Category Archives: Psalms

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

The LORD Is My Shepherd, I Shall Not Want

Psalm 23 is a beautiful commentary on our Lord and how He cares for us. We are sheep who need a good shepherd.

Psalm 23

1The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.

3He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows.

6Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

I find this Psalm brings me great peace in troubled times. I pray it comforts you as well. How glorious that we can trust completely in our Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ!

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Prophecy, Prophecy, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Suffering / Adversity

A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise… God Is Our Deliverer

Psalm 22 at once represents the feeling all believers may experience in times of suffering and also foreshadows the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, God Himself, who became man to suffer and die for our sins and mistakes so that we could be forgiven.

For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.

1My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.

      2O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.

      3Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.

      4In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them.

      5To You they cried out and were delivered;
In You they trusted and were not disappointed.

      6But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people.

      7All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,

      8“Commit yourself to the LORD; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.”

      9Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.

      10Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.

      11Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.

      12Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

      13They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.

      14I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.

      15My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.

      16For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.

      17I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;

      18They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

      19But You, O LORD, be not far off;
O You my help, hasten to my assistance.

      20Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.

      21Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.

      22I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.

      23You who fear the LORD, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.

      24For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

      25From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.

      26The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever!

      27All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.

      28For the kingdom is the LORD’S
And He rules over the nations.

      29All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.

      30Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.

      31They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

All of us face suffering of various kinds in this world… including Jesus Christ, His disciples, and God’s prophets. What a wonderful way to approach it… to trust God and even praise Him in the midst of the suffering. Let us each commit ourselves to this end so as to live the way Jesus Christ lived… submitted to the Lordship of God in good times and in bad times. Let our faith not waver based on our circumstances.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms, Thankfulness

Be Glad in God’s Strength and Rejoice in His Salvation!

King David praises God for deliverance in Psalm 21. David opens up by proclaiming how even a king is dependent on God for salvation and finds joy in this! So many powerful people try to find salvation in money or earthly power… only a righteous man recognizes submission to God and reliance on His power, even when he has the power of a king. How much greater is God’s power for those of us who have eyes to see and ears to hear!

Psalm 21

     1O LORD, in Your strength the king will be glad,
And in Your salvation how greatly he will rejoice!

      2You have given him his heart’s desire,
And You have not withheld the request of his lips.

Selah.

      3For You meet him with the blessings of good things;
You set a crown of fine gold on his head.

      4He asked life of You,
You gave it to him,
Length of days forever and ever.

      5His glory is great through Your salvation,
Splendor and majesty You place upon him.

      6For You make him most blessed forever;
You make him joyful with gladness in Your presence.

      7For the king trusts in the LORD,
And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

      8Your hand will find out all your enemies;
Your right hand will find out those who hate you.

      9You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger;
The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath,
And fire will devour them.

      10Their offspring You will destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.

      11Though they intended evil against You
And devised a plot,
They will not succeed.

      12For You will make them turn their back;
You will aim with Your bowstrings at their faces.

      13Be exalted, O LORD, in Your strength;
We will sing and praise Your power.

David recognizes that even a king needs God. He is not deceived by worldly power to thinking that a king does not need God.

If this is true for a king in this world, than how much more so for the rest of us who have no such power or influence!

No matter what troubles or danger we face, God is sufficient to help us overcome it. We find true life and purpose in serving God. With God, we overcome death itself.

All we have in this world will be taken away from us… guaranteed. If not during our lives, then it is taken or lost when we die. We take nothing with us. Few things matter when we die…

  • Will we spend eternity in Heaven with God or in Hell, separated from God?
  • Have we lived for God and helped others to find genuine relationship with Him?
  • Will He tell us “Well done, good and faithful servant” or “Be gone, I knew you not”?

These are the questions that demand answers. God is gracious in that you have your entire life to prepare, but that opportunity ends when you die and few of us know when that will happen, so the matter is urgent.  Once you die it is too late to change the answers. All that is left is to accept the consequences… you will either have absolute joy or sorrow and suffering.

The good news is that each of us gets to choose! No one else chooses for us. The invitation is open to all.

