Tag Archives: David

Psalm 23 — You Are with Me

16 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 23, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 23:4-6

Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. (NIV)

I’m alone tonight, and I’m eight hundred miles from home. One of my adult sons came with me on this trip to Chicago, but he left this afternoon for an overnight side trip with a friend. It rained all day, leaving me trapped indoors. I was hoping for some change in the weather, so I could go for a walk this evening, but the drizzle continues. I responded to an e-mail from my wife, but now I’m alone with my thoughts.

Life does not always hand us sunny days. I am reminded of that as I turn to this portion of Psalm twenty-three. As we follow the Good Shepherd, He may take us on a path we would not willingly choose. The valley of the shadow of death alludes to events and situations more serious than a bit of rainy-day blues. The loss of a parent, a child or a life partner is a deep valley indeed. But David’s response is most interesting. He confidently states, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

But I can hear the incredulous sceptics asking, “David, you’re not afraid of evil? Don’t you know there is an enormous amount of evil out on the loose in this world? There is cancer. There’s AIDS and dementia. There are terrorists on the loose. Crime is rampant. Families are disintegrating. Our nation’s youth are going to hell in a filth-laced hip-hop spouting hand basket. David, you need to tune into the news. There are wars and rumours of wars, earthquakes and famines. We are living in the end times.”

To all this David’s reply is the same, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

David’s confidence is unshaken. It is unshaken because he knows the Good Shepherd. He knows him well. And we can know him too. Jesus is not a fair-weather friend who disappears at the first hint of trouble. No, when the times get tough, He draws all the closer. During our darkest hour He holds us closest.

We need to remember who penned this Psalm. David repeatedly went through times of horrific loss. After achieving victory after victory, he lost favour with King Saul and had to flee for his life. He lost the affection of his first wife. He endured years of depravation as he was hunted like a common criminal. At one point he lost favour with his own men, and they were about to stone him. Jonathan, his dearest friend was killed in battle. His own beloved son led a revolt against him and sought to kill him. His closest friends and advisers turned away from him. He mourned the death of two of his sons. David was all too well acquainted with the valley of death. He descended its steep slopes on many occasions.

But despite all this he assures us, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” 

You see David was never alone. In his darkest hour the Bible records, David found strength in the LORD his God (1 Samuel 30:6). During those terrible times the Good Shepherd was near. He was in the service of the God who is with us.

David asserts, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

During those difficult times David drew comfort from the LORD’s presence right there beside him. There are really two aspects to be considered here when we look at the statement, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Both aspects are protective. On the one hand the Good Shepherd provides protection against the encroaching intruder; on the other hand, he protects us from ourselves.

Let’s look at the encroaching intruder first. I have spent enough time trekking about the forested wilderness of Canada to draw a certain comfort from carrying a good, sturdy stick. There is no telling what you may encounter around the next bend or over the next ridge. Not all wildlife fits under the category of small and cute.

Falling glory — photo by David Kitz

As a shepherd, David was keenly aware of predators that might harm his flock. Now listen to David’s boldness as he tells Saul how he defended his own flock of sheep:

“Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear …” (1 Samuel 17:34-  36).

David knew how to use the rod to defend and rescue his flock. And he, himself was rescued from certain death, time and time again, by the Good Shepherd. The proverbial cat with nine lives has nothing on David. As you read first and second Samuel, you come to realize how frequently David escaped from the jaws of death. This rescuer of sheep was himself rescued on numerous occasions. He knew the comfort of the shepherd’s rod.

O, and what a tenacious Shepherd we serve! The Good Shepherd fights for His sheep. The roaring lion may approach but now listen to Jesus words concerning the sheep of His pasture. He says, “No one can snatch them out of my hand.”

There is a wonderful security that we can rest in as we follow this Heaven-sent Shepherd. 

Now let’s examine the second protective aspect we see in this statement, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

The LORD, who is my shepherd, protects me from myself. Sheep are not the brightest stars in the firmament. Intellectually, they do not rank very high in the animal kingdom. Some would go so far as to say that they are rather stupid. Consequently, sheep are apt to put themselves in harm’s way, rather than having the prudence to avoid it. 

Though as a collective, humanity sits on top of the intellectual heap, our innate ability to make stupid decisions is renowned. The annual Darwin Awards are a testimony to the ridiculously stupid things people do. These are actions stupid enough to get the instigators killed. This definitely is one award list you don’t want your name to appear on.

I confess that I have made enough dumb mistakes to fill every page of this book. Please excuse me for not providing all the details. If you have lived long enough, and have kept good records, you could probably do the same. Our daily prayer needs to be, “Dear Lord Jesus, please save me from myself.”

puzzlewharehouse.com

(Curiously, within two hours of writing the above paragraph, I locked my keys in my car. LORD, did I really need a fresh reminder of my ability to make dumb mistakes? I rest my case.)

In the spiritual realm we are particularly blind to danger. We prance right over to newest trap the devil has set for us. Snares? Pitfalls? What are those? We butt, shove and jostle the other sheep so we can get the best possible cliff-side view. Spiritual danger? What’s that?

The Good Shepherd wields the shepherd’s staff for good reason. He needs that staff to pull us back to safety. I am sure that the pastor of every church in the land could come up with a list of candidates for a Christian version of the Darwin Awards. To my shame, I might make that list myself.  

“Dear Lord Jesus, please save me from myself.”

Where would I be if the Good Shepherd lost His staff? May my grateful confession always be, “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

The stark truth is Satan and his cohorts have me surrounded. There is trouble and disaster lurking on every side. But in the middle of all this Jesus has prepared a feast for me—a banquet table spread with the most nutritious and delectable fare. There is the fresh-daily bread of heaven—the word of God. For the parched soul there is an endless supply of the water of life. Every fruit of the Spirit is there in abundance. And this Good Shepherd, who laid down His life for the sheep, has put His own body and blood on that banquet table. Now with a nail-scarred hand outstretched, he beckons, “Come. Come my beloved. Come and dine.”

Now don’t neglect His invitation. He will meet you there. And as you dine, be ever mindful of His words, “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:54).

David declares, “You anoint my head with oil.”

Surely as David penned these particular words, his mind recalled the most significant event of his life. No, it wasn’t the day he slew Goliath, or the day he was crowned king of all Israel and Judah. It was the day that the venerable old prophet Samuel dropped in on Jesse and his family for a visit. David being the youngest son was nearly overlooked, as he was out tending the sheep. Let’s take a brief look at what happened that day.

Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power (1 Samuel 16:13).

Photo by Kat Smith on Pexels.com

This passage makes it clear that all the great accomplishments of David’s life flowed from this singular experience. The Spirit of the LORD came upon David, and he killed the lion and the bear. The Spirit of the LORD came upon David, and he slew Goliath. The Spirit of the LORD came upon David, and he defeated the Philistines time and time again. And on and on it goes. There was a power source that came into David’s life that day, which defies natural explanation. It came as he was anointed, and the above passage makes it abundantly clear that this power source was the Spirit of the LORD.

