God on Your Side

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 68:7-14 (NIV)*

When you, God, went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,
 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
 You gave abundant showers, O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
 Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.
The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:
“Kings and armies flee in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.
Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon

Reflection

Are you about to start some grand enterprise? Are you embarking on a great journey? Are you beginning a new endeavour? Maybe you are doing none of these things. Perhaps for you it’s just a regular day. There’s nothing special or grand about it at all.

But just for a moment, let’s suppose you were setting out on a magnificent, but somewhat risky adventure. What are the conditions you would like to see in place before you step out of your comfort zone and take on the very real challenges and obstacles that lie ahead?

This portion of Psalm 68 gives us a biblical answer to that question. If you are taking on the world and all it can throw at you, it’s best to have God on your side. It’s best to have the LORD going before you. He is the One who prepares the way for victory and success.

In a dry and thirst place God is our faithful provider. “You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance. Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor” (v. 9-10).

When we step out in His will, God is at work. He has gone before us even as we sleep. He sets our enemies to flight. “Even while you sleep among the sheep pens, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold” (v. 13).

The dove so beautifully described here is the Holy Spirit. He circles over His people preparing the way.

Mahmoud Yahyaoui (Pexels)

Response

LORD God, as I go about my day, please go before me. Today help me to see you at work. I walk in confidence and faith because your Holy Spirit is at work even as I sleep. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Your Turn

Can you recall times when it was apparent God had gone before you? Reflect on how the Holy Spirit prepared the way.


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* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Woe on Unrepentant Towns

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Today’s quote and prayer from
Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer


Today’s
Reading:
Psalm 68:1-6 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
I thank you for the victory Jesus won
on my behalf at the cross.
I praise you for your unconditional love.
Help me walk triumphantly
in life today because of you, Lord Jesus.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Woe on Unrepentant Towns

Then Jesus began to denounce the towns
in which most of his miracles had been performed,
because they did not repent.
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the miracles that were performed
in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you,
it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.
And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens?
No, you will go down to Hades.
For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom,
it would have remained to this day.
But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom
on the day of judgment than for you.”

(Matthew 11:20-24).

* * *

Dear children,
let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.

(1 John 3:18 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

A Hymn of Triumph

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 68:1-6 (NIV)*

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.
May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
    may his foes flee before him.
May you blow them away like smoke—
    as wax melts before the fire,
    may the wicked perish before God.
But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.
Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
    extol him who rides on the clouds;
rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.
A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
    is God in his holy dwelling.
 God sets the lonely in families,
    he leads out the prisoners with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Joshua Tree National Park (flickr)

Reflection

Anyone who has read through the Book of Psalms will readily admit there is a great deal of variety from psalm to psalm. Some psalms are filled with joyous praise, while others are personal or even national laments. Some are filled with humble contrition, while others call for retribution against one’s foes. Each psalm is reflective of the state the psalmist finds himself in. In this respect the psalms act as a Spirit-inspired mirror of the human condition. The highs and lows of life are reflected there.

Psalm 68 is a hymn of triumph—national triumph. Think of it as a triumphant processional song. The enemies have been vanquished and God’s army has returned victorious. May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him (v. 1).

Because God has won the victory, His people can rejoice before Him. Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD (v. 4).

In his lifetime David experienced many victories over his foes, but he did not take credit for his successes. He knew his triumphs came from the LORD. God was his personal defender—but God was and is also the defender of the fatherless and the widow.

We too have experienced a great victory. It was won for us on Mount Calvary. Satan and the power of sin and death were defeated there. Jesus triumphed over hell and the grave through his resurrection. Now that victory is ours by faith. Rejoice before him—his name is the LORD!

Response

 LORD God, I thank you for the victory Jesus won on my behalf at the cross. I praise you for your unconditional love. Help me walk triumphantly in life today because of you, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn

 Are you experiencing victory today? Allow the eternal significance of Christ’s victory permeate your heart and mind. Meditate on our Lord’s resurrection victory.


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* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

The Workers Are Few

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Today’s quote and prayer from
Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer


Today’s
Reading:
Psalm 67 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
I thank you for all the blessings
you have showered on my life.
Most of all
I thank you for my salvation through Jesus Christ.
Show me how I can extend your blessing to others.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
The Workers Are Few

Jesus went through all the towns and villages,
teaching in their synagogues,
proclaiming the good news of the kingdom
and healing every disease and sickness.
When he saw the crowds,
he had compassion on them,
because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore,
to send out workers into his harvest field.
(Matthew 9:35-38).

* * *

Dear children,
let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.

(1 John 3:18 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

Blessing so we might bless

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 67 (NIV)*

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine on us—
so that your ways may be known on earth,
    your salvation among all nations.
May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you rule the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations of the earth.
May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.
The land yields its harvest;
    God, our God, blesses us.
May God bless us still,
    so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Reflection

This is perhaps the most evangelical of all the psalms. By that I mean there is good news in this psalm, and the good news of God’s loving-kindness, which is found here, is not to be kept to oneself. It is to be taken to the whole world. Twice within this short psalm the psalmist declares, “May the peoples praise you, God; may all the peoples praise you.”

 Like any loving parent, God draws pleasure from blessing his children. But is there a divine motivation that extends beyond the family of God. As the opening verse of this psalm makes clear, God desires to bless us, so his ways and his salvation may be known all over this world.

So then, Psalm 67 should be our prayer, not only for us, but for the world. That includes the world that does not know Jesus. May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations (v. 1-2).

 In other words, God’s blessing is not to be selfishly hoarded. It is to extend around the world and beyond the family of God. Is God in fact, blessing us abundantly, so we may in turn bless others? Is he blessing us, so we may make his salvation known among all nations? That certainly would appear to be the plan according to Psalm 67.

