A Psalm for Today: Psalm 100:4

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. Psalms 100:4

In the new testament there are still sacrifices, but they are not the blood of lambs and goats. Jesus' sacrifice was the only sacrifice sufficient to take away sin and He died once for all. One of those is giving ourselves as living sacrifices. Another is the sacrifice of praise which is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. In one sense thanksgivng and praise ushers us into His presence and in another sense they usher his presence in. We don't have to go anywhere to find His presence because God is omnipresent, but when we praise and worship the Lord we experience His presence. He inhabits the praise of His people.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 99:9

Exalt the Lord our God and worship at His holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy. Psalms 99:9

Our God is to be exalted. He is worthy of our worship. His holy hill, the mountain of the Lord is representative of His kingdom. It is Daniel's stone cut out without hands which becomes a mountain that fills the whole earth. In Isaiah 2, it says, "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all nations shall flow to it."  The higher the mountain, the greater the authority and His mountain, His kingdom will be exalted above all others. There is coming a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The kingdoms of this world have now become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and forever. All will worship at His holy hill for He shall be exalted above all.

A Psalm for Today: 83:18

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 83:18
That they may know that You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.

The enemies of Israel would try and intimidate them into surrender. Often in the confrontation they would defame the God of Israel. In 2 Kings 18 and 19 the king of Assyria was moving against Judah. His messenger asked this question, " Has any of the gods of the nations at all delivered its land from the king of Assyria?" He went on to list those they had conquered and the gods they had trusted. Basically, he was asking them, If their gods didn't protect them, what makes you think the Lord God will protect you? They did not understand that there is only one true God and He is far greater than the demonic etities that other nations worshipped. Hezekiah chose to trust God. Then one night the Lord sent an angel who slew 185,000 Assyrians and Sennacherib returned to Nineveh in defeat where a short time later he was assassinated while worshipping his god in the temple of Nisroch. Our God is the only wise God. He is the Lord God most high. Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world. Lord, we pray that those who hate You will come to know that You and You alone are God.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 80:4

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 80:4
Restore us, O Lord God; Cause Your face to shine and we shall be saved.

God gave the high priest a blessing to pronounce on the people and they would be blessed. "The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon You, and be be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace." Number 6:24-26  The Lord's face shining upon you is synonymous with His blessing. Scripture says that God is of purer eyes than to look upon sin. he looks upon us because we who have trusted in Christ for our salvation have been clothed in His righteousness snd we are blessed. His face has shined upon us and we have been saved. Receive the blessing of the Lord today.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 79:13

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 79:13
So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.

The people of God are sheep. Not everyone is a sheep. In Matthew 25:33, we see that He will separate the sheep and the goats. He will set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left and the King says to the sheep, "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (vs. 34) Later in vs.46 it says the goats will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. We are not sheep unless we have been born again and are led by the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. The Good Shepherd comes that we might have life and that more abundantly. Those who are sheep will give thanks unto Him forever. He is worthy of our praise from this generation and forever.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 78:4

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 78:4
We will not hide them from our children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.

It is important to teach the next generation, our children and our children's children the works of the Lord. This psalm is an awesome historical account of God's dealing with His people. It is important for our children to know the works of the Lord and even more important that they see his work in you. Do you have a history with the Lord? Your children need to know God's dealings with you. In Revelation one of the means by which they overcame was the word of their testimony. There is power in a testimony. If your children see the reality of God in you, they will reject the lies of the world. To your children your life should be a demonstration of the works of the Lord.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 77:11

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 77: 11
I will remember the works of the Lord; surely I will remember Your wonders of old.

In times of trouble, it is good to remember the works of the Lord. He was faithful then and He will be faithful now. What he did then, He can still do now. His power has not diminished. He never slumbers nor sleeps; he does not take sabbaticals. He is our ever-present help in times of trouble. Have you a mountain before you or are you heavy laden with a load of care? Our God is able.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 76:4

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 76:4
You are more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

In the old testament typology, mountains represent governments. Throughout history there have been nations, empires, and ideaologies that want to rule the world. In the book of Daniel there was a stone cut out without hands that crushed the great statue in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The parts of the statue represented different kingdoms, some very powerful and successful, but they were crushed by this stone which became a mountain which filled the whole earth. That mountain is the kingdom of God. Isaiah said that of the increase of His government and peace there would be no end. Of all those kingdoms, the mountains of prey, that would attempt to rule the earth, the kingdom of God is far more glorious and excellent. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 74:21

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 74:21
Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name.

One of the meanings of the word ashamed in the Hebrew language is disappointment. In Isaiah 61:7, God promises a double portion for our shame. Someone has been disappointed. Be encouraged today for God will give you a double portion for Your hurt. The key is trusting in Him. Now hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:5 Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven Matthew 5:3.James says that God has chosen the poor rich in faith. The recognition that apart from God we have nothing is to be poor in spirit. Those who recognize their spiritual poverty and turn to God will have cause for great rejoicing. They will truly praise the Lord.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 73;3

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 73: 3
For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

I am sure many of us as Christians have experienced this type of envy. You struggle and have difficulties as you try to walk uprightly and maintain your integrity. You do what is right even when it hurts. You look around and you see immoral people prospering. Seemingly, they have no troubles and you think it's not fair. If we focus on the temporal we will always be subject to external circumstances. If we focus on the eternal we recognize that there is a judgement coming for the wicked. Our reward is eternal. The psalmist was snapped back to eternal reality when he stepped into the sanctuary and encountered the presence of God. He saw the end of the wicked and realized that God is our eternal reward. In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures for evermore.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 72:3

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 72:3
The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

Mountains in scripture speak of government. The larger the mountain the greater authority it had. The stone cut out without hands, that crushed the other kingdoms, became a mountain which filled the whole earth. That mountain was the kingdom of God of which Isaiah says of the increase and peace there will be no end. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Where the Lord reigns there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit both  individual and corporately. Great peace have they whose God is the Lord..

