Tag Archives: David

Compassion and Empathy

09 Monday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 41, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 41:1-6

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed are those who have regard for the weak;
    the LORD delivers them in times of trouble.
The LORD protects and preserves them—
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.
 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed
    and restores them from their bed of illness.
I said, “Have mercy on me, LORD;
    heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?”
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely, while his heart gathers slander;
    then he goes out and spreads it around.
(NIV)*

Reflection

Psalm 41 reminds us compassion and empathy are at the core of what it means to be a follower of the LORD. David begins this psalm with this declaration, “Blessed are those who have regard for the weak.”

Social justice and care for the poor are not small matters in eyes of the LORD. Ancient Israel was destroyed and went into exile because of their disregard for the poor. The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: “It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?” declares the LORD, the LORD Almighty (Isaiah 3:14-15).

Why is regard for the weak so pivotal in having a right relationship with God? Lack of care or empathy for the needy is based on a kind of self-deception. In arrogance we see ourselves as better than those who are weak or needy. Yet if we examine ourselves, we have all gone through times when we were weak and needy. Sometimes we may need a reminder that our current state of self-sufficiency can come to an end in a moment.

This morning, I very nearly hit a pedestrian as she rushed across the street. I sounded my horn thinking she was in error. A quick glance showed she was crossing with the walk light. I was the one in error. I had completely missed a red light. I was the one in need of correction and forgiveness.

Are you doing well now? Praise God. The day will come when you need His help and protection. Do you see someone in need? Help as you are able. The day will come when you need forgiveness and the help you have offered others.

Response
LORD God, forgive me when I have looked down on others in need. Open my eyes to someone I may help today. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Your Turn
How do you keep yourself from the deception of pride? How open are you to correction?

 

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, Russia 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 daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.


Ideal for the Season of Lent

A stunning story of Holy Week through the eyes of a Roman centurion.

Watch the triumphal entry of the donkey-riding king through the eyes of Marcus Longinus, the centurion charged with keeping the streets from erupting into open rebellion.

Look behind the scenes at the political plotting of King Herod, known as the scheming Fox for his ruthless shrewdness.

Get a front-row seat to the confrontation between the Jewish high priest Caiaphas and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

Understand as never before the horror of the decision to save a brutal terrorist in order to condemn the peaceful Jew to death.

If you’ve heard the story of Passion Week so often it’s become stale, now is the time to rediscover the terrible events leading from Jesus’s humble ride into the city to his crucifixion. The Soldier Who Killed a King will stun you afresh with how completely Christ’s resurrection changed history, one life at a time.

To view further details or purchase click here.

Their Voice Goes Out into All the Earth

07 Saturday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 19, Psalm 25, Psalm 33, Psalm 34, Psalm 35, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

Photo by egil sju00f8holt on Pexels.com


Reading: Psalm 19:1-6

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

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 reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
    like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
    and makes its circuit to the other;
    nothing is deprived of its warmth. (NIV)*

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 daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

The photo of Jerusalem on the cover of Psalm 365, Volume II

Available now…

James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?

David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.

But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.

To view further details or purchase directly from the author click here.

Something Supernatural About Grace

06 Friday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 40, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 40:11-17 

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Do not withhold your mercy from me, LORD;
    may your love and faithfulness always protect me.
For troubles without number surround me;
    my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
    and my heart fails within me.
Be pleased to save me, LORD;
    come quickly, LORD, to help me.
May all who want to take my life
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!”
    be appalled at their own shame.
 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who long for your saving help always say,
 “The LORD is great!”
 But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the LORD think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

Are your ears open to God’s calling?

05 Thursday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 40, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 40:6-10

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire—
    but my ears you have opened—
    burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come—
    it is written about me in the scroll.
I desire to do your will, my God;
    your law is within my heart.”
 I proclaim your saving acts in the great assembly;
    I do not seal my lips, LORD, as you know.
I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
    I speak of your faithfulness and your saving help.
I do not conceal your love and your faithfulness
    from the great assembly.
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

The LORD Who Rescues

04 Wednesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 40, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 40:1-5

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

I waited patiently for the LORD;
    he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear the LORD
    and put their trust in him.
Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
    to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done,
    the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
    they would be too many to declare.
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

Everyone is Just a Breath

03 Tuesday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 39, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 39:6-13

