Tag: psalms

Herds of Panting Deer? Our Parched, Thirsty Souls? God’s Living Waters? Psalm 42

Psalm 42 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 42
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.

1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks,
so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:
when shall I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night,
while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me:
for I had gone with the multitude,
I went with them to the house of God,
with the voice of joy and praise,
with a multitude that kept holyday.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted in me?
hope thou in God:
for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me:
therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan,
and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts:
all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8 Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime,
and in the night his song shall be with me,
and my prayer unto the God of my life.
9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me?
why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me;
while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul?
and why art thou disquieted within me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him,
who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

When I visualize a deer, I rather quickly picture the white-tail deer which is commonplace in most of North America.

That default picture in my head could be misleading because in the Bible the word “deer” could mean any one of number of creatures such as an ibex, a gazelle, a mountain goat, and other species in the deer family.

Israel was allowed to eat deer (Deut. 15:22), and, even though it is considered a “clean” (edible) animal, it is nowhere stated to be a sacrificial animal.

They are pictured as beautiful and graceful (Prov. 5:19) and creatures known for their speed, agility, and slender legs.

In Psalm 42, the Psalmist begins with a vivid image:

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Ps. 42:1–2).

This comparison between a deer’s thirst for water and the soul’s thirst for God beautifully captures the essence of our spiritual hunger.

The deer more likely here is in search of water during a season of prolonged drought than one who is frantically trying to escape when it is being hunted.

On a hot day, nothing cools and revives us like water. Whether we drink it, splash our faces with it, or plunge into it—those streams of water refreshes.

Our eyes can thirst for the sight of it and our ears long for the sound of it.

A spectacular waterfall can take our breath away.

There is nothing else in creation like water; it is essential to life.

Our psalmist shares our appreciation.

Stranded far away from God’s temple, which symbolized God’s presence among his people, the psalmist desperately ached to be nearer to God, yearned to be with God in the traditional, non-traditional places of worship. Yet the writer of this Psalm reminded himself that God could always be found close at hand too.

The Psalmist’s expression of deep spiritual longing for God reflects a profound personal awareness of his significant need for divine presence and intimacy.

Deprived of the fresh stream of water that is God, sometimes we try to refill our souls with our tears, but they can’t satisfy our thirst.

Reminding ourselves of what God has done for us in the past can be a refreshing drink; remembering God’s promises can soak us in waves of hope.

When others share stories with us of how God alone has quenched their thirst, they push us into the pool of God’s grace.

These psalms assure us there is plenty of living water to satisfy all our thirst.

Even more, Jesus stands ready at his well of living water, offering us the life-giving Spirit of God as a spring that wells up within us to eternal life (John 4:14).

The Psalmists use of “my soul” in verse 1 instead of just “I” extends the metaphor of thirsting not only for physical water but also for spiritual needs.

Just as water is essential for a deer’s survival, so too is God’s presence essential for our spiritual well-being. The Psalmist’s soul mightily thirsts for the living God, emphasizing that nothing else can ever satisfy this inner spiritual craving.

Have you been refreshed by the water of life?

Go Deeper

Have you ever experienced spiritual dryness and periods of longing?

Do you feel that way today?

Our soul’s thirst for God is a reminder of our dependence on Him and our need to seek His presence continually.

What can you do today to satisfy that need?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Pray with Us …

Psalm 63

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for thee,
my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
2 to see thy power and thy glory,
so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,
my lips shall praise thee.
4 Thus will I bless thee while I live:
I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness;
and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
6 when I remember thee upon my bed,
and meditate on thee in the night watches.
7 Because thou hast been my help,
therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
8 My soul followeth hard after thee:
thy right hand upholdeth me.
9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword:
they shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God;
every one that sweareth by him shall glory:
but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Lord, we recognize our deep dependence on You. With the Psalmist, we cry out to You: “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:2). Satisfy our spiritual hunger and thirst, we pray, with the living water of Your Word!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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From you O’ Lord, let my vindication come; let your eyes see what is right. Trusting God when we face Injustice. Psalm 17

Psalm 17 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 17

Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors

A Prayer of David.

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
    give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2 From you let my vindication come;
    let your eyes see the right.

3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
    if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
    my mouth does not transgress.
4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips
    I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
    my feet have not slipped.

6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
    incline your ear to me; hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
    O savior of those who seek refuge
    from their adversaries at your right hand.

8 Guard me as the apple of the eye;
    hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who despoil me,
    my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity;
    with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They flush me out;[a] now they surround me;
    they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion eager to tear,
    like a young lion lurking in ambush.

13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them!
    By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord—
    from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.
May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;
    may their children have more than enough;
    may they leave something over to their little ones.

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
    when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

The world is filled with injustice.

Just turn on the news or scroll through social media.

It doesn’t take long to see all of the problems everyone faces.

Everyone is going through something, and most of it is unfair. 

Even as Christians, we are not immune to times when people have deliberately acted unfairly towards us. The Bible says in the New Testament that we should sometimes expect to be mistreated because we believe in Jesus as Lord, Savior.

How do we trust God, whom we believe is all-powerful, when we face injustice? 

Psalm 17 helps teach us how to trust God when we have been hurt by others.

David is the author of Psalm 17, and this chapter is described as a prayer of David. A brief look at David’s life poignantly paints a clear picture of injustice. 

David was told he would be king by God, anointed by the prophet Samuel, and for a time loved by King Saul.

Throughout the first part of David’s life, Saul changed his view of David.

