Daily Archives: June 17, 2026

Divorce

17 Wednesday Jun 2026

Posted by in Psalm 76, Psalms

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


Today’s Reading: Psalm 76 (NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
you are the One I need to fear.
Give me a healthy dose of godly fear.
Heavenly Father,
I want to love and fear you,
so I will walk in full obedience to your commands.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Divorce

When Jesus had finished saying these things,
he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea
to the other side of the Jordan.
Large crowds followed him,
and he healed them there.

Some Pharisees came to him to test him.
They asked,
“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

“Haven’t you read,” he replied,
“that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
and said,
‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh’?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“Why then,” they asked,
“did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce
and send her away?”

Jesus replied,
“Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard.
But it was not this way from the beginning.
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife,
except for sexual immorality,
and marries another woman commits adultery.”

The disciples said to him,
“If this is the situation between a husband and wife,
it is better not to marry.”

Jesus replied,
“Not everyone can accept this word,
but only those to whom it has been given.
For there are eunuchs who were born that way,
and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—
and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs
for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
The one who can accept this should accept it.”
(Matthew 19:1-12).

* * *

Dear friends,
 if our hearts do not condemn us,
we have confidence before God
and receive from him anything we ask, 
because we keep his commands 
and do what pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22 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.

Godly Fear

17 Wednesday Jun 2026

Posted by in Psalm 64, Psalm 76, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 76 (NIV)*

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.
God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great.
His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
    the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.
You are radiant with light,
    more majestic than mountains rich with game.
The valiant lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep;
not one of the warriors can lift his hands.
At your rebuke, God of Jacob,
    both horse and chariot lie still.
It is you alone who are to be feared.
    Who can stand before you when you are angry?
From heaven you pronounced judgment,
    and the land feared and was quiet—
when you, God, rose up to judge,
    to save all the afflicted of the land.
Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,
    and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.
 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;
    let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.
He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth.

Reflection

Has the church abandoned the fear of God? Has our messaging focussed so exclusively on the God of love and forgiveness that the very idea of cringing in fear before God is a completely foreign to us? In more general terms is fear a bad thing—an emotion we should always avoid? Is there something wrong with our relationship with God if we fear Him?

First, we need to acknowledge that fear can have both good and bad consequences. A healthy fear of a sharp blade will keep me from sticking my hands under the deck of a running lawnmower. There is wisdom and there is safety in that kind of fear. But the constant fear of a violent, abusive spouse can be devastating to a person’s health and happiness. In brief, fear is essential for self-preservation, but too much of it has terrible consequences. It has a crippling effect by producing paralysis of the human spirit.

A complete lack of fear can have terrible consequences too. I still have both my hands because of a healthy fear of whirling blades. We all need a healthy fear of God. The psalmist states, “It is you alone who are to be feared” (v. 7).

Jesus essentially said the same thing. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Response

LORD God, you are the One I need to fear. Give me a healthy dose of godly fear. Heavenly Father, I want to love and fear you, so I will walk in full obedience to your commands. Amen.

Your Turn

How do you balance both love and healthy fear in your relationship with God? At times have you treated God like a pal or sidekick?

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.