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I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Tag Archives: Alberta

Lift up the Cup of Salvation

05 Tuesday Jun 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 116, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alberta, Canmore, coffee, Gethsemane, Jesus, psalmist, resurrection, salvation, the cross

Reading: Psalm 116
(Verses 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).

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Policeman Creek, Canmore, Alberta — photo by David Kitz

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 up 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 that 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?

The LORD Stoops Down

29 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Devotionals, God's word, Psalm 113, Psalms

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Alberta, Canmore, cross, dust, gratitude, praise the LORD, rescue, the LORD, the poor

Reading: Psalm 113
Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, you his servants;
praise the name of the L
ORD.
Let the name of the L
ORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.
 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the L
ORD is to be praised.
The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the L
ORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD (NIV).

Reflection
In today’s reading the psalmist has a question for you and here it is: Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

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Policeman Creek, Canmore, Alberta — photo by David Kitz

Who indeed? Why would the exalted One, the enthroned One, stoop down? How undignified! Doesn’t the LORD know that kings and potentates don’t bend over or stoop down? They certainly don’t do that sort of thing in public—not where they can be seen by others. Rulers rule from the seat of authority. They sit; they don’t stoop down. But our God stoops down. If the truth be told, it’s even worse than that.

The LORD gets His hands dirty. Actually, He has been getting His hands dirty from the very beginning. The LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). Now that was a failed experiment, if there ever was one. Those living, breathing human dust bags showed no gratitude. They disobeyed God at the first opportunity and down through the generations, humanity has continued that pattern of disobedience and ingratitude.

Now in this psalm we read this: He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. Why would God show such affection for fallen humanity—humans who keep plunging deeper into the mire? There is no greater mystery. Our God keeps finding treasures in the trash—the human trash.

Still I keep wondering why anyone would stoop so low. Why would the One, who sits enthroned on high, stoop so low—low enough to die a criminal’s death on a cross? Why did the Lord stoop to rescue me? 

Response: Father God, your love is beyond comprehension. Thank you for stooping down and involving yourself in my life. When I reach out to you, Father God, you lift me up. I praise you, LORD. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the LORD lifted you from the ash heap? How did that make you feel?

On Tour with “The Soldier Who Killed a King”

01 Tuesday May 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Books by David Kitz, Christ's Passion, Easter Sunday, Good Friday, Palm Sunday

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Alberta, bookstore, Calgary, centurion, Easter, Kregel, Moose Jaw, Ottawa, Regina, resurrection, Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, the cross, The Soldier Who Killed a King

How do you celebrate a book that was conceived in drama? With a book and drama a tour of course.

My biblical novel about Christ’s Passion began as a four-act, one-man play over twentybiblical-fiction-award-2017_orig years ago. So when Kregel Publishing released The Soldier Who Killed a King, it logically followed that the original drama should be an integral part of promoting this book across the continent.

With Easter approaching I arranged a Canadian prairie tour that featured eight scheduled events in four prairie cities: Moose Jaw, Regina, and Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, and Calgary in Alberta.

Things didn’t get off to a good start.

My flight from Ottawa via Toronto to Regina was uneventful. I arrived on Thursday, March 22nd. My first event was my “Centurion’s Report” drama on Friday evening in Moose Jaw. Moose Jaw is an easy one hour drive from Regina on a four lane divided highway. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, Friday dawned with a howling prairie wind. Soon the wind was accompanied by swirling snow. By mid afternoon blizzard conditions resulted in semi trailer trucks being blown off the highway between Regina and Moose Jaw. Dozens of vehicles were stuck. For safety reasons we decided to cancel the Friday evening event. We make our plans, but sometimes weather overrules.

Book store events did not disappoint.

Saturday dawned clear and cold. At noon I started a four hour book signing event at the Chapters bookstore in Regina. What I like most about these events is the conversations you have with prospective buyers. It’s always fascinating to find the common ground that can lead to a book purchase.

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Signing at Chapters bookstore in Regina

The following week I had two more book signing events at Indigo stores in Saskatoon and Calgary. It’s especially gratifying to meet readers who have already read your book and are there to meet you in person and buy more of your books.

There’s never a dull moment during a dramatization of “The Centurion’s Report.”

On Palm Sunday morning I was at “The Bridge” church in Regina portraying the centurion’s response to Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The tension builds as Marcus Longinus  seizes a member of the audience at the close of Act 1, flips a merchant’s table in Act 2, and nails Christ to a wooden cross in Act 3. The resurrection of Jesus in Act 4 results in a personal encounter with our Lord. The action is riveting, and so it should be. This was after all a week of intense, history-changing drama.

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It’s always great when you can fit in a bit of family time into a busy schedule.

Monday and Tuesday were spent visiting with my 95-year-old mom in rural Saskatchewan. Despite the advancing years, she is in good health, active and sound of mind. It was also a real treat to spend time with two of my sisters and my brother, as well as a few nieces. A stunning, frosty sunrise greeted us as we set out on our trip from Regina to Churchbridge, SK.

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Frosty sunrise east of Regina, SK — photo by David Kitz

Wednesday morning March 28th was the start of the second leg of my tour. This meant picking up a rental car at the Regina airport for the three hour drive to Saskatoon. The remainder of the day was spent meeting with the pastor of Courts of Praise Church as we planned for “The Centurion’s Report” presentation on Good Friday.