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 66:10

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 66:10
For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.

Most of us have heard the story of a man observing a silversmith purifying silver. The artisan would heat the silver until it was liquid and then would keep raising the heat until he was able skim the impurities off the surface. He repeated this process as the impurities would have different melting points. After observing the patience of the silversmith doing this several times, the interested onlooker asked, "How do you know when it is ready?" The siversmith replied, " When I can clearly see my reflection in the silver." The trying of our faith has a maturing work as it produces perseverance. "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. James 1:3,4 As in the case of Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego, it was the fire that revealed the fourth man. Are you presently going through a fire? If you truly believe that God is working all things together for your good because you love Him and are called according to His purpose, you will come through the fire more like Jesus.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 64:10

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 64:10
The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him, and the upright in heart shall glory.

There is coming a day when the last enemy, death, will be put under His feet. The righteous will rejoice and all the upright in heart will glory in the full manifestation of His victory at Calvary. David is writing about the response of God's people when He delivers His people from their enemies. We can rejoice and be glad that Jesus defeated and spoiled principalities and powers on the cross. It is by virtue of what He has done that we can be called the righteous. Let us praise Him who has crushed the head of the serpent.

A Prayer for Today

Father, we bless You this morning. We thank You, Lord, that You love us and that You have given us a future and a hope. We pray for those this morning who feel as though they have no hope. Lord, draw them unto Yourself and open their eyes to the fact that You are the God of hope and that there is no lasting hope apart from You. May they understand that if we hope only in this life we are of all men most miserable. We pray that all of us would take our eyes off the temporal and the arm of the flesh and look to You. May we understand that our natural lives are but a vapor and wouldn't even make a good dot on the time line of eternity. Thank You that through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ we have life that is eternal. We pray this in the name of Jesus and for His sake. Amen

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 63:1

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 63:1.
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

The purpose of the wilderness is to make us hungry and thirsty for God. Our God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Jeremiah, speaking the words of the Lord said, "You will find Me when You search for Me with your whole heart. When things are dry spiritually it is a summons from the Lord to draw near unto Him. He is like bread to a starving man and water to a thirsting man. The Lord is not playing hide and seek; He is looking for those who are looking for Him.

A Psalm for Today: 62: 6,7

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 62: 6,7
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

When troubles come, there is always a temptation to panic. The enemy wants to get you into fear. I observed bass being fed live minnows in a fish tank. Some of the minnnows panicked when they hit the water and darted about erraticly. The bass saw them and quickly dispatched them. There were others who simply maintained their position near the surface and the bass never came near them. When trouble seeks to devour us, it is not time to panic; it is time to be still and know that He is God. I remember the testimonies of George Mueller. He did not panic, but operated in the gift of faith. One morning his orphanage had no food. He sat down with the kids and thanked the Lord for His provision. In a few minutes there was a knock at the door. He is faithful. Knowing that the Lord is our defense, we can remain steadfast, immoveable placing our hope and expectation in Him.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 61:1,2

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 61:1,2
Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the ends of the earth I will cry unto You. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.

The Lord is attentive to our prayers. It does not matter where we are, there is no distance to our omnipresent Lord. There are times and seasons of life where we are troubled on every side and we don't know what to do. Jesus is our Rock who is higher than we are. He is the Rock from whom living water flows. He is the Rock of our salvation. He is the Rock upon which the church is built. He is the Rock that is steadfast and sure. He has lifted us out of the miry clay and set our feet upon the Rock that is higher than our trouble; higher than our enemies, and He puts a new song in our mouth, a song of praise to our God. He hears and He delivers. He is our ever present help in time of trouble.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 60: 11,12

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 60:11,12
Give us help from trouble, for the help of man is useless. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is he who shall tread down our enemies.

One of the great spiritual lessons to be learned is the futility of human effort. Asa in his early days recognized that in the natural he could not defeat the vast Ethiopian army which outnumbered him almost two to one and had many chariots. Asa began his prayer before battle by saying, "Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on you." God defeated the Ethiopians and Judah won a great victory. Unfortunately in his old age Asa became complacent and the arm of the flesh failed him. Jehoshaphat faced a great army in which he was severely outnumbered and sent the choir out first. God fought the battle and they did valiantly triumph by trusting in Him. The simple, but profound truth is that we can do nothing apart from Christ, but through Him we can do all things.

A Psalm for Today; Psalms 58:6

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 58:6
O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!

Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. I used to say that God had removed the teeth of the lion, but he will gum you to death if you let him. Satan is a defeated foe; his head was crushed at Calvary. Christ has removed the teeth from death and the grave. Through Christ we have victory over our enemies. I thought about a couple of lion encounters in the old testament; there were several, but specifically looking at Daniel and David. David said that God delivered the lion and the bear into his hands which gave him confidence to fight Goliath. Daniel spent the night with a bunch of hungry lions and his testimony was that the Lord sent an angel to shut the mouth of the lions. Our God has delivered us from the lion. Do you feel like you are surrounded by enemies who would bite and devour you? God can shut the mouth of the lions and bring you triumphantly out of the pit.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 59:16

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 59:16
But I will sing of Your strength; I will sing of Your steadfast love in the morning, for You have been to me a fortress,and a refuge in the day of my distress.

I love to sing about the awesomeness of God. He is omnipotent. Spiritual battles cannot be fought in the arm of the flesh. We cannot deliver ourselves by our own hand. He is our strength and deliverer and He loves us with a love that never fails. I think of the great hymn written by Martin Luther, which begins ,"A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing." He is a refuge from life's distresses.The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are saved. His loves endures the dark night of the soul and we can awaken with songs of praise to our God.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 57:1

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 57:1
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until calamities have passed by.

This psalm was a song of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. Abdullam's cave became a refuge for David. While there, many people who were discontented, distressed, and in debt gathered unto David. Many of those who joined with David in the cave would later be known as David's mighty men. Difficulty is often preparation for future authority and so often we find David and his men in difficult places. He was in training for reigning. Patience or endurance has a perfecting work. David's cries for mercy were answered, of course, for God delivered him and he became a great king. Taking refuge in the shadow of God's wings reminds me of what Jesus said as He lamented over Jerusalem saying that often he had wanted to gather her children as a hen gathers its chicks under her wings. He is our refuge and He desires to protect us. God can speak peace to our storm or He can give us peace in the midst of it, but either way, this too, shall pass.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 53:2

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 53:2
God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.

There are many scriptures about seeking God. "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13. " Seek and you will find." Luke 11: 9 The verb there is present imperative which means to seek and keep on seeking. I think of several other verses which this verse brings to mind. In 2 Chronicles 16:9 we see the eyes of the Lord are searching for those with hearts that are perfect toward Him. In John 4 the Samaritan woman tries to take the attention away from herself when she recognizes Jesus as a prophet and throws out the question as to which mountain it was right to worship on. Jesus responded that the time was coming and at hand that true worshippers would worship the Father in spirit and in truth and that the Father was seeking those to worship Him. The thing that strikes me in these verses and others I could mention is that God is seeking those who are seeking Him. If one truly understands the love of God and that Jesus Christ is the way to eternal life, how can they not seek Him? It is not the fearful expectation of God's wrath that brings men to repentance; it is His kindness." Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6." Draw near to God and He will draw near to You." James 4;8a The Lord is seeking seekers.

A Psalm for Today

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 52:9
I will praise You forever, because You have done it; and in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

When the Lord called me to preach in college, I ran from that call because I didn't feel I could do it. As a broken man at the age of 30, I surrendered to that call and the Lord assured me that I was right all along, I couldn't, but faithful was He who called me who would also do it.(1Thessalonians 5:24) We will praise the Lord for we could not do it, but He did. We could not save ourselves, but he has done it through Jesus Christ. The day will come when He will remove the wicked and plant us steadfastly in His house. It is for His namesake, He has done this. His names represent some aspect of His character. For instance, the name Jehovah Jireh means "the Lord will provide." In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the expressed image of the Father. We wait upon Him for He is good.

A Psalm for Today: Psalm 51:17

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 51: 17
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart---- these, O God, You will not despise.

Psalm 51 is a psalm of contrition written after Nathan had exposed David's sin. God is a merciful God. His mercies are new every morning and they endure forever. The sacrifice of bulls and goats are not what God is looking for. Jesus was the eternal sacrifice slain once for all sin. "And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God...." Hebrews 10:11,12 Jesus sprinkled His own blood upon the mercy seat not made with hands. We cannot come to God in arrogance, there is nothing we have to bring. He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.(James 4:6) He gives grace to those who recognize their need. We are saved by grace through faith; we cannot earn nor do we deserve it. Those who come to God in contrition and brokeness will not be turned away. A bruised reed, He will not break and a smoldering wick, He will not extinguish. When we come to God with a broken and contrite heart, He receives us and not only does He receive us, He heals us. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 50:10,12

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 50:10,12
For every beast of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for all the world is Mine, and all its fullness.

God does not ask us to give because he needs any thing; He asks because He is a giver. In Christ, He has freely given us all things. We are called to give because we are being conformed to His image. Our giving is testimony to the fact that He owns it all. Giving is an act of faith, just like a farmer sowing his seed. He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly. The coffers of heaven are not affected by our giving or the lack thereof. They are not impacted by the world's economy. When Corrie Ten Boom's story, "The Hiding Place", was being filmed. the producer called her and told her that they needed ten thousand dollars ( if memory serves me correctly) to continue filming. She quoted verse 10 to the director and after hanging up the phone she received a donation from a cattle farmer who had sold some of his cattle. The donation was the exact amount they needed to complete filming. God owns it all and in Christ we have become joint heirs with Him. How awesome and amazing is the grace of our God!

