Psalm 107-110

June 30

Psalm 107-110

"Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless. With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." (Psalm 108:12-13, NIV)

When you read this verse, perhaps you think of someone you do not like, or perhaps you think of a nation that has a tense relationship with your home country. But the real enemy of a Christian is the devil, sin, and death. Peter reminds us to be on guard against the devil.  "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8, NIV) But as we can see the devil only has as much power as we allow him to have. He cannot make us do anything, if we keep our eyes and hearts focused on Jesus, the devil can only tempt us.

The devil’s goal is to turn us away from Jesus; to get us to focus on anything else but Jesus. He knows our weaknesses and exploits them. But the devil is really powerless. He gets leverage when we let down our guard and he gets us to rebel against God. In other words sin is the real enemy; the devil is the one who tempts us to sin. The consequence of sin is death, not just physical death, but spiritual death, separation from God. Paul wrote; "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—" (Romans 5:12, NIV)  All sin so all die.

Jesus came to defeat sin, death, and the devil. He came to bring life and wholeness. Paul wrote to the Corinthians; "For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death." (1 Corinthians 15:25-26, NIV) Then he continued; "“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:55-58, NIV)

As the psalmist wrote so many years before, God came to the aid of humanity against our enemy. Jesus came and won the victory on the cross. He trampled down our enemy. The devil has no power, sin has been paid for and cleansed from the hearts of those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and death was defeated when Jesus came from the grave. There will be a day when He returns and the living and the dead will be united with Christ and the devil, sin and death will be expunged from the world. In the mean time we are called to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.

Psalm 105-106

June 29

Psalm 105-106

What is in it for me? What have you done for me lately? Sounds like the attitude of most people doesn’t it? That was the attitude of the Israelites. One minute they were singing His praises as He delivered them out of slavery in Egypt. But before long they were crying the blues wondering why he had taken them into the desert. He provided food and water, but they were not thankful. They saw God’s mighty works in their presence, the plagues that came upon the Egyptians; the Red Sea opened up and allowed them to pass then drowned the Egyptian army. They saw the pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night. But rebellion was in their blood.

While Moses was on the mountain meeting with God, they grew impatient and had Aaron form an idol of a calf out of gold. The psalmist wrote; “"They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass." (Psalm 106:20, NIV) Most of us probably do not struggle with exchanging God’s presence for the image of a bull. But like the Israelites, we get impatient waiting on God and take things in our own hands. We may not make a calf, but we take things into our own hands. We may not of seen God move in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire, but we have seen His Spirit move in our lives. We experience salvation and the forgiveness of sin and turn around and follow the advice of the world instead of obeying God’s Word.

Fortunately God is patient with us. The only way to stop the rollercoaster ride of our spiritual lives is to surrender our lives to Jesus and to allow the Holy Spirit to fill us and guide us. The Israelites had the Spirit with them, we have Him in us. “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 106:1, NIV)

Psalm 101-104

June 28

Psalm 101-104

How far is the east from the west? The two never meet. That is how far God has removed our sin from us. God is a God of love, He does not want to send us away because of our sin, but He is also righteous and His righteousness prevents Him from winking at and ignoring our sin. Instead He redeems us. He pays the price that is ours to pay. Jesus came as the ultimate revealer of God. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:19-20, NIV)

We deserve death and hell, but "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love." (Psalm 103:8, NIV) A definition of grace is getting what we do not deserve; while mercy is not getting what we do deserve. "he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10, NIV) There is only one reason God treats us as He does; love. He loves us no matter where we have been or what we have done. Jesus came for those who believe in Him and those who reject Him. But those who fear Him, those who call on His name; He adopts as His children and redeems them from the pit. He forgives our sins and heals us, satisfying our desires.

If we receive such a great gift from God of the universe from the pit of our being we cannot help but cry out; Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Psalm 92-100

June 27

Psalm 92-100

When is the right time to retire? As people live longer and are able to be active at older ages, the question keeps popping up. What should be the age that we can begin to draw on our retirement or begin to receive social security? Are mandatory retirement ages too low? Many people work their entire lives looking forward to the day when they no longer have to punch the clock. People strain and struggle now so they can sit back later. Other people want to work until they are buried. The thought of not having anything to do each day is enough to drive them crazy.

No matter our thoughts on retirement from our careers, God does not have a retirement plan for our spiritual lives. As followers of Christ we are to be fruitful with our lives whether we are old or young. "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”" (Psalm 92:12-15, NIV)

God does not tell us that after a certain number of years of service or after a certain age, we can sit back and watch and let the next generation do the work of the church. Scripture instead speaks of the older generation mentoring and teaching the younger generation while the older generation continues to serve alongside the next generation. We are to continue to bear fruit even in our old age. Our work may change. We may not be able to do the things we used to do, but we can still be fruitful. We can still have an impact on the Kingdom of God. Remember the Lord is our Rock. We can lean on Him when we get tired and need rest, but that is not an excuse to stop serving.

