Daily Archives: July 17, 2026

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin

17 Friday Jul 2026

Posted by in Psalm 84, Psalms

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


Today’s Reading: Psalm 84:1-7(NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
I want to be near to you today.
I want to dwell where you are.
Please come and stay with me.
Be as close to me as my next breath
Amen.

   — — — —

 

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Arrested

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas the high priest,
where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled.
But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest.
He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus
so that they could put him to death.
But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

Finally two came forward  and declared, “This fellow said,
‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, “Are you not going to answer?
What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?”
 But Jesus remained silent.

The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God:
Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you:
From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand
of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”[a]

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “He has spoken blasphemy!
Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.
What do you think?”

“He is worthy of death,” they answered.

Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists.
Others slapped him and said, “Prophesy to us, Messiah. Who hit you?”
(Matthew 26:57-68).

* * *

The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them.
And this is how we know that he lives in us:
We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
(1 John 3:24 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.

Nature Invades the Temple

17 Friday Jul 2026

Posted by in Psalm 84, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 84:1-7 (NIV)*

For the director of music. According to gittith.
Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

How lovely is your dwelling place, LORD Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

Reflection

Where does God live? If you were going to pay God a visit, where would you go? Some of us would head off to a church. The psalmist speaks of travelling to the temple in Jerusalem. Psalm 84 was often used by pilgrims as they made the long journey to the holy city to be near to God in His temple.

When I read the phrase, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!” my mind instantly flashes to pictures of nature. I see God there, in the dazzling sunset, in the mountain grandeur, in the forest depths, in expansive prairie vistas, in the wind whipped ocean breakers, and by the sunlit babbling stream. God is there. This is His dwelling place. It is just as David declared, “The earth is the LORD‘s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Psalm 24:1).

Nature is God’s domain. He formed it, planned it, spoke it into existence. It is his dwelling place. Our attempts to create a dwelling place for him are feeble at best. After overseeing the construction of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, King Solomon, that master temple builder of the Old Testament declared, “There is not enough room in heaven for you, LORD God. How can you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built?” (1 Kings 8:27).

But here in Psalm 84 the psalmist marvels that nature has invaded the temple. Swallows have built their nest in the temple, close by the altar of God. He exclaims, “Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you” (v. 4). Indeed, there is no better place to be than near to the heart of God.

Response

LORD God, I want to be near to you today. I want to dwell where you are. Please come and stay with me. Be as close to me as my next breath. Amen.

Your Turn

Where are you closest to God? Do you long to be near Him?

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.