David was anointed for a purpose. That purpose was to serve and lead the people of Israel. In due time that anointing brought him to the throne room. Has God anointed you to serve? Has the Holy Spirit come upon you in power?

Just a few hours ago I returned from a cycling excursion. It’s about seven miles from where I am staying here in Chicago to the downtown. I set out at a leisurely pace along beautiful Lakeshore Park. My pace quickened as I neared Navy Pier, my turn around point at the downtown core. This part of the trip was a breeze. After a brief rest I headed back. That’s when I discovered why the trip downtown had been so easy. The wind had been at my back. They don’t call Chicago the windy city without cause. Now my whole body was a sail pushing me in the opposite direction. I put in twice the effort and got half the results.

Trying to do God’s work and will without the help of the Holy Spirit is like that. But when the wind of God’s Spirit is at your back, there is real power in every stride you take. David experienced the anointing of the Good Shepherd, and it totally transformed his life.  The same Good Shepherd has an anointing for you as well.

When God’s anointing is present in someone’s life, their cup overflows. David’s experience in this regard can be yours as well. The good life that comes from following the Good Shepherd is an overflowing life. The Good Shepherd supplies more than enough joy, more than enough peace, more than enough love, mercy and forgiveness.

Take God at his word. As you follow the Good Shepherd expect goodness and love to follow you all the days of your life. Following Jesus is not intended to be a temporary measure, and neither is His blessing on your life intended to be temporary. His desire for you is a good life, a good life that extends through all eternity.

Now hear David’s finally confident declaration, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

The Good Shepherd prepared a place for David. It’s a place in the household of God.  Before his departure Jesus told all his followers, “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2).

David’s occupying a room in that big house right now, and some great day in the future I plan to walk by that room. I expect I will hear a trickling noise, or maybe it will even be a gushing noise coming from within that room. That’s because I am sure of this one thing. David’s wonderful cup is still overflowing, and goodness and mercy are still following his every move.

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Consider reading the biblical account of David’s life found in the Old Testament books of First and Second Samuel. These books provide a wonderful backdrop for any study of the Psalms.
  2. David was anointed for a purpose. Have you discovered how God wants you to serve Him? Take time to pray for clarity in this regard. Too many of God’s people are wondering aimlessly, when He longs to anoint them powerfully for specific service. We are called to serve. Into what vocation has God called you?
  3. Pull up a chair to the LORD’s banquet table. Be sure to read a portion of God’s word every day. When possible, make the celebration of the Lord’s Supper a regular part of your corporate worship routine.
  4. Take a minute to reread this entire incomparable psalm. What is the Good Shepherd saying to you by His Spirit?

Today’s post is the fifth chapter from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To find out more or purchase click here.

The Eternal Reign of King Jesus

10 Monday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 89:30-37
“If his sons forsake my law
and do not follow my statutes,
if they violate my decrees
and fail to keep my commands,
I will punish their sin with the rod,
their iniquity with flogging;
but I will not take my love from him,
nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
I will not violate my covenant
or alter what my lips have uttered.
Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
and I will not lie to David—
that his line will continue forever
and his throne endure before me like the sun;
it will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in the sky” (NIV). *

Reflection
Today’s reading from Psalm 89 continues the theme of King David’s endless rule through his offspring. “Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—and I will not lie to David—that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun; it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky” (v. 35-37).

There is however a sizeable problem with this promise to David for those who know biblical Jewish history. After the death of David’s son, the wise King Solomon, Israel was divided. The rebellious people of the northern Kingdom fell into idolatry and chose a new king, who was not a descendant of David. Despite warning after warning from prophets sent by God, Israel continued in its idolatrous ways until the nation was destroyed and swept away by Assyrian invaders in 720 BC.

On the other hand, for hundreds of years, generation after generation a descendant of David sat on the throne of the southern Kingdom of Judah. For the most part these were kings who followed in the footsteps of their ancestor David. They worshipped the LORD, unlike the idolatrous northern kings of Israel who ruled from their capital Samaria. But eventually pagan practises found their way into Judea as well. In succession, several kings—descendants of David—turned to worship idols. God’s judgment fell on Judah too when the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem in 582 BC.

So, what is the point of this brief history lesson? The point is precisely this: These words from Psalm 89 are a lie, and God is a liar—a sworn liar to David—unless we view Jesus as the royal heir who rules for all eternity. The Jewish kingdom came to an end. No Jewish king has ruled over a Jewish kingdom for more than 2,000 years. But Jesus, the eternal son of King David reigns. Is he reigning over your life?

Response: LORD God, I submit to the reign of Jesus. You are my King—my King now and forever. Help me to govern my life according to your will and purpose. I praise you, my Savior and King. Amen.

Your Turn: Is Jesus your King? How can you show your submission to his rule today?

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* 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.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Psalm 23 — The Good Life

09 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalms Alive!

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 23:1-3
A Psalm of David

The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

Yesterday I went for a long walk and pleasant walk through Lincoln Park, which straddles Lake Michigan in Chicago. It was a perfect summer day. Children were playing on the long sandy beach. Waves danced in the sunlight.

From that weekday afternoon stroll, several visual vignettes remain cemented in my mind. There were the four strapping young men caught up in a game of beach volleyball. Another fine-looking young man rolled by me on his bicycle. Later I saw him stretched out on the seawall, stripped to his shorts, perfecting his tan. Down by the marina, two attractive young ladies in bathing suits were in animated conversation as I walked by. One of them even glanced my way. Farther on, sitting on a park bench, a first-time father dandled and bounced his blond two-year-old on his knees. The beaming lad greeted me with a smile that simply invited conversation. Still at the marina, a middle-aged couple parked their Cadillac SUV. Later I saw them sail their yacht out of the bay. It was a perfect day for sailing.

Ah, the good life! There’s nothing like it. People in pursuit of the good life, that’s what I was watching. In fact, that’s what I, myself was enjoying—a slice of the good life.

The truth is all of us want the good life. Is that a wrong desire? Or is it simply the way God made us. We want a life filled with pleasant experiences—a life we can look back on and say, “Now that was a life worth living. That was a good life!

Somehow many of us have developed a rather perverse view of God. Isn’t He that supreme killjoy in the sky? Doesn’t He get His kicks by shutting down anything resembling fun? We have this sense that if we are enjoying ourselves too much, God somehow can’t be in it. Has God become for you a severe, demanding taskmaster?

Gatineau & Ottawa from the Chief William Commanda Bridge — photo by David Kitz

Is that a correct biblical view of God? And what does all this have to do with Psalm twenty-three? Well, if there is a biblical recipe or prescription for the good life, I would say that it can be found in the words of this Psalm. This is a Psalm that drips with satisfaction. It oozes with the very fullness of life; it overflows with a quiet peace. There is a mellow ripeness to these words that runs down your chin, lights a spark in your eye, and puts a spring in your step. 

