Category: Psalms

Struggling to Change

The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." Psalm 110:1
Isaiah 10-12
Psalm 110
Revelation 6

-Devotion by Daniel Smead (MN)

I found it difficult to produce a devotion for Psalm 110. I realized that it is hard, anymore, for me to look at this text without considering its uses in the New Testament, and in theology (accurate and inaccurate), and start working out its links with other Old Testament passages, and so on, and on. That may be nothing like your experience. (O.k., I hope for you that it isn’t like your experience.) But it is mine, at least it is at this point in my life. I find that having studied theology a fair bit is helpful in some situations, and not as much in some others, like when I find it difficult to see a text as a “whole” piece of thought.

I could produce several paragraphs on the psalm’s heavy use in the New Testament (most quoted verse, here is how it was used by Jesus, Peter, Hebrews, etc.). I used up over an hour (o.k., maybe two) tracking down Hebrew word usage because I wasn’t sure if it would lead me anywhere helpful. (I found some interesting things about the “day of wrath” I may use for something sometime, but not today.)

I did try reading a commentary that covered the text. It was Derek Kidner’s, Psalms 73-150, published in the Tyndale Commentaries series in 1975. I went on out to the garage and pulled it from “Box 45” of my books. (Yeah, I’m not kidding. I’m fortunate to now have a list showing which box has which books; a year ago I didn’t.) It’s not bad. Kidner makes an interesting suggestion about verse 7, that it pictures the psalm’s king-priest in similar terms to Gideon (Judges 8:4), after a victory, but having continued in a pursuit of his enemies and just pausing at the stream. I like the image, but I’m not sure it is accurate. And did it inspire me with devotional ideas? No.

Eventually I recognized that in all my notes I didn’t have a devotional. Not even an outline for one. May as well dump it all.

Blank.

PRAYER

Lord, please help me to see this text anew. Please free me from the blinders on my eyes, or mind, or wherever they are, that sometimes prevent me from viewing your scripture with emotion, be it joy or conviction, resolution or guilt, pride or shame. Soften my heart, Lord, if that is what is needed, and let me see within your scripture more than words.

Let me try again.

The people of Israel knew things about the Torah, and the kings in David’s line, that you or I will never even attempt to know. And all too often they were locked-in to perspectives on what their knowledge meant about God’s intentions, and which options were available. Dozens of places in the Hebrew Scriptures align with general expectations: kings and priests were separate. They died and needed to be replaced. And quite often kings and priests didn’t serve God well, but because of God’s mercy the system kept going.

In a few places, like Psalm 110 for instance, God let people know that the general expectations were not enough. Things were not going to stay as they had been. I don’t know how many people put these facts together before Jesus came on the scene, and how many of those then acted on what they understood.

Is anything ever guaranteed to stay as it has been? Not the business you work at, or the school you attend. Not the country you live in. Not me. Not you. God is permanent; some things God has decided on we know won’t change, either. Jesus interceding for us with God is a “forever” thing. Please, figure out the things God intends to last, and put more care into them than some of the other stuff. You may end up more prepared for when things change.

I wish you well.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you been unable to connect with a passage of scripture (due to over-intellectualizing; comprehension – language, background, etc.; inattention)? Were you able to overcome the issue?
  2. Do you see yourself as mainly expecting what you experience to remain as it is, or are you expecting changes? How does that expectation relate to efforts you are making to preserve and/or change things around you?
  3. If you could lock-in one thing about yourself to remain the same throughout your life – an attitude, perhaps a personality trait or a passion – would you? And, if so, what would you choose?
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God is Worthy of Our Praise and There Is No Other

Job 10-11

Psalm 95

Hebrews 10

-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)

What a great day to be in Christ and have the praise of our Father on our lips and in our hearts.  Is there truly anything else we can do for God?  Our gifts to Him can only be from our hearts and lips.   Psalm 95 gives us the beautiful music of this praise of our hearts.