Saul began slandering, pursuing, and attacking David. In all this, David had every reason to doubt God’s hand in his life.

Yet in Psalm 17, we read a prayer from a man who obviously still trusted God.

In this psalm, we can see clearly that prayer is the key.

David doesn’t go to his friends, the people in charge, or even an army.

David was wronged, but he went directly to God.

Not only does David cry out to God, but he also calls on God to act. 

How many of us hesitate to call out to God?

Maybe we struggle to believe that God is all-powerful.

If God were omnipotent, couldn’t he have stopped the injustice?

Or if he allowed it, doesn’t he have the power to make it right?

Maybe it is because we believe that God doesn’t care.

Do you think God hasn’t stepped in to make your situation fair because maybe God doesn’t love you?

We might be guilty of believing both things about God, but not David. 

David’s prayer cuts right to the chase.

In verse 2, David says, “Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright” (NKJV).

He is saying, “God, I know you care about me, and you know what they did was wrong, so do something!”

David recognized that vengeance would not come from himself, but God would make things right!

God would avenge the wrongs.

Only God has the power to do so, and David truly believed God loved him.

David also tells God that he hasn’t done anything wrong.

We quickly pray for forgiveness, forget that we are innocent in some situations.

Being treated unjustly means a wrong was done to us, without it being our fault.

It is not prideful to tell God, “I didn’t do anything wrong!”

God knows, of course, but reminding ourselves and saying it aloud to God helps to keep our hearts pure.

David must have examined his heart to be able to pray, and after doing so, he declared his innocence. 

The rest of the psalm is focused on David declaring who God is and what God will do and has done.

This is so important when we pray!

It is easy to tell God, “This is what is wrong.”

We also like to tell God how we think He should punish the wicked people.

But David doesn’t focus on this.

Instead, David declares to God,

“You will hear me, you will save, you will keep me safe from my enemies.”

These are things that reflect God’s character and His actions. 

Focusing our prayers on God’s character and His past and future actions helps us have peace in the present moment.

David tells God to punish those who have acted wickedly against him, but then David settles in his heart that, eventually, everything will be made right.

The last verse says, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15 NKJV)

Many scholars believe that David is talking about how everything will be made right when he dies.

Others think he is talking about simply going to sleep at night and waking up knowing God will take care of things.

Both can be true. 

When we pass from this life to the next, God will make all things right.

All evil will be punished, and God will be the judge.

Although it is hard, and we want to judge or take matters into our own hands, we can trust God.

Ultimately, we can rest in the fact that God loves us and He will punish for us.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

David, in Psalm 17:6-7,

“I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You.”

Pray unto God today, pleading Him of your innocence and how you have been wronged. Call upon God to act and rest, knowing He will execute perfect justice. 

When it comes to our hiding in God’s protective embrace, both CEOs and the homeless stand in the same line. Both the exalted and the lowly among all the earth’s people find refuge in the shadow of God’s wings (Psalm 36:7).

Psalm 36:7-9 The Message

7-9 How exquisite your love, O God!
    How eager we are to run under your wings,
To eat our fill at the banquet you spread
    as you fill our tankards with Eden spring water.
You’re a fountain of cascading light,
    and you open our eyes to light.

It doesn’t matter how isolated, or how lonely, or how afraid of emotions you might be: the Bible invites you to imagine God, in part, as the Lord who not only governs the universe but also shelters you with comforting, bird-like wings.

Isaiah 40:27-31 The Message

27-31 Why would you ever complain, O Jacob,
    or, whine, Israel, saying,
“God has lost track of me.
    He doesn’t care what happens to me”?
Don’t you know anything? Haven’t you been listening?
God doesn’t come and go. God lasts.
    He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine.
He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch his breath.
    And he knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired,
    gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out,
    young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
    They spread their wings and soar like eagles,
They run and don’t get tired,
    they walk and don’t lag behind.

This God not only covers and protects you but also watches and carry’s you too.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit …

Praying …

Psalm 121 The Message

121 1-2 I look up to the mountains;
    does my strength come from mountains?
No, my strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

3-4 He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

5-6 God’s your Guardian,
    right at your side to protect you—
Shielding you from sunstroke,
    sheltering you from moonstroke.

7-8 God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Has anyone devoted any serious time to pray through this thought? Living and loving without God in the World? Psalm 49

Psalm 49 New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

Psalm 49

The Folly of Trust in Riches

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
    give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high,
    rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
    the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
    I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.

5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
    when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth
    and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life;[a]
    there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly
    and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever
    and never see the Pit.

10 When we look at the wise, they die;
    fool and dolt perish together
    and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves[b] are their homes forever,
    their dwelling places to all generations,
    though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
    they are like the animals that perish.

13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
    the end of those[c] who are pleased with their lot. Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
    Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,[d]
    and their form shall waste away;
    Sheol shall be their home.[e]
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
    for he will receive me. Selah

16 Do not be afraid when some become rich,
    when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away;
    their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
    —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they[f] will go to the company of their ancestors,
    who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
    they are like the animals that perish.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Without God in the World?

For centuries, Western society has benefited from the widespread influence of the Christian faith.

While the history of the West is filled with examples of stark, grotesques human depravity, where there has been a consistent Christian presence it has, in many ways and at many times, also stayed the hand of evil. Most of us have not had to experience what a society looks like when it completely rejects and forgets God.

Psalm 10 Complete Jewish Bible

10 Why, Adonai, do you stand at a distance?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in their arrogance hunt down the poor,
who get caught in the schemes they think up.