Psalm 89-91

June 26

Psalm 89-91

"“Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”" (Psalm 91:14-16, NIV)

The devil took the words of Psalm 91:11 and quoted them to Jesus when he tempted Jesus in the desert. The devil tried to get Jesus to jump from the highest point of the temple and allow God to rescue Him to reveal to the people that He is the Son of God. Jesus reminded the devil that God also said; “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”

Many people are tempted to turn from God when He does not give them what they want or does not seem to answer prayers the way they want Him to answer. When trials and trouble come, some people turn from God instead of turning to Him. Especially when illness comes, when a diagnosis of a terminal illness is received people ask; why? Why doesn’t God heal those who get cancer at a young age? If the scripture says “with long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation,” why do some followers of Christ still die young? Why do good Christian people still face trouble in life?

First we have to remember that death is not final. Jesus won the victory over death when He rose from the dead. Death is a transition from life on earth to eternity. Those who receive the salvation offered by God through Jesus receive long life, eternal life. God does still answer prayers, they are just not always answered the way we want, but we can be assured God works all things together for the good.

This Psalm does not say we will not have trouble, but it does say God will be with us in the midst of the trouble. He will deliver us and will honor us as we come out of the fire refined and purified by God. When trouble comes, instead of turning away from God, we can turn to God and know that He is with us in the midst of the trouble. If we continue to love Him and serve Him and call on His name, He will hear us from heaven, will answer us, and will guide us through our trials. If our trouble leads to death, we can also be assured that at that time our faith will become sight and we will enter into God’s presence.

There is no trouble this world can bring us that God cannot bring us through.

Psalm 84-88

June 25

Psalm 84-88

Have you ever been in a place and you knew without a doubt that God’s presence was in that place? We know that God is always present, but there are times when we just sense His presence in an almost tangible way. There is a peace, an awe, an aura that God is present. When you experience the presence of God, you do not want to leave that presence. There is something about it that makes you want to stay.

The psalmist who wrote Psalm 84 apparently had experienced the presence of God in the temple. His heard and flesh cried out for the living God. Once you experience God, nothing can substitute for the feeling. Once you experience God in a church service, you are afraid to miss a service because you are afraid you will miss God showing up and blessing those present. Until you experience God in this way, you do not know what you are missing, but once you do, your heart will cry out for more of Him.

Most often these close encounters with God occur when prayer has been employed to prepare the soil. God responds when His people cry out to Him in prayer. God responds when His people focus on their relationship with him. God responds when we lift up words of praise to Him. We cannot orchestrate revival, or times of God’s refreshing spirit filling our places of worship, but we can prepare. We can prepare our hearts and minds.

God wants to move in our lives and in our churches. He wants to fill our services with the undeniable sense of His presence, but He does not come if we do not want him there. He does not come when we are trying to manipulate. He comes when we prepare our hearts to hear from Him and we are willing to allow Him to move in our lives and in our churches to bring change and restoration.

Psalm 79-83

June 24

Psalm 79-83

Humanity is a messed up lot. God created us for a relationship with Him and we spend our time and energy trying to find something to fill the hole in our lives that only God can fill. Sometimes we get involved in activities that we know are wrong. We know they are sin, we know we are rebelling against God, but frankly, we don’t care. Sometimes we get into activities or relationships almost by accident. Suddenly we look around and wonder how we got in the situation in which we are living.

Israel rebelled against God. They wanted to be like the other nations. They turned against God who disciplined them and allowed nations to come and destroy their homes and send them into exile. There are consequences for sin. There are consequences for the sins of a nation and for individuals. We cannot make ourselves not guilty, when we are guilty. Sin is disobedience to God. When we are guilty of sin, we turn away from God and as sinners; God cannot stand to look on us because He is holy.

The Psalmist three times cried out; "Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." (Psalm 80:3, NIV)  We cannot restore ourselves. We cannot make ourselves pleasing to God again. All we can do is turn to God, instead of running away from Him, run toward Him. If we turn to God, He can restore us. He can make us whole again.

“Make your face shine upon us” means for God to show favor. Our rebellion has taken us out of God’s favor. We cannot undo all we have done. We cannot earn our way back into God’s favor. Only God can restore us. All we can do is desire to be restored and to turn back to God. Then we can cry out like the Psalmist and seek God’s restoration. Our only hope of salvation in through God’s grace.

God extended that grace, God made true restoration of the sinners heart possible when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; When Jesus willingly took the bitter cup and took upon himself the sins of the world; when Jesus died upon the cross; and when He rose again on the third day. God provided restoration and His face shines upon us when we receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 75-78

June 23

Psalm 75-78

How will they know if we do not tell them? How will the next generation know what God has done in us and for us if we do not share what we have seen God do? It has been said that Christianity is only one generation from extinction. If we do not tell our children and grandchildren about the mighty acts of God, they will not know about the miracles He has done in our lives. "We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done." (Psalm 78:4, NIV)

The psalmist shares the history of the Israelites, the good and the bad. They turned from God and he punished them. They turned to Him and He blessed them. They forgot about His deliverance and began to complain to Him about what they  did not have instead of thanking Him for what they did have. They put God to the test and He rejected them, but after the time of punishment was over, He restored them and made them into a mighty nation under David their king.

It is good to tell the stories. We need to be reminded of our successes but we also need to be reminded of our failures. We need to praise God for His deliverances in our lives, and we need to remember the times He has brought correction in our lives. Our children need to hear about our successes, but they also need to hear about our failures. They need to know that God will walk with them in the face of hardships, but He will also bring correction when they wander from the truth. Perhaps our children can learn from our mistakes.

