You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.

Psalm 122, 124, 133, 134, 135, 136, and 138 

You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. Psalm 138:7

Day 122 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue today with the group: "Psalms of Joy and Praise".

Today's psalms focus on praise for Jerusalem, and the house of the Lord, for escape from enemies, for the joy of brothers living harmoniously, a call for temple servants to praise God, for the many things for which temple servants can give praise, a special poem of thanksgiving for all things, and praise for a faithful God.  A few days ago I posted on praise, and how it is a critical aspect of our relationship with God.  This morning my focus is on how we must recognize the daily battle we face against Satan and sin, and how God is our only weapon against this battle.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17

We must no doubt praise God for how he has protected us, continues to protect us, but most importantly we must put on the "armor of God" daily so that He can protect us.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, who has protected me and continues to protect me.  You also arm me with Your armor, the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, helmet and salvation, sword of the Spirit, and word of God - I am not deserving of how You love and protect me.  I sin...daily.  I am grateful for Your love, compassion, mercy, and protection but I need it daily!  Please forgive me for me sin and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me arm myself with what You provide to protect myself in this daily battle with sin and satan.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Psalm 29, 33, 65, 66, 67, and 68 

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

Day 118 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue today with the group: "Psalms of Joy and Praise".

Today's psalms focus on praise of God's power and glory as seen in the lightning, praise to God for his power, purpose, and love, praise for God's forgiveness, power, and physical blessings, praise for God's deliverance from the oppression of sin, praise and prayer for God's blessings, and praise for a God of power who cares about individual problems.

Among the themes today, I am grateful for a God who cares about me specifically and about my individual cares and concerns.

God created the universe and everything in it, He sustains everything, is in control of everything - He is sovereign over all - this is a core message of Psalm 29.  God does not need me or anyone else for that matter - yet He not only loves me, He died for me!  That is love beyond my imagination.  He is my personal Lord and Savior.  He "daily bears [my] burdens".

My Prayer: Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who daily bears my burdens.  I am not deserving of such a God and such love.  I worry.  Thank You Jesus for Your great compassion and mercy.  Please forgive me for my worry, and my other sins, which I know are plenty!  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.

1 Kings 11 

As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. 1 Kings 11:4

Day 146 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with a study of Solomon's life; only now we see how Solomon's glory fades as he falls prey to worldly influences (vs Heavenly or Godly ones).  My commentary* describes how Solomon ignores "the history of earlier Israelites", and that "Solomon’s fall stands as a powerful reminder of how easy it is to turn from adoration to idolatry."

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

We must develop a daily, lifelong, personal relationship with Jesus through the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, prayer, meditation, etc.

daily bread, Daily prayer, daily time with God in study and prayer

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:10-18

We must also be wary of the influences around us and surround ourselves with Godly influences.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:8-11

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has strengthened and protected me from great harm - thank You Jesus!  I am blessed beyond what I deserve!  I know I continue to sin.  Thank You for Your incredible mercy and compassion.  I need it today and every day.  Please forgive me for my worry and other sins.  Please help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Psalm 68

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. v19

As a believer, a core spiritual discipline is study of God's Word so that we can understand what it says in an absolute sense (head understanding) and also what God is saying to us individually (heart understanding).  I have for a long time not understood the full extent of the requirements to develop and have a personal relationship with Jesus.  The Bible (God himself - see John 1) is explicit that we love the Lord with all of heart, soul, mind and strength (Exodus 20, Matthew 22).  To express this we should delight in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1) and to develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5).  In my view, the Bible is not explicit that we are to daily study God's word but it is implied through various scriptures. 

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23

Give us each day our daily bread. Luke 11:3

Blessed are those who listen to me, watching daily at my doors[.] Proverbs 8:34

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 12:12-13

Core to answering this question is of course our heart condition - if we truly love the Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, then we should seek Him as much as possible - daily, but likely more often than this.