Psalms 95:1-7(NLT) Come, let us sing to the LORD!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.
3 For the LORD is a great God,
a great King above all gods.
4 He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
and the mightiest mountains.
5 The sea belongs to him, for he made it.
His hands formed the dry land, too.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down.
Let us kneel before the LORD our maker,
7 for he is our God.
We are the people he watches over,
the flock under his care.

We are the flock cared for by the God who is our Shepherd and help in time of need.  Jesus is now given the power to gather the church of God today with the same care as the Father who has loved us.  He is the shepherd of our hearts and lives today.

Hebrews 2:11-15(NLT) So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 For he said to God, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.” 13 He also said, “I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” 14 Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

How does it feel to know that you are the child of God Almighty and the brother of the Christ who died for you.  Raised with him from the grave and set free from the chains of sin and death.  Only God and His Son are worthy of our praise.

Ephesians 1:5-11(NLT) God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. 7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. 9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

Reflection Questions

Why did God choose YOU?

What is the response of your heart to Him and our Lord Jesus Christ?

What do we need to do today?

Prayer

Father, Father, we love You so much and look in awe on all You have done for us.  We praise You with our hearts and mouths.  Be with us this day as You have promised and give us the bread and help we need to do Your will.  We love You because You first loved us. In our precious Savior’s name Jesus Christ

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Where Are You?

Nehemiah 1-2

Psalm 88

2 Timothy 3

-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)

Psalm 88 is a tough one. It is a psalm of lament, and the only one that doesn’t shift at the end towards a more hopeful or uplifting view. It’s tempting to read this psalm and feel…well, depressed. We can be fine in our feelings, as long as there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We can feel sad, as long as we know a happy ending is just around the corner. But let’s be real – that’s not always the case. Jesus never promised us a life free of heartache. He said there will be trouble. He doesn’t share specifics on what these troubles will be or how long they will last, but he guarantees we will all have them. 

I know there have been seasons in my life when heartache is the overarching theme. The writer of Psalm 88 could have been me. I don’t think I’m alone in this. Sometimes we call out to God, desperately, and we feel like we are calling out into the void. We wonder if He hears us, or if our prayers are in vain. We pray and we pray and we pray…and…we feel nothing.

The key word here, though, is “feel.” We may feel that our prayers are just echoing into the depths, but if we are rooted in the Word, and committed to prayer and seeking the very character of God, we can KNOW, not just feel. If we feel far away from God or that He’s not hearing us, we can always KNOW that He is near and that He does. 

All this being said, don’t disregard Psalm 88. It may not be a common one the songwriters go to to write the next Sunday morning worship song, but it’s important. It shows us that we will have seasons of great sorrow and distress. But don’t worry. Just as Jesus promises in the book of John that we will have troubles and tribulations, he also promises this: “But take heart, I have overcome the world.” 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Have you ever gone through a long season of heartache? Are you in one right now? (Take heart, my friend.) 
  2. I encourage you, if you are in a season of distress, to focus on who God is. Keep praying, keep seeking. He is there. He loves you, knows you, and hears you. Don’t give up. God’s got this! 

Prayer:

God, thank you for your word, even when it is not sugar-coated. Thank you for sending your son Jesus, as he lived a life and knew the deepest heartache…and truly gets us. Thank you for assuring us that although we have trouble, Jesus has overcome the world, and that our tribulations will have their end. Help us to remember this and to seek you and know you. Help us to keep talking to you and to never wonder if you hear us. Help us to know without a doubt that you hear us, always, even if in our feeble human hearts we feel hopeless. 

Amen.

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I Exalt Thee

Ezra 5-6

Psalm 86

1 Timothy 6

-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)

The second part of Psalm 86 is full of verses where David exalts God.

As much as God wants us to come to him with our despair, worries & sadness, he also wants us to come to him with reverence. He is a holy God, worthy of our praise and adoration. 

