Devotionals
Ever Felt Alone? You Aren’t the Only One
I was struck reading Psalm 42 today. You’re probably familiar with the first two lines: As the deer pants for water, so my soul longs for You. But the Psalmist (identified only as a descendant of Korah) goes on to talk about how God feels far away. He knows that God is his “direction”, his... Read More →
Stream of Consciousness or Connected Thoughts?
Sometimes when we read the Bible is seems like we get whiplash! We’re following along in the flow when all of a sudden we are ambushed from out of nowhere by something we never expected and seemingly totally unrelated. A lot of teachers seem content to say, “Well, I guess the author just wanted to... Read More →
Can God Still Work Through Me If I Suck?
I’ll just say it, I find David’s orders to his son to kill Joab and Shimei to be deeply troubling. If Joab had done something worthy of death, then David should have killed him. But David did not, likely because Joab provided an incredible amount of utility to him. Then There’s Shimei, who had cursed... Read More →
What is the Wrath of God?
When we think of or hear about the ‘wrath of God’, the temptation is strong to imagine a vengeful God having a fit of rage and throwing fistfuls of lightning bolts down on a wicked populace to strike them dead. This idea comes from the capricious human-like gods popularized in Greek and Roman mythology, this... Read More →
Hidden in the Familiar
Psalm 78:2-3a says, “I will sing a song that imparts wisdom; I will make insightful observations about the past. What we have heard and learned (NET)” And I was struck by how often that happens to me. I will read a well-trodden, often discussed, and much taught passage, say… John 3:16, and think “I have heard and... Read More →
Are You Serious? You Should Be.
It is clear that — even in under the old covenant — God was calling all nations to Himself. He had a great many rules about the foreigners who lived among His chosen people. Rahab of Jericho AND Ruth of Moab are both in the line of David and of Jesus! Psalm 50 highlights this truth yet... Read More →
The Saddest Psalm
There are many “Psalms of Lament” but Psalm 88 stands out for being unrelenting. In fact, while the book of Psalms has a reputation for being soul salve, this one might leave you feeling worse after you finish it than you felt before you started! Yet, I believe that even this should be encouraging for... Read More →
What Does Omniscience Mean?
Psalm 139 has David talking about how God sees everything he does (sitting, standing, laying, speaking!) and even knows his motives. This is exactly what omniscience means (“Omni” being “all” and “science” being “knowledge”); God has all knowledge. There are two things we can take away from the fact that God knows everything. So then,... Read More →
Emotions Can Make Us Inconsistent
Reading through the Psalms, it’s hard to NOT notice that David swings wildly between God being faithful and just and wonderful and gracious to abandoning him in the dirt. Psalm 109 is MOSTLY David talking about his enemies plans and prayer to do him in. 108 has David asking the Lord if He has abandoned... Read More →
Prophecy or Poem?
Psalm 68 has some interesting features. The earth shakes before God (v8). God rescues from death (v20). And the good news is delivered by women (v11). Note the similarities with the death and resurrection of Jesus. Some commenters point out that women celebrating the victory of the king is commonplace (Ex 15:20, 1 Sa 18:6,... Read More →
Quick Thoughts
David recognizes that — even as king — he rules and reigns under the King of Kings. Any of us who hold any position of authority should keep that in mind. All authority is the Lord’s and it’s only on loan to us. We need to be mindful how we use it. Thinking of your realms... Read More →
Trust the Lord with THAT?!
David was a military king and participated in his fair share of battles, but here in Psalm 55 he declares that the greatest threat is the backstabber in his own midst. Of course we all recognize that it is far worse to be betrayed by a friend than attacked by an enemy. It’s like getting... Read More →