Because God loves us, He disciplines us. Because God loves us, He blesses us. Our lives often mirror that of the Israelites. When all is well we forget about God, we trust in ourselves, but when the hard time comes we cry out for His help. But if we will commit to follow Him, He will restore us and make us a part of a mighty nation, the Kingdom of God, under Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Psalm 70-74

June 22

Psalm 70-74

"For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." (Psalm 73:3, NIV)

Have you been there? You look at the big house, the nice car, the nice clothes, and you envy them. They are arrogant. They won’t even give you the time of day. They do whatever it takes to move up the ladder. It seems like God continues to bless them, while you struggle to make ends meet. They take bribes, they pay off judges, they don’t obey the rules, but they prosper. We don’t want to be like them, but we would sure like to have what they have.

The psalmist admits he was struggling. He had remained obedient to God, but he had to ask himself; why? Why remain pure when the wicked live carefree lives and just increase their wealth. It all seemed hopeless until he went into the sanctuary of God. There he was reminded that this earth is not our home. There he was reminded of eternity. There he remembered what really mattered in life. There he remembered the destiny of those who rebel against God.

It is easy to get caught up in our own emotions. It is easy to look around at the worldly wealth of people who are not walking with God and wonder why they are being blessed and those who are faithful are struggling. But when we come before God, when we open his Word, when we are reminded of eternity, we get a new perspective. The apostle Paul wrote; "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18, NIV) He had a glimpse of the truth. He saw with an eternal perspective. Life on earth is but a blip on the radar when compared to eternity.

After entering the sanctuary and being reminded of God’s majesty, the psalmist wrote; "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." (Psalm 73:25, NIV) All the riches of the earth are nothing compared to our relationship with God. Riches cannot buy heaven. Jesus said; " “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21, NIV)

When we fix our eyes on Jesus the things of the world do not have the same ability to pull us toward them. Riches gained by deceit or other unrighteous practices do not attract us because they are nothing compared to the promises of God. Heaven is not worth losing because we want stuff now. God can fill all the emptiness, He can satisfy every desire of the heart. We can join with the psalmist when we say; "Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory." (Psalm 73:23-24, NIV)

Psalm 66-69

June 21

Psalm 66-69

"But I pray to you, O Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation." (Psalm 69:13, NIV)

The psalmist feels like he is sinking. He feels like the world is against him. He feels like he will die if God does not rescue him. But he also knows that God will not let him sink into the “miry depths.” He realizes that God is his rescuer not only from the events that are consuming him, but also from the people who mock him. The psalmist does not turn to the support of this world, but turns to God for help. He prays for God’s favor and trusts in God’s “sure salvation.”

If we begin to conceive of God’s “sure salvation” and the meaning and greatness of His gift of life to us, we will seek God first when challenges come in our lives. Sometimes we pray and seek relief and it seems like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling, but we can know that God loves us and hears our prayers. He may not answer them when and how we would like him to, but He hears us and responds to our cries. We will face challenges in our lives; we will face pain and persecution. We may want God to deliver us from those times, but God more often gives us the grace to go through those times.

No matter what we may face, we can know that God is with us. We can praise His name. The psalmists speak often of shouting to the Lord and praising God’s name in song. When we encounter God, we cannot help but allow our emotions to bubble out of us. For some that is expressed in tears, for others it is laughing. For some it is shouting, for others it is stillness. For some it is singing, for others it is silence. But no matter how we praise Him, He delights in our praise. He wants us to praise Him more than He wants our sacrifices. He wants us to love him and to seek Him more than he wants our rituals. God loves us and hears our cries and wants us to come to Him and trust Him with our lives.

Psalm 59-65

June 20

Psalm 59-65

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1, NIV)

Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really thirsty. Have you ever been so thirsty you thought you were going to die if you did not get a drink immediately? The heading at the beginning of this psalm says; “a psalm of David when he was in the Desert of Judah.” The desert is a dry place; a place that makes you thirsty even thinking about the dry wind, the heat, the low humidity. The desert has an environment that makes consistent intake of fluids essential. The water is constantly flowing out, so we must constantly bring more fluid into our bodies.

In the midst of this environment, David wrote this psalm. Instead of thirsting for water, or perhaps in addition to thirsting for water, David thirsted for God. He says his body longs for God. Have you ever really thirsted for God? Have you ever been to the point where you felt like you would die if you did not have a close encounter with God? David wrote; “earnestly I seek you.” God wants us to seek Him like we would seek water in the midst of the desert.

We all have a void in our lives that can only be filled with a relationship with God. Unless He is in our lives, we continue to seek Him, though sometimes we don’t even know He is what we are seeking. But even when we have been walking with the Lord, our environment is like a desert. We cannot just come to Him and drink once and find satisfaction. We have to keep coming back to Him. Our environment will dry us out. This lost and broken world will pull us away from God unless we consistently come to Him and “drink.”

God wants us to long for Him. He wants to fill us. He wants us to come to Him and drink. Jesus said; "Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”" (John 4:13-14, NIV)  Let us come to Him and drink today.

Psalm 52-58

June 19

Psalm 52-58

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4, NIV)

Do we trust God or do we say we trust God. The United States has “In God We Trust” printed on all the currency, but are we a nation that trusts in God? Throughout the psalms we read of the psalmist crying out to God for help for deliverance. He cries out in prayer. He expects the Lord to hear his cries for help or his songs of praise. When fear enters his heart, he leans on God to support and to deliver him.

