Daily Archives: September 12, 2019

A New Review of “Psalms Alive!”

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in book review, Psalms, Psalms Alive!

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A book review by Tina Williams

Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven and Earth by David Kitz explores the Psalms through personal vignettes of the author’s reflections on various Psalms. As I read I felt that the author was sitting across from me in a comfy chair sharing the great goodness of God from the heart of a shepherd. The author includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter which helps the reader connect heaven and earth by spending some time meditating on scripture and driving those truths deeper into our hearts so that we are not merely readers or hearers, but also actors in God’s great drama of life!

At times, a sentence or two seems out of place, when the author laments the current state of affairs with our culture, but the main points are brought home in pointing us to the character of God.

One of my favorite quotes which encourages all believers, like athletes, to be engaged with scripture is found in the chapter, From Strength to Strength. “The busy, world-engaged laity is far too often content to coast on the second-hand faith of church leadership. In reality, our own faith muscles need development and regular exercise. If regular spiritual conditioning isn’t taking place, we become weak in our faith. We are fit for the couch, not the pilgrim’s route. We stumble when others question our beliefs. Temptations overwhelm us. Doubts drain us of our spiritual vitality. We conform to the thinking of this world. We are not reaching the world with the message of Christ; the world is reaching us, and pressing us into its mold.”

This book will encourage and inspire the reader to dig deep into the Psalms as the author draws from personal object lessons which help further understand and connect the word to the heart.

Take a moment to vote

Psalms Alive, has been nominated for the Book of the Month award hosted by Interviews and Reviews.

To cast your vote for Psalms Alive, click here.

Thanks! Note: You can vote daily until September 30th.

An Ode to God’s Creation

12 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 104, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 104
(Verses 1-9)
Praise the LORD, my soul.
LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.
You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth (NIV).

IMG_5509 L Kranz

He stretches out the heavens like a tent — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

Reflection
All of Psalm 104 is a poetic ode in praise of God’s creation. Like the previous psalm it begins and ends by calling us to praise the LORD.

The psalmist begins his description of creation at the beginning. By that I mean he begins with the LORD in the heavens. He is the source point. It’s a very fitting start since the LORD called into being all of creation—all that we can see, hear and examine. In the creation account we read, “the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters” (Genesis 1:2). But here we read a more detailed—a more poetic description: The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. 

The God of the heavens separates the waters of sky and earth. He establishes the boundaries of the oceans. These are the events of the second and third day in the Genesis account, but here they are portrayed as a seamless whole. In all this, the LORD is the actor, the mover, the sole performer. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved. 

And what a performance this is! It has no equal and no precedent. Land, sky and sea are His handiwork and do His bidding. They respond to the Master Builder, and so should we.

Response: LORD God, you are very great! I kneel before you, my awesome God! I praise you for your creation. It is magnificent because you are more than magnificent. All praise belongs to you. Amen.

Your Turn: Is there a particular aspect of creation that you are drawn to or enjoy, for example the stars, the oceans or the animal kingdom?