Monthly Archives: January 2024

Our Help and Sheild

16 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 115

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Reading: Psalm 115:9-18
All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
he will bless those who fear the LORD—
small and great alike.
May the LORD cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
May you be blessed by the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
those who go down to the place of silence;
it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.
Praise the LORD (NIV). *

2021-02-20a

Christ is our light in a dark time — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
As a sharp contrast to placing our trust in the lifeless idols of this world, Psalm 115 calls us to place our trust in God. Today’s reading begins with a threefold call to trust the LORD. All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield.

For those who are logically minded, there is a simple equation or formula at work here. Trust in the LORD results in help and protection—he is their help and shield. Our trust or faith in God brings a response from Him. The LORD’s response is both active and passive. He provides help; He intervenes by actively assisting us. From personal experience I know the LORD has been my help. In the nick of time, He has provided words of knowledge and wisdom. He has been my constant guide. When needed most, He has opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings. He has sent help in various forms, and in ways too numerous to mention.

But the LORD is also our shield, our passive defense. He protects us from the slings and arrows of the evil one. He shields us from the enemy’s attacks, whether it is from physical harm and disease, or spiritual attacks that undermine our faith through faulty reasoning or deceptive philosophies. The LORD is our sure defense. We can draw strength from this promise: He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike.

Response: Father God, I trust you to be my help and my shield. Keep me safe from the evil one. Thank you for all your help through the years. You have been faithful to keep your word. Amen.

Your Turn: Can you think of instances when God has helped you? Take time to thank Him for being your help and your shield.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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.

TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

To Your Name Be the Glory

15 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 115

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 115_1

Reading: Psalm 115:1-8

Father God,
show me if there are idols in my life.
In love,
correct me when I stray.
I want to serve you
and put you first in my life.
Lord Jesus,
be my master.
It’s an honor to bow before you
and serve you
my King. 
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Where Are Your Idols?

15 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 115, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 115:1-8
Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.
 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them (NIV). *

170 Giant Bhudda

Giant Bhudda, Kamakura, Japan — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Where are your idols? “I have none,” you say. Are you sure? Most readers of this post would deny being idol worshippers, but perhaps we have more idols than we care to admit.

Idolatry was commonly practiced during Israel’s kingdom era. In Old Testament times, the nations around God’s people all practiced various forms of idol worship. One might assume God’s redeemed people, who were rescued from slavery, would have nothing to do with such vile practices. But you would be wrong. Time and again Israel fell into idolatry.

King Solomon, who was revered for his wisdom, is a prime example of someone who condoned idol worship. Here’s what we read about this ‘esteemed’ leader: On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods (1 Kings 11:7-8).

When leaders go astray, there will be many who follow. In the church today we have many leaders who have fallen captive to the god of Mammon—material goods. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

Before we claim to be free from idols, we need to examine our hearts. Are we yielding to the Holy Spirit, or are we controlled by our desire for what this world has to offer?

Response: Father God, show me if there are idols in my life. In love, correct me when I stray. I want to serve you—put you first in my life. Lord Jesus, be my master. It’s an honor to serve you. Amen.

Your Turn: What things have become idols in your life? What actions can you take to establish Jesus as your Lord?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

I Remain Confident of This

14 Sunday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 27, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

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Sunrise on Petrie Island — photo by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 27:11-14

Teach me your way, LORD;
    lead me in a straight path
    because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
    for false witnesses rise up against me,
    spouting malicious accusations.
I remain confident of this:
    I will see the goodness of the LORD
    in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD;
    be strong and take heart
    and wait for the LORD. *

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Faith Today Magazine Interviews David Kitz

13 Saturday Jan 2024

Posted by in Books by David Kitz

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Faith Today PXL_2024-01-13FT (Faith Today): You’re a retired schoolteacher and ordained Foursquare minister who writes a daily blog on the Psalms (davidkitz.blog) and performs one-man Bible dramas. Why prioritize those things?

DK (David Kitz): These priorities come out of my objective and motto which is “Bringing God’s Word to life and lives to God’s Word.” If we want to see real change in people’s lives, we need to connect them with the living Word of God. Jesus is the living Word, and in knowing him I have discovered love, peace, and joy. Writing and drama are two vehicles I use to bring the living Word to others.