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 

The first line is the key to it all. Is the LORD your shepherd? If He is, then all the rest follows. The fullness, the goodness, the love, simply come trailing along behind Him as you follow in His steps. This is so easy, so obvious; you can miss it, because it seems far too simple.

We live in a world that is in feverish pursuit of the good life. The self-centered pursuit of happiness has become the crowning, but ever elusive goal. The word ‘pursuit’ says it all. Apparently, happiness is something we are to chase after. According to this life model, more is always better, to settle for sufficiency is to settle for second best. The race is on. To the winner goes the ever-retreating prize. Oops! There it goes. It just slipped over the next hill.

What a profoundly different model for the good life is found within the words of this Psalm. The good life, which in our hearts we all seek, is anchored in the Good Shepherd. Jesus is that Good Shepherd. Listen to his words, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me” (John 10:14).

At rest — photo by David Kitz

It is in following Him, rather than following our own desires, that happiness comes. There is an abundance that comes into play the moment we surrender our stubborn will to the Good Shepherd. Now hear the promise in David’s words, “I shall not be in want.”

There is freedom from worry contained in these words. He is the shepherd of ‘more-than-enough.’ One Bible translation puts this promise of sufficiency this way, “I don’t lack a thing.” David sees himself as amply supplied. That is the very nature of the Good Shepherd. He will always make sure his followers have more than enough.

It is worth noting that Jesus first great sermon zeroed right in on this concept of freedom from worry. He wanted his disciples, his followers, to fully understand this, so he teaches that He who clothes the grass of the field will clothe them as well. He who feeds the birds will be sure to provide food for them as well. And this freedom from worry is not rooted in some mindless feel-good sloganeering. No, it is rooted in the sure and dependable promise of God. Hear Jesus as he throws out the challenge to all of us, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).

The Good Shepherd is still calling his sheep. Those who hear his voice and follow will know the full meaning of these words: I shall not be in want.

To a world caught up in chasing after happiness, the Good Shepherd brings rest.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters.

Our God is a God of rest. Rest was his idea. The Almighty was not exhausted by the work of creation. He did not rest on the seventh day because He was plum tuckered out. He rested for our sakes, to teach us a permanent lesson on the value of rest and relaxation. He beckons us to come away to the quiet waters. There is something calming about a body of water. There is a therapy to be found at the water’s edge. Water at rest brings rest to the weary soul. There is a kind of divine magic that quiet water can work upon our frazzled psyche. I dare say all of us have felt its power.

He restores my soul.

O, what promise there is in these words! Can you hear the Good Shepherd calling? Listen to his beckoning call, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

To the world weary, to the chasers after fleeting pleasure, to those battered by disappointment, to those trapped in the downward spiral of sin, Jesus is calling. To those who hear and follow he brings rest. And with that rest comes restoration.

There is a great redeeming lesson here. We are not saved by our works. A never-ending cycle of human effort will not open heaven’s door. The door is opened when we come to rest—rest in Jesus—rest in the nail scarred hands of the Good Shepherd. He has done the work for you. Now just come and rest. Rest in Him. Your soul’s salvation is a rest. It’s not a work. It’s not achieved by your effort, because salvation’s source is not in you, but in Him.

The Good Shepherd is in the complete restoration business. He restores souls burned out by addiction, brings hope to the depressed, victory to the defeated, imperishable value to those tossed out on the trash heap of society.

He restores my soul. Has he restored your soul? If you put your souls in His hands, Jesus will do the work.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Here we see the shepherd in his most visible and obvious role. He is the guide, the leader of the flock. He takes the sheep out to pasture and then back to the sheepfold. Have you surrendered the leadership role in your life to the Good Shepherd? Are your decisions made in full submission to the LORD? Are you the leader, or is He?

This is not a decision that is settled once for all time. On the contrary this is a daily conscious decision to follow where the Good Shepherd leads. Where He leads today, may be totally different from where He leads tomorrow. Are you willing to change course? Are your ears open to hear the shepherd’s call?

David grew up doing the work of a shepherd, so we can assume he knew a great deal about sheep. One of the distinguishing features of sheep is their predisposition to flock together and be followers. Goats on the other hand are a stubborn, ornery and independent lot. They follow no one. They are masters of their own destiny. Are you a goat or a sheep?

Men in particular are raised to be independent, self-directed leaders. Surrendering leadership to someone else runs contrary to our upbringing, what we have been taught at school, how we have been socialized, and our natural disposition. But that is exactly what the LORD asks us to do. 

It is precisely this aspect of Psalm twenty-three, which personally gives me the most trouble. You see, I always think I know what is best for me. Why should I let someone else decide what is best for my life? Yes, in my mind I can tell myself that God is good, and that He will be good to me, but He’s not living in my skin, facing my problems, or confined to the limitations that I encounter.

But wait just a minute. Let’s examine those three objections one by one.

 ‘He’s not living in my skin.’ That’s an outright lie spawned by the devil. I invited Christ into my heart.  He is in residence there. Jesus is in fact living in my skin. He is at work within me, helping me daily to live out His characteristics and attributes. The apostle Paul writes, “Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). In effect, what Paul is saying here is that the Good Shepherd laid down his life for me, and now He has taken up residence within me, and as I live by faith, He will pilot me on the right course for my life. 

Now let’s look at the second objection. ‘He’s not facing my problems.’ This can only be true if I have if I have blocked my ears to the Good Shepherd’s call, and if I am hastily trotting off in the opposite direction. Please keep in mind that choosing to cut and run is an option which any believer can choose at any time. You see, when I first surrendered to Christ, a huge vacuum cleaner did not descend from the sky and suck the brains out of my head. My brain was not replaced by a circuit board connected by wireless to the Great Central Control up in the sky. My decision to follow Jesus must be renewed daily. The Good Shepherd leaves my free will intact. I am always free to choose or reject Him and His plan for my life.

If I truly belong to the Good Shepherd, then my problems are His problems. He is my burden bearer. I am yoked with Him. Jesus and I form a two-man team. Listen to His words, “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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). 

The Good Shepherd is gentle and humble, not harsh and demanding. As I bring my problems to him, I find they are lighter. He carries the heavy end, while I find the rest that I desperately need.

Now what about that last objection, ‘He’s not confined to the limitations that I encounter?’ This objection presumes that Jesus is unsympathetic about the obstacles and difficulties that I face in life. Over and over again, I am frustrated by my limited resources, lack of time, and an inability to see what the future holds. The truth is this is precisely why I need to submit my life to the Good Shepherd. He knows the future, can supply limitless resources, and can arrange my time for maximum benefit. When I choose to follow Him, He knows exactly what is over the next hill. Furthermore, He has made provision in advance. Why then do I foolishly cling to the mistaken notion that I know what is best, when I am blind to what lies ahead? Pride and a lack of trust are the most likely causes of this spiritual short-sightedness.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

To experience the good life that the Good Shepherd would lead us into, we must humble ourselves and follow. We must trust that He is truly good all the time, even in times when we do not understand his leading, or why He has us walking on this particular path. I have found that in time as I submit and follow, He makes all things clear. He can be trusted. 