3 For the wicked boasts about his lusts;
he blesses greed and despises Adonai.
4 Every scheme of the wicked in his arrogance [says],
“There is no God, [so] it won’t be held against me.”
5 His ways prosper at all times.
Your judgments are way up there,
so he takes no notice.
His adversaries? He scoffs at them all.
6 In his heart he thinks, “I will never be shaken;
I won’t meet trouble, not now or ever.”
7 His mouth is full of curses, deceit, oppression;
under his tongue, mischief and injustice.
8 He waits near settlements in ambush
and kills an innocent man in secret;
his eyes are on the hunt for the helpless.
9 Lurking unseen like a lion in his lair,
he lies in wait to pounce on the poor,
then seizes the poor and drags him off in his net.
10 Yes, he stoops, crouches down low;
and the helpless wretch falls into his clutches.
11 He says in his heart, “God forgets,
he hides his face, he will never see.”

12 Arise, Adonai! God, raise your hand!
Don’t forget the humble!
13 Why does the wicked despise God
and say in his heart, “It won’t be held against me”?
14 You have seen; for you look at mischief and grief,
so that you can take the matter in hand.
The helpless commits himself to you;
you help the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked!
As for the evil man,
search out his wickedness
until there is none left.

16 Adonai is king forever and ever!
The nations have vanished from his land.
17 Adonai, you have heard what the humble want;
you encourage them and listen to them,
18 to give justice to the fatherless and oppressed,
so that no one on earth will strike terror again.

The Scriptures, however, do give us more than a few grim pictures of what happens when people have convinced themselves that there is no God.

It is a poignant picture of a rejection of humility, where “the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul” and rejects God in pride (Psalm 10:3-4). Humility is where the knowledge of God begins; therefore, those who reject God reject humility too.

Not only do such proud people reject God; they also revile Him, cursing and renouncing Him (Psalm 10:3).

It is often prosperity that leads people to curse God.

Their lives are going so well that they believe nothing can touch them and they will give no account to their Maker.

Their prosperity gives them a false sense of security.

They think they can live as they like, that “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it” (v 11), and that there will be no repercussions for their behavior.

With no accountability, personal morals, ethics, responsibility, for how people live, there is no need for the powerful to serve or the strong to be gentle: we can treat others however we please, and so the godless man “sits in ambush … he murders the innocent … he lurks that he may seize the poor” (v 8-9).

It is with good reason, then, that the psalmist poignantly says, “Man in all his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”

When we consciously reject and revile God, we foolishly think we are secure in our devices, which convinces us that it’s acceptable for us to mistreat others.

It is tempting to think that passages like this one only describe other people.

But we should not be too quick to look away from ourselves.

Are there ways we ourselves have rejected humility, believing ourselves to be “wholly sufficient” without God?

Have we let our prosperity numb us to our neediness and accountability before God? Has our treatment of those around us been marked by self-interest and arrogance instead of love and service?

We may confess to have faith in God, but perhaps there are still areas of our “Christian” lives that require some serious Psalm 51 measure of repentance.

The picture of man “in his pomp yet without understanding” is indeed a bleak one—both in this life and at its end.

So praise God that this is not our own whole “Mona Lisa” self portrait/selfie.

If you grasp we have a Creator to whom we are valuable and accountable,

and that that Creator has ransomed your soul and will receive you into eternal life (Psalm 49:15),

then all of the pomp of this world will assume its proper place, and in Jesus Christ you will enjoy purpose, hope, forgiveness, and pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 49:15-20 The Message

13-15 This is what happens to those who live for the moment,
    who only look out for themselves:
Death herds them like sheep straight to hell;
    they disappear down the gullet of the grave;
They waste away to nothing—
    nothing left but a marker in a cemetery.
But me? God snatches me from the clutch of death,
    he reaches down and grabs me.

16-19 So don’t be impressed with those who get rich
    and pile up fame and fortune.
They can’t take it with them;
    fame and fortune all get left behind.
Just when they think they’ve arrived
    and folks praise them because they’ve made good,
They enter the family burial plot
    where they’ll never see sunshine again.

20 We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long.
    Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will return there.
Adonai gave; Adonai took;
blessed be the name of Adonai.”

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible

23 (0) A psalm of David:

(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.

5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.

6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Joyful Rest in a Frantic World: ‘I will both lie down in peace and sleep, for though I am alone, O’ Lord, you will truly keep me safe.’ Psalm 4:7-8

Psalm 4 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 4

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.

1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:
thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;
have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?
how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself:
the Lord will hear when I call unto him.
4 Stand in awe, and sin not:
commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?
Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.


The great majority of humans are striving after wind.

We all go from pillar to post chasing all sorts of things to satisfy our souls but keep ending up empty-handed or badly unfulfilled. We will anxiously wonder, “Who will show us some good?” Put differently, “Where can I find truest joy, meaning, and hope in the frenetic pace and frustrating pursuits of this life?”

Thankfully, the psalmist does not leave us to wonder about what we need most:

“Lift up the light of your face upon us, O LORD.”

The great need of David’s day—and our day, thousands of years later—is to embrace and be embraced by the living God.

So David points rightly out just how the greatest pleasures pale in comparison to finding the one true, living God.

Abounding, focusing, in life’s good gifts, be they grain or wine or anything else, is certainly no bad thing. But truly knowing God is infinitely, gloriously better.

How many people today live in the hope that the experience of tomorrow will only bring them the joy they seem to lack today?

