Remembering God’s Miracles in Times of Trouble

21 Tuesday Jan 2025

Tags

faith, God, hope, meditation, miracles, perseverance, Reflection, strength, Suffering, trust

Reading: Psalm 77:10-15
Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand.
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.
I will consider all your works
and meditate on all your mighty deeds.”
Your ways, God, are holy.
What god is as great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph (NIV). *

Reflection
Psalm 77 began with the psalmist in a state of anguish approaching despair. He was filled with questions for the LORD—questions but no answers. This brings us to our reading for today. After pouring out his complaint, the psalmist recalls the mighty works of the LORD.

“To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out his right hand. I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (v. 10-12).

When in doubt, remember. In a time of suffering, remember. When troubles assail from every side, remember. What should we remember? Remember the God who performs miracles. Remember He is your personal redeemer. The blood Jesus shed was for you. The resurrection he accomplished was for you. The forgiveness he offers is for you.

During trying times, “I will consider all your works and meditate on all your mighty deeds” (v. 12).

Our faith isn’t tested and purified in the good times while the choir sings sweetly in the background. Faith is tested and purified in the furnace of affliction. There’s no lineup of volunteers signing up for affliction. The gospel that is often presented today is branded as affliction-free. But Jesus gave no such promise. He promised persecution to those who leave all to follow him. (See Mark 10:29-31).

Paul, the apostle, makes this assertion: “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

As you face difficult times, reflect on the ever-present, never-changing, miracle-working power of God.

Response: LORD God, you are at work on my behalf even when I can’t see it. I believe in you, the miracle-working God. May my meditation center on you and your word because your word brings light. Amen.

Your Turn: Does God have your attention when you are in trouble or pain? Have times of suffering prompted you to grow in perseverance and character? Reflect on that growth.

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

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

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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.

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When You Face Trials

20 Monday Jan 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

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faith, God, Jesus, joy, Prayer, Psalms, trials, wisdom

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

Reading: Psalm 77:1-9

LORD God,
I don’t have the answers.
You do.
Your word tells me to
“give thanks in all circumstances;
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”
(1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Help me to do just that
in these circumstances.
You are always worthy of praise
even when I don’t understand.
Amen.

— — —

Consider it pure joy,
my brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom,
you should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault,
and it will be given to you. But when you ask,
you must believe and not doubt,
because the one who doubts
is like a wave of the sea,
blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive
anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded
and unstable in all they do.
(James 1:2-8)*

* LORD as shown here is Yahweh in Hebrew meaning I AM, the Name of God.

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

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

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Finding Hope Amidst Life’s Questions

20 Monday Jan 2025

Posted by adeyemiasaba1 in Psalms

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Tags

answers, compassion, faith, God, hope, pain, Psalm 77, questions, Reflection, trust

Reading: Psalm 77:1-9
For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands,
and I would not be comforted.
I remembered you, God, and I groaned;
I meditated, and my spirit grew faint.
You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart meditated and my spirit asked:
“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” (NIV) *

qa-hope-in_trial-1

Reflection
Sometimes in our walk of faith, we go through dark days. Answers to our prayers do not come quickly. We are left wondering if God even hears or cares. The opening verses of Psalm 77 reflect the psalmist’s mood of desolation, which approaches despair. The psalmist has more questions than the Lord has answers. At least that’s how it appears. “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” (v. 7-9).

On a Friday morning, I was on a pleasant spring walk through a quiet residential neighborhood with my sister. Suddenly without warning, I was struck by a car backing out of a driveway. In an instant, pleasure was replaced by searing pain. My right knee was skinned and bleeding. Ligaments in my left ankle were torn. I was forced to hobble about on crutches. I was told surgery may be needed.

Like the psalmist, my week after the accident was filled with questions. Questions by police officers. Questions by family members and friends. Questions by insurance claim specialists. Questions by doctors. And in my quiet moments, I had a few questions for the Lord, “Why did you allow this to happen? What should my response be? How long will this pain last? When will I be able to walk normally again? Did I do something wrong to bring on this pain?”

