Psalm 145
Psalm 145 - “Observe that David is firmly resolved to praise God. My text has four ‘I wills’ in it. Frequently it is foolish for us poor mortals to say ‘I will,’ because our will is so ...
Psalm 143
Psalm 143 - Depression. An estimated 19 million American adults are living with major depression characterized as a persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. As F.B. Meyer writes, ...
Psalm 142
Psalm 142 - "Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell God your troubles, that God may comfort you; tell God your ...
Psalm 141
Psalm 141 - David fixed his eyes on the Lord. There are many times in life where we are stunted by the actions of others. As they spew hatred and evil in our direction, we begin to ...
Psalm 140
Psalm 140 - When we go to God in our afflictions, we can rest knowing that He hears us. We can find peace with the fact that we are exactly where we need to be in such ...
Psalm 137
Psalm 137 - How do we worship in a foreign land? Being completely cut off from their native land, and without their temple to worship in, the people of Israel were heartsick. They had no high priest, ...
Psalm 136
Psalm 136 - Mercy, kindness, lovingkindness, goodness, and favor. This is the translation for the Greek word checed which appears in every verse of this psalm. The application for today is simple. Recount the ways in which ...
Psalm 135
Psalm 135 - Our God is praise worthy in every age and season. No matter the circumstances, God is with us and for us. Often, it is hard to understand and believe this when we look around ...
Psalm 130
Psalm 130 - Psalm 130 is known as a Pauline psalm because it speaks to the grace and mercy of God. This was a theme Paul wrote on extensively. For all have sinned and fall short of ...
Psalm 128
Psalm 128 - "I'm so blessed." We hear this phrase often in our culture. It's not that I don't believe that it's a genuine feeling. I do. However, sometimes I wonder what exactly it means to be ...
Psalm 127
Psalm 127 - According to J. Vernon McGee, this psalm has been used on several important occasions. It was used at the inauguration of President Eisenhower. Two Bibles were used. One of them was George Washington's Bible, ...
Psalm 125
Psalm 125 - It is a bold declaration, especially within the turmoil of our world today. Those who trust in the Lord will never be moved. Never. Think about that for a moment. Those who trust can ...
Psalm 123
Psalm 123 - What do we do when there is no move from God? Our God is a useful God. He provides us with an abundance of blessings. But, His usefulness to us is not our primary ...
Psalm 119
Psalm 119 - The original Hebrew version of this psalm is a complex acrostic. Each verse in a particular section begins with the same letter. Doing the math, this means that every 8 verses would begin with ...
Psalm 118
Psalm 118 - Many scholars believe that Psalm 118 was written during Moses' day in the Exodus. If you compare this psalm to Exodus 15, there are remarkable similarities. Psalms 118:14 NASB The LORD is my strength ...
Psalm 117
Psalm 117 - Although short, this psalm packs a heavy punch. God calls all people to worship Him. The calling of the Gentiles (all people other than Jews) was in the plan of God from the beginning. ...
Psalm 116
Psalm 116 - "How can I repay the LORD for all the good He has done for me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of Yahweh." Psalms 116:12-13 HCSB What ...
Psalm 115
Psalm 115 - Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. 10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and shield. 11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the ...
Psalm 113
Psalm 113 - Music connects with every person on the planet. More than likely, all of us can identify with a song or artist that inspires us in a personal way. Songs are easy to remember, well-situated ...
Psalm 109
Psalm 109 - What do we make of this prayer? On the surface, it appears to be vindictive, hateful, and even potentially sinful! Look at the Good News Translation of the psalmist's emotions. Psa 109:7 May he ...
Psalm 108
Psalm 108 - Moab is My washbasin; I throw My sandal on Edom. I shout in triumph over Philistia." Psalms 108:9 HCSB "Picture Edom in rebellion against Yahweh and his people. Picture them mustering thousands and thousands ...
Psalm 107
Psalm 107 - But He lifts the needy out of their suffering and makes their families multiply like flocks. 42 The upright see it and rejoice, and all injustice shuts its mouth. 43 Let whoever is wise ...
Psalm 105
Psalm 105 - "The term translated as promise throughout the psalm is the Hebrew dāḇār—which is also the term used for the “Ten Words” (Ten Commandments) in Hebrew. Hebrew does not have different words for “law” and ...
Psalm 103
Psalm 103 - How long do you strive? It seems like an odd question on the surface. Let me rephrase it. Where is the limit of your patience and trust? Let's say a friend were to ask ...
Psalm 101
Psalm 101 - "I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house." Psalms 101:2 HCSB Christians are often singled out ...