Finally, we need to recognize the full truth of these words, “He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.“ The paths he chooses for us are paths of righteousness. Righteousness is not always the easiest path. We can be sure it is the best path, but the easiest? We have no guarantee of that. Doing the right thing does not always lead to accolades from our peers or those above us in rank or responsibility. But ultimately our accountability is to a much higher authority. The Good Shepherd reminds us that, “Wide is the gate and broad the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus is the guide along that narrow road.

Remember Jesus has you walking paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. The good life is about bringing glory and honor to Him. You see it’s not about you or me at all. It’s all about Him. The good life cannot be lived for self. It must be lived for Jesus and others. That’s where the blessing is. The richest lives are the poured-out lives. They overflow with goodness, love and peace because they have tapped into the ocean of God.

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Consider reading a biography of a person who truly lived the good life. People like Hudson Taylor, Mother Teresa, William Wilberforce, Helen Keller and Martin Luther King spring to my mind. Perhaps you can think of others who heard the Good Shepherd and then followed with all their heart.
  2. Plan a rest break, preferably beside some quiet water. Use some of that rest time to read, reread and meditate on Psalm twenty-three.
  3. What objections do you raise rather than following the Good Shepherd? Do they follow a similar pattern to those raised in this chapter? Which one do you use most frequently?
  4. Have you left the path Jesus has for you? If he is calling you back, make this the day you heed His voice and follow Him anew.

Today’s post is the fourth chapter from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To find out more or purchase click here.

 

 

I Will Make Your Faithfulness Known

09 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 89

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

I will praise the LORD!


Psalm 89:1-8

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known
    through all generations.
I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness
in heaven itself.
You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”
    The heavens praise your wonders, LORD,
your faithfulness too,
in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies above can compare with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the heavenly beings?
In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;
he is more awesome than all who surround him.
Who is like you, LORD God Almighty?
You, LORD, are mighty,
and your faithfulness surrounds you.” *

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* 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.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

In the Day of Your Power

07 Friday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 89, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

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

Reading: Psalm 89:19-29

LORD God,
 I am thankful for Jesus.
I am thankful that in the dark long ago
you devised a plan to send a Savior
to this world.
You sent a better son than David.
You sent Jesus,
my Redeemer.
Amen.

— — —

A Psalm of David.

The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Your people shall be volunteers
In the day of Your power;
In the beauties of holiness,
from the womb of the morning,
You have the dew of Your youth.
The LORD has sworn
And will not relent,
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.”
(Psalms 110:1-4)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW KING JAMES VERSION

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
TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

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.

This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

The Firstborn King

07 Friday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 89:19-29
Once you spoke in a vision,
to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
I have raised up a young man from among the people.
I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him.
My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him.
The enemy will not get the better of him;
the wicked will not oppress him.
I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries.
My faithful love will be with him,
and through my name his horn will be exalted.
I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers.
He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,
my God, the Rock my Savior.’
And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,
the most exalted of the kings of the earth.
I will maintain my love to him forever,
and my covenant with him will never fail.
I will establish his line forever,
his throne as long as the heavens endure (NIV). *

Reflection
Who is the principal figure in the Old Testament canon? Some would argue for Moses, the liberator of a nation of slaves. Others would go farther back yet to Abraham, the ancestral father of the nation of Israel. Here in Psalm 89, Ethan the Ezrahite and author of this psalm casts his vote in favor of David.

David’s name appears more frequently in the Bible than any name including the name of Jesus. Here in Psalm 89, Ethan draws a direct prophetic link to Jesus, the Son of God. He writes this about David: He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’ And I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth (v. 26-27).

No other man in the Holy Scriptures can claim to be appointed as God’s firstborn. This is an honor that is reserved for David alone. But David prefigures or foreshadows Jesus, the true Son of God. Jesus was not appointed to the role of God’s son. He was conceived and born into this world as the divine Son of the Most High. Through the miracle of incarnation, the son of Mary was also the Son of God and the Savior of the world. And this Mary was of royal lineage. She was a direct descendant of King David.

In Jesus Christ these words find their fulfillment: I will maintain my love to him [David] forever, and my covenant with him will never fail. I will establish his [David’s] line forever, his throne as long as the heavens endure (v. 28-29).

Response: LORD God, I am thankful for Jesus. I am thankful that in the dark long ago you devised a plan to send a Savior to this world. You sent a better son than David. You sent Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you thankful for God’s Son? Why? How will you express your appreciation today?

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* 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.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

The Third Witness Prompts Response

02 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalms, Psalms Alive!

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 19:12-14
Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from wilful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. (NIV)

What is your response to God’s word and His voice as it speaks to your heart?

That’s exactly what we find here in this final portion of Psalm 19. Here we see David’s response to God. God has been doing the talking thus far. God has been speaking to David through the stars, through the night sky, and the blazing heat of the sun—the first witness. He has spoken to him through the Word of God—His written revelation—the second witness. Now as this Psalm draws to a close, we hear David responding back to God.

In actuality, David is responding to the third witness. His heart is bearing witness to the reality of God. His conscience is convicting him of his sin and of the righteousness of God. We all have this third witness within us—a witness that will not be silenced, though we may try to drown out this inner voice of the Spirit.

This dialogue between God and man is one of the unique features of the Psalms. The Psalms are not simply the statements of a man in prayer, or even the words of a man caught up in praise and worship of his Creator. God speaks back, or as we see here in this Psalm, God initiates the conversation. We are eaves dropping on a conversation between a human being—someone just like us, caught up in the same travails and passions—and the transcendent, eternal God of the universe.

What a conversation! What communion we find here! This isn’t God pronouncing His dictates from heaven, though He has every right to do so. This is God whispering in the ear of an individual who is struggling to know and understand God’s will. And if God can speak to David in this manner, then there is hope for us. God can speak to us too. Surely this is why the Psalms have resonated with humankind throughout the ages. 

If along with David, we have heard the voices of the first and second witness, then there is only one appropriate response. It is the response recorded here in Holy Scriptures. If we see and grasp the awesome power and majesty of God, if through His word we have glimpsed His holiness, then we are brought low. We are humbled before him. Our greatest achievements are nothing. Our pride dissolves. Our weakness, our smallness is self-evident in the presence of the LORD of heaven and earth. We are exposed; our sin is exposed before this holy, magnificent God. 

Hear David’s response, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

We all stand naked of soul before our Creator. The all-seeing One knows us. He knows us intimately. There are no secrets in His all-encompassing dominion. He sees all. He knows all. We can hide nothing from Him.

