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I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

I love the Psalms

Tag Archives: Christ

The Face of the LORD

12 Wednesday Apr 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 34, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christ, Creator, face of God, Mercy Seat, Michelangelo, picturing God

Reading: Psalm 34:15-18
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
but the face of the L
ORD is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
The L
ORD is close to the broken-hearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit
(NIV). *
Bridge

Reflection
In yesterday’s discussion of Psalm 34 I asked the question, “What does God taste like?” Remember David invites us in Psalm 34:8 to “Taste and see that the LORD is good.”

As this psalm continues David again invites us to take a closer look at God. He reminds us that, “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil to blot out their name from the earth.”

In this passage David depicts the LORD as having eyes, ears, and a face. I always have trouble picturing God. This inability does not stem from a lack of imagination. It comes from the knowledge that God is a spirit. How do you picture something that has no physical substance or form?

But picturing God comes with further difficulties. We are specifically forbidden to create an image or likeness of God. The God of the Hebrews sat on the Mercy Seat on the Ark of the Covenant between two cherubim. But there was no image or statue there. To create an image or statue would be blasphemous. For that reason, I find Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel offensive. I am not offended by the depiction of a naked Adam. I’m offended by the portrayal of an old grey-haired man as God. How dare he create an image of God? I am similarly troubled by any artistic rendering of God the Father. God is so far beyond human that to render Him as having a human form demeans His Majesty.

But that’s what makes the incarnation so spectacular. This God of no fixed form took on material reality. In the person of Jesus, He became a man with eyes, ears, and a human face. The God who sees all and hears all limited himself to a human body. The Creator took on the form and limitations of a creature—limitations that encompass betrayal, pain, and death. In the body of Jesus, the Creator God, who sees and hears, experienced our reality—our humanity.

The psalmist, David declares, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

The LORD is close to the broken-hearted because in the form of Christ his heart was broken. He experienced the pain that touches you and me. His eyes are on you. He is listening when you cry out.

Response: Hear my prayer, Lord. I seek your face. Be my healer, my redeemer and deliverer. In Jesus’ name, who defeated death, I pray. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you have a picture of God? How does God look to you?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

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. Start your day with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Our Living Rock

22 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 31, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christ, Jesus, refuge in trouble, rock of refuge, salvation

Reading: Psalm 31:1-5
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
deliver me, L
ORD, my faithful God (NIV). *

2021-07-16

Christ is our living Rock — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
We all need a place of refuge. Here as David begins Psalm 31, he pleads with God to hear him, and become a rock of refuge for him. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me.

David spent many of his early years fleeing from King Saul. At other times, the Philistines were a threat. There were many occasions in which David needed a fortress—a rock of refuge from his enemies. Often, he found himself calling out for the LORD to rescue him.

Are we any different? We may not have physical enemies who are seeking to kill us, but in the spiritual realm the demonic forces of hell are constantly seeking opportunities to trip us up, so they can launch their vicious assault. Trouble and affliction come to every human life. We are not immune simply because we have put our faith in Christ. We too need a safe place—a rock of refuge.

But the rock to which we flee is not an inanimate object, fixed and unmoving. No, we come to the living rock which is Christ. He travels with us on this earthly pilgrimage. The apostle, Paul reminds us that even the people of Israel wandering in the wilderness were not alone. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ (1 Corinthians 10:3-4).

The veins of that rock were opened wide for us. Jesus bled and died so we could experience new life and complete forgiveness. As he hung dying, Jesus called out to his Father with the words of this psalm, “Into your hands I commit my spirit.” Now daily that living rock accompanies you. He is the fount of forgiveness and a sure refuge in a time of need. Have you put your trust in him for your salvation now and in eternity?

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. You alone are my rock and my eternal fortress. Guide my spirit into the right path today. Keep me safe from the traps of the enemy. I trust in you. Amen.

Your Turn: Is Jesus your living rock? Why is the analogy of Jesus as a rock a comfort to you?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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 daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

On the Road to the Cross

27 Monday Feb 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Books by David Kitz

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christ, Jesus, resurrection, the cross, The Soldier Who Killed a King

Maybe you are like me. I need reminders of what Jesus accomplished for me through his suffering and death on a cruel Roman cross. A journey to the cross changes my perspective. On that journey, I take my eyes off myself and my problems. Instead, my attention is focused on Jesus. I come away with my faith strengthened and renewed.
4485 SHARABLE-1

If you haven’t yet read The Soldier Who Killed a King why not discover what you have been missing? In these pages you will get a closeup look at Jesus in the final week before his death and resurrection.

Here’s what others are saying:

Fasten your seatbelt, because this story will bring a new perspective of Christ’s humiliation and suffering, which is so unique and powerful that you feel you are there. David writes with great command and pulls the reader into how it might have been for Jesus of Nazareth, when even His beloved disciples left him alone. Most of us know the biblical story, but we can’t imagine how it might have really been for our Savior. I give this book 5 stars and a recommendation that everyone should read it.
5 Stars               Verified Purchase        Mary Cates

I really enjoyed reading this book about what happened during Holy Week from the Roman Centurion’s viewpoint. I’ve had the book for several years now and won the book from the author in a giveaway. I try to read it during each day of Holy Week following along as the days progress. I have bought a few copies and given it to friends just before Palm Sunday so they can read it also.

5 Stars               Verified Purchase          Kindle Customer

4485 FACEBOOK-1 

American readers click this link for a closer look or to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King.

Canadian readers click this link for a closer look or to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King directly from the author.

Jesus’ Suffering and My Suffering

24 Friday Feb 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 22, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Christ, Jesus, pierced, praise, Suffering, triumphant

Reading: Psalm 22:22-26
I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
You who fear the L
ORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.
 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the L
ORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
(NIV) *

img_20220910_1916520

Rising on angel wings — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
In this ongoing discussion of Psalm 22 we hit a critical turning point with yesterday’s scripture reading. The humiliated, pierced, and tortured Christ prays, “But you, LORD, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. Deliver me from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dogs. Rescue me from the mouth of the lions; save me from the horns of the wild oxen” (Psalm 22:19-21).

God the Father answered the prayer of his suffering Son, not immediately, but three days later Jesus arose from the dead. Now he reigns triumphant over death, hell, and the grave. The opening words recorded here are the resurrected Christ’s song of triumph: I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

And why should we praise the LORD? Here is the answer: For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help.

In the context of this psalm, Christ is the afflict one. The prophet Isaiah declares, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Yes, praise Him! We have a Savior who can fully identify with every aspect of our humanity because he was fully human. He suffered just as we suffer, and in his body, he experience severe loss and pain. God incarnate knows all about the human condition because He lived as a human. But in all this Jesus is the victor. May your hearts live forever because of Jesus Christ who conquered death and lives now and forever.

Response: Father, thank you for victory over death, hell and the grave through your Son Jesus. By faith his victory becomes my victory. Hallelujah! I praise you my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Your Turn: How does the knowledge of Christ’s suffering help you in times of personal pain or loss?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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 daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Christ’s Crucifixion Described in the Psalms

21 Tuesday Feb 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 22, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Christ, crucifixion, Holy Spirit, inspiration, prophecy

Reading: Psalm 22:1-8
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.”
A psalm of David.
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, but I find no rest.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the one Israel praises.
In you our ancestors put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
To you they cried out and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
“He trusts in the L
ORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him, since he delights in him”
(NIV). *
jesus-on-the-cross-678x381

Reflection
Do you believe in prophecy?

Psalm 22 is the most graphic description of Christ’s crucifixion found anywhere in the Bible. Yet here it is—tucked away among the Psalms—written roughly 900 years before the birth of Christ. How can this be? During David’s time, crucifixion as a form of execution had not yet been invented. Furthermore, crucifixion is portrayed from the victim’s point of view—Jesus’ point of view.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These are the words of Jesus on the cross and they form the opening line of this psalm. Of course, Jesus knew he was quoting this psalm when he cried out in anguish.