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

“Surely everyone goes around like a mere phantom;
    in vain they rush about, heaping up wealth
    without knowing whose it will finally be.
“But now, LORD, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.
Save me from all my transgressions;
    do not make me the scorn of fools.
I was silent; I would not open my mouth,
    for you are the one who has done this.
Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow of your hand.
When you rebuke and discipline anyone for their sin,
    you consume their wealth like a moth—surely everyone is but a breath.
“Hear my prayer, LORD, listen to my cry for help;
    do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner, a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more”
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

The Dilemma of Remaining Silent

02 Monday Mar 2026

Posted by in Psalm 39, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 39:1-5

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

I said, “I will watch my ways
    and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
So I remained utterly silent,
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish increased;
my heart grew hot within me.
While I meditated, the fire burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:
“Show me, LORD, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;
    let me know how fleeting my life is.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
    even those who seem secure.
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

Are You Troubled by Sin?

27 Friday Feb 2026

Posted by in Psalm 38, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 38:17-22 

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

For I am about to fall,
    and my pain is ever with me.
I confess my iniquity;
    I am troubled by my sin.
Many have become my enemies without cause;
    those who hate me without reason are numerous.
Those who repay my good with evil
    lodge accusations against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.
LORD, do not forsake me;
    do not be far from me, my God.
Come quickly to help me,
    my Lord and my Savior.
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

The LORD Sees & Hears

26 Thursday Feb 2026

Posted by in Psalm 38, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 38:9-16

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

All my longings lie open before you, LORD;
    my sighing is not hidden from you.
My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.
My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;
    my neighbors stay far away.
Those who want to kill me set their traps,
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;
    all day long they scheme and lie.
I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
LORD, I wait for you; you will answer, LORD my God.
For I said, “Do not let them gloat
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”
(NIV)*

Continue reading →

A Lamention Over Sin

25 Wednesday Feb 2026

Posted by in Psalm 38, Psalms

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 38:1-8

Listen to today’s reading by Jonathan Dent:

A psalm of David. A petition.
LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.
Your arrows have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.
My wounds fester and are loathsome
    because of my sinful folly.
 I am bowed down and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain;
    there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
    I groan in anguish of heart.
(NIV)*

Arrows recovered from Little Bighorn Battlefield (Picryl)

Reflection
Psalm 38 is a psalm of personal lamentation. The psalmist, David, laments the state of his personal and spiritual health. Notes of joy and triumph are absent from this psalm; instead, we find David in a state of deep melancholy. 

What is the cause of this melancholy—this depression verging on despair? David attributes his current ill health to sin. He has sinned and is bearing the consequences of his sin. His words of confession make this perfectly clear. Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; there is no soundness in my bones because of my sin. My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear (v. 3-4).

What a refreshingly different approach to one’s problems! Rather than blaming others or blaming God, David takes responsibility for his self-inflicted difficulties. How different from the pop-psychology of today! Rather than deal with the sin issue, we are often advised to pop a pill, blame a parent, a colleague or society in general. Rather than take our problems to God, the world encourages us to indulge ourselves with another bottle, another doughnut, or another spouse, meanwhile, our putrid load of sin piles ever higher.

David was on the right track when he confessed his sin to the LORD. He laments, “My wounds fester and are loathsome because of my sinful folly” (v. 5).

Thanks be to God! He can handle our sinful folly. He sent Jesus to die on the cross to wipe away our sins. Healing, forgiveness, and redemption are available through the blood Jesus shed.

Response
LORD God, I thank you for Jesus. I am thankful I can put my complete trust in you. You forgive me and cleanse me from all my sins. I am saved by your amazing grace not by my effort. Amen.

Your Turn
When was the last time you truly lamented over sin in your life? How is your spiritual health?

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, Russia 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 daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.


Ideal for the Season of Lent

A stunning story of Holy Week through the eyes of a Roman centurion.

Watch the triumphal entry of the donkey-riding king through the eyes of Marcus Longinus, the centurion charged with keeping the streets from erupting into open rebellion.

Look behind the scenes at the political plotting of King Herod, known as the scheming Fox for his ruthless shrewdness.

Get a front-row seat to the confrontation between the Jewish high priest Caiaphas and the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

Understand as never before the horror of the decision to save a brutal terrorist in order to condemn the peaceful Jew to death.

If you’ve heard the story of Passion Week so often it’s become stale, now is the time to rediscover the terrible events leading from Jesus’s humble ride into the city to his crucifixion. The Soldier Who Killed a King will stun you afresh with how completely Christ’s resurrection changed history, one life at a time.

To view further details or purchase click here.