10 Saturday Feb 2018
Tags
blessed, children, darkness, fearing God, generations, generosity, Grey Nuns Park, justice, Light, Orleans, praise, the LORD
Light dawns for the upright — Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
18 Thursday Jan 2018
Posted in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 78, Psalms
Tags
Chateau Montebello, children, faith, grumbling, Israel, lack of faith, miracles, rebellious ways, temptations, testing God, trust in God, Unbelief
Reading: Psalm 78
(Verses 17-22)
But they continued to sin against him,
rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High.
They willfully put God to the test
by demanding the food they craved.
They spoke against God;
they said, “Can God really
spread a table in the wilderness?
True, he struck the rock,
and water gushed out,
streams flowed abundantly,
but can he also give us bread?
Can he supply meat for his people?”
When the Lord heard them, he was furious;
his fire broke out against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,
for they did not believe in God
or trust in his deliverance (NIV).
Reflection
Psalm 78 is largely an indictment against the people of Israel for their lack of faith and their rebellious ways. As the psalmist says, “They willfully put God to the test.”
Chateau Montebello, Montebello, QB — photo by David Kitz
As a child I recall reading the entire book of Exodus and thinking to myself, “Wow, these people sure are dumb. How could they see God’s amazing miracles and then a few days later grumble, complain and doubt that the LORD would help them? These people are real losers!”
Then I grew up and had a family of my own. At times I saw amazing miracles and God’s supernatural provision. But guess what? When the next big difficulty arose, I found myself doubting that God would come through. I complained about the difficulty I was in and acted just like the people of Israel in the wilderness.
Oops! I thought I was different. I thought I was smarter than those spiritual dullards in the Old Testament. In reality my grownup faith was much weaker than my childhood faith. When real testing and temptation came, I was and still am, as susceptible to unbelief as any of the wandering Israelites in the wilderness. Faith is a gift from God—a wonder-filled gift that carries us through the hard times.
The indictment against Israel is that they did not believe in God or trust in his deliverance. Do I truly believe in God and trust in his deliverance? Is my faith more than a creedal statement? Does it have legs and wings to carry me through the toughest situation? Often I am more like the rebellious children of Israel than I would like to admit. How about you?
Response: LORD God, I humbly ask you for the gift of faith—faith to sustain me through the tough times ahead. You are my help, my salvation and my deliverer. I praise you for your faithfulness. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you have grown-up faith or childlike faith? Which is better?
16 Tuesday Jan 2018
Posted in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 78, Psalms
Reading: Psalm 78
A maskil of Asaph.
(Verses 1-8)
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.
Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.
They would not be like their ancestors—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him (NIV).
Reflection
Psalm 78 begins with a simple imperative statement: My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
Backyard white wonder — photo by David Kitz
Hearing and listening are very simple commands. There is nothing particularly difficult about hearing or listening. But…but it seems most of humanity’s problems stem from not hearing or listening. Most marital breakdowns come as a result of a refusal to listen to one another. Intergenerational conflict results from a breakdown in communication. One party may be speaking, but the other party isn’t listening. Even on the international stage, when nations refuse to talk to one another, the next step is usually war.
Why do we stop listening or hearing? Is it because we don’t like what the other person is saying? How does that affect our relationship with God? Have we stopped listening to His voice because we don’t like what He says? Have we stopped listening to the voice of our conscience? Good listening starts with listening to the LORD. When our children stop listening to us we have a problem. Have we in turn listened to them? Telling the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD starts with us hearing and really listening to God. Our children are so very important to us. But it all starts with the LORD. He has something to say to you today. Are you listening?
Response: LORD God, today give me ears to hear what your Spirit is saying to me. I want a listening heart. Help me to really hear the others in my family and workplace. Thanks for listening to me. Amen.
Your Turn: At times I have not listened to God. How about you? How do we change?
04 Saturday Nov 2017
Autumn glory, sumac ablaze with color — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz
18 Monday Sep 2017
Posted in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 37, Psalms
Tags
blessings, children, delight, delights, generosity, generous, inter-generational, righteous, the LORD
Reading: Psalm 37
(Verses 23-29)
The LORD makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be a blessing.
Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever (NIV).
Reflection
According to Psalm 37 there is a string of blessings that is bequeathed to the righteous. We are kept safe—held secure in the palm of God’s hand. Furthermore, these blessings are inter-generational. The children of the righteous are blessed, so they can be a blessing to their parents and others.
Misty morning — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz
As parents and grandparents can attest, children can be a great blessing, or if they are corrupted by rebellion and disobedience they can become a curse, making life difficult for all around them.
Much of the trouble in the world today is self-inflicted. By choosing the path of anger, selfishness and resentment, we heap sorrow on our own head. Conversely, if we choose to follow the LORD along the path of love, generosity and forgiveness, we set ourselves up to receive blessings from our heavenly Father.
Down through the ages, David’s admonition rings true: Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.
But God’s blessings rest on a premise, and here it is: The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him.
The question we need to continually ask ourselves is “Am I delighting myself in the LORD? Is He my chief joy in life? Do I hunger for His word and His presence in my life? Do I long for times of sweet communion with Him?
Response: LORD God, help me to delight myself in you. May I love what you love. Help me to position myself to receive your blessings. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.
Your Turn: Are you living proof of God’s inter-generational blessing on those who delight in Him?
15 Wednesday Feb 2017
Tags
boasting, bravado, calm, calmed, child, children, content, contentment, humble, humility, Jesus, meek, pride, proud
Reading: Psalm 131
A song of ascents. Of David.
My heart is not proud, LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore (NIV).
Reflection
In my personal quiet time this morning I highlighted this verse. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2).
Content as a weaned child, Timothy & Joshua
The wisdom that comes with humility is a rare commodity in today’s world. It appears that the crude bravado of boasting egocentrics is winning the day. Every field of human endeavor has its loudmouthed champions—men who heap scorn on meeker souls.
But Jesus has a message that runs completely contrary to this approach. In his Sermon on the Mount, he said, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). On another occasion, the disciples asked Jesus this question, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
This is Jesus’ response. “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” (See Matthew 18:1-5).
Jesus turns this world’s operating system on its head. He heaps honor on the weak, the humble and the vulnerable. He praises the soul of the weaned child—the one who takes the position of humility. Of course, Jesus is right. The folly of the proud ends in disgrace, but the humility of the meek ends in honor and a glorious inheritance.
Your eternal destiny is determined by your humility. These words of Jesus are an ominous warning: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
I need to become like the weaned child of Psalm 131. Can I truthfully say these words? My heart is not proud, LORD, my eyes are not haughty. Have I calmed and quieted myself? Am I like a weaned child with its mother? Am I content? Becoming like the weaned child requires change. I need to change. Jesus asks me to change. How about you?
Response: Father God, help me to change. I want to become more like Jesus. He was the servant of all. Help me to avoid the pitfall of pride. Teach how to quiet my soul and be content in you. Amen.
Your Turn: Are you learning to quiet your soul before God?
09 Thursday Feb 2017
Tags
blessing, blessings of children, children, family, fearing God, holidays, holy days, love, olive shoots, parents, pilgrims, unity
Reading: Psalm 128
A song of ascents.
Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in obedience to him.
You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion;
may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—
peace be on Israel (NIV).
Reflection
I got an unexpected call from my son this morning. “Can we have lunch together today?” he asked.
Enjoying the blessings of family in northern Vermont — photo courtesy of Chris Kennedy.
“Sure,” I responded without hesitation. Who can say no to such a request? We went out to a pizza place for their buffet lunch. We enjoyed a leisurely conversation. There was no urgency to our discussion. He shared a few minor work frustrations, while I did the same. This was simply a father and son enjoying each other’s company, talking a little sports and discussing whatever came to mind.
According to Psalm 128, I was appreciating one of the olive shoots around my table. Now that’s a unique way to view your son or daughter. Children are a blessing, and when adult children enjoy spending time with their parents that’s a double blessing. At a time when many adult children are estranged from their parents or separated by long distances, the opportunity to spend time together at the drop of a hat is a real blessing. As a parent you are enjoying the fruit of your labor. You are reaping the rewards from years spent pouring into the lives of your children.
This is the ninth psalm of the series of psalms known as Songs of Ascent or Psalms of Ascent. These were psalms used by pilgrims as they made the annual trek to Jerusalem for celebrations such as the Feast of Tabernacles or the Passover. In some respects, these ancient holy days correspond to our present day holidays such as Thanksgiving or Christmas. Families today often make long journeys to celebrate together what at their core are religious holidays. Family togetherness is a central feature of such events. We should not be surprised then that this entire psalm highlights the blessings of family unity.
It should be noted that the blessings of family begin with obedience and the fear of the LORD.
Response: Father God, I love my family. I am so blessed to have children who love you, Lord. Watch over them, I pray. Keep their hearts tender before you. Help them to daily hear your voice. Amen.
Your Turn: Are you estranged from family members? Can you build a bridge back to that loved one?
08 Wednesday Feb 2017
Tags
builder, building, children, construction, David, gold, heritage, sanctuary, Solomon, temple, value, values
Reading: Psalm 127
A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat—
for he grants sleep to those he loves.
Children are a heritage from the LORD,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court (NIV).
Reflection
There are fifteen Songs of Ascent. Four of them are attributed to David, but only this one is attributed to David’s son, Solomon. It is very fitting that King Solomon should be credited with penning this psalm. The psalm begins with this sentence: Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Choosing the right path with your child — photo by David Kitz
Solomon was the greatest builder of the Old Testament era. He built the magnificent temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. On this project, he spared no expense. Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:21).
In addition to the temple, Solomon built an enormous palace for himself, as well as stables for his horses and chariots. (See 1 Kings 10:26). Solomon was an expert at construction and on vanity (see the Book of Ecclesiastes) yet he states, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”
So then, where is lasting value? There is lasting value in our children. The grand construction project of lasting worth is the life of a child—the soul of a child. Are we overlaying the inside of that temple with pure gold? Are we instilling values of honesty, charity and self-worth? The real treasure is in the heart of a child—a child that will carry those values to the next generation.
Solomon reminds us: Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. They are the arrows that are targeted at the third generation. Now there is a construction project worthy of a king.
Response: Father God, I want to see the true worth of my children. Help me to pass on values and lessons of faith to them. I thank you for them. They are a gift from you of immeasurable worth. Amen.
Your Turn: Are you overlaying the sanctuary of your child’s heart with pure gold?
01 Tuesday Nov 2016
Reading: Psalm 105
(Verses 1-7)
Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.
Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,
his chosen ones, the children of Jacob.
He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth (NIV).
Reflection
This past Sunday during the children’s church time the pastor led the children in a rousing chorus of “Jesus Loves Me.” In case you need a quick refresher, here is the first verse of that much loved children’s hymn: Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so; Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong.
Quiet strength comes from the Lord — photo by David Kitz
I remember singing this song with much gusto as a young tyke at Vacation Bible School. I took special comfort from this line: Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong.
As a child I was well aware that I needed the strength of Jesus, since I had so little strength of my own. As we grow up and mature into adulthood we can forget to depend on the Lord’s strength. We have plenty of our own strength. Soon we can find ourselves relying on our own intellect and resources to solve problems as they come our way. Who needs Jesus when we can make our own way in life? Maybe we don’t consciously say that, but our actions reflect that line of reasoning.
The children’s song “Jesus Loves Me” might have been inspired by a line from Psalm 105 where we read, Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
The plain truth is that I need the LORD and His strength at every stage of my life. My strength on every level is minuscule in the sight of God. That’s why I need to seek his face continually. His wisdom surpasses my limited understanding. I have so little strength on my own, but His power is all surpassing. How foolish we are to rely on our abilities, when the Lord offers to walk through this life right beside us. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
Response: Lord Jesus, you are strong—strong enough to carry the cross on my behalf—strong enough to purchase my redemption. I look to you for strength and salvation. Always guide my steps. Amen.
Your Turn: Did you find it easier to trust in Jesus as a child than as an adult?
09 Sunday Oct 2016
Posted in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm
Tags
children, compassion, dust, Green's Creek, Ottawa, Psalm 103, Psalms, the LORD
At the mouth of Green’s Creek, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz
