Devotional Thoughts

  Psalm 84:9-12 (9)  Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. (10)  For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. (11)  For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. (12)  O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. I listed each verse separately instead of combining them into a paragraph. This entire Psalm relates to the child of God turning to the Lord for help in time of need. We, in our time, are blessed to know our access to the Father is through our Great High Priest, Jesus Christ. He is our peace and our strength. He is our salvation. He is Lord  By faith, we look upon the "face of thine anointed." To reinforce what was said at the beginning of this Psalm, the tabernacles of God are within us. We find that peace within our hearts. &quo

Psalm 84:5-6    "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.  (6)  Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools." There are certain phrases that I, personally, have problems with. Some of them are well-worn phrases that are thrown out without much thought.  Sometimes we hear it said, "Well, God would not have allowed this to happen to you if you weren't strong enough to handle it." Or sometimes we hear, "You are strong and will get through this." The problem with that is found in the truth that none of us are strong enough to get through any situation in life without the mercy and grace of God.  No, you are not strong enough. I am not strong enough. But in our precious Lord, we can find grace and mercy to help in time of need. Hear the words of Jesus to the Apostle Paul and then Paul's response to those worrds: "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength i

Psalm 84:4    "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah." Psalm 84:5    "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them." I did not combine the two verses for a reason. I want to look briefly at each one and then see how they apply to our individual lives. Verse 4 speaks of dwelling, or abiding, or sitting down in a specific place. That place can be a geographical location, but it doesn't have to be any one particular location. We definitely experience praise when we are worshiping in the Spirit of God in the house of God. There is a great blessing to be surrounded by other saints of God who love the Lord and one another. There is a great blessing when hearts are joined together in the presence of the Almighty. Recently, we saw in verse one that it is "amiable", or lovely and filled with love, to be in the tabernacle (presence) of the Lord. We saw that tabernacle is ultimatel

Psalm 84:1-2    "How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!  (2)  My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God." For the child of God, it is a part of our new nature to cry out to God.  There is a great need for Him once the Lord has shown us the joy of His presence in our lives. There is joy in the presence of the Lord. There is contentment in the presence of the Lord. There is strength in the presence of the Lord. There is fellowship which drives away loneliness in the presence of the Lord. There is glory in the presence of the Lord. Can you add any more to this list? The writer of this Psalm evidently has just had the experience of being in the presence of the Lord and began this song exclaiming "how amiable are thy tabernacles O LORD!"  Although we do not use the word, amiable, every day, it is a very good word. It describes the place within our hearts where the love of God is experi

Psalm 83:17-18    "Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame, and perish:  (18 )  That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth." We have encountered several Psalms where the writer is addressing persecution and attacks against the cause of God. Remember when David went to the army of Israel as they were hiding from the big man, Goliath? When David volunteered to go against him, even his own brothers accused him of trying to make a name for himself. His answer to them was in the form of a question: "Is there not a cause?"  It seems King Saul and all the army of Israel had forgotten there was a cause much greater than Saul, the army, or even all of the nation Israel. The cause that David was concerned about is expressed in this final verse of Psalm 83. " That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."  This is the same expressi

Psalm 81:10-13    "I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.  (11)  But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.  (12)  So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.  (13)  Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!" Verse 10 is amazing to me. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." This is speaking of an act of faith on behalf of God's people. It can only be done when we stop to realize the truth of our Redeemer, Lord and God.  There is only One Who can give liberty to us. There is only One Who can deliver us from the bondage of bad habits and actions that we allow to consume us. There is only One Who can take away that which binds us to our detriment and releases us into the freedom of His holy Presence. We don't have to guess who that is. "I am the LORD thy God, which brought th

Psalm 80:1    "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth."   "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel." Have you ever had a time when you felt God was not hearing  your prayers?  Did you ever feel like you were wandering around with no purpose or goal in sight? Have you ever had that spiritual emptiness inside?  I think we all have those moments when we feel like we are having to travel this road of life alone. Even when surrounded by loving caring family, church family, and friends, there can be that feeling of a need for fellowship with the Lord. "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock."  "The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want." I know He provides every need. I know He has a plan to bring me to His place of peace of heart and mind. I know He loves me. I know there is no lack of mercy and grace that is found in my LORD. "Give ear,

Psalm 79:9-10     "Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake. (10)  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God?" I start this writing with the thought it will be direct and to the point. But you know what that means when a preacher says "I will be brief today." It means the same thing as when a preacher takes off his watch and lays it on the pulpit. It means nothing. So now, here are my thoughts for today. What is the purpose of our prayers? We hear many people talk about prayer and our need to be praying. We see and hear 2 Chronicles 7:14 quoted. But getting to the heart of the matter, what is the purpose of our prayers? What do we mean (what is the purpose) when we say we need to pray for our nation? Are we wanting God to bring us back to a place where we prosper and have a life of ease with no worries?   I'm not saying that is wrong, unless - that is the ONLY purp

Psalm 78:19    "Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?" The 78th Psalm is a great history lesson for Israel. It's also a great history lesson for America. It's a great history lesson for you and me.  The writer was reminding the people of their past history WITH GOD. I'm going to weave their history with our history today. America has a wonderful history WITH GOD.  God had provided every need for the people of Israel, beginning with deliverance from a nation that restrained them from true worship of God. America was delivered from a nation that restrained them from true worship of God. Israel had to go through some hardships in order to get to the promised land. But God delivered them through every situation and circumstance. The people who were freed to come to America had to go through many hardships; yet, God delivered them from them all. God reminded them and us through this beautiful Psalm how He had miraculousl

Psalm 78:5-8    "For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:  (6)  That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  (7)  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:  (8)  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God." A testimony was established in Jacob and a law was appointed in Israel.  There is a basic fundamental lesson that is taught in this testimony and proven through the law. The lesson that is taught in these two things is that we need the Lord. We cannot work our way into heaven nor can we get through this life on our own ability.  Some of the first words learned by a child are these: "I can d

Psalm 78:5-7    "For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:  (6)  That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  (7)  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments" "For he established a testimony in Jacob."  The "he" in this verse refers back to God.  "God established a testimony in Jacob."  What kind of testimony was established? If you go back to the book of Genesis and look at the life of Jacob, he felt he could go through life using his own ingenuity. In other words, he tried to cheat his way through life. He cheated his twin brother out of his birthright. He deceived his own father into giving him the blessing that actually belonged to Esau. He cheated his father in law out of livestock. 

Psalm 77:19-20     "Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." "Thy way is in the sea."  There are times when the Lord directs us to do something that just doesn't make sense to us. At the risk of seeming like I'm lifting myself up, I want to share an experience that I had about a year ago. There was a time when the local establishments could not find enough help. Some businesses had to close down permanently because they could not serve their customers. If you remember, during that time when fast food restaurants only served through drive through services. They would take one order, or sometimes two, at a time. They would fill that order, and then take another order.    I was at the local Wendy's and when it became my time to order, I pulled to the speaker. The lady asked if I would wait before placing my order. While I was sitting there, another car pulled up behind me that apparently did not realize

Psalm 77:2-3    "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted.  (3)  I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah." Recently, we saw that God hears and He answers our prayers. But may I say He answers them in His time and in His way. I am writing this for my own benefit as much as anyone else. Our hearts know the truth of verse 1. Let's review it just now: "I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me."  God listens when we cry out to Him. There can be no doubt about that, but there are times when we feel that either God has not heard or He is not giving an answer.  Sometimes our feelings cause our spirits to be overwhelmed. Selah. Think about this.. our feelings, our natural mind with which we must contend every day, our feelings cause our spirits to be overwhelmed.  This is when we find ourselves in that dar

Psalm 77:1    "I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me." My mind is running in so many different directions this morning. Do you ever get overwhelmed with things that need to get done? Do you ever feel that if you don't get it done, it just won't get done?  It can become a very heavy burden when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. And then there are things that you just cannot do, no matter how hard you try or how hard you want to accomplish something. There are times when you just need to cry out for help. For some reason, my mind went to a man by the name of Bartimaeus in the New Testament. He was blind and had to rely upon others for so many things in his life. He had friends who would help him go to a particular place on the side of the road. There he would cry out to people as they passed by. He existed by depending upon the mercy of others. No doubt, there were many different ones who passed by. Some

Psalm 76:7-9    "Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?  (8)  Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still,  (9)  When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah." I think my writing this morning must begin with questions.  How do I view God?  Do I have a balanced view of God?  This particular Psalm, I believe, gives us a balanced view. Let's just take a few moments to see how this Psalmist looked at God. Verse 1 - "His name is Great."  Do you agree with that statement?  May I say that it really hurts my heart and brings down the name of my Lord when His name is taken in vain. That taking in vain includes the letters, "omg".  I cringe everytime I see or hear those letters and His name being used in a manner that does not honor Him. Verse 2 - The dwelling place of our Lord is in all places.  "In Judah, God is known. In Salem (the earl