Most people face fears of some type. It may be a fear of physical harm, but it could also be a fear of failure or some emotional pain. The psalmist overcomes fear through his faith in a God who loves him and will protect him. If we begin to see God as good and loving, if we realize we can trust Him no matter what we face, we will be able to find peace in the midst of the turmoil. We will begin to realize that worrying about or trusting in humanity only brings more trouble. What harm or deliverance can people bring on the eternal sense?

Paul wrote; "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV) Paul and the psalmist had the same trust in God. They could put aside the threats, the challenges, and the turmoil of this world because they knew God was with them. They knew God loved them. They could rest in His presence and receive His peace which removes all fear.

Psalm 46-51

June 18

Psalm 46-51

David was guilty of adultery and murder. He tried to cover it all up. No one would know. No one would dare confront him, after all he was the king. But God knew David’s heart. He knew that as long as David lived in deceit, not only would his relationship with people suffer, but also his relationship with God would suffer. God sent a prophet, Nathan, to confront David for his sin. All the pent up guilt, all the fears, all the sorrow came pouring out in Psalm 51.

People struggle with God calling David a man after God’s own heart. How can a man guilty of the things David was guilty of be a man after God’s own heart? It is because David came clean. He begged God for forgive him. He begged God to cleanse him of his sin. He begged God to give him the opportunity to call others back to a right relationship with God.

David understood the heart of God. David experienced and expressed sincere remorse. David cried out for mercy and God extended His mercy and grace. God cleansed David of his sin. God received the sacrifice David offered of a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. (51:17)

God extends the same opportunity to each person. If we will come to Him and humbly confess our sin, if we are truly sorry for our sin, God will hear our confession and will forgive us our sin. Though we deserve death and hell, God will give us a full and fulfilled life in Him on heaven and on earth. God does not want any to perish, but for all to come to a saving relationship with Him.

Psalm 41-45

June 17

Psalm 41-45

"Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." (Psalm 41:9, NIV)

Have you ever been betrayed? Have you ever had a close friend stab you in the back and leave you wondering what happened; leaving you broken emotionally and spiritually? Unfortunately, most people have experienced the pains of betrayal by people we have thought were our friends. The psalmist is on his sickbed, a time when they need the support of a friend, instead they feel like everyone is talking maliciously about them. Even his close friend has turned against him. He has nowhere to turn for support, except to God.

Jesus experienced these feelings. He knew what it was to be betrayed by a friend. Jesus quoted from this Psalm " “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.’" (John 13:18, NIV)  "After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.”" (John 13:21, NIV) Though Jesus knew what was going to happen, it had to be difficult. One of His close friends, one of His inner circle, One of the men who traveled with Him and ate with Him each day was going to turn Him in to the religious leaders for thirty pieces of silver.

When we face tough times, when friends betray us, it is often difficult to believe that God knows how we feel, but he does know. He was betrayed. He quoted the words that had been penned by David during a difficult period of his life. Though knowing that others have suffered the agony of the betrayal of friends does not necessarily make us feel better, we can know we are not alone. We can seek counsel and support from our Lord who loves us and suffered even greater things at the hands of the very people He called to reflect His love.

We have a God who loves us and knows us. He has mercy on us and supports us in our greatest times of need. When the difficult days come, when it seems everyone and everything is against us, we can turn to Him and know He is with us through the good and the bad.

Psalm 37-40

June 16

Psalm 37-40

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:" (Psalm 37:4-5, NIV)

These verses sound like prosperity gospel, but the psalmist is not saying that if you love God, you will have everything you ever wanted or that you will have worldly riches. To delight in the Lord means to take pleasure in the Lord. If we find pleasure in living for and serving God, He transforms our hearts. He changes the desire of our hearts. If we are living for Him, He will give us the desires of our hearts because the desires of our hearts become the desire of God’s heart. This does not mean prosperity, though it could. It does not even mean a life free of struggles. It means a life lived in obedience to God. A life where we find contentment and fulfillment just living the lives God called us to live.

Augustine said; “love God and do as you please.” That does not mean anything goes. It means that if we love God, if we truly love Him, we will want to live in obedience to Him. It is not a task to be completed, but a relationship that is lived out. The psalmist is saying that if we commit our lives completely to God and trust Him with every aspect of our lives, He will fulfill the desires of our hearts.

God loves you more than you can imagine. He wants good things for you. He is a loving Father, not giving you everything you think you want, but giving you everything you need. He is good and gracious and watches over our lives. The psalmist recognized this attribute of God and called for those who read these words to enjoy being in God’s presence and being the person God created you to be. If we do this He will give us all we could imagine to fulfill the desires of our hearts.

Psalm 33-36

June 15

Psalm 33-36

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." (Psalm 34:8, NIV) Taste is a sense we do not often associate with judging the goodness of something other than food. But the Psalmist calls for those who hear or read his word to taste and see that the Lord is good. David had experienced God’s goodness. He had seen God and work. He had gained victory when death seemed so near. David invites others to come to God, to test Him and to experience God’s goodness first hand.

No one can taste your food for you. You may like more salt than someone else. Some people love certain foods while others gag at the thought of the same food. Taste is a firsthand experience. The only way we can truly experience God is to experience Him for ourselves. To hear about God is great. To listen to testimonies of how God has moved in the lives of others is a wonderful experience, but we can only experience God’s goodness if we come to Him and taste. If we come near to God, if we reach out to Him, if we seek Him, we will experience His goodness and love.