God shows His love for us in this life and in the offer for eternal life through accepting Jesus as Lord. He became man, suffered, died, was buried and rose again so that we could be forgiven of the bad behaviors, thoughts, and actions in our lives and be reconciled to God. Have you turned away from your sin and asked God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ? Have you accepted Jesus as your savior?

Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Learning To Pray Effectively, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness

May the Lord Answer You In the Day of Trouble

Psalm 20 provides an example of a righteous prayer for victory over enemies. I always appreciate the focus in Psalms on praising and honoring God and not just a focus on what we want.

Psalm 20

1May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!

2May He send you help from the sanctuary
And support you from Zion!

3May He remember all your meal offerings
And find your burnt offering acceptable!

4May He grant you your heart’s desires
And fulfill all your counsel!

5We will sing for joy over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

6Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.

7Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.

8They have bowed down and fallen,
But we have risen and stood upright.

9Save, O Lord;
May the King answer us in the day we call.

Surely all of us have times in our lives when we are facing enemies. They may sometimes be other people who want to come against us personally, or perhaps people who dislike or persecute all Christians, and we must always remain prepared as we face our greatest enemy, Satan.

David consistently calls for joy while he prays for God’s help. He highlights victory as if it has already been achieved. It is not that God has already answered… it is because David trusts God completely. Even while he still experiences the difficult situations and still faces the enemy, David knows that God will answer.

When we come before God is prayer, asking humbly His help, let us remember to rejoice in knowing our loving Creator is in control and He hears our voice. As with David, as we petition God, let us also realize that He will answer. It may not always be how we expect, or when we expect,  but God will hear and answer righteous prayer.

To learn more about righteous prayer, study our teaching Learning to Pray Effectively.

Creation, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Psalms

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect, Restoring the Soul

Psalm 19 declares the glory of God through His creation as well as  praises God for His perfect law and for His judgments, which are righteous. Finally, David concludes by praising God with thanksgiving that He is our rock and Redeemer.

Psalm 19

1The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
            And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

      2Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.

      3There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.

      4Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

      5Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

      6Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

      7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

      8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;            The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the   eyes.

      9The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

      10They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

      11Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.

      12Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

      13Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

      14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

David praises God for His creation in the first six verses. Truly as we reflect on what God has created we, too, should be almost overwhelmed by the glory of it. How sad that many are deceived to thinking it is all the result of random events. How blind are those who believe the deception of Satan!

Verses 7-11 are focused on praising God’s “perfect” commandments, precepts, and judgment! Read them again, carefully. David is referring to the law God gave His people through Moses. The same law that most Christians are taught is harsh and not meaningful. How can it be? It is perfect, restoring the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The judgments of the Lord (based on the law) are true and righteous all together. More desirable than gold, sweeter than honey… by them your servant is warned. In keeping them there is great reward!

Contrary to what many Christians are taught, the law is not bondage! Jesus did not come to “set us free from the law”, but rather to receive our judgment for our failure to execute the law perfectly… to redeem us. He sets us free from sin and the judgment we are due, if we accept Jesus as lord.

David closes by recognizing that the law helps him discern his errors and find his hidden faults. It helps him to recognize and avoid sin! Recognizing that he still fails, he looks to God and praises Him for acquitting him of great transgression.  David praises God for being both rock and Redeemer. The rock refers to God’s unchanging nature. What God said was good and right and true will always be good and right and true.  Through God’s grace we are redeemed through the word of God… through Jesus Christ.

For more about what the law means today, refer to our teaching Understanding The Law – What Does It Mean For Us Today?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness

The Lord Is My Rock, My Fortress, and My Savior

Psalm 18 is a psalm of David, a man after God’s own heart. He sang this song to God on the day God rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. This psalm encourages us that we can count on God’s help to overcome those who persecute us. The victory will not always be with a sword, but sometimes it will be and we will need to wield it properly to defend ourselves and God will help us. We can find refuge in the Lord.

Psalm 18

1 I love you, Lord;
    you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
    my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me,
    and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
    and he saved me from my enemies.

4 The ropes of death entangled me;
    floods of destruction swept over me.
5 The grave[a] wrapped its ropes around me;
    death laid a trap in my path.
6 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
    yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
    my cry to him reached his ears.