Psalm 99
Psalm 99 - God is holy. Let them praise Your great and awe-inspiring name. He is holy. Psalms 99:3 HCSB Exalt the LORD our God; bow in worship at His footstool. He is holy. Psalms 99:5 HCSB ...
Psalm 97
Psalm 97 - When we look back at Scripture, we see just how holy God really is. Anyone who came into the fullness of God (or Jesus in His heavenly form) were overwhelmed beyond comprehension. Wrestling With ...
Psalm 96
Psalm 96 - "Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 3 Tell ...
Psalm 95
Psalm 95 - All worship is not equal. There are many today who bring false worship before the Father. Coming before Him with selfish ambition or prideful arrogance, they are no different than the Pharisees of Jesus' ...
Psalm 94
Psalm 94 - O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. Psalms 94:1-2 NASB The appeal to God to exercise His vengeance ...
Psalm 92
Psalm 92 - The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the LORD, They will flourish in the courts of our God. ...
Psalm 91
Psalm 91 - Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, 2 can say to him, "You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust." ...
Psalm 89
Psalm 89 - In similar fashion to Psalm 88, the writer here boldly introduces some deep theological questions. He records some of our deepest fears and most troubling mysteries about God. But you are angry with your ...
Psalm 88
Psalm 88 - Psalm 88 will most likely not be made into a children's song one day. It's too raw. In fact, I would go as far as to say it makes people uncomfortable. It treads unashamedly ...
Psalm 85
Psalm 85 - He has shown favor. He has restored. He has forgiven. He has covered. He withdrew his fury. He turned away from His anger. This is how Psalm 85 begins. It is a testimony to ...
Psalm 84
Psalm 84 - A very wise woman (Mona Jean Workman) used to describe the highs and lows of her life alongside God as an "adventure." Throughout that adventure, there were valleys and mountaintops. This is similar to ...
Psalm 81
Psalm 81 - Sin destroys. If we ever were to wonder what God thinks about sin, we only need to start with this chapter. It brings to mind a movement within churches today to minimize God's anger ...
Psalm 80
Psalm 80 - There are some aspects to growth that can only happen in community. This is the central theme of this chapter. Three times the psalmist pleads for victory through restoration. However, it is not a ...
Psalm 78
Psalm 78 - Coming off the heels of Psalm 77 where we are to remember God's faithfulness, we now move into the action steps behind those memories. At the end of Psalm 77, I wrote that we ...
Psalm 76
Psalm 76 - God is faithful. His track record is perfect. He never fails and never shows up late. His power is unmatched and His grace is providential. God is known in Judah; His name is great ...
Psalm 75
Psalm 75 - Psalm 75 is a plea for justice. The dilemma with justice is that many of us want it to reign down on those around us but fail to take a look in the mirror. ...
Psalm 74
Psalm 74 - He purchased. He redeemed. He dwelt. The invasion by their enemies has devastated the people of Israel and Judah. They know that these enemies are a manifestation of His punishment for their waywardness. However, ...
Psalm 69
Psalm 69 - Unto You be all the glory, Lord. Have we ever stopped to consider what this really means? Creation itself is a testimony that points to the flawless and undeniable glory of God. The last ...
Psalm 68
Psalm 68 - There is something to be said about the joy of the Lord being our daily strength. Our God is an untamed, impassioned husband whose love is fierce, boundless with delight over his bride. Our ...
Psalm 67
Psalm 67 - Many forget God's original intent when He chose Israel as His people. "I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them ...
Psalm 65
Psalm 65 - "How blessed is the one whom You choose and bring near to You To dwell in Your courts. We will be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, Your holy temple." Psalms 65:4 NASB ...
Psalm 64
Psalm 64 - "One of the most pressing theological questions today is “why do the evil ones prosper?” If one looks around, it certainly seems as if the bad ones are winning, be that on the streets ...
Psalm 63
Psalm 63 - David is on the run from his son Absolam who has organized a revolt against him. King David fled east out of Jerusalem through the Judean Desert. It was most likely at the end ...
Psalm 61
Psalm 61 - When we struggle through hard times, we lose confidence. Our demeanor changes and we just can't move ourselves to accomplish the basic tasks before us. Everything seems to snowball and we find ourselves trudging ...
Psalm 60
Psalm 60 - Defeat is never easy. Never. But since Jesus took on sin and death and triumphed over it through His resurrection, we have the power to face it. For the believer rooted in faith, defeat ...
Psalm 59
Psalm 59 - Twice in the first two verses, David cried out for God to deliver him. In verse 2, he cries out for God to save him. Deliver me from those who do iniquity And save ...