There are certain foods that seem to grab hold of your taste buds and demand you eat more. Perhaps it is popcorn or potato chips, maybe it is your favorite candy, for some reason it is not usually broccoli or greens. If we sincerely approach God, if we are serious about wanting to know Him, He will give us a hunger and thirst for Him that continues to draw us into His presence. We will desire to please Him in all we think, speak, and do. Once we experience God for ourselves, once we taste and see that He is good, we will take refuge in Him and we will be blessed. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." (Matthew 5:6, NIV)

Psalm 27-32

June 14

Psalm 27-32

Psalm 27 reminds us that no matter what we face, as followers of Christ we do not need to fear our circumstances. The Lord is our light and our salvation. He is our stronghold. Though trouble will find us, though we will have enemies come against us, we can be assured that if we pursue our relationship with God, He is there for us.

This world is not the end. The struggles we face here, no matter how intense, are nothing compared to our eternal reward. Paul wrote; "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV) The Psalmist was not worried about the pursuit of his enemies, he desired to be in the presence of God. He sought to be in God’s presence and to live a life pleasing to God.

God’s desire is for us to seek Him and love Him and to want to be in His presence. If we spend time with Him through prayer and reading and studying the Bible, God will teach us His way. He will lead us down the path of righteousness. He will protect us from destruction. That does not mean we will not face challenges, sickness, or even death. But through Jesus’ life death and resurrection, sin and death no longer have dominion over us. "“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:55-57, NIV)

Jesus won the victory and gives that victory to all who receive Him as their Lord and Savior. The time will come when Jesus returns and restores His creation with a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more sickness or death. Evil will be defeated once for all. So for now we;  "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14, NIV)

Psalm 21-26

June 13

Psalm 21-26

The six Psalms we read today have a lot of good content. I want to look at Psalm 22 though the temptation is to go to the popular Psalm 23. Psalm 22 gives us a glimpse of the crucifixion of Jesus many years before He was born. David wrote this Psalm, not as prophecy, but as a response to events in his own life. But when Jesus was hanging on the cross He quoted the words of David; “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The words David penned in his anguish, through the power of the Holy Spirit were also words of prophecy as Jesus hung on the cross.

Both David and Jesus experience the anguish of a feeling of separation from God. David perceived separation from God. He cried out and God did not answer him. He sought God and God seemed to be distant. Jesus experienced separation from the Father. As our sin was laid upon Jesus, the Father turned and could not look upon the sin. Jesus experienced hell, total separation from the Father, for us.

The words of Psalm 22 remind us that just because we are followers of Jesus does not mean everything is going to go according to our plans. Evil still dwells in this world and is the enemy  of those who live in obedience to God. Jesus was stripped, whipped, spit on, hung on a cross, and as David penned these words experienced by Jesus; "Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." (Psalm 22:16-18, NIV) How do we expect to world to treat us as His followers?

This would be discouraging if we did not know that no matter how the world may treat us, though we may not always feel like it God is with us. He is our strength, He is our Savior, He is our Redeemer. Jesus died on that cross, was separated from the Father, but on the third day He rose again and ascended to the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us until the day He returns. "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11, NIV) 

Psalm 17-20

June 12

Psalm 17-20

David has many descriptions for God. Psalm 18:1-2 describes God as strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield , horn of my salvation, and stronghold. Each description reveals God as a solid, steadfast, protector of those who love and serve Him. God is powerful and we can depend on Him when we hang on to Him and remain focused on His desires for our lives. The world tosses those who trust in it around like a boat on raging seas. But God is like a rock. He does not change, we can hang on to Him and know He is steadfast and trustworthy.

God is also our deliverer. He delivers us from evil. He also delivers us from eternal hell through His love and grace provided through the life death and resurrection of Jesus. Those who believe in jesus and receive Him as their Lord and Savior are delivered from the captivity of sin and given new lives as children of God.

God does not only deliver, He also protects us. He is our refuge, shield, horn of our salvation and our stronghold. When we are in Christ we are under God’s protection. We can trust Him. Paul had so much trust in God’s protecting hand that he could write; "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NIV)  Paul so trusted God to protect him, that he did not even fear death, for death was merely the means of transferring to eternity with Christ.

God is our salvation, our deliverer, and our protector. Our responsibility is to hang on to our rock and stronghold, to seek His salvation, and to go to Him for refuge. God offers us His protection, we just have to accept it. No matter what we may face in life, God is with us. He will walk the journey with us and guide us and protect us. The worst thing that can happen is we die, and as Paul wrote; “to die is gain.” What can this world do to us, if we are children of God living in His protective hands?

Psalm 9-16

June 11

Psalm 9-16

"The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." (Psalm 9:9-10, NIV)

Where do we turn when we have problems? Do we turn to our friends, our family, our bank account, our lawyer, a counselor or do we turn first to God? We need our human support system, and God encourages us to seek wise counsel. But to seek counsel without seeking God’s counsel is not wise. God is a refuge when we are in trouble. He is a place of protection and rest. God is also a stronghold, He is the rock we can hang on to in order to help us hold fast when the world seems to be swirling out of control.