But did his arrogant mockers know they too were fulfilling scriptural prophecy as they hurled their insults, “He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” These words from Psalm 22 find an uncanny parallel in the verbal abuse thrown at Jesus in Matthew 27:43 where we read, “He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”

Remarkably, David saw it all. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he beheld the cross nine centuries in advance. I believe in prophecies to come because of prophecies fulfilled.  

Response: Father, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to this cruel world to suffer on my behalf. Thank you that I can put my trust in Your Holy Word. It was, is and will be forever true and trustworthy. Amen.

Your Turn: Why do you have confidence in God’s word? Reflect on times when God’s word helped you.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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 daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

The God of the Broken

11 Saturday Feb 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Bible

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

A. B. Simpson, Aimee Semple McPherson, Christ, Jacob

The following post is a chapter from The Elisha Code by Dr. Ed Hird and David Kitz.

And He said,
“Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel;
for you have struggled with God and with men,
and have prevailed.”
(Genesis 32:28, NKJV)

             The people whom God uses to change the world have first been radically changed by the Spirit of God. Often, these world changers have experienced major setbacks. We might even say they have been broken by God, but they have come through those experiences transformed and empowered by the Spirit.

There is a pattern that emerges as we look back at the lives of the three revivalists we have examined thus far. Each of them reached a breaking point.
A B Simpson A. B. Simpson was a successful minister who through much hard work, built a large church but he experienced burnout and a physical breakdown. From this low point, God healed him and raised him up to bring healing and salvation to thousands.

Similarly, Amy Semple McPherson experienced a complete physical breakdown that left her hospitalized and at the point of death. She had returned from the mission field as a widow and a broken woman. She transitioned to a new life but steadfastly resisted God’s call. But God broke her resistance, miraculously restored her health, and catapulted her into a healing ministry that changed the trajectory of the church in America and the world.

AimeeSempleMcPherson_lg.250w.tn

Aimee Semple McPherson

Andrew Murray had what many would consider a successful ministry. But he too reached a breaking point. He lost his voice for two years. From this low point, God healed, transformed, and restored Murray to a far more effective and far-reaching ministry.

The common thread that runs through these life stories is all three leaders encountered a breaking point. God broke them. Why would God do such a thing? Do we need to be broken to become effective ministers of the gospel of Christ?

There are several stories in the Bible that illustrate this need for God to break us.

The life story of the patriarch Jacob serves as the primary example of God taking a man to a breaking point. Jacob was a grasper. He grabbed for power. This is graphically illustrated by the way he came into this world. He arrived grasping his twin brother’s heel.[i] From the moment of birth, we see Jacob attempting to supplant Esau, his older brother, through cunning and deception.
Jacob succeeds first by trading a pot of lentil stew for Esau’s birthright (Genesis 25:29-35), and later by conspiring with his mother to rob Esau of his father’s blessing (Genesis 27:1-41). When Esau threatens to kill him, Jacob flees to the distant home of his uncle Laban.

Repeatedly, Jacob bargains with God, and God answers his prayers. Perhaps this is the most remarkable feature of Jacob’s life story. The LORD sticks with this deceiver and blesses him despite his devious ways. His life is a portrait of God’s unmerited favor in the face of constant opposition.

Jacob met his cunning, devious double in the person of Uncle Laban. First, Laban deceived Jacob by swapping Leah for her sister Rachel on his wedding night. There is more than a little divine justice at play in Laban’s clever deception. Jacob who cheated his blind father is cheated blind in his own marriage bed. The irony in this outcome is striking. Jacob is required to work seven years for Leah and then seven more years for Rachel, his true love.[ii]

Then, over the years, Laban changed Jacob’s wages ten times. But despite Laban’s constant readjustments, Jacob’s flocks and herds grew and prospered. God’s blessing bestowed by Isaac remained on Jacob.[iii]

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob’s Ladder — Genesis 28:12

But eventually, God brought Jacob to a breaking point. It happened on Jacob’s return to his homeland.

