Month: March 2021

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it….

Lord, Thank You for rest and renewal. Thank You for fellowship and relaxation. Thank You for claiming everything and everyone on this earth as Your own.

Psalm 24:2 …for He founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

Lord, Thank You for the birds and flowers, the wind and leaves, the rain and sun and everything in between. Thank You for the millions of tiny details that we often fail to notice.

Psalm 24:7 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture, for being still, for knowing with every fiber of my being that You are God, that You are sovereign and loving and merciful. Draw me closer. Always. Amen.

Psalm 24:8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Have a blessed day. Love you.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

I typically choose to read the NIV version of scripture, but Psalm 23 is one of those verses that I learned in my youth, so my immediate thought as I read this is that the ending should be “I shall not want.” The lesson, however, is the same—if I root myself in God and not in this world, He will satisfy all my needs, I will lack nothing. Sadly, I’m still trying to totally shake off the pull of this word so I can be satisfied completely in Him.

Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

The change in pronouns really struck me with this verse today. In verse 1, he is talking ABOUT God. In verse 4, he is talking TO Him. That’s huge. When I talk about you, you are not part of the conversation. You are removed from it. When I talk to you, you are the recipient of my words. It is a much more personal, intimate connection. 

Psalm 23:5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my. enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the ability to see a very familiar Psalm through new eyes. Thank You for being a part of the conversation, for the intimate connection of talking directly TO You. Help me to completely abandon this world and find my home, my comfort, my security solely in You. Amen.

Psalm 23:6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Have a blessed day. Love you.

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?

This is the cry of an anguished heart—David, Jesus, I could even see Job, in his anguish, uttering something similar. My wording usually runs, “Seriously, Lord? Why? One more thing?” For me, at least, it is not a declaration of abandonment; it is more of trying to process whatever is happening, trying to reconcile the painful reality, whatever it may be, with the loving God I know exists. Sometimes that is a difficult process.

Psalm 22:4-5 In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

David looks to his ancestors as he processes. He sees God’s faithfulness to them and knows, despite his current feelings, his current situation, that God is faithful. In my own life, I look to all the ways, big and small, God shows me His loving kindness. It helps me remember that whatever difficulty may be occurring, God loves me, and He’s with me, holding me, even if I cannot yet perceive it in a given situation.

Psalm 22:11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for allowing us to process life, to question and be angry, to doubt and fear, to remember Your faithfulness and know that You are with us. Draw us closer. Always. Amen.

Psalm 22:19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

Have a blessed day. Love you.

Psalm 21:7 …through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not we shaken. (NIV)

I know several people who don’t care for the Book of Psalms in general. I’ve never quite understood why, but with this reading I am starting to. While some of the Psalms are so very comforting to me, some seem so vastly different from my experience that it’s hard to relate. Commentary doesn’t help. The source that has given me valuable cultural background is definitely evangelizing through Psalms, and our religious beliefs don’t exactly match up. 

Psalm 21:7 …The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling. (NLT)

However…. I sincerely believe that when we seek God, He shows up. So even with the Psalms that don’t seem to resonate with me, I still seek His face. As often as I stumble and flail in this life, Psalm 21:7 definitely speaks to me. I want to be secure in Him, even when I am afraid or confused. I don’t want to be moved, swayed, or shaken. I don’t want to stumble. And when I reach perfection, which I’m pretty sure equates to shuffling off this mortal coil, I will no longer flail and doubt. But until then, I just need to keep seeking, keep asking, keep knocking, keep leaning in to my Savior, knowing He’s got me.

Psalm 21:7 …through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. (ESV)

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for showing up when I seek You, for comforting me when I allow You, for strengthening my feet and ankles, smoothing my path, and drawing me closer to You through the trials of life. Help me to know You more with every breath. Amen.

Psalm 21:7 …because of the LORD’s constant love he will always be secure. (GNT)

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

Yesterday I had a meeting on a friend’s back porch. As I sat waiting for the others to arrive, I marveled at the pattern of the clouds in the sky. And many a time I’ve sat on a deck at the beach or in the mountains (or on my own porch) and marveled at the beauty of a sun rise, sunset, or full moon. Psalm 19:1 is easy to see lived out if you are observant.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.