7 Then the earth quaked and trembled.
    The foundations of the mountains shook;
    they quaked because of his anger.
8 Smoke poured from his nostrils;
    fierce flames leaped from his mouth.
    Glowing coals blazed forth from him.
9 He opened the heavens and came down;
    dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
10 Mounted on a mighty angelic being,[b] he flew,
    soaring on the wings of the wind.
11 He shrouded himself in darkness,
    veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
12 Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
    and rained down hail and burning coals.[c]
13 The Lord thundered from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded
    amid the hail and burning coals.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies;
    great bolts of lightning flashed, and they were confused.
15 Then at your command, O Lord,
    at the blast of your breath,
the bottom of the sea could be seen,
    and the foundations of the earth were laid bare.

16 He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemies,
    from those who hated me and were too strong for me.
18 They attacked me at a moment when I was in distress,
    but the Lord supported me.
19 He led me to a place of safety;
    he rescued me because he delights in me.
20 The Lord rewarded me for doing right;
    he restored me because of my innocence.
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
    I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
22 I have followed all his regulations;
    I have never abandoned his decrees.
23 I am blameless before God;
    I have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord rewarded me for doing right.
    He has seen my innocence.

25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful;
    to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
27 You rescue the humble,
    but you humiliate the proud.
28 You light a lamp for me.
    The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army;
    with my God I can scale any wall.

30 God’s way is perfect.
    All the Lord’s promises prove true.
    He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
31 For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
    he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
35 You have given me your shield of victory.
    Your right hand supports me;
    your help[d] has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet
    to keep them from slipping.

37 I chased my enemies and caught them;
    I did not stop until they were conquered.
38 I struck them down so they could not get up;
    they fell beneath my feet.
39 You have armed me with strength for the battle;
    you have subdued my enemies under my feet.
40 You placed my foot on their necks.
    I have destroyed all who hated me.
41 They called for help, but no one came to their rescue.
    They even cried to the Lord, but he refused to answer.
42 I ground them as fine as dust in the wind.
    I swept them into the gutter like dirt.
43 You gave me victory over my accusers.
    You appointed me ruler over nations;
    people I don’t even know now serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me, they submit;
    foreign nations cringe before me.
45 They all lose their courage
    and come trembling from their strongholds.

46 The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!
    May the God of my salvation be exalted!
47 He is the God who pays back those who harm me;
    he subdues the nations under me
48     and rescues me from my enemies.
You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies;
    you save me from violent opponents.
49 For this, O Lord, I will praise you among the nations;
    I will sing praises to your name.
50 You give great victories to your king;
    you show unfailing love to your anointed,
    to David and all his descendants forever.

It is obvious that David experienced real persecution and fear for his life. Yet still he tried to live according to God’s instruction. He refused to reject God. I am greatly encouraged by David in that he consistently turned to God at his lowest and most difficult times in his life. His faith was greatest when his situation was most urgent.

Many of us face true persecution or other trials and difficulties. We must never turn away from God because of our circumstances lest we perish, but when we trust in Him and serve Him we will not perish even should we lose the earthly battle. God made a way for us to be reconciled with Him through the death of Jesus Christ. When we accept Jesus as Lord and savior, believe He died for us, was buried, and rose again, and repent from our sins asking God to come into our hearts as Lord we find salvation through Christ.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Heaven and Hell, Hebrew Roots / Commands / Law, Justice / Judgment, Learning To Pray Effectively, Murder, Obeying God, Pride, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Wickedness / Evil

O Lord, Hear My Plea for Justice. Listen To My Cry For Help.

Psalm 17 contains a faithful and heartfelt prayer from David. David had enemies that were stronger than him, but turned to God and relied on Him for protection. David was certainly willing to fight his enemies and demonstrated this on many occasions in his life, but he relied heavily on God.

Also, note that David did not walk his own way and then ask God to save him. He declares his innocence of wrongdoing. He has followed God’s commands, focused on not sinning in what he says, stayed on God’s path, and kept from cruel and evil people. He has not wavered from following God.

Psalm 17

1 O Lord, hear my plea for justice.
    Listen to my cry for help.
Pay attention to my prayer,
    for it comes from honest lips.
2 Declare me innocent,
    for you see those who do right.

