Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 110:1    "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." Though David penned these words, they are spoken by God, the Father to God, the Son.  "Sit thou at my right hand."  This is the position that was held by the Son of God from eternity past. Before the day of creation, during creation, until the fulness of time when the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, the Son of God sat at the Father's right hand.  He laid aside His glorious garments and clothed Himself in the likeness of our sinful flesh. He was born of a virgin, grew up in the household of Joseph and Mary, and walked among sinful men. He endured such contradictions against Himself. Can we understand that for Jesus to leave the glory of heaven and walk on this earth was a greater act of humility than we will ever know?  We must never give thought of the work of our Lord without giving Him due honor and respect. Such love has never been kn...

Psalm 108:1   "O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory." There are three occasions when David makes the statement, "My heart is fixed." If I remember correctly, I went into the different thoughts behind the word, "fixed," back in Psalm 57. But just a quick review: There are three thoughts in my mind concerning the word, fixed.  I suppose my Southern roots will come out in a couple of them. First, David's heart was fixed, in that by God's grace, His heart had been repaired.  Grace is the great restorer of hearts and minds and David experienced that on more than one occasion. Next, and here is my true Southern roots, the word fixed can mean I am prepared to start giving praise. Here in the South, when we are about to begin something, we are fixin' to do it. I'm fixin' to go to the store. The third meaning and the one that I believe is most applicable to this verse (as well as the others in Psalms which us...

Psalm 107:31-32    "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  (32)  Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders." Today we come to the final declaration in this Psalm that we are to praise the Lord. He truly is good and His mercy endures forever.  "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so." (Psalm 107:2)  Can we agree that the Lord is worthy of our praise? As a child, we prayed "God is great. God is good." Can we agree on His greatness and His goodness toward us? Each day, if we open our eyes, minds, and hearts, we can see God's goodness all around us.  I love this time of the year when the grass is beginning to turn green again. The leaves are coming on the trees once again. The dogwoods and azaleas are blooming. I admit I am not a yard person, but I love to see the handiwork of God as people work in their flower gardens and the colors...

Psalm 107:21-25    "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  (22)  And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.  (23)  They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;  (24)  These see the works of the LORD, and his wonders in the deep.  (25)  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof." Where can we most see the handiwork of God? First, we experience His handiwork in our hearts as He draws us unto Himself. But then, we can see His handiwork in that which we call nature. For those of us in the paths of the storms, today's verses seem to be very fitting. Though we do not understand the reasoning behind every action that our Lord commands, let us be certain that He is in absolute control. Verse 25 tells us, "For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind."  He s...

Psalm 107:15-17    "Oh that  men  would praise the LORD  for  his goodness, and  for  his wonderful works to the children of men!  (16)  For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.  (17)  Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted." What is God saying to us? Today's devotion might be short, but it says a lot. The Lord is saying that He delivers us time and again and then what do we do?  We go right back to the same old stuff.  We cannot deliver ourselves, but even after the Lord gives us great deliverance, we turn right back to the same thing. What do we do? "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble,  and  he saveth them out of their distresses." (Psalm 107:19) If I would be more diligent in doing that in which we are instructed in verse 15, then I might not find myself in the situation of having to do that which is found...

Psalm 107:8-9    "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!  (9) For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness." Have you ever felt like something was missing in your life? Have you ever felt an emptiness that you just didn't know how to go about filling?  Have you ever gone into the kitchen at night, wanting something but not knowing what you wanted to eat?  Could it be that the emptiness is not in  your stomach; rather, it's in your heart and mind?  Could it be that the void that I talked about a few days ago is manifesting itself and we just can't figure out at that moment what it takes to fill it? I'm going to suggest something to myself, and to you if it fits, concerning this state of mind. Actually it isn't me suggesting it, it's the Lord telling us what to do.  Let's turn verses 8 and 9 around and reword it somewhat. I pray I won't be doing ...

Psalm 107:8    "Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"   This statement is made four times in this Psalm.  If it was only one time, it still would hold great importance to us, but it is repeated over and over. Why would it be necessary for it to be repeated so often? And it is not only repeated, but it ends with an exclamation mark at the end.  There are not many sentences in the Bible that end with that punctuation.  So, we can be certain that there is a great importance given to this statement. I believe this statement in verse 8 is directly related to the thought in verse two, "Let the redeemed of the LORD say so."  If we can understand the thoughts and reason for the praise statement, then we will absolutely be more intent in "saying so". For the next few days, we will briefly look at what is mentioned between the statements. After verse two, in speaking about the Lord bringing out...

