June 23, 2023
“Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Don’t let me drift toward evil or take part in acts of wickedness” (Psalm 141:3-4 NLT). David understood that he needed help controlling his speech. Only the Lord can tame the tongue. So, David prayed that God would take control of his words
June 15, 2023
“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalms 133:1 NLT). Psalm 133 was written by David and is one of the fifteen psalms with the inscription, “Songs of Ascent.” Psalms 120-134 were to be sung while ascending up to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to worship. In this way, worshipers
June 9, 2023
“Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted” (Psalms 127:1 NLT). This psalm of Solomon is apt for today’s One Year Bible reading as the Old Testament reading is about the building of the Temple. Yet although God had given Solomon such amazing wisdom, he failed to apply it to
June 4, 2023
‘I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD”’ (Psalm 122:1 NLT). This is one of David’s fifteen “Psalms of Ascent,” written to be sung while climbing up to the Temple Mount. It begins by expressing David’s gladness at the invitation to go up to the house
June 3, 2023
“I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth!” (Psalm 121:1-2 NLT). Psalm 121 is one of the fifteen “Psalms of Ascent,” so named because they were written to be sung by pilgrims traveling up to Jerusalem to worship at the
June 1, 2023
“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.” (Psalm 119:162 NLT). Some say that David wrote Psalm 119 to teach his son, Solomon, to love God’s Word, while at the same time, teaching him the Hebrew alphabet. For this beautiful ode to God’s Word is an acrostic poem, with each stanza
May 19, 2023
“And so I walk in the Lord’s presence as I live here on earth” (Psalms 116:9 NLT). The psalmist wrote of his constant awareness of the Lord’s presence in His life even as he attended to the everyday things of living here on earth. It is a psalm of praise for the Lord’s attentive ear
May 15, 2023
“Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people” (Psalm 111:1 NLT). 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
May 13, 2023
“Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love. Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, Lord” (Psalms 109:26-27 NLT). David asked the Lord to rescue him from his accusers. Rather than trying to defend himself, he asked the Lord to defend him. Notice
May 11, 2023
‘“Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains.’ (Psalm 107:13-14 NLT). 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