July 31 - Psalm 103 & 104

Psalm 103 & 104

Both Psalms sing praises to the Lord. They list the actions and attributes of the Lord as a means of giving praise. We are told the Lord forgives, heals, redeems crowns, satisfies and renews, and that is just the first five verses of chapter 103. Spend a few minutes today thinking of these actions of God in the first five verses. Consider how God acts and has acted for you.

Thursday, july 30

Psalm 101 & 102

The Psalmist deals with the intentionality of his living in Psalm 101. He writes of seeking to walk with a "blameless life" and a "blameless heart". He says, "I will set before my eyes no vile thing". The intentionality is a challenge for us to examine our lives. Do we seek to live blameless lives? Are we intentional in staying away from what is wrong?

July 29

Psalm 99 & 100

Psalm 100 has been one of my favorite Psalms since I memorized it during Disciple Bible study. (If you have never done Disciple, I would encourage you to consider joining a Disciple Bible study class this fall) Psalm 100 is a Psalm of thanksgiving. Yesterday was a day of thanksgiving for our family. Our daughter gave birth to our first grandchild, Julius. Our prayers of thanksgiving were that both Kallye and Julius are strong and healthy. Later prayers of thanksgiving will probably center on Julius being the most perfect child ever born, but for now we are so grateful they are healthy.

This morning as I thought of being thankful for yesterday, I realized how much I have to be thankful for today. What do you have to be thankful for? Spend a few moments thinking of how your life is blessed. Maybe that prayer could begin by giving thanks that you live in a country and at a point in time where you can have a computer that you use to read a devotional.

July 28

Psalm 97 & 98

"Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things"

'Do you ever take things for granted? We purchase the newest technology, think it is incredible but soon get so used to it that we need something else new. We meet a new person, fall in love, decide to marry the person but as time rolls by we start to take the person for granted. How odd it is, that over time, we can take even the most amazing relationship for granted.

The line of "sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things" is a response for taking God for granted. The verse calls me to remember again what God has done and to give thanks.

Thank you for your prayers for Kent. He is doing very well and went home from the hospital yesterday. Pray for Kallye today. She spent the night in the hospital and they will induce her this morning.

July 27

Psalm 95 & 96

"For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods."

After reading these two chapters of praise, I spent several moments in praise of God. When I start praising God I notice a shift in my life. Giving praise to God centers my life. It moves me my thoughts from the day ahead to this moment. Praise allows me to focus on God, instead of the concerns I have about the day. The shift that comes with praise, puts everything in the right order.

July 25

Psalm 93 & 94

"Blessed is the man you discipline, O Lord"

As a child, I never liked discipline. I always thought it was mean and cruel. I always wanted mercy instead.

As a parent, I realize how important discipline is. Discipline is never easy. Discipline is an act of love.

With God, I struggle knowing when God is disciplining me or when I just suffered the consequences of my actions. Is that how God disciplines? God discipline allows us to reap the results of our actions. Is it possible, when we have done wrong and are begging God to save us, the discipline of God is not to save us in that moment. Rather, God allows us to suffer the consequences so that we will learn the lesson.

July 24

Psalm 91 & 92

"It is good to praise the Lord"

Our family was giving praise to God yesterday as Kent came through the surgery very well. Kent had a heart value replaced, another value repaired and one bypass. Rather extensive surgery for someone in his early 50s. I give praise to God for the doctor discovering the problems and for the skill of the surgeon to repair the problems.

The Psalms are full of praise. They teach us to praise God in any and all circumstances. We are to give praise around the dramatic moments of life and the ordinary events of living. Spend a few minutes today giving praise to God.

July 23.