There is a great harvest day coming on the earth. It is not a harvest of wheat, corn, or rice, but a harvest of souls that will be swept into the Kingdom of God. If this psalm is to be believed, it is a harvest propelled and swelled by our joyous praise.

Is your thanksgiving for God’s blessing extending beyond the borders of your family?

Response

LORD God, I thank you for all the blessings you have showered on my life. Most of all I thank you for my salvation through Jesus Christ. Show me how I can extend your blessing to others. Amen.

Your Turn

 How is your thanksgiving for God’s blessing extending beyond the borders of your family? How have you taken the message of God’s salvation across international borders?


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* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

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Today’s quote and prayer from
Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer


Today’s
Reading:
Psalm 66:13-20 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
thank you for answering prayer
—not once but thousands of times.
Again and again,
you have proven your love for me.
You are the God who hears me.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman

While he was saying this,
a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said,
“My daughter has just died.
But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.”
Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.

Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years
came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.
She said to herself,
“If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”

Jesus turned and saw her.
“Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”
And the woman was healed at that moment.

When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house
and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes,
he said, “Go away.
The girl is not dead but asleep.”
But they laughed at him.
After the crowd had been put outside,
he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up.
News of this spread through all that region.
(Matthew 9:18-26).

* * *

Dear children,
let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.

(1 John 3:18 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

Praying from the Heart

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 66:13–20 (NIV)*

 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
    and fulfill my vows to you—
vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats
Come and hear, all you who fear God;
    let me tell you what he has done for me.
I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
    and has heard my prayer.
 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

Reflection

I grew up in a family that prayed. But that statement might give you the wrong impression. It might be more accurate to say, “I grew up in a family that religiously recited prayers.” 

 We recited a common table prayer before every meal and the Lord’s Prayer before breakfast. My mother taught me a very scary bedtime prayer: Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.

To a six-year-old, that’s a scary prayer. It’s enough to keep you awake lest your soul be carried off in the night, while you’re off in la-la land.

I don’t think I really prayed—prayed from the heart—until the end of my grade four school year. The memory is still fresh in my mind. The little one-room country school I attended was closing. In September, I would be bussed to the big school in town. This change was frightening. The familiar was being taken away and in its place was something big, strange, and intimidating. Could I survive there? Could I thrive there? These thoughts troubled me.

On my last walk home from my country school, I left the pairie road and walked into a grove of poplars. That’s where I prayed—not a meaningless recited prayer—but a prayer from my heart to God. I asked for wisdom, strength, and God’s favour for the challenging year ahead. God answered. After all these years I can say, Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” (v.20).

Response

LORD God, thank you for answering prayer—not once but thousands of times. Again and again, you have proven your love for me. You are the God who hears me. Amen.

Your Turn

When did you learn to pray from the heart? Do you remember the occasion?


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* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Jesus Questioned About Fasting

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Today’s quote and prayer from
Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer


Today’s
Reading:
Psalm 66:1-12 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
help me appreciate the tests you bring into my life.
I praise you in advance
because you are working to perfect me
through the hardships I face.
Change me for the better.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Questioned About Fasting

Then John’s disciples came and asked him,
“How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,
but your disciples do not fast?”

Jesus answered,
“How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?
The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them;
then they will fast.

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment,
for the patch will pull away from the garment,
making the tear worse.
Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins.
If they do, the skins will burst;
the wine will run out
and the wineskins will be ruined.
No, they pour new wine into new wineskins,
and both are preserved.”
(Matthew 9:14-17).

* * *

Dear children,
let us not love with words or speech
but with actions and in truth.

(1 John 3:18 NIV)

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return
to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

New from David Kitz.

To view further details or purchase click here.

Welcoming God’s Testing

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading:  Psalm 66:1-12 (NIV)*

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
 Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you, they sing the praises of your name.”
Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,
    they passed through the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice in him.
He rules forever by his power,
    his eyes watch the nations—
    let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Praise our God, all peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let people ride over our heads;
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.

Reflection

I can’t answer for you, but I for one did not enjoy writing tests at school. It’s not that I did poorly on tests, the exception being high school math. But let’s not go there. I haven’t used algebraic equations for the last forty years and have suffered no ill effects.

 Simply put, tests are stressful. No matter how well you know the material, you can’t be sure of the outcome. Will there be a trick question? Will you experience a momentary brain burp? Have you studied the right subject matter?

Despite my aversion to tests and major exams as a student, I quite enjoyed administering them after I became a teacher. They provided so much information. They let me see into a student’s head and heart. Was learning happening behind those big brown eyes or were they only going through the motions?

But why would God test us since He knows the outcome in advance? For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver (v. 10). God tests us to bring out the very best in us. When we are tested, we discover for ourselves what lies below the surface. In the furnace of affliction God removes the dross from our lives so His glory can shine through. Only then can we properly reflect His glory.

Response

LORD God, help me appreciate the tests you bring into my life. I praise you in advance because you are working to perfect me through the hardships I face. Change me for the better. Amen.

Your Turn

How have you performed during times of testing? What have you learned during such times?


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* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Your Work Partner

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Listen to Psalm 65:9-13 read by Jonathan Dent

Reading: Psalm 65:9-13 (NIV)*

You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

Photo by Zen Chung on Pexels.com

Reflection
In our toil we are not alone. There is something sacred about work. God ordained it. He planted a Garden for Adam and Eve to tend. Whether we are rooting out weeds, extracting teeth or rooting out unproductive habits, God is present in our work. Welcome Him as your partner.

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East
and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.


Take a journey to the cross.


To view further details or purchase click here.


* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica