Today's scripture: Psalm 9:15-16
The Lord God loves us so much. He loves us so much He’s given us a choice:
Follow Him or follow the world. And because He loves us so much, He honors the
choice we make. If someone ends up separated from God for eternity, it’s
because she has made a choice to do so. It’s the “pit which [she has] made …
the net which [she] hid.”
No one will be able to say, “I didn’t know.” God truly has “made Himself
known.” Through His creation. Through the testimonies of His children. Through
so-called coincidences. So when judgment is one day executed, it will be just.
It will be according to each person’s choice.
What choice have you made? What choice will you make? Are you going to sink
into your own pit? Or will you accept truth? See the amazing intricacy of God’s
creation. Listen to stories of men and women of true faith. Remember how God
has worked miraculously.
And remember this: If you’ve never made a choice to follow God, you’ve already
made your choice. Oh, choose wisely, my friend. Choose Him today.
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:13-14
A few years ago, I was cast in a dramatic version of The Cross and the Switchblade, and one evening shortly thereafter,
I had the unique privilege of listening to a story. You may or may not be
familiar with Teen Challenge, an international organization that ministers to
gang members and addicts. It started back in the 50s when a rural preacher,
David Wilkerson, felt called to reach out to “the least of these” in New York
City. One of those young people was Nicky Cruz.
It was Nicky’s story I heard that evening . This is a man who knows what it
means to have been “lifted up from the gates of death.” He was a hard-core gang
leader. He even laughed at the sight of blood. But he met Jesus, and he’s spent
his life doing exactly what the psalmist did: “tell of all [God’s] praises”
and, that night, he proudly and boldly rejoiced in God’s salvation.
It was inspirational. And it reminded me of what I wrote on Monday. Because
Nicky was willing to tell his story, countless people have come to know Jesus,
and countless others have been inspired and challenged. Now you may not speak
in front of crowds of hundreds or thousands, but you too can inspire and
challenge others.
Tell your story. Tell of His praises. Rejoice in His salvation. You’ll touch
lives. Guaranteed!
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:11-12
Two of my favorite things: singing praises to my Lord and declaring to others
what He’s done in my life.
What a blessing to know when I do either, I’m obeying commandments! I’ve been
equally blessed when I listen to others sing. And hearing how God has worked in
others’ lives? I love it!
I love reading biographies and life stories of godly men and women who left a
lasting legacy. I've been inspired time and time again by the lives of people
like Corrie ten Boom, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Elisabeth Elliot, and Susanna
Wesley. Their faith through struggles and suffering, highs and lows never fail
to touch my heart and strengthen my own faith.
How often do you tell your own story? And how often do you really listen to how
God has worked in the lives of your brothers and sisters in Christ?
If you want to be inspired or encouraged or convicted, listen to those stories.
Read biographies of men and women of faith. Your faith will grow. And you will
be blessed.
Then go out and tell your own story of how God has worked in your life.
You'll be blessed as He blesses others through you.
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:9-10
Oh, how I love the opening words of these verses: "The Lord also will be a
stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble ..."
I’m not oppressed by a human enemy or tyrant, but living with chronic health
issues can definitely be oppressive. Anyone who deals with the same problem
knows exactly what I mean. So often, chronic ill health takes over my life.
From the moment I wake up to the moment I fall asleep, my body reminds me of
its aches and pains. I can’t ever forget.
But I’m not alone in my pain. God is with me. And it’s that confidence that
allows me to make it through each day. And not just make it, but thrive.
I put my trust in my Lord because He’s been overwhelmingly faithful. He’s never
left my side. He’s never forsaken me. Even when I turned my back on Him, He
never left me. He’s too loving and gracious to even think of leaving His
children.
I hope you’re as comforted by these words as I am. Never forget your
stronghold.
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:7-8
These verses touch my heart. In fact, I want to add them to my list of
scriptures I want to memorize. They’re encouraging and affirming and
confidence-building.
The Lord abides forever. Our all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God is
eternal. He’s always been and always will be.
