Psalms

Psalm 5 is a morning prayer.   In the Psalms, and with saints throughout history, drawing closer to God means valuing prayer early in the day. In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; in the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch (v. 3, NASB1995). I like the phrase “order my prayer” – confronting your day, it’s […]

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord! (v. 6). One hundred and fifty Psalms. The longest is Psalm 119 with 176 verses, while the shortest is Psalm 117 at two verses (also the shortest chapter in the entire Bible).  The Psalms have Psalm 23, which I don’t need to quote as everyone knows it, Psalm 91

Psalm 85 is a psalm of starting over. The Israelites had returned to Jerusalem after the 70-year Babylonian captivity. Lord, You showed favor to Your land; You restored the captivity of Jacob. You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin (vv. 1-2, NASB1995). A Scottish preacher is quoted in a commentary that I read about

A challenge:  For a week open your prayers with this phrase: O God, O God; let your face shine upon me (v. 3). The image of God’s face shining upon His people illustrates relationship, blessing, and answers. See God’s face and all questions are answered. There is no better blessing than the presence of God,

The proud may not stand in your presence, for you hate all who do evil (Psalm 5:5, NLT). Have you ever been mad at someone? Not common everyday anger, but constantly thinking evil thoughts about the person? Has someone done something to you that put you into a wasteland of bitterness? You consider, “If that

This Psalm was written during a time of great difficulty. David gives the secret of enduring trials. He alone is my rock and my salvation (v. 2, ESV). And… For God, alone, O my soul, wait in silence (v. 5, ESV). And… He only is my rock and my salvation (v. 6, ESV). This is

God has given us the ability to decide our attitude. Some choose frustration and others hope. Scripture teaches that we all encounter trials and blessings. Our attitude is selected. We choose either anger or faith when considering our past circumstances.   Some choose joy while others get mad. Psalm 77 teaches the right attitude: But then

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain (v. 1, ESV). I had the unique experience of building the same house twice. My wife and I built a house that burned down 12 years later. We rebuilt the same house. After building this house the first time, being a perfectionist,

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in you (Psalm 16:1). This morning I ate a Power Bar©.   The advertising on the package said, “Irresistible flavors, nourishing energy, and uncompromising ingredients. An invitation to make your breakthroughs happen.” What a claim. I loved the bar and its mishmash of both lemon and blueberry. But