Tag Archives: faithful

Give Me a Heart of Compassion

21 Wednesday Jul 2021

Posted by in Psalm 146

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.
Psalm 145_6

Reading: Psalm 146:6-10

LORD God,
I confess that often I avoid the needy
rather than seeking to help them.
Give me a heart of compassion—
a heart like your Son, Jesus.
You are my great provider.
Thank you.
Amen.

Volume II of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at this new release click here. For a look back at Volume I click here.

Flourishing in the House of God

02 Sunday May 2021

Posted by in Psalm 52, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

I will praise the LORD!

img_20200518_2001135-effects

Plum blossoms — photo by David Kitz

But I am like an olive tree
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
For what you have done I will always praise you
    in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
    for your name is good.

(Psalm 52:8-9, NIV)*

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Volume II of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

My Lifter

14 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 145, Psalms

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Reading: Psalm 145
(Verses 13-16)
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.
The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing (NIV).*

img_20191023_0912333

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
More than twenty years ago I went through a dark time in my life. It all began rather abruptly. I got up from the dinner table and went to put my dishes on the kitchen counter. Suddenly everything went dark. According to my wife, I hit the floor with a thud. That’s where she found me unconscious. She was able to revive me and help me to the living room couch. A quick trip to the doctor followed, but remaining conscious was a real struggle for me. The blackness kept closing in.

The diagnosis was a complete shutdown of my thyroid gland. Getting back to full health took quite some time. The severe depletion of the thyroid hormones in my body created a number of side effects. One of these side effects was clinical depression. Though I never blacked out again, I was draped in a lethargic blackness—a darkness of the soul that lasted for months. I needed an antidepressant to bring me back to balance. The medication provided the lift that I needed during this dark episode of my life. Eventually, I regained full health and I no longer needed the antidepressants.

My drug prescription provided the artificial lift that I needed during this transition back health. Today’s reading from Psalm 145 reminds us that the LORD is the true lifter. He lifts the fallen soul out of dark places. The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

We all came into this world with a sinful nature. Willful disobedience comes natural to us. Prompt, willing obedience to God and his commands is not my first inclination. You see, I have fallen—fallen into a life of sin. That’s why I need a Savior. I need an inner change that is propelled by the Spirit of God. Only the LORD can lift me out my condition and restore me to spiritual health.

When God reveals Himself to us as our loving Father, and our faithful provider, by His grace we can choose to put our trust in Him. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Do you have a lifter? Not an artificial lifter like drugs or alcohol, but a genuine lifter like the Lord Jesus Christ. Before he was lifted up on a cross, he spoke these words, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).  

Is Jesus drawing you to himself?

Response: LORD God, thank you for lifting me out of the quagmire of sin. Jesus, you are my merciful Savior. Thank you for restoring my health and lifting me out of depression. You are faithful. Amen.

Your Turn: Has the LORD helped you through a dark period in your life?

*New International Version, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.

The Lament of a Homesick Captive

10 Friday Jan 2020

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 137, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

Reading: Psalm 137
(Verses 1-6)
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps,
 for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy (NIV)

img_20190805_0718028-effects

By the rivers of Babylon — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
It’s difficult to pinpoint the time in history when many of the Psalms were written. Many scholars believe that the Old Testament was compiled over a period of about 900 to 1,000 years. As for the Book of Psalms, there is considerable evidence to suggest that psalms were collected from three distinct periods: the reign of King David (1 Chronicles 23:5), the rule of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29:30), and during the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah (Nehemiah 12:24).[1]

Psalm 137 is distinct, because we can tell from its content that this psalm was written early during the period of the Babylonian exile. Memories of Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC were still fresh—etched with bitterness and pain in the mind of the author.

There are two great pivot points in the history of Old Testament Israel. The first is the liberation of Israel from Egypt and the subsequent conquest of the holy land. The second is the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, which was followed by the seventy-year exile in Babylon. The mercy and power of God brought about the first pivotal event. The disobedience and idolatry of man set in motion the catastrophe of the second event.

From its inception the Jewish nation flirted with idolatry. While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments, the people were reveling before a golden calf. King Solomon set up idols in Jerusalem so his foreign wives could worship their gods. See 1 Kings 11:1-8. This duplicity continued generation after generation until the Babylonians swept in and destroyed Jerusalem. Harsh judgment brought change. Will harsh judgment bring change in us, or will the mercy of God bring us to repentance? 

Response: Father God, I don’t want to learn things the hard way. I want to be quick to obey you. Help me to learn from the lessons of history. You are the one, true God. I worship you. Amen.

Your Turn: How faithful are you to the LORD? Do other interests draw you away?

[1] K.R. “Dick” Iverson, Spirit Filled Life Bible, New King James Version, Jack W. Hayford, General Editor, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, TN, 1991, p. 750.

My Rock and my Fortress

24 Sunday Nov 2019

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 31, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , ,

I will praise Him!

img_20191023_0912104

Forest ravine, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
    let me never be put to shame;
    deliver me in your righteousness.
Turn your ear to me,
    come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
    a strong fortress to save me.
Since you are my rock and my fortress,
    for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
    for you are my refuge.
Into your hands I commit my spirit;
    deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

  (Psalm 31:1-5, NIV)

Exclusive Love

19 Thursday Sep 2019

Posted by in Devotionals, Psalm 105, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Reading: Psalm 105 
(Verses 8-15)
He remembers his covenant forever,
the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.
He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
“To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit.”
When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,
 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.
He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:
“Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm” (NIV).

effects-1

Backyard butterfly — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Covenant is a term that is not used much in daily speech. The Encarta Dictionary provides us with this definition of covenant: a solemn agreement that is binding on all parties. By that definition marriage is a covenant that we enter into. A sound Christian marriage is a three-way covenant between the husband, the wife and their Creator.

Encarta also provides a biblical definition of God’s enduring covenant with His people: in the Bible, the promises that were made between God and the Israelites, who agreed to worship no other gods.

There is something very exclusive about both these covenants. In our marriage vows we covenant or promise to love each other exclusively. No other lover may intrude. In the same way no other gods may intrude into the covenant relationship that we have with God. The LORD wants us exclusively for Himself. That is the nature of true love. It is jealous—zealous and jealous in guarding that relationship.

God’s zealous and jealous love for His people is clearly visible in today’s reading from Psalm 105. We read: He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations. A thousand generations is a long time, 25,000 years by the commonly used reckoning. But forever is much longer. What an incredible love the LORD has for us!

We serve a faithful, passionate God who will remain true to His covenant. The question that remains for us is, will we remain true to our end of the bargain? Will we be faithful, passionate and committed in our love for the LORD? Through Christ we have an eternal inheritance by a covenant that is not of this world. Praise be to God for his enduring love. 

Response: Father God, thank you for your love and faithfulness even when I have gone astray. You draw me back. Today, I renew my covenant with you. I commit myself afresh to loving and serving you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you stayed faithful to your covenant? Does your covenant need to be renewed?

Keep my Lamp Burning

28 Sunday Jul 2019

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 18, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

I will praise Him!

img_20190710_2031506-2To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
    with my God I can scale a wall.

(Psalm 18:25-29, NIV)

The LORD Watches Over All

23 Saturday Mar 2019

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 145, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , ,

I will praise Him!

2018-06-10

Wild flowers — photo by David Kitz

The LORD is righteous in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
    he hears their cry and saves them.
The LORD watches over all who love him,
    but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
    Let every creature praise his holy name
    for ever and ever.

(Psalm 145:17-21, NIV)

 

My God Turns my Darkness into Light

14 Sunday Oct 2018

Posted by in Bible, God's word, Psalm 18, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

I will praise Him!

20180913_1931235-EFFECTS (2)

You, LORD, keep my lamp burning — photo by David Kitz

To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
to the pure you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
You save the humble
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.
With your help I can advance against a troop;
    with my God I can scale a wall.

(Psalm 18:25-29, NIV)