365 Reflections

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 nati...

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...

A lot of people want God to be... - less judgmental. - more loving. - less concerned with sin and righteousness. - more like a grandpa who loves and hugs. Many Christians want God to be... - more condemning to "others" - harsher toward those who sin unlike us. - faster in delivering justice. The reality is you can't make God want you want Him to be. The moment you do, God has become subject to your imaginations. This is a problem. It makes you God. And no matter what you think, you're not fit to be Him. Psalm 113 is a chiastic Psalm. That means it centers on a particular verse. Find the center and you find the point of the Psalm. This is a common technique in Hebrew poetry. In this case, the 5th verse: Psalm 113:5 (ESV) Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, That's the point of this beautiful Psalm. Miss that and you don't catch what's being said. There is no one who is like God. He is eternal and timeless. Psalm 113:3 (E...

Do you want to be unafraid in life? Do what God says. I love psalm 112. It's a continuation from Psalm 111 which shows us the God who creates and sustains the ordered universe. He made it to function a certain way. By implication, He made all of US to function a certain way. The Psalm responds to Psalm 111 with a commendation to those who trust God: Psalm 112:1 (ESV) Praise the Lord ! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord , who greatly delights in his commandments! The delight of His commandments is what's important here. Fear is about trust. To fear God is to trust and love His commands because they work. The same God who created the world that works (Psalm 112), has given us laws to keep us operating in the world with blessing. consider the absence of God's law for generations from the fall to Noah. Man's wicked heart was only consumed with evil all the time. The message of God for 4 chapters in the Bible is left to our own devises, we destroy ourselves. T...

Psalm 111 calls us to delight in the works of God. Five times the word, "work" appears in this brief Psalm. God is a "working" God. He created and sat back and determined His work to be good. It's intrinsic to our natural world that work makes it better and beautiful and functional. God created work, God works, God admonishes work to be honored. Psalm 111:2 (ESV) Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Humans love to study His work. Science is not incompatible with God or religion. In fact, the Royal Society of London was started by theologians to expand our comprehension of the incredible WORKS of our God! Scientific thought has it's roots in the Christian faith - contrary to what many people will tell you. I love technology. I love the human mind being used to harness the healing and beneficial properties of creation. I love seeing our studies bring us farther and empowering us to do more than ever before. This is the...

Psalm 110 is the most often quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament. It should be for good reason. Jesus uses the first line to baffle the Pharisees who were waiting for Messiah while staring Him int he face. Psalm 110:1 (ESV) The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” David here speaks of God (LORD in capitals) speaking to Jesus (Lord) about His divine rule at God's right hand side. And since David calls this Messiah Lord, how can He also be David's Son? Because He is both a man and God. He is both human nature and divine nature in one. No wonder the Apostles used this Psalm so much in their proclamation of the Gospel! But I want to point out one interesting passage in verse 2: Psalm 110:2 (ESV) The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! "Rule in the midst of your enemies."  This Divine rule of Christ happens through His Church in the midst o...

Psalm 109:1–5 (ESV) Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. 3 They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. 5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love. The Lord WHO is with you is greater than those who come against you. That is the promise of Psalm 109. The Psalmist is in desperate circumstance, hated by people on all sides. He seeks the Lord's help in prayer, praise and fasting. He is diligent to humble himself and call out to the God who saves. Psalm 109 is one of the Imprecatory Psalms wherein the Psalmist calls down curses on his enemies. It is the longest and most intense of those particular Psalms. Notice... Psalm 109:8–10 (ESV) May his days be few; may another take his office! 9 May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! 10 May his children wa...

Psalm 108 is a warrior's morning prayer for victory. David who had a long fight with the Edomites has awoken up early to seek God's deliverance from them once and for all. Psalm 108:1–4 (ESV) 1 My heart is steadfast, O God! I will sing and make melody with all my being! 2 Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn! 3 I will give thanks to you, O Lord , among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. 4 For your steadfast love is great above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. The state of David's heart is strong. He is steadfast. But why? Because God's love is steadfast. God is faithful to David in love. In fact, David's name means, "beloved." It is interesting that David is the only "David" in the Bible! No one else carries that name. Perhaps this was the reason behind John's reference to himself as "the disciple Jesus loved." People who know they are loved by God last a long...

If you read Psalm 107 you find a repeated phrase: Psalm 107:6 (NLT) “ Lord , help!” they cried in their trouble, and he rescued them from their distress.    Psalm 107:13 (NLT) “ Lord , help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Psalm 107:19 (NLT) “ Lord , help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. Psalm 107:28 (NLT)   “ Lord , help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. The Psalm is a beautiful telling of God's help for all kinds of people with all kinds of problems.  Some wandered in darkness (verses 4-9). Some sat in darkness because of their rebellion (verses 10-16). Some were foolish and sinned - suffering for their own problems (verses 17-22). Finally, some sought business ventures and ended up drunks (verses 23-32). What this Psalm really reminds me of is that God is always ready to help any and all who cry out to Him! No matter what the issue...

Psalm 106:1–2 (ESV)   Praise the Lord ! Oh give thanks to the Lord , for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord , or declare all his praise? So Psalms 105 and 106 go together. The first extols the Lord for His mighty acts and goodness exhibited to His people. It tells us to recount the wonderful deeds of the Lord. Psalm 106 also calls us to recount His deeds, but a different set of deeds altogether. In this Psalm, the call to worship God is based on His consistent mercy and grace to a stubborn and obstinate people.  The first recollection starts with Egypt: Psalm 106:7–8 (ESV)   Our fathers, when they were in Egypt, did not consider your wondrous works; they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea. 8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, that he might make known his mighty power. It talks about the up and down nature of the people's fait...

Psalm 105:1 (ESV)   Oh give thanks to the Lord ; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! This Psalm recounts the entire history of Abraham's children in the Old Testament. It's a song about the deeds of the Lord on their behalf and the first part of a two-part hymn with Psalm 106. Here in 105, the song is positive, recalling the deeds of the Lord, remembering and declaring His goodness to the people of Israel, calling them into thankful praise. We need to do this in our worship. I'm not a big fan of the me-central worship that is going on in a lot of churches. Songs that talk about my personal intimacy with God. Yes, there are some Psalms like that, David's in particular, but most of them extol the Lord's works over the world and His people. This kind of worship is evangelistic.  Psalm 105:2 (ESV) Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works! When the Church gathers to sing, we sing TO Him for t...

I never thought about this but the Lord does really like what He has made. That is what Psalm 104 is all about. May the glory of the LORD continue forever! The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made! (Psalms 104:31 NLT) God is in the creating business. This Psalm is known for its reflective nature on the Creation account of Genesis 1-2. It follows very closely the same pattern of Genesis 1 as each part of Creation is celebrated as something wonderful from the Lord. God takes pleasure in creating things for a purpose. The purpose is His glory. He is glorified in his creation responding and operating according to His design. So mankind brings God glory in utilizing creation to create! Notice how the Psalm unpacks that for us: Psalm 104:14–15 (ESV) You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth 15 and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man...