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."

Psalm for Today: Psalms 14:2

The Lord looks down upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Psalms 14:2

    It is the fool who says there is no God. Creation testifies of Him. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so they are without excuse. Romans  1:20  The Lord sees those who recognize His existence and seek Him. He will move heaven and earth to reveal Himself to a seeking soul. Through Jeremiah he stated that He would be found by those who seek Him with their whole heart. Think of the Ethiopian eunuch who had gone to Jerusalem to seek God and returning home he was reading Isaiah 53. The Holy Spirit sent Philip from an awesome revival to the backside of the desert to intercept his chariot and share with him the gospel. The Lord sent Philip from the many to the one. God will seek those who seek Him with their whole heart. 

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 13:5,6

But I have trusted in Your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalms 13:5,6

   David is in distress because of his enemies and is crying out to the Lord for deliverance. He asks a familiar question that I am sure that many of us have asked, "How long?" When a difficult circumstance like lack, unemployment, strife, stress, or infirmities drags on and on it wearies us. We tend to become hopeless. We go to bed sad, wakeup sad, and often find it hard to sleep. It robs of our strength and vitality. But within the heart of David there remains a spark; a remembrance of the many times God has demonstrated His faithfulness. You will recall how at Ziklag he encouraged himself in the Lord. He closes the psalm with a declaration of faith. He has trusted in the Lord's mercy. There are situations in life that I may have caused myself. I don't appeal to the Lord on the basis of what I deserve but according to His great mercies which are new every morning and endure forever. Faith doesn't deny the problem, it declares deliverance like Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego before Nebuchadnezzar stating "Our God will deliver us.." David said, "My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation." I am sure when he says he will sing to the Lord that he is not going to wait until his deliverance is manifest. It is easy to sing on the other side of the Red Sea when your pursuers have perished, but can we sing on this side when our enemy is advancing? Praise is a powerful weapon against our enemies. In 2 Chronicles 20:22 the praise of Judah initiated God's attack on their enemies. When we consider what God has done for us we can also say God has dealt bountifully with us. He has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness.  "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him us up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things." Romans 8:32   Hold on, deliverance is coming. 

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 12:6,7

The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times, You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. Psalms 12:6,7

    I used to say that a word from the Lord would be tested, but one day I said that and I felt a check in my spirit. The Lord showed me that His word has been tested and that it is not the word of the Lord being tested; it is me. We see this in the life of Joseph in Psalms 105:19 Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. 
    In the parable of the sower the sower was sowing the word of the kingdom. The seed had the very DNA of God yet it was the condition of the soil that determined the increase. The seed tested the soil.  Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Our response to the word reveals our heart. It cuts through the superficial and the flesh and discerns our motives.
   Gods words are tried and true. He is faithful. It is impossible for Him to lie. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The word of God does not requires testing; it tests us.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 11:3,4

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do ? The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. Psalms 11:3,4

The psalmist asks a question that seems very relevant for our day. The next verse doesn't say what the righteous should do, it makes a proclamation, the Lord is in His holy temple. Even if it seems that those things we thought were secure are going away, the Lord has not moved. He is still on His throne. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; His kingdom is an unshakeable kingdom. The kingdoms of this world are becoming the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ and He shall reign forever and forever. He will not waver;  He will not abdicate. When the shaking spoken of in Hebrews 12 comes only His kingdom remains. The foundations of this earth may crumble, but if Jesus is ruling in Your heart, You are part of a kingdom that is not of this world and where the Lord is on His throne there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. So, if the foundations be destroyed, remember the Lord is in His holy temple and you are part of an eternal kingdom which cannot be shaken. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on  earth as it is in heaven.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 10:14

