Posts with the tag “psalms”

Daily Devotional from Psalm 90–Verse 12“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”Oh man, this Psalm really hits home. If every minute we wasted throughout the day was written on our forehead, I’m pretty sure we’d be walking around with our heads down Lol. Things that seem insignificant, like picking up our phone and scrolling social media for a few minutes, really add up...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 89—Verse 15 (KJV)“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.”  Some people spend their time chasing the good life – living for the weekend, the next vacation, retirement, or whatever pleasure they can afford. If it isn’t money, perhaps it’s sex. If it isn’t sex, then maybe entertainment, experiences, posse...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 88–3 “I am overwhelmed with troubles…”18 “…darkness is my closest friend.”From verse 3 all the way through verse 18, it goes on like this. Pain after pain with no relief. This psalm never provides us a “…but, God” moment, or a “this too shall pass” promise.Nope. It just keeps scraping along. Grinding, tearing, burning. As painful and desperate as this psalm is, I like t...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 87–Verse 1-2“His foundation is in the holy mountains. The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.” (KJV)God's unique love for Jerusalem is revealed in this chapter. Moriah and Zion are the holy mountains He chose. It is a sacred city set apart by God Himself as the home for His divine presence.God loves the gates of Zion most of all. Zion is ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 86–Verse 11b (CSB)“…Give me an undivided mind to fear your name…” Oh how our minds can be so divided. So many things are fighting for our attention—social media, the news, our families, our kids, our spouses, our jobs… the list is endless. This Psalm has a divided mind, in one David is crying out to God in despair, and in the other, he is working hard to contend for his...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 85–Verse 8“Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; but let them not turn back to folly.”When kids have no fear of danger, they can easily do things that seem reckless to those of us who know better. They feel safe; they can’t imagine getting hurt. We can be that way sometimes too. When life seems like it’s going gr...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 84—Verse 10“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” When I was a young man, I had an inflated sense of my own importance. I thought there’d be nothing better than being an NFL player or movie star. I’d be famous and enjoy all the fanfare that came with it. What a joke. God had to take me to the school of humility. I ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 83–Verses 2b-3a “… those who hate you have raised their heads, they lay crafty plans against your people…”Asaph expresses his indignation at the enemies of God. He calls upon Him to exact retribution on them. How dare they come against the Lord and his people? The enemy of our souls is no different today, but look how the Lord deals with such arrogant plots and plans. T...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 82–Verse 8 “Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!” According to The Facts Institute, there are 195 nations who are members of the United Nations. There are 4 nations who are non-members, making the total 199 Nations. Andaccording to Psalm 82:8 every one of them is an inheritance of the Lord. Nothing happens that God doesn’t see and judge....  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 81–Verse 10“I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”This is a psalm that encourages us to worship and praise God. Use our voices and musical instruments to sing,  shout, and raise music to the Lord. It encourages us to remember all the great things God has done for us in our lives, and then to praise...  Read More

Daily Devotional From Psalm 80– Verse 19“Restore us, Lord God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.” The Psalmist repeats this phrase three times (vs. 3, 7, 19), personifying God’s people, Israel. Yet in some ways it’s kind of ironic. The people who were once too afraid to face God (Exodus 20:18-19) now realize their need for a face-to-face encounter with God. The Psalmist kn...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 79–Verse 13“So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; we will show forth Your praise to all generations.” This psalm encapsulates what real grief can look like and how we can bring it before God. The psalmist cries out, “How long, Lord?” I’m sure we’ve all felt this way at one time or another, asking God, How much longer will I be in th...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 78–Verse 8“...a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.” We have things to do and people to see. Life is not a dress rehearsal. The last thing we need is for verse 8 to be spoken about us.We are stewards of our generation. We have a say in who we are going to be. And the last thing we need to ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 77–Verses 7-9“Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful?Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”Have you been there? It’s easy to say that God is here and loves us, even when we don’t feel him. But what happens when the rubber meets the...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 76–Verse 4“Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.” (KJV)World powers or strongholds could be examples of mountains of prey. God is much greater and more powerful than anything that threatens us. Even the biggest problems in life look small and weak when compared to God's glory and ultimate power.By shifting our focus to God’s supreme authority ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 75–Verses 6-7“For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up, but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.” I am so glad that judgment is God’s job. It makes loving people so much easier. And it allows us to move into prayer for others instead of dwelling on what we think they deserve. As Christians, ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 74—Verse 2 “Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage!”There are quite a few instances of people in the Bible calling out to God to ‘remember us!’ which is another way of saying ‘don’t forget about us!’ I have a friend who tells a story about the time when he accidentally forgot he had his 4-yea...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 73—Verse 17“…until I went into the sanctuary of God…”I love this line. It’s the turning point of the entire Psalm.The psalmist spends the first half of this Psalm in consternation because people in the world seem to just get off scot-free. There appear to be no repercussions for living an ungodly life. Meanwhile, those trying to live for the Lord can’t seem to catch a b...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 72–Verse 18 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.”In Psalm 72, David prays for Solomon. In his prayer, we also see King Jesus. How marvelous it is to belong to the Lord! As children adopted into his kingdom, we have seen the “wondrous things” he does. May we live in thankfulness for all he has done for us. May we receive with gladness ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 71– Verse 9 “Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent.” King David had experienced family betrayal, betrayal of friends, destruction from enemies, condemnation, criticism, death of those he loved, destruction, and finally betrayal of his own body. And yet he turns to God. Don’t cast me off. Don’t forsake me. And God never aband...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 70— Verse 4“May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you! May those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!””Once again, David is calling out to God for assistance. He’s done all he can do in beseeching the Lord to deliver him from his enemies, without delay. And yet, in the midst of all his despair, he takes time to encourage others to magnify theGod of...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 69– Verse 6“Lord, the Lord Almighty, may those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me; God of Israel may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me.” When I read this psalm, I cannot help but think of Christ. Christ is the ultimate intercessor, the one before the throne of God, our mediator. Scripture tells us that He prays for us (John 17:9, Romans 8:...  Read More