My Prayer: Lord, You ARE our daily bread, I depend on You and apart from You I can do no good thing.  I desperately need You in my life.  I know You are with me until the end of the age.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving of Your love.  I am broken - I am selfish, lazy, I am impatient, and I worry too often.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me overcome my sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Day 121 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue today with the group: "Psalms of Joy and Praise".

Today's psalm focuses on praise for the insight and guidance of God's laws - it:
- describes how God's word protects us from harm, including any sin that might cause us harm
- acknowledges how important it is to be obedient
- reinforces how scripture reading, study, and in particular memorization, keeps us from sinning (see also John Piper on this)
- describes how believers should seek God's word as we would food and water to sustain our lives (see v103, 131)
...and more!

I am drawn to how Jesus used scripture in the wilderness to prevent temptation by Satan - through scripture hidden in his heart.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, sustains me, protects, encourages me, saves me, and so much more...my words are insufficient to describe Your greatness.  I am not deserving of how You adopt me into Your family and how You provide for me.  I am harsh with others, and I worry, among my many sins committed daily!  I am grateful for Your compassion and mercy but I need You to extend this daily!  Please forgive me for my sin and help me turn from my sin towards You and help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

[Josiah] read in [the people's] hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35

[Josiah] read in [the people's] hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. 2 Kings 23:2-32, Chronicles 34:30-32

Day 213 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues with my study of Jeremiah. My commentary* pauses on a reading of the book of Jeremiah, and discusses the impact of Jeremiah on the young King Josiah, his kingdom in Judah, and even on the remnant of Israel that participated in Judah's spiritual revival under Josiah.  My commentary indicates that despite Jeremiah's challenges with Judah in terms of hearing God's message to repent, "[f]or now, however, the scene changes to a nation on the brink of a thorough, if brief, spiritual revival. Perhaps Jeremiah’s preaching has been more effective than he realizes. (When one plants the seed, he never knows when it will bear fruit.)"

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®). Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

Josiah leads the people to repair the temple, and during the repairs, the Book of the Law (given from God to Moses) was found. It is read to Josiah and ultimately to all the people.  What follows of course is what we expect when we encounter God - we must understand that God's word IS God (see John 1) and when we encounter God and develop a personal relationship with Him, transformation occurs...and in the case of Judah (which extends to Samaria or to the northern kingdom) we see spiritual revival.

The most important commandment (see Exodus 20 and Matthew 22) is to love God.  We grow in our love of God by getting to know Him and we do so by spending time with Him in daily study/prayer. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has surrendered His life on earth for me - thank You Jesus - salvation is the greatest gift of all time. I am not deserving of such a gift. I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Mark 1:1-5

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.  And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Mark 1:1-5

I continue my study of The Character of Jesus.  For this morning, I focus on the chapter 3: Sources where I highlighted in my Kindle version the following excerpts:

• "This is the surprising thing that all the story of [Jesus'] life is contained in this one book. There were many Greek writers living in the days of Jesus, but not one of them wrote his life, so far as any scholar knows. Not a scrap of Jesus' biography at the hands of a Greek...[or] Roman [or] Jewish poet or historian has come down to us."
  
• "To be sure, there are apocryphal gospels and apocryphal acts and apocryphal epistles and apocalypses, but no one of these, nor do all of them together, throw any light on the character of Jesus which is not furnished by our New Testament. Everything that is positively known of Jesus of Nazareth is confined between the covers of the New Testament."
  
• "That the life of the greatest and most important man who ever lived upon the earth should be written on pages so small and few is one of the surprises."
  
• A study of the gospels reveals little about the completeness of Jesus' life. "They mention what he did or said only on from thirty to thirty-five days. That is, they confine their attention to one thirtieth of his public life, twenty-nine thirtieths being a total blank."
  
• "[The authors of the gospels] recorded many things which he said, but his recorded sayings can be spoken easily within five hours. They tell many things which he did, but nearly all of them might have been crowded into a day, so meager is their report of what Jesus said and did. It is evident then, that we do not have as much information as we want. The question is. Do we have as much as we need?"
• Jesus spoke in Aramaic, but "there are not a dozen Aramaic words left in the gospels." We are left with Greek and subsequently English translations. "We have no copies of the New Testament that run back beyond the fourth century — and this also is a surprise."
  