When we get a glimpse of who God is, when we realize that He loves us and wants what is best for us, we realize that we can put all our trust in God. He is good and faithful. The psalmist wrote that those who know His name, will trust Him. To know God as He is, is to trust Him. Followers of Jesus say we trust Him, but do we really? Do we trust Him enough to trust Him with every part of our lives? Do we trust Him enough to walk in obedience to His word and believe that He will take care of us? Do we really believe or do we just say we believe?

God has never forsaken those who seek Him. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, NIV) Christianity is the only religion in which God seeks and pursues people. Every other religion people seek their god and hope he will accept them. In Christianity we believe God seeks us and sent His son to die for us. We also believe that if we seek Him, we will find Him, because He wants a relationship with us. If we seek Him, He will not forsake us, He will reveal himself to us.

Psalm 1-8

June 10

Psalm 1-8

The Psalms are the worship manual of the Bible. Psalm 1 describes the ways of the blessed compared to the ways of the wicked. The blessed stay away from evil and focus their eyes on God. They read God’s word and allow it to sink into their hearts and affect their actions. The blessed are prosperous and fruitful in life because the Lord watches over them. The wicked, on the other hand, will be blown away like chaff. Though they may prosper in the short run, their long term lot is empty.

Looking around our world it is easy to get discouraged. It seems like the wicked often prosper while the righteous suffer. It does not seem fair. It does not seem to fulfill the words of Psalm 1. But we have to remember, God looks at the big picture. Eternity is a lot longer than the time we have on this earth. Living lives of righteousness has its reward on earth, but it also has eternal rewards that cannot be compared.

So how do we live lives of righteousness? We avoid evil. We do not get caught up in the peer pressure and the ways of the world. Instead we read, meditate on, and apply God’s word to our lives. When we do this, God will watch over us and make us fruitful.

Job 39-42

June 9

Job 39-42

Job and his friends had gone round and round about the reason Job was suffering. They spoke of God and spoke for God, but in verse 38 God spoke. He spoke to them out of the storm and struck them in awe. When God spoke, they all realized that they did not know what they were saying when they spoke of God. He is too wonderful for words, to powerful to comprehend.

When God confronted Job, Job realized he was not worthy to complain to the Lord no matter what his fate. Much like Isaiah when he encountered God who responded; "“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty”" (Isaiah 6:5, NIV), Job covered his mouth to keep from even uttering a foolish word.

God confronted Job for condemning God to justify himself. (40:8) We are tempted to blame God when things do not go our way. Job complained that God was punishing him unjustly. We complain about the weather, our lot in life, and numerous other circumstances. Is God to blame? When we realize how unworthy we are to stand before Him, when we realize the extent of His grace, we can do nothing but fall to our knees and humble ourselves.

God does not owe us anything but punishment and hell. Instead, He extends mercy and grace. Mercy is not getting what we deserve and grace is getting what we do not deserve. No matter what we face in life, everything we get is more than we deserve. But thankfully God is graceful and extends life and wholeness to us in spite of ourselves.  The normal reaction when we realize all this is worship and thanksgiving.

Job 36-38

June 8

Job 36-38

Elihu misjudged Job’s character and the reason job was facing the trials he was facing, but he had a pretty good perspective on God. Elihu gave insight into God’s love for and desire for salvation for all people. "“He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction. (Job 36:16a, NIV)  God is wooing us from the jaws of distress. God wants to bring us out of distress, but He has given us free will so we have to decide for ourselves to follow Him. Therefore, God woos us or entices us. He tries to lead us out of the jaws of distress. Often we are so blind to what is going on around us, we miss God’s pull. We continue to walk right into the jaws of distress, but God continues to woo.

There is no other religion in which god pursues people. In other religions people have to pursue an elusive god who is fickle and it is impossible to know whether or not you have pleased him. But God loves us so much that He sent His Son to die on the cross for us. He pursues us. He loved us while we were still His enemy. While we rejected Him, He died for us.

We tend to imprison ourselves in sin, while God desires to set us free. God calls us to repentance because we are walking into a trap. The only way out is to turn from our sin and turn to God. We have a choice in our eternal future. It is not a promise that we will not face trouble in this world, we will. But God has an eternal reward for all who receive Jesus as their personal Savior, all who believe He is the Son of God, all who confess their sins and turn away from their sin and toward Him. Our choice, whether we respond to God’s wooing or reject it, decided our eternal destiny. 

Job 33-35

June 7

Job 33-35

Elihu gave some good advice to his elders. He reminded them that God is in control and He speaks to men, though men do not always hear when He speaks. God speaks to us through our circumstances. He speaks through dreams, visions and through the words of people around us. Sometimes God speaks through a still small voice that is easily drowned out by the noise of the world in which we live. God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit to redirect out paths so we turn from our disobedience and follow the narrow path to eternal life.

Elihu speaks of the soul of man drawing near the pit of death but God can pull him away. Then he speaks of a man saved by God’s hand. "Then he comes to men and says, ‘I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved. He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.’ “God does all these things to a man— twice, even three times— to turn back his soul from the pit, that the light of life may shine on him." (Job 33:27-30, NIV)  These verses remind us that God is not a vengeful God desiring to throw humanity into the pit of hell, but He is a loving Father who wants to redeem and save any who will turn to Him.

