Category: Psalms

Praise Our God

Leviticus 6-7 

Psalm 9              

Matthew 22

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Psalms 9:1-2 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you.
I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.

Praises should flow from our hearts all our lives because of the great God and Father that we have.  Yahweh is His name and it means our God who is in a relationship with us. 

One of the things that has taken me a long time to understand and also to help me let the Word interpret itself to us is the question of agency.  God is the ultimate power and creator of all the universe, but He delegates His power and authority to those that He chooses to give it to.  All created beings are given freedom of will to obey God, and are given various levels of authority to exercise on His behalf.

For example, God is the author of our salvation, but Jesus is the agent of our salvation.  God has decided to give us His grace, but it comes to us through His agent Jesus Christ.

Titus 3:4-7 (NLT) But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

God decided to save us, but the way that He does it is through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.   God also has judged His Son worthy of authority to judge the whole world in the future.  Only Jesus Christ has the qualifications to do the judging and giving of rewards to all the world’s present, past and future populations.  We see the results of this agency here in Psalm 9.

Psalms 9:7-8 But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.

Yahweh executes judgement from His throne, but the agency for that judgement will come from His Son.  God has ultimate authority over all the creation but gives Jesus the rulership over the nations.

Acts 17:30-31(NLT) God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”

Revelation 19:15-16(NKJV) Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

As we read Psalm 9 there is so much that we could unpack from it.  It has declarations of praise, and proclamations of confidence in God’s care and instruction, and declarations of what the ultimate kingdom of God will be.

Psalms 9:7-10(NLT) But the LORD reigns forever,
executing judgment from his throne.
8 He will judge the world with justice
and rule the nations with fairness.
9 The LORD is a shelter for the oppressed,
a refuge in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, O LORD, do not abandon those who search for you.

The other thing that we should contemplate today is what authority and power has God delegated to you?

Ephesians 1:19-20(NLT) I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 3:20-21(NLT) Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.

2 Timothy 1:7(NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Thanks be to our God for His great love and grace that we have received and that we need to accept and exercise our position and power that God has given us in Christ.

Psalms 9:15-18(NLT) The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others.
Their own feet have been caught in the trap they set.
16 The LORD is known for his justice.
The wicked are trapped by their own deeds.
17 The wicked will go down to the grave.
This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.
18 But the needy will not be ignored forever;
the hopes of the poor will not always be crushed.

Reflection:

How does God ultimately judge the world and the nations?

Who is His agent of judgment?

Prayer: 

Our God and Father, creator and ruler of all the cosmos, we lift our hearts in praise to you today.  Thank you for the wonderful gift of Your Son who is the agent of our salvation and future.  We look to You Father for the power to do Your good in this life.  Thank you for the Christ in us which gives us this power.  In Jesus wonderful name we pray.

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My Shield is with God

Exodus 37-38

Psalm 7

Matthew 21

Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
    O righteous God!
10 My shield is with God,
    who saves the upright in heart. Psalm 7:9-10 ESV

Devotion by Jennifer Hall (IN)

David was known as a man after God’s own heart. David was also called by God into a position of leadership and service, in turn ending up with enemies, persecuted, misunderstood, and alone at times. If anyone knew enemies, David did. If anyone trusted God to deal with his enemies, David did. Sparing Saul’s life when Saul was trying to kill him, restraining retaliation even when provoked at times, and seeking God’s guidance in his actions and responses were all ways David demonstrated that trust.

When I read Psalm 7, I read it from my paradigm thousands of years after David wrote these words. Yet, I notice how much these words still ring loud and clear today. Sometimes it is hard to read about atrocities and not invest more energy devising how to destroy or define enemies than it is to invest in turning to God as our shield and righteous judge. There are undoubtedly huge atrocities going on around us globally, nationally, and locally. There are also hurts, mistakes, and sins going on in our families, churches, and personal relationships. We hear of the bad stuff and bad guys all day every day, because this is what the media and water coolers feed us, and perhaps what we keep ordering. David certainly was not immune to cruelty and unfairness, but Psalm 7 indicates he knew well that God was a righteous judge, that He tests the minds and hearts, and that He is worthy of our reliance and gratitude.

In a world of enemies, deception, artificial intelligence schemes, social media agendas, toxins, and distractions pulling us away from God, we have the choice to be of the world or of the kingdom. We can be a pot-stirrer and well-poisoner, or we can trust that those who dig a pit will eventually fall (verse 15), that God’s shield is for those who repent (verses 3 and 12),  that God knows intents of the hearts and minds that we may not (verse 9), and that He is a righteous judge.  While the world rages on with its deceptions, brutalities, and evil agendas until the return of Jesus and the establishment of his kingdom on earth, as Christians we can look and sound different, setting our attentions higher, and echoing Psalm 7:17, 

“I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.”

Reflection Questions:

How do David’s words speak to you today?

What can you thank the LORD for as righteous judge and loving father today?

Knowing God is our shield, even against wicked enemies, what can we turn over to Him today?

