Category: Psalm

Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this…

Commit, trust, be still, wait patiently, refrain, do not fret, hope…. I feel like this is a mantra I need to commit to memory. Today’s reflection began with the words “Understanding will never bring you peace.” Frustrating but true. Peace comes from committing, trusting, being still, waiting patiently, refraining, not fretting, hoping….

Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…

Lord, Sometimes I cause myself such heartache by trying to understand. Help me to navigate the line between digging deeper, seeking, understanding and trusting, being still, waiting patiently, refraining, not fretting, hoping. You created me to ask “Why,” but You also created me to rest in You. Help me to understand when I’m going too far in the questioning and not resting in You as intended.

Psalm 37:8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Lord, Thank You that Your word brings me peace. Thank You that every day I feel like I draw just a tiny bit closer to You, that I understand You and myself just a little bit better. Help me to be who You created me to be. Help me to seek and question while also trusting and hoping in You. Amen.

Psalm 37:9b …those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 37:1 Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong;

“Do not fret…or be envious….” “Trust in the Lord….” “Take delight in the Lord….” If I could just heed those words right there, I would be able to breathe freer, rest easier. It’s not even that I’m fretting over those who are evil or envious of those who do wrong. I feel….forgotten, unnoticed, and that leads to all kinds of bad things mentally.

Psalm 37:2 …for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

A wise friend would tell me to get over myself, and she’s not wrong. I would do well to take Colossians 3:23 to heart: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” What I need is to be content in the job that I am doing, no matter what. I know I am where God wants me. I know I am doing good work for Him. That’s all I need.

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Precious Savior, It’s when I feel I need acknowledgement from human masters that I get myself in trouble. That feeling that I need recognition makes me fret and causes me to be envious. I want to trust in You and delight in You, Lord. I want to encourage others and to not be envious. Help me to focus solely on You and what You would have me do. It is enough. Amen.

Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 29:1a Honor the LORD, you heavenly beings…

I have seen some of the most amazing views this past week—mountain peaks, blooming flowers, rushing streams. I have had the time, I have taken the time, to slow down, to marvel and appreciate God’s amazing handiwork.

Psalm 29:1b …honor the LORD for his glory and strength.

Vacation often works like that—allowing me to slow down, to marvel. But God is present in my everyday life, too. Sometimes I marvel—rainbows, sunrises and sunsets, but more often, I am so busy doing that I fail to notice and appreciate like I should.

Psalm 29:2a Honor the LORD for the glory of his name….

Father of all Creation, Thank You for Your glorious handiwork on this earth. Help me, daily, to marvel and appreciate Your goodness. Amen.

Psalm 29:2b …Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 139:13a For you created my inmost being….

Lord, We are quirky, idiosyncratic people. Help us to give ourselves and each other grace upon grace, knowing that You created us, knit us together, that we are uniquely and wonderfully made by You.

Psalm 139:13b …you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Lord, Help us to be slow to judge, quick to love, quick to forgive. Help us to be patient, kind, and compassion towards ourselves and each other.

Psalm 139:14a I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made….

Lord, Your works are wonderful, we know that full well. And we *are* Your works, even when we forget, even when we lose patience, even when we are disgruntled and angry. Help us to love ourselves and each other the way You love us. Completely and always. Amen.

Psalm 139:14b …your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Have a blessed evening.

Psalm 32:8a I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go….

I want to talk about verse 10 today. I do not consider myself to be wicked, but I know that my lack of trust has caused many woes in my life.

Psalm 32:8b …I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

The simple solution—simple but not easy, is imbedded in the verse itself: trust in the Lord, which brings Proverbs 3:5-6 to mind.

Psalm 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Lord, Thank You for the reminder that You want me to trust You, that my life will be smoother, less chaotic (not necessarily easier) when I do so. Help me. Amen.

Psalm 32:11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

Have a blessed day.

Psalm 32:6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you while you may be found; surely the rising of the mighty waters will not reach them.

If you know me at all, you know that I’m a planner. I usually have a plan and a back up plan just in case. When things don’t go to plan, I can get myself into a state.

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

But God taught me an important lesson yesterday in gratitude, in being grateful for what is instead of upset about what’s not. He reminded me that He is sovereign, trustworthy, in control. Always and everywhere.

Psalm 32:8a I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…

Lord of all creation, Thank You for Your peace and Your presence, for reminding me what’s important, for gratitude in the simple things. Amen.

Psalm 32:8b …I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Have a blessed day.

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

A friend and I were talking the other day about what happens when you look at one verse of scripture and focus on a different word each time. The first time I read these verses last week, having recently returned from the beach, I focused on the fact that the Lord created the creatures on earth and in the sea.

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

Today, however–probably in part because of yesterday’s sermon, different words hit me, specifically, “and all who live in it….” Those words strike me today as a message of inclusivity, a reminder to love God and love others. God created everyone and everything. We are all His handiwork, even those who don’t acknowledge Him, even those who don’t look or act, vote, love or worship like us.

Psalm 24:3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?

Lord, It is truly astounding how much difference our focus on Your Word can make. Thank You that I can read the same scripture multiple times and take away new truths each time. Thank You that I can share Your word with others. Thank You that we can ponder, question, and discuss Your word to draw us closer to You and each other. Amen.

Psalm 24:4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

Have a blessed day.