God constantly watches over our lives and will direct our paths if we will stop and listen. Wherever we go, He goes with us. David speaks of this in Psalm 139. Wherever David goes whatever he does, his thoughts and words are all known by God before he utters them. God loves us and pursues us. He does not sit idly in heaven wondering if we will turn to Him or away from Him. He pursues us with a loving vengeance. He will snatch us from the edge of the pit of hell if we will only listen to His words of instruction.

Elihu accused Job of saying; "Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?’" (Job 35:3, NIV) First the question is self centered which is the basis of sin. It is about what is in it for me. But getting beyond that, the profit and gain to not sinning is a relationship with God now and for eternity. God wants that relationship with us. He longs for us to turn to Him to seek salvation, and to allow him to direct our lives. We may not see physical benefits on this side of heaven. We may face trials and temptations as Job faced. But our relationship with God is worth more than silver or gold. He can help us make it through the trials.

Paul gives us a good perspective on this when he wrote; "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17, NIV) When we look back from eternity, even the trials of Job will seem light and momentary. Life on this earth is fleeting. Life in eternity is lasting. Trials of earth are nothing compared to the blessings of heaven. What is the profit of not sinning, what is the gain? Eternity with God; A great return on your investment.

Job 30-32

June 6

Job 30-32

Job felt like God had left him. He felt like God had brought disaster upon him and had left him to suffer. He felt like God did not care what happened to him or the trials that he faced. Job had walked as a man of integrity, but the reward for his integrity seemed to be suffering.

Job was purposeful in his life of righteousness. He determined in his heart that he would walk in obedience to God. Even in the face of adversity, he determined to continue to serve God. Even though he felt like he was being unfairly targeted for punishment, he did not turn from his righteousness. One of the determinations Job made was; "“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl." (Job 31:1, NIV) Men know that this is a problem. Women perhaps there are other covenants you need to make to remain pure in mind.

Job made a covenant with his eyes. He made an agreement not to look lustfully at a girl. When those thoughts came to his mind he turned them away. When temptation crouched at his door, he resisted. When his eyes saw a woman, beautiful in form, he bounced his eyes away from the girl to something that would redirect his mind. He reminded himself that the girl he was seeing was a daughter and a child of God.

There are certain temptations that we know are a struggle for us. When we know ahead of time we are going to struggle with certain temptations, the best way to overcome the temptation is to be prepared. We have to prepare our hearts and minds before we are in the situation that can drag us down. We have to decide how we will respond before we are in the heat of the moment. Job made a covenant with his eyes. When a beautiful woman was coming down the street, Job knew how to divert his mind; he had already developed a plan.

Temptation comes to all of us. How we handle temptation depends on how we have prepared ourselves. We cannot plan for every situation, but when we know we have an area where we are weak, we can prepare and protect our hearts and minds. Job determined to walk in righteousness. When trouble came, he continued to walk in righteousness. He did not understand why he was suffering, but he continued to maintain his integrity.

Paul wrote; "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV) When we are prepared for the battle, we have a better chance of winning the victory over the temptations that seize our minds. 

Job 25-29

June 5

Job 25-29

What is wisdom worth? Not education, not knowledge, but wisdom. What is wisdom worth? Where is wisdom found? Job writes that though man can mine deep into the mountains and find all kinds of precious jewels, wisdom is not so easy to find. Wisdom is worth more than all the gems sought after with hard work and diligence, but it is elusive.

Job has maintained his innocence before God and humanity. He declares that his mouth has not spoken deceitfully. He claims he is righteous and that he has maintained his integrity. His friends, on the other hand, accuse him of wrong doing, even if he does not know what it is he has done wrong. Job feels like no one understands him. He longs for words of wisdom instead of words that slip off the tongue of men.

Job declares that only God knows the way to wisdom. As we look around our world, it is obvious there are some very smart people. There are researchers working in the medical field to discover cures to dreadful diseases. There are inventors creating new products or improving old products almost every day. Technology changes at an exponential rate. But where is wisdom, real wisdom. It is obvious as we look around our world that though intelligence is present, wisdom is lacking.

Job proclaimed to his friends; “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” (Job 28:28, NIV) If the fear of the Lord is wisdom, no wonder it is in such short supply. Many people reject God and his wisdom. They think the words of scripture or antiquated and are not relevant to their lives. They live as the world directs them to live and disregard God, let alone do not fear Him. But rejection of God has its consequences. The lack of wisdom in our society is causing its foundation to crumble.

What can be done? Is there any hope? James writes; "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5, NIV) God is the source of wisdom. It we walk in obedience to Him, we will find it. He is the one who gives us wisdom. We can be wise, even if we are not the most intelligent person. If we pursue wisdom through God as we pursue worldly riches, we will discover God’s direction for our lives and wisdom to maneuver through the challenges of this world. 

Job 21-24

June 4

Job 21-24

Job readdresses the question of justice. Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? Eliphaz responds as some Christians respond even today. "“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you." (Job 22:21, NIV) Does righteousness guarantee prosperity? If we have enough faith, does it guarantee we will not get sick or suffer? If we are living sold out lives for Jesus, does that mean God will give us everything we pray for?

Job argues that he has lived in righteousness. He has exercised his faith and continues to trust in God. He has followed and obeyed God’s instruction, but he is still facing suffering and loss. Job wants a meeting with God to plead his case. Job is an example of a man of God who faces suffering not because of what he has done, but because he lives in a fallen sinful world. God allowed Satan to inflict him to prove his righteousness.