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 48:1,2

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 48: 1,2
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

I remember singing these two verses in high school. It was a catchy tune and a song of praise to our God, but beyond that I was pretty ignorant about Mount Zion. Now when I think of Mt. Zion, I think of David's tabernacle which was different from Moses' tabernacle. It was a new testament prototype in that it had no veil. You could go into the very presence of the ark of the covenant which represented the presence and glory of God. I believe David wrote Psalms 91 in the presence of the ark. "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." When Jesus was crucified the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom. Because of the finished work of Jesus Christ, we can come boldly to the throne of grace and receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.

I encourage you to look at Hebrews 12;18-24. We haven't come again to Mt. Sinai, but in verse 22, it says," But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly, and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of alll, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel." Isaiah says," Come let us go up to the mountain of the Lord." Through the shed blood of Jesus sprinkled on the Mercy Seat not made with hands, our propitiation, we have access to the Great King. You don't have to take a number or make an appointment, or go through a secretary. By faith in the finished work of Christ, I can call on the Great King at any time in the beauty of holiness.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 47:2,3

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 47:2,3
For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the people under us and the nations under our feet.

Our God is an awesome God. His kingdom is eternal and it is ever advancing in this earth. The stone cut out without hands that crushed the other kingdoms is ,of course, the kingdom of God. It becomes a mountain which fills the whole earth. Jesus ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father, far above all rule and authority where he remains until all enemies are placed under His feet. (Ephesians 1 and Hebrews 10:13) The Lord reigns in the hearts of those who have received Him as their Lord. As we look at the turmoil in the earth you might be tempted to ask, " Is He reigning?" Absolutely, there will be day when all things are set aright. Wickedness is exposed that it might be destroyed. Nothing escapes His notice. The whole earth will be filled with the experiential knowledge of the glory of the Lord even as the waters cover the sea.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 46:10

A Psalm for Today: 
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalms 46:10

There are times when we have difficult circumstances arise in our lives and we exhaust all human possibilities before turning to the Lord in prayer. I can remember a situation I was facing that was causing much anxiety. I tried everything I knew to do with no success. One morning in my devotion time I was reading the corresponding books of Psalms and as I read this verse it leaped in my spirit. I read in another translation and it said "Cease striving and know that I am God." I remember Ian Thomas telling us that the robe of the priest was not to be made of wool because we were not supposed to sweat. If you are facing a situation or situations that are causing you anxiety step back, take a deep breath, and pray. God will be exalted among the nations and in the earth, but He will also be exalted in you. When I stopped striving and allowed Him to move on my behalf the stress left and in a few days an unexpected blessing resolved the issue. All glory belongs to the Lord. Amen

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 44:3

For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; but it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them. Psalms 44:3

Israel was not a powerful nation. God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. There was no way in the natural for Israel to defeat the powerful peoples in Canaan. He uses the weak to humble the strong. Israel was not chosen for reason of their strength; it was the sovereignty of God. He likes to show forth His power in the weak, so that everyone will know that it is He who has done it. Salvation is like that. If it could be earned or deserved it would not be a gift of grace. If it were of our own hand by your works, we could boast in it. We are unable to save ourselves; it is only through faith in the finished work of Christ that we are saved by His grace. We could not earn it, nor did we deserve it. If we could have done it ourselves God would need to apologize to His Son, for His suffering would have been unnecessary. I learned a long time ago that apart from God I am nothing and can do nothing, but through Him I can do all things. Paul said that when he was weak, then he was strong for God's power was perfected in weakness. Your strength is not determined by your emotional strength, physical stamina, or how much weight you can lift; it is determined by the one in whom you have placed Your trust.

A Psalm for Today

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 45:6,7
Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; thereforeGod, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

These verses reference Christ and can be seen again in Hebrews 1:8,9. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor. 5:21 Jesus became sin that the body of sin might be destroyed. As we receive His finished work by faith His righteousness is imputed to us. We are told in Matthew 6:33 to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness. As you seek the king's reign in Your life, you also find the king's righteousness. His kingdom is established in righteousness. For the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus endured the shame of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. Part of this joy was the great inheritance which included you and me.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 43:5

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 43:5
Why are You cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.

I love the Psalms because the writer expresses his true feelings and so often I identify with them. If we are honest, we all get depressed or discouraged from time to time. I've found that most often it is because I have taken my eyes off God and put them on my external circumstances. When we do that, like Peter, we get that sinking feeling. The terminology in this psalm are the words of a shepherd. A "cast" sheep is one who has fallen on his back and cannot right himself. A sheep will die if he is cast for too long because body gases build up inside him. The Good Shepherd finds the sheep, sets him on his feet, and massages him until things are back right in his system. When circumstances attempt to cast us down, we must remember that our hope is in our Shepherd. We would do well to praise Him before the fact because He has already defeated the enemy of our soul and has given us everything that pertains life and godliness. He is our glory and the lifter of our head. Cast all your care upon Him for He cares for you.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 42: 1,2

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 42:1,2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shal I come and appear before God?
 