Response: LORD God, I don’t have the answers. You do. Your word tells me to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Help me to do just that in these circumstances. You are always worthy of praise even when I don’t understand. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you have questions for God when life seems to go off the rails? Can you recall occasions when, with the passage of time, the Lord has provided some answers?

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

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
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We need the Local Church & the Universal Church

19 Sunday Jan 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

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This Sunday at Church: Being grateful for other Christians in the Universal church

He Chose David His Servant

19 Sunday Jan 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 78

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Tags

David, devotion, integrity, Israel, Mount Zion, praise the LORD, Psalms, shepherd

I will praise the LORD!

Photo courtesy of L. Kranz.

Psalm 78

Then he [the Lord] rejected the tents of Joseph,
    he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
but he chose the tribe of Judah,
    Mount Zion, which he loved.
He built his sanctuary like the heights,
    like the earth that he established forever.
He chose David his servant
    and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending the sheep he brought him
    to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
    of Israel his inheritance.
And David shepherded them
with integrity of heart;
    with skillful hands he led them.
(Psalm 78:67-72, NIV) *

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

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

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 begin the new year, and daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

A gripping read from David Kitz.

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

The Children Yet to Be Born

18 Saturday Jan 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

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Tags

children, future generations, Israel, parable, praise the LORD, Prayer, Psalms, teaching children, the LORD

I will praise the LORD!

Psalm 78

A maskil of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth with a parable;
    I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
things we have heard and known,
    things our ancestors have told us.
We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
(Psalm 78:1-6, NIV) *

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

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, Syria, 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 begin the new year, and daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

A gripping read from David Kitz.

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Love and Serve with All Your Heart

17 Friday Jan 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 76

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commands, fear of the LORD, fearing God, God, heart and soul, Prayer, Psalms, the LORD

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

Reading: Psalm 76

LORD God,
you are the One I need to fear.
Give me a healthy dose of godly fear.
Heavenly Father,
I want to love and fear you,
so I will walk in full obedience to your commands.
Amen.

— — —

And now, Israel,
what does the LORD your God ask of you
but to fear the LORD your God,
to walk in obedience to him,
to love him,
to serve the LORD your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD’s commands and decrees
that I am giving you today
for your own good?
(Deuteronomy 10:12-13)*

* LORD as shown here is Yahweh in Hebrew meaning I AM, the Name of God.

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

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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Your Name Is Powerful

17 Friday Jan 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 75, Psalms

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Bible, faith, God, Hezekiah, Jesus, kingdoms, Prayer, Psalms, temple of the LORD, the LORD, the name of the LORD, trust in God

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

Reading: Psalm 75

LORD God,
I want to treat your Name
with the respect and honor it deserves.
Please forgive me
if I have misused your Name in any way.
I pray in the powerful name of Jesus.
Amen.

— — —

Hezekiah received the letter
from the messengers and read it.
Then he went up to the temple of the LORD*
and spread it out before the LORD.
And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD:
“LORD, the God of Israel,
enthroned between the cherubim,
you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made heaven and earth.
Give ear, LORD, and hear;
open your eyes, LORD, and see;
listen to the words Sennacherib has sent
to ridicule the living God.

“It is true, LORD,
that the Assyrian kings have laid waste
these nations and their lands.
They have thrown their gods into the fire
and destroyed them,
for they were not gods
but only wood and stone,
fashioned by human hands.
Now, LORD our God,
deliver us from his hand,
so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that you alone, LORD, are God.”
(2 Kings 19:14-19)*

* LORD as shown here is Yahweh in Hebrew meaning I AM, the Name of God.

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
Winner of the 2024 Word Award of Merit in Biblical Studies

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Balancing Love and Reverence for God

17 Friday Jan 2025

Posted by adeyemiasaba1 in Psalms

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awe, balance, church, faith, fear, God, love, obedience, Psalm, Reflection, Relationship, reverence, Spirituality, worship

Reading: Psalm 76
For the director of music. With stringed instruments.
A psalm of Asaph. A song.
God is renowned in Judah; in Israel his name is great.
His tent is in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows,
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.
You are radiant with light,
more majestic than mountains rich with game.
The valiant lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep;
not one of the warriors can lift his hands.
At your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot lie still.
It is you alone who are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?
From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared and was quiet—
when you, God, rose up to judge,
to save all the afflicted of the land.
Surely your wrath against mankind brings you praise,
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.
Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;
let all the neighboring lands bring gifts to the One to be feared.
He breaks the spirit of rulers; he is feared by the kings of the earth (NIV).