  Psalm 107:1-2    "O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.  (2)  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy" "God is great! God is good! Let us thank Him for our food. O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good."  Do you ever stop to think about the goodness of God? Or, are you like me when too often, I take it for granted?  As I began my morning, I sat eating a bowl of instant grits.  In case you haven't realized my mind goes in different directions than a lot of people. So, as I was eating, it dawned on me that many people reading this will say, "ewww grits!"  And at the same time, my southern friends will be saying, "ewww INSTANT!"  I was smiling at that thought when the truth of the matter hit me. I truly am thankful for grits, instant or regular. Apparently, there was a time when people were so hungry that they just added water to some ground up meal,...

Psalm 106:15    "And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." I believe since the time when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, that every human being is born with a void in their life. Our nature is hungered with needs and wants. The problem with this is that, in our nature, we do not know how to fill that emptiness.  The retail industries make their fortunes by promising to fill that void. When I worked in retail, there were certain places that we merchandised the things that made a good profit for us. The reason it made a good profit is because we presented it in such a way that people would buy it on impulse thinking it would make their life easier or make them feel better about their lives.  And then of course, it is no coincidence that candy bars are  presented at the check-out counters and they are at children's eye level.  As much as possible, we tried to make people think they could not live without making that ...

Psalm 105:8    "He hath remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations." As I began to read this 105th Psalm, I thought to myself that this theme is repeated throughout the Psalms. It seems that I find myself writing about the same thing over and over. For instance, this Psalm begins with: "O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.  (2)  Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.  (3)  Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.  (4)  Seek the LORD, and his strength: seek his face evermore." (Psalm 105:1-4) How many times have we read those words since we began these devotions in the book of Psalms? The answer is that we have read them many many times. As a pastor, I find myself repeating examples and my favorite passages of Scripture many times.  I sometimes jokingly place a number on my examp...

Psalm 104:33-34    "I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.  (34)  My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD." Do you remember the feeling when you first fell in love? How often did you think of that person? What was the effect of those thoughts as far as the countenance of your face? How did it make your heart feel? Was there a gladness that overwhelmed you? Did you find yourself singing, whistling, or at the very least humming to yourself? The writer of this Psalm was in love with the Lord. There is no doubt in my mind that he went around with a song on his lips?  In fact, we know it's true because David wrote most of the Psalms. David was not a perfect man by any stretch of the imagination, but he loved the Lord. You can read any of his writings and see immediately that he loved God. He trusted God. He depended upon God. He relied upon God for his daily activities whether it be s...

Psalm 104:24    "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches." As I read this Psalm this morning, I can hear the birds singing. The sun is shining brightly. The trees are budding. The azaleas and dogwoods are in bloom. It's such a beautiful morning and I'm thankful to be able to enjoy it.  But then my human side comes to the surface. It's cold outside. The pollen has been terrible. I have to wear three layers of clothes, from winter to spring to summer all in one day.  That's my humanity that enjoys complaining.   My legs are sore from being on a ladder for just a little while on Monday. My eyes are failing little by little. My bones pop and crack. It takes me several steps in the morning before I can stand up straight. But that's my humanity that enjoys complaining. The truth of the matter is that my heart is beating. My eyes can see and there are steps to be taken that can help them. I have arm...

Psalm 103:7   "He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel." I love this verse. When I first read it this morning, I thought, "Yes, this is the verse for today!"  But then my eyes roamed down through the next several verses and I realized this was an even more incredible verse.  God opened Himself to Moses. We understand  we cannot see God in His fullness in this flesh; yet, He did reveal Himself to the extent that was possible for Moses to be able to comprehend. My first thought when I read verse 7 was when the Lord gave Moses a greater insight into His name.  He told Moses, "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them."  (Exodus 6:3)  He revealed Himself in a more personal way to Moses and to the children of Israel, and to us today. Not only would He reveal His power to them (parting of Red Sea, Manna from heaven, Water from roc...

Psalm 103:1-2    "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.  (2)  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:" I think back a few Psalms ago to these words, "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." (Psalm 68:19)  How could we forget "all his benefits" (blessings) when God daily loads us down with them?  Yet, the truth remains that we often are forgetful to say a simple, "Thank you Lord for all you do for us each day". If we simply remind ourselves of our ability without God compared to the blessings He bestows upon us, we would spend more time saying, "thank you Lord," even for the simple things He does for us each day.  It seems to me that gratitude is that element which keeps us humble before God and one another. We live in an age when we are constantly bombarded with the thoughts that we need more and more "things" in ...