PSALM 89 This PsALM GOES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN PRAISING GOD AND WONDERING WHERE GOD IS. DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT WAY? MOVING IN YOUR OWN LIFE BETWEEN PRAISING GOD AND WONDERING WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? I FEEL THAT WAY THIS MORNING. My BROTHER-IN-lAW IS HAVING OPEN HEART SURGURY THIS MORNING. I PRAISE GOD HE CAN HAVE THE SURGURY BUT WISH HE DID NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS. PLEASE PRAY FOR KENT TODAY. (SORRY ABOUY THE ALL CAPS. I AM DOING THIS ON MY PHONE AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY IT IS DOING THIS )

July 22

Psalm 87 & 88

The final line in chapter 88 is "the darkness is my closest friend". The despair described in that verse is what I feel in a family I know. The life situations of the husband and wife are overwhelming to them. They see no way out. When I pray with them, I see no way out. The ony hope is that God will act in a miraculous manner.

The Psalms teach us to pray. They show us what it means to have faith, when it appears that all hope is gone. To have faith in those dark moments of life means that are prayers are open and honest with God about our life situation and how we feel. We are free to share everything with God.

July 21

- Psalm 85 & 86

"You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sin"

Forgiveness is a gift we all want, it is a gift that is difficult to extend. The heart of Christianity is built around God's willingness to forgive us. That forgiveness opens up the possibility of relationship with God. Forgiveness is a gift God asks us to receive. Forgiveness is a gift that God invites us to extend. Who do you need to forgive?

July 20 -

Psalm 83 & 84

Several lines from chapter 84 are used in contemporary praise songs:

"How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord God Almighty"
"Better is one day in your courts than a th0usand elsewhere"

I am not much of a singer, but when I read the first verse, I started singing the song in my mind. It is a song of praise. Many of the Psalms were songs of praise that were song by the people of Israel. Songs are a beautiful way to express our praise to God. They can lift our spirits to the Lord, even if we can't sing very well!

Here are the lyrics from the song

How Lovely is Your Dwelling Place
Words and Music by Matt Redmond

How lovely is Your dwelling place
O Lord Almighty
My soul longs and even faints for You
For here my heart is satisfied
Within Your presence
I sing beneath the shadow of Your wings

Better is one day in Your courts
Better is one day in Your house
Better is one day in Your courts
Than thousands elsewhere

One thing I ask and I would seek
to see Your beauty
To find You in the place Your glory dwells
My heart and flesh cry out
for You, the living God
Your spirit's water for my soul
I've tasted and I've seen
Come once again to me
I will draw near to You
I will draw near to You

July 18

Psalm 81 & 82

In chapter 82 several times the Psalmist refers to the "gods". Throughout the bible there are other "gods" that pull the attention of the people away from the Lord God. We may not have other "gods" that we have created with our hands, but we do have "gods" that pull our attention away from the Lord God. Spend a few moments today reflecting on what draws your attention away from God.

July 17

- Psalm 79 & 80

The Psalms speak repeatedly of God's anger. We don't speak much of God's anger. We talk about the love, mercy and grace of God. We like to think pleasant thoughts about God. But in today's readings, you can't ignore the issue of God's anger.

Maybe we like to ignore God's anger because in the Psalms it comes in response to human sin. We don't like to think of our action in terms of sin. We may acknowledge our mistakes, but to call them sin is something we avoid. However, you can't avoid the anger of God in today's reading. Just as we should not avoid acknowledging our sinfulness.

July 16 -

Psalm 78

This chapter is a call to remembrance of all that God has done. The Psalmist proclaims the ways God has acted on behalf of the people of Israel. He confesses how Israel rebelled against God and God grew angry. He remembers the continual faithfulness of God.

We forget what God has done. Our tendency is to be so captured by the demands or struggles of the moment that forget how God has already acted for us. I would encourage you to remember what God has done for you. The gift of salvation, how God has been with you in difficult times, the blessings of your life.

July 15 - Psalm 77

Psalm 77

The Psalmist feels abandoned by God. Verse 7 expresses this so clearly, "Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?" The Psalmist is not the only one experience this sense of abandonment. This experience is a common one among people of faith, a feeling of abandonment that we suffer in silence. We are afraid to express this experience to others. We are afraid of their opinions. We fear they would think less of us.