But hiding is the human heart’s first response. Adam and Eve did it first. They hid from their Creator immediately after their initial sin. In fact, hiding is what our Adamic nature does best. Since our first parents fall, we have had thousands of years to perfect the art of hiding. And it truly is an art. We have all seen and heard a young child’s amateur attempts at a lie. And lies are simply a verbal attempted at hiding the truth. As we mature, we become ever more sophisticated at hiding the truth. We excuse our faults and quickly sweep them under the carpet, and for many of us the thickest and most luxurious carpets are religious carpets. They are great for hiding a multitude of sins.

One of my earliest childhood memories is an attempt to hide from my mother. I hid behind the living room drapes. They were made of thick, heavy material. I could not see her through them, so I reasoned that I must be safe. My feet were left exposed, and the form of my body was obvious as I pressed my back against the wall. It’s not hard to guess the outcome of this bit of childish foolery.

 All of us have tried to play peek-a-boo with God. Our faulty reasoning goes something like this. If I hide from Him, and I can’t see Him—if I completely ignore Him —He must not be there. I cannot see Him; He cannot see me. He will pass by without noticing me.

But a barefaced encounter with the Almighty exposes all. We have come to the Light. Nothing is hidden or can be hidden. We can’t play peek-a-boo with God.

David has been found by God. He has been found naked, just as our first parents were found naked in the Garden. Ah, but that’s not what the Adam and Eve story says. The Bible says, “they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves” (Genesis 3:7).

They were not naked. No, Eve and Adam had managed to pull a curtain over themselves as they hid in God’s living room. But their feet were exposed, even as their butts were pressed against the proverbial wall.

The truth is they were naked of soul before the all-seeing God. We are always naked of soul before Him, no matter what outer garb we put on.

Hence, David’s first response to God is so appropriate, “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.”

With these words, David is giving voice, to his inner voice, his conscience. The third witness is testifying to the reality of God—a God before whom, we must all give account. The God, who speaks externally through creation, and his holy written word, also speaks from within the human heart. His voice is prompting David to respond.

David is confessing that before the all-seeing One, he is naked. Not only is he fully exposed, but he is incapable of fully discerning his own sin. He cannot see himself in his entirety. Only God can see him completely.

We should note our inability to fully see ourselves is true on every level. All too often, we are blind to the consequences of our actions, blind to our character faults, blind to the annoying quirks that drive others from us. We cannot stand outside of ourselves and see ourselves fully or accurately. This is as true on the physical level as it is on the spiritual level.

Think on the following statement for a moment: You have never seen your own face. It’s true. A photograph of your face is an image of your face caught in time, but it is only an image. It is not your face. The image of your face in a mirror is just that. It is an image; it is not your face. The truth is you have never seen your own face. Only others can see your full physical form.

Only God can see you in your entirety, spirit, soul and body. He sees you from the outside and from the inside, from your beginning to your end.

 In this Psalm, David finds himself face to face with this all-seeing, all-knowing God. In humility he pleads, “Forgive my hidden faults.”

If we perceive God correctly, and if we assess ourselves accurately and honestly, then we quickly realize our greatest need. Our greatest need is for forgiveness. This is the bedrock on which any human relationship with God is built.

Next, because David longs to live in relationship with this amazing God, he cries out for holiness, “Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression (Psalm 19:13).

 We should note here that there are degrees of sin. For example, John the disciple, writes in his first letter, “There is a sin that leads to death” (1 John 5:16). John then goes on to state that, “All wrongdoing is sin, and there is a sin that does not lead to death (1 John 5:16).

But perhaps nowhere in all of the scriptures are the degrees of sin more clearly delineated than here in this passage. David begins by asking, “Who can discern his errors?”

There is no intent in errors. We all make mistakes. In this great exam called life, errors will occur. Even the most spiritually studious fall short of perfection. To sin is to miss the mark, and all, even the saintliest, will from time to time miss God’s mark of perfection.

David asks God to forgive hidden sins. We all possess an ample supply of these. Some sins are hidden from others. We may confess these sins to God, but to others they remain a secret that we take with us to our graves.

Yet other sins are hidden from us. We fail to see our own faults, which may be glaringly obvious to others. A truly good friend will not only forgive our faults, but in time he will help us to see and overcome these hidden sins.

Now as David prays, he asks, “Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me.”

Here we have transitioned from errors, which are unintentional sins, to the realm of wilful sins. This is a conscious decision to do wrong, to disobey God and His laws or requirements. This is a very slippery slope. Notice how wilful sin can turn into a controlling monster. We begin by wilfully choosing to disobey, but when this sin has taken root and is allowed to grow, something changes. It grows into a monstrosity. What we freely chose, now chooses us. We become its slave. It rules over us. Our will is overpowered. Any addict can testify to the ravenous power of this sin monster. Every wilful sin has an addictive power associated with it. That’s why David wants to avoid this trap. He prays, “Keep your servant also from wilful sins.”

David longs to be “blameless, innocent of great transgression.”

What is great transgression? It could be argued that it is sin that leads to death. James, the brother of our LORD writes, “We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. And when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead” (James 1:14-15).

But within David beats a different heart. He longs for holiness. His desire is for a blameless life—a life lived in relationship with God. It’s as though David is saying to God, “Those evening walks you took with Adam in the Garden, can we go for one of those LORD?”

Hear his prayer, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

With these words David has identified the source of sin and the cornerstone of any hope for holiness, as we live out our lives on this earth. The source point is the human heart. If our hearts are right before God, there is hope. If our hearts are fixed on our Rock and our Redeemer, we can bring pleasure to Him.

Jesus said, “The things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean’. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These make a man unclean” (Matthew 15:18-20).

Jesus knew the desperately wicked state of our hearts. David knew his own heart too. He knew it needed cleansing and forgiveness. That’s why he cries out for it. He knew that our mouths speak from the overflow of the heart. The meditation of the heart must be pure if the words we speak are to bring life and encouragement.

Your words are important. There is no such thing as an idle word. In a world that constantly spews forth verbal sewer filth, God is looking for those with a pure heart. Your heavenly Father does not need a stethoscope to check the condition of your heart. He only needs to listen to the words coming out of your mouth.

Notice how David wants his words and his heart to bring pleasure to God. His prayer is that they be pleasing in His sight. O, to bring pleasure to the all-seeing One! That is his prayer. He does not wish to hide; hiding is futile. No, he longs to consciously live his life in the full and constant view of the LORD.

We have all endured annoying music, droning noises or irritating voices that grate on our nerves. But the opposite is so refreshing. Soothing music, joyful noises and happy voices invigorate us. They bring gladness into our lives.

Like David, make it your goal to bring gladness to your Rock and your Redeemer. Put a smile on your Father’s face.   

