Searching My Heart

08 Monday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 139, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 139:1-6
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain (NIV). *

necklace 20170319

The lost and found wedding anniversary necklace — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Last night I got a phone call from my son. The long search was finally over. The gift had been found. This morning, I met him at church, and he gave me this semiprecious gift.

What is it you ask? It’s a necklace I purchased for my wife in a grand, continent-wide conspiracy of love. Last June my wife made a solo trip to Edmonton to visit her Dad. While there, she went shopping with one of her friends, and fell in love with a cut rock necklace. This friend secretly sent me a message inquiring if I would pay her to purchase this rare find. Without hesitation I agreed. I always find it difficult to buy jewelry for my wife. I never know what she might like. Furthermore, our 40th anniversary was coming in December. What a delightful surprise this gift would be!

A few weeks later my son and his wife went on a business trip to Edmonton, and they brought the necklace back with them, and I secretly mailed the payment to our friend. All of this was working out so well—too well! Only a father and son team of bumbling males could mess this up. And they did.

June to December is a long time—enough time for me to completely forget about this necklace. We had a great anniversary celebration, but all the while I had this niggling feeling that I had forgotten something. Two weeks later I got a text message from our mutual friend in Edmonton inquiring about how Karen liked her necklace. Oops! This sent me into a frantic search for my precious gift. I must have hidden it in a safe place. In desperation I called my son. He also searched—all to no avail. We concluded that God knew exactly where the necklace was, and it would be found at the right moment. Well, yesterday that moment arrived. In God’s perfect time, Karen will get her necklace.

Today’s psalm reading speaks of God searching our hearts. Does God really need to do that? I doubted it. Jesus knows exactly what is in there. See John 2:23-25. We are the ones who need to search our hearts. We don’t know what is hidden inside us. Is it rotting garbage or something precious?

Response: LORD God, turn on your light inside of me. You know my deep hurts and inner struggles. You are familiar with all my ways. Cleanse me from within. By grace and faith, I am your child. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been hiding things from God? Do you have a hurt to bring to Jesus?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* 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.

Psalms Alive!

07 Sunday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalms

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If you enjoy my daily devotional posts on the Psalms, you may also enjoy Psalms Alive!
Psalms Alive!

Psalms Alive!

How do you connect with God? For three thousand years, God has been connecting with humankind through the prophetic prayer, praise and poetry of the biblical Psalms. Come follow David, the shepherd king, the man after Gods own heart, as we begin a journey to intimacy with God. Discover for yourself what a soul-bonding relationship with God looks like.

As never before, let the psalms come alive for you.

“David Kitz paints pictures with words, taking lessons from Scripture and nature to offer us a three-dimensional, multi-sensory relationship with God.” — Robert L. Briggs, Executive Vice President, American Bible Society

Psalm’s Alive! was inspired by years of the author performing dramatic readings of the Psalms. David still performs Psalms Alive! today.

David also writes weekly blog posts on the Psalms at davidkitz.wordpress.com

237 pages, trade paperback

To purchase from Amazon click here.

To purchase directly from the author click here.

Trust in the LORD and Do Good

07 Sunday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 37, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!Psalm 133_1

Reading: Psalm 37:1-4

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
     dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the LORD,
      and he will give you the desires of your heart. *

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* 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.

Shout for Joy and Gladness

06 Saturday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 35, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

Psalm 109_16-20 -365

Reading: Psalm 35:22-28

LORD, you have seen this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far from me, Lord.
Awake, and rise to my defense!
    Contend for me, my God and Lord.
Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God;
    do not let them gloat over me.
Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
May all who gloat over my distress
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
May those who delight in my vindication
    shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The LORD be exalted,
    who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
    your praises all day long. *

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* 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.

 

Abandoned by God?

05 Friday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 138

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 138_6-8

Reading: Psalm 138:6-8

LORD God,
I want you to be fully at home
in my heart and my mind.
Show me your kindness.
My body is a temple for your Holy Spirit.
Live in me and through me,
Lord Jesus.
Amen.

Keep your lives free from the love of money
and be content with what you have,
because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
(Hebrews 13:5), 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.

 

Will We Abandon the LORD?

05 Friday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 138, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 138:6-8
Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;
though lofty, he sees them from afar.
 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.
You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes;
with your right hand you save me.
The LORD will vindicate me;
your love, LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands (NIV). *

man cutting steel parts of building

Photo by samimibirfotografci on Pexels.com

Reflection
There is something tragic about an abandoned house. An empty house has a missing soul. It was built to have souls—people—in it, so an absence of life invokes feelings of sadness in me. At one point, hopes and dreams were alive in that house. It was a place of comfort and love—a refuge from nature’s elements. Perhaps it echoed with the voices of children at play, but now it sits empty and forlorn.

I find it surprising how quickly a home or community deteriorates after it’s abandoned. Have you viewed videos or the haunting images of the abandoned communities around the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear plants? In a few short years everything constructed by humans has become completely overgrown, and it begins to decay and breakdown.