Prayer:

Our Dear Heavenly Father and Shield, I praise You for Your goodness and love, and also for your righteous judgments. You know all, You see all, You discern all. You are truth and light and You are the victor. When You look into my mind and my heart, God, I want to be pleasing to You. I confess the times my own words, thoughts, attitudes and actions have been less than righteous in Your sight. Please forgive me, too, for the times I have been more focused on the evil or the enemy around me instead of on You. Help me to trust You more and more, knowing I can work and rest secure behind Your shield when I am doing what You want me to do. I pray for Your wisdom and discernment to know what is truly my enemy and Yours, and what is not. Thank you for the gift of Your Son that You gave to a wicked world to show us the way to You. Help me follow him well so I will be ready when he returns to set up Your perfect Kingdom.

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Wet Couches

Exodus 33-34

Psalm 6

Matthew 20

Devotion by Jennifer Hall (IN)

In terms of emotions, today’s readings take us from one extreme to the other. In Exodus we see hope of a promised land, covenants renewed, broken things repaired, and the brightness of God’s glory radiating. I can almost feel the summer on my skin reading these chapters, and I hear the message of God’s mercy and hope.  In Matthew, we read of the coming kingdom available for everyone (regardless of when in life one joined the kingdom work!), we see miraculous healing, humility, and service to others.  And then there is Psalm 6.

I distinctly remember as a child on the way to church noticing a few verses of Psalm 6 while I was looking at my Bible in the back seat of the our family’s monstrous (and memorable!) Oldsmobile. I also remember that my seat was duct taped at the corner for practical reasons that only duct tape can fix, and because of this, sometimes tape got stuck to my tights on the way to church. Tights. Ick.  The thing that surprised me as a kid still catches me by surprise as an adult. David drenched his couch with crying! I’m not surprised David cried. Who doesn’t? I was actually more surprised he had a couch! But, it is clear reading Psalm 6, men-after-God’s-own-heart also sometimes feel troubled, anguished, full of grief, guilty, broken, sick, wasted, and all the rest.  Having a relationship with God does not mean we are protected from heartache and distress. But, it does mean that no matter where we are, who we are, what we’ve done, or what has happened to us, we have someone hearing our tears who sees the big picture, who knows His eternal tomorrow, and who is merciful and constant.

Psalm 6 is the first of what are considered the “psalms of penitence”, and we see David starting this psalm with reference to rebuke and discipline indicating he knew that some of his pain and sufferings were connected to sin. Guilt is a powerful emotion and many of our other emotional challenges can build upon it when we haven’t released it to God. David is a stellar example in so many ways, and I am grateful that one of those ways is demonstrating what to do after making mistakes. Big mistakes. I love that we know more of David’s thoughts and not just his historical story. The psalms are very relatable because of their expression of emotion, and there are reasons that words from them are swarming in worship songs, requested at funerals, hospital rooms, and times of emotional need. 

At work, I get to talk about emotions a lot with my patients. “Spot the Emotion” is a cute little guy I like for all ages, and he hangs out in various ways in our clinic in books, art work, worksheets, and my most recent favorite is a stuffed Spot!  “Emotional regulation” has become one of the most highly requested goals of parents who bring kids to see us in OT, and the pediatric world is buzzing with the reality that we are in  a “mental health crisis” in this country, youth for sure. The idea of emotional regulation is a bit of a buzzword and means different things to different people, but what stood out to me in this psalm is that David, through God, had emotional regulation skills. It doesn’t mean he was cool, calm, and collected all the time. He had meltdowns. It is okay and normal to have feelings that are troubled in this world.  But, in those moments David believed God was there. I loved that in verse eight he tells us that the LORD has heard the sound of his weeping. In verse nine he confidently tells us that he believes his crying was heard, his prayers were accepted, and the LORD was there.  Before we sob it out, while we are drenching the couch, and after we have taken a deep breath and are starting to get up again, the LORD is with us.  We are never alone. We are always understood by Him. And if there is one emotional regulation tool I would give to any person in this world, it would be what David had. A relationship with the one true God, a knowledge of His words, and the forgiveness and healing that brings.  If I could give a second thing to everyone in this world,  it would be a support system of those who love and know God. It is okay to ask for help, and it is okay to be a helper who asks for help.

There is a day coming where the need for emotional regulation tools will be as absent as  the sun. A day with no tears, no pain, no sin. Until then, the LORD hears us, knows us, and wants us to cry to Him, laugh with Him, and talk to Him.  

Reflection Questions:

How do you feel about being able to cry to God anywhere or anytime about anything?

How did you relate to David’s psalm?

As we wait for the kingdom to come, we need each other. Who can help hold you up in Godly wisdom as you deal with big emotions? Who in your life might need some encouragement and help right now?

Prayer:

Dear One True God – Thank you for being near, hearing prayers, and seeing tears. Thank you for David’s example and heart. Help me to seek You and find You, even in the midst of my toughest days, and also never forget You on the easier days when my couch is dry.