• From the gospels we know nothing of Jesus' personal appearance or his mannerisms - we are only left to study His character.
  
• Charles Jefferson - the author - encourages us to read Mark as it is "probably the oldest...shortest...most graphic" of the gospels and "seems to come nearest to Jesus as men saw him in the says of his humiliation."  Jefferson ends the chapter by sharing that "[i]t is a sad mistake for any man or any woman to leave religious matters entirely to the minister. The Roman Catholic who leaves everything to the priest does not grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. The Protestant who simply comes to church and listens to the preacher speak, and who makes no earnest effort to study for himself the great literature in which are enshrined the oracles of God — that Protestant fritters away his opportunities and does not build up within himself those deep convictions and that enduring knowledge which will make him a power and blessing in his day and generation. In other words, I cannot study the character of Jesus for you, you must study it for yourselves. All that I can hope to do is to drop suggestions which may possibly assist you in your study."
  

It is this recommendation from Charles Jefferson, where I anchor myself this morning - to the study of Mark as an accompaniment to Mr. Jefferson's book.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an incredible God worthy not just of study but also of worship.  You are the One True God who saves! Thank You for saving me and giving me both new life but also eternal life.  I am not deserving...not by a long shot.  My sin - harshness and being critical being just one of my sins - continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Psalm 139, 145, 148, and 150 

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

Day 123 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue today with the group: "Psalms of Joy and Praise".

Today's psalms focus on praise over the wonder of God's total familiarity with each life, praise to a faithful, loving and righteous God, that all creatures praise the God of creation, and a call for all things to praise the Lord.

The core of today's reading encourages us to fully appreciate how God knows everything about us, the ugliness of our sin over the entirety of our lives, and how despite this knowledge, exercises grace and compassion - despite what we deserve. Psalm 139 more than anything from today's reading, captures God omniscience:

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain....For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16

We know that the "wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23), and this is what we deserve because we all sin.  Yet Jesus saves....and He does so despite knowing everything about us including our sin - nothing is hidden.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You indeed know everything about me and You hold not just my life but all life and the entire universe rests in Your hands - You are in control.  Despite knowing everything about me and being in co.ntrol - You love me anyway...and You came to earth as a baby to die on the cross so that I could have life here on earth and forever with You in Heaven!  Unbelievable.  I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  I sin...gossip, worry, etc. daily.  Thank You for Your grace and compassion but I need this also daily!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin....My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear....For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

Psalm 4, 12, 20, 25, 32, and 38

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin....My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear....For I am about to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. Psalms 32:3-5, 38:4, 17-18

Day 124 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and today I start a new grouping "Psalms Expressing a Variety of Sentiments".

Today's psalms focus on how God's mercy demands obedience, how the wicked misuse the gift of speech, prayer for others' welfare and expression of trust, for expression of trust in God and his instruction, the blessedness of confession and forgiveness of sins, and the agony of confession of sin.

The importance of confession strikes me this morning.  David, while certainly a biblical hero, experienced the pain of sin in his life and the Psalms chronicle such pain - in particular Psalm 32 and 38.  John Piper writes that although Christ died "once for all" for our sins (Hebrews 7, 9, 10), we must continue to confess sin - otherwise "we deceive ourselves" (1 John 1:8) - as a demonstration of how we make war on sin in our lives as Paul directs us to in Colossians 3:5.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who has died once and for all for my sins and help me fight the daily battle against sin - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your love and protection - my sin continues.  I do thank You for the incredible grace and compassion You pour out for me but I continue to need it daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and ehlp me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

Psalm 45, 47, 48, 87, 110

Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. Psalm 45:6

Day 128 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and today I start a new grouping "Psalms of the Messiah".  My commentary* indicates that the while the authors of the eight psalms presented in this grouping "probably believe that the messianic psalms refer primarily to a great political king to come, later events will show that the Messiah comes as the spiritual leader of his people".

