Daily Archives: August 21, 2026

Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

21 Friday Aug 2026

Posted by in Psalm 94, Psalms

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


Today’s Reading: Psalm 94: 1-7(NIV)*

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

LORD God,
thank you for the peace and security I enjoy.
Many are not so fortunate.
I don’t want to take my peace and prosperity for granted.
Show me how I can be of help in this troubled world.
Amen.

   — — — —

Gospel Reading:
Jesus Calls Levi and Eats With Sinners

After this, Jesus went out
and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth.
“Follow me,” Jesus said to him,
and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house,
and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. 
But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law
who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples,
“Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

 Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
 I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.”
(Luke 5:27-32).

* * *

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us:
He has given us of his Spirit.
(1 John 4:13 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 God Who Avenges

21 Friday Aug 2026

Posted by in Psalm 94, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Reading: Psalm 94:1-7 (NIV)*

The LORD is a God who avenges.
    O God who avenges, shine forth.
Rise up, Judge of the earth;
    pay back to the proud what they deserve.
How long, LORD, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?
They pour out arrogant words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.
They crush your people, LORD;
    they oppress your inheritance.
They slay the widow and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.
They say, “The LORD does not see;
    the God of Jacob takes no notice”

Reflection

As I gather my thoughts to write this post, there are fresh reports that a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine is imminent. Power plants have been bombed. Recriminations fly back and forth between the warring parties; each blames the other. Meanwhile, war rages on. People starve. Refugees flee. Bombs fall from the sky and children are killed and injured.

There is a present-day relevance to Psalm 94. Its words are an ongoing reality in war-torn Ukraine. How long, LORD, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. They crush your people, LORD; they oppress your inheritance. They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless (v. 3-6).

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now into its fourth year with no end in sight and many people are asking, “How long, LORD?”

There is so much evil in the world. Evil expresses itself most graphically during war. There are those who would like to blame God for war, but that makes no sense. Human pride, greed, and cunning lead to war. Human intransigence keeps it going. We can and should pray for God to show mercy and bring peace, but ultimately human hearts must change to bring an end to war.

We are right to pray for an end to murderous regimes. Essentially that is what the psalmist is praying. Is there more we can do? Emergency aid to war-torn regions is always needed. We can open our hearts and our wallets to provide some help. When an entire nation falls into the hands of murderous thieves are there a few good Samaritans who are willing to help?

Sometimes there are no easy answers in this difficult world. Rise up, Judge of the earth!

Response

 LORD, thank you for the peace and security I enjoy. Many are not so fortunate. I don’t want to take my peace and prosperity for granted. Show me how I can be of help in this troubled world. Amen.

Your Turn

Should we be concerned about foreign conflicts or only pay attention to things at home? In an increasingly interconnected world, who is your neighbor?

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.