365 Reflections

Psalm 138 is famous for the refrain between every phrase: "his steadfast love endures forever" It is recited in each of the 26 verses. One line after each of God's acts as recorded in Scripture from who He is to what He made to who He chose and how He is enthroned in heaven. What's interesting is when the Psalm uses the term  "steadfast love" it's using the Hebrew word, "Hesed", which means loyal love. This Hebrew word for love is almost exclusively used for God's relation to His people. HE alone is the TRULY loyal lover of His people. What a God we have! Do you know what to be thankful for? His LOYAL LOVE. When you read the account of Psalm 138, you learn just how loyal God is in spite of our doubtful His people were. He delivered Israel when they didn't trust or believe in Moses. Psalm 136:10 (ESV) to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; He saved them dramatically while th

Psalm 135:1–4 (NLT) Praise the Lord ! Praise the name of the Lord ! Praise him, you who serve the Lord , 2 you who serve in the house of the Lord , in the courts of the house of our God. 3 Praise the Lord , for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music. 4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure. Psalm 135 begins the last section of the Psalms. They are known as the "Hallelujah" Psalms. The begin and end with a call to PRAISE the LORD!  There's something very interesting about these verses in Psalm 135. The peopel who are called to praise Him are the ones who have been brought closest to Him. The praise of the Lord is the responsibility of the Lord's chosen people.  They have every reason to praise Him for He has made them and given the all that is theirs. The Lord is sovereign and in control. Notice this verse: Psalm 135:6 (NLT)   The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all

The great mistake we make in Evangelical churches today is making the music singing in the Church about us. Many hop from church to church looking for the right mix that "fits" them or makes them "feel" blessed from the singing.  Some only want particular Hymns, others only want particular praise songs in particular styles of music. How quickly we turn inward. I truly believe the gravitational pull of every Christian is to look inward and not outward! Don't get me wrong, we should feel the joy of God's presence, but the purpose of praise is to praise, not to experience! Psalm 134 is the highest point of the Psalms of Ascents. Pilgrims have gathered in the Temple in unity (Psalm 133), and are now in worship. In this high point of praise, the Psalmist calls us to WORSHIP and BLESS the LORD! Psalm 134:1–2 (ESV) Come, bless the Lord , all you servants of the Lord , who stand by night in the house of the Lord ! 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and

This is our calling... to love one another. Christianity is first and foremost a relational faith. Our relationship with God is made right by faith in Christ, and the implications of which lead to right relationships with one another. What does God want for His family? He wants us to get along! Psalm 133:1–3 (ESV) Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. We are in the midst of the ascent Psalms, the songs sung by Israel as they came to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the national feasts. This Psalm would have been sung when they finally met together in the Temple. It was a reminder that though they came from different tribes and walks of life - they all had a bond of brotherhood in thei

Psalm 132:8 (ESV) Arise, O Lord , and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. This Psalm is the climax of the ascent Psalms. The pilgrim has made it to the holy city and is nearing the temple meditating on the Temple, the Ark of God, His presence and the promises made to David who established this city as Mount Zion. Whenever we hear of God's rule, we hear of His rest. His rest is the first thing He does after Creation. We had rest in the Garden but we sought to rule ourselves and the world has been at unrest ever since. So God has been bringing a people back to His rest. He brings the people into the wilderness to find rest from their slavery. He brings them to the land for rest from their wanderings. He gives them rest from their enemies. His people are made to live under His rule of REST. We live in unrest. We keep thinking someone or something other than God will give us the quiet rest that only He provides. We are performing a fool's errand lea

Psalm 131:1–3 (ESV) O Lord , my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.     2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.     3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. There's really only one way to approach God. Humbly and open. Here we have a picture, a weaned child with its mother. Hebrew children were weaned at ages three or four, and this experience marked the end of their infancy.  But a child of that age usually does not have any desire to stray too far from mom. In fact, they often become even more attached than they were at 2 years of age. The exposure of life's reality yields to anxiety of the great unknown beyond their comfort zone. YET the Psalmist has quieted his soul. Notice the phrase: "I have calmed and quieted my soul." This is his activity and not some

Psalm 130 is a cry for forgiveness with one word missing: "Repentance." Many times we are overwhelmed by the idea that we may not be truly forgiven because we weren't sincere enough or didn't cry enough, or didn't express our sorrow enough. It's a trap. It's a trap because to believe your forgiveness is based on your performance in sorrow is to make God's grace dependent on your emotional toil! The Psalmist states flatly... Psalm 130:3–4 (ESV)   If you, O Lord , should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. Notice, the forgiveness of God in this verse precedes the fear of God in the worshipper. We come to fear God because we come to know our sin but also realize the depth of his forgiveness was always greater than we ever first realized.  The problem with many Church goers is NOT that they have a cheap view of grace, but rather a cheap view of the law. We measure ourselves by

