Restore our Fortunes

17 Tuesday Dec 2019

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 126, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 126
A song of ascents.
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dreamed.
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
Restore our fortunes, LORD,
like streams in the Negev.
Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Those who go out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with them (NIV).

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Reflection
This is a psalm that has two parts—two sharply contrasting perspectives. It begins with jubilation, but it transitions to sober reflection and a prayer for restoration.

The historical context of this psalm is readily identifiable. The psalmist is commenting on the joyous return of the exiles following the seventy-year Babylonian captivity—an event that occurred in the sixth century before the birth of Christ. When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. 

The LORD had brought back the people of Israel and they were filled with joy. Have you experienced the glorious liberating power of God in your life? Have you experienced the pure joy of the Lord as you realized your sins are forgiven? And oh joy—this God you serve is as near as your next breath!

I remember a time like that—a time when I was filled with the Holy Spirit. The joy I experienced was so all encompassing that I remember waking in the morning with my face muscles aching because of the smile that had been permanently etched there.

But alas, we can’t live on that mountain-top high forever. In our pilgrimage with God, we eventually reach this line in Psalm 126: Restore our fortunes, LORD, like streams in the Negev. The Negev is the desert region to the south of the land of Judah. Streams in the Negev are intermittent. A raging torrent one day becomes a mere trickle on the next day, and then nothing on the third day. The boisterous river of joy turns into a dry gulch—a blank line on the desert floor. Then we join with the psalmist and pray. Restore our fortunes, LORD. Our prayer becomes a plea for a return to the joy of harvest.

Response: Father God, I thank you for times of great joy, when we experience your salvation and your felt presence. Help me to sow the seeds of your gospel message today. Lord, bring a harvest. Amen.

Your Turn: What season are you in? What season is your church in? Is it seed planting time or harvest?

You Have Found Favor with God

16 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by in Advent, Bible

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Advent Tidings of Joy

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But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
Luke 1:30-33

Reflection
Know this: If you are born again by the Spirit of God, just like Mary you have found favor with God.

 

Solid and Immovable Like a Mountain

16 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 125, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 125
A song of ascents.
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the LORD surrounds his people
both now and forevermore.
The scepter of the wicked will not remain
over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
their hands to do evil.
LORD, do good to those who are good,
to those who are upright in heart.
But those who turn to crooked ways
the LORD will banish with the evildoers.
Peace be on Israel (NIV).

2018-05-18 3 sisters b

The “Three Sisters” mountain peaks in the Canadian Rockies — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
If someone compared you to a mountain, would you take it as a compliment, or would you be offended? Your answer to that question may depend on your gender. I suspect very few women would like being compared to a mountain. Though I am a male, becoming a mountain of a man has never been one of my ambitions. Nevertheless, Psalm 125 begins by comparing those who trust in the LORD to Mount Zion. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

This is the sixth psalm in the Songs of Ascent series, and clearly the psalmist is inspired by his surroundings. He beholds the beauty of Jerusalem, its citadels and the mountains around it. There is something reassuring about a mountain. Mountains have stood the test of time. They have endured when human endeavors have come and gone. In a world of transition, the mountains remain; they stand firm.

Are you like a mountain—solid and immovable? You ask—how can I be? Without the LORD, this is truly impossible. But the psalmist provides us with this assurance: As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. 

We only have permanence because of the LORD. He has you surrounded. Are you going through hell and high water? He has you surrounded. Are you facing opposition? He has you surrounded. Is there trouble on every side? He has you surrounded. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.

Again this psalm reassures us that the LORD is on our side. He is working on our behalf. The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.

Response: Father God, I trust in you. I trust that you are working on my behalf. Help me to become steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58, NKJV). Amen.

Your Turn: Are you becoming steadfast? Do you have enduring faith?

Reading 37 for Lent from “The Soldier Who Killed a King”

15 Sunday Dec 2019

Posted by in Psalms

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Here is a re-post of my book trailer.

davidkitz's avatarI love the Psalms

A journey to the cross is a journey to repentance. It’s a journey to deep personal change. Will you take this journey with me?

To download a free study guide for this high-impact, bible-based novel visit: https://www.davidkitz.ca/centurion.php/free study guide PDF

For book purchases of The Soldier Who Killed a King try Amazon or christianbook.com.

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I Acknowledged my Sin

15 Sunday Dec 2019

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 32, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

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April snow in Rachette Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

Of David. A maskil.

When I kept silent,
    my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
    your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
    as in the heat of summer.

Then I acknowledged my sin to you
    and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
    my transgressions to the LORD.”
And you forgave
    the guilt of my sin.

  (Psalm 32:3-5, NIV)

Is the LORD on my Side?