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Read James 2:1-12. There is no clearer biblical discourse on the power of the tongue for both good and evil. Heed the advice found there.
  2. Do you have a foul mouth? Determine to clean up your conversation. When you slip up make Psalm 19:14 your prayer.
  3. Is the third witness—the inner voice of God’s Spirit—speaking to you? Take time to respond to God. Use David’s prayer in this final portion of Psalm 19 as a pattern for your own response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting.
  4. Take time to meditate on God’s word. Select a passage and read it repeatedly. See it; smell it; taste it. Let it become part of you. In our rushed world become a cow. Lie down, relax and chew your mental cud. Meditating on God’s word is like that.
  5. Psalm 19 has a Trinitarian structure that points to the Triune God, who is the source point of all Holy Scripture. The first portion of this psalm introduces us to our heavenly Father, the LORD God of creation. The second portion extols the virtues of the Word of God. John’s Gospel introduces Jesus as the Word of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). Finally, we witness the convicting power of the Holy Spirit as David cries out, “Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from wilful sins; may they not rule over me” (Psalm 19:12-13). The concept of the Trinity was and is foreign to the Jewish faith, yet it is written into its foundational texts. How do you account for the remarkable presence of this coded truth?
  6. Now take a minute to reread all of Psalm 19. What is God saying to you by His Spirit?

Today’s post is the third chapter from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To find out more or purchase click here.

The True Posture of Prayer

24 Monday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 86:1-7
A prayer of David.
Hear me, LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
Hear my prayer, LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me (NIV). *

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
What posture or position do you take when you pray? Do you kneel, stand, or lie prostrate? Do you bow your head, or raise your head and look heavenward? Do you fold your hands or raise them to God?

The Bible describes people taking various positions or postures in prayer. We cannot be certain of the physical position that David took when he prayed the words of Psalm 86. But we can be sure of this. In his heart David assumed a position of humility. His opening statement reveals a man with a humble heart. Hear me, LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy (v. 1).

David spent about forty years as the King of Israel. Though his early years were a struggle for survival against the murderous schemes of King Saul, David’s later years were blessed by victory and prosperity. But here in this psalm David calls himself poor and needy. He exemplifies for us the first of Jesus’ Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

In God’s eyes we are always poor and needy. Though I may have billions of dollars, what is my piddling prosperity in the sight of the owner and Creator of the universe? Can that money buy me an hour in heaven? Can it buy me immortality? Of course, it can’t. Despite his vast wealth, Apple founder Steve Jobs was unable to buy a longer life. In the end, like King David, Jobs found he was helpless, poor, and needy.

Considering this truth—in the light of eternity—let us come—poor beggars that we are to the mercy seat of God. There we can lay our burdens down. There we can humbly bring our petitions. There we can meet with Jesus. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Response: LORD God, I confess I am poor and needy. My future, my whole life is in your hands. I do not own my next breath. When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me. Amen.

Your Turn: Pride and prayer don’t fit well together. What positions do you take when you pray?

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* 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.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

The Second Witness Speaks

23 Sunday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalms, Psalms Alive!

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 19:7:11
The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;
In keeping them there is great reward. (NIV)

             If nature is the first witness to testify to the glory of God, then the Scriptures, the written word of God, constitute the second great witness to speak of God’s existence. Both these great witnesses have gathered here to testify within the context of this Psalm. The voice of the speaking stars is now joined by the voice of the written Holy Word.

Nowhere else in Scriptures are these two witnesses so clearly juxtaposed. They have joined forces—linked arms—to deliver a message to David. And through David they deliver their message to us.

And what is that message? It is a message about the character of God. While nature speaks to us of the existence of God the Creator, it is largely silent regarding the nature or character of this all-powerful supernatural being. Is He good? Is He evil? Is He indifferent to us? Is He angry with us? What is this great, overarching, omnipresent God really like? May we approach Him?

Photo courtesy of L. Kranz

The Scriptures provide us with the answers to these questions. The apostle Peter tells us something of how the Scriptures came into being. He says that, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

Furthermore, Paul the apostle informed Timothy, his son in the faith that, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Now listen to what this second witness, the witness of the Word, testifies to David concerning himself, and the God of the heavens?

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul.

The law is perfect, flawless, inerrant and infallible. Only a perfect, flawless, inerrant and infallible God can be the source of such a document. The law of the LORD that is referred to here is in fact the Bible, the Word of God. Jack Hayford in his commentary on this verse from the Psalms states, “That the ‘law of the LORD is perfect,’ is direct reference to the absolute, complete, and entire trustworthiness of the Holy Scriptures, which constitute the Bible.”[1]

And this perfect, true and infallible law, or Word of God, has an effect. The Word of God is active. It revives the soul. God’s word literally brings souls back to life.

If as Paul told Timothy, the scriptures are God-breathed, then it is legitimate to ask, “When did the breath of life leave them?”

The answer is, “It never has. The Bible is still alive and breathing.”

Please forgive me as I indulge in a brief fantasy. Can you visualize this scene? Some unsuspecting soul, let’s call him Bob, casually walks into a living room and plunks himself down in a big easy chair. Bob glances over at the side table and notices a Bible lying there. At first he shows no interest. But then suddenly he detects movement. Bob’s jaw drops open and his eyes become big as saucers. The Bible is moving. Its pages slowly rise and fall in a rhythmic breathing fashion. In fact Bob detects the audible sound of escaping of breath from the open pages. Our hapless friend catapults from his chair. He bolts from the room screaming, “It’s alive! It’s alive!”

If only the living nature of God’s word—the aliveness of the Bible—would become that obvious to us all!

When the apostle Paul writes of the God-breathed scriptures, he is really drawing us into the genesis imagery regarding the origin of human life.

The LORD God formed the 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)

This same LORD God used the same method to bring life to his written word. The God-breathed scriptures have a life of their own. Hence the writer of the book of Hebrews declares, “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Now David states in this Psalm that the law, and please remember that here the Hebraic understanding of the term law refers to the whole of God’s written word, this law brings revival to the soul. Life begets life. The living Word of God generates spiritual life. As surely as our father Adam became the father of human life, so too the written word of God has been busy fathering life since it began its God-breathed, God-initiated existence.

God’s word revives the soul. Adam’s seed can initiate biological life. But it takes the word of God to initiate spirit life inside the human soul. Since Adam’s fall we all enter this world physically alive but spiritually dead.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he wrote:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to   live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of   the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 2:1-2).

It is God’s holy written word that revives that part of us that died when our first parents disobeyed. Spiritual death occurred the moment Adam and Eve disobeyed. Their obedience to Satan’s temptation empowered this ruler of the kingdom of the air. His rulership in the world had its genesis with this first sin. The prince of death established his reign.

Now here in this Psalm, by God-breathed revelation, this witness speaks of the reviving work of God’s word. When God’s word is brought into contact with the human soul, spirit life springs forth. Our souls are reconnected with our Creator. The harmony between God and man that was lost in the Garden is suddenly restored.

I am a gardener, and every spring I take dry, dead-looking seeds out of a package and drop them into the soil of my garden. And every spring a certain kind of magic takes place. Those dead-looking seeds come to life, and a barren patch of ground becomes an oasis of life and abundance.

Now that’s a picture of God’s written word coming to life in the warm soil of the human heart; a spiritually dead clod of earth suddenly comes alive with the vibrant, pulsating fullness of spirit life—life that comes directly from the Father of lights. There’s no experience like it. This is rebirth. This is revival. God’s word is the true source of this life that has been reborn. The living word has been busy begetting new life.