The last verse of this Psalm reminds me of an interim preacher we had once. He would pray Psalm 19:14 before every sermon, and it struck me as a simple, lovely way to center yourself, your mind and heart, before speaking in any context. It has stuck with me over the years.

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the glory of the sky—sunrises, sunsets, full moons, blankets of clouds. Thank You that the heavens so readily proclaim Your glory. Help me to always be mindful of my thoughts, heart, and words, Lord, so that I can shine Your light as purely and readily. Amen.

Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 18:1 I love You, LORD, my strength.

Lord, You are my strength, and I love You deeply, fiercely. Thank You for Your presence, thank You for Your peace that surpasses all human understanding. Help me to lay my burdens at Your feet, Lord. Help me to embrace Your strength, which is perfected in my weakness.

Psalm 18:2a The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer….

Lord, In You is where I will find strength, shelter, safety. Only in You. Help me never to forget that, especially when the world feels like it is crashing in. You are my firm foundation. Because of You the world cannot shake me.

Psalm 18:2b …my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge….

Lord, Thank You for this day, this scripture, the opportunity to sit at Your feet. Thank You for the surety that You are my rock, my refuge, my salvation. Help me to breathe in Your peace. Help me to lean into Your strength. Help me to rest, truly rest and renew, in Your presence. Draw me closer. Amen.

Psalm 18:2c …my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 17:1a Hear me, LORD, my plea is just; listen to my cry….

I am in a bit of a difficult season at present. I don’t know if it is the exhaustion that comes with a year of pandemic living and teaching, the normal exhaustion of this time of year as a teacher and a mother, the grief of the passing of my mother-in-law (as with so many, our relationship was complicated but we loved each other). My default these days is anger, seemingly at everyone and everything. Fun times.

Psalm 17:1b …Hear my prayer— it does not rise from deceitful lips.

David, in this Psalm, is approaching God as one who is blameless. But here is the beauty of my relationship with my Savior: Even though I am not blameless, even though I know that my heart needs to be cleansed and restored so that I can be right with God and the world again, I can still approach Him for help. Thank You, Jesus.

Psalm 17:2a Let my vindication come from You….

Lord, I am a sinner saved by grace. I do not deserve it, but I am so thankful. My wayward heart has strayed again, Lord, and taken me away from Your peace that surpasses all understanding. I do not like this space I’m in—so angry all the time. Cleanse my heart, Lord. Renew Your spirit within me. And thank You that I can come to You always and find Your grace and mercy. Amen.

Psalm 17:2b …may Your eyes see what is right.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 16:1 Keep me safe, my God, for in You I take refuge. 

Commentary calls the tone of this Psalm “settled joy,” and I am in complete agreement. The content is not light and airy by any means, but there is definitely a feeling of settled joy that comes from resting securely in God’s sovereignty.

Psalm 16:8 I will keep my eyes always on the LORD. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

I must confess that I am not currently taking my cues from David’s attitude of settled joy. Sadly, I am more leaning towards outright rage at times. My body, mind, and heart all feel the ill effects of that unfortunate choice. Jesus, help me!

Psalm 16:9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that settled joy in the midst of turmoil can only come from You. Help me cling to Your peace and Your sovereignty, Lord. Help me let go of all the anger within me. Help me to embody Psalm 16:8: “I will keep my eyes always on the LORD. With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” I cannot do it alone, Lord. Your strength is perfected in my weakness. Help me, please, Lord. Amen.

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 15:2 The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart….

The Psalm begins, “LORD, who may dwell in your sacred tent?” David is pondering who is worthy to stand in the presence of God. My modern sensibility reads verses 2-5 and thinks, “Oh. No one is worthy.” To me, this list seems to be a list of perfection, a list I am absolutely unable to fulfill in my broken humanity.

Psalm 15:3 …whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others….

The last verse, 5b, says, “Whoever does these things will never be shaken.” That verse echoes in my head. It is a chorus of a song I know. But the power is not in MY perfection (which isn’t possible), it is in the perfection of my Savior. Because He is worthy, righteous, perfect, I will never be shaken. Thank You, Jesus.

Psalm 15:4 …who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the LORD; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind….

Lord, Thank You for this day and this scripture. Thank You for the reminder that because of Your Son, my Savior, I am covered by Your fierce love and unending grace. Thank You for that indescribable and precious gift. Amen.

Psalm 15:5 …who lends money to the poor without interest; who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Have a blessed day.