David says to the Lord:

v. 8 “There is none like you…O Lord…”

v. 10 “For you are great and do wondrous things…”

v. 11 “…unite my heart to fear your name.”

v. 13 “For great is your steadfast love toward me…”

David knew the importance of praising the Lord. He knew that a relationship with the Lord is not a one-way street. God wants a relationship with us, and to have that requires mutuality. We cannot simply keep asking God for His favor, rescue and intervention in our lives without recognizing who He is and what He has done for us. He loves us and would give us anything – and indeed He has! – and for that we should desire to exalt His name in humble gratitude. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Do you include praise to God in your prayers? If you don’t do that regularly, let me encourage you to do so. He is worthy! 

Prayer:

God, thank you for all you have done and will do for us. You are our creator, provider, hope and in Jesus, our salvation. We owe you everything. Help us to remember that and to acknowledge that before you always. We love you. Amen.

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Cry Out

Ezra 3-4

Psalm 86

1 Timothy 5

-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)

Psalm 86 is a desperate prayer of David, in a time of his great distress. He says in verse 7, “in the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.”

I don’t know what you are going through right now. You may be in a season of joy, or a season of despair, like David. You may even be living in some mixture of the two. Let me assure you – God didn’t abandon David, and He hasn’t abandoned you. In our times of joy and in our times of distress, calling upon the name of the Lord is never done in vain. He hears us, and Jesus, at His right hand, intercedes for us, even pleads for us. What a beautiful picture that is!

David calls on God, desperately so, throughout this psalm:

v. 1 “Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.”

v . 2 “…save your servant, who trusts in you–you are my God.”

v. 6 “Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace.”

And, in verse 3 David says “…for to you do I cry all the day.” As a believer, I know how important setting aside intentional prayer time is. I encourage you to  make it a habit however you can – mark it on your calendar, set a reminder…and do so until it becomes second nature. 

Additionally, I also know how important constant prayer is. God is our Father (“…and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. 6:18) and Jesus is our Friend (“…but I have called you friends…” John 15:15). We should, also as habit, be in constant communication with them, from the time we open our eyes in the morning to the time we close them at night – and every time in between. We can call on God any time, for any reason. It should be natural, as talking to our spouse, our children, or our friends. The God of the universe is personal, Jesus is ALIVE, and they want to hear from you. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. What season are you at in your life right now? What is troubling you? What do you, or should you, cry out to God about these days?
  2. Do you set aside intentional time for daily prayer? Do you pray throughout the day? Do you do both?

Prayer:

God, thank you for being there for us, listening to us, whenever we call upon you. Thank you for the saving grace and gift of Jesus, who pleads on our behalf, and knows our suffering. Help us to seek you out in our joy and in our sorrow, and help us to lean on you and speak with you about every aspect of our lives, because there is nothing you do not know and nothing you do not care about. We ask for your ear, and we ask for you to speak to us, too. Amen.

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How Are You?

Restore us again, God our Savior

2 Chronicles 35-36

Psalm 85

1 Timothy 3

-Devotion by Carla Hardy (MI)

You are probably asked countless times a day, “How are you?” And your answer probably varies between a polite “good” or “not too bad” to maybe a “tired” response. I know I have often replied with my share of “tired!” 

Being tired – physically, mentally & emotionally. We’ve all been there! This can be a good thing, though. Being physically fatigued means you worked hard, that you achieved something. You put your able body to good use. Mentally fatigued? You used your brain, gave thought, produced. Emotional fatigue can be positive – it means you experienced emotions – it’s good to love, it’s normal to feel – we are human after all, created with all sorts of complexities. 

While being tired can be good, it can also sway to the negative side if it’s in excess. Being overly tired can be taxing on us, affecting us negatively. Physical fatigue can wear us down if it’s habitual. We need rest & restoration because our bodies have limits. God created us that way, and has even designated a day for us to rest! We can get sick or hurt if we exceed our physical limits without taking time out. Mental fatigue can also affect us negatively if we don’t manage it well. If we don’t give our minds rest, it can impact our peace, and our thoughts can get out of control. Lastly, emotional fatigue, like mental fatigue, can wear us out. If we get too wrapped up and enmeshed in emotions, it can impact our overall health. 

