God Is Still on the Throne
25 Wednesday Mar 2020
In His Thoughts No Room for God
25 Wednesday Mar 2020
Tags
Reading: Psalm 10
(Verses 1-4)
Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God (NIV).
He stretches out the heavens like a tent — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz
Reflection
When I wrote these thoughts on Psalm 10, outside my window snow was drifting down and appropriate or not, my mind returned to our not-so-long-ago rendezvous with Christmas. Ah, Christmas! I love the significance of the season—time spent with family and thoughts of a babe–our Savior–in a manger.
But for many what a mangled wreck—what a gross distortion—this celebration of Christ’s birth has become. For millions of people, this commercial bonanza is completely devoid of any spiritual meaning. It is nothing more than a buying and selling frenzy—a pursuit of trinkets signifying nothing—nothing of eternal value.
In this psalm we see the deceptive signs—the misdirected signs of that season. Through clever advertising and marketing schemes we too were hunted down by the top-level merchandisers of this world. Perhaps you were caught in the schemes they devised. Rather than being a season where we seek the LORD, we too can fall into a trap. We can find ourselves boasting about the cravings of our heart. As the Psalmist says, we bless the greedy and in so doing, we revile the LORD.
The words of the Psalmist ring true, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.”
No room for God… in today’s world? In a perverse way it seems rather appropriate. There was no room for God in Bethlehem on the night Jesus was born. No room for God… no room for the Maker and Savior of the universe! That sounds insane, but then it seems we live in a world gone mad.
For you and me, it doesn’t have to be that way. While there was no room for God incarnate in Bethlehem, the magi were busy seeking Him. They were hungry to know more about this Redeemer of Israel and they crossed deserts to reach Him. They came to bow down and worship that babe in a manger.
Regardless of the season, or the season of our lives, you and I can set our hearts to be God seekers. In this season of testing, let’s set our hearts to seek after the LORD.
Response: Jesus, I seek after you. Open my eyes to see you at work today. You are not distant from me in time or space. Show up in my world today. I wait expectantly for you. Amen.
Your Turn: Have you seen Jesus in others? How can you seek God throughout the week? What would seeking God look like for you?
Psalm 9:10
24 Tuesday Mar 2020
Tags
Ice break up on the Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz
Blaming God or Praising Him
24 Tuesday Mar 2020
Tags
Reading: Psalm 9
Verses 11-20
Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.
The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
The LORD is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.
But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
Arise, LORD, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
Strike them with terror, LORD;
let the nations know they are only mortal (NIV).
Morning Glories in the morning sun — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
If only life was easy; if only life was just and fair! But it isn’t. Life is filled with struggles and difficulties. I’m not always treated fairly, nor are you. Here in this psalm David cries out, “LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!” You can sense the frustration in his voice. Though these words are not recorded, in the midst of his troubles he might have added, “This isn’t fair, LORD. You aren’t being fair!”
But David doesn’t say that. He assigns blame where blame is due. He blames his troubles on his enemies—his human oppressors—not on the LORD. By way of contrast, David has nothing but praise for the LORD. He declares, “Sing the praises of the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.”
If the source of your affliction is human, why are you blaming God for it? We need to always keep this statement in mind. The LORD is known by his acts of justice. In this life we may not always see His justice prevail, but rest assured on that great final Day, He will prevail. Ultimately, His justice will be seen and known by all.
In times of trouble God is our source of help and strength. Human help may fail us. Friends may let us down. We can wrongly blame the LORD for our troubles, or we can run to Him for help. In all our troubles, we must keep this promise in mind: God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
Response: LORD, in times of trouble, you are my help. I lay my troubles and my requests before you. I wait expectantly for you. I praise you for your goodness to me even in difficult times. Amen.
Your Turn: Have you been blaming God rather than thanking Him? Take some time to praise Him.
In Times of Trouble
23 Monday Mar 2020
Warrior King
23 Monday Mar 2020
Tags
Reading: Psalm 9
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.”
A psalm of David.
Verses 1-10
I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.
For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you (NIV).
Statue of King David, Jerusalem — photo by Lois Morrow
Reflection
Without question David was a man of war. After all, this was the man who as a strapping young teenager slew Goliath, the gigantic champion of the Philistines. Later he led King Saul’s army as they went out to do battle with the enemies of Israel. Eventually when David became King, he secured Israel’s borders and greatly expanded its territory through conquest. David knew a few things about bloodshed and war, and he had more than a few enemies.
It should not surprise us then that the language of warfare and talk of enemies and destruction should appear in the psalms that he wrote. David wrote, sang and spoke of the things he knew and experienced. He was personally involved in life and death struggles. Consequently, he was a man of violence, who lived and survived through violent times.
But he loved God. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile the slay-my-enemies David with the LORD-is-my-shepherd David. It’s as though two contradictory Davids are living in one body. But then I look at myself—deep within myself. Am I any different? There are more than a few contradictory elements at work within me. The real warfare is within the human spirit. Will I yield to the Spirit of God, or to the foul spirit of this world, or my own selfish pride?
Like David I simply need God. I need to praise and exalt Him over all else. When I do that I gain perspective—the right perspective. With David I can say, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Response: I praise you, LORD and I seek you. Along with David I can say you have upheld me in difficult times. Be the master within me. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High. Amen.
Your Turn: Have you yielded to the LORD? Is He winning the warfare within?
Psalm 40:16
22 Sunday Mar 2020
“The LORD is Great!”
22 Sunday Mar 2020
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I will praise the LORD!
Photo by David Kitz
May all who want to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
be appalled at their own shame.
But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
“The LORD is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
you are my God, do not delay.
(Psalm 40:14-17, NIV)*
* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica
Time Machines Are Available
21 Saturday Mar 2020
Posted in book review, Books by David Kitz
This Amazon book review is deserving of a quick read.
If you had a time machine, to what time and place in history would you travel? For me it has always been my desire to be an eye witness during the Passion Week. And now in reading David Kitz’s The Soldier Who Killed a King, I feel like I’ve been there! This high action historical fiction is a marvel of storytelling filled with suspense, perceptivity and wonder. It’s a story of God’s pursuing love. I highly recommend that you read this book—that you jump into this time machine!—for a heart-stirring, life-changing journey back to where hate and death were conquered by Love and Life.
Lyle Johnson — founder of NextLevel Ministries
To learn more and purchase in the USA click here.
To learn more and purchase in Canada from the author click here.
Psalm 40:11
21 Saturday Mar 2020
I love the Psalms 