Psalm 58
Psalm 58 - Verses 1-6We read a familiar description of those in leadership who deceive others. Consider the description. They are in a position of authority where they can judge others. Their hearts are pure evil. They ...
Psalm 57
Psalm 57 - My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Psalms 57:7 KJV The ESV and NASB translate the heart's disposition as steadfast in this verse. Other translations ...
Psalm 56
Psalm 56 - In his book "Happiness," Randy Alcorn writes, “I think it’s fair to say that many Christians don’t believe God is happy. If we did believe it, wouldn’t we be happier?” “Sometimes we read Scripture ...
Psalm 54
Psalm 54 - Though the opening verses do not indicate the specifics of the trouble at hand, the plea is for action. The desire of the psalmist is for God to do something. Verses one and two ...
Psalm 53
Psalm 53 - When God looks down from heaven at humanity, He's not looking at innocent people. He's looking at guilty people who love evil. People love their sin. This is why the sin problem had no ...
Psalm 52
Psalm 52 - Psalm 52 is a reminder that our words matter. Like a sharpened razor, your tongue devises destruction, working treachery. 3 You love evil instead of good, lying instead of speaking truthfully. Selah. 4 You ...
Psalm 51
Psalm 51 - It is known as "The Sinner's Guide" and contains some of the most quoted verses in all of Psalms. It is not surprising that this Psalm features some of the most beautifully articulated phrases ...
Psalm 49
Psalm 49 - Death. No one can escape it. It is a certainty that all of humanity agrees upon regardless of what they believe about God or the afterlife. You and I will die one day, and ...
Psalm 47
Psalm 47 - In Psalm 47, I am drawn to God's sovereign choosing... He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah. Psalms 47:4 ESV Jesus chose us before Creation. His choice ...
Psalm 44
Psalm 44 - Following God wholeheartedly is a practical act of cooperation (our response) and faith (assurance of God's love). When we teeter too far to one side or the other, we fall short and end up ...
Psalm 43
Psalm 43 - What hurts more than the abandonment and rejection of our peers? It's the feeling we have been rejected by God. Is this true? Does God reject us? For You are the God of my ...
Psalm 41
Psalm 41 - The timeless and inspired Word of God never ceases to amaze us. It has the ability to speak to the situation in context while also providing truth for generations to come. We see this ...
Psalm 39
Psalm 39 - Let's track this psalm from the beginning. The psalmist opens with tremendous grief. There seems to be physical, emotional and mental suffering going on in his life and he doesn't know how to respond. ...
Psalm 38
Psalm 38 - Once again, the psalmist is upset with his enemies and those who do evil. However, picking up from yesterday's blog, the writer is primarily concerned with his own relationship with God. In fact, the ...
Psalm 36
Psalm 36 - The Warehouse staff has just begun to have weekly accountability meetings. Each pastor on staff has a different week in which they will be asked to evaluate where they are seeing fruit and where ...
Psalm 35
Psalm 35 - Years ago, while working for Youth for Christ, my wife and I become close friends with a young teenage girl. She was a paradox of sorts because her appearance was "tough as nails" but ...
Psalm 33
Psalm 33 - Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be ...
Psalm 32
Psalm 32 - 8 years ago, I was headed back from work driving north. My windshield wipers were frantically trying to keep pace with the torrential downpour of a typical Midwestern summer thunderstorm. As I turned to ...
Psalm 30
Psalm 30 - One of the most difficult theological principles to reconcile in our hearts and minds is the idea that the same God who delivers us is also the God who allows for our destruction. Many ...
Psalm 28
Psalm 28 - What does it mean to trust in the Rock of our Salvation? David uses the phrase "My Rock" in verse 1. The term can also mean 'strong tower' or 'refuge.' So, what does it ...
Psalm 27
Psalm 27 - Rolf Jacobson writes in the New International Commentary about a personal story relating to this Psalm. "When I was fifteen years old, I was diagnosed with bone cancer. The cancer led to the amputation ...
Psalm 26
Psalm 26 - The key to Psalm 26, as Hank has written, is the second verse. If you read through the Psalm again and remove verse 2, it sounds completely vain and self-centered. This is an important ...
Psalm 22
Psalm 22 - "I know not whether any Psalm throughout the whole book contains matter more weighty, or from which the hearts of the godly can so truly perceive those sighs and groans, inexpressible by man, which ...
Psalm 21
Psalm 21 - There is a theme of kingship within this psalm. It's likely it was originally composed for recital during the ceremony of enthronement for a king. In his commentary titled "Psalms," James Luther Mays writes, ...
Psalm 19
Psalm 19 - One of the issues addressed in this psalm is hidden sin. I'm not talking about sins you know about, but sin that you are ignorant of. The psalmist calls them "hidden faults." None of ...