All that being said, feeling tired – physically, mentally & emotionally so – can be good or bad. Tired tells us ‘good job’ and then ‘rest up.’ However, being spiritually tired? That is never good. It is never healthy for us to be spiritually fatigued. Our spiritual strength should never run out, because it isn’t even our own – it’s God working through us. If we feel spiritually tired, it’s a sign for us to seek revival. To seek the true source of strength. 

If we are spiritually tired, what can happen? Well, two pretty big things stand out:

-We can be caught unaware of the enemy and what he is doing. The enemy is always prowling, and we need to always be on alert. 

-We can miss what God has for us. We can fail to see and respond to His leading in our lives.

We want to be aware of both our Father and of our enemy, for two very different reasons. If we are spiritually tired, our awareness can fall short, and we can become victims of either spiritual attack or missed blessings.

What really stood out to me in Psalm 85 is the concept of revival. This psalm speaks of revival from God throughout the entirety of it:

v. 4 “Restore us again, O God of our salvation…”

v. 6 “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”

v. 8 “Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people…”

v. 12 “Yes, the Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.”

Revival, restoration, peace – whatever you recognize it as, seek it out. Constantly. As followers of Jesus, we must keep ourselves in check, look for signs of spiritual exhaustion. When we see hints of exhaustion, we need to:

-get into the Word. It is healing, life-giving and gives us the tools we need.

-pray. Boldly ask God for revival and a renewed spiritual life.

-seek out others to help us. Others can provide a path to revival and renewal, too. We grow in community, and our brothers & sisters in Christ can pour into our spiritual lives simply by their presence, and their prayers. We need each other. 

Reflection Questions:

  1. Have you recently experienced spiritual exhaustion? What were the signs? What did you do? 
  2. Are you connected with a solid, Bible-believing church? Are there people in the church you feel like you can rely on – to pray for you, mentor you, hold you accountable, pour into your life?

Prayer:

God, thank you for our physical bodies. Thank you that you have enabled our bodies to perform and labor, that our bodies are so miraculously built. Thank you for our brains. Thank you that we can think, reason and create. Thank you for our emotions. Thank you that we can feel joy, love – and even the harder emotions, because it means we can use them to rely on you. Thank you for all of these things – and thank you for providing ways for restoration. We ask that when we are spiritually tired that you help us to recognize this and to act. We thank you that we can talk to you and ask for renewal, that your Word is accessible to us, that there are people after your own heart to help renew us when we need it. Amen.

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The Judge

1 Chronicles 24-25

Psalm 75

Ephesians 5

-Devotion by Philip Kirkpatrick (MN & MI)

Judgment: the act or process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing.

Judging people is an inherent thing that everyone does.  In the English definition, at least of the word, it’s not inherently a bad thing to do.  For example, if I walk into my college class on a given day and notice there’s a different group of people, I might jump to a judgment, in this case, that this is not my class.  Or you see something in front of you, it has two arms, two legs, a head, upright, and a human face, you make the judgment automatically that this is, in fact, a human.  These are both judgments you’ve made, and they are
both useful. It’s your brain distilling information into a conclusion that’s easier to work with.

On a larger scale, there are scenarios though, that we are in no place to be the judge of.  In reality, even if we form judgments, we should think them through and not act upon those judgments.  We are told in Matthew as well to be careful of our judgments and not to think too highly of our own judgment. For we have one whose judgment will always be just and always be right. Psalm 75 speaks of this.  God is the ultimate judge, and he will judge without fault.

In many books I’ve read recently, this idea comes across of people making hard choices and having to live with the consequences. Whenever I read this, I am so grateful I am not the hero in those stories, having to make those calls and having to wonder if it was the right call. As the psalmist here does, I also thank God for being the judge. We do not have to worry about some of the hard judgments in life because we serve a God who will make the right judgments every time where we would not. We often thank God for the food he provides, or the home he gives, we should also thank him for this. Thank him for being the ultimate judge who judges with equity.

Reflection Questions

When have you made a false or poor judgment? What was the result? When do you feel you have been judged unfairly by others?