" But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless." Psalms 10:14

The Lord sees our trouble and there will be a day when the wickedness and oppression of the enemy will be returned upon his own head. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. We often hear people say that the Lord helps those who help themselves. Many would probably be surprised that is not in the Bible. The Lord helps those who recognize that they are helpless and hopeless apart from Him. The essence of humility is understanding that apart from Him we can do nothing. Our help comes from the Lord the maker of heaven and earth. Who are the helpless? Apart from God we all are. God gives grace to the humble. Grace is more than God's unmerited favor, it is the ability of God. We do not have the power to save ourselves; it is His grace. God has said that He would be a Father to the fatherless and a husband to the widows.  Jesus said to His disciples, "I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever." John 14:16  That word another meant that He was sending someone just like Him, who of course was the Holy Spirit our Helper who dwells with  and is in the believer. In this same teaching Jesus goes on to say, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18  By implication Jesus was saying I have been your father  and I am not going to leave You fatherless, but I will come to you through the Holy Spirit. If the Helper is with you and in you, you don't have to go far to find help. Be blessed today.

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 9:10

And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You. Psalms 9:10

 The word know here is the word "yada" and it suggests intimacy. It is not just knowing there is a God or knowing about God but knowing God personally and intimately. The names of God represent His character and nature. For example, if we say "Jehovah Shammah", we are declaring that he is present. If we know His name we can safely trust in His character. Jesus Christ is the summation of all of the names of God. He is the fullness of the Godhead bodily When we place our trust in Him we will never be forsaken. Those who seek for Him with their whole heart will be found by Him. He has promised that He will never leave nor forsake us and we know this is true because he cannot deny Himself. He cannot violate His character. 

A Psalm for Today: Psalms 8:3,4

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him and the son of man that You visit him?" Psalms 8: 3,4

I ponder sometimes the vastness of the universe. Our planet is in a solar system in a galaxy called the Milky Way. The sun which is our closest star is some 93 million miles away. The next closest star is some 26 trillion miles away and there are approximately 100 million stars in our galaxy. Our galaxy is an average size galaxy and now they say there are probably millions of galaxies. Consider this, as well, that even as the universe is infinitesimally large, it is infinitesimally small as well.  Everything is composed of atoms. Atoms are made up of neutrons, protons, and electrons. They say these components are composed of what is called quarks. You get the idea; it is absolutely mindboggling. I, as a man am but a tiny speck of dust on a speck of dust yet I have been called, chosen, and set apart by the one who spoke all this into existence. By virtue of my faith in the finished work of Christ His only begotten Son, I have been given the awesome privilege of becoming a son of the most high God.
We can even draw near to Him in intimacy, "Abba Father". Yes, when I consider the majesty that He has created I can ask ,"Who am I that You are mindful of me?" O Lord, our Lord how majestic is they name in all the earth!

Psalms 7:10 A Psalm for Today

"My defense is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." Psalms  7:10

 David's words in Psalms 7 appear to be a response to the threats of Cush the Benjamite.  If you read the entire Psalm you see that David proclaims that God will judge his enemies. We see in Psalm 34 and Psalms 91 David talking about the protection of the Lord. I believe we are under the protection of the Lord, but there are things that happen to Christians that we do not understand. This physical life is but a vapor. If we view things from a temporal perspective there are things for which we do not have answers. This I do know, we have one who is an intercessor who forever makes intercession on our behalf. He bears the marks which purchased our liberty. He is our advocate and when the accuser of the brethren brings accusation before the Father, He stands in our defense. We who have received the finished work of Christ by faith are the upright in heart. The time will come when the wicked will reap what they have sown. Until that time I can say with David the Lord is my defense.

Testing

You can't have a testimony without a test.

Psalms 6:6 A Psalm for Today

" I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with tears." Psalms 6:6

   Most of us can identify with David. His psalms reflect the depths of feeling that we have all felt, but have not been able to express. In this psalm we see David in a time of distress crying before the Lord. Many of have been in that place where we feel overwhelmed. It seems God has forsaken us. God is aware of our trial. he has kept our tears in a bottle. In David's case it needed to be a big bottle. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. Often times, though we cannot see what God is doing, He is working behind the scenes. We see David at Ziklag having lost everything and his men so distressed that they were talking of stoning him. The scripture says David encouraged himself in the Lord. At the very time this was taking place a battle was raging in which the outcome would thrust David into the first part of his destiny.  Be encouraged today that God is working behind the scenes in your situation.  We can state with confidence that He is working all things together for our good because we love Him and have been called according to His purpose.