October 2Daily Devotional from Psalm 68— Verse 5“A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.” How beautiful that the One who spoke creation into existence would choose to personally step in as a Father to those who don’t have one. This shows us just a glimpse of God’s character. He is very present in the places where others are absent. He is strong in the place...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 67—Verse 5“Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!”  This entire Psalm is a call to worship for all the nations of the world. Can you imagine it? Every nation, language, and culture gathered before the Lord on Mount Zion. We open each Sunday at Legacy Church with a Call to Worship. Someone stands before us and does their best to rouse our hear...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 66–Verses 1,13, & 16“Shout for joy to God, all the earth! I will come to your temple with burnt offerings. Come and hear all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me.”God is HUGE! He made it all; the earth, the sky, the land, the sea – great things and tiny things - wonderful things and frightening things. The psalm starts there and provides a universal...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 64–Verse 1a & 10“Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint…. Let the righteous one rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him! Let all the upright in heart exult!”Sometimes we just need to express all of our frustrations and complaints to God. We need to get out everything we are thinking and feeling. This is one of the ways we take refuge in the LORD. He is our safe place,...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 63–Verse 1“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”This is a beautiful thought, isn’t it? Imagine David in his royal robes, sitting by a refreshing fountain nibbling on a platter of delectables, composing these songs for the Lord.No.King David wrote this one, schol...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 62–Verse 10“If riches increase, set not your heart on them.”If you had a broken chair, you should probably try to fix it or just get rid of it. It’s not worth having at the family table. Somebody is going to get hurt. And it’s not going to be pretty. Riches are a lot like a broken chair. They might support you, but don’t be surprised if the whole thing collapses. Anythi...  Read More

September 24Daily Devotional from Psalm 61–Verses 2-3 “…from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.”When we become faint of heart and overwhelmed, we can cry out to God. He will lift us above the waves of problems threatening to drown us. Our past experience of God’s faithf...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 65–Verse 13“The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.”All the earth declares the glory of God! The Bible tells us He is the Creator of all things and a perfect provider in every way. His love and kindness are revealed in His beautiful creation. How awesome that the mountains and the hills sing ...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 60–Verse 12“With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.”Valiantly means to do something bravely, courageously, and determinedly. With God as our source, those words define exactly how we walk as servants of the most High God. Walking as a servant of God means we never have to be concerned about enemies, or foes, or even people who are unkind t...  Read More

September 22Daily Devotional from Psalm 59–Verse 16“But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”This is a prayer/song for deliverance from and judgment on David’s enemies, who seem not to fear the consequences of their evil ways. But David leaves his security in God’s hands and...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 58–Verse 4-5“Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears, that will not heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be.”Wicked people are compared to snakes by the psalmist. A classic example of portraying the rebellious and unrighteous as those from the serpent's lineage (Genesis 3.15). As the Psalmist s...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 57–Verse 7“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.”David wrote this psalm from a place of real danger as he was fleeing from King Saul. In the midst of his fear, he declares, “My heart is steadfast.” He gives us a great example of what it looks like to bring our heart posture back to steadfastness. It’s so easy for our minds and...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 56–Verses 12b-13“I will render thank offerings to you. For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”There are so many verses I could have highlighted in this chapter! But I find 12 and 13 to be the most profound in light of David’s situation. He writes this song about trusting God after he was sei...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 55–Verses 5-6“Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me. Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest.”King David said this during a time of extreme sadness and fear. At such times, escape is a natural first reaction. Wanting to run away is a universal human impulse. But it’s not the answer. In Psalm 55, after giving voice to thi...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 54–Verse 6“I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good” (KJV).Loving and serving God is our natural response to the wonderful gift He has given to us. His sacrifice set us free and reconciled us back into a loving relationship with God. He brings us out of darkness into His marvelous light. We can offer praise through prayer, servic...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 53– Verse 3 “They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.”  Every single one of us has been corrupted by sin. It functions like a genetic disease that spreads from person to person. No amount of “good” we do can cure us of it. Paul refers to this verse in Romans 3:10. He then says in verses 23-24, “for all have...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 52–Verse 9“I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.”David wrote this after his hiding place was betrayed to Saul, who was trying to kill him. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been in quite that bad of a spot! But check out the language David uses here: ‘I will thank you BECAUSE YOU...  Read More

Daily Devotional from Psalm 51–Verse 6“You delight in truth in the inward being.”This verse has always stuck out to me like a sore thumb. It bothers me. It screams for attention. It’s easy to commit to truth on the outside. People are watching, after all; so give them what they want to see. Give them what makes you look good. But cover up the things that make you look bad! Don’t let anybody see it...  Read More