Category: Uncategorized

JANUARY 23

PSALM 17

Psalm 17:15, “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.”

Set before us in this psalm are two different approaches to life.  David observed that there were those whose “portion is this life” (Psalm 17:14).  Such folks live in the “here and now,” and only for the “here and now.”  Their vision reaches no further than the next opportunity to satisfy their fleshly passions.  David, however, looked forward to the glory promised by the blessings of the “then and there.” 

C. S. Lewis once wrote about this dichotomy of desires: “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

There are those who have their minds set on earth things (Philippians 3:19).  But as citizens of heaven, we aren’t so easily pleased.  Instead, we live in eager anticipation of Jesus’ return, when he will “transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:21).  David longed for such, and we should too!

“To behold God’s face and to be changed by that vision into his image…this is my noble ambition; and in this prospect I cheerfully waive all my present enjoyments.” —Charles Spurgeon

Application Questions: A soon-to-be vacationer lives in eager anticipation of arriving at his destination.  Is your mind set on earthly things, or do you live in eager anticipation of being with Jesus? How much time do you spend thinking about, and even yearning for, heaven?  

JANUARY 22

Psalm 16

Psalm 16:11, “In your presence there is fullness of joy.”

In pursuing joy, it’s imperative to have one’s heart-compass set in the right direction.  All pursue happiness, but most struggle to find it.  Happiness is an earthly commodity, lost or found by circumstance, but joy is a heavenly treasure, impossible to steal.

The psalmist had his heart set in the right place.  He witnessed the disappointment of those who ran after other gods (Psalm 16:4).  But the Lord was his chosen portion, and in the Lord, he enjoyed both security and blessings. 

These words of Peter, to persecuted believers, have long challenged me: “Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8).  A “joy that is inexpressible and full of glory” can be possessed independent of one’s circumstances.  Peter did not say that they should rejoice like that, but that they did.  That reminds me that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, etc.  A fountainhead of Spirit-birthed joy lies in the heart of every believer (John 7:37-39).  To the extent we are living under the influence of the Spirit, walking close to Jesus, we experience the inexpressible joy that is already ours in Him. 

One day, when you pass from this life to the next, you will enter into God’s presence to experience a fulness of uninterrupted and unimaginable joy. That heavenly joy is even now Spirit-imparted to those who draw near to God.

The treasure map to an inexpressible joy leads to a nearness to the God who alone can impart it.

Application Questions: Do you consider yourself to be a joyful Christian?  How much of your time and energy do you devote to experiencing happiness through circumstances?  Considering that nearness to God brings fullness of joy, what changes must you make in your pursuit of Him?

JANUARY 21

Psalm 15

Psalm 15:1, “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?  Who shall dwell on your holy hill?”

This psalm speaks to the requisite moral characteristics of the worshippers of God.  David, the psalmist, knew God to be holy.  Would-be worshippers, be they priests or pilgrims, needed to be holy too.  As the pilgrims ascended to Jerusalem, where God’s tabernacle was located, on the “holy hill”—they needed to examine themselves before entering the courts of God’s sanctuary.

As Hebrews 10:10 makes clear, the believer in Christ “has confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.”  Positionally speaking, God has cleansed him from sin and declared him to be a “holy one” (1 Corinthians 6:11, 1:3).  Practically speaking, the child of God’s holy identity demands a corresponding holy walk (1 Peter 1:15-16).

The holiness of God is his “set-apartness” and holy “otherness.”  Being perfect in all ways, God’s holiness is transcendent.  We are holy to the extent we are separating ourselves from sin and dedicating ourselves to God.  The holy conduct of would-be worshippers is all-encompassing, affecting one’s heart, words, and walk. He speaks truth from the heart; is blameless in his walk; does not slander with his tongue; and deals with others with integrity (Psalm 15).   

You’re not ascending a physical hill to a physical tabernacle, but as you enter with confidence, by the blood of Jesus, into the holy presence of God, keep in mind his call to his children: “You shall be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

“God sees us perfect in His Son while He disciplines and chastens and purges us that we may be partakers of His holiness.”—A. W. Tozer

Application Questions: Read Isaiah chapter 6.  What was Isaiah’s response to be given a vision of the holiness of God?  This psalm speaks to some aspects of a God-honoring walk.  What are some others?

JANUARY 20

Psalm 14

Psalm 14:1, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.”

