Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.

Psalm 118

Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: "The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things! The Lord’s right hand is lifted high; the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”  I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. v15-17

Lord, what an awesome God You are!  You HAVE done mighty things - You have rescued me from my sin and given me new life - In Jesus Christ!  Thank You God!  And I know that You are in all things (Colossians 1:16-18) and every good and perfect gift comes from above (James 1:17) - whether it is large or small all these things are from the Lord and He is worthy of my praise and worship, and worthy of my full attention, devotion, and love.  What a mighty God I have.

My Prayer: You are an awesome God and You have blessed me richly - far more than I deserve.  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love and blessings.  I worry and am disobedient.  Please forgive me and help me turn from and overcome my sin, and turn towards You instead.  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...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.

Psalm 118

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. v8-9

I often believe I have "bad" days or "bad" experiences either through my own doing or through the acts of others.  Yet here in these verses I am challenged to instead believe that God alone is in control (Colossians 1:16-18) and that the circumstances in which I find myself are of His doing, for His good and purpose and that God loves me.   I should not rely on myself or others but instead on the Lord and trust in Him.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Song: In Christ Alone

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what a great God You are!  You created all things, are in all things, and hold all things together.  You don't need me - yet You redeem me and my sin and use it for Your glory and purpose.  You bless me even though I am undeserving.  Thank You Jesus but please forgive me and help me overcome my sin (bad attitude) 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 cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.

Psalm 117

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. v2

Of God's many attributes, He is faithful.  Faithful is defined as "deserving trust : keeping your promises or doing what you are supposed to do".  Indeed God is worthy of our trust.  He is all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful - He keeps His promises because He can - He is able.  He also is trustworthy because He has a track record - I am not aware of any promise He has made that He failed to keep.

For no word from God will ever fail. Luke 1:37

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God full of love and compassion.  You also keep Your promises.  What a great God You are.  Thank You for Your love and faithfulness to me - I am not worthy of such love.  Please forgive me for my lack of love, trust and faith in You...I worry too much.  Help me overcome and turn from such 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 her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo. Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.

Psalm 115

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. v1

Selfishness is a sin that drives many other sins.  I know for myself that a desire for glory, status, etc. is strong - I often want to exalt myself.  Yet we exist to exalt God and we must not exalt our selves over God - see here.  Humility - see here - is critical in our relationship with God.  If we see ourselves as important, this blinds us from seeing a need for God.  Instead we remind ourselves of Jesus' words from the Sermon on the Mount (Beatitudes):

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 5:3-10

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You alone are great and all good and perfect gifts come from You.  I can no good things apart from You.  Thank You for how You have blessed me - well beyond what I deserve.  I am weak and I often exalt myself - 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 Lisa of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

Psalm 113

Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? v5-6

As Pastor Scott spoke on Sunday, we have an all powerful God who is created all things, is in all things, and holds all things together, yet He is a personal savior who knows all about you and deeply desires a rich relationship with you.

Our God is not a distant God - He is the one who hears our cry...just like He heard the cry of the Israelites as they were being oppressed in Egypt.  And as I posted yesterday, He has great plans for us.

What a great God we have!

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God.  I know You are all powerful, You know all about me, yet You came to earth to save me and You love me...even though I am broken.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such efforts - I know that I am deserving of death, just as all of us are (Romans 3:23).  Forgive me for my lack of effort - help me overcome and turn from such 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, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

Psalm 112

They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. v7

I don't know anyone that welcomes bad news but for those that trust in the Lord, bad news does not cause the anguish and pain that might otherwise occur for non-believers.  It starts with God created all things, is in all things, and He holds all things together - see here.  God knows You.  He has a plan for You. We are to look for how discipline and suffering may be training and be thankful.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You ARE an awesome God - full of love and compassion for me and all of Your children, even though I and all of us are broken and fallen.  Thank You Jesus - for dying on the cross for me even though You were not deserving!  I am not worth Your love and compassion.  I am selfish, lazy, etc.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome my sin.  Help me turn from my sin 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 Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.

Psalm 112

Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice. v5

God's words often contradict those of the world.  Here we are reminded that generosity blesses us, in particular when this generosity is done cheerfully and freely.  Interesting that this is paired with a promise that this verse also promises that the blessings come to those who are generous and who "conduct their affairs with justice", assuming the two work together.  A definition of justice here indicates justice as an assignment of rewards or punishment.  We are called on to be cheerful givers and good stewards of what God places in our trust.  Critical to this is for us to understand God and His will for us (Romans 12:2).