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Today's psalms focus on majesty of the eternal King and the beauty of his kingdom, exaltation of the King of kings, the glory of Zion, the Messiah to be born in Zion, and that the Messiah will be priest and King.

The verse I am choosing to highlight today - Psalm 45:6 emphasizes the certainty of God and that His kingdom will last forever.  As I posted yesterday, I need certainty.  I place too much hope in earthly matters when I must place my hope most of all in God.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me, blesses me abundantly, and is trustworthy beyond what can be trusted in this world.  I am not deserving of such a God - I sin and fall down daily.  I neglect my time with You and am easily distracted.  I am grateful God for Your compassion and mercy but please forgive me.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and lover others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?

Moses

Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of God speaking out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? Deuteronomy 4:32-34

I continue with my study of - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook by Max Lucado (for purchase). This morning, I continue with the story of "Moses: A Glimpse of God's Glory*".

*Title of lesson four from the Max Lucado study.

The commentary* of day three starts with Max Lucado with Aaron confronting Pharaoh to "let my people go (Exodus 5)". Although not without resistance - Pharaoh ultimately let's the Israelites leave Egypt.  His heart hardens once again as he sends his army into the wilderness to capture the fleeing Israelites.  God of course parts the Red Sea, closes it up once Israel passes through to dry ground, and then swallows up the Egyptian army (Exodus 14).  Throughout this whole process, God demonstrates His power - plagues and miracles.  His miracles and love fail to relent as Israel soon forgets how God did all this for them and they grumble about a lack of food - God provided for their needs in ways unimaginable for them so once again they could be clear about the source of their provision (Exodus 16).  Some however, failed to trust God.  

Lucado points how God designed a daily collection process (of manna) and this daily dependence on God is His intent.  We are to daily go to God for first and foremost spiritual provision and of course provision for all things. He created us, sustain us, and God wants us to embrace this through a daily, lifelong relationship with Him.

Our daily "collection process" with God must include an element of gratitude and worship - similar to Moses' words for what God for Israel. 

Once again, John Piper provides this great post on worship and why it is important - Piper points out that we cannot be merciful to others without being "worshipful" - otherwise our actions simply become another "social agenda" to do good. 100% agree!  Worship serves many purposes - of course to direct our hearts towards God and from there God directs our hearts towards others.  Our worship must be daily and a key focus must include gratitude for what He has provided - and the list should be long for all of us!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God indeed not only for what You have done for me personally but for what You have done for so many people I know - what a great God You are!  Thank You for the daily provision You provide and SO much more - I am not deserving for all that You do for me.  I worry and I have many other sins daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Isaiah 1

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Matthew 5:6, Romans 12:2

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  On day 3 of my study, the key takeaway was based on an instruction from the study to look more closely at the use of "iniquity" and "sin" in Isaiah 2.  Iniquity is referenced twice (v4, 13) and sin three times (4, 18, 28).  My study guide indicates that iniquity is defined as "deviat[ing] or twist[ing] from the standard," while sin is defined as "fall[ing] short of the standard."  Believers should certainly be aware and avoid both, but understanding the standard is the pre-requisite in both cases.  If we are not aware of or don't understand the standard, we are more susceptible to both iniquity and sin. I am reminded of how God promises to satisfy us if we pursue hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and how God will renew our minds (Romans 12:2) if we seek to conform to His image (assuming we do that by first reading about and understanding His image via daily study of His Word).

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who satisfies me and who renews my mind - making me more like Him.  You sanctify me - and I am better for it - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for how You sanctify and refine me.  Blessings beyond description!  I am not deserving.  My sin continues.  Worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

 1 John 2

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 1 John 2:9

This morning, I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  My study today focuses on an unassisted review of 1 John 2:3-11. 

