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Wholehearted Gratitude - 9:1
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It is so very important to express our gratitude to God.
I have never known anyone who has not appreciated being thanked
when thanksgiving was due.
God also appreciates it when we tell Him that we know that all that we have
has come to us by His grace, generosity, and love.
God would have us have the humility to admit -- that without His goodness
and kindness toward us life wouldn't be worth living....More
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Confident Faith - 27
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Confidence is expressed that God can meet any challenge -- that the Lord will prevail
against any and all threats.
Prior experience with God and the present relationship with God make
the Psalmist trusting about the unknown future. ...More
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Jehovah in the Psalms - 23
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"The Lord is my shepherd" (v.1) is Jehovah Rohi.
God leads us like a shepherd leads his sheep.
We are His sheep.
"I shall not want," (v.1) relates to Jehovah Jireh.
Jehovah Jireh means, "The Lord will provide."
Spiritually, God gives us everything we need.
Everything we have has come from God. ...More
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"My Times Are in Thy Hand" -- Psalm 31:15 --
The great truth is this — all that concerns the believer is in the hands of the Almighty God.
"My times", these change and shift; but they change only in accordance with unchanging
love, and they shift only according to the purpose of One with whom is no variableness
nor shadow of a turning.
"My times", that is to say, my ups and my downs, my health and my sickness, my poverty
and my wealth — all those are in the hand of the Lord, who arranges and appoints
according to his holy will the length of my days, and the darkness of my nights.
Storms and calms vary the seasons at the divine appointment.
Whether times are reviving or depressing remains with him who is Lord both of time
and of eternity; and we are glad it is so.
We assent to the statement, "My times are in thy hand," as to their result.
Whatever is to come out of our life, is in our heavenly Father's hand. ...More
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Will God Bless Our Nation? - 33
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Psalm 33 tells how God dealt with the nation of Israel.
And it applies to us today.
This psalm applies to all nations past and present.
This psalm describes two kinds of nations.
It describes the nation that God blesses and the kind of nation that God breaks.
It tells us about the type of nation God delivers and the type of nation God destroys. ... More
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Blessed Is The Nation - 33:12
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A return to God and a rebirth of our national faith is desperately needed today.
As Christians we should re-commit ourselves to God. ...More
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Help When You Need It - 55:22
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Sometimes, however, our insistence on the necessity for human effort leaves
unemphasized our need for divine assistance.
God not only helps those who help themselves, He also helps those
who cannot help themselves.
There have been many times in our lives when we feel that we have gone
as far as we can go and have done all that we can do.
Then with prayerful hearts we look upward seeking strength beyond our own. ...More
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Self Pity - 73
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Self-pity can do you far more harm than the thing that actually happens to you.
We cannot do anything about a lot of things that happen to us,
but we can do something about self-pity.
We don't have to put up with self-pity!
We can get rid of it!
Self-pity is one luxury that no one can afford.
There is no way one can rebuild his or her sense of self-worth by indulging in self-pity....More
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Need For Revival - 85:6
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A revival is composed of church members -- Christians -- you and me.
If just a handful of people dedicated to God, surrendered to Christ, submitted to the Holy Spirit
will say to God, "You can count on me."
God will bring a revival that would sweep our souls, and move with great power
to bring revival to an entire city.
There is only one thing that can prevent us from having a victory.
There is only one thing that will keep God from giving us a revival.
Would you like to know what it is? ...More
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The Best Days Of... - 90:15
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In the midst of majestic phrases that reflect on the fleeting nature of our human life,
the psalmist offers this remarkable prayer: "Make us glad according to the days
wherein thou hast afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen evil."
We can say right now that there were days that brought out some of the finest qualities
in our character.
Subjected to pressure, we fumed and fretted and heated with anger -- maybe even
went to pieces, but a marvelous change took place, and we emerged from
the refining process with a new realism, a new patience, and a new courage....More
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Successful Aging - 92:12-14
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To be successful in growing older should be the goal of every senior adult.
I believe that we can, if we stay young, stay active, and stay ready...More
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Tomorrow Will Be Bright Enough - 97
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The Lord reigneth; let His church rejoice.
The days ahead maybe loaded with difficulties.
Greater is He that is with us than all that are against us.
He will not fail nor be discouraged.
He will bring forth justice and victory.
Let this truth of faith pervade your private life.
To realize that God, who is holy, loving and righteous is supreme, can dissipate
the fog of doubt and uncertainty....More
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We Thank God! - 100
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We should have precious memories at Thanksgiving time.
We should have memories of the beauties we have seen, of the fellowship we have enjoyed,
and the good gifts that life has brought to us.
We should thank God for each separate flavor for which we have been blessed....More
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A Happy New Year - 100:4
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Everyday in our community we read of violence and death.
There is so much unkindness and plain selfishness.
How can we dare to be happy?
No one should make happiness his or her goal in life.
Happiness is never experienced by seeking it directly.
Happiness is a by-product....More
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Sacrifices of Thanksgiving - 107:21
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Thanksgiving Day calls for a sacrifice from each of us.
God wants the allegiance of our hearts and the obedience of our wills given
in deep repentance and humility.
But, after confession and forgiveness, comes witnessing.
"Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." ...More
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When You're At Wit's End - 107:27
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We can be forever thankful that when we are at our wits' end, the Lord comes to our aid.
God takes our broken lives and hurting hearts and heals them.
He knows how and when to help us.
God can and will rescue us from the storms of life....More
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Giving Thanks to God - 116:12
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Thanksgiving must not be mere words.
The Pharisee started his prayer with the words, "God, I thank Thee,"
but followed those words with a bigoted, self-centered eulogy about his own self-righteousness.
How does God know we love Him?
The answer is that He knows when we do something about it.
This begins with receiving His blessed Son as our Saviour.... More
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Look For the Blessing - 118:24
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Someone has said that having nothing to carry is life's heaviest burden.
Having nothing to do is life's hardest work.
Having nothing to look forward to his life's darkest picture.
To all that emptiness, the psalmist offers a fulfilling response.
Finding ourselves able to say, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice
and be glad in it," lifts us out of bleakness and futility.
It gives us a reason for looking upward and beyond....More
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I Love God's Word - 119:97
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The psalmist loved God's Word!
As we love Christ we will love the Word of God; and conversely, as we love God's Word
we will love Christ...
I love God's Word because it is inspired!
(Galatians 1: 11, 12; 2 Timothy 3: 16; 2 Peter 1: 20, 21)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3: 16)
It differs from all other books....More
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Stayed Too Long - 121
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He declares, "I have lived long in Meshech" (north of Palestine); and I have lived among
the tents of Kedar" (south of the Promised Land).
Where should he be dwelling?
A soul belonging to God should be living in the Promised Land!
Strangely enough, he is living outside the Promised Land.
This is the reason he is in trouble!
Now he doesn't dwell in both places, but spiritually the truth is that instead of
abiding in the Land of Promise where he should be; he is dwelling where
he shouldn't be - outside in the world....More
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Keep Looking Up! - 121
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In Psalm 120 that soul was looking around him, and he discovered that he was dwelling
in Meshech and among the tents of Kedar.
He observed his surroundings and realized that all about him were lying lips and deceitful tongues.
This will always be the case.
If you keep looking at those around you, trouble will be your constant companion.
The world and all that is in the world is always about us. ...More
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Fellowship - 122
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As the pilgrims approached the gates of Jerusalem, they talked with one another
and had fellowship together.
Their hearts were encouraged.
They were gladdened and their cups of joy became full.
Then they lifted their eyes and beheld the city of Jerusalem.
They had a vision of that great city of God.
Fellowship always brings vision and revelation....More
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Needed Discipline - 123
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Look again at the soul who is ascending step by step to God.
He has arrived at a place where he is in the house of God.
In the house of God he comes to the realization that he is a slave; he is a servant to his Lord....More
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Reminiscence - 124
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As we move forward and make our way step by step and degree by degree upwards
towards a full union with God, we, like the pilgrim in these songs, discover
how God is our Helper, our Leader, our Protector, and our Guide.
We also learn how God disciplines us and chastens us for our good.
We also begin to enjoy happy fellowship and companionship with our brothers and sisters
because we find there are many others who are likeminded and are making their ascent also.
As we go through these various experiences, there will come a point in our path when we can
look back and say with that pilgrim soul: "The Lord has been for us; the Lord has been
on our side; and it is good." ...More
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Turnings To God - 125
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To come to a real understanding of the 126th Psalm, we need to understand the relationship
between two metaphors which we find in this Psalm.
One is the "captivity of Zion."
The other is "the sowing and reaping. ...More
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Enlightenment - 125
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Every Christian after trusting in the Lord is in need of being purified.
We need to be delivered from the sin and death of this sinful world.
Beginning with this Psalm and continuing through Psalm 129, we enter a second phase
in our movement toward full union with God.
This stage is the stage of enlightenment.
This stage of the Christian life is characterized by illumination.
The seeking soul begins to understand more for additional light is given and more vision is bestowed.
The eyes of his heart are opened.
He is better acquainted with spiritual matters.
He begins to discern more spiritual principles that are eternal,
and which apply to his walk with God....More
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Faith - 126
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In this Psalm our pilgrim is beginning to learn the lesson of faith.
As an unbeliever and as a learning Christian, he has lived by feeling.
He is now beginning to live by faith and not by sight.
He is learning to abide in Christ.
He is also learning that Christ abides within.
This experience occurred in the promised land....More
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Building - 127
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God's blessing on His people as their one great necessity and privilege is the subject of this Psalm.
Here we are taught that the builders of houses and cities; systems and fortunes;
empires and churches all labor in vain without the Lord....More
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Building And Growing - 127
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You cannot build unless the war is over -- unless there is peace.
You cannot construct during wartime.
You can only do so when there is peace.
Spiritually, this is always the case.
If there is conflict, either internally or externally, no construction can occur -- no growing can occur.
It is only when the peace of God reigns in hearts and reigns in our midst that the building
of the church can take place and continue to grow.
So when peace comes at last to reign in the heart; the process of building or growing
can then take place....More
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The Lord Builds His House - 127
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"Except the Lord builds the house."
What does that mean?
An architect planned the house.
Contractors, carpenters, brick masons, plumbers, electricians, roofers, and others erected the house.
The church has received gifts of money from its members.
Is it not just religious sentimentalism to say that the Lord built the house?
What did He have to do with the building of it?...More
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