To say that there is no god is to deny all the plain evidence to the contrary.  God’s creation testifies to his existence (Romans 1:19-20).  Man’s conscience, and the moral law it bears (no matter how diminished) likewise evidences his reality.  It is with a prideful naivete that a person would sin in making such a claim.  As Charles Spurgeon put it, “Sin is always folly, and as it is the height of sin to attack the very existence of the Most High, so is it the greatest imaginable folly.  To say there is no God is to belie the plainest evidence, which is obstinacy.”

C. S. Lewis was a brilliant man and among the most influential Christian writers of the twentieth century.  What might surprise you is Lewis, though raised in a traditional Christian home, became an avowed atheist in his early teens.  It would be years later, well into his Oxford education, before he began to search for a better understanding of God’s existence. 

There were two events that helped to lead Lewis to God.  The first began when he read G. K. Chesterton’s book, Everlasting Man.  The second had a shattering impact.  One of the more militant faculty on the Oxford Staff confided that he believed that the historical authenticity of the gospels appeared to be surprisingly sound.  The conversation disturbed Lewis, but it led him to investigate the matter for himself by carefully reading through the entire New Testament in the original Greek.  That ultimately worked to bring Lewis to faith. 

By God’s grace, Lewis experienced salvation.  God transformed the foolish skeptic into one of the church’s greatest apologists.  His book, “Mere Christianity,” is one of the all-time best-selling Christian books.  No doubt it has worked to save many fools from their denial of God to devotion to Him.

It is both foolhardy and hazardous for a creature to deny the existence of its creator.

Application Questions: Why is it arrogant and foolish to disavow the existence of God? What means did God use to open your eyes to the truth?  What argument would you use to convince an unbeliever of God’s existence?

JANUARY 17

Psalm 13

Psalm 13:1, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?  How long will you hide your face from me?”

“I was sure by now
God, you would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
And once again,
I said, “Amen” and it’s still rainin’.”
—Casting Crowns, “I Will Praise You in this Storm.”

Whenever I hear this song, I think of Laura in her cancer situation.  Diagnosed to have cancer in January 2017, she’s carried the burden of a terminal illness and chronic pain for almost eight years now.  In that, there’s the temptation to assume that God has hidden his face or forgotten her situation. But He’s not forgotten!

The exact circumstances of David’s situation are unknown to us.  But it’s fair to say that his thoughts have echoed through the centuries in the lives of others who likewise found themselves in a longstanding difficulty.  That David asked, “How long?” four times speaks to his intense desire for deliverance and great despair in hearing no answer from God.  As Charles Spurgeon put it, “Time flies with full-fledged wing in our summer days, but in our winters he flutters painfully.”  I’ve witnessed the “painfully” part in the day-after-day anguish experienced by some of our hospice patients.  They’ll asked, “how long?” with respect to the days until God takes them home.

David asked, “how long?” but was refreshed and encouraged by recalling God’s steadfast love (Psalm 13:5).  No matter his circumstances, the fact remained that the Lord had “dealt bountifully with (him)” (Psalm 13:6).  The cross serves as an ongoing reminder that no matter how troublesome our circumstances or deep our sorrow, nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).  He cannot and will not forget us!  

“But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.’  ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”—Isaiah 49:14-15

Application Questions: Have you ever felt as if the Lord has abandoned you?  Have you ever felt as if your prayers were bouncing off the ceiling?  How can focusing on the steadfast love of God, and his faithfulness, help?  What can help to shift your focus?

JANUARY 16

Psalm 12

Psalm 12:2a, “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor.”

Psalm 12:6a, “The words of the Lord are pure words.”

The beauty of a thing becomes even more apparent when set in contrast to something contrary.  For example, the moon’s brilliance stands out against the surrounding darkness.  We read of such a situation here in this psalm by David.

David cries out to the Lord to save him, for he can find no one faithful.  He’s surrounded by those who utter lies.  They flatter.  They boast.  They answer to no one and presume to prevail through the power of their tongues. 

In surveying that barren and hopeless landscape, David finds confidence in the pure words of the Lord.  They are like “silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).  The process of refining silver was arduous.  Workers melted the raw silver ore in a primitive hearth to separate it from impurities.  To repeat it seven times was to ensure its utmost purity.

This world can seem desert-like in its aversion to the truth.  And sometimes it might seem nearly impossible to find someone honest.  In contrast to that, the Word is always trustworthy.  God always says what he means and always does what he says.  Just as the moon shines bright against the darkness of night, God’s word is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).

“As pure gold suffers no loss by the fire, so the promises suffer no loss when they are tried.”—Thomas Manton

Application Questions: Can you relate to David’s experience of finding no one trustworthy and discouraged by all the falsehoods of this world?  In contrast, do you understand the inspired Word to be always trustworthy?  When looking for answers and help, how prone are you to turn to the Scriptures? 