V3: If we truly know him, we will follow Him and be obedient, not out of obligation but out of love for Him because as we more fully understand God and His attributes we know that He is Holy, good, true, just, loving, faithful, etc. It is also in response to what He has done for us and that we are all undeserving of the grace He pours out for us. See also 1 John 5:3.

V4: Similar to 1 John 1 where it is written how we cannot claim to be without sin and how if we do so, we make a liar out of Jesus, here it is written that if we truly know Him we cannot be seen to not follow Him or to be disobedient.  This would make us liars.  

V5: A healthy relationship with Jesus where we consistently (i.e. daily) study His word, pray, and seek Him, will result in sanctification where God's love is perfected in us and we become more like Him.  We will bear fruit.

V6: We are expected (ought) be obedient if we say we know Him; as we grow closer to Him more is expected of us as God makes us more like Him (see also Luke 12:48)

Vv7-11: We must not hate anyone - as this is murder.  We should instead love and seek to save all. If we hate we remain in darkness/sin.  See also 1 John 3:15.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are good, true, perfect, just, loving, etc. and You pour out grace and blessings for me every day that are overwhelming...I desire to be obedient - help me be who You intend for me Jesus! I need You to help me battle sin daily because I know my sin is great and it is daily.  Please forgive me Jesus for laziness, etc.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.

Proverbs 8

Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors. Proverbs 8:34

Today, I resumed my study of Proverbs, looking closely at chapter 8. The first five questions of my study focus on how God makes wisdom easy to access, understand, and follow - as long as we seek wisdom.  The questions also focus on how wisdom instills a hatred of evil and on how it provides practical benefits in our day-to-day lives. Yet core to obtaining wisdom is found in a desire to seek it and to value it.  Wisdom, in Proverbs 8 (per my study) is described as an attribute of God's character.  We must go to God daily, watching at His gates and waiting beside His doors. 

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are more valuable than silver and gold and worthy of my life as a living sacrifice - I know I exist to glorify You and You are worthy.  You are the Creator and my personal Lord and Savior.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of how You bless me daily.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”

Psalm 42, 53, 58, 81, and 101

“Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” Psalm 58:11

Day 125 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and today I start a new grouping "Psalms Expressing a Variety of Sentiments".

Today's psalms focus on the importance of hoping in God when one is depressed, the universality of sin and its consequences, outrage against leaders who promote injustice, the continual stubbornness of Israel, and an expression of commitment to righteous living. Obedience to God and the promise of blessings for obedience run through several of the psalms this morning:

The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then people will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.” Psalm 58:10-11

But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm 81:16

Many, including believers, view obedience to Jesus as a burden.  Yet true believers experience the freedom in Christ that David alludes to when he says the "righteous are rewarded".  There are also rewards in Heaven as God is saving a place for us.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:3

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who blesses me abundantly in this life and I know for eternity in Heaven - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin continues - I am easily distracted by the matters of this world.  Thank You Jesus for Your grace and compassion over my sin but I need Your forgiveness daily...please forgive me for my sin and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Psalm 61, 62, 64, and 69

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5

Day 110 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I continue with "Psalms of the Troubled Soul".

Today's psalms focus on prayers for God's defense and shelter, that God is our only strength, for relief from conspirators against us, and for end of scorn. With today's worries about the covid-19 virus, the economy, etc. there is much that is likely to concern us.  We may be physically or emotionally tired, or both.  We need rest - we will find it in the comforting arms of our Lord Jesus.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who provides rest - both physically and spiritually - thank You Jesus!  I know that You will never leave or forsake me - that I can always come to You and find rest.  Yet I am not deserving of such love.  I sin...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.

Mark 4:1-20

And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold. Mark 4:8

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 4:1-20, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

Here Jesus teaches us the Parable of the Sower - also found in Matthew 13 and Luke 8.  