Psalm 18
Psalm 18 - There are some things which can only be learned over time. God's faithfulness is one particular characteristic that cannot be understood outside of the ups and downs of life. The psalm here in chapter ...
Psalm 17
Psalm 17 - We face critical situations all the time. These trials batter our hearts and our minds. They trample our senses and destroy our hope. The psalmist describes such trials by repeatedly referencing the physical attributes ...
Psalm 15
Psalm 15 - The term "Christian" can mean many different things. Some people immediately think of a moral person who obeys rules. Others may picture someone who is filled with love. Still, others may associate the word ...
Psalm 13
Psalm 13 - This psalm is general enough to speak to anyone going through a crisis but specific enough to contain the primary elements of a prayer for help. It is a solid illustration of how we ...
Psalm 6
Psalm 6 - This is the first of the Penitential Psalms. Most believe this piece would have begun with a wail and finished as a song. Speaking of... have you ever wailed before God? Can you relate ...
Mark 16
Mark 16 - The Great Commission is important. So important, in fact, that we find it 5 times in the NT. It's found here in Mark 16, as well as Matthew 28, Luke 24, John 20 and ...
Mark 15
Mark 15 - More than 1/3 of Mark's narrative is focused on passion week. He includes many details that other Gospel accounts do not. For instance, Matthew's Gospel reveals that Barabbas is a "notorious" criminal but Mark ...
Mark 14
Mark 14 - In Mark 14, Jesus sat down with his disciples during the Last Supper and broke the bread saying "This is my body." He poured the wine saying "This is my blood." Essentially, He was ...
Mark 13
Mark 13 - No one knows the day or hour. This is a familiar passage, yet, there is one question that I've always wondered. If Jesus was both God and man, then why didn't He know the ...
Mark 12
Mark 12 - Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight the faith of the poor widow. In this story, the NASB translation reads... A poor widow came ...
Mark 9
Mark 9 - We all know the greatest commandment according to Jesus. Here's a refresher... "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. ...
Mark 8
Mark 8 - A fascinating quality of Jesus' teaching style was the way in which the geographic location often added to the depth of the teaching. At the end of Mark 8, Jesus takes his disciples to ...
Mark 5
Mark 5 - I want to make a few quick points about the demon-possessed man and then move to the woman who touched Jesus. We read several striking characteristics about this demon-possessed man. This man had been ...
Mark 2
Mark 2 - At the end of this chapter, we see a common problem that Jesus faced with the Pharisees. These law-abiding men had taken a command and turned it into a burden. The Sabbath was established ...
Mark 1
Mark 1 - It's fascinating to identify the different writing styles of the Gospel authors. Matthew began with genealogy. His mission was to write to the Jews and prove that Jesus was the heir to David's throne. ...
Deuteronomy 30
Deuteronomy 30 - I was drawn specifically to verse 6 of this chapter because it relates closely to the process a believer undergoes within the New Covenant. "Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and ...
Deuteronomy 29
Deuteronomy 29 - When I was younger, I used to think it was enough to "keep my oath" with God. If I tried to live as a good person, prayed once in a while, and asked for ...
Deuteronomy 23
Deuteronomy 23 - As we've written many times in Deuteronomy, these laws can seem foreign to us. In some ways, they prescribe almost an ascetic type of lifestyle. Asceticism is defined as a lifestyle characterized by abstinence ...
Deuteronomy 22
Deuteronomy 22 - Many of these laws seem outdated or inapplicable to our modern culture. Furthermore, one might say that since we are under the New Covenant we are no longer under the Old Testament law. Though ...
Deuteronomy 17
Deuteronomy 17 - There are many times that the Old Testament rituals and rules can seem odd and misplaced under our New Covenant relationship with Jesus. It is imperative that when we go back through the Old ...
Deuteronomy 13
Deuteronomy 13 - When did self-appointed titles become a "thing" in the church? When did "a word" become more important than action? When did the thoughts inside people's heads become full-blown prophecies directly from the mouth of ...
Deuteronomy 12
Deuteronomy 12 - What separated the people of God from the pagans around them was their total allegiance to the One True God. He gave them commands to follow which centered around every facet of life. They ...
Deuteronomy 11
Deuteronomy 11 - Remember. Teach. Obey. This is the instruction given to those who were responsible for raising the next generation. Remember today what you have learned about the LORD through your experiences with him. It was ...
Deuteronomy 10
Deuteronomy 10 - "Now, people of Israel, listen to what the LORD your God demands of you: Worship the LORD and do all that he commands. Love him, serve him with all your heart, 13 and obey ...