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God full of love, gentleness, compassion, etc. for me even though I am not deserving.  I am harsh and impatient with others.  Thank You Jesus but please forgive me!  Help me overcome such 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 Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

Psalm 111

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. v10

Much of this Psalm focuses on praise and worship of God with simple one-liners that emphasize different attributes of God as an example of how God is great.  All true of course!  But the last verse gets me the most and is my focus this morning. 

We must fear the Lord...the Lord is all powerful, all knowing, and all seeing.  He created all things, is in all things and He holds all things together - He is in control (see here).  If we start with these premises, then we have no choice but to fall down and know that Jesus is God, Lord of Lord, King of Kings and Name Above All Names.  We must love Jesus with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength as our number one priority.  Only then will we begin to achieve some level of wisdom and understanding.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of Lords and I need You desperately in my life.  I am nothing without You.  You must be the priority in my life...yet I know there are many times where my focus is elsewhere.  Please forgive me and help me turn from 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. Thank You for your grace and compassion throughout my life - please continue to extend this grace and compassion today.  Help me grow in my faith and help me be the father, son, husband and man You intend for me.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects of chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin, and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

Psalm 110

He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth. v6

Jesus will judge the nations and He will crush the rulers of the whole earth.  The implications are many...including: we will all be judged, our time on earth is temporary, our faith in people and earthly matters is misplaced and that we should focus on faith in God, the eternal, and on pleasing God alone.

God reigns at all times.

See also posts here and here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and worthy of my praise and worship.  You existed before the beginning of time and You will exist after the end of time.  You are always with me, You always keep Your promises and everything about You is perfect...and You love me.  Thank You Jesus.  Thank You for loving me even though I am FAR from perfect...in fact, I am broken.  I am weak.  I need You...desperately.  Please forgive me Jesus for my negligence in my relationship with You.  Help me overcome and turn from such sin 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...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

Psalm 109

With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them. v30-31

David spends much of this Psalm pleading with God to punish those who accuse and wrong him.  Justice is never a bad thing to seek but it should not preoccupy or consume us.  I am reminded of a movie I've recently seen - The Revenant (recommended BTW) - where a determined father struggles through great challenges with a core motivation being revenge on the man who killed his son.  In the end, the father gives up on his revenge as he recognizes that justice is God's alone.  Indeed, this is where we should focus.  Once we give up on revenge and justice, we will be motivated by love - to forgive, pray for, and love those who scorn us.  Easier said than done but God's will for us.

Scriptural examples include:
Luke 10:25-37 (Parable of the Good Samaritan)
Matthew 5:39
Luke 6:29

My Prayer:  Lord Jesus, You are a great God and You are a righteous judge, able to know all of what has been done, to be done and all of our motivations.  You judge perfectly and completely.  Thank You Jesus for taking care of this in my life so I can be freed from having a hardended heart that prevents me from carrying out Your will for my life.  I seek to glorify You alone.  Yet I often fail and I have neglected my relationship with You.  Forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from 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...even when they scorn me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Give Eunice and the Peterson family strength and comfort.  Praise that Will is with You and enjoying eternity with His Heavenly Father.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.

Psalm 108

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies. v13

We have many enemies - whether they be temptation and sin, or fear, doubts, worries that lead to temptation and sin.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 

Yet we have a God who has overcome sin and death so that we may be free from the power sin and death has over us.  God has more for us!  Thank You Jesus!

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

My Prayer:  Lord, You are an awesome God full of love and compassion for Your children, regardless of where we are and how broken we are!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such a God - a God who is with me always.  I am broken - yet with You I am a new creation.  Thank You Jesus!  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, 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 Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Psalm 107

Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.  They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. v17-20

Yesterday, I posted about how God provides many second chances and that He is full of compassion, patience, mercy, etc. Today's verses reinforce this very important message.  In this Psalm, we see both explicit (v10-16) and implicit (v4-9) wickedness result in God's mercy and compassion. We cannot claim that we are without sin and always deserving of God's blessings of mercy and compassion.


...[F]or all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God[.] Romans 3:23

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

My Prayer: Lord, You are a great God, full of mercy, compassion, patience, gentleness, etc. even though I am quite sure I am not deserving.  I continue to sin - I lack patience, I worry, etc.  Thank You for Your many blessings but please forgive me Jesus - I need You desperately.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin 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 Lisa of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.