God is looking for those who will seek Him with their whole heart. He will be found by those who seek Him with all that they are. One of the keys to revival is a deperate people praying desperately. Hunger is one of the things that is missing in today's church. Too many have been drinking from the world's fountain and are sated and complacent. The picture here is of a deer that that has been running and is frantically searching for water. God must become to us as water to a man who is thirsting to death or food to a starving man. We must have Him. In the verse "Seek and you shall find", the verb there is present imperative which means to seek and keep on seeking. When He becomes our determination, He will become Your destination. "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 41:9

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 41:9
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

Many of us have felt the pain of betrayal. If you have, you are in good company. I have often prayed the words of Paul " that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. " Phil. 3:10 Once after being terribly disappointed in a person, I cried out to the Lord and it was quickened to me that betrayal was part of Christ's suffering. We all know of Christ's betrayal by Judas who had walked with him for three years. As you read Paul's letters you see there were those who betrayed him as well. The only way we can enter the fellowship of His sufferings is to suffer. The only way to know the power of the resurrection is to die. If we have been crucified with Him then we will be raised with Him. If we walk as He walked, we will most likely experience the pain of betrayal, but we will also experience the power and the glory of the resurrection.

A Psalm for Today: psalms 40:1,2

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 40:1,2I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.

In some respects this could be the testimony of everyone who comes to salvation in the Lord. We were all in a pit heading to destruction. It was when we realized our plight and we cried out to the Lord that He heard us. The word inclined is an interesting word here. It is as if the Lord leaned over the portals of heaven to hear David's cry. He reached down and lifted him out of the miry clay. I picture miry clay as mud that just sucks you in and you can't pull your feet out of it. You are stuck. He brought him out of the pit and set his feet upon a rock. He lifted us up and set our feet upon a rock. That rock is Jesus; He is our rock. Religion attempts to get to God, but in Christianity God comes to get us. Before Christ we were on sinking sand with no purpose and no direction. He brought us out, set us on Christ, gave us a future, a hope, a purpose, and a destiny. He established our steps. If you are in Christ today, you are on solid footing.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 39:7

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 39:7
"Lord make me to know my end, and what is the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I am."

 God gives grace to the humble. True humility is the recognition that apart from God we can do nothing. We cannot preserve our lives. I knew of a well known minister who lived a very healthy lifestyle and was in extremely good health, yet he died in a plane crash. The Lord knows our days; He knows the end from the beginning. It is important to recognize that this life is but a vapor. It is good to be disciplined in body, but only God can sustain us. This physical life is fragile and can be gone in an instant. We must set our eyes on the eternal. Listen to the words of Paul, " Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things that are not seen.or the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.." 2 Cor. 4:16-18   If we focus on the temporary, when things go bad we lose hope. If we focus on the eternal we know that we have a hope which is sure and cannot be taken away by death or physical circumstances.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 38:15

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 38:15
For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.

 We see David, in this psalm, distressed in body and soul. It seems he has great infirmity and his heart is heavy, weighed down with trouble. Because of his disease family and friends have pulled away from him. His enemies see his weakness as an opportunity to attack him. As you read this psalm you cannot help, but feel compassion for David; he seems to be holding on by a thread. Yet, in the midst of his troubles he makes a declaration of faith. His hope is in the Lord. Hope is the confident expectation of a desired end. He declares that the Lord will hear him. David knew just as we can know that if the Lord hears us, He will answer us. 1 John 5:14,15 says," Now this is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." Many of us have been in positions where we felt like we were sunk if the Lord didn't come to our aid and obviously He did.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 37:4

A Psalm for Today: 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

 While many would quote this in reference to some material object they want, I believe it has a much greater implication than that. I have found that those things I delight in, I want more of. When God becomes our delight; He will also become our desire. Jesus said to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness and all these things ( food and raiment) would be added to us. It ...is more than material goods; it is His glorious presence. In His presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. God told Abraham that He was his exceeding great reward. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. David said "One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple." Can there be any greater desire than God Himself?

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 36:5,6

 Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep. O Lord, You preserve man and beast.

 The psalmist is using terms we can understand or picture to describe the vastness of God's attributes. How can we measure His great mercy, sufficient for as many as would come to Him in repentance? As Jeremiah said, " Great is thy faithfulness." He i...s faithful even when we are faithless. Most of us who have walked with the Lord a long time can testify of His great faithfulness. His righteousness is like the great mountains. Mountains represent governments. The government that overcame and survives all other governments is the kingdom of God. The stone cut out without hands became a mountain which filled the whole earth. Paul says the kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Lord ways are higher than our ways and past finding out. None of us is wise enough to be His counselor. The great deep is the depth of His wisdom which cannot be measured. Left to his own devices, man would destroy Himself and the animals, but God is the preserver of life and the giver of life and that more abundantly.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 35:9,10

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 35:9,10
And my soul shall be joyful in the Lord; it shall rejoice in His salvation. All my bones shall say, " Lord, who is like You, delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, yes, the poor and needy from him who plunders him?"

 In this Psalm David is looking for vindication and deliverance from his enemies. We, too have enemies. Paul said our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We see the enemy of our souls and his hierarchy seeking to destroy us. We were all poor and needy, oppressed of the devil, having no hope, but God. Jesus said," Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." To become poor in spirit is to recognize our need for God. Poverty is not measured by one's possessions or lack thereof.  A man can gain the whole world and lose his own soul. In Christ, God freely gives us all things. Our enemy was too strong for us, but through the finished work of Christ on the cross the plunderer has been plundered. Our soul can be joyful in the Lord, because we have received so great a salvation and the head of our enemy was crushed at Calvary.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 34:9,10

 Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Psalms 34:9,10

 The reverential awe and awareness of God's presence at all times will guide a person's life. The Psalms and Proverbs both state that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The beginning means that it is a starting point and that there is more to come. The Lord has given great promises to those who fear Him. The fruit of a disciplined life is prosperity. Matthew 6;33 says to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things (food, raiment, etc.) would be added unto us. Our first priority is  to seek His rule, reign, and dominion in every area of our life and we will have everything that we need because there is no lack in the kingdom and our King owns it all.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 33:11

The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Psalm 33:11

 God is not making it up as we go along. His plans will be fulfilled. There is not anything that takes Him by surprise. He is not in heaven wringing His hands. In Psalms 11, it asks the question," If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do? The next verse says, "The Lord is in His holy temple." He has not abdicated; He has not moved. His plans are... not changed. He knows the end from the beginning. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 " Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words by no means will pass away." His counsel is sure and it does not lose its relevancy; it is as relevant to this generation as when it was first spoken. We can be at peace because our Father is still in control. You can trust Him with Your life, because His plans are good.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 32:7

 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalms32:7

 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3 Christ, Himself is our hiding place. Even as God hid Moses in the cleft of the rock, by faith, our position is in Christ seated at the right hand of the Father far above all rule and authority. Nothing shall by any means harm us. If our outer man perishes we have an eternal home with Him. It is wonderful to think about God singing over us. I don't know that this psalm is referencing the Lord singing over us, but we see in Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing." One of the reactions to deliverance is great joy. In Psalms 126 it says that when God delivered Jacob they were like those who dream; they were laughing and joyfully singing. The Lord rejoices over us and the song he sings is a song of joy and gladness. He has defeated our enemies triumphing openly over them. We will join in the song of deliverance just as Israel sang on the opposite shore of the Red Sea, " I will sing unto the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously..."

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 31:19

 How great is Thy goodness which Thou has stored up for those who fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, before the sons of men. Psalms 31:19


 There are many promises to those who fear the Lord. Some don't like to talk about the fear of the Lord because it appears to be contradictory to His approachability and His kindness. Jesus had the spirit of the fear of the Lord upon Him. The fear of the Lord is pure; it is clean. It doe...s not hinder us from approaching God. If we have been born again we can boldly approach His throne and receive mercy and find grace in our time of need. God is not in heaven waiting for you to mess up so he can swat You like a bug. He has given us the Holy Spirit that we may be empowered to live the Christ life. We can grieve the Holy Spirit and we can quench Him. In such cases we may lose the sensitivity and sense of His presence if we ignore or take lightly His promptings. One of the aspects of the fear of the Lord is not wanting to do anything that will cause us to lose the sense of His presence. Our position in Christ is that place of refuge. We are seated in heavenly places in Christ far above all rule and authority. We are hidden in the cleft of the rock. We have on the armor of God which is really being clothed in Christ. "Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire." Hebrews 12:28, 29

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 30:11

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. Psalms 30:11



 In Isaiah 61 we see the purposes of the anointing upon Christ and His church. In the last part of verse 2 we see that He came to comfort all who mourn, to give them the oil of gladness, the mantle of praise, and a garland for ashes. In His sermon ...on the mount, Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." For those who are grieved over sin and the death that it has bought Jesus came bearing good news. He took our sin upon Himself and died on our behalf. He rose again and by virtue of our entering into the baptism of His death we are also raised to walk in newness of life. We truly have good news to share that will bring joy and gladness to those who will receive.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 29:2

Give unto the Lord the glory due His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalms 29: 2


 How much glory is the Lord due? All of it, He is worthy of all glory and praise. The Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth. He desires that we worship Him with all that we are, body, soul, and spirit Holiness is beautiful. In Isaiah 6 we see that the holiness and glory that emanated from the Lord was so brilliant that even the seraphim, who were created to abide in His presence could not look at Him. One cried to another and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" He is holy. In Him is no blemish, no shadow of change, and complete purity. Even His shadow is filled with light. For us to be holy, we must be in Christ. To be holy is to be wholly committed or separated unto Him. That is a worship that is pure, without alloy and is beautiful to the Lord. To worship in the beauty of holiness is offering holy worship from a wholly committed heart to a holy and wholly beautiful Lord.

A Psalm Today: Psalms 28:6

Psalms 28:6 Blessed be the Lord because He has heard the voice of my supplications!