The story is told that on one occasion, Karl Barth was asked why he believed in God, and he responded, "Because of Jews."  When his questioner, surprised, asked, "Why because of Jews?" Barth is said to have responded, "Find me a Hittite in New York City." David Kidner writes about Psalm 129: "Whereas most nations tend to look back on what they have achieved, Israel reflects here on what she has survived." No matter who has pursued them, killed them, exiled them, hated them or hunted them, the Jewish people are still around today... And they have their land back. What can account for this? What except the Sovereign hand of God who promised to make them a long-lasting nation of blessing. Psalm 129:1-2 (ESV)  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say— “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me." What other people from the ancient world... Perrizites or Philis

Psalm 128 is all about blessing. Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV) 1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord , who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.        3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.        4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord .        5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel! The man who fears the Lord is blessed. There's no doubt about it. The Psalms are songs sung by the congregation. Weekly reminders of the blessing of doing life God's way. Notice the outward thrust of blessing from the man to his legacy. Those who fear the Lord are blessed with their own efforts and labor. Life will be good for them personally! Secondly, life will be good for them

Psalm 127:1–5 (ESV)   Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.           3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. When I first read this Psalm I thought it was two different Psalms that have been forced into one. The first part is about building something - industry, work, labor. The second about family, children and rest (which often don't go together). But I was wrong. I learned that Jewish people see this Psalm as a unit because in their mind all areas of life flow together and affect each other. Why d

A common literary technique is the use of extremes right next to each other: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." "The more things change the more they stay the same" Here's the shortest and most profound in history: "Jesus wept." The joy of the whole Earth cried in sadness. The resurrection and the life looked on death and let the tears flow. That's powerful contrast. Here's another: Psalm 126:5–6 (NLT) Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. I love this line. It's a contrasting reminder of heaven. Because while we are here on Earth - our lives are filled with tears and weeping. Frustrations in relationships, in work, in hopes and dreams and family and friends abound. We are met with our own frailties more and more the older we get. Every time we pass one test, another harder test is coming fo

Psalm 125:1–2 (ESV)  Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. 2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people, from this time forth and forevermore. What a wonderful word picture of those who trust in the Lord. There are some pretty important mountains surrounding Jerusalem.  Mount Golgotha. The Mount of Olives. Mount Sinai (which we don't really know where but in the land). This is what you do when you spend time in the Word... you remember what He's done and Whose you are... When we come to the Word of God we are reminded of these mountains but more importantly, we are reminded of what they represent. Each mountain was the scene of a dramatic moment in redemptive history. The giving of the Law, the dying of our Savior, the Teaching of Christ and His return at the mount of olives! This is why we come to the Word of God, to remember we like that great city of God, now in grace surrounde

In the Psalm of Ascents, David declares: Psalm 124:1–5 (ESV) If it had not been the Lord who was on our side— let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when people rose up against us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. Psalm 124 is the response of God's faithful help in response to the cry of Psalm 123. They are meant to be read together. The Psalmist called out to God in Psalm 123 and then responds with praise in Psalm 124. How fitting and how often forgotten. We need to learn how to move from PRAYER to PRAISE. We usually call out to God when we need help. That's in our nature. We go back to church, we make deals with the Almighty, we pray, we get serious in our devotion, we seek the face of God.  Then the battle ends in victory. And yet how often we nev

How do you see God? Too many Americans see God as life-assistant, helpful friend who gives us a leg up when we are down. Too many Christians want a God who's there "for them" in their hard times, a safety net for when I fail in my plans. The Psalmist lifts his eyes to God in an entirely different way: Psalm 123:1–2 (ESV) To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he has mercy upon us. The Psalmist sees God as the master of his life. He is facing the taunt of his enemies and turning to God his Lord as the one from whom he needs mercy. Psalm 123:3–4 (ESV)   Have mercy upon us, O Lord , have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. 4 Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. Seeing God i

Psalm 122:1 (ESV) I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the LORD!” Are you glad to come to God's house? You should be. For the writer of Psalm 122, there was no better place for he and fellow pilgrims to be than in the house of the Lord. Imagine being a Jewish pilgrim. You wander through the desert plains of Palestine most of the year. But three times a year (and some times a few more) you go to the house of God for a festival where everyone from your big national family comes to worship and celebrate the presence of God together. What a beautiful thing. Psalm 122:3–4 (ESV)   Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together, 4 to which the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord , as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord . For Israel, coming to Jerusalem and the Temple was like Christmas or Easter dinner with family. They were one people AND one nation tied together in a sweet community of fellowship with God. Some of

