255 Psalms 070 – 072; 2 Timothy 001
"I'll never run out of praise." writes the Psalmist. This Psalm gives you ways to praise the Lord. David is Praising God for rescuing him from his enemies, for the righteousness of the Lord, for being a guest room he can retreat to, and for His faithfulness. There is more, of course, but the point is for us to follow suit. Lift up your head today and let God know that you praise his name. As David writes, "May he never be forgotten, his fame shine on like sunshine."
Paul understood something that forever changed the way he thought, lived, and interacted with people. He sums it by saying, "Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus." Nothing could be plainer than this message of Jesus Christ. We need to do our best to make it plain to those we are closest to. By the way, is this message plain to you?
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
254 Friday, September 11, 2009
254 Psalms 068 – 069; 1 Timothy 006
Is it important to know God? How important is it to know God? How much is it worth to you to know God? What would you give up to know God in a deeper, richer way? Hopefully as you have been reading the Psalms it has become obvious to you how well David knew God. Through all the raw emotion, awkward circumstances, and his doubts spewed all over the pages of scripture you see that he truly walked with his Lord. David as an Old Testament believer had a personal relationship with the Lord. David as a king had the Holy Spirit working in him and through him. In a way David was a precursor to the Christian life except we have more resources available to us than David. We also have an understanding of the depths of God's love, mercy, and grace that David could not have known. We live on the other side of the cross. When I think about how much insight I have and the resources at my disposal as a Christian and then examine David's life I sometimes shrink back in shame in comparison to his passion for the Lord. Let David speak to you, take a look at his heart, and the passion he had for our God. As David said, "The poor in spirit see and are glad---Oh, you God-seekers, take heart!"
Timothy, be sure to, "Pursue a righteous life--a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith." What great instruction for all of us. What a person pursues is what they become.
Is it important to know God? How important is it to know God? How much is it worth to you to know God? What would you give up to know God in a deeper, richer way? Hopefully as you have been reading the Psalms it has become obvious to you how well David knew God. Through all the raw emotion, awkward circumstances, and his doubts spewed all over the pages of scripture you see that he truly walked with his Lord. David as an Old Testament believer had a personal relationship with the Lord. David as a king had the Holy Spirit working in him and through him. In a way David was a precursor to the Christian life except we have more resources available to us than David. We also have an understanding of the depths of God's love, mercy, and grace that David could not have known. We live on the other side of the cross. When I think about how much insight I have and the resources at my disposal as a Christian and then examine David's life I sometimes shrink back in shame in comparison to his passion for the Lord. Let David speak to you, take a look at his heart, and the passion he had for our God. As David said, "The poor in spirit see and are glad---Oh, you God-seekers, take heart!"
Timothy, be sure to, "Pursue a righteous life--a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith." What great instruction for all of us. What a person pursues is what they become.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
253 Thursday, September 10, 2009
253 Psalms 065 – 067; 1 Timothy 005
How do you like this statement, "We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, Our sins too much for us-- but you get rid of them once and for all." Sooner or later we all will sin, but God's mercy is greater than our sin. Do you need to confess something to the Lord? He is merciful and abundant in forgiveness.
In the last paragraph of the last Psalm, David prays an interesting prayer by asking this, "God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!" May God mark us with His grace so much that it shines through our hearts, hands, and eyes. Smile, and let people know that the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Paul tells Timothy some of the best Godly advice you or I will ever hear when he says, "In any event, keep a close check on yourself." Paul is telling Timothy how to deal with a person that has fallen into sin or has jumped into sin, but then places those words write in the middle of his instructions. We are never to forget that we can end up just like the person we are trying to help. Guard your heart against the evil one and recruit some friends to help you protect your heart against sin. Living a holy life is a team sport.
How do you like this statement, "We all arrive at your doorstep sooner or later, loaded with guilt, Our sins too much for us-- but you get rid of them once and for all." Sooner or later we all will sin, but God's mercy is greater than our sin. Do you need to confess something to the Lord? He is merciful and abundant in forgiveness.
In the last paragraph of the last Psalm, David prays an interesting prayer by asking this, "God, mark us with grace and blessing! Smile!" May God mark us with His grace so much that it shines through our hearts, hands, and eyes. Smile, and let people know that the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Paul tells Timothy some of the best Godly advice you or I will ever hear when he says, "In any event, keep a close check on yourself." Paul is telling Timothy how to deal with a person that has fallen into sin or has jumped into sin, but then places those words write in the middle of his instructions. We are never to forget that we can end up just like the person we are trying to help. Guard your heart against the evil one and recruit some friends to help you protect your heart against sin. Living a holy life is a team sport.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
251 Tuesday, September 8, 2009
251 Psalms 060 – 064; 1 Timothy 004
"I'm set for life." are the words of David. He is set for life because his feet are set upon the Rock and God is an impregnable castle. I recently read about a man who has won the lottery three times. Yes, three times and he is set for life. What is interesting is that he still is a repair man and will not take early retirement. I do not know this man's spiritual condition. If he does not have his feet upon the rock he is building upon sinking sand. Who is really set for life? The answer is the person who knows and follows the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything else that the person has or does is gravy. If David is right that he is set for life because his feet are set upon the Rock then the next Psalm follows suit. David writes, "God--you're my God! I can't get enough of you!" Is that statement the beat of your heart?