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Set Apart

Exodus 25-26

Psalm 4

Matthew 18

Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

Ps 4: 3a “But know that Yahweh has set apart the holy one for Himself;…” (LSB)

In Hebrew, the word for “holy” is “qodesh”.  Like many of the words that we translate over into English, the original word in Hebrew has a number of meanings and we try to summarize it nicely to the word that most closely matches in our language, but in doing so we also sometimes lose a lot of the “flavor” that the original word encompasses.  We translate “qodesh” as “holy”, but it  also means “seperated”, “set aside”, and “set apart”.  When we read the above verse with that in mind, you can also read it as “Yahweh has set apart the set apart one for Himself” entirely accurately.  It’s a clever word play.

But what does that mean?  It’s simple, look around you at our society.  We live in a world that is rife with sin, carnal images, narcissistic encouragements, pride, immorality, etc.  It’s everywhere.  We are a people that has largely forgotten about our God, it’s painfully apparent in almost every aspect of our society.  God wants us to set ourselves apart from all of this, to remember and honor Him, and to obey His will.  In return, He promises that He will set apart for Himself those who set themselves apart.  But how are we to do that?

Ps 4:4-5 “Tremble, and do not sin.  Ponder in your heart upon your bed, and be still.  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in Yahweh.” (LSB)

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom (Pr 9:10).  Fear, and do not sin.  Think about God as you’re laying in your bed, and be still.  Another translation of “be still” is “quit kicking”, which I’m personally a fan of.  This is all about attitude and understanding your place.  Acknowledge God as not only your creator, but the creator and master of ALL THINGS, He’s in charge and you’re not.  A roommate of mine in college had a fantastic poster that read “2 Foundation Facts for Human Englightment: 1 There is a God, 2 You are not Him.”.  

Are you living a righteous life? That is the sacrifice that God requires, not the cattle on a thousand hills, not a specific percentage of your income, not writing the big checks you see on TV that take 2 people to even hold up, but righteousness.  It’s a sacrifice, you put aside some of the things you think you’d like to do to set yourself apart and obey God.  

Do you trust God?  Our society has taught us to trust in ourselves, to trust in the system, to trust authorities, and to trust in our abilities but has largely obscured this critical aspect of trusting in our creator.  There are a thousand and one things to distract us, to divert us, to capture our attention and take it away from this critical foundational concept of trusting the God that made us.  I will put forth for your consideration that anything you trust in more than God has become an idol to you.  Anything that you delight in more than God can become an idol to you, and cause you to focus on things aside from our heavenly Father.

God specifically and repeatedly tells us not to have idols, not to focus on things that are worthless, and remember Him.  We look back in history at some of the false gods that the Israelites worshipped and just shake our heads.  Then we go back to watching TV, getting on social media, watching movies, trying to get ahead at work, playing video games, reading books, getting a better car/house/mate…anything that diverts and distracts us from what our real job should be; setting ourselves apart and offering up to God the sacrifice of our righteousness and trust.  If any of those things is taking more of your focus than you are giving to God, it has become an idol to you.  I will tell you a painful reality: if you swim for too long in the sewer, you’re going to smell like poop.   Everything that takes your attention away from God is the sewer.

I do trust God, because do you remember the story of the prodigal son?  That was me.  My Father came running down the road to greet me when I started coming back to Him.  I am ashamed that I ever turned aside, and humbled that despite my vast unworthiness, my God came running to me the moment I started back towards Him.  I promise, if you have veered off the path, return to God.  He will come running to meet you. 

In our Matt 18 reading today, in 18:12-14 is the parable of that lost sheep.  That was me, too.  God came looking for me when I was lost, and found me.  Notably, He found me when I pointed my head back in His direction because I heard Him calling; if I would have kept wandering away, who knows what would have happened?  In Luke 15:7 it says that when that lost sheep is found, there is rejoicing in heaven.  I get a little choked up just thinking about it, God cares so much about me, about you, about all of us, that He is actively seeking us to find ways to bring us home.  There is rejoicing in heaven when we start heading back towards God.  This should melt your heart, when you realize the depth of love and compassion that our creator has towards us.

So what about you?  Are you trusting in the God that loves you and offering up the sacrifice of righteousness to Him?  Have the idols of this present evil age distracted you?  Are you playing on the field, and not spectating from the seats in the game of life?  Here are a few practical daily tips to help you focus on and trust God.

