A Universal Call for Praise

22 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 117, Psalms

Tags

all nations, Bible, God's law, Old Testament, praise the LORD, salvation, worship

Reading: Psalm 117
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD (NIV). *
Deer on Farm Photo courtesy of Char Kitz

Reflection
Psalm 17 is the shortest of all the psalms. It reminds me of tabasco sauce. It’s concentrated; you don’t need much to set your mouth on fire.

What’s so great—so powerful—about Psalm 117 you ask? Well in 29 short words, it sums up the call and global appeal of the entire Bible.

Let’s consider this opening sentence: Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. This call to worship is for all people; it’s universal. The message of the Bible is for all people. It’s not limited to a single nation, race, or people group.

This universal call for praise is unusual because it draws all humanity into a common faith in the LORD. The Jewish faith was and is a very exclusive religion. This is the faith of the chosen people—God’s chosen people. They did not choose Him, but rather they were uniquely selected by God to bear His name before the nations of the world. Throughout the Old Testament we have a clear sense that God was dealing with his own special people, and they were to walk separate from the nations. They received God’s laws and were the guardians of His word. They were instructed not to intermarry with other nations, nor be polluted by them and their idol worship. The worshippers of Yahweh were an exclusive group, a unique people, but they were not evangelistic. They kept the message to themselves.

But here in Psalm 117 the constricted, exclusive God of the Old Testament appears to break out of His narrow nationalist cocoon. We see that He is a God for all nations, not just for the descendants of Abraham. Here we catch a glimpse of the big picture—the global perspective. All the nations of the earth are to praise Him. The longstanding intent of the God of Israel is that every people group should know his ways and experience His salvation.

But why should all nations praise the LORD? The second verse of this miniature psalm provides the answer. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Where did the LORD demonstrate His great love for us? We see God’s love most vividly on the cross. There the Son of God poured out His blood to redeem men and women, boys, and girls, from every nation under heaven. There love flowed down in a crimson stream. There God fulfilled His Abrahamic promise. “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). There the prophecy of John the Baptist was achieved. “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Concentrated within the shortest Psalm is enough truth to set the world on fire.

Response: Father God, I just want to praise you. Thank you for your great love and faithfulness as revealed by Jesus on the cross. I love you, Lord Jesus. I am grateful that your love encompasses all. Amen.

Your Turn: Why is racism contrary to anyone who claims to love God? If God has a universal love for humanity, why do we sometimes try to put limits on that love?

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

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

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Enthroned over the Flood

21 Sunday Jan 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 29, Psalms

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flood, glory of God, majestic, peace, power of God, strength, the LORD

I will praise the LORD!

powerful wavy ocean washing picturesque coast with trees

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

Reading: Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
    worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
    the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
    the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
    the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
    the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
    the LORD blesses his people with peace. *

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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My Heart Leaps for Joy

20 Saturday Jan 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 28, Psalms

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anointed, inheritance, praise the LORD, salvation, strength, the LORD, trust in God

I will praise the LORD!

wooden house with snow on roof in winter mountainous terrain

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

Reading: Psalm 28:6-9

Praise be to the LORD,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.
The LORD is the strength of his people,
    a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
    be their shepherd and carry them forever. *

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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A Cup of Salvation

18 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 116, Psalms

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Tags

coffee, communion cup, cup of salvation, cup of suffering, Jesus, redemption, resurrected, resurrection

Reading: Psalm 116:10-14
I trusted in the LORD when I said,
  “I am greatly afflicted”;
in my alarm I said, “Everyone is a liar.”
What shall I return to the LORD
for all his goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
  and call on the name of the LORD.
I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
    in the presence of all his people (NIV). *

Photo courtesy of Donald Adam

Reflection
Today started a bit different. Rather than beginning my day with a hot cup of coffee, I had a few sips of water and then headed off for some blood tests. I missed that cup of coffee, but in reality going without it was no great hardship. Some view their morning shot of caffeine like a cup of salvation—early morning salvation. Today’s reading from Psalm 116 speaks of the cup of salvation. I’m sure the psalmist wasn’t speaking of his morning cup of java. What was he speaking of?

The psalmist lifts up the cup of salvation and calls on the name of the LORD in response to this question: What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? The psalmist lifts up his cup as an expression of thanksgiving to the LORD for the salvation he has received from God.

But salvation came at a price. To purchase our salvation, Jesus lifted a cup and brought it to his lips. It was a cup of unimaginable suffering. In the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). He was referring to the anguish he would endure. In the hours that followed, Jesus drained that cup of suffering dry, even as his body was drained of blood on a cruel Roman cross.

In the great plan of redemption, Jesus’ cup of suffering became for us a cup of salvation. He drank it down to save us from the cruel consequences of our sin. Jesus assumed the full penalty of our disobedience, rebellion, and devious ways. But now by faith, we can become active recipients of the salvation he won on our behalf.

The next time you bring the communion cup to your lips you are remembering—acknowledging in a tangible way—that Jesus’ blood was shed for you. Salvation came through a cup of suffering. We can rejoice in that truth because early on a Sunday morning, Jesus’ dead body was jolted back to life. He was resurrected by the power of the Father, and one day the body of every believer will be resurrected too. In that moment we will experience the fullness of our salvation.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll return to my usual routine, and I’ll enjoy my hot cup of coffee. But the cup I savour most is the cup the Lord provides—the cup of salvation.

Response: Lord Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice. You gave yourself fully for me. On a crude wooden cross, you purchased my salvation. Today, help me fulfill my vows to the LORD. Amen.

Your Turn: Which cup do you appreciate most? How can you show your appreciation for the cup of salvation?

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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Delivered from Death

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 116, Psalms

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answered prayer, Covid, deliverance from death, heart surgery, pandemic, the LORD

Reading: Psalm 116:1-9
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live.
The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“LORD, save me!”
The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you.
For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living (NIV). *

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Three and a half years ago, on a personal level I experienced the power and truth of the following words: For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

When I was seventeen, during a routine physical exam required for college entry, I was informed I had a heart murmur. Years later when I talked with other doctors, I was told my leaky heart valve was barely perceptible—not a big deal. Well, it was no big deal until I collapsed while sitting at my desk on the morning of July 16^th, 2020. Suddenly, I felt incredibly weak. I dropped to the floor with my head between my knees. I tried desperately to remain conscious.

Moments earlier my wife had driven off to do some errands. I had visions of her returning to find me dead on the floor. Frantic I reached for my phone. Dialed. Ring. Ring. Ring. Prayed for her to pick up.

She answered. In minutes she was home. An ambulance was called, arrived, and half-conscious I was whisked off to hospital.

For the next eight days I teetered on the brink of death. Then, in the early months of the COVID pandemic, I had open-heart-triple-valve-repair surgery. It saved my life. Along with my wife I can rejoice and say, “You, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.”

Response: Father God, I love you LORD, for you heard my voice. Over and over, you have answered my prayers. You have extended my life. You are a very merciful God. Now help to live each day with renewed vigor, thanksgiving, and purpose. Amen.

Your Turn: Has God helped you? Has He answered your prayers? Take a moment to testify.

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

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Where Are Your Idols?

15 Monday Jan 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 115, Psalms

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Tags

Christianity, idol worship, idols, Jesus, Mammon, money, Solomon

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). *

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?