Reverence_kneeling

Reflection
Has the church abandoned the fear of God? Has our messaging focussed so exclusively on the God of love and forgiveness that the very idea of cringing in fear before God is a completely foreign to us? In more general terms is fear a bad thing—an emotion we should always avoid? Is there something wrong with our relationship with God if we fear Him?

First, we need to acknowledge that fear can have both good and bad consequences. A healthy fear of a sharp blade will keep me from sticking my hands under the deck of a running lawnmower. There is wisdom and there is safety in that kind of fear. But the constant fear of a violent, abusive spouse can be devastating to a person’s health and happiness. In brief, fear is essential for self-preservation, but too much of it has terrible consequences. It has a crippling effect by producing paralysis of the human spirit.

A complete lack of fear can have terrible consequences too. I still have both my hands because of a healthy fear of whirling blades. We all need a healthy fear of God. The psalmist states, “It is you alone who are to be feared” (v. 7).

Jesus essentially said the same thing. “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28).

Response: LORD God, you are the One I need to fear. Give me a healthy dose of godly fear. Heavenly Father, I want to love and fear you, so I will walk in full obedience to your commands. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you balance both love and healthy fear in your relationship with God? At times have you treated God like a pal or sidekick?

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
TheElishaCodeCVR5

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Honoring the Name of the LORD

16 Thursday Jan 2025

Posted by adeyemiasaba1 in Psalms

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Tags

commandments, God, honor, judgment, name, praise, Psalm, Reflection, reverence, worship

Reading: Psalm 75
For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.”
A psalm of Asaph. A song.
We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near;
people tell of your wonderful deeds.
You say, “I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge with equity.
When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
To the arrogant I say, ‘Boast no more,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak so defiantly.’”
No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt themselves.
It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.
In the hand of the LORD is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.
As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob,
who says, “I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up” (NIV). *

maxresdefault

Reflection
I find the opening verse of this psalm to be very thought-provoking. Let’s take a moment to consider it: We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.

Ask yourself how many, “Oh my G*ds!” do you hear in a day? How many “OMGs” do you see posted on Facebook? I dare say quite a few. Are these exclamations expressed in praise to God? Of course not. They are meaningless expressions of surprise—or are they?

They are meaningless expressions to those who believe this command from the LORD is a meaningless expression. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7, NIV).

The Common English Bible translates this command with these words, “Do not use the LORD your God’s name as if it were of no significance; the LORD won’t forgive anyone who uses his name that way” (Exodus 20:7, CEB).

God’s commands are not meaningless expressions. There is power in the name of the LORD. Perhaps we need this reminder. “It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another” (v. 7).

Response: LORD God, I want to treat your Name with the respect and honor it deserves. Please forgive me if I have misused your Name in any way. I pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Why do you think the LORD, the never changing I AM, makes a big deal about His name? Why is it important?

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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

— — —

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

I will praise the LORD!

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

I will praise the LORD!

A maskil of Asaph.

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, Syria, and Ukraine!

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

Reading: Psalm 76LORD God,you are the One I need to fear. Give me a healthy dose of godly fear. Heavenly Father, I want to love and fear you, so I will walk in full obedience to your commands.Amen.

— — —

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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

Reading: Psalm 75LORD God,I want to treat your Name with the respect and honor it deserves. Please forgive me if I have misused your Name in any way. I pray in the powerful name of Jesus.Amen.

— — —

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

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

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

Reading: Psalm 76

LORD God,
you are the One I need to fear.
Give me a healthy dose of godly fear.
Heavenly Father,
I want to love and fear you,
so I will walk in full obedience to your commands.
Amen.

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

Reading: Psalm 75

LORD God,
I want to treat your Name
with the respect and honor it deserves.
Please forgive me
if I have misused your Name in any way.
I pray in the powerful name of Jesus.
Amen.