  1. Pray.  Not just at meals, but when you wake up, when you shower, before you go to bed, while you’re driving.  Let your heart be melted by the love God has shown to you, and reciprocate it back towards God.
  2. READ SCRIPTURE!  Daily.
  3. Fast occasionally.  It doesn’t even have to be food, take a break from some of the things that distract you from God and spend that time seeking God instead.  Man does not live by bread alone, but he also doesn’t live by TV, social media, or anything else that isn’t something that comes out of God’s mouth.
  4. Love others.  God doesn’t just want us to love Him, He says that one of the ways that we can show Him that love is to love the rest of His creation.  This includes jerks, hostile enemies, addicts, ugly people, people with different cultures and colors, that person who uses weird pronouns, that guy who took your parking spot, the lady who was gossiping about you at work…every other living being is a creation of God, and by loving them (whether we agree with them or not), we honor God.  
  5. Do you want to find Jesus?  He’s probably in the parking lot at Walmart, and he’s probably hungry.  Go buy him a sandwich. (Matt 25:40).  Or maybe he’s lonely, in a nursing home, and wants a visit. Or maybe he’s doing time in prison and needs to talk.  Or maybe, he’s a lonely widow who can’t mow their own lawn because they’re feeble.  Maybe he just needs a ride.  Go find him.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. What are your idols?
  2. How can you do better at “setting yourself apart”?
  3. What is your biggest obstacle to living a righteous life?  How can you change that?
  4. Do you trust God more than yourself?  Why, or why not?

PRAYER:

Father God, you have been faithful and kind to me throughout my entire life.  Thank you.  Please help me to focus on you, to remove the things that distract my focus, and to live a life that pleases you.  Help me to be a servant who pleases his master.  Lord, look deep in my heart and show me my flaws, and help me to remove them so that I can love you fully.  Thank you for sending us your son.  Please forgive me of my flaws, and lead me to You, in Jesus name, amen.

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God’s Mighty and Miraculous Hand

Exodus 21-22

Psalm 3

Matthew 17

Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            I want you to know that my parents are amazing, wonderful, spirit-filled, and God-led people, who have strove their entire lives to live in a manner pleasing to God, and to instill in me that same holiness and humility.  That being said, I want you to know that I was a truly terrible person, rebellious and narcissistic, and largely ignoring everything they said until God grabbed me and my attention.  Today as a devotion, I am going to give you just a small portion of my personal testimony.  This will be the “highly edited” version and summarization, but please know that I was a truly terrible person, despite my awesome parents, and my awesome God.  As a spoiler alert, know also that God saved me with a mighty and miraculous hand.

Psalms 3:1-2 (LSB): “O Yahweh, how my adversaries have become many!  Many are rising up against me.  Many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.””

            When I was between the ages of 18-25 I was basically a career criminal, and that is far more a reflection of my own stupidity than my parents efforts.  I found that the easy way was…well…easier, so I took it.  Then I kept on taking it.  I was doing lots of drugs, and drinking too much, and doing things I shouldn’t.  Mom and Dad could see that I was drifting away and prayed for me constantly, which is likely why I am alive.  I became involved with bad people, doing bad things, for bad reasons.  Then as I moved deeper into those circles, I became privvy to  information that I shouldn’t have, and as a result I found myself in mortal peril.  Those people I’d thought of as my friends began to seek my life.  Things got dark and ugly.  People that I knew and loved died.  It was a hot mess, and in a moment of desperation I called Mom and Dad.

Psalms 3: 3-4 (LSB): “But You, O Yahweh, are a shield about me.  My glory, and the One who lifts my head.  I was calling to Yahweh with my voice, and He answered me from his holy mountain.”

            Miraculously quickly, my parents sent me a plane ticket in another young man’s name, who had just cancelled a trip but not the ticket yet.  This was before 9/11 so you could get away with those types of shenanigans.  I escaped and moved in with them in Atlanta, where dad was teaching at the Atlanta Bible College.  I was expecting to die at any moment, and so I threw myself wholeheartedly into scripture, looking for God to save me, which He did.  I was the only kid in history, to my knowledge, to go to the Atlanta Bible College with a mohawk (but nicely done up in a pony tail, usually).  I met some great people there, TRUE friends, who loved God and lived in a manner that was pleasing to Him.  I immediately stopped doing all of the bad things I’d been doing, and started to study up on scriptures.  I was really trying to seek God.

            When you’ve lived immersed in a sewer for a long time, though, it’s hard to keep yourself from stinking.  When I took up a professional (legitimate) career, I started to get puffed up with myself, and some of the bad habits I’d had started to look appealing to me again.  Does this sound familiar, from the stories in Exodus?  Even though I’d been miraculously saved, from overwhelming odds and contrary to all worldly sense, I soon began to do some of the things that I had before: namely drinking and smoking various things in my case.  The issue was not what I was doing, necessarily, but that in my heart I had determined that I could decide, not God but me.  I began to be what I call a CINO, a Christian in Name Only.  I was living for myself, seeking advantage for myself, taking care of myself…but I’d still check all the boxes to be considered a “Christian”.

            I’d still go to church (check), still pray before meals (check), sing when I was at church (check), and had a bible at the house (check)…but I forgot in my heart about the God who had saved me miraculously and without my deserving to be saved, and started trying to make my own decisions again, instead of listening to God.

Psalms 3:5 (LSB): “Then I lay down and slept: I awoke, for Yahweh sustains me.” 

            Then, on Feb 14, 2022, I died.  I’m not saying this metaphorically, I am saying I died, for a bit over 5 minutes.  Specifically, I had a widowmaker heart attack with a 100% blockage (“Wot? I got better!”-Monty Python). In retrospect, this was God tapping me on the shoulder to remind me.  Any sane person would have recognized it for what it was, but me?  Nope: I got up, kept checking the boxes, and kept on being stupid.

Psalms 3:8 (LSB): “Salvation belongs to Yahweh…“

            About a year later, my dad went blind.  Now, I knew I wasn’t a good guy…but my dad, my dad was a righteous man, who had tried his entire life to live in a manner pleasing to God, with better succcess in this endeavor than most men.  Not perfect, by any means, but he REALLY TRIED.  It affected me in a way that my own death did not.  I got on my hands and knees and started praying and fasting, asking God to heal dad.  About 3 days into a hard fast, I realized through scripture that God would not listen to the prayers of an unrighteous man, so I began to systematically get rid of everything in my life that led to unrighteousness.  I burned the things keeping me from God in a fire, and said I was sorry.  Then I kept fasting, and praying.  I talked to God a lot.  A while later, He started talking back.

            So now it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve fully submitted myself to God’s will.  I’m almost 58 now, but some fools are just slow learners.  There have been hills and valleys in my walk, but God has taken me by the hand and leads me.  Why?  I don’t know, I absolutely don’t deserve it, probably because my parents never stopped praying for me.  I have seen miracles.  God has spoken to me.  Crazy things have happened, too many to detail to you without you thinking I was absolutely insane.  So many miracles that I started keeping a journal.  I’m not talking about “oh, it was a miracle that I got that job” miracles, I’m talking about “oh look, the Red Sea just parted so we could go through” miracles. 

Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you search with your whole heart.”  Let me just tell you this with absolute sincerity and conviction: God absolutely exists and He still intercedes miraculously for those who seek Him with their whole heart.  This is not a knowledge attained from books, this is an experiential knowledge that I am sharing with you, with 100% conviction.  My dad is still blind, but God is opening up other things for him (and me) that we wouldn’t have suspected or expected.  I live in a state of awe and wonder.  I am humbled and amazed that God would seek me out, of all the terrible sheep who have gone astray…but He did.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. Have you ever made a conscious decision to do something different than you knew God wanted you to do?  If so, why, and how did that work out?
  2. Has God ever saved you?  Was it miraculously?  Are you sure?
  3. Have you ever tried completely submitting yourself to God, to praying and fasting intently, to speaking to Him almost every moment in awe and worship and love?  If you did, did you witness miracles too?  If you haven’t tried yet, why not?

PRAYER:

Lord God, Father, I have failed you more times than I can count, but you have been kind and faithful to me despite my foolishness.  Please God, forgive me!  Help me to be the servant who pleases you.  Teach me your ways, and circumcise my heart.  Whisper to me the way in which I should go, and lead me by the hand.  May the lips of all your creation offer you the praise you deserve, thank you God!  In Jesus name, Amen.

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The Anointed One: The Son of Man

Exodus 17-18

Psalm 2

Matthew 16

Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

In our Exodus reading this morning, we see once again that after a string of miracles and rescues, the Israelites are grumbling; to the point that Moses tells God he’s worried about them stoning him (17:4).  God miraculously provides yet again for their provision, and then miraculously provides for their safety and security (17:11-13).  Then, some of the in-laws decide to stop by for a visit (18).

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro comes to visit and sees an overwhelmed Moses, struggling from sunup to sundown daily taking care of the (very demanding) people he was leading.  Keep in mind, this was not a small group, this was likely millions of people (Ex 12:37-38 “600,000 men, not counting the little ones (or women), and a foreign multitude also”) all clamoring for his attention at once.  Can you even imagine the chaos? Jethro gives Moses some VERY good advice (18: 17-23) that applies to us today as well: organize and prioritize if you want to get results, delegate if you have to.  I think we too many times take on more than we can reasonably accomplish, and don’t have a good plan to do it, and just end up getting frustrated and upset.  Many times we just give up because we feel overwhelmed.  But couldn’t we take Jethro’s advice, and plan better?  If we organize ourselves, and approach our problems systematically, they become less overwhelming.  This applies to every aspect of our lives: work, social, spiritual.  We could actually have written the entire devotional on just this bit alone, but there are some other VERY important scriptures in today’s reading.

Moving on to our second portion of scripture today (Ps 2), we see some absolutely critical theological points that need to be highlighted (in your bible) and remembered .  Do you remember what “Christ” or “Messiah” means?  It ‘s a title, and means (literally) “The Anointed”.  It represented a man who was chosen and anointed by God (usually through his agent, or “shaliah”…see Jan 27 devotional) to be his king, it’s all throughout the Old Testament, check and see.  The  Hebrew “Messiah” (or “Christos” in greek) means simply “the anointed one” and the term came to be one of prophetic expectation waiting for God to send his king to rule the earth (See 2nd Samuel 7 for the details of the prophecy, we’ll get deeper into that one in a later devotional).    The New Testament continuously states that Jesus of Nazareth was this man anointed by God to be His king on earth by reiterating it over and over when describing him as “Jesus Christ”.  That’s not his last name ya’ll, that’s a title (I’m Southern, I’m allowed to say “ya’ll”, it’s culturally appropriate).  Most of the gospels directly state that the purpose for their writing was to show that Jesus was that Messiah, and that he had come, in their thesis statements.

In Psalm 2:2 it says “The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh and against his Anointed, saying…” (LSB Translation).  We see clearly here that there are 2 individuals that the kings and rulers are taking a stand against.  This does not match up with what some mainstream orthodoxy teachings relate, but this is stated explicitly and repeatedly in scripture and we know from Jesus that “scripture cannot be broken”.  This is one of the many reasons why it is so absolutely critical to study for yourself, and not rely on people to tell you what you should believe.  Men are just human, and can fail, but scripture cannot be broken(John 10:35), so read it for yourself (and show your work).  Be a good Berean, and test everything that you hear against the scriptures.  Our God is a God of truth and not deception, so if something you are hearing from men confuses you, study scriptures!  If you can read Deut 6:4 and Mark 12:29-34 and not be fiercely monotheistic, like the ancient Jews, then you have learned mental gymnastics worthy of an olympic level athlete…but why change it?  Man was made simple, his complex problems are of his own devising (Ecc 7:29).

Ps 2: 11-12 states “Serve Yahweh with fear and rejoice with trembling.  Kiss the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way…”(LSB), another clear delineation between our creator and our king.  It is terrible and sad that we have confused this simple message through the centuries, whenever possible I suggest we should with love, patience, and respect suggest the simpler reading to our brothers and sisters who have reached a different, more “complex”, understanding.  In instances that opportunities present themselves for you to do this, may I humbly suggest that “love” is far more important for you to convey than truth.  The truth will come in time, if presented deeply with love, according to God’s will.

To wrap this up in a nice tidy bow, we can then turn over to Matt 16, where one of the clearest statements of Jesus identity is made by his guy, Peter.  First let me pose you this question, what is a son of man?  I would respectfully answer this with the very common sensical answer of “a man”. What if you capitalized that, and said a Son of Man?  Well, I’d have to say, still a man: although this does have prophetic overtones (See Daniel 7, and note again the clear delineation between God and his anointed).  Did you know that in addition to God using his name (YHVH) almost 7000 times in the Old Testament, Jesus is referred to as the “son of man” (add capitilization however you like, the NT translators did…)  81 times, and 80 of those times were by Jesus himself in the gospels.  A “son of man” was how Jesus self-identified.  It’s pretty important to remember that.

In a conversation about identity, Jesus asks Peter who people were saying that he was (Matt 16: 13-14). To further clarify who he was, Jesus asked Peter “but who do you say that I am?”.  Peter replies, “You are the Christ, the son of the Living God.”  Remember that Christ and Messiah mean the same thing, anointed one.  I would like to point out the obvious at this point and say that God has no need to anoint himself.  By his statement Peter is clearly stating “You are the one that was anointed by God, and the son of the Living God”.  This is in a direct fulfillment of the prophecy in 2 Sam: 7 wherein the Messiah MUST BE: 1-the son of David (a human descendant of King David), 2-the son of God, 3-the king who will rule forever.  Note Jesus response to this answer in v17: “Blessed are you Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven” (LSB).  If Peter was mistaken about Jesus’ identity as the Christ, this would have been an excellent opportunity for Jesus to correct him don’t you think?  Just some things to think about, may God bless you as you study his word.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

  1. What can you change in your approach, like Jethro suggested to Moses, to more effectively govern your own life? Your own work? Your own spirituality?
  2. When Jesus says that scripture cannot be broken, he is referring to the scripture they had at the time, the Old Testament.  How often do you take time to “stand by the ancient ways” and read the Old Testament deeply? Why?
  3. Do you check everything the pastor tells you from the pulpit against scripture?  Why, or why not?  Now think of the same question, but instead of your pastor insert “anyone”, and instead of the pulpit insert “youtube”, “social media”, or “friends”.  Is your answer different?  Why, or why not?
  4. Who do you say that Jesus is?  Is it different than Peter, and if so, why?

PRAYER:

Lord God Most High, please open my eyes so that I can see clearly.  Please open my ears so that I can hear clearly.  Circumcise my heart, so that I can walk humbly before you.  Thank you for sending your son with your words to teach and redeem us all, please help us to listen and to obey.   Forgive us our pride, and grant us humility and understanding.  Thank you, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Wisdom of God’s Word

Exodus 13-14

Psalm 1

Matthew 15

Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

Our reading today includes so much powerful material and wisdom.  The reading from the Psalms is from Psalm 1 and tells us how to live and worship our God in 6 easy verses.  Just do these things and your life is on path and blessed by God.  How is it that God distills such great truth so many times into passages that give us such pure direction in a short section. This should be a familiar section of scripture to many and be a comfort and help in our lives. I have it here quoted in the KJV because of the familiarity of the section wording, and also that it does a good job of showing us the poetic nature of the Psalm.