FT: Congrats on the Word Alive Press award you and your co-author Ed Hird got for your manuscript The Elisha Code and the Coming Revival. What’s the book about and when does it come out?

DK: The Elisha Code and the Coming Revival explores the relationship between the Old TestamentTheElishaCodeCVR5 prophetic dynamic duo of Elijah and Elisha, and their New Testament counterpart, the duo of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ. Jesus identified John as “the Elijah who was to come” (Matthew 11:14). An examination of Elisha’s miracles reveals that they run parallel to the miracles of Christ in a most remarkable way. Furthermore, this has implications for believers today as we live in anticipation of seeing even greater works (John14:12) in days of spiritual revival ahead. The Elisha Code and the Coming Revival is available now.

FT: You’re chair of the board at The Word Guild, a national association for Christians in writing and publishing. How does that group benefit the church community?

DK: Writers change the world, and they have been shaping the world we live in for thousands of years. Our goal at The Word Guild is to encourage, equip, and strengthen Canadian Christian writers so they can impact our society at every level. God uses Christian writers to inform and inspire the church community. We can all agree the written living Word needs to be present and active in Canada.

FT: Tell us a bit more about yourself anf your development as an author.

DK: I’m a farmboy born and raised in Saskatchewan but now living with my wife Karen in Ottawa, Canada’s capital. We have two adult sons and a daughterinlaw.
2023-10-06-OnlineSharing-2
My first book, a novel, was published in 2003. God has blessed my efforts, and over the years I have won multiple awards across several literary genres. Prior to The Elisha Code and the Coming Revival, my most recent publication was a three book devotional series entitled Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by Elk Lake Publishing.

In all this my goal contunues to be “Bringing God’s Word to life and lives to God’s Word.”

For a direct link to David’s website click here.

Seeking the Face of God

13 Saturday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 27, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

5006[2692] D Adam

Photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reading: Psalm 27:7-10

Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
    Your face, LORD, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
    do not turn your servant away in anger;
    you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
    God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
    the LORD will receive me. *

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

A Display of Love and Power

12 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 114

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 114_7-8 (1)

Reading: Psalm 114

Father God,
thank you for going all out to save me
through the death and resurrection
of your Son, Jesus.
What a display of your love and power!
Help me to love, fear, and trust you
always.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

The Power of God

12 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 114

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Reading: Psalm 114
When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?
Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water (NIV). *

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Niagara Falls — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
“Why?” A four-year-old’s favourite question is, “Why?” Here in Psalm 114, the psalmist has some why questions as well. “Why did the sea flee? Why did the Jordan River turn back? Why did those mountains and hills seem to skip and dance? Why?”

The answer of course is because of the jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-stopping power of God. God caused the sea to flee. He caused the Jordan to turn back. He caused mountains and hills to skip about and frolic like yearling lambs set free from the stall. What an awesome display! What an awesome God!

Psalm 114 is all about the overwhelming power of God. It is a grand portrayal of the pivotal event in the Old Testament Scriptures. Here within a few short verses, we catch a panoramic view of God’s might on display, starting with Israel’s escape from Egypt to their arrival in the Promised Land.

Why did the miracle-working LORD make the sea flee? Was it simply to display His awe-inducing power? Was it simply to create excitement among the million or more mortals, who were eyewitnesses to this divine wonder? In the Exodus account, the reason for this miraculous intervention is stated clearly: That day the LORD saved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant (Exodus 14:30-31).

This power display had one primary purpose. That purpose was salvation. The LORD wanted to save people—His covenant people—from the vicious clutches of oppression and a tyranny. In short, the LORD works wonders so He can save people—so He can bring them into His Kingdom—so they can escape the sin systems of this world and come under His loving rule.

Response: Father God, thank you for going all out to save me through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus. What a display of your love and power! Help me to love, fear and trust you. Amen.

Your Turn: Why did God save you? Is there a reason for His mercy?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Beyond Comprehension

11 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 113

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 113 -365

Reading: Psalm 113

LORD God,
your love is beyond comprehension.
Thank you for stooping down
and involving yourself in my life.
When I reach out to you, Father God,
you lift me up.
I praise and thank you,
Lord Jesus.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.