Turning to today’s reading, we see that David ends this psalm with both a confession of faith and a prayer: The LORD will vindicate me; your love, LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.

David lives in confidence that the LORD is with him and will vindicate him—will side with him in the battles of life. But he adds this petition—do not abandon the works of your hands.

What happens when God abandons us? I dread the thought. When the LORD no longer lives among us, our lives—our spiritual lives—begin to deteriorate like an abandoned house in a nuclear exclusion zone. Around Fukushima wild boars have taken over. With no one to oppose them, they have ravaged the countryside and have moved into the abandoned towns.

Will the LORD abandon us? There is little chance of that happening. The far greater concern is that we abandon the LORD. I have witnessed firsthand the devastation that occurs when that happens. When people who respond to the gospel turn their backs on their Savior, over time the outcome resembles the ravages of nature on an abandoned home.

We need to recall these words: Though the LORD is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly; though lofty, he sees them from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.

Response: LORD God, I want you to be fully at home in my heart and my mind. Show me your kindness. My body is a temple for your Holy Spirit. Live in me and through me, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you feel about abandoned houses? Is your inner man (woman) occupied by God?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* 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.

They Spoke the Word of God Boldly

04 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 138

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 138_1-5

Reading: Psalm 138:1-5

LORD God,
I praise you
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness.
Thank you for answering my prayers.
You give me courage,
and like David,
you greatly emboldened me to carry on.
Amen.

After they prayed,
the place where they were meeting was shaken.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and spoke the word of God boldly.
(Acts 4:31), 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.

 

The Infinite Power and Glory of God

04 Thursday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 138, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 138:1-5
Of David
I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart;
before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and will praise your name
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.
When I called, you answered me;
you greatly emboldened me.
May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD,
when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing of the ways of the LORD,
for the glory of the LORD is great (NIV) *
Psalm 112_4

Reflection
David was wholehearted in all that he did, so it should not surprise us that he begins Psalm 138 with this assertion: I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.

David, the shepherd king, wasn’t shy or reticent about offering praise to the LORD. He knew his God and was quick to give Him praise. He would even praise the LORD before foreign gods. Elsewhere in the psalms we see this declaration: For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens (Psalm 96:4-5).

During David’s time each nation had its own national god. These national gods were represented by carved idols of wood, metal, or stone. But Israel had no idol. They were strictly forbidden to make any image or likeness of the LORD (Yahweh). See the First Commandment, Exodus 20:3-6. This prohibition set Israel apart. They were the people with no visible god.

But why settle for a visible god, when you can have the invisible God who fills the entire universe? Why settle for a national god, when you can have the LORD who created the heavens and the earth? Inevitably, if we fashion our own god, we will create a god who is far too small. The true God is far bigger, far wiser, and far more just, and compassionate than we can ever imagine. How can we as finite creatures begin to fathom the infinite power and glory of God?

By His great mercy the LORD reveals Himself to us. He does that best through His Son. The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15). Jesus helps make the infinite God comprehensible to us, so we can join with David’s anthem of praise. May all the kings of the earth praise you, LORD, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.

Response: LORD God, I praise you for your unfailing love and your faithfulness. Thank you for answering my prayers. You give me courage, and like David, you greatly emboldened me to carry on. Amen.

Your Turn: How big is your God? Is He bigger than your problems—bigger than your doubts?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* 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.

Showing Compassion

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in Psalm 137, Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 137b -325

Reading: Psalm 137:7-9

Father God,
at times I have been guilty of schadenfreude.
Help me to show compassion
rather than smug indifference
when I see others experience loss, or suffering.
Thank you for your ongoing mercy.
Amen.

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd,
he had compassion on them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd.
So he began teaching them many things.
(Mark 6:34), NIV)*

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

* 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.

 

Is Revival Needed in Our Day?

03 Wednesday Apr 2024

Posted by in book review

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Many in the church and the broader community readily admit that we need a spiritual awakening or renewal in our nation. Is that even possible in these divisive, troubled times?

In his review of The Elisha Code & the Coming Revival, authored by David Kitz and Ed Hird, John Murray suggests revival may be possible, but much depends on our response.

Here then is John Murray’s review:

As I read through this book three words came to mind, intriguing, interesting and challenging.

The title itself is intriguing as one waits for the Elisha code to be revealed. Then it is further intriguing as the authors introduce the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, the well-known prophets from the Old Testament.

Then came the interesting and fascinating comparison between their ministry and that of John the Baptist and Jesus, recorded in the New Testament. Incredibly revealing was the pattern and similarity in the comparison of their ministry, even down to almost identical miracles performed.

Finally came the personal challenge. Do we have the desire to reflect the character of Jesus or Elisha? Are we open to the work of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives? Do we want to be a blessing to a hurting and needy world? We are left with the question of how deeply do we desire to be part of the needed revival within and outside the church today?

This book puts it on the line.

TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.