Psalms 1(KKJV) Blessed is the man
that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners,
nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,
that bringeth forth his fruit in his season;
his leaf also shall not wither;
and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so:
but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous:
but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Old Testament was memorized by the Hebrews and many of them knew the whole of the scrolls by heart. The poetic nature of the original writing helped them to remember the passages. Some of the easiest passages to memorize are those that are poetic in their structure for us in English. The Psalms were also written to be sung which is an even more powerful way that helps us remember scripture. Think about small songs that you may have sung as a child.  For me many taught me were verses from the Bible and etched those verses in my memory.

How about you?  What puts the words of the Word into your memory?

Do you meditate on the Word of God every day? 

What is a good way to bring it to mind for you?

When we read the section of Matthew 15 this morning Jesus cuts right to the chase with the people there and then puts us on the right track of understanding and action.  The argument he has with scribes and Pharisees is over the disciples hand washing rituals before a meal. It wasn’t for sanitary purposes that these rules were developed but were regulations made up to control people’s lives by ritual.

Matthew 15:1-9(NLT) Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

8 ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

This passage is from Isaiah 29 and Jesus knowing the scriptures draws on a section where God judges the standard for our actions and faith. 

Isaiah 29:13(NKJV) Therefore the Lord said:
“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths
And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me,
And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,

Then God tells us in this section of Ezekial another prophecy about Jesus:

Ezekiel 33:30-33(NKJV) As for you, son of man, the children of your people are talking about you beside the walls and in the doors of the houses; and they speak to one another, everyone saying to his brother, ‘Please come and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ 31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. 33 And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

I am aways astounded by God’s anticipation of all that Jesus does in his life here on earth and in his ministry.  These words of God’s true wisdom that Jesus speaks are ignored then and ignored today by all that don’t believe his words.  When we hear God’s Word with our ears but don’t hear with our hearts then we are far from the God that made us and created His life in us. 

Isaiah 29:15-16(NLT) What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the LORD,
who do their evil deeds in the dark!
“The LORD can’t see us,” they say.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on!”
16 How foolish can you be?
He is the Potter, and he is certainly greater than you, the clay!
Should the created thing say of the one who made it,
“He didn’t make me”?
Does a jar ever say,
“The potter who made me is stupid”?

How can we change our hearts and actions today?

What will put this Word into our hearts and minds?

Our lives are determined by what we truly believe in our hearts and not by what we do and Jesus shows us this again in Matthew 15. 

Matthew 15:15-20(NLT)Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”
16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

See questions in bold above

PRAYER: 

Father, please open our hearts to hear your Words and believe them.  Give strength to us to do the actions You ask us to do.  Give us works of righteousness to do to show others your greatness and deliverance.  Let us not be defiled by our unrighteous thoughts but changed to become like Your Son in every way.  In Jesus name we pray this day.

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When You Feel Forgotten

Jeremiah 38-40
Psalm 74, 79

In Psalm 74 and 79, the psalmists lament the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. In both of these psalms the writer is experiencing grief and devastation. As a reaction to this grief God’s people felt forgotten and left behind.

“We are given no signs from God;

    no prophets are left,

    and none of us knows how long this will be.”

Psalm 74:9

We have all gone through something hard and felt separated from God. Like the psalmists, maybe you have felt silence, confusion, or neglect from God during a difficult time. Thankfully, these Psalms also give us practical ways to deal with hurt and feeling separated from God. The first thing to do is to give your grief and anger to God, like in Psalm 79:4-5,

“We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
    of scorn and derision to those around us.

How long, Lord? Will you be angry forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?”

Sometimes it can be uncomfortable telling God that we feel angry even though He of course already knows how we feel. This is the first step in moving towards reconciliation with God, but the steps that follow are just as important. Remember God’s covenant and all that He has done, like in Psalm 74:13,

“It was You who split open the sea by Your power;

    You broke the heads of the monster in the waters.”

We also know that when we help others God helps us, as mentioned in Psalm 41:1,

“Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;

    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.”

We should continue to lean on God through our problems and praise Him, even in hardship.

“Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times

    the contempt they have hurled at You, Lord.

Then we your people, the sheep of Your pasture,

    will praise You forever;

from generation to generation

    we will proclaim Your praise.”

Psalm 79:12-13.

-Brooke Cisneros

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever felt forgotten by God? Do you think you have ever experienced God’s anger? (Remember why Jerusalem was experiencing God’s anger.)
  2. What is the benefit of telling God of your anger? What is the benefit of praising God even in hardship?
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Restore Us, O God

2 Kings 18:9-19:37
Psalm 46, 80

Have you ever noticed that when you’re in familiar surroundings, you don’t require all of your senses to function? For example, if you wake up in the middle of the night, can you make your way into the bathroom without turning on a light? Or have you ever found yourself “watching” something on the television while simultaneously scrolling on your phone. You look up to watch the television when you hear the music swell because you know something important is about to happen? 

