that I am,” every part of my “heart,” be focused on praising the Lord.
Is there an area in your life today that isn’t in alignment with God’s will for you? If there is, then how can you truly worship the Lord? How can you bring only part of your heart, part of your life to Him in praise? This is half-worship, and God will not accept it. Stop being half-hearted in following Jesus. Confess your sins and “let all” that you are praise the Lord. Praise Him with your “whole heart.”
April 27, 2016
Those who know the Lord should sing joyful songs of praise and make joyful noises with their instruments. Worship is no time to be shy or self-aware. It is a time to focus on the King, giving Him the praise due him. The psalmist uses imperative language to urge our worship: “Make a joyful noise” and “break forth into joyous song!” When was the last time you “broke forth?” Perhaps that’s what many of us need today… a breakthrough. We need a worship breakthrough. Worship that breaks forth through our fear, our worry, our trouble. Worship that lifts our focus from our circumstances to His face. And this command to worship also moves us to carry the gospel to “all the earth,” so that people from every tribe and tongue join us in joyful song. Break forth!
April 21, 2016
The Lord sits on His throne of “righteousness and justice,” yet He has sent Christ, so that He is able to look upon us with “steadfast love and faithfulness.” It was at the cross of Christ that both God’s justice and love were satisfied. The penalty for sin that God’s righteousness and justice demanded was meted out upon Christ. And God’s “steadfast love” (Hebrew: “chesed” – “covenantal love.” Similar to “agape” love in the NT) and “faithfulness” were expressed in that God provided a way for us to be saved through Christ’s sacrifice of love. God is seated on a throne of righteous justice, yet His faithful love has gone before His face, so that He looks upon us through Christ.
March 30, 2016
Hope is the strong desire for a favorable future. Yet, experiences of past and present failures often dash our hopes, making us less hopeful for tomorrow. But the Psalmist found that his hope in the Lord was trustworthy and true since his youth. Anchoring his hope in the Lord, his hope for the future soared. We can make Christ our hope. He will never disappoint. Our hope in Jesus is anchored in his resurrection, trusts in his reliability and focuses on his soon return. Christ is our hope for our past, present and future.
March 27, 2016
David wrote this psalm, but it finds its true fulfillment in Christ. The disciples of Jesus recalled the first part of this psalm when he zealously cleared the temple of the moneychangers on the Monday of Passion Week (John 2:17). Yet on Good Friday, he fulfilled the latter part of the verse as all the world’s “reproach” fell on him. Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for our sin, and not only that, but on the first day of the following week, he arose, overcoming sin, death and the grave. He has therefore become not only our perfect sin sacrifice, but also our Great High Priest, “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). He is risen!
March 19, 2016
David knew how to get alone with God and find hope and encouragement from Him. He was careful to silence his own self-talk and listen for the voice of the Lord. When we allow the voice of worry (anxious self-talk) to fill our heads, discouragement abounds. At times like this we can say to ourselves, “Be quiet soul, wait and listen for God to speak.” For our hope is anchored not in our own ability, but in God’s power.
March 16, 2016
Singing praises to God puts our hearts and heads in alignment with His. When we are weak, recognizing God as our strength and fortress in song, strengthens us to face whatever the day holds. Singing praises to God, we are elevated to His perspective and enabled to face the day encouraged and empowered.