What qualities/characteristics of God make Him the perfect judge? What does God base all His judgments on?

What other things might you be able to thank God for beyond the normal
ones you pray for?

Prayer

Dear Father and Judge – Thank You for Your love and thank You for Your right and just judgments. Please give me a piece of Your wisdom and discernment, Lord. Help me know what is right and what is wrong, what is of You and what is not. Help me to make good choices and speak words that are pleasing to You. Thank You for seeing me through the gift of Your precious Son. In his name I pray. Amen

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The Spirit of a Man

*2 Samuel 15-16

*Psalm 56

*1 Corinthians 2

-Devotion by Jeremy Martin (TN)

            In our 2 Samuel 15-16 reading today, we see the prophecies of Nathan (2 Sam 12)  in response to David’s worst sin back a few chapters (in 2 Sam 11) being fulfilled.  David’s own son rebels and David and his household have to flee.  If you read closely in the scriptures here, you can pick out the intrigue and political strategies of the day, and then Absalom moves in to Jerusalem, and takes his father’s own concubines on the roof of his house, in the sight of all Israel (2 Sam 16:22).  This is in direct fulfillment of the prophecy in 2 Sam 12:11-12, when God promises “Indeed, you have done this thing secretly, but I will do it before all of Israel…“. 

            As David is fleeing, a fellow named Shimei comes out “cursing continuously” and throwing stones at the group.  This sounds quirky and odd until you read on and understand that David’s Mighty Men were with him, the elite group of fighters who were the ancient equivalent of the special forces, and then it starts to sound almost suicidal.  These guys were “the best of the best”, and many of them attained their position specifically by performing insanely brave and heroic acts against overwhelming odds (and surviving).  Tired of life, much?  This sounds like a great idea to fix that.

            Some of his mighty men predictably ask to go take Shimei’s head (2 Sam 16:9), but David replies “Hey, maybe God told him to curse me and if He did, who could say differently?  Let him curse me, maybe God will have mercy” (Paraphrased, but accurately represented from 2 Sam 16:10-12).  I really think that this humble acceptance of God’s sovereignty is what sets David apart, and why God favored him so much.  He acknowledged his sin, acknowledged that almighty God had authority, and accepted that God’s punishment to him would be just. 

            This humble acceptance of God’s sovereignty is also beautifully echoed in our reading of Psalms 56 particularly in v3 and 4 where it states: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.  What can mere man do to me?“.  There’s a great song called “You Are My Hiding Place” written by Michael J. Ledner and later sung by a group named “Selah” that this Psalm evokes in my mind, and I’ve sung it before when I was feeling alone and scared, you should take a moment to look it up if you’re not familiar.  It actually combined verses from Ps 32, Ps 56, and 2 Cor 12 and is a hauntingly beautiful song.

            In our reading in 1 Corinthians 2 today there’s a concept that’s pretty important, and understanding it fully helps us to understand and interpret scripture better.  The word for “spirit” in Hebrew is “ruach” (roo-ah-ck, with the k being a glottal “kh”) and this term carries a broad range of meanings, primarily translating to wind, breath, or spirit depending on the context, and is used about 400 times in the Old Testament.   In Greek, the word for spirit is “pneuma”, and much like in the Hebrew, this term carries a broad range of meanings including wind, breath, and the vital principle that animates the body. 

            Interestingly, in Greek the word for spirit is inherently neutral gender (so if you read He in the New Testament when speaking of the spirit, that is a biased translation: it could also read she or it, and more accurately, it).  In Hebrew, the word for spirit is inherently female, but you shouldn’t get too caught up in that because the grammatical gender is distinct from personal or essential gender, so it doesn’t really imply femininity, it’s like in America when we say “She’s a grand old flag” we’re not implying that our flags are women.