Psalm 75:1   "Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks: for that thy name is near thy wondrous works declare." "We give thanks."  The thought of gratitude should always be very close to our hearts and minds. "O God, we do give thanks unto thee."   For what am I thankful?  I thank God for my family. He is so good to us in every way.  I look around and I know I do not deserve nor am I worthy of the very least of His blessings; yet, in His mercy and grace, my God rains down showers of blessings upon me every single day. "Unto thee, O God, I give thanks." I am blessed with a wonderful church family. I know I do not deserve nor am I worthy of such a blessing. "Unto thee, O God, I give thanks." I am blessed with wonderful friends. I know I am not worthy nor do I deserve such a blessing. "Unto thee, O God, I give thanks."  I am blessed to be able to pick up my Bible and begin to read God's love letter add

Psalm 74:5-6    "A man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees. (6)  But now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers." I had to read this a couple times to think about the message given in these two verses.  Let's read them again to think about the subject.  Solomon sent for the king of Tyre when he was preparing to have the temple built. In the book of 1 Kings, chapter 5, we see Solomon requesting Hiram to provide the labor for cutting the cedars of Lebanon, which were the best cedar trees known to man. God provided wisdom to allow Solomon to know Hiram's servants were more skilled at cutting the trees and preparing them for use in the construction of the temple. He wanted the very best of everything: cedars and laborers.  Solomon said that his servants would work side by side with Hiram's servants. Why do I bring this account of temple preparation for this Psalm?  Let's read verse 5 again:   "A

Psalm 73:23-26     "Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand.  (24)  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.  (25)  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.  (26)  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." Loneliness is a terrible condition. David was constantly surrounded by individuals who counseled him, protected him, befriended him, and sadly those who sought to overthrow him.  There is a saying that says, "It's lonely at the top."  Can I tell you that it's lonely at the bottom, in the middle, or wherever you may be on the ladder of life?  A person can be surrounded by a multitude of people and still be lonely. David had been contemplating those who sought gain in life by cheating and swindling others. He had allowed himself to become somewhat despondent until he went into the sanctuary (

Psalm 73:16-18    "When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me;  (17)  Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.  (18)  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction." I think most of us have experienced to some degree or another the thoughts expressed by the writer of this Psalm.  He had allowed himself to observe the ungodly and wicked people who were prospering. He knew they had obtained their gain by cheating and treating people in a terrible manner.  Let's look at some of his thoughts: Verse 3 - "I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Verse 5 - "They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men."   Verse 6 - They are full of pride Verse 7 - They have more than they could possibly ever use. The implication is that they hoarded their money to themselves when they could have used it to help others. Verse 11

Psalm 72:1    "Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son." As I read the entire 72nd Psalm, I realized two things: First, David was bothered throughout his life. He was either hounded by those who despised him or he was hounded by his own depraved nature with which he constantly battled. I can identify with that. Can you?  Second, David was constantly seeking the Lord's help in his struggles. He realized that in the middle of conflict, wrong decisions can be made. He was constantly seeking the help of the Lord. I can identify with that also, although I should be more diligent than I am. Can you? Those two facts are the basis for my love for the book of the Psalms. Through these inspired words, my Lord meets me where I am in life. Can you appreciate that great truth? David understood the importance of Divine help in his time of trouble. He wrote of the Lord being a very present help. Do you ever get tired in your struggles of lif

Psalm 71:23    "My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed." This 71st Psalm is a beautiful Psalm and one that we should take with us each day in this brand new year. Throughout this Psalm, David sings of the glory of the Lord.  I'm reminded of the Church Camp Song:  "I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing, I will sing, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord."  (James H. Fillmore) Let's see what some of these mercies were that moved David to write this song. Of course, first we know He was moved by the Holy Spirit to write these words inspired by God.  David was rejoicing in the fact that God hears our prayers. Isn't it wonderful to know we serve the only true and living God Who does His will among the armies of heaven and the inhabitants of earth?  He rejoiced in the stability and security that is found only in the Lord.  The Lord gives

  Psalm 70:1-5   (1)  Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.   (2)  Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.   (3)  Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.   (4)  Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.   (5)  But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying. From the beginning, there have been those who secretly attempted to reign and rule outside of God's prescribed manner.   Cain slew Abel. There were those who attempted to overtake the rule that had been given to Moses and Aaron.  We definitely know the Scribes and Pharisees fought back against Jesus because they thought he had come to take their place. (Actually, Jesus did come to take the place of His people - on the cross.)  I