“Just a little more money; then I can be happy. Just a little more of this or that, and then I will be satisfied.”

But it’s not the vain fleeting promise of a nicer car, a bigger house, a perfect spouse, or a better job that truly gives us lasting peace and rest.

There is only one way to be able to lie down and sleep in peace, content and secure.

What makes such rest possible?

Who makes such rest possible?

Our Psalmist, laying his head down on his pillow … exhales …

“You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Only when we find all we need is breathing in, breathing out the Lord, knowing the Lord and knowing He is smiling at us, will we all be able to lie down without anxiety or regret.

As you lie on your bed at night and reflect on the day, or as all of tomorrow’s to-dos race through your mind, how will you hold it together?

What will give you the stability and security that every human being in the world longs for?

In the end, it won’t be the amount of money in your account. It won’t be the home-security system. It won’t be enjoying admiration from your community.

It is the Lord alone who leads His beloved children to true peace, rest, and security.

In the arms of the Good Shepherd, you can dwell in safety and rest in peace.

Be sure, when you lie down tonight or when worries rear their heads today, to remember that the Lord loves you and is looking after you (Psalm 23, 121).

This is where authentic rest and genuine peace are truly, eternally to be found.

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

And when I think that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Stuart Keene Hine

How Great Thou Art lyrics © Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd., Pt. Nadaku Musik, Manna Music Inc, Stuart Hine Trust, Emerald Music (ireland) Ltd

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 121 (AKJV)

A Song of degrees.

1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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Treasures from Darkness: “Cyrus, I will give you all the treasures of the darkness, all the hoarded treasures and all of the hidden riches of secret places, that you may know I am God.” Isaiah 45:3

Isaiah 45:1-7 Easy-to-Read Version

God Chooses Cyrus to Make Israel Free

45 This is what the Lord said to Cyrus, his chosen king[a]:

“I took you by your right hand to help you defeat nations,
    to strip other kings of their power,
    and to open city gates that will not be closed again.
2 I will go in front of you
    and make the mountains flat.
I will break the city gates of bronze
    and cut the iron bars on the gates.
3 I will give you the wealth that is stored in secret places.
    I will give you those hidden treasures.
Then you will know that I am the Lord,
    the God of Israel, who calls you by name.
4 I do this for my servant, Jacob.
    I do it for my chosen people, Israel.
Cyrus, I am calling you by name.
    You don’t know me, but I know you.[b]
5 I am the Lord, the only God.
    There is no other God except me.
I put your clothes on you,[c]
    but still you don’t know me.
6 I am doing this so that everyone will know
    that I am the only God.
From the east to the west, people will know that I am the Lord
    and that there is no other God.
7 I made the light and the darkness.
    I bring peace, and I cause trouble.
    I, the Lord, do all these things.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In Isaiah 45, God promised the Israelites release from bondage to Babylon and deliverance for his wayward people through a Persian king named Cyrus.

He says to Cyrus, “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches hidden in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name” (Isaiah 45:3 NIV).

During his conquest, Cyrus literally found treasures that the Jews had buried as they were taken into captivity.

Like King Cyrus, who found treasures hidden in the darkness, you, too, can find treasures—hope in the unexpected places of darkness, those painful places of suffering where you would very much like not to be.

God gives you these treasures for two reasons.

First, he does it so you would know that he has the power to intervene in your darkness.

In this verse, God reveals himself as the Lord, the God of Israel.

Over and over in Scripture, he says that he is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Master, the Ruler, and the Deliverer.

He is transcendent, which means he’s above time, space, and matter, and his existence is not dependent on anything outside of himself.

His ways are higher than your ways and his thoughts higher than your thoughts. “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5 NIV).

God is huge and powerful, and he can intervene in your darkness in ways only a transcendent God can do.

You can probably tell amazing stories of the ways God has intervened in your finances, your health, your family, or your career, just when you thought there was no hope of restoration or salvation. He revealed himself as he moved into your darkness and changed everything.

We ask for miracles every single day because we know he is God and we are not.

Sometimes God intervenes in ways that we have begged for.

Other times, he does not.

He may not have intervened in the darkness that has surrounded you or your family in the ways that you desired.

So, what then?

This verse reveals that God will be close to you in your darkness.

He is the Almighty God.

He’s huge, but he is also imminent, which means he is intimate.

He is personal.

He is your helper, your healer, your Savior, your friend, the lover of your wounded soul. This personal and intimate God will be close to you in your darkness because he promised he would be. He’s as close as your next breath.

Something other than Darkness to Ponder 

SOMETHING TO PONDER 

Psalm 112 English Standard Version

The Righteous Will Never Be Moved

112 [a] Praise the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
    he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
    who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
    he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
    his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
8 His heart is steady;[b] he will not be afraid,
    until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
    his righteousness endures forever;
    his horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked man sees it and is angry;
    he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
    the desire of the wicked will perish!

Darkness is generally something we avoid.

It feels unknown, chaotic, and sometimes even hopeless.

The dark seasons that we endure in our lives are usually the ones we want to forget. We don’t want to revisit those struggles, often, we wonder how anything good could come from our pain.

Yet God is able to transform our dark moments into something beautiful.

This is how we know his light is greater than the darkness that plagues our world! His word says, “I will give you treasures from those dark moments.”

He unpacks rich blessings from those difficult, secret moments.

As he meets us in the dark, it’s then that we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is the Lord! 

There is so much beauty in God’s power to make treasures out of our ashes.

There is so much grace when we realize our failures, in Christ, are the places where we have met God, and he carried us forward.

The lessons that come when we walk through the valley of the shadow become the ones that most profoundly define our character and shape our testimonies. 

If you feel stuck in the dark, remember there are treasures to be gained even in this struggle to find even the smallest pinpoint of light. God is greater than the darkness that covers us. He uses our pain for his glory and our good.  (John 1:5)

Talk It Over

  • When in your life has God intervened in a seemingly hopeless situation?
  • Do you regularly ask God for a miracle because of what you know about his character? Why or why not?
  • How does God show you that he is near when you are walking through a dark time in your life?
Three additional things to meditate and pray upon 

1. Is there a part of your story that you are ashamed of? Ask God to help you release that shame and embrace the promise that he can use our failures for glory.

2. What lessons have you learned through the challenging circumstances you have walked through?

3. Give God thanks for how he has worked out all the pieces of your story for your good. 

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 139:1-18 English Standard Version

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

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Brothers and Sisters, Guess What? You are not now and never have been, never will be, a Mistake or Accident. Psalm 139:13-16

Psalm 139:13-16 The Message

13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

SOMETHING TO PONDER

Have you felt at times that you were born at the wrong time or wrong place? Do you feel like God misplaced you, thinking you were meant to live in a different family, another country, or time period in history, where you believe you would have fit in better, enjoyed living more, prospered, had a better quality of life?

Or, maybe like one of the many homeless I counseled, been told your entire life that you were an accident or a mistake a waste, you’ve grown up believing it?

But it isn’t true because God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t put us in the wrong time and place. As well, He hasn’t given people the power to accidentally create another human or assign worth or personal value. Men and women may not have planned the lives of their children, but we know from His word Psalm 139:13-16, that God does plan for all of our eternities which wait far far ahead.

As Psalm 139:16 describes, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

God carefully created each one of us, as Psalm 139:13 describes, “For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb.”

No matter the circumstances of our conception or birth, Psalm 139:14 reassures us of God’s plan for us. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

Even so, we may continue to still feel like we don’t know which way to turn in life; some may feel lost, but when we’re not sure which way to go, we ask God to lead us, and He will, like Psalm 32:8 assures, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you.”

Life Makes Sense: God’s Story of You

Psalm 139:16 Living Bible

16 You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!

We love stories, but it’s surprising how easily we can end up missing the stories God has written for our lives.

Winston Churchill once famously claimed that history was simply “one . . . unpredictable pathway after another over which we have little, no control.”

In other words, he claimed there was no story behind our experiences in life, only a vast series of unpredictable events over which no one has any control.

Few things are more deadening to your soul than thinking that your life ulti­mately means little more than one unpredictable thing after another.

Yet that’s how we often feel.

On many days we view our jobs or careers or families as where we have “ended up” in life.

In fact, it can seem a bit presumptuous to think there’s some master plan behind whatever situation you are in right now.

But the Bible tells us that the events of our lives make sense because they are part of a much larger story.

The struggles of last month or the victories that we may claim in the next few weeks are not simply chance occurrences.

They are part of a story line that is going somewhere.

The work you do, the people you share life with, the abilities you have, and the weaknesses you struggle with are all part of a diverse collection of ele­ments intended to make for a really good story—the story of you. God’s story of you. 

Do you believe this?

Do you believe God?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 8 The Message

8 God, brilliant Lord,
    yours is a household name.

2 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
    toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
    and silence atheist babble.

3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
    your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
    Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
    Why take a second look our way?

5-8 Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
    bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
    repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us stewards of sheep and cattle,
    even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
    whales singing in the ocean deeps.

9 God, brilliant Lord,
    your name echoes around the world.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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God is gracious—it is He who makes things right, our most merciful and compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when at the end of my rope, Yes! He saved even me! Psalm 116

Psalm 116 Complete Jewish Bible

116 I love that Adonai heard
my voice when I prayed;
2 because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death were all around me,
Sh’ol’s constrictions held me fast;
I was finding only distress and anguish.
4 But I called on the name of Adonai:
“Please, Adonai! Save me!”

5 Adonai is merciful and righteous;
yes, our God is compassionate.
6 Adonai preserves the thoughtless;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 My soul, return to your rest!
For Adonai has been generous toward you.
8 Yes, you have rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
9 I will go on walking in the presence of Adonai
in the lands of the living.
10 I will keep on trusting even when I say,
“I am utterly miserable,”
11 even when, in my panic, I declare,
“Everything human is deceptive.”

12 How can I repay Adonai
for all his generous dealings with me?
13 I will raise the cup of salvation
and call on the name of Adonai.
14 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people.

15 From Adonai’s point of view,
the death of those faithful to him is costly.
16 Oh, Adonai! I am your slave;
I am your slave, the son of your slave-girl;
you have removed my fetters.
17 I will offer a sacrifice of thanks to you
    and will call on the name of Adonai.
18 I will pay my vows to Adonai
in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courtyards of Adonai’s house,
there in your very heart, Yerushalayim.

Halleluyah!

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

Believing, Even When We Are Afflicted

Psalm 116:5-11 New American Standard Bible

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
6 The Lord watches over the simple;
I was brought low, and He saved me.
7 Return to your rest, my soul,
For the Lord has dealt generously with you.
8 For You have rescued my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from stumbling.
9 I shall walk before the Lord
In the [a]land of the living.
10 I believed when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted.”
11 I said in my alarm,
“All people are liars.”