He has established His throne for judgment. Every single person who’s lived, is
now living, or will live in the future will stand before God’s throne. Each of
us will either be judged for what we didn’t do (accept God’s gift of salvation)
or awarded for what we did do (those things believers did to serve God and
others).
And He will judge the world in righteousness. God is holy, righteous. We can be
assured God will judge each of us through His heart of righteousness, through
His eyes of love.
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity. And in His righteousness,
He’ll judge fairly. He’ll honor the decision many will make: To follow Him.
He’ll equally honor the decision many others will make: to reject Him.
So when you feel overwhelmed by life, when it seems the enemy is winning,
remember: Our eternal God truly is in control. He is righteous and just. And
fair. And loving.
What a good God we serve!
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:4-6
I don’t know if David meant them to be, but these verses are quite prophetic.
If you read about the nations that fought against Israel in David’s time,
you’ll see that many of them don’t exist any longer.
Then I read these verses again, and they become quite personal. I encourage you to read
them the same way.
I’ve had “enemies.” I’ve faced the “wicked.” I’ve been attacked and abused. And
even though I may not have seen it at the time, God always “maintained my just
cause.” He always had my back, as they say. And although my own enemies may not
have been destroyed, God has been gracious and has taken away the “very
memory.” Or should I say, He’s taken away the power of those memories.
God continues to sit on His throne “judging righteously,” and I’m confident
that one day anyone who hurt me, who hurt you, will be judged.
In the meantime, let God take the “very memory” of your own enemies from your
heart and mind. Let Him remove the anger or unforgiveness you feel and replace
it with His peace, His joy.
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:3
We think we live in turbulent times … and we do indeed. However, if you read
the Old Testament, you’ll see what turbulent times really were. David
certainly knew turbulence. Constant wars. Enemies chasing him, seeking his
death.
But he also knew God’s faithfulness. He knew he was God’s anointed king, and
even through his sin and its consequences, David was confident in God’s
ultimate protection. Time and time again, David prayed for victory over his
enemies, and time and time again, God answered his prayer.
But not always. Sometimes the enemy won.
And sometimes the enemy seems to win against us as well. How often has someone
hurt you or maligned you or tried to destroy you? The enemy wins—or at least it
appears so. We pray that he’ll stumble, yet he doesn’t.
At those times, the only thing we can do is exactly what David did: Cry out to
God and trust He’ll protect us—whether or not our enemy stumbles or turns back.
Most importantly, we can remember God is the ultimate Victor!
Today's scripture: Psalm 9:1-2
What a
wonderful privilege we have to serve the Sovereign Creator, the one true God,
the Savior of mankind. He—the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God—can be
known by those who choose to follow Him. He is personal. He desires a
relationship with us. He’s not some far-off, disinterested God. Rather, He
allows Himself to be intimately known.
How can
we help but praise Him?
That’s
why I love so many of the psalms and why I so enjoy meditating on them. The words of gratitude and
praise are so encouraging—and sometimes convicting.
Take
the opening verses of Psalm 9. I too can give thanks to the Lord
with all my heart. I am glad and exult in Him. I do sing praises to His name.
The conviction? Those words, “I will tell of all Your wonders.”
He is a wonderful, amazing God. He blesses beyond expectation. He carries me
through the darkest valleys. He causes even the most difficult moments to turn
out for good. He loves me as His own daughter.
Yet, how often to I tell others of “all [His] wonders”? Not often enough. I
remember hearing someone ask, “If you had a cure for cancer, wouldn’t you tell
everyone you knew?” I have the “cure” for soul cancer. I have the best story to
tell.
And I need to tell it much more often.
Lord God, I do thank You and praise You. I do give You glory. Please continue
to convict my heart to tell Your story to anyone who’ll listen, so they might
give You glory as well. Amen.
Today's scripture: Psalm 8:6-9
The psalmist continues his praise of God’s amazing love for His children.
Everything in this world, everything we see, touch, hear, was created to please
Him and delight us.
He gave humankind “dominion over” everything. We are more important to God than
any animal, bird, or fish. We are the only of His creation made in His very
image. He is our Father. Our Abba. Our Daddy. And like any loving Father, He
made a wonderful environment for us to live in.