The consequence of our fear is that we believe we are only ones to have this experience when in fact most Christians experience this at some point in the life of faith. No one speaks of it, we only speak of those moments where we are close to God. If we were honest with one another about how we experience God, it could create opportunities for us to help one another. To provide guidance through difficult times or insight into what is happening. Thus the question for the day is how open with others are you about your relationship with God?

July 14 - Psalm 75 & 76

Psalm 75 & 76

Judgement is part of God's grace. Psalm 76 speaks of the judgement of God. Passages about God's judgement tend not to be our favorite. Yet, we need a God to hold us accountable. Without God's judgement we become the spoiled child. If there are no consequences to our actions, the grace is cheap, it has no value. As the mother who loves her child disciplines her child, so God holds us accountable for the way we live.

July 13 - Psalm 73 & 74

Psalm 73 & 74

One of the beliefs of ancient Israel is that the righteous should prosper and the evil would not. As you read chapter 34, you can see this belief. The Psalmist complains of how he has envied the arrogant. He lists his complaint about them, and that somehow life is going well for them.

There is a segment of modern Christianity that holds similar beliefs. Prosperity theology does not focus much on the evil, but holds the understanding that the righteous will have great financial reward. This theology finds pretty solid following in America. It resonates well with American culture where we spend our lives chasing money. I tried to explain to a group of Kenyan pastors how Americans worship money. They just stared at me in disbelief. They wondered why anyone would waste his/her life chasing after money. It is very hard to explain to someone who has never been to America how this happens. I think it should be very easy for me to resist but instead it is part of my daily spiritual struggle.

How about you? How caught up are in the wanting more?

July 11 - Psalm 71 & 72

Psalm 71 & 72

"Be my rock of refuge"

The Psalms reflect the difficulties of life. Whether the difficulties come from enemies or the results of the sin of the writer, the Psalms keep laying before God the problems of life. God is the refuge of the Psalmist.

Who or what is your refuge? How do you deal with the difficulties of life? In America we seem to have many ways that we attempt to find refuge. Some find it in drink or drugs, in shopping, in eating, in sports, in work, in exercise.... The Psalmist models for us finding refuge in God. The Psalmist does this in prayer and writing by laying the problems of life before God. The Psalmist lays out the problems and then expresses confidence in the action of God.

If you have never prayed this way, I encourage you to do so. God already knows what is occuring in your life, so nothing you say will surprise God. Yet there is tremendous power in being honest with God. In doing so it opens the door for God to act in life.

July 10 - Psalm 69 & 70

Psalm 69 & 70

Enemies seem to abound in the Psalms. A multitude of enemies might be the consequence of David living a life in conflict with the King (Saul) or in becoming the King himself. Or maybe enemies are part of being the most powerful person in a country. Having a mulititude of enemies sure seems to be a part of being the President of the United States. I have people who don't like me, but I don't have too many enemies. At least not enough to fill a multitude of Psalms. Do you?

I think there is a temptation for us to look at the lives of others and think how much easier they have life than we do. But everyone has problems. Problems we don't often see, like the enemies that come with having the power of a king/president. What the Psalms teach us about problems is taking them before God in prayer. The key is not trying to escape the struggle of life but laying them before God.

July 9 - Psalm 67 & 68

Psalm 67 & 68

There is much about praising God in these two Psalms. Usually when pray alone, we do so in the silence of our hearts. There is something powerful about saying praise out loud. I would encourage you today to give praise to God out loud. You may have to do this with the door to your room closed, or in the car while driving. Perhaps you can pray outloud with a friend or family member. Either way, there is something powerful not only about praising God but hearing the words of praise come from your mouth. It helps lift your soul.

July 8

Psalm 65 & 66

"let me tell you what he has done for me"

Life is about perspective. I can look at my life and give praise to God for all that God has done for me. Or I can look at my life and see all that I do not have not have. The perspective is my choice. The difficulty for we who live in America is that our culture teaches us to see only what we do not have. There is a constant lust within us for more. Scripture calls us to the opposite perspective. The perspective that looks at what we have and gives thanks. Which perspective rules your life?