13 Friday Dec 2019

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 124, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 124
A song of ascents. Of David.
If the LORD had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
if the LORD had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
when their anger flared against us;
the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,
 the raging waters would have swept us away.
Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the fowler’s snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth (NIV).

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Reflection
We live in a highly competitive world, and I’m not just talking about sports. Businesses compete for customers; advertisers compete for eyeballs; corporations strive for a competitive advantage. Nations jockey for leadership and influence on the world stage.

Now here is a question for you. In all this does the LORD take sides? Is He rooting for my football team—my business—my city—my country? Is He a Blue Jays fan, a Patriots fan, or is He rooting for Real Madrid? Will He be tuned into the big game?

Let’s tackle the easy question first. Yes, the LORD will be tuned into the Super Bowl game, the World Cup final, and the World Series. But He will also be watching a cricket match in Mumbai and a pick-up hockey game at an outdoor rink in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Oh, and let’s not forget that newborn taking its first breath in a tin-roofed shack in Tanzania, or the grandma drawing her last breath in a hospital in Sweden. The LORD will watch it all.

Yes, but whose side will He be on? Actually, according to Psalm 124, that too is an easy answer. The LORD is on our side. If the LORD had not been on our side—let Israel say—if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us… the raging waters would have swept us away. 

The LORD is always, always, always on our side. He is rooting for you. Three iron nails in a wooden cross drive home that point far better than words on a page or a screen. The real question is, and always has been, whose side are you on?  Are you on the LORD’s side? Are you His man? Are you His woman?

Response: LORD God, I am so thankful that you are on my side, on the side of your redeemed people. This is my confession: Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you a sports fan? Are you on the LORD’s side?

Looking to the Hand of the Master

12 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 123, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 123
A song of ascents.
I lift up my eyes to you,
to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, LORD, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud (NIV).

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Reflection
Like every parent, I have had moments when I have needed to correct my children. In my professional life as a teacher, correcting a child’s behavior was a daily, sometimes minute-to-minute occurrence. In such situations eye contact is crucial. If the child does not make eye contact with you, you are wasting your breath. Your advice—your admonition—your warning—is going nowhere. You might as well speak to the wind. But in such situations, it is essential that you speak to the heart of the child.

The eyes are the window of the heart. When someone is avoiding eye contact, in reality they are hiding their heart. They are closing their heart to you.

Of course the same principle is true when we consider our relationship with God. We need to make eye contact with the LORD. That’s why there is something truly intimate about this psalm. It’s all about making eye contact with God. It’s about opening your heart to the LORD and exposing what is deep inside you. You are showing when you lift your eyes to Him that you are ready to receive instruction. Yes, and correction too, if that is needed.

So the psalmist speaks these words: I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. He takes the position and the posture of a slave—a humble servant. He is looking for mercy—hoping for grace and blessing from the hand of His master.

This is perhaps the most intimate of the Songs of Ascent. Having come a great distance, the pilgrim is now in the LORD’s house. He has drawn nigh in the fullest sense. The pilgrim lifts his eyes—not to an idol, but to the LORD—the One who fills all, formed all, and transcends all. With eyes wide open he exposes his heart to God. He waits expectantly for the LORD’s instruction.

Prayer at its best is modeled for us in this psalm. It’s prayer with our eyes and our ears wide open to God. We are looking to Him for mercy, comfort, strength and direction.

Response: Father God, I come before you now. I lift up my eyes to you, to you who sit enthroned in heaven. Be merciful to me. Speak to me. Correct me, if I need correction. Give me direction. I am ready to receive instruction from you. I am your servant. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you drawing nigh to God? How do you make eye contact with the Lord?

Peace Within Your Walls

11 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 122, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”
Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the LORD—
to praise the name of the LORD
according to the statute given to Israel.
 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your prosperity (NIV).

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Reflection
This third psalm in the Song of Ascents series is a psalm of arrival. The pilgrims have arrived at Jerusalem the destination of their pilgrimage. The following statement makes it clear that the weary travelers have arrived: Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together. That is where the tribes go up—the tribes of the LORD—to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel.

It should be noted that this pilgrimage to Jerusalem was not merely an event for the occasional tourist. As the psalmist states, he came to praise the name of the LORD according to the statute given to Israel. In fact, this pilgrimage to the holy city was required according to the Law of Moses. Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 34-23-24).

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, frequently made this journey to fulfill the requirements of the Law. The first reference to this pilgrimage is found in the account of the twelve-year-old Jesus remaining in the city after his parents had left to return to Galilee (Luke 2:41-50). His last pilgrimage to celebrate the Passover ended with his crucifixion and resurrection.

With the psalmist we join in praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and peace within the church of God.

Response: Father God, we pray for your peace—the shalom of God. May your peace come to Jerusalem, and to all of Israel, and especially to all the followers of your dear son, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you regularly pray for peace in the house of the LORD our God?