JANUARY 15

Psalm 11

Psalm 11:5, “The Lord tests the righteous.”

She’d been bedridden for months, exhausted and dealing with much pain.  Although she believed in Jesus, she mistakenly attributed her suffering to having offended God.  I explained otherwise and reminded her of God’s loving presence and care.

It is naïve and unbiblical to assume that the believer should experience a life without troubles.  Believers and unbelievers alike experience them (Matthew 7:24-27). The difference is that God uses the trials in the life of a believer for good.  Whereas the trials in the unbeliever’s life are but a precursor of the greater trial that is sure to come lest they trust in Jesus.

“Do not be surprised,” the Apostle Peter wrote to persecuted Christians, “at the fiery trials when it comes upon you to test you” (1 Peter 4:5).  He further explained the necessity of trials in God’s refining process.  As with gold that is refined by fire, trials have a way of driving the impurities of our lives to the surface so that they can be Spirit-dealt with in his maturing us in Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7).  The author of Hebrews explained it this way: “He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness” (Hebrews 12:10).  Trials in the believer’s life are not evidence of divine displeasure.  Quite the contrary.  Our part is to keep trusting him amid our troubles and learn the lessons he has for us to learn.

“You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant grace.”—Charles Spurgeon

Application questions:Though we may experience troubles as a direct consequence of a personal sin, often they enter our lives simply because we live in a sin-cursed world.  What troubles are you now facing?  How does it help to know that God lovingly disciplines those whom he loves?  What will a “by faith” response to your current troubles look like?

JANUARY 14

Psalm 10

Psalm 10:1, “Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”

The psalmist’s concern is one that is sometimes felt, but seldom “telt”.  Though we may wonder about the lack of God’s intervention in a situation, we seldom voice our concerns to others.  Why doesn’t God do something about all the troubles that I see?  The psalmist wondered about that.

He was well-aware of the wicked ways of evildoers—their ruthlessness, boastful arrogance, ungodliness, bully-like behavior, and blasphemous words.  He wondered how they could prosper despite their atheism.  He knew God to be a righteous judge, so how could he then allow them to get away with all their mischief?

In the end, the psalmist confidently put the matter in God’s hands (Psalm 10:16-18).  He trusted God to deal with such things in his own way and in his own time.  We’ve been called to do the same.  There is evil in the world, but it is never okay to respond in kind to evil doers.  We are to never avenge ourselves, understanding that vengeance belongs to God, and he will repay (Romans 12:19).  As with Jesus, our part is to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).  God is not missing; in due time, he will settle all accounts.

Though it might seem sometimes that God is missing, He who knows all and judges righteously will settle all accounts in due time.

Application questions: Can you relate to the psalmist’s question?  Is the prosperity of the wicked something that troubles you?  How can a better understanding of the nature of God, work to alleviate some of your concerns?  Can you trust him to deal with the troublesome situations in your own life—in his own time and his own way?

JANUARY 13

Psalm 9

Psalm 9:1, “I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.”

To worship God is to acknowledge Him for who he is and what he does.  At the heart of worship is spirit-filled awareness of the truth of both his glorious nature and his wonderful deeds.  The psalmist set out to recount such deeds, reminding himself of how God had worked to defeat his enemies, rebuke the nations, rightly judge the world, and provide a stronghold for the oppressed.

What about you?  Can you even now recount the wonderful deeds of the Lord?  Everyone who’s been born again has at least one miraculous work of God to remember.  Can you recall the countless times since that God has worked in your life?  How he responded to your prayers?  How he intervened to bring good out of some bad situation?  How he did something beyond anything you had asked for or thought possible (Ephesians 3:20)?

If you struggle to find some wonderful deeds in your own life, take time to consider all the wonderful deeds recorded in your Bible. From cover to cover you’ll find examples of how God worked mightily to save in countless ways.  He is even now at work in the lives of your friends.  Lend a listening ear as they share of how God has worked in their own lives.  In heaven we’ll enjoin ourselves to a mighty choir that will sing praise to God for all He’s done (Revelation 5:6-14).  For now, we’ve got choir practice!

Worship is acknowledging God for who he is and what he does!

Application questions: There’s no more wonderful deed, in a personal sense, that the work God did in saving you from your sins.  How much thought do you give to what God has done for you in that?  What are some other wonderful deeds God has done for you in your life?  Take time to thank him in prayer.