The ear of the Lord is attentive to the prayer of His children. David experienced great difficulty along away and many times we see him crying out to the Father. He often followed that with a declaration and praise. 1 John 5:14,15 says "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us..., whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions we asked of Him." David knew that if the Lord heard His prayer He would answer. We, too, as God's anointed children can have that confidence as well. The key is praying His will. It is not praying some frivolous prayer trying to get something that we can consume upon our own lust, but it is what is in His heart. His heart is to deliver us from the evil one even as Jesus said to pray in the model prayer along with provision, forgiveness, the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Holy Spirit that is found in the kingdom. We can pray these things with confidence for they are His will. If He hears, He answers

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 27:13,14

I would have lost heart had I not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say on the Lord! Psalms 27:13, 14


There have been times in my life where I would have given up, but there was that hope that God would bring me out of the pit. Biblical hope is not wishful thinking; it is as sure as the object of that hope is faithful. God is faithful. Biblical hope is the confident expectation of a desired end. Hope sustains us when the enemy surrounds us and when as the songwriter wrote "when sorrows like sea billows roll." We will see His goodness. Yesterday, we spoke of His goodness being the essence of His glory. It is not the fearful expectation of His wrath that brings men to repentance; It is His goodness. Job in the midst of his sorrow said, " For I know my redeemer lives, and he shall stand at last on the earth;" Job 19:25 To wait on Him is not to sit idly. It is a Hebrew word that means to bind together with twisting. I am reminded that a three fold cord is not easily broken. To wait is to be joined to. It is much easier to hope when we are wrapped up in Jesus. Be enjoined, entwined with Him and your heart will be strengthened.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 26:8

Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, and the place where Your glory dwells. Psalms26:8

If you ever encounter the manifested glory of the Lord, you will never be the same. The essence of God's glory is His goodness. His goodness is so divinely powerful that Moses had to be hidden in the cleft of the rock (which for us is Jesus Christ) just for Him to pass by. The revelation of His glory changed Isaiah the prophet. The priests could not stand up to minister when Hi...s glory filled Solomon's temple at the dedication. John said that they beheld the glory of Jesus as the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. I personally believe that it is the revelation of His glory that causes us to recognize that we need a Savior. Paul says in the book of Romans that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. As Christians, by virtue of being in Christ (the cleft of the rock) we can experience His glory and His presence. The Lord's habitation is the spiritual house that He is building with precious stones (the believers) and the glory that is upon Christ He has given to the believers that we may be one. Where does his glory dwell? Among His people and He inhabits their praise.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 25: 14

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, and He will show them His covenant. Psalms 25:14

The fear of the Lord is defined as hating evil in the Old Testament. Some consider the fear of the Lord to be an awesome respect. I like to define the fear of the Lord as rejecting anything that hinders our intimacy with God. God can trust those who walk in the fear of the Lord with revelation. He reveals His secrets to those who have an intimate relationship with Him. His covenant is available to us by virtue of our faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The covenant is between the Father and the Son and we enter this covenant by virtue of our position in Christ. The Lord reveals Himself to those who will reveal Him.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 24:1

The earth is the Lord's and all it's fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalms 24:1

The Lord does own it all. I often quote this verse in relationship to finances as a recognition that God owns it all and that as my Father, He has more than adequate resources to meet my needs. In Christ, He has given us unsearchable riches and made us to be joint heirs with His beloved Son. If you are struggling financially it is good to realize that the coffers of heaven are not depleted. They are not impacted by what goes on in the earthly realm. Too often we live as paupers when our heavenly Father owns it all. I am reminded of the older son, the brother of the prodigal son, who was pouring out his complaint to the father. His words (paraphrased) went something like this, " I have served you faithfully all these years and you have not given me so much as a goat to make merry with my friends, but this one who spent his inheritance in riotous living and debauchery you welcome graciously and kill the fatted calf. His father replied," Son, you are with me always and all I have is yours." Those words impacted me when I realized what the Lord was saying to His children. All He has is ours. He has chosen to make us joint heirs with Christ and it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom. Our Father is able to supply our needs according to His riches and He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think according the power working in us. He owns it all and all He has is ours. Wow!

Psalm for Today: Psalms 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalms 23:1

These are comforting words to those who are sheep. He is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for His sheep. If He freely gave his life for us; would he not freely give us all things? He cares for His sheep and sees to it that they have everything they need. I remember a few things from reading the book,  A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm by Phillip Keller. He has some wonderful insights about sheep and shepherds. One thing I remember him talking about is when a sheep gets cast down or on his back. He cannot get off his back on his own. If he is on his back too long gases build up in his body and he'll die. When the good shepherd finds one on his back he will lift him up and set him back on his feet and will massage him until the gas is dissipated. Why should we be downcast if in Him we have all that we need? He is the Good Shepherd; He will pick you up and put you back on your feet. He leads us to what we need and protects from our enemies.  He is Jehovah Rohe, the Lord our Shepherd and he is all we need.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 21:13

Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power. Psalm 21:13

In this psalm David is speaking of the Lord's deliverance from his enemies. He closes the Psalm with an exaltation of the Lord praising His power and strength. There is no enemy and no situation from which the Lord cannot deliver you. David was a man of experience. God had delivered the lion and the bear into his hands. He gave him victory over the giant and in countless battles against his enemies. He could say with certainty that the Lord would deliver him having experienced the faithfulness and the power of God. The Christian has been given the name above all names. Everything is subject to that name. Christ has already defeated our enemies. I think of the songs "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" or "A Mighty fortress is our God."  We can live victoriously because of the Lord's great power. He has dealt with and will deal with our enemies. I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously.