But in unfamiliar environments, you require most of your senses, even if it doesn’t make sense? Am I the only one who turns down the volume of the radio while I’m driving when I am looking for a specific street sign? It’s like the brainpower used to listen to music needs to be redirected towards my sense of sight. Or when I am about to enjoy the first taste of something delicious, I don’t want any distractions; all I want is to savor the flavors in my mouth. Don’t talk to me, don’t have me look or study something, just let me appreciate what’s happening with my tastebuds. 

In today’s Psalm, the author is appealing to God in a time of national territorial struggle. Outside enemy forces are making their presence known and the nation of Israel is seeking God’s protection and restoration.

Three of the nineteen verses are identical. Verses three, seven, and nineteen all say, “Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” Let’s break this repeated appeal down.

Restore us, O God – make us right, heal us, put us back to where we were. Because of the disobedience of the people, their relationship with God has been broken or gotten off track. The petition to God for restoration acknowledges this. 

Make your face shine upon us – this phrase calls back to the Priestly blessing that is recorded in Numbers 6:24-26. When God’s face is shining upon His people, His blessings, His approval, His favor makes life more peaceful. But this can only be experienced when we are in right standing with God. When we are not in right standing with God, it’s like His face is hidden from us. It’s like the lights in the room are on, but we still cannot see; the volume on the television is turned up high, but we still cannot hear; we can add all the seasoning to food, but we still cannot taste it. We walk through our daily lives like it’s unfamiliar territory. We’re seeking for something to make sense and may even turn to external (and ungodly) sources for relief. But nothing can substitute the experience of God’s face shining upon those He loves and who are in right standing with Him.

That we may be saved – When God’s people have been restored and are in right standing with Him, and His favor is among the people, salvation from threats of the enemy is at hand.

The next time you find yourself in an especially challenging trial, mimic King Hezekiah who literally laid his problem out before God and made his appeal that God take action against the enemy. Ask God if there is anything that needs restoration in your life. Request God to make His face shine upon you. And then believe with all of your heart that God will act on your behalf. The course of action that God may take may not make sense and His timing could be very different than what you would like, but know that God sees those who love him and are committed to remain in right standing with Him. And even in the midst of the hard times, you can find peace to enjoy with all your senses the life God has planned out for you.

Reflection Questions

Describe a time when you felt God’s favor, peace, or presence in a tangible way. What was happening in your heart and life during that season?

What distractions – mental, emotional, digital, or physical – are keeping me from noticing or experiencing God’s presence fully?

How might I align myself with God today so that I am in ‘right standing’ with Him?

-Bethany Ligon

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Helping Those in Need

Obadiah
Psalm 82-83

Many of the Psalms point to our hearts and minds bringing praise, glory, and honor to God.  Some also provide instruction for living, as we find in Psalm 82.  Psalm 82:3-4 says, “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.  Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”

Providing help and justice for those in need is a theme we find throughout the Bible.  The Mosaic law supports this (Deuteronomy 10, 15, 22), the prophets support this (Isaiah 58), the gospels support this (Matthew 25, Luke 10), and the New Testament letters support this (James 1, I John 3).  As we see this theme come up in Psalm 82, we should recognize this does not stand alone within Scripture, but fits within the context of the whole.

Psalm 82 verses 3 and 4 stand in stark contrast to verse 2.  Verse 2 asks, “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked?”  We have a propensity to long after our own gain, which sometimes causes us to support the unjust and wicked.  This should not be the case.  Instead, we should defend the weak and fatherless, maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed, and rescue the weak and needy.

The underdog story makes for great sports.   The 1980 “Miracle on Ice” when the USA beat the Soviet Union in Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey.  The 1983 upset of North Carolina State over Houston for the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship.  Rulon Gardner, who won gold in wrestling in the 2000 Olympics over heavily favored Aleksandr Karelin of Russia.  These underdog stories are easy to spot, since each team or individual was clearly not favored to win.  However, in our lives, I believe it is much more challenging to spot the underdogs in life around us.

Who are the people we should be working so hard to defend, rescue, and maintain their justice?  Are they as easy to spot as the sports underdogs?  Maybe it is easy to see they are poor, or weak, or needy.  Maybe they are the people who are clearly ‘outcasts’ within our social settings because they don’t match the norms of interaction.  However, maybe they are a little harder to see, but we are still called to defend, rescue, and maintain their justice.  I think of our friends who are close talkers, who interrupt when others are speaking, or who struggle with social interactions.  Do we provide for them defense and rescue, or do we relegate them to solitude and the outskirts of our attention?  Sometimes it’s easy to see the needs of those we can help and other times it is far more challenging.

Putting Psalm 82:3-4 in action is more than giving money to a service ministry.  We can give out of our abundance but we can also show kindness to those in need around us every day.  Be encouraged to look for those in need in more diverse places around you, or in more diverse people around you!

-Michael Cisler

Reflection Questions

Who is someone you see regularly who may be weak, oppressed, or needy in ways other than financial or physical?

How can we provide support and defense for those who are socially awkward around us?

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