We long for tranquil lives. We often pray for health, prosperity, and success.

And yet it is often times of physical or spiritual affliction, struggle and difficulty are those which quiet us, push us, bring us, plant us, root us, that much closer to God, along with a significantly greater desire to connect with Him, to humble ourselves to serve Him. That’s a lesson the psalmist brings out in this section.

Afflictions can all too easily result in bitterness, robbing us of joy. As we have already read in Psalm 116, the psalmist has experienced far more than his fair share hardcore trials at the hands of his enemies. Instead of tumbling into the black hole of bitterness, however, the writer gives thanks to God for two things.

First, he has developed a trusting dependence on God. Despite his trials, the psalmist confesses to God: “You are good, and what you do is gracious; I trust you to always be there to watch over me during my times of weaknesses.”

Second, the experience of affliction has driven the psalmist closer to God and more deeply into God’s Word. I long to be obedient, he says. And his search for knowledge and good judgment leads him to affirm the priceless value of God’s Word, saying it is more precious “than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.”

How well do we handle our hardest afflictions? We all experience them, and no, they are not easy. In difficult situations—whatever they may be—we can grow closer to God when we search his Word for the comfort and guidance we need.

God’s ear is turned toward us.

Just as my ears heard right away the screams arising from inside my soul, I too knew the sound of my own cries and almost immediately went towards God.

You and I will certainly face devastating trials and afflictions year after year.

Maybe you are in a season right now where it is all about one affliction after another which always seem to be piling up. It would be easy to avoid God during these times or even be angry with God. What if we, instead, we ran to God? 

Over the last twenty five years I have learned that running to God is actually the best thing I can do. Why? Because I know, I will trust that God’s ear is always turned toward us. Just as my ears heard right away the scream from my insides , I knew the sound of my cries and prayed they immediately went towards him.

The next verses in Psalm 116 details how much the psalmist suffered in body, mind, and spirit, even facing imminent death, but trusted God was his helper.

I love verse ten because it seems to be the pinnacle of the psalm. He says, “I believed, even when I said, ‘I am severely afflicted.’”

What the psalmist is saying is that he did not shy away from telling God all about his afflictions. The worst pain did not keep him from crying out to God.

And the heartache didn’t keep him from believing in God either. There are many critical truths here, that the psalmist hung onto, even when he was afflicted. 

The truths here are things like God’s grace, righteousness, and compassion. (Psalm 116:5)

Where do we those characteristics of God come out in our lives today? Jesus!

Jesus was afflicted, He suffered far more than is imaginable or describable!

Jesus was God’s righteousness for us.

He lived a perfect sinless life because we could not. He allowed His life to take our place so that when God sees you and me, He sees Jesus’ righteousness. 

Jesus is also God’s grace to us. 

Ephesians 2:8-9 say, “For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast.”

Jesus brought grace because He died on the cross, taking all of our places and punishment for us.

Now, we are saved and brought into God’s family through grace once we accept Him as Savior. 

God’s compassion is also evident in Jesus’ life.  

Jesus healed the sick, cured the lame, and even rose people from the dead.

It says in Matthew 20:34, “Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.” 

Even today, Jesus sits on the throne beside God interceding for us. 

Romans 8:34 says, “Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the One who died, but even more, has been raised; He also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.”

What unknowable, unsearchable depths’ of compassion for us to think that Christ is always praying and speaking to God the Father about you and me!? 

The troubles and hardships we all face, can sometimes cause us to doubt these truths about God.

Does He love me?

Does He care?

Is He really in control?

Those questions can lead us to look to the Bible. 

This psalm is a great comfort to us because it does not deny that hard things happen.

Psalm 116 points us to the truth that God is loving, righteous, compassionate, and full of grace. In prayer, we can all come to God and remember these things. 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Romans 15:1-13New American Standard Bible

Self-denial in behalf of Others

15 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not just please ourselves. 2 Each of us is to please his neighbor [a]for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself, but as it is written: “The taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on Me.” 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God [b]who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one purpose and one [c]voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 Therefore, [d]accept one another, just as Christ also accepted [e]us, for the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision in behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises given to the fathers, 9 and for the Gentiles to  glorify God for His mercy; as it is written:

“Therefore I will [f]give praise to You among the Gentiles,
And I will sing praises to Your name.”

10 Again he says,

“Rejoice, you Gentiles, with His people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”

12 Again Isaiah says,

“There shall come the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
In Him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

After reading Psalm 116, and some verses about Jesus, and from Romans 15 how does this give you any hardcore confidence, go to God with your cries for help?

Knowing God listens to you and hears your prayers, does this cause you to pray more or less? trust more or less? Hope more or less? more fervently or timidly?

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God, the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.

For the music director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.

42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks,
So my soul [c]pants for You, God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and [d]appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4 I remember these things and pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.

5 Why are you [e]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will [f]again praise [g]Him
For the [h]help of His [i]presence, my God.
6 My soul is [j]in despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the [k]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
8 The Lord will send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.

9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about mourning [l]because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11 Why are you [m]in despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise [n]Him
For the [o]help of His presence, my God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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A Temple With Surest Foundations: God hasn’t moved, hidden Himself from us into the mountains; His holy address has never changed. Psalm 11

Psalm 11 New Living Translation

Psalm 11

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I trust in the Lord for protection.
So why do you say to me,
    “Fly like a bird to the mountains for safety!
2 The wicked are stringing their bows
    and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings.
They shoot from the shadows
    at those whose hearts are right.
3 The foundations of law and order have collapsed.
    What can the righteous do?”