Psalm 102:16    "When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.  Quick reminder:  We can see a word picture of the Church when Zion is mentioned in the Old Testament. We do not do damage to the Scripture when we say, "When the LORD shall build up (His Church), He shall appear in His glory." We can go to the New Testament to a conversation between Peter and the Lord Jesus Christ to verify this.  "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18)  Please understand Peter was not the rock of which Jesus spoke. The Solid Rock, the foundation of the church of Jesus Christ is Christ, Himself. The church is not built by any man.  No organization can be a lasting one if it is built, or populated, because of any individual or group of individuals.  If Peter had been the foundation of the church, it would have crumbled long ago. We ...

Psalm 101:1-2   "I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.  (2)  I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart." "I will sing of mercy and judgment."  This gives the impression that David is rejoicing and very thankful in His relationship with the Lord.  How could David gladly sing of judgment?  When we think of judgement, we usually relate it to negative results from our negative actions. But the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians_11:31, "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged." In other words, if we make the right decisions (proper judgement), we would not receive the negative results. In verses two and three of this Psalm, he speaks of judgement in his own actions. He speaks of proper behaviour when no one else is around. He speaks of his own attitude when no one else is around. I will do these things "within my own house....

Psalm 100:3-4     "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture (4) Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." We sometimes hear it said of an individual, "He/she is a self-made person." It seems to me that being self-made would indicate a vile individual whose sin nature is only seen.  It is impossible for anyone that is self-made to be considered good.  That sounds harsh, doesn't it? The good news is that any individual who shows forth goodness from their hearts has been made by God. "It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves." I'm so thankful for that, for you see anything manmade is fit for destruction.  Anything made by man begins to deteriorate from the first moment. Thank you Lord that your work endures f...

Psalm 99:5    "Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy." Psalm 99:9    "Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy." How far does God's mercy reach?  I feel His mercy extends to our humanity. What do I mean by that?  Not to get ahead of myself, but in a few more Psalms we shall see that God understands the frame of our very being. He knows our weaknesses and our strengths. AND yet, He still loves us. What does this have to do with the two verses that we printed above?   The Lord inspired the Psalmist to describe two different places where worship is acceptable.  "Worship at His footstool." Where is His footstool?  "Thus saith the LORD, the heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." (Isaiah 66:1) What is the Lord telling us in our first verse this morning?   Have you ever seen a beautiful sunset and your heart was moved to whisper a declaration of love and...

Psalm 98:1-2    "O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory. (2)  The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen." "He hath done marvellous things." We do not know who wrote this particular Psalm, but it seems likely that it was a song written by David. Well, David, what kind of marvellous things has God done for you? "His right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory!"  David, can you give us a few examples?  "David said (to King Saul) moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine" (1 Samuel 17:37). David, did the Lord give you victory over that Philistine?  Yes! Goliath fell as the Lord directed that one smooth stone straight to the target.  Was there a song that was sung as a resu...

Psalm 97:11-12    "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.  (12)  Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." "Light is sown for the righteous."  We sometimes call it enlightenment or understanding and sometimes the light is a physical light of illumination for us to be able to see the way. What was the first thing God created? Was it not light?  "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:1) This light is the glory of God which is set upon all the earth and heavens. This was not the light of the sun, moon, and stars, for they were created on the fourth day.  "And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  (17)  And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." (Genesis 1:16-17)   Now you might say everyone, both righteous an...

Psalm 96:5-9    "For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.  (6)  Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.  (7)  Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.  (8)  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.  (9)  O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth." What is my idol? Do I have anything that I place more importance upon than my relationship with the Lord?  What silly questions, right?  Why would anyone place more importance on anything rather than trusting the Lord?  No clear thinking, blood-bought, Spirit-born child of God would place anything before the Lord as far as importance. Would we?  What do I mostly think about during the day? Let me reword it. How much time during the day do I spend with my heart and mind upo...

Psalm 96:1    "O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth." Sing a new song.  When I sang with the quartet, we would bring out a new song from time to time. For me, it would seem like forever before I would be able to get the words, the notes, and the timing just right. Sometimes, I would even say, "I want to make it my own version." (American Idol style)  That would be the result of one of two reasons: either I just couldn't get it or there were times when I actually felt it in my heart to be better in another way than written. To me, that was a legitimate reason for changing up the timing or rhythm of the song. I tried to sing it as it was in my heart. God's Word teaches us to sing a new song unto the LORD. How can we do that?  First, when our hearts have been changed or when we are rejoicing in the work of the Lord, we can "sing a new song".  For instance, when I was a boy, there would be one number in the hymn book tha...

Psalm 95:6-11    "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.  (7)  For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,  (8)  Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  (9)  When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.  (10)  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:  (11)  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest." This morning, as I read these words, I see the way of true revival comes through the route God has designed. "O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker." This applies to every child of God. If we truly want revival in our land, we must come in this manner.  As one man stated in the churc...