Author Archives: davidkitz

Promised but not Delivered

07 Wednesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119

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Reading: Psalm 119:57-64
ח Heth
You are my portion, LORD;
I have promised to obey your words.
 I have sought your face with all my heart;
be gracious to me according to your promise.
 I have considered my ways
and have turned my steps to your statutes.
I will hasten and not delay
to obey your commands.
Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
I will not forget your law.
At midnight I rise to give you thanks
for your righteous laws.
I am a friend to all who fear you,
to all who follow your precepts.
The earth is filled with your love, LORD;
teach me your decrees (NIV). *

img_20220128_1520520

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I just got a phone call from a friend that left me rather embarrassed. I was embarrassed because I had promised to call this friend, but I didn’t follow through. I can think of a half dozen excuses I could offer, but none of them hold much water. I can claim that I’m too busy, but I find time for what I consider important. To make matters worse, this forgetting to call is a recurring problem. To put it bluntly, this friendship is in jeopardy because I have repeatedly failed to keep my word.

My relationship with God also suffers when I make promises to the LORD, and then fail to deliver. I have wonderful intentions to pray—to seek God’s face—to read my Bible. But follow through? Not so much. There’s often a big gap between what we promise and what we actually deliver. The shortfall is often enormous. Of course, we have our excuses—a flimsy fig leaf to cover our shame.

Today’s reading from Psalm 119 also begins with a promise: You are my portion, LORD; I have promised to obey your words.

If I were to speak those words, in the back of my mind I can hear a voice saying, “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard you say that before. When are you going to deliver?”

The brutal truth is I can’t deliver. On my own I cannot obey God’s word. I’ve tried and it’s impossible. I desperately need the Holy Spirit to help me day by day and moment by moment. St. Paul gives us this reminder: it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

Response: Father God, help me. I want to obey your word. I want to live out the words of this psalm. I can only succeed by your grace, so give me the will to do your will. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you promised more than you can deliver? Who will help you keep your promises?

* 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.

Jesus the Brain-Sliver Remover

06 Tuesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 119_49-56 -365

Reading: Psalm 119:49-56

Father God,
remove my brain slivers.
Forgive me for allowing wrong thoughts
and habits to grow and fester.
I remember, LORD, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
Preserve my life.
Amen.

“The time has come,” he [Jesus] said.
“The kingdom of God has come near.
Repent and believe the good news!”
(Mark 1:15, NIV)

* 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.

Volunteering for Suffering

06 Tuesday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119

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Reading: Psalm 119:49-56
ז Zayin
Remember your word to your servant,
for you have given me hope.
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
The arrogant mock me unmercifully,
but I do not turn from your law.
 I remember, LORD, your ancient laws,
and I find comfort in them.
Indignation grips me because of the wicked,
who have forsaken your law.
 Your decrees are the theme of my song
wherever I lodge.
 In the night, LORD, I remember your name,
that I may keep your law.
This has been my practice:
I obey your precepts (NIV). *

back view of person standing on country road between trees

Photo by Domen Mirtiu010d Dolenec on Pexels.com

Reflection
Raise your hand if you want a dose of suffering. There aren’t many volunteers when that question is asked. But in all seriousness, we do volunteer for suffering, if we believe there is a benefit.

As a youngster growing up on a farm, I remember getting a sliver in my finger. It took some convincing from my mother to allow her to dig it out with a needle. Once that sliver was gone, the suffering stopped almost immediately. A small dose of short-term pain brought long-lasting relief. 

There’s a similar principle at work in a statement from today’s reading. My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.

It’s the promise of a better future that helps us endure suffering in the present. I’ll endure the suffering of surgery if it comes with the promise of a pain-free future. But the LORD’s promises are on a grand scale. He doesn’t just preserve my life for the present; He promises to preserve it for eternity. That’s an enormous promise, but our God is far beyond enormous. How do you measure infinity?

Now let’s return to that sliver. You can’t walk through this life without picking up mental slivers—foreign objects that lodge in your mind. It could be an erotic picture, an emotional scar, or an errant thought that grows into a bad habit. Brain slivers aren’t easily removed. And yes, they fester and become infected. It isn’t long and they may begin to take over your whole thought pattern. You can try to remove them yourself, but Jesus is the best brain-sliver remover that I know. Go to him. A little repentant pain can bring eternal relief.

Response: Father God, remove my brain slivers. Forgive me for allowing wrong thoughts and habits to grow and fester. I remember, LORD, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them. Preserve my life. Amen.

Your Turn: Are there brain slivers that have invaded your mind? Have you set your mind on God’s promise and asked for His help?

* 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.