All for us.
So we can join in a heartfelt chorus: “O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your
name in all the earth!” Because, as amazing and wonderful this earth is,
nothing is more amazing or wonderful than our Creator God. And we can speak His
name with awe and joy and praise.
For His name is excellent, wonderful, worthy of praise. And worship. And honor.
And glory.
Join in the chorus!
Today's scripture: Psalm 8:3-5
When was the last time you sat and stared at a starlit sky? Marveled at its
beauty? Considered the vastness of God’s creation?
It’s pretty humbling, isn’t it?
It’s time like this when the question of the psalmist becomes my question:
“What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit
him?” In other words, “Why do You care about us? What’s so great about sinful,
flawed us?”
The main reason? Because He loves us.
God, the Creator of all things, who set each star in its place, who created
mountains and seas and deserts … He is mindful of me. He thinks of me. He loves
me. Tiny-speck-of-a-person me. And He loves tiny-speck-of-a-person you, too. He
has made us just lower than the flawless beings the Bible calls angels. And He
honors us as His specially-created children.
Think about how much God loves you the next time you look at a starlit sky. Or
an ocean. Or a mountain. Or a flower. Or even the reflection in your own
mirror.
Today's scripture: Psalm 8:2
I often like to read different translations or paraphrases of a certain verse,
and today’s verse speaks to me much more in The
Message paraphrase:
Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
toddlers shout the songs
that drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.
Don’t you love it? I truly believe there is nothing more beautiful than the
giggle of a precious infant. Or the off-key “Jesus wuvs me” sung by an adorable
two year old.
And those sounds, those heart-lifting sounds, “drown out enemy talk, and
silence atheist babble.” Why? Because every time a baby is born, the intricacy
and complexity of God’s creation is demonstrated once again. Tiny fingers. Tiny
toes. Heart. Lungs. Eyes. A God-designed complete human being.
A miracle.
Non-believers can say what they will, but seriously, every infant, every
toddler proclaims the existence of God. A loving, amazing God.
Today's scripture: Psalm 8:1
One of the things I love most about the Bible is that God is called by many
names. And what I love about that is that I can find God by name in each and
every situation. If I’m in pain, I can find Him by name. If I have a need, I
can find Him by name. If I’m experiencing tremendous joy, I can find Him by
name. If I’m lonely, I can find Him by name. This is such a blessing to my
heart, and I hope it blesses your heart as well.
Let’s take a moment to look at how we can find God by name:
When you feel lonely, remember that God sees you and is there for you. You can
find Him by calling El Roi: the God who sees (Genesis 16:13).
When you have a need, remember that God will provide for you. You can find Him
by calling Jehovah Jireh: the Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14).
When you’re in pain, remember that you can find Jehovah Rophe: the God who
heals (Exodus 15:26).
When you’re frightened and unsure, remember that you can find the God who is
your Refuge and your Strength (Psalm 46:1).
When you’re feeling stressed or out of control, remember that God will calm
your spirit. You can find Him by calling Jehovah Shalom: the Lord is peace
(Judges 6:24).
When you’re feeling unlovable and unloved, remember that you can find the God
who is Love (1 John 4:16).
When you’re surrounded by darkness, remember that you can find the God who is
light, and “in Him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).
[Excerpted from The Best Laid Plans © 2005 by Sauni Rinehart]
No matter where you are, no matter what’s happening, you can call on God. By name.
Today’s scripture: Psalm 7:17
I’ll be the first to admit that Psalm 7 wasn’t the easiest to get through, but
I absolutely LOVE how it concludes!
As I’ve mentioned many times, one of my favorite ways to worship is through
music. The scriptures give us so many words and phrases to do exactly that.
I can sing of His great mercy and faithfulness (Lam. 3:22-23). I can praise His
amazing grace (Eph. 2:8). I can worship His majesty (1 Chr. 29:11).
He is indeed great and greatly to be praised (1 Chr. 16:25).
So today, “I will praise you, Lord! You always do right. I will sing about you,
the Lord Most High” (CEV).