Paul tells Timothy to make sure to get the Word out. He tells him to "Teach all these things." People are dying for a lack of truth. Teach, teach, and then teach some more. Let's continue to get the word out.
"I'm set for life." are the words of David. He is set for life because his feet are set upon the Rock and God is an impregnable castle. I recently read about a man who has won the lottery three times. Yes, three times and he is set for life. What is interesting is that he still is a repair man and will not take early retirement. I do not know this man's spiritual condition. If he does not have his feet upon the rock he is building upon sinking sand. Who is really set for life? The answer is the person who knows and follows the Lord Jesus Christ. Anything else that the person has or does is gravy. If David is right that he is set for life because his feet are set upon the Rock then the next Psalm follows suit. David writes, "God--you're my God! I can't get enough of you!" Is that statement the beat of your heart?
Paul tells Timothy to make sure to get the Word out. He tells him to "Teach all these things." People are dying for a lack of truth. Teach, teach, and then teach some more. Let's continue to get the word out.
Monday, September 7, 2009
250 Monday, September 7, 2009
250 Psalms 056- 059; 1 Timothy 003
One of the patterns that David incorporates in some of his Psalms is to lay out his complaint to the Lord as in Ps. 56 and then come back to praising the Lord as in "I'm proud to praise God, proud to praise God. Fearless now, I trust in God; what can mere mortals do to me?" It's as if once he gets it off his chest he can see his way clearly to lift the Lord up instead of the problem. He does the same thing in the next Psalm and motivates himself to praise the Lord by saying, "Wake up, soul!" Is there any correlation to your well being, happiness, and just plain living a better life regardless of your circumstances to this constant message of praising the Lord? If you say yes, then ask yourself how much do you praise the Lord? Have thanksgiving in your heart, and cast your care on Him for He cares for you. Dr. David is trying to help us all if we will just listen and obey.
Paul gives his disciple some lessons on who should be placed into leadership and most of it has to do with character. One thing Paul did not tell us is how to find some of this information out about people, such as how outsiders think about this person who might become a leader in the church. This section ends with a creedal statement that starts with,
"This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory." This is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, do you believe?
One of the patterns that David incorporates in some of his Psalms is to lay out his complaint to the Lord as in Ps. 56 and then come back to praising the Lord as in "I'm proud to praise God, proud to praise God. Fearless now, I trust in God; what can mere mortals do to me?" It's as if once he gets it off his chest he can see his way clearly to lift the Lord up instead of the problem. He does the same thing in the next Psalm and motivates himself to praise the Lord by saying, "Wake up, soul!" Is there any correlation to your well being, happiness, and just plain living a better life regardless of your circumstances to this constant message of praising the Lord? If you say yes, then ask yourself how much do you praise the Lord? Have thanksgiving in your heart, and cast your care on Him for He cares for you. Dr. David is trying to help us all if we will just listen and obey.
Paul gives his disciple some lessons on who should be placed into leadership and most of it has to do with character. One thing Paul did not tell us is how to find some of this information out about people, such as how outsiders think about this person who might become a leader in the church. This section ends with a creedal statement that starts with,
"This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory." This is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, do you believe?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
249 Sunday, September 6, 2009
249 Psalms 052 – 055; 1 Timothy 002
Have you ever been hurt in a relationship? What a ludicrous question--we have all been hurt in a relationship! David is deeply hurt because a best friend has betrayed him. Today we are to love our enemies, but back in the day you could pray these prayers, "Haul my betrayers off alive to hell---let them experience the horror, let them feel every desolate detail of a damned life." Wow, if there ever was a ‘get even’ prayer this is one! Why is this stuff in here? It is real and it has to do with God's covenant with Israel and with David and his family. One day Jesus is to set up on the throne of David. There is a special connection between David and the Messiah. David and Bathsheba had a second child, Solomon, and he became king as well as part of the Messianic line for Jesus. If David dies then there is no Messianic line, no Jesus, I am expendable, but David was not.
"He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us---Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free." These words were the manifesto of Paul and he wanted his young leader to adopt them as well. This verse is foundational to growing in your faith journey. This changes or should change how you and I look at everyone around us. They all need Jesus and this Savior to deliver them!
Have you ever been hurt in a relationship? What a ludicrous question--we have all been hurt in a relationship! David is deeply hurt because a best friend has betrayed him. Today we are to love our enemies, but back in the day you could pray these prayers, "Haul my betrayers off alive to hell---let them experience the horror, let them feel every desolate detail of a damned life." Wow, if there ever was a ‘get even’ prayer this is one! Why is this stuff in here? It is real and it has to do with God's covenant with Israel and with David and his family. One day Jesus is to set up on the throne of David. There is a special connection between David and the Messiah. David and Bathsheba had a second child, Solomon, and he became king as well as part of the Messianic line for Jesus. If David dies then there is no Messianic line, no Jesus, I am expendable, but David was not.
"He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us---Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free." These words were the manifesto of Paul and he wanted his young leader to adopt them as well. This verse is foundational to growing in your faith journey. This changes or should change how you and I look at everyone around us. They all need Jesus and this Savior to deliver them!
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