Psalm 121:1–4 (NLT) I look up to the mountains— does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the Lord , who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. Psalm 121 is a source of incredible comfort. The Psalmist going to Jerusalem to a worship celebration is reminded that their God is not some god of the hills or some god of the sun or moon. He's the God who made all of it and owns all of it and is over all of it. Yet He is the God who WATCHES out for you. Six times in 7 verses the words, "keep watch" appear as the consistent activity of God over His people. When you are devoted to God, remember He's devoted to you.  The protective care of God is something I have witnessed for much of my life. I was once driving too fast in hazardous conditions on the highway. My car hydroplaned with several cars around it, spun around and th

The book of the Psalms takes a major turn in Psalm 120. They are now what we call the Songs of Ascent from Psalm 120 to Psalm 134. The title of each Psalm suggests that these songs were sung as the pilgrims were making their way back up to Jerusalem for annual feasts. With that in mind, the scriptures open to us in regards to what is being said in Psalm 120. Psalm 120:1 (NKJV)   In my distress I cried to the Lord , And He heard me. This section of Psalms opens with a man in distress who is desperate for the Lord. This is where all ascent happens in Christ, with a broken and contrite spirit. I cannot tell you the number of times the broken places of my life have been the best places in my life. Sometimes it's the only way God can speak to us - that we get to the low lands of life and look for His sweet restoration.  Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in Spirit... (and) those who mourn." I also love the Psalmists faith. "He heard me." The Psalm is just

The end of the longest Psalm is this verse: Psalm 119:176  (ESV)   I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments. Sounds strange coming from someone who has been writing for 175 verses about how much he loves God's law, trusts in God's law and desires to obey God's law. After all, shouldn't he consider himself a found sheep on the right path? This introduces the apparent paradox in any who come to God in faith. The ever present reality that apart from God we can do nothing. Isaiah was a great prophet. Yet he wrote, "We all like sheep have gone astray" (Isaiah 53:6). Paul was a powerful Apostle yet "beat his body" (1 Cor. 9:27) to stay strong in the Lord and referred to himself as "least of the Apostles" (1 Corinthians 15:9), "worst of sinners" (1 Timothy 1:16) and a "wretched man" (Roman 7:24). We are the people who walk with a limp. We cannot do it apart from th

Psalm 119:148 (ESV)   My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise. Of the 20 times the Hebrew Word for meditate shows up in the Bible, 8 of those times appear in Psalm 119. There is no doubt that when you are discouraged and downcast, the answer is always God's Word. And this is intuitive to our culture. I was having a conversation the other day about a popular TV show where one of the characters in this very gruesome post-apocalyptic world keeps turning to the Bible on occasion. Somewhere in Hollywood there is a writer that still wrestles with the reality that the Bible has the answers 2000 years later to the hardest parts of our lives. Biblical meditation is not emptying your mind but filling your mind with God's Word to such a decree that it causes you to start living differently. It's meaning in the Hebrew is to  “go over a matter in one’s mind” or "to rehearse" it. Meditation is not just reading, but re-r

Psalm 119:96 (NLT) Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limit. This is a profound verse. The Psalmist picks up the Theme of Ecclesiastes here to plainly state: no matter how far in life you get, without God's Truth, you're empty. Even perfection has it's limits. Wow. How many celebrities do we have to see kill themselves before we realize the truth of this statement? How many more suicides of those who seem to have made it? We have a celebrity in the Bible who tried everything. His name was Solomon. He tried to appease every appetite of his heart and concluded it was all vanity. The system of this world sells us on what will "make us happier, better, more secure." And we chase like everyone else. And no matter how far we get, we are trained by a constant barrage of commercialization that something else will make our lives better.  Paul said,  1 Timothy 6:6 (NLT)  true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. To be &q

Psalm 119:33–37 (ESV) Teach me, O Lord , the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. We are fallen. I think that is an understatement. We often do not realize how fallen we are. And the call to obey God is not just to do what's right, but to think it, and feel it, and do what's right right with the right motivation at the right time. That's a tall order. But it makes us realize just how fallen we are. It's good to admit your fallen. Otherwise, how will you ever get help? The Psalmist here has no problem telling God he needs help to obey the Word. He has already made it clear he loves God's Word. Now he's confessing that he lacks he means n