3 You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night.
    You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong.
    I am determined not to sin in what I say.
4 I have followed your commands,
    which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
5 My steps have stayed on your path;
    I have not wavered from following you.

6 I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
    Bend down and listen as I pray.
7 Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
    By your mighty power you rescue
    those who seek refuge from their enemies.
8 Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.[a]
    Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
9 Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
    from murderous enemies who surround me.
10 They are without pity.
    Listen to their boasting!
11 They track me down and surround me,
    watching for the chance to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like hungry lions, eager to tear me apart—
    like young lions hiding in ambush.

13 Arise, O Lord!
    Stand against them, and bring them to their knees!
    Rescue me from the wicked with your sword!
14 By the power of your hand, O Lord,
    destroy those who look to this world for their reward.
But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.
    May their children have plenty,
    leaving an inheritance for their descendants.
15 Because I am righteous, I will see you.
    When I awake, I will see you face to face and be satisfied.

David’s prayer is as relevant today as it was when he first prayed it. There is much wickedness and evil throughout the world today, as in days long ago. The face of wickedness and evil may change, but the true enemy remains Satan and the failure of people to recognize and submit to the one, true God.

I invite you to pray with me…

God, please stand against the evil around the world and bring them to their knees. Rescue the righteous from the hands of the wicked. Open my eyes, ears, and heart to listen to your guidance for how you want me to make a difference in defeating evil and protecting the righteous. Help me to walk in righteousness. In all things, not my will but your will be done.   Amen.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Guide, Learning To Pray Effectively, Praise / Worship / Glorify God, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Submitted / Servant

I Said to the Lord, “You Are My Master!”

I always find the Psalms of David encouraging. He truly was a man after God’s own heart. Even in difficulty and suffering he sought refuge in God and found peace, hope, and reason to rejoice.

Psalm 16

1 Keep me safe, O God,
    for I have come to you for refuge.

2 I said to the Lord, “You are my Master!
    Every good thing I have comes from you.”
3 The godly people in the land
    are my true heroes!
    I take pleasure in them!
4 Troubles multiply for those who chase after other gods.
    I will not take part in their sacrifices of blood
    or even speak the names of their gods.

5 Lord, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.
    You guard all that is mine.
6 The land you have given me is a pleasant land.
    What a wonderful inheritance!

7 I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

9 No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
11 You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever.

David begins with a request for God to keep him safe and provide refuge. This beginning gives us insight that once again David was in need of protection and turned to God.

The next statement is  powerful. David exclaims that God is his master and give credit to God for all good things. Then he takes time to appreciate and focus on the godly people in the land. He takes pleasure in them!

By contrast, David rightly declares that he will not be part of worship and practices of false gods and idols. He refuses even to speak the name of their false gods.

David is content and thankful for what God has given him. He looks only to God for provision and seeks to bless God in return. He seeks and accepts God’s instruction and guidance. He takes courage in knowing God is with him through difficult times.

David finds peace and rest in submitting to and serving God. He confidently proclaims the promise of God for eternity with God and finds great joy in this! David clearly understood the existence of the soul of each individual and how it may go to be with God when the body dies for those who submit to and serve God.

I am striving to personally model the heart that David showed toward God, even in difficulty and suffering. I am not there yet, but am on the right track. The more time I spend studying God’s word, seeking Him in prayer, and submitting my life to serve Him and follow His instructions the closer I get. I still have a long way to go, but praise God for showing me the path to follow!

I encourage each of you to take on that same challenge… seek God’s help for refuge and security, follow His instruction, remain separate from worship of false gods, find courage and peace and rejoice in knowing the Lord our God even in difficult times!

—-

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Consequences of Sin, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Holy, Holy / Set Apart, Learning To Pray Effectively, Psalms, Repenting from Sin, Seeking God

Who May Enter Your Presence, Lord?

Sin creates a barrier that separates us from God. God is holy. When we try to come into His presence with unrepentant sin in our lives we will not be able to have the same relationship with Him as those who are repentant from sin and seeking to submit and follow God with their lives.