Now let’s return to the premise we began with at the start of this chapter. That premise is that the written word of God reveals the character of God. Thus far, the second witness has testified to the truth of God’s word. We have learned that God’s word is perfect, hence God is perfect. But that perfect word or law does not leave us dead, it brings revival.

Next the great witness which is God’s word declares, “The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Only a trustworthy God would give us trustworthy statutes. So, God is trustworthy.

Furthermore, through his statutes God imparts wisdom to us. James, the brother of our LORD, invites us to ask for God’s wisdom: If any of you need wisdom, you should ask God, and it will be given to you. God is generous and won’t correct you for asking (James 1:5 CEV).

Again, the second witness speaks, “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.” Only a righteous God would give us right precepts, so we must logically conclude that God is righteous, or right in all he does. Furthermore, when the right precepts of this righteous God are applied to the human heart, in the context of human relationships and experiences, joy is the result.

In fact, the apostle Paul asserts that, “the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Romans 14:17).

Real joy—soul-filling and overflowing joy—is rooted in being in right standing with others and with God.

Again, the witness of God’s word testifies, “The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”

If the LORD’s commands are radiant, then God the source of these commands must be full of light. Here is another characteristic of God that we can add to our growing list. God is light. There is nothing dark or shadowy about him.

Even as Jesus stooped to impart the gift of sight to a man born blind, he declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5).

Are you looking for direction or guidance in this sin-clouded world? Come to Christ the incarnate word. Observe God’s commands and look to God’s word. The Psalmist proclaims, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Now our second great witness within this Psalm asserts, “The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.”    

Throughout the Bible we are repeatedly admonished to fear the LORD. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Yet we live in a world that ignores the LORD, and even among church attending believers the fear of the LORD is a teaching that has fallen much out of fashion. Simultaneously, in far too many of these same churches, sin runs rampant, unchecked and unbridled. Because there is no fear of the LORD, our sanctuaries become polluted.

The fear of the LORD produces purity. James reminds us that “God is our judge, and he can save or destroy us” (James 4:12 CEV). If we truly know God as our judge, a holy respect and reverent fear will inform all our thoughts, words and actions. The fear of the LORD acts as a filter screening out the impurities that world drops into our lives.

From this statement we can conclude that the eternal God is holy and pure. Because he has designed us to have fellowship with him, he desires these same qualities in us.

Finally concerning God’s word, our witness states, “The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous.”

If God’s ordinances are sure and certain, then God must be dependable. We can rely on him. God’s laws are unchanging. God is not evolving; hence his laws are not evolving. Perfection cannot be improved upon.

The writer of Hebrews tells us, “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Jesus Christ is as merciful today as he was two thousand years ago. He remains approachable. He is still a healer, a miracle worker, a friend of sinners.

There are no mood swings with God. He is not fickle. He does not change with the times. The changing god, the evolving god, who suddenly gets with it, is no god at all since he is a god fashioned at our own impulse, made to suit and bless our ever-changing whims.

The true God is a rock—the rock of truth upon which we can build our lives.

The second witness has spoken. His testimony is a litany of praise for God’s word. Within in that litany of praise we discover the character of God. Here is a God who is perfect, trustworthy, righteous, and full of light, pure, eternal and unchanging. But what should excite us most is that this totally wondrous God wants to commune with us, longs to revive us, desires his very best for us. His laws and by extension all his written word is precious beyond compare. Here is the food of heaven for the hungry soul. Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God'” (Matthew 4:4).

[1] From the Spirit Filled Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, page 768.

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Do you allow time for the witness of God’s word to personally speak into your life? Establish a daily Bible reading routine. You feed your body daily. Feed your spirit too, with a daily dose of Bible reading.
  2. Too busy to read God’s word? Buy or download a set of Bible tapes or CDs and listen to the Word during your daily commute.
  3. Post key Bible passages about your home or on your personal computer. Discover ways to embed God’s word into your mind. His word is life changing as we feed upon it.
  4. Can you recall a time when God’s Word leapt off the page as you read it? What was that like? What did He say?

Today’s post is the second chapter from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To view or purchase click here.

The First Witness Speaks

16 Sunday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalms, Psalms Alive!

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

PSALM 19:1-6

For the director of music. A psalm of David.
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bride groom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run its course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat. (NIV)

             When was the last time you went for a walk beneath a canopy of stars? Now, I’m not talking about catching a fleeting glimpse of a dozen or so stars, obscured by the incessant glare of city streetlights. I’m talking about walking beneath a canopy of stars, visible in their myriads, stretching from horizon to horizon. Now that’s a truly awe-inspiring experience!

            That’s where David begins this Psalm. He begins it beneath the stars. He begins it beneath a sky so big it reduces any who behold it to a mere speck of insignificance—a speck below the glorious vastness above. Can you see him standing there—the youthful shepherd, on the Judean hillside, gazing into the face of eternity?

            And eternity is talking. The sky is talking to him.

            What is it saying? Can you hear its words?

            David can. He hears it pouring forth speech. And it’s not just the night sky that’s talking to him. The heavens are speaking continually, day and night. This is an endless conversation heard around the world.

            You see the sky speaks in a language understood by all. Who has not stopped and stood in wonder at the sight of a dazzling sunset, marvelled at the shafts of light beaming down from behind a thunder head, been amazed by the appearance of a rainbow, or perhaps you have seen the aurora whirl and dance across the northern sky?

Photo by Pat Whelen on Pexels.com

These experiences are universal. They are available to all, on every continent, in every nation, to every language and people group.

            The sky is talking. Are you listening? Do you understand the words?

            “I am the Creator. I am the maker of the heavens and the earth. I am the author of beauty, the fount of life, the giver of knowledge, the ageless one. I am food for the hungry, water of life for the thirsty, wisdom for the seeking soul. I am bigger than your problems, more vast than the oceans, deeper than the abyss, higher than the sky.

            I am eternal.

            I am here.

            I am.”

            I am is speaking.

            Is he speaking to you?

            Theologians call these words spoken from the sky, the testimony of nature. It is considered by many to be one of the primary or foremost arguments for the existence of God. Now in a court of law it is essential that any witness who is called to the stand speak audibly, so their testimony can be heard by all.

            In this Psalm we hear David’s implied question to us, “Have you heard the sky speaking? Do you hear the testimony—the words heaven is proclaiming to your heart?”

            We are all summoned to this cosmic courtroom. All of the humanity is there. We may all listen to the testimony of this witness. Everyone under the sun can hear these words. They are as loud as the blaring brilliance of the sun at high noon, or as soft as the glow of the most distant star.

            Are you listening? Can you hear it now—these words that the sky above declares?

            Some nine hundred years after David penned Psalm 19, the apostle Paul wrote these words about humankind:

            “What may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain   to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal        power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what      has been made, so that men are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20).