4 But the Lord is in his holy Temple;
    the Lord still rules from heaven.
He watches everyone closely,
    examining every person on earth.
5 The Lord examines both the righteous and the wicked.
    He hates those who love violence.
6 He will rain down blazing coals and burning sulfur on the wicked,
    punishing them with scorching winds.
7 For the righteous Lord loves justice.
    The virtuous will see his face.

Word of God for the Children of God

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

It’s possible for all of us to read certain passages or verses of Scripture many times yet miss goldmines of truth. Sometimes we pass by and or skim over because we think we’re overly familiar with what we’ve read, and other times it’s because we don’t take the time to meditate and savor the wealth before us.

So let’s take this glorious opportunity God has just gifted to us to dwell on the truth that “the LORD is in his holy temple.” This simple truth offers both comfort and chastening. Its reality is 100% affirmed in many places in the Old Testament (for example Habakkuk 2:20; Psalm 18:6; Micah 1:2), but David provides some additional angles from which to consider it here in Psalm 11.

The first is that “the LORD’s throne is in heaven,” absolutely making Him the exalted Lord. He reigns not as a mortal with limited perspective and control but as the all-powerful, immortal, all-knowing God, Creator of heaven and earth.

He always and forever outlasts all rulers, all nations are as nothing before Him.

Second, God is the observing Lord: “His eyes see.”

From the exalted position of His heavenly throne, nothing is hidden from God’s sight. No good thing done in His name goes unobserved, and no impure motive or thought is secret to Him. (Psalm 139)

What a comfort to know every day of our lives, going back to when we were merely “unformed substance,” is visible to God (Psalm 139:15-16)!

And what a sobering reality to realize every word, thought, and deed is laid bare before Him!

Third, God is the examining Lord: “The LORD tests the righteous.”

His tests are not always or often easy, but they are always precisely what we need. None of us will ever reach heaven without tests and trials along the way.

This may be our all time most unpleasant reality to consider, but it should be most precious to us, for it means we will not panic when God, in His sometimes inscrutable wisdom, narrowly routes a path thru a valley shadowed by death.

God’s tests are never sent without a glorious purpose; they are always for the sake of preparing us for the day when we too shall see Him in His holy temple.

Keep the truth of this verse in mind the next time you feel as though “the foundations are destroyed” (Psalm 11:3).

The instability we sometimes feel is meant to remind us that worldly stability is only an illusion and that true security is found in God alone. He alone is exalted, He alone sees all, and He alone directs our lives and tests us for our good.

When our foundations tremble, crumble, we can remember that this world is not our home and that our sovereign God is leading us to one day inhabit a city with foundations that will not shake (Hebrews 11:10; 12:28). You can know that He is in His holy temple—and He has promised to bring you to that very place.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 46 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 46

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved:
God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;
he burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, normalizing Our Emotions; sit still, stand still quit our Hurrying! Psalm 34:14-18

Psalm 34:14-18 Living Bible

14 Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.

15 For the eyes of the Lord are intently watching all who live good lives, and he gives attention when they cry to him. 16 But the Lord has made up his mind to wipe out even the memory of evil men from the earth. 17 Yes, the Lord hears the good man when he calls to him for help and saves him out of all his troubles.

18 The Lord is close to those whose hearts are breaking; he rescues those who are humbly sorry for their sins.

Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

In my younger days I struggled to express sadness or fear, thinking they made me look vulnerable and weak.

A wise teacher told me, “Emotions are like busy little children. If you don’t acknowledge them, they get louder and louder to grab your attention. Once you acknowledge them, they feel seen and calm down.”

This slowly helped me to see my emotions as valid and to understand myself and my needs.

I remember a former preacher sharing his own struggles with anxiety.

His honesty and reliance on God’s strength gave me the courage to face my own feelings without shame.

This was a powerful reminder that even the people we look up to can experience emotional challenges.

A late friend once confided in me about struggling with depression.

That friend’s openness helped me slowly realize that sharing our emotions with trusted friends can bring comfort and support. Being honest about our feelings can lead to healing and deeper connections. James 5:16

Psalm 34:18 reassures us that God understands our emotions and is present in our struggles. Normalizing our emotions means acknowledging them, sharing them, praying with people we trust, and seeking God’s comfort and guidance.

Feeling a broad range of emotions is normal and healthy. When we embrace our emotions, we can grow wiser, mature from our toughest experiences, leading to greater emotional and spiritual well-being.

Achy Breaky Body and Wildly Disquieted Souls

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Psalm 32:3–4

Those who work in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, and social services are often confronted with a strong correlation between what is happening in a person’s heart and mind and what is being displayed in that person’s body.

God’s word speaks into this connection and then goes deeper, for it tells us that there is a connection between the state of our body and the state of our soul.

Psalm 32, David speaks very personally to God, acknowledging the heaviness he experienced when he hid in the shadows and refused to confess his sin against Bathsheba and devised the murder of her husband, Uriah (see 2 Samuel 11).

And through David, the Spirit teaches us that there is a link between a tortured conscience and lack of repentance, and our physical wellbeing.

Those who were in David’s immediate company may not have been aware of what was going on inside him spiritually, but they could not have avoided the obvious indications of what was happening to him physically.

The description he provides adds to the account he gives elsewhere:

“My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off” (Psalm 38:10-11).

It’s a quite devastating picture.

David recognized his condition for what it was: a punishment.