Psalm 15

1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
    Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
    speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
3 Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends.
4 Those who despise flagrant sinners,
    and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
    and keep their promises even when it hurts.
5 Those who lend money without charging interest,
    and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.

God calls us to avoid gossip and speaking evil of our neighbors and friends. We are to keep promises even when it hurts. We are to avoid lying and bribery.

This scripture also highlights that we are to “despise flagrant sinners”. That means we are not supposed accept it when people identify themselves by their sin and publicly insist everyone accept them and their sin as inseparable and thus rationalize the sin as acceptable.

In some cases this is obvious and our culture still sees clearly. We do not encourage or accept drunkenness as acceptable behavior… telling people that God made them that way so they should keep on drinking. Similar logic appears clearly accepted regarding those who lie and those who steal as well.  We still identify those behaviors as bad and encourage people to change.

Unfortunately, though, it is becoming much more common to excuse sin on the basis of “God made me this way. God is love. God must be ok with this behavior. Thus everyone else should accept it or they are my enemy.” This approach is very common today for sins like gluttony and homosexual behavior, etc. This rationalization for sin is a lie from Satan. Every sin could be approached this way and thus the same argument made to accept it. That is why we are to reject those who flagrantly sin.  Accepting and rationalizing sin leads to accepting and rationalizing more sin. We continue to get further from God. God calls us to turn away from our sin nature and seek to live according to His word.

The difference is not in the sin… we all sin. The difference is in whether we repent and seek to change our sinful behaviors or seek instead to accept our sin and convince others they should accept it also.

Instead we are called by God to “honor the faithful followers of the Lord”. Those who stand up for God’s way… righteousness, repentance from sin rather than acceptance of it, honesty, avoiding bribes, helping those in need unselfishly. Too often in our world today, it is exactly these people that will be attacked and persecuted by the flagrant sinners and by government laws that accept everything except a genuine Christian openly standing for Christ.

God calls us to serve Him despite adversity and despite people coming against us and threatening us to conform to the ways of the world or be silent. We can trust in God and submit to Him to be lord of our lives.

Praise God that He gives us His instruction in the Bible regarding right and wrong! We are not left at the whim of public opinion or government to decide what is right and what is wrong. If we study it, understanding context of culture and time on the scripture, and submit to God prayerfully seeking His guidance through the Holy Spirit, we can see clearly.

Shalom. Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hope, Protector / Deliverer, Psalms, Strong in Our Weakness, Wickedness / Evil

Only Fools Say in Their Hearts “There Is No God”

I am truly inspired by the faith and hope that David had in God even when he was experiencing grief and suffering or witnessing evil. Psalm 14 shows David relying on God even while he sees the wickedness and evil in abundance around him.

Psalm 14

1 Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

2 The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.[a]
No one does good,
    not a single one!

4 Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
5 Terror will grip them,
    for God is with those who obey him.
6 The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
    but the Lord will protect his people.

7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
    When the Lord restores his people,
    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

David reminds us that only fools deny God’s existence. Creation itself cries out in testimony to the Creator. And those who insist there is no God then tend to lean on their own sin nature to guide them, which leads to corruption, selfishness, and all kinds of evil.

Some who reject God may seem to be respectful of life and help other people. But if you really dig into what drives them it is often the Christian beliefs that have so widely affected much of the world view for centuries. They will not even recognize its origins in Christianity.

As an example… someone who believes in Darwinian evolution instead of creation with man created in the image of God really has no logical position to explain why we should help others or why we should not be okay with murdering one another. The strong survive, right?  We are not special as humans, we are just “evolved” animals, right? Helping the weak and those in need is not a survival advantage consistent with evolutionary theory. Hitler conducting horrible mass executions, on the other hand… actually that is consistent with evolutionary theory. Evolutionary ideas played an important role in influencing Hitler as he tried to create the “master race”.

Even as we witness great suffering and evil around us and around the world, we can be encouraged that God will restore His people in His timing and His method. We can have faith and hope that God is in control and will protect us… will stand with us. Sometimes it is hard to see it as people are suffering such as those being executed for their faith in Jesus Christ but we can trust the promises of God. The righteous who accept Jesus as lord will find rest with God after they pass through this life. The wicked will find an eternity without God in hell.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.