For the next three nights I had the good fortune of staying with my nephew Ross and his family. There home is a 20  minute drive west of the city. The Indigo bookstore event on Thursday went very well. But the highlight of the Saskatoon portion of the tour was the Good Friday morning service at Courts of Praise.

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Photo credit Jean Levac, Ottawa Citizen

The Good Friday service brought together four churches for a presentation of “The Centurion’s Report.” One of the unique features of this presentation was the incorporation of communion between Act 3 and Act 4. It was a very meaningful addition to the drama surrounding Christ’s crucifixion.

Supper with another nephew rounded out the events of a perfect day—a beautiful Good Friday.

Saturday dawned cold and bright. Yes, very cold -25C with a windchill of -35C, but with a bright sunshining the eight hour drive to Calgary was pleasure. I love the wide open prairies and being able to see twenty miles to the horizon and beyond.

2018-03-31

Big sky country in the Red Deer River Valley, Alberta — photo by David Kitz

In many respects Easter Sunday in Calgary was the highlight of the tour.

Cornerstone Church in Calgary was the biggest audience for “The Centurion’s Report” on this tour It also resulted in the most book sales after the morning service. The same was true of my book signing event at the Indigo store in the afternoon.

But the biggest thrill of the day came when I was introduced to my two stagehands before the Easter morning service. The tallest young man introduced himself as Timothy. I replied, “Wow, that’s my oldest son’s name!” I then turned to the second young man and asked, “And what’s your name?”

He answered, “Joshua.”

I burst out laughing. My second son is named Joshua. My sons, Tim and Josh, have often helped me as stagehands back in Ottawa. I thought the Lord has a great sense of humor. He brought memories of family back on this special resurrection morning. Later that afternoon I sold a copy of The Soldier Who Killed the King to the Burgess family. Burgess is my wife’s maiden name. So in two divine coincidences I was directly reminded of each of my family members on an Easter Sunday 2,000 miles from home.

The drive back to Regina was a visual feast for this prairie boy’s eyes.

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Along a prairie trail, north of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan — photo by David Kitz

I set out for Regina before sunrise on Easter Monday morning. It was still clear and cold, but the nine hour leisurely drive was a treat for the eyes. Cowboy country beckoned, and I couldn’t help but stop for a few photos of the stunning vistas.

It was great to be back in Regina with the Robinson family in whose home I stayed for a large portion of this tour. On Tuesday evening they hosted a “book and drama” party for a few of their friends. Many of these friends had been part of a book study of The Soldier Who Killed a King, which Dr. Robinson led. For them it was a meet-the-author evening, but for me it was a meet the readers event.

Early Wednesday morning my flight left Regina airport. I returned to Ottawa tired, but happy. In total I logged about 5,000 km (3,000 miles) in the air, and 2,200 km (1,350 miles) in ground travel.

What will stay with me are memories of warm smiles and lives touched by the message of the cross.

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The Everlasting Constant

11 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 102, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Alberta, eternity, everlasting, forever, God, Jesus, perish, praise, psalmist, Red Deer River Valley

Reading: Psalm 102

(Verses 23-28)
In the course of my life he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.
So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on through all generations.
In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you”
(NIV).

Reflection
We like to think that we are the captains of our own destiny—the masters of our own future—and to some extent we are. We can determine our attitude and response to many situations. But eventually the truth will hit home. Our ultimate destiny is in God’s hands. We cannot determine how tall we will grow, or the color of our eyes or our skin. These are matters that are beyond our control.

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Big sky country in the Red Deer River Valley, Alberta — photo by David Kitz

God has predetermined the number of our days on this earth. Jesus said, “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:30). So I also expect that God knows the exact number of breaths that you and I will breathe.

In today’s reading from Psalm 102, the psalmist is coming to grips with his own mortality. He laments: In the course of my life he [the LORD] broke my strength; he cut short my days. So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.” 

The LORD is the great everlasting constant. Our days may be numbered, but God’s are not. He is the ageless One without beginning of days or end of life. Even the earth itself may wear out, but He remains. “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” 

If even the earth will perish and wear out, what hope is there for us? But in the next breath the psalmist provides us with hope. “The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”

Response: Father God, I want to live in your presence now and in eternity. Establish my children before you. They are gifts from your hand. You are constant and I want to live in constant praise of you. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you in control of your life or is God in control? Are you yielded to Him and ready to do His will?

The Way of the Blessed

07 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Psalm 119, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Alberta, blameless, blessed, commands, decrees, Drumheller, obey, praise, precepts, Psalm 119, Red Deer River, righteous, shame, statutes, the LORD

I will praise Him!

2018-03-31

The Red River Valley near Drumheller, Alberta — photo by David Kitz

א Aleph

Blessed are those whose ways are blameless,
    who walk according to the law of the LORD.
Blessed are those who keep his statutes
    and seek him with all their heart—
they do no wrong
    but follow his ways.
You have laid down precepts
    that are to be fully obeyed.
Oh, that my ways were steadfast
    in obeying your decrees!
Then I would not be put to shame
    when I consider all your commands.
I will praise you with an upright heart
    as I learn your righteous laws.
I will obey your decrees;
    do not utterly forsake me.

(Psalm 119:1-8, NIV)

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