Typically when God does something special or new in our lives, the enemy is enraged and attacks. Jesus said in the parable of the soils (Matthew 13) the evil one comes in and steals the seed of the Word before it even has a chance to settle into the soil. The enemy of our souls hates the power of God's Word. It's because he (the enemy) knows the power of God's Word even more than us. It is the first thing he sought to question before the woman in the garden. The longest Psalm of the collection is dedicated to the Psalmist's love for God's Word. He commits to it and desires it... praying earnestly:  Psalm 119:18–19 (ESV)   Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law. 19 I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me! He wants God's Word deep in his heart because he knows his time on Earth is strange and at times unwelcome. He needs the guidance of the God of heaven. But notice that as soon as he desires God's W

I love how the Bible gives us 20/20 vision of the lives who took part in writing it through inspiration of the Holy Spirt. The Biblical authors were not faultless men, they were visibly broken and given to weakness. We know the murder and impatience of Moses. We see the anger and rage issues of Nehemiah. We know about Paul's own struggles (Romans 7:24). We know Peter struggled with ethnic pride (Galatians 2). These were broken men. The author of Psalm 119 has always inspired me. He writes the longest Psalm as an anthology to his love for God's Word. He agrees with it. He is inspired by it. He is protected and guided through it. But he also struggles to do it: Psalm 119:1–5 (ESV) Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord ! 2 Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, 3 who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! 4 You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. 5 Oh that my ways may be

These verses were once thought the middle of the Bible. I'm not entirely sure if that's true. Either way, they are a great couple of verses to meditate on. Psalm 118:8–9 (ESV) It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. 9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes. A few thoughts about this passage. Notice it says it is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better. It's not always easier. Man is visible and audible and available in our present reality. Man can make promises and seem sincere and appears to be the path to success. Go to the right school, work for the right company, get ahead, move up and move onward. That's the easy way. The better and often more difficult path is to trust God. But this requires faith. God is unseen and not audible (apart from the scriptures). God is not visibly standing beside you and does not specialize in the fast track to financial success the world so often purs

Psalm 117:1–2 (ESV)   Praise the Lord , all nations! Extol him, all peoples! 2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord ! The smallest Psalm in the Bible is a lesson in big-time vision. Though it is the shortest of all the songs in this collection, it has the largest vision possible. It speaks to nations and all peoples concerning the reality of our God! This Psalm is highly evangelistic as it seeks for all people to know the reasons for praising God - His faithfulness and love - covenantal terms for the people of Israel. The Psalmist forsees a day when all nations and peoples will know the love and faithfulness of Yahweh. This Psalm is also post-exilic. Which means it was written after Israel had reached its peak, descended into immorality, was chastened in exile and returned humbly to the city of Jerusalem. The Psalmist and his nation are down but they are not out. He sees a day when even godless nations

Psalm 116:1–4 (ESV)   I love the Lord , because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. 2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord : “O Lord , I pray, deliver my soul!” The writer of this Psalm was saved from a near death sickness by the Lord. He cried out, God heard and responded and healed him. It's a fairy tale story of sorts. It's the we all would love our sickness to end, with answered prayer and healing.  But why doesn't it always happen?  To answer that question, we should regard the second verse of this Psalm. The Psalmist makes an astounding vow before the Lord - to "call on Him as long as I live." He's healed. He could do anything now. He could "get on with life" on his terms and wait for heaven. That's what most do. If you don'

The one proof of God from the Bible we do not discuss is actually something many regard as reason for disbelief. We don't see Him. The Hebrew scriptures are clear: You do not make an image of Jehovah. Why? Because NO IMAGE we could make would do Him justice. The religions of the ancient world worshipped scads of images. Paul is vexed by them in Athens in Acts 17. They even had an image to the "unknown" god just in case they missed one. There is something inherent to the human heart regarding idolatry. We want to create God according to our own likeness and image. Israel struggled with this temptation from day one. They made a golden calf as Moses was getting the second commandment from the finger of God on tablets of stone! Remember that Aaron did not call them to worship some false deity but rather called the people to regard the calf as an image of the God who brought them out of Egypt. The human heart loves to recreate God according to our own ideas. So today

Psalm 114 is weird. It's weird because the Psalmist has a conversation with a Sea, a river and mountains. The Psalm recounts Israel's deliverance from Egypt in a unique way and asks questions of the Earthly elements that made way for God's people now saved. Psalm 114:3–6 (NLT) The Red Sea saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs! 5 What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way? What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away? 6 Why, mountains, did you skip like rams? Why, hills, like lambs? The Psalmist personifies these things to make a point: A sea hurries out of the way. The Jordan made a turn for them. What's the point? It's a reminder that when God does a work in someone's life, obstacles have to move! The opening verses give this away: Psalm 114:1–2 (NLT)   When the Israelites escaped from Egypt— when the family of Jacob l