The Bible makes it clear that there is a natural outcome to lust, excess, and a disregard for the commands of God (see Romans 1:24-25)—all of which David was clearly guilty of.

Frailty, weight loss, sleeplessness, a sense of rejection, melancholy, anxiety, despair often haunt individuals who are seeking to hide their sin from God and deny it to themselves.

What restored David was not a health kick or getting to bed earlier but rather dealing with the root cause—his sin:

“I acknowledged my sin to you … and you forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5).

God kept His hand heavy upon David until David placed his sin into God’s hands and asked Him to deal with it.

It is a blessing to us when God does not allow us to forget our sin—when we feel chronic physical heaviness because of our spiritual sickness. It is His means of bringing us to do what we most need: to confess it and ask for forgiveness for it.

Are you harboring sin?

Do not cloak it; confess it. David experienced liberating relief from his pain and distress when he sought God’s forgiveness.

You too can know that joy, for the promise of God’s word is that

“if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

IF ….

IF …

IF …

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Praying …

Psalm 46 Living Bible

46 God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. 2 And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!

4 There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God—the sacred home of the God above all gods. 5 God himself is living in that city; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. 6 The nations rant and rave in anger—but when God speaks, the earth melts in submission and kingdoms totter into ruin.

7 The Commander of the armies of heaven is here among us. He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us.

8 Come, see the glorious things that our God does, how he brings ruin upon the world 9 and causes wars to end throughout the earth, breaking and burning every weapon. 10 “Stand silent! Know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation in the world!”

11 The Commander of the heavenly armies is here among us! He, the God of Jacob, has come to rescue us!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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I have already taken refuge straight to the arms of God. Why would I run away when you shout, run into hills, hide in caves, hike to the mountains? Psalm 11

Psalm 11 Complete Jewish Bible

11 (0) For the leader. By David:

(1) In Adonai I find refuge.
So how can you say to me,
“Flee like a bird to the mountains!
2 See how the wicked are drawing their bows
and setting their arrows on the string,
to shoot from the shadows at honest men.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”

4 Adonai is in his holy temple.
Adonai, his throne is in heaven.
His eyes see and test humankind.
5 Adonai tests the righteous;
but he hates the wicked and the lover of violence.
6 He will rain hot coals down on the wicked,
fire, sulfur and scorching wind
will be what they get to drink.
7 For Adonai is righteous;
he loves righteousness;
the upright will see his face.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

We live in a day and age when the foundations of our biblical faith and the fabric of godly living are being systematically attacked by every quarter of society and dismantled in all areas of life. The unalterable truth of God’s Scriptures is now too easily discarded, modified by liberal ‘Christians’ and evolving atheists alike.

Governments in general, and our society at large, are systematically smashing down all the cornerstones, all the strongest foundations of truth and the time-honored institutions of God.

They are being replaced with rational relativism, a hatred of all that is good, a distortion of all that is true, a celebration of all that is evil, a contempt for our Heavenly Father, a rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, a dismissing of the Holy Spirit, a disdain for salvation, and an insatiable desire to relegate the glorious gospel of grace into the furthest anonymity and annals of a forgotten history.

Often, good men despair as the floodgates of apostasy sweeps through the Church worldwide and the destruction of all godly foundations and biblical truths are being successfully dismantled and systematically destroyed by a God-hating, Christ-rejecting, Holy Spirit dismissive, lustful sinful world.

Often, the desperate, despairing, defeated cry of the righteous is: “If the strongest, truest foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

However, that is to take this verse out of context and to superimpose our own flawed, unscriptural, human viewpoint and fallen imagination over the eternal truth of God’s Word.

The message of this Psalm is confidence in God and an unshakable faith in the eternal plans and purposes that He Himself ordered in the council chambers of heaven before the world began, and the Word of God is settled in heaven.

We are not to: “Flee as a bird into the mountain,” but to place of refuge, trust in God. We are not to fly in to despair when the wicked flourish, secretly fire their satanically inspired arrows of destruction at the heart and minds of the upright.

We are not to tremble at what man can to do, for our hope is in the Lord Who made heaven and earth and Who has already determined that the wicked will receive their just portion at the hand of a just God, and a righteous Judge.

The Lord is in His holy temple and He tests each one of us in the furnace of affliction so that when we have been tried we will come forth as pure gold.

David reminds us that the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness, and He watches over the upright in heart.

And in His grace, He uses all things together for our eternal good and for His greater glory, even the disruptive terrible things happening in the world today.

We must never forget the Lord hates wicked and prideful men who celebrate evil through satanic violence and gross ungodliness, and the day is coming when they too will all stand before His Great White Throne of judgement and each will receive “the just fruits of their labors” according to their work.

The Lord alone knows how to deliver the righteous from trials, but He also, exclusively reserves the day of judgement for all the wicked to be punished.

No matter what circumstance we face in life, our hope is in God and our trust is in His unshakable Word of truth.

When our hearts start running straight to fear of what is coming on the world or we continually shout out in despair: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Let us bring back to mind the unchangeable Word of God and the many faithful precious promises that are ‘yes’ and ‘amen’ in Christ.

Let us stand fast on the eternal truth of the glorious gospel of grace in these increasingly evil days, and let us remember that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

In the name of God, the Father, and God the Son, and God, the Holy Spirit.

Pray,

Psalm 46 Authorized (King James) Version

Psalm 46

To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.

1 God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved:
God shall help her, and that right early.
6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved:
he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth;
he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder;
he burneth the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.

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