July 7

Psalm 63 & 64

"God, you are my God"

How would you describe God? A few of the thoughts that come for me are omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), perfect, creator and ruler of the universe. There are many others but it is the line of "ruler of the universe" that makes me stop. If God is my God and is the ruler of all that is, that means God is my ruler. The consequence of God being my ruler is that I am to submit my life to God. I am to live my life the way God wants, not the way I want. That is great to say, it is a much more difficult to follow through. When you think about your life, do you say the words about God being your ruler and then do what you want? Or do you seek to submit your life on a daily basis to God's rule?

July 6 - Psalm 61 & 62

Psalm 61-62

"My soul finds rest in God"

Rest is not high on our priority list as Americans. Of the 10 commandments, the one that we live as if it does not apply to us, is the one about keeping the Sabbath holy. The Sabbath is about resting in the presence of God. We live is if resting is a waste of time. Time that we could and should fill with all sorts of activities.

What if God intended us to rest so that we would have time to reflect upon life? Time to relish the joy and wonder of relationships. Time to give thanks for the abundance in which we live. What if that feeling that life is racing past us comes from never stopping to rest, reflect and remember? What if God asks us to rest because it is simply a better way to live?

July 4

Psalm 59-60

I am not going to comment on the passages today, I am going to comment on July 4. Traveling outside of our country, really makes me appreciate where I live. We tend to see the shortcomings of our country, the things we don't like or how we don't like the direction the country is headed. It seems as if we Americans are constantly complaining about where we live. Then you travel outside of the United States and realize how blessed we are. The affluence of our lives, not compared to Bill Gates, but compared to 99% of the rest of the people who have ever lived. The freedom we have to live and worship as we like.

I hope that today you will spend some thing reflecting on the blessing we have to live in this time in this place.

July 3

Psalm 57 & 58

Our flight arrived from Kenya last night at 10:35. We had an amazing trip. Thanks to Jenni for blogging for me while I was gone!

On the Kenyan trip we spent the last couple of days on a safari. The great migration of wildebeests has begun. 1.5 million wildebeest migrate into the Mara in Kenya during this time. The lions wait for the feast. We were able to watch a pride of 8 lions literally tear apart a wildebeest. We were close enough you could hear the crunching of the bones. Needless to say, I have a very vivid image of 57:4 and the power of a lion.

David gives us a vivid description of the power of his enemies. But his heart is steadfast, he is not afraid, because he knows the love and faithfulness is greater than any enemy.

Psalm 55 & 56

I will be leaving early in the morning tomorrow to go to Florida, so I am posting July 2nd tonight.

Have you ever been betrayed by a good friend? Someone you thought shared the same morals and beliefs as you? I have, and it hurts. Psalm 55 is speaking of just that-betrayal and the feeling it brings. He wants to escape and get away from all of these negative feelings. He is calling on God for help, to bring peace and reassurance. Is God who we run to when we are feeling betrayed? Do we trust Him or ourselves, and take matters into our own hands? We have to believe that God will punish those who go against His ways and are cruel to His followers.

Psalm 56 was written by David after being captured by the Philistines. It is amazing to see the faith that David keeps, even though he has been taken prisoner. He calls on God to get him out, to not only rescue him, but to destroy those that put him there. He continues to trust God even though he is scared. It would be easy for David to blame God after being taken prisoner, but he doesn't.

Jenni

Psalm 53 & 54

Psalm 53 tells us that God is always there, even if we think that He's not. It may seem that people are "getting away" with not believing in and relying upon God, but they will not. We must pray to God and act in His ways to let Him know we honor and love Him.

In Psalm 54, the psalmist is asking God to help him in his time of need. He has been persecuted by a non-believing enemy, and he is turning to God rather than handling the situation on his own. He trusts that God will protect him and offer vengeance to his enemy. In tough times, we, too, must turn to God. This seems to be a recurring theme among many of the passages. Perhaps with so many occurrences, it would be worth it to try-handing our troubles and battles over to God.

Jenni