Devotional Thoughts

Psalm 34:1-3     A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  (2)  My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.  (3)  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." This Psalm was written when David fled from Saul into the land of the Philistines. Because some of the people recognized David, he pretended to be a mad man and was able to flee once again. David was in a place that we would call "no man's land."  He had to flee from Saul and now he had to flee from the king of Gath (the land of Goliath's descent). It would have been very easy for David to give himself a pity party at the moment, but he refused to do so. It was in these circumstances that David made the declarations of this 34th Psalm. "I WILL (emphasis mine) bless the Lord at all times....

Psalm 33:18-22     "Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;  (19)  To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  (20)  Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.  (21)  For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.  (22)  Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee." There are mornings when I do not know where to start with my words. I read a passage and I know there is something to be said, but I feel in such awe that I don't know the proper manner to get started, much less where I am going with my thoughts. Today is such a day. The phrase that catches my attention this morning even as I am writing is found in verse 21, "... we have trusted in His holy name." I'm thankful for all the other verses. I'm thankful that "the eye of the Lord is upon" (me) and that He has given me the blessed...

Romans 6:5-7     “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also   in the likeness   of   his   resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with   him,   that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” The phrase “planted together” indicates that we are closely united; closely untied to Jesus and to each other. If we are closely united in the likeness of His death, then we are also closely untied in the likeness of His resurrection. This is known as a conditional statement, but the use of the word conditional does not mean that the issue is in question. It simply means that if the first part is true (closely united in His death) then the last part must be true (closely united in His resurrection). It is interesting to note that Paul did not say we are planted in His death, but in the likeness of His death. Sim...

Psalm 33:10-12     "The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.  (11)  The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.  (12)  Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance."  There are times we present ourselves as Joshua when he went to see the land after crossing Jordan. "And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?" (Joshua 5:13) Joshua asked this question assuming that this One was either for Israel or Canaan. The answer Jesus gave to him was, No, "... as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come." Jesus was saying the proper question to consider is this, "Whose side are ...

Romans 6:1-4     “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” In the close of Romans, chapter five, we are told that where sin abounded (through Adam), grace did much more abound (through Christ). Paul then poses the question of what our reaction to this blessed truth should be. There are those today who say if they believed in the doctrine of sovereign grace they would just go on living in sin and having a good time. Apparently, there were those in Paul’s day who thought the same thing. In reality, when we truly grasp the grace of God and how it has been extended to us, living in sin...

Psalm 33:8     "Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." "Let all the earth fear the LORD." This word, fear, should not drive us to a panic in our thoughts of God. I do not believe that God intends for us to walk around being afraid that the sky is going to fall on our heads, nor even the ceiling will cave in when we walk into the church meeting house. I don't think we are supposed to walk around thinking lightning will strike us when we do something wrong, although it could possibly happen. I direct my thoughts back to myself this morning as I look at this verse. Well, maybe I think about all of God's people as I think about the reverence and awe that is due His holy name. But have we lost our healthy fear of the Lord? When I think of the biblical application of this word, I think of a fear of displeasing my Lord. I think of times when I have grieved the Holy Spirit because of actions, words, or thoughts. H...

Romans 5:19-21     “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” When left to our carnal mind, we are quick to feel like it is unfair that we fell in the first Adam’s transgression. Yet, that is what we find the scriptures teaching. By one man’s disobedience sin entered into the world. However, if we are honest we know that we have committed many sins on our own. While we are quick to point out the unfairness of being saddled with Adam’s disobedience, we do not hear many bemoaning the unfairness of receiving the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. In truth, if we judge this by man’s notion of fairness, the second Adam’s treatment was horrendous. We are unfa...

Psalm 32:1-2    "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." What comes to mind when you think about blessings? Good health is definitely a blessing. A good family filled with love for each other is a blessing.  Getting the job you wanted is a blessing. There are many things we could place in that list, called blessings. He speaks of opening "... the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." (Malachi 3:10) We are told in Psalm 68:19,  "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." God blesses us on a daily basis more than we could ever hope or imagine. But notice in Psalm 68:19 the blessing at the end of that verse: "the God of our salvation." Notice the blessing listed in...

  Joel 2:18-20    “(18) Then the LORD will be zealous for His land, And pity His people. (19) The LORD will answer and say to His people, "Behold, I will send you grain and new wine and oil, And you will be satisfied by them; I will no longer make you a reproach among the nations. (20) But I will remove far from you the northern army, And will drive him away into a barren and desolate land, With his face toward the eastern sea And his back toward the western sea; His stench will come up, And his foul odor will rise, Because he has done monstrous things.”  This is the turning point in the Book of Joel. Previously, we read of the Prophet’s calling Israel to repentance.  Joel 2:15-17  “(15) Blow the trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; (16) Gather the people, Sanctify the congregation, Assemble the elders, Gather the children and nursing babes; Let the bridegroom go out from his chamber, And the bride from her dressing room. (1...

Romans 5:16-18     “And not as   it was   by one that sinned,   so is   the gift: for the judgment   was   by one to condemnation, but the free gift   is   of many offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one   judgment came   upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one   the free gift came   upon all men unto justification of life.” There is a vast difference between what was wrought by the first man Adam in the garden and what was wrought by the last man Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:45). This might seem like a “no-brainer,” but the vastness of this difference deserves our consideration. The first Adam committed one sin that is reckoned to him (because he was only given one ...