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God seeks a relationship with us, so He gives us His Word and provides teachers for us to know God and to build a relationship with us.  V1 describes how God prioritizes teaches and emphasizes that when He is with the lost, yes He seeks to heal physically and draw people to Him, but most importantly He is seeking believers and followers who know, follow and are obedient to Him.  God is also compassionate and patient in His teaching helping us understand, recognizing that it often takes time to comprehend what He is teaching - our journey with God is one of steps over a lifetime as a believer.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: People can be wooed by signs and wonders but this must be followed by faith and belief in God such that we ask God into our hearts to cultivate and fan the flame of faith such that we grow closer to Him through daily study of His Word, corporate worship, prayer, service, and other spiritual disciplines.  Satan and sin can distract us (v15), weak faith fails us during periods of persecution/hardship (vv16-17), and desires/cares of this world "choke the word" (v19).  We are told to build our faith on solid rock to withstand storms (Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:47-49) and to not become friends of the world (James 4:4).
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid, Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey)?: As previously stated we should build our house on rock by cultivating strong spiritual disciplines and avoiding friendship with the world (or allowing sinful desires and influences from overcoming us or choking the word).  If we cultivate these spiritual disciplines we are promised to bear fruit (vv8, 20).  See also John 15:1-10. 

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My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves me and who gives me Your Word, the Holy Spirit, the church, and so much more so that I can know You, love You, grow closer to You, and to further the sanctification process bringing about greater obedience.  Thank You!  I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the other unbelievable blessings You pour out for me. My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 2, 22, 27

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:13-14

Day 127 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and today I start a new grouping "Psalms of the Messiah".  My commentary* indicates that the while the authors of the eight psalms presented in this grouping "probably believe that the messianic psalms refer primarily to a great political king to come, later events will show that the Messiah comes as the spiritual leader of his people".

*Smith, F. LaGard. The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) . Harvest House Publishers. Kindle Edition. 

Today's three psalms serve to warn earthly leaders about the coming Messiah, pray for God's presence and praise for the Messiah, and to praise God for confidence in the resurrection of the righteous.

 

Psalm 27 this morning gives me encouragement.  David encourages patience.  In light of my post yesterday, I needed this and this accompanying commentary from DesiringGod.com where Jon Bloom writes "David is declaring the source of his certainty while living in an uncertain world. And it is a beautiful, strengthening way to end his psalm." This morning I rest in the certainty of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, everything about You is true and trustworthy and in You I can place my hope and trust - thank You Jesus for saving me and for the peace it provides.  I love You.  Yet I know I am undeserving of such a gift.  I am grateful for Your compassion and mercy but my worry continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my worry towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day..... He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.

Psalm 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11

God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day..... He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them.  Psalm 7:11, 11:4

Day 107 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context.  My study groups 112 of David's psalms into five major topical areas, starting today with "Psalms of the Troubled Soul".

I have often seen evil and injustice in the world and from time to time it frustrates me that I don't see justice or punishment for the purveyors of evil or perpetrators of injustice.  Yet as I posted a few days ago, nothing is hidden from God and all will be held to account at the final judgement and

People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself.

Psalm 40, 49, 50, and 73 

People, despite their wealth, do not endure; they are like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead; he will surely take me to himself. Psalm 49:12-15

Day 115 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) continues my focus on 112 of David's psalms which my study has not already covered or will not cover through other daily devotions as part of a broader study within their historical context. This study of these 112 psalms groups the psalms into five major topical areas, and I start a new group: "Psalms About Righteousness and Wickedness" where David cries out to the Lord regarding the apparent inequity of the wicked who seem to escape judgment and punishment while the righteous suffer.

Today's psalms focus on prayers for recognition of true faith in righteous living, for insight over spiritual richness versus worldly wealth, for recognition in how God truly values animal sacrifices and the jeopardy of the wicked, and over the folly of riches compared with the blessings of righteousness.

With everything going on with this covid-19 virus pandemic, it sharpens our thoughts on what really matters.  For me my relationship with Jesus is first and foremost because He protects me, heals me, provides for me, and most importantly, provides salvation - everything that matters comes from Him.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who provides for all of my needs and who provides for our greatest need of all - salvation.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving for how You so richly bless me.  I sin daily...I am often harsh with others and I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.