            In effect, Paul is saying the sky has been talking all this time. In fact, the entirety of nature has been declaring the power and character of this awesome Creator God. Have you not heard him in the thundering waterfall, caught a glimpse of his reflection in the azure mountain lake, picked up his whisper beneath the ocean breakers’ roar? Have you not heard nature testifying to the grandeur and majesty of the Creator?

Are you deaf or have you chosen not to hear?

            Romans chapter one is in fact a ringing indictment against humankind. Beneath the sky that covers us all, we have been summoned. We have come to the court of the universe. Heaven’s witnesses have spoken, and they are a multitude beyond number. They have addressed us. And we have stopped our ears. We have refused to listen.

            Surely, God’s judgment on us will follow.

            But here in Psalm 19, we see a man with a different heart—a man whose heart is tuned to God—a man who hears the heavens speaking. This is in fact David’s distinguishing characteristic. He is a man after God’s own heart.

            In 1 Samuel 13:14, we see that David was chosen to be king over Israel because of this singular trait. Saul was rejected as king because of his refusal to hear and obey the voice of God. In this one sentence of scripture, spoken by Samuel the prophet, we hear the LORD’s indictment against Saul, and we also hear the LORD’s reason for choosing David to replace him.

            “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command” (1 Samuel 13:14).

            Where did David develop that heart that seeks after God? Could it be that it all began on a starry night as he stood alone on that Judean hillside—a mere speck below the glorious vastness above?  

            If we cannot hear God in the silence, will we be able to hear him at all? Unless we cultivate a listening heart, how can we hope to hear him in the din of life, amid the hectic charge?

            I began this chapter with a question, “When was the last time you went for a walk beneath a canopy of stars?”

            I must confess that for me it’s been years. You see, I am a city dweller, and though I often go for nighttime walks through the park by my home, even on the clearest night only a few of the brightest stars are visible.

            We have blocked them out. We have made our own lights. Now if we choose to walk at night, we walk by our own light. That age old communion between humanity and the night sky has been broken. And we are the poorer for it.

            Edison’s fine invention has robbed me of this opportunity to gaze into the face of eternity.           

            In 2006 the world’s population reached a significant milestone. More than 50 per cent of the earth’s people now live in an urban environment. The inhabitants of this increasingly urbanized planet are becoming ever more disconnected from the nightly conversation of the heavens—this conversation of which David wrote so many centuries ago. In fact a kind of cosmic reversal has taken place. Now the darkened planet beams light up into the night sky. Have you seen the satellite photos of North America at night? They show a constellation of cities twinkling along the eastern and western seaboard. Vast agglomerations of light are camped along the Great Lakes. We have developed our own Milky Way.

            Astronomers lament this light pollution. They must move their star gazing equipment to ever more remote locations.

            But what about the common man or woman, the girl or boy who grows up without engaging in this heavenly conversation—a conversation that was so common, so universal a century ago? They have lost an opportunity to marvel, to stand in awe beneath the transcendent One. And this is no minor loss.

            What have we engaged in instead? What are we caught up in? Humanity is caught up in a fascination with gadgetry. Techno-wizardry enthrals us. Computers beckon for our time. Radios blare. Televisions drone on. The advertisers flash their images upon our naked brain. And we sit transfixed; entertained, but rarely enlightened; occupied, but rarely enthralled; impressed only with ourselves, but seldom challenged.

            This is a world turned in on itself, self-absorbed, playing with its own toys. Its back is turned away from God. The heavens flash their message. The skies call out but no one is listening.

            Have we forgotten how to stand in awe?

            How can we hear God if we have drowned out the stars and the message that they bring? If the astronomers are in lamentation, then the theologians, the God-seekers on this earth should be on their knees in sackcloth and ashes. 

            We have silenced the myriads. Within our urban environments, their message has been blocked, drowned out by the light our own creation. Their testimony to the majesty of God has been nullified. Three billion people can no longer hear this witness on a regular nightly basis.

            Is it any wonder that faith in the all wise creator God is in decline? And nowhere is this decline more evident than in urban centers.

Extol Him — photo by David Kitz

            In cities even the view of the daytime sky is obstructed. Broad open vistas are blocked by buildings. All too often daylight working hours are spent in windowless buildings. Increasingly smog hinders our view. The testimony of the sky is impeded.

            Nevertheless, David’s words in this Psalm haunt us. The glory of God remains. We may have sullied the skies, but the skies remain. Our view of the sun maybe clouded by pollutants, but the sun remains. Our view of the stars may be dimmed by our own light, but the stars remain. They sing out His glory. 

            God remains. The unchanging, unfathomable, ageless Creator remains. His desire to communicate with us remains. His voice has not been silenced. He still beckons us out from our self-obsessed focus to seek after Him, to discover His heart.

            On that Judean hillside, among those few sheep, little David found himself. He found himself small beneath the hand of the Almighty God. He discovered his smallness—his insignificance beneath the all surpassing vastness of God.

            Have you discovered your smallness?

            Unless we catch a glimpse of God, we are doomed to walk this planet like self-inflated titans, puffed up large in our own eyes, but void of all meaning. The world is filled with men who strut about in this fashion. King Saul had become such a man.

            So God sought a man after his own heart. In David he found the right heart—a heart that had been touched by the greatness of God—not the greatness of self. If there is a theme throughout the Psalms, surely this is it. The Psalms are all about the greatness of God.

            In a few short weeks I hope to return to my childhood home. There on the prairies unobstructed by city lights, I can behold the same stars David saw nearly three thousand years ago. They can begin their magical chant. Again, I can hear the words they proclaimed to me as a young farm boy so many years ago. Perhaps they are the same words David heard. They dare not speak of themselves. They speak only of the source of all light.

            Can you hear them?

            “I am the Creator. I am the maker of the heavens and the earth. I am the author of beauty, the fount of life, the giver of knowledge, the ageless one. I am food for the hungry, water of life for the thirsty, wisdom for the seeking soul. I am bigger than your problems, more vast than the oceans, deeper than the abyss, higher than the sky.

            I am eternal.

            I am here.

            I am.”

            I am is speaking.

            Is he speaking to you?

Sunset on the Ottawa River — photo by David Kitz

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Plan a personal evening beneath the stars outside the city. Make it a time of listening for God’s voice.
  2. Have you encountered God in nature? Take a few moments to reflect on that experience. How did you respond as you sensed his presence?
  3. Take a daily nature break. Even five minutes spent in a park or garden can rejuvenate the human spirit and bring us more in tune with God.
  4. Take time to be alone. Turn off the noise box and listen. Heed the psalmist’s admonition, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Without a doubt, the Maker of the universe is still speaking. He longs to speak to you.
  5. Religious surveys indicate there is a high percentage of atheists and agnostics in the faculties of most secular universities. However, astronomy departments are largely peopled by men and women of who have faith in God. How do you account for this discrepancy?

Today’s post is the first chapter from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To view or purchase click here.