Jacob gets word that his brother Esau is coming to meet him with 400 men. Why would Esau come with 400 men unless he intended to carry out the threat, he uttered twenty years earlier? Suddenly, Jacob’s life is on the line, and not only his life, but also the lives of his two wives and his twelve sons. His family and all the wealth he accumulated over years of hard labor is about to be wiped out. He finds himself in a truly desperate situation with no way out.

In exchange for his life, he offers to bargain away all his livestock, his wives, and his children. But will this desperate ploy satisfy the angry brother he has cheated? Jacob sends all he has ahead of him. To his servants he says:

“When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us’” (Genesis 32:17-18, NIV).

But Jacob stays back on opposite side of the Jabok River. There alone in the dark for the whole night, Jacob wrestled with a man. But in truth, he wrestled with God.

Many Bible scholars view this man as a Christophany—a preincarnate appearance of Christ. Christ came down from heaven to break this obstinate cheater—break him and change him into a vessel he could use for his glory and his eternal purpose.

When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

          But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

          The man asked him, “What is your name?”

          “Jacob,” he answered.

          Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

          Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

          But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

          So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared” (Genesis 32:25-30).

There can be no doubt who the stronger man was at Peniel. With a simple touch Jacob’s hip was wrenched. With a simple touch Christ healed the sick, raised the crippled, and restored sight to the blind. But here with a simple touch, Christ wrenched Jacob’s hip and left limping for the rest of his days.

Why this stark contrast? We can easily understand why Christ would heal a beggar, but why would he break a man? Why break Jacob?

The simple answer is because Jacob needed to be broken. The wild horse serves no one. The wild stallion serves only himself. Only the broken horse is fit for the master’s service. All of Jacob’s service was self-serving, and that includes his service to Laban. From Peniel onward Jacob—broken Jacob—was serving the LORD.

David, the man after God’s own heart, needed to be broken too. David was true to the LORD in the wilderness with jealous King Saul in hot pursuit, but after he assumed the throne of Israel his fleshly desires led him astray. After his sin with Bathsheba, God needed to break him. The events that followed this sordid affair brought the humility so essential for effective service to God. Psalm 51 reflects the heart cry of a broken man.

This need for the servant of God to be broken by God appears in the New Testament as well. Peter needed to be broken by Jesus. Peter was a natural leader—sure of himself in all situations—ready to step out of a boat and even walk on water. That takes more than a little courage. But that confident self-assurance needed to be broken, and Jesus knew how to do it.

It only took three crows from a rooster to break Peter and reduce him to a blubbering, sobbing mess. Jesus knows how to break the strongest men. But he also knows how to restore them.

Three times Jesus asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”[iv]
Three times Peter affirmed his love for the Lord, and three times Jesus affirmed Peter’s calling:

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15).
Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep” (John 21:16).
Jesus said, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17).

The broken Peter was now ready for service. He would fulfill the prophetic words Jesus had spoken over him before his fall and now in his restoration.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:31-32, NIV).

The broken Peter had been humbled. Now Jesus ruled Peter. Now the Master was truly the Master and Lord of all.

Have you been broken by Jesus? Most Christians are eager to serve the Lord, but only in an advisory capacity. Peter was quick to give Jesus advice on how he should avoid the cross. See Matthew 16:21-27. The Lord is not looking for our advice. He is looking for our obedience.

Jesus himself needed to be broken. His Heavenly Father broke him on the cross where he cried out,“Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (Which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Matthew 27:46, NIV).

When Jesus broke, he broke the stranglehold of sin over humanity. His breaking was essential for the salvation of our souls.
As disciples of our Lord Jesus, we can expect to be broken as well. We need to become like our Master in every way.

Saul of Tarsus was zealous to serve the God of his fathers, so zealous he persecuted the church. Jesus himself intervened in Saul’s life in order to break him. On the road to Damascus, Saul was confronted by Jesus—arrested by Jesus—blinded and broken by him.