Psalm 31:23-24     "O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer. 24) Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD." "I love the Lord." Is it necessary for these words to be written? Should they not be expressed every single day through our actions and attitudes?  We might be quick to answer that they are completely and ultimately understood and the words are true whether they are written or not. What do we think as we sing these words: I love you, Lord, and I lift my voice  To worship you, Oh, my soul rejoice, Take joy, my king, in what you hear, Let it be a sweet, sweet sound in your ear. I'm looking deep inside as I think about our text. David expressed his reasons for writing about his love for God. Why do you love the Lord? I ask myself, "Why do I love the Lord?" I could give you many reasons and I'm sure you have many reas...

Romans 5:12-15     “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:  (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also   is   the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace,   which is   by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.” We often hear it said that it is not fair that we should be held responsible for Adam’s original sin. Paul addresses this idea here in verse twelve. He readily acknowledges that sin entered into the world by the action of one man. There is no “fair” or “not fair” here; it is a simple fact. When sin entered into the world, it us...

Psalm 31:5     "Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth." I saw a complete range of emotions as I read through this 31st Psalm this morning. I realize that using the word, emotion, is dangerous when talking about our relationship with the Lord. But the truth of the matter is that we are human beings made up of body, soul, and spirit. As such, we deal with emotions every single day. And yes, we all go through the complete range of emotions at one time or another in our lifetime. In this Psalm, David spoke of the Lord as being his complete source of trust and stability. He stated, "I trust you, Lord. Come closer to me, Lord. Pull me out of the trap they have set for me, Lord. I am consumed with grief, Lord. My strength is gone, Lord. I am a reproach to others, Lord. I am forgotten, Lord. I am afraid, Lord." Then in the midst of all those "emotions," David said, "But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my Go...

Romans 5:9-11     “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only   so,   but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” In verse eight, Paul has told us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. God commended His great love toward us through the death of His Son. This was according to the will and purpose of God. Surely, knowing that the only begotten Son of God died for us while we were still in sin is more than enough to cause us to love and serve Him all our days. Then Paul says “I’m not finished!” There is much more to this great love and what Christ accomplished for us on the cross. We are now justified by His blood. Our only justification before God is in the blood of Jesus Christ. There ...

Romans 5:6-8     “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Paul began this chapter with the observation that “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).” There are two very powerful truths here. First of all, we  have  peace with God. This is a current state of being for us, and not just something to be hoped for in some unseen future. Second, this peace comes to us by the channel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have not earned peace with God nor do we deserve peace with God. It is ours only through Jesus Christ. He did not give it to us because of anything we have done. The price for this peace was paid while we were without strength. Again, there are no half-measures here. The scripture does...

Psalm 30:4-8    "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. (5) For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (6) And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. (7) LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. (8) I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication." We love verse 4, don't we? How often have you heard it quoted, or how many times have you quoted it yourself? Yes, we love and our hope is based on "joy cometh in the morning." I'm thankful for that, aren't you?  But the verses surrounding that particular verse depict the highs and lows of life. There are times in our lives when we feel there is no mountain that can stand against us. There are times when our faith is so strong and viable that we ...

Romans 5:3-5     “And not only   so,   but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” In order to understand what Paul is saying in verse three, we must look back to the first two verses of this chapter. We are told in these verses that we rejoice in hope of the glory of God through Jesus Christ. Then Paul essentially says “But that’s not all (not only so).” What he says next can be a bit surprising! Not only do we rejoice in hope of the glory of God, but we also glory in tribulation. We are glad for the hope of the glory of God, certainly. However, not many of us are glad for (glory in) tribulations; at least not until we understand that this gladness also comes through Jesus Christ. It is in Jesus that we learn that tribulation (suffering, burden) ac...

Psalm 29:4       "The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty." Psalm 29:11     "The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace." There are many descriptions of God in the Bible. We are told that His eyes run to and fro across the earth. His arm is not shortened that He cannot save. We are to "walk" by faith with the Lord. But we are told that God is a Spirit, so these descriptions are used to allow us to have a  picture of God's interactions with us. Today's passage gives us the understanding of an interaction that God has with us that is not an allegory, or simply a word picture. God truly has a voice. In the beginning, God said, "Let there be light."  God spoke to the Red Sea when it needed to be opened up for the children of Israel. God (Jesus, the Son) spoke to the wind and sea when the waves seemingly were about to take the boat under. God (Jesus the Son) said...

Romans 5:1-2     “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” Paul states that the record of Abraham’s imputed faith, which was counted to him for righteousness, was not written for his sake alone. That record was left for those who, by the same power of imputation, believe that Jesus was delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification. This faith is the place that our justification grows from. Jesus Christ is the source of that place. The Greek word translated here as “justified” means “to render just or innocent.” Render means to make or cause to be. The faith of Jesus Christ, which is imputed unto us, causes us to be innocent before God. Our sinful nature is totally overcome in the eyes of God by the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We, whose sins were as scarlet, are mad...

This lesson is part of a monthly bible study. Our goal is to deepen spiritual understanding and encourage the thoughtful exploration of Christian principles. It is our hope that these studies will serve not only to inform, but to inspire reflection and meaningful dialogue among readers interested in living out their faith with intention. Each lesson will draw from scriptural sources and practical perspectives, guiding us toward a richer understanding of biblical truths and their relevance in daily life.  Scriptures for background support:  Set Your Affections on Things Above                                  Colossians 3:1-6  You Are God’s                                                                      1 Cor...