Certainty in Uncertain Times

05 Monday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 119_41-48 -365

Reading: Psalm 119:41-48

Father God,
help me grow in my love for your Word.
Help me to read, meditate and apply it
to my daily life.
I reach out for your commands,
which I love,
that I may meditate on your decrees.
Amen.

“The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.”
(Isaiah 40:8, NIV)

* 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.

Trust in God’s Word

05 Monday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119

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Reading: Psalm 119:41-48
ו Waw
May your unfailing love come to me, LORD,
your salvation, according to your promise;
 then I can answer anyone who taunts me,
for I trust in your word.
 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,
for I have put my hope in your laws.
I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame,
for I delight in your commands
because I love them.
I reach out for your commands, which I love,
that I may meditate on your decrees (NIV). *

img_20220225_1703098

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
We live in uncertain times. I am sure people have been saying words to that effect for generations, but it’s true. Developments in technology have been driving change at an ever-increasing tempo. With major political and economic changes on the horizon, there seems to be more uncertainty than ever. The only thing that seems certain is that change will certainly happen.

In times like this, we need certainty. This world can’t offer us certainty, but God’s word can. Isaiah reminds us of the permanence of God’s word. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8).

Jesus offers us the same assurance.  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-19).

Jesus fully endorsed a reverence for God’s holy word. This is the reverence that we see expressed here in Psalm 119. We can place our trust in God’s word because it’s not changing with the times. It stands eternal. Good and evil continue as they always have. They war against each other. In uncertain times, we need God’s word in our minds and on our lips more than ever. May this be our prayer:  Never take your word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws.

Response: Father God, help me grow in my love for your word. Help me to read, meditate and apply it to my daily life. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you spending time daily in God’s word? How has meditating on God’s word helped you?

* 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.

B1P95Jv-LtS._SY300_

My Times Are in Your Hands

04 Sunday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 31, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

photography of mountain range during winter

Photo by Jonathan Goerke on Pexels.com

Reading: Psalm 31:13-18

For I hear many whispering,
    “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
    and plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, LORD;
    I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hands;
    deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
    from those who pursue me.
Let your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your unfailing love.
Let me not be put to shame, LORD,
    for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
    and be silent in the realm of the dead.
Let their lying lips be silenced,
    for with pride and contempt
    they speak arrogantly against the righteous. *

* 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.

At the Core of Revival

03 Saturday Feb 2024

Posted by in The Elisha Code

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Today’s revival principle from “The Elisha Code & the Coming Revival.”
#8 Life-changing repentance
“The time has come,” he [Jesus] said. “The kingdom of God has come near.
Repent and believe the good news!”
(Mark 1:15, NIV)

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.
And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
(Acts 2:38, NIV)
TheElishaCodeCVR5For a closer look or to purchase click here.

A Strong Fortress

03 Saturday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 31, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

img_20230722_1632360

The old city of Tallinn as seen from the top of the Bremen Tower on the city wall — photo by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 31:1-5

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, LORD, my faithful God. *

* 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.

Teach Me Your Ways, LORD

02 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 119_34

Reading: Psalm 119:33-40

Father God,
I want to see you.
Open my eyes to your wonders around me.
Teach me your ways in practical life altering steps
that draw me close to you.
Holy Spirit,
open your Word to me.
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
For a closer look or to purchase click here.

Turning My Heart and My Mind

02 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by in Psalm 119

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Reading: Psalm 119:33-40
ה He
Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees,
that I may follow it to the end.
Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
How I long for your precepts!
In your righteousness preserve my life (NIV). *

img_20220226_0859111

Early winter morning — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
How do you learn? We live in an era when education and learning are highly valued, so this is an important question. In recent years psychologists have discovered what good teachers have recognized intuitively. Not everyone learns in the same way.

We all learn by taking in information through our senses, but that’s where individual differences begin to emerge. Some of us are primarily auditory learners. We learn best by listening. Others are primarily tactile or kinesthetic learners; they learn through touch and physical activity. Some learn best by reading. Visual learners grasp concepts best by engaging with pictures, maps, or diagrams. Personally, visual learning is one of my strong suits.

The psalmist begins today’s reading from Psalm 119 by expressing his desire to learn from the LORD: Teach me, LORD, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.

Now that’s a noble request. We all need to pray that prayer. But how exactly do we learn from God? The psalmist goes on to provide some answers. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.

It all begins with turning our hearts—our affections—toward the LORD. You can’t expect to learn much if you turn your back on the Teacher. And that requires a repentant heart. What are your eyes taking in? Is it worthless things, or the glory of God in nature, or in the face of Jesus Christ?

Response: Father God, I want to see you. Open my eyes to your wonders around me. Teach me your ways in practical life altering steps that draw me close to you. Open your word to me. Amen.

Your Turn: What kind of learner are you? What are you learning from 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, 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.