Out of his brokenness Paul ministered the gospel to the Gentile world of his day. Through his writing he continues to speak to millions today.

Have we been confronted by Jesus? Has he opposed you at any point in your life? Have you been broken by him? In the power of our own flesh we can do many good and noble things in the name of our Lord. Many fine churches have been built through clever marketing and ingenuity. Human effort and talent can carry us along way.

In the eyes of many, A. B. Simpson had a successful ministry before Christ broke him. Andrew Murray was powerfully used by God before God broke him and set him aside for two years. But both these men came out of their time of brokenness refined and empowered by the Spirit of God. In their hearts there had been a regime change. The risen Christ was fully in charge now and the Spirit of God was directing them forward.

Are you and I ready to be broken and poured out at the feet of Jesus?

Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil (John 12:3, NIV).

[i] Genesis 25:21-26

[ii] Genesis 29:14-30

[iii] Genesis 31:38-42

[iv] John 21:15-19

Who Is Your Rock?

02 Thursday Feb 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 18, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

attributes of God, Christ, Jesus, Rock, the LORD, wisdom

Reading: Psalm 18:1-5
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD.
He sang to the LORD the words of this song
when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies
and from the hand of Saul. He said:
I love you, LORD, my strength.
 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I called to the L
ORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me
(NIV). *

5009[2693] D Adam

Landestreu Church — photo by Donald Adam

Reflection
Psalm 18 is one of the longer psalms in the Book of Psalms. Step by step, day by day, we will glean wisdom from the psalmist, David, as we make our way through this psalm.

In many respects Psalm 18 is a psalm of culmination. The introductory note tells us David composed and sang this psalm when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. For many long years David had been fleeing for his life from his master King Saul. At long last, after repeatedly calling on God in great distress, David has triumphed. And now through the words of this psalm, he gives all the credit and all the glory to God.

Notice the list of attributes David ascribes to the LORD: my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock, my shield, my salvation, and my stronghold. To David the LORD had proven Himself repeatedly during years of hard times to be the embodiment of each of those attributes. If you call on Him, the LORD can be all those things for you as well.

Did you notice my rock is the only attribute that is repeated in this list? Why repeat the phrase my rock? In the prophetic realm, during all those years of severe testing, Christ was the rock on which David took his stand. David did not build his life on the shifting sands of public opinion or popularity. He built his life on Christ. A thousand years in advance, David was putting into practice the words of Jesus, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock” (Matthew 7:24-25).

Now that’s wisdom—applied wisdom for the ages!

Response: Heavenly Father, help me daily to build my life on the rock, Christ Jesus. Lord Jesus, you are my fortress, my salvation, and my stronghold. I put my full trust in you. Amen.

Your Turn: How is God like a rock in your life? Has He sustained you during difficult times? Is He helping you through tough times right now, or has He already turned the tide in your favor?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

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. Start your day with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Kissing the Son

03 Tuesday Jan 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 2

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Christ, Kiss, Messiah, messianic, messianic psalm, the LORD

Reading: Psalm 2
Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together
against the L
ORD and against his anointed, saying,
“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
“I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.
Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the L
ORD with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him
(NIV). *      

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Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord — photo by David Kitz                

Reflection
Kisses are so close-up and personal, so intimate. I don’t know about you, but I don’t kiss everyone I meet. Kisses are reserved for those special people in my life—people I know and trust—people I love.

Here in Psalm 2, kings and rulers are commanded to kiss the Son of God. What an odd command? What is the significance of this? The kiss in this case signals full submission to the supreme potentate. Kings and rulers are to submit to the overarching rule of Christ over themselves, their affairs and their entire domain.

Psalm 2 is the first of several messianic psalms scattered throughout the Book of Psalms. There is nothing subtle about the messianic message found here. The LORD has installed His anointed as king in Zion and furthermore this anointed one is identified as the Son of God. The term the LORD’s “anointed” is frequently translated as Messiah or Christ.

