365 Reflections

Will a miracle make someone believe? The answer is no. A miracle does not make you believe. The obvious evidence is that after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, those who did not believe in Jesus saw it and doubled down on their efforts to kill him and now the resurrected Lazarus! Psalm 78 is proof positive of the stubborn heart of man when it comes to faith and miracles. The first 31 verses recount all the miracles God had done for Israel... rescuing them from slavery, feeding them in the wilderness, water from the rock... splitting the sea... amazing wonders. But no matter what God did, they kept rebelling and refusing to trust Him... Psalm 78:32 (ESV) In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe. So if miracles and wonders do not cause belief, what does?  Look at what it says two verses later! Psalm 78:34 (ESV) 34 When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly. What? Whe...

Psalm 77 is a Psalm that begins with distress and ends with praise. There is a specific movement in this Psalm from an inward focused groan to an outward focused praise of God. In the first 2 verses the Psalmist mentions himself six times. I cry out to God; yes, I shout. Oh, that God would listen to me! When I was in deep trouble, I searched for the Lord. All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven, but my soul was not comforted. ( Psalms 77:1-2 NLT) How often we do this when we are in distress. We focus on our feelings, on what we experience, on what is going on and happening to us. Many prayers begin this way. Talking all about what we need, what we think, what we lack. Slowly the Psalm moves towards a focus on God. Albeit a wrongful thought toward God. I think of God, and I moan, overwhelmed with longing for his help. Interlude... I  think of the good old days, long since ended, when my nights were filled with joyful songs. I search my soul and ponder the difference...

Psalm 76:10 (NLT) Human defiance only enhances your glory, for you use it as a weapon. What a crazy thought! Even the rebellion of humans brings glory to God. Yet this is consistent with the rest of Scripture. Paul writes about Pharaoh... Romans 9:17 (ESV) For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” God gets glory from the defiance of human pride.  If Pharaoh hadn't hardened his heart, God's miracles would not have been necessary Yet consider that it took 400 years for Israel to see those days. I imagine in the middle of that generation, many Israelites wondered at all if God cared that His people and His name were being disregarded by the powers that be. Even in our own generation, we can wonder the same.  Yet God is not asleep. And God is not quiet forever. It may not happen in my lifetime, but somehow God will get the glory ...

You ever take time to thank God just for being who He has decided to be? That's what Psalm 75 is. Psalm 75:1 (ESV) We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks, for your name is near. We recount your wondrous deeds. No petition, no thankfulness for what God has individually brought about in the Psalmist's life. Just acknowledgement that God is holy and just in every way. That there is no help apart from Him. That He is going to bring recompense on the wicked and shelter to those who hid in Him. God is in charge: Psalm 75:6–7 (ESV) 6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, 7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. And then almost as soon as it starts... the Psalm ends with more praise: Psalm 75:9–10 (ESV) 9 But I will declare it forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righ...

Psalm 74 is a plea to God for Him to restore the chosen poeple back from the devastation of their exile due to their own sins. What is interesting about this psalm of repentance is that the repentance shown is for the glory of God. He wants God to get the glory in this story... God to get the victory and renown. He's not looking simply for fast relief from his pain, but he's looking for the name and glory of God to be known in all the earth once again. How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you? Will you let them dishonor your name forever? (Psalms 74:10 NLT) Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long. (Psalms 74:22 NLT) I wonder if what we consider repentance is true repentance? What are we after? Simply relief from our pains, anxieties and stresses brought on by sin's effects? Or are we seeking to bring glory to God? For that is our original intended purpose. I was thinking this week about the original command t...

Psalm 73 is something you have to read every now and then especially in this celebrity obsessed culture of constant instant entertainment. Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. (Psalms 73:1-3 NLT) Who doesn't feel like this at times? Who doesn't wonder why people with no fear of God seem to get ahead? Who doesn't look at the world and its trajectory and wonder if Christianity is true and the guy the Bible is real why does it seem that his enemies are winning? Answer: things aren't always as they seem. This is a Psalm about whether we're going to go by what we see about who we know? On the outside anyone's life and look better than yours. On the outside anyone can seem to have it together. That's what he says in verse 4: They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so...

Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors. May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever! (Psalms 72:1-5 NLT) This psalm is a prayer of David for his son Solomon to take the throne of Israel. It's a wonderful prayer of a father for his son. Do you pray for concerning your children? Do we pray over our children regularly? We should. Everything David prays for his so that Solomon will help other people. He doesn't simply pray for success and notoriety or fame. David prays that Solomon will live a life that helps others and defends the poor and those who are oppressed. In the beginning of his reign Solomon does this but things fall apart ...