We do not know all of God’s plans. We do not understand suffering and loss. Some will tell you, like Job’s friends that if you are suffering, if you are sick, if you are poor, it is because you do not have enough faith or you were paying for your sin. Job was suffering because he was righteous and was a man of faith. Followers of Jesus are not guaranteed not to suffer. In fact Jesus said we would be hated and we would face persecution because of our faith. The people rose up against Jesus and killed Him. How can we expect anything less for ourselves?

But when we face suffering or persecution or loss, we can know that God is still with us. He will bring us through the difficult times. We may still face the illness, the loss, the heartache, but God will redeem us and refine us through the difficult times. Suffering does not necessarily mean we are paying for our sin. Sickness and death do not mean we lack faith. We do not understand the ways of God, but by faith we will see God and be able to stand before Him in victory because of our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Job 17-20

June 3

Job 17-20

Job is a man in despair. We cannot blame him. He has faced unimaginable wealth, then unimaginable destruction. He lost everything, and then his body began to rot away while he was still alive. He was removed from the community and left by himself to scrape his sores with broken pieces of pottery. The people who used to look up to Job, now ridiculed and made fun of him. His wife told him to curse God and die. Job would not curse God, but he wondered why God left him all alone and allowed him to face such suffering.  Job asked the question that would be on any of our minds in this situation; "where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?" (Job 17:15, NIV) Job was a man in despair.

But as Job processed what was happening to him, he realized that God had not totally abandoned him. His hope was not in what was happening right then, his hope was in his Redeemer. "I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" (Job 19:25-27, NIV)  Job’s longing was to stand before God and plead his case. Job’s dream was to see God face to face. Job longed to be with God.

The Psalmist wrote; "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:1-2, NIV) That was the way Job thirsted for God. Even in the midst of his suffering, his hope, his desire, his dream was to meet with God.

When we are living in sin, living in disobedience to God, we do not thirst for Him. We tend to want to avoid God when we know we are not where we should be in our relationship. But God wants us to thirst for Him, to desire Him, to come to Him whether we are living in blessings or if we are living in the midst of turmoil. Outwardly Job had no hope, but he maintained his hope that he would see his Redeemer. He knew he would be set free from his suffering and pain. He knew God would vindicate him. He yearned to be with God. 

Job 13-16

June 2

Job 13-16

Job is not claiming to be perfect. He is not claiming to be sinless. He asks God if he is paying for the sins of his youth. (13:26) Though he knows God is bringing all his suffering upon him, he continues to hope in God. He knows God is also his deliverer. He knows he has trusted God and continues to trust Him. He just wants some relief from his misery. He also would like for his friends to bring him comfort instead of accusations. Sometimes it is easy to give advice when someone else is the one facing the crisis. Job tells his friends that he could make accusations of them as well if they were in his place, but he would encourage and bring relief instead of piling on with accusations that are not even factual but suppositions.

When someone is suffering, often we can be most helpful when we just sit with them and empathize with them. There are times to speak. There are even times to speak words of correction with kindness. We do not have to speak for God in situations where we are making assumptions. When someone is in obvious sin, rebelling against God and doing things that are destructive to them and to others, we need to speak up and bring words of correction and healing. But to assume someone is facing difficulty because of sin, is a false assumption and elevates our opinions so that we presume to speak for God in the matter.

It is alright to just sit with someone who is suffering and agree with them that it does not seem fair. It is alright to just sit with someone and allow them to vent their frustrations without trying to fix them or the situation. It is alright to sit quietly just to be with someone who is hurting. Words are not necessary and often only bring more hurt. It is alright to speak words of encouragement when someone is in the dumps. No matter what we are going through or what those we love are going through, we can know that God knows us and loves us and " And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28, NIV)

Job 9-12

June 1

Job 9-12

Job understands the majesty of God. He knows that he cannot stand and refute what God has proclaimed. Job feels like he is being unjustly punished and that he has done nothing to deserve what he is receiving. He cries out to God; "Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?" (Job 10:3, NIV) In verse 12, he goes on to speak of those who worship false gods and how they go on secure while Job, who tried to follow God with his whole heart has lost everything in a matter of hours.

One of the greatest questions of humanity is why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people? Why do some of the most godless people seem to prosper in wealth, health, and relationships, while some who serve God with all their heart seem to fight an uphill battle their whole lives? It does not seem fair and Job is not afraid to cry out to God with his inquiry.

Notice verses 29-34 of chapter 9. "Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with washing soda, you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. “He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more." (Job 9:29-34, NIV)

Job knows he is guilty before God and has no hope. He realizes he needs someone to arbitrate between him and God. He needed someone who could speak to God and speak to Job. He needed someone who could understand him as a man and God as God. He needed someone to remove the judgment that was upon him in the presence of God. His arbitrator arrived many years later. Jesus Christ came and interceded for us. He took on our judgment and removed it from us. He came as the only one, the perfect human, perfectly God and removed our sin. He now stands at the right hand of the Father as our arbitrator.

There are times when it seems like those who reject God make out better than those who follow Him. But there will come a day when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we will give account for every word and action of our lives. We will all be found guilty and face eternal punishment unless we have received Jesus, our arbitrator as our Lord and Savior and He stands before the Father in our defense.