In the Book of Acts, we see the apostles viewed this psalm as the prophetic fulfillment of Christ’s mission during his last days in Jerusalem. The anointed Son of God was rejected by Herod and Pilate, the rulers of that time. They refused to kiss the Son. See Acts 4:23-31.

But what about me? Have I kissed the Son? Have I submitted to his will for my life? In my own small way, I too am a monarch, a ruler of my own domain. Today, will I allow him to rule over me, my conduct, my activities, and my financial affairs?

Response: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your unconditional love. You want only the best for me. I yield to you. Help me to embrace your will and purpose for my life. I trust in you. I love you, Lord. With my lips I kiss the Son. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you kissed the Son? How can you show your love and loyalty to Jesus today?

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

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Start 2023 with a new devotional series. 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.

Your Anointed One

26 Thursday May 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 89

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

anointed, Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Messiah

Reading: Psalm 89:46-52
How long, LORD? Will you hide yourself forever?
How long will your wrath burn like fire?
 Remember how fleeting is my life.
For what futility you have created all humanity!
Who can live and not see death,
or who can escape the power of the grave?
Lord, where is your former great love,
which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked,
how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
the taunts with which your enemies, L
ORD, have mocked,
with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.
Praise be to the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen
(NIV).*

original_9a423d1f-3154-4f62-ad12-1a529cf66907_img_20220514_2033260

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Many people believe that Christ is Jesus’ last name. That is not true. The Bible does not tell us Jesus’ family name. Often, he is identified by the town that he is from—Jesus of Nazareth. So, what then is the significance of the word Christ or Khristos in the Greek? Christ is a title. One might even call it a job description. It means the anointed one, the one designated by God to rule and reign over his people. The Greek word Khristos or Christ corresponds to the Hebrew word Mashiach or Messiah. The anointed one or Christ was and is the son of David, who rules over the house of Jacob and the Israel of God. Just as David was anointed to be king of Israel, Jesus is anointed to be our king for this life and eternity.

When we read Psalm 89 with the understanding that the anointed one is also the Christ, the psalm takes on a whole new layer of meaning. Yes, during the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians, the anointed one was mocked. But this is also true of Jesus, the anointed Son of David, who was led off to be crucified outside the city gate. These words were fulfilled in Christ: Remember, Lord, how your servant has been mocked, how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations, the taunts with which your enemies, LORD, have mocked, with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.

But there is a significant difference between the Old Testament, anointed one, and our New Testament Christ. The psalmist asks this question: Who can live and not see death, or who can escape the power of the grave?

The implicit answer is that no one can escape death and the grave. But… but there is One—One, who tasted death on our behalf—One, who escaped the power of the grave. His name is Jesus. He is the Christ, the anointed One, and our Messiah. He is the One who by virtue of the resurrection is King now and forevermore.

Response: LORD God, I thank you for Jesus, the Christ, the anointed One. Thank you for your death, burial and resurrection. I join with the psalmist in saying, “Praise be to the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.”

Your Turn: In what way is Christ a job description? What job has he done and is he doing for you?

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

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Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award and for those who love God’s word, it’s an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

Excerpt 18 from The Soldier Who Killed a King

12 Tuesday Apr 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Books by David Kitz

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Christ, crucifixion, Messiah, The King

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?

Date: Nine thirty in the morning, Friday, April 7 30A.D.
The crucifixion of Jesus.