Psalm for Today: 20:7

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. Psalms 20:7

Today, we might say some trusts in tanks, artillery, and missiles. I believe in a strong military, but there are many battles in scripture where the numbers and equipment of the enemy were far superior to that of God's people. Look at King Asa, outnumbered two to one against the Ethiopians who had many chariots. Recognizing his strength was in the Lord, he won a great victory. Jehoshaphat was sent out to battle and told they would not have to fight, so they sent out the choir first to praise the Lord. Gideon was sent forth with three hundred men against an innumerable number of Midianites with many camels. There is a David, a young shepherd boy, running towards a great warrior nearly twice his height. The words of David to Goliath  are the key to victory; "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts...." Psalms 17:45a It is not a matter of what we have; it is a matter of where we place our trust. This applies to every level of life. Some trust in bank accounts and material possessions. The question is, "What are we trusting in?" or more precisely "Who are you trusting in?" If it is any where besides in the Lord God, it is misplaced and will fail in the time of crisis.  Like Jehoshaphat, we are faced with a three fold enemy that cannot be overcome in the arm of the flesh. Our enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil can only be defeated in the name of the Lord. Some trust in bank accounts, and some in the government, but we will trust in name of our God. We can safely trust in Him.

Psalm for Today: Psalms 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalms 19:14

The words we speak are powerful. Jesus said by our words we are justified; by our words we are condemned. Proverbs says the power of life and death are in the tongue. James speaks of the power of the tongue and how powerful it is. We are to be slow to speak. Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his tongue. With the mouth confession is made unto salvation. There are countless verses written about what we speak. I am sure we have opened our mouth and inserted our foot. We've all said things that we wish we would not have said. Words can have eternal significance so it is very important that we guard our lips. What kind of words are acceptable and pleasing to the Lord? Words of praise to the Father are always acceptable and He is worthy. Col. 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.  His grace enables us to respond in the right manner. Words of grace are words that like salt purify, preserve, and flavor. I have found that a little salt takes bitterness away as with putting salt on a grapefruit. Ephesians 4:29 is a similar verse. Our words should edify and impart grace to the hearer. Now what about those meditations? Proverbs say as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Do you ever think about what you have been thinking about? Is my mind filled with worries and anxiety. The apostle Paul addresses what we should be thinking about pretty well in Philippians 4: 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy----meditate on these things.  It would be hard to improve on that. May we say and think on those things which are in His heart.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 18:3

I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalms 18:3

      David wrote Psalms 18 as a song to the Lord after he had been delivered from Saul and all of his enemies. As a believer we have access to our Father and can call upon Him any time day or night. Jesus has triumphed openly over the enemy of our souls, but until we see the last enemy put under His feet there will be battles. The war has already been won at Calvary when Jesus crushed the head of the serpent.  It is incumbent upon us to gather the spoils. He has given us victory over our enemies and we always triumph in Jesus name. He is worthy of all praise. In Revelation we see in heaven the twenty-four elders and then myriads of angels praising the Lord singing, "Worthy is the lamb who was slain before the foundation of the world."  We praise Him for what he has done; we praise Him for what He is doing; we praise Him for what he will do, but most of all we praise Him for who He is. We shall be saved from our enemies because we already have been.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 17:11

As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. Psalms 17:15

Those who love His appearing long to see Him face to face. We see through a glass darkly, but one day we will see Him face to face and will know even as we have been known. If we are born again, we have become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and we are in process of being conformed to His image. He is able to cause all things to work together for our good because we love Him and are called according to His purpose. The scripture did not say that He caused all things, but He causes everything to work for our good. In other words, everything that comes into our lives God takes and brings redemptive purpose whether the devil caused it, it was caused by our own stupidity, or God caused it. He uses these things in producing the character and image of His son and we can be confident that He will complete the work that He has begun in us. One day when we awaken in His presence we will be in His likeness and we will finally be completely satisfied with who we are.

Psalm For Today: Psalms 16: 11

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

    What is the path of life? It is the way to salvation. Jesus said," I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, no man comes to the Father but by me. John 14:6 Jesus is the Path that leads to the Father; He is the path that leads to life. The Lord is omnipresent whether we know Him or not, but if we have found the path of life we have His indwelling presence through the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. In His indwelling presence and His manifested presence there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. I used to think that we had to die experience the pleasures forevermore, but one day I realized that positionally we are at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. I like the Westminster catechism's statement: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. If we are in Christ we can already enjoy pleasures that will be ours forevermore. 

Psalm for Today: Psalms 15:1,2

Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart. Psalms 15:1,2

    One of the things that is missing in our society today is integrity. This should not be the case among Christians. We know that if we have received Jesus Christ as Lord, His righteousness has been imputed to us by faith. We also have been given the Holy Spirit, who Jesus describes as the Spirit of truth. It follows that anyone who is born of God and led by His Spirit should walk in integrity. This psalm describes a man who hates evil, fears God, and speaks the truth even when it hurts Him. If a man can walk in that kind of integrity before the cross, what manner of men ought we to be who are indwelt with the Spirit of God. The fear of the Lord is not just an awesome respect, but a knowing that He is constantly with us. We don't want to do anything that grieves or quenches the Holy Spirit. We are called to abide in His presence and are being conformed to His image. His character, His attributes are being developed in us and should be manifest in us. Can we answer the psalmist question with , " I will abide in Your tabernacle and dwell in Your holy hill because I walk in Your righteousness by virtue of what Christ has done for me and in me."