            Any time you see spirit capitalized in your bible, that’s also an interpretational bias because Hebrew doesn’t have capital (or lowercase) letters and the New Testament (in Greek) was WRITTENINALLCAPITALLETTERSWITHOUTSPACESORPUNCTUATION (like that, which made translation into English a hoot, I have no doubt).  This is information that’s important if you want to do an accurate job of being a textual critic which is “a scholar who examines ancient manuscripts, translations, and citations to reconstruct the original wording of a text” and not just somebody who’s critical of books like it sounds.  English was NOT the original language that our scriptures were written in and as a result of some inherent bias on the part of  translators through the centuries, sometimes liberties have been taken.

            Very late in the 4th century, it became habitual to start capitilizing spirit in certain contexts when translating, and even assigning an autonomous personality to it.  We can see pretty plainly in our reading today that this is most likely inaccurate.  In 1 Cor 2:11 it says “For who among men knows the depths of a man except the spirit of a man which is in him?  Even so the depths of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” (LSB).  By the way, do you see the capital S in spirit right there?  That is a translationally inaccurate bias in my version.

            The spirit here is not a seperate entity, but an integral part of the person.  You can’t really separate the two, the one just is part of the other.  It’s…life, or breath, or wind, or “the Force”, or whatever you want to call it: not an autonomous creepy thing that lives inside you, but a description of the part of YOU that isn’t quite physical.  It states in the above scripture that the spirit of God is the same, it’s not a seperate entity from God, it’s an inseparable part of Him.  We are told in John 4:24 that God is spirit.  Do we understand it completely?  Probably not, but not understanding something doesn’t give license to start assigning roles to it.  I don’t get quantum physics, but I don’t start calling it Susan either, that’s just silly.  I’ve been told that the “spirit of God” is just “God in action”, and that may be.  Regardless of your understanding though, it shows clearly in 1 Cor 2:11 that God’s spirit is not a separate individual but His own spirit, just like a man’s spirit is his.

             It is the spirit of God that animates and sustains all life, according to Job 34:14-15. The very breath that we have, the ruach that gives us life, God breathed in to the first man upon creation.  When the spirit of God comes upon a man in power, that man can then do miraculous things;  prophecies, speaking in tongues, healing.  To attain a deeper immersion in the spirit of God should be the goal of every one who seeks to please God, and we know that it is one of the requirements to be a believer according to Acts 2: 38.  It should be our goal, second only to the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, because when we receive the spirit of God we are aligned with God, and alignment with God brings LIFE and citizenship in the Kingdom.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

  1. When you are afraid, do you trust in God or allow your fear to direct you?
  2. How many times in your recollection has God been not only just but merciful towards you?
  3. What instances of the holy spirit have you personally experienced? (these can range from simple to miraculous, but try to remember all of them that you’ve experienced)
  4. How can we align our spirit with God’s spirit, how can we receive the gift of the holy spirit in more fullness?

PRAYER

Father God, Lord God Most High, please lead us.  Grant us Your spirit to teach us, to whisper in our ears when we should take a certain path, to warn us when we are in error, and to lead us to You.  Father fogive us when we fall short, and lift us up again with Your mighty hand, and bring us to You.  Have mercy, Father.  Thank you for all of the blessings that You have given, for life, breath, and all things.  I am alive today because of the breath You breathed in to me.  Thank you, in Jesus name, Amen.

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Empty the World from Our Hearts

I Samuel 19-20

*Psalm 49

Romans 5

-by Rachel Cain (OH)

“So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich

    and their homes become ever more splendid.

For when they die, they take nothing with them.

    Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

In this life they consider themselves fortunate

    and are applauded for their success.

But they will die like all before them

    and never again see the light of day.

People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;

    they will die, just like animals.” 

Psalm 49:16-20

So, we spend our lives “buying things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t even like” (Dave Ramsey), filling our homes to the brim, devoting our spare hours to caring for the items and chasing success, only for our family to sell all our prized possessions in an estate sale and future generations forget us soon after we die. 

Solomon, son of king David and the richest and wisest man in the world, is believed to have penned this seemingly depressing expression: “Meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) Solomon of all people should be the one to love his life! Infinite wisdom AND resources?! Sign me up! And yet Solomon, in all his God-given wisdom, reiterated that nothing of this world matters. 

Well, what an encouraging devotion. Nothing matters and we’re all going to die. The end. Thanks for reading! 

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(After a devotion about hope yesterday, you didn’t really think I’d leave you hanging in this hopelessness, did you?!)

I recently had the opportunity to hear famous minimalist Joshua Becker speak at a conference. Joshua, a former church pastor, considers himself still to be a pastor of a non-traditional sort: helping people become free from excess so they can truly embrace the freedom to follow God’s design for their lives with their time, money, space, and energy. Joshua emphasized that, because our excess possessions can distract us from knowing and following Jesus, we won’t be able to truly prepare for Jesus until we begin to empty the world from our hearts. He shared that “we can’t keep the world AND gain the kingdom… we were saved for a greater purpose than accumulating material possessions.” And yet, how much more time do most of us spend acquiring and caring for our stuff than seeking and serving God? 

As mentioned above, Solomon began Ecclesiastes by calling life “meaningless.” So, is there a point to our existence, then? YES! At the end of the book, he clarifies our sole purpose in life: “Fear God and keep his commandments; this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecc. 12:13)

We were created in Christ Jesus to do good works (Ephesians 2:8-10), not to chase all the nothingness that the world has to offer. In the words of Switchfoot, “we were meant to live for so much more.” 

“For he sees that even the wise die; 

the fool and the stupid alike must perish and leave their wealth to others. 

Their graves are their homes forever… 

Man in his pomp will not remain; he is like the beasts that perish.” 

Psalm 49:10-12, ESV

Friends, we can chase all the fortune and fame this world has to offer like a cat pouncing a laser light, but none of it will last. Let’s be sure that we are storing up the values of God and not the things of this world. (Matthew 6:19-21) 

“Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” – CT Studd

Reflection questions:


What would it involve for you to empty your heart of this world so you can be ready for Jesus? 

Are you living in such a way that people who observe your life would notice that you’re chasing Jesus more than this world? If not, what would it look like to change that? 

Prayer:


Father, keep our eyes focused on you and the things that truly matter. 

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Pierced Hearts

1 Samuel 3-4Ps 45Acts 25

-Devotion by Kristy Cisneros (SC)

I believe Psalm 45 refers to Jesus and the upcoming wedding of the bride, the Church, to her bridegroom Jesus Christ. Hebrews 1 confirms this assumption as it quotes Ps. 45:6-7, 

8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing you with the oil of joy.” (NIV)

I was especially struck by verse 5 of Psalm 45, “Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.” (NIV) This piercing of hearts could be literal as Revelation depicts Jesus wielding a sword and subduing his enemies. “From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.” (Rev. 19:15, ESV) However, I couldn’t help but wonder if this verse also has some metaphorical significance. Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. Do we pray that their hearts will be pierced by the gospel message so that they have the hope of salvation? Acts 2:36-38 beautifully illustrates what happens when our hearts are pierced by the gospel message:

36 ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.’

37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do? ’

38 Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptised, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (CSBA)

Are there enemies of the kingdom that you could pray for at this time? Remember, God’s heart in this matter: “This is good, and it pleases God our Saviour,  who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4, CSBA).

Reflection Questions

  1. Who are the enemies of the kingdom that you could pray for at this time?
  2. Will you pray that their hearts will be pierced by the gospel message so that they have the hope of salvation? Are there other words and actions that you can take that would support this prayer?
  3. In what ways can you pray for and act towards a heart that more aligns with God’s heart?

Prayer

Dear God, I praise you for being the perfect One True God. You are the absolute perfect God of love, compassion, mercy, grace, righteousness, truth, power and justice. Help me God to see Your heart and recognize where mine needs adjusting. Help me God to develop a heart, thoughts, words, prayers and actions that strive for salvation for all. I know that your justice and judgment and timing is perfect. Show me who are the enemies of Your Kingdom, and how You want me to pray for them, warn them, and model a better way that leads to life with You and Your Son.

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