I tipped the bucket to one side to get enough swill to fill the dipper. I offered it to Jesus. He took a sip, worked the liquid around in his mouth, discerned the true nature of this bitter potion, and then spit it out. It left a dark stain on the dull gray rock near his feet.
“It will dull the pain,” I said emphatically.
He raised his eyes. They locked with mine. I saw in him the same look, the samebiblical-fiction-award-2017_orig determination I saw on the first day I set eyes on him, the day he rode the donkey into this city. I could still see he had a destination in mind. Some mystical purpose he somehow felt compelled to fulfill.
I dropped my gaze. He must be a fool. In his condition, in this situation, he must be a fool. A fool who unnerved me, but a fool nonetheless.
Once more I offered the drink.
With lips pressed tight, he shook his head.
He was a fool. An arrogant fool! A fool who thinks he’s tough—who can handle this—who can take it straight.
We would see who’s tough. I would show him who’s tough!
Let the big show begin.
“Now, boys!” I called out to the crew. Still wearing the purple robe, he was snatched like a young child and slammed down onto the crossbeam.
A cheer went up.
My right hand seized the hammer from Octavio. My left fumbled, then dove into, the nail pouch.
I dropped my knee onto his fingers.
Stabbed the sharpened point of the spike into the base of the palm.
Raised the hammer.
Xchuuuung!
An enormous cheer went up from the crowd.
Blood spurted across my thigh.
Xchuuuung!
Xchuuuung!
Xchuuuung!
One in.
The Christ was silent. Still . . .
Octavio urged me on. “That’s it, Marcus!”
I sprang to my feet, remembering the full rush of battle. Then scrambled to the other arm. From just off the hill, in the throng, a chant began and established itself. “More. More. More. More.”
Knee on fingers.
“More!”
Spike jabbed in.
“More!”
Hammer raised.
“More!”
Xchuuuung!
“More!”
Xchuuuung!
“More!”
Xchuuuung!
Two in. The Christ was silent.
Still . . . He was still beneath the piercing blows.
I rose, panting. Heart pounding. Bloodied hand dripping. Seeing a stain free area farther up my hairy arm, I wiped it across my sweat- drenched brow.
Octavio saluted me with a smile and a thumbs-up signal.
The crowd roared their approval.
This time it was Octavio who yelled, “Hoist him up.”
The Christ was dragged gasping—desperately gasping—to an upright position before the death mast.
Now they could see him, and the crowd went wild with frenzied excitement. Cheering. Clapping. Hooting. Bloodlust took hold.
The props were applied to the arms of the crossbeam.
A new chant went up. 4485 SHARABLE-2
“Raise him up!”
“Raise him up!”
“Raise him up!”
Octavio signaled, and the men in back lifted the beam on which the Christ was pinned above their heads.
Then we all saw it—saw the obvious. He was still clothed. The purple robe billowed out as it was caught by a sudden cold gust of wind. The sight of it brought all my frenzied demons to the fore.
I stepped before him, looked into his agonized face, and said, “You won’t be needing this . . . king of the Jews.”
Then to the cheers of my men, I spit into his face. I added my spittle to all the rest that had dried and was clinging to his beard.
I untied the royal robe and dropped it in a heap to my right. Finally, with a wicked smile, and to cheers all around, I snatched his breechcloth from off his loins.
I tossed it to Octavio. He held it up. A trophy!
We laughed. We all laughed. I
t was a laugh not our own.
I recognized it. It was Herod’s laugh.
When he had regained some composure, the head jailer started the final count.
“Ready . . . one . . . two . . . three . . . now!”
To chants of “Raise him up, raise him up,” the Christ, the Messiah, the king, was lifted up—up before the world.
His head twisted from side to side in writhing agony. His whip-sliced back slammed against the upright as he was dragged higher.
Then with a flesh-tearing lurch, the notch in the horizontal beam found its match in the vertical. The rope was flung around, then drawn tight, securing the two cross members as one.
The silent Christ hung. He hung naked and bleeding before a jeering world.
Only the last spike remained. Awkwardly, I fumbled for it.
But a creeping unease overshadowed me. I glanced over my shoulder. Claudius stood alone, off to the side. Silent . . . He was ghastly pale and silent, transfixed by the sight before him.
I handed the last nail and the hammer back to Octavio and said, “You do it.” He snorted his surprise, but then set quickly to his task.

American readers click this link to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King.

Canadian readers click this link to purchase The Soldier Who Killed a King directly from the author.

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