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The Hidden God and the Hiding Place

30 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 32, Psalms

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Psalm 32:6-7

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you,
while you may be found;
Surely when the mighty waters rise,
they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance. (NIV) *

In the previous stanza of this psalm, David has just received the marvellous dam-busting forgiveness of God. Can you hear the excitement still ringing in David’s voice? He has just experienced a wonderful release from a load of guilt. But now in his next breath he has some advice for us, and here it is. Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you, while you may be found.

We are to pray to God while He may be found. This raises some interesting questions. Is God unavailable at times? If God cannot be found, is He hiding? Furthermore, if God is hiding, where does He hide?

At this point I feel like jumping to my feet, like a lawyer in the court of reason, and shouting out, “I object! All that David has told us about God so far would lead us to believe that God is always close at hand. Didn’t David testify to this earlier in Psalm twenty-three? He said the following words about the LORD his shepherd: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. And now it seems David is telling us that there are times when God cannot be found. Which is it David? It can’t be both.”

Ah, but it is both. This is one of those great divine paradoxes. The God, who is near, even in my heart, can also be distant—light years away, both in time and place. There exists a perceived distance between us that can vary according to the state of my heart—that is according to the state of my relationship with God.

The fact remains that we cannot see God. We can see evidence of His handiwork all around us. Our infinitely complex human bodies and finely tuned senses are themselves proof of His existence, yet Him we cannot see. He is a hidden God, and when we walk beside Him, we walk by faith and not by sight.

Repeatedly in the scriptures we are commanded to seek after the LORD. I find this to be a rather curious expression. We cannot see God, and yet we are commanded to seek Him, as though He might suddenly appear over the next hill, or around the next bend in the road. Suddenly, in unexpected ways, we may encounter God. In reality the Psalms are all about encounters with God. Psalm nineteen began that way. Suddenly the starry hosts began talking to David about God, declaring His glory. We may pick up the Bible, and suddenly it speaks to our deepest need—the need of the moment, and we know that this is the voice of God with a word specifically for us today.

Even the ungodly people of this world recognize that people encounter God. They use expressions like, “He found God,” to describe someone’s conversion to faith in Christ.

As a young lad growing up on a farm in Saskatchewan, I had a very frightening experience that left me totally baffled for several days. I was about eleven years old at the time, and my younger brother, who always accompanied me, was about nine. During our summer vacation we loved to tramp about the wooded pastureland that surrounded our farm home. In the far corner of the pasture, we found a secluded spot, where we chopped down a few saplings and set up a makeshift tent.

My dog, Champ, always tagged along on these excursions. On one of these outings, while we were relaxing by our tent, Champ went totally berserk. He began barking frantically. He ran in tight circles around us. Every hair on his back stood erect. He was totally panicked.

We looked about to see what had set the dog into such a sudden frenzy but could see nothing. But his urgent alarm grew even more intense. The dog was completely beside himself with fear as he continued to run circles around us. Each frantic bark urged us out of there. I picked up the axe and together we ran for our lives. From what we ran, my brother and I could only guess. Was it some large wild animal? A malicious human intruder? I had never seen my dog react this way to anything or anyone.

We reported this event to our parents, who listened with interest, but they could offer no further insight, except to say that it was wise to heed Champ’s warning and leave. We were spooked by this happening, and for well over a week we did not return to our favourite spot.

Finally, we took courage and on a sunny summer afternoon, we set out for our secluded campsite once again. Of course, Champ tagged along with us. All went well until we were very near our destination. As we emerged into an open grassy area, Champ suddenly went ballistic. But this time I clearly saw the cause of his alarm. There a short distance ahead, a huge tawny cat—a cougar—reared up and bounded off into the woods.

We froze in our tracks. We were shaken to the core. But now we knew what was out there. On that earlier occasion, only my faithful dog stood between us and that powerful predator. Without his fierce protection, two prairie boys may well have become a hungry cougar’s lunch and supper.

In a peculiar way, an unexpected encounter with the living God can be a lot like an encounter with a cougar. Suddenly, we realize our every move has been studied and watched; we are not alone. And that other being out there, watching us, is much bigger and more powerful than we are. Are you really prepared to meet Him around the next curve in the road, or just over the next hill?

Sometimes I think we seriously underestimate the fear factor when we speak of God with those who do not know Him. They are not prepared to meet Him, and the very thought of meeting Him should send them into bouts of soul-cleansing terror. The writer of the Book of Hebrews reminds us that “it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:31). In many instances, I believe intuitively, the ungodly understand this truth better than believers do. When was the last time you heard a soul-stirring message on the fear of the LORD? We prefer our God to be soft and cuddly, so we have defanged and de-clawed the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. We have relegated the God of fearful judgment to those unread pages of the Old Testament. Surely, we reason that God has reformed His ways.

But my God is still an awesome God. I have carefully avoided the use of the word awesome to describe the Almighty up to this point. I have avoided the word because it is over used and has lost its power. In its original form the word awesome connotes a confrontation—an encounter—with knee-buckling, soul-arresting, pant-wetting consequences. Awesome? Our God is not awesome. He is uber-awesome. No human language can begin to capture the vast and fearful awesomeness of this holy God.

Yet, it is this fear-inducing God that we are to seek. Why seek after a lesser god? We are commanded to search for Him, while He may be found. But why would we want to find this God, a God of holiness and judgment? How can we even coexist with this uber-awesome God?

We must seek and find Him so that we can be forgiven. That is the only way that we can cohabit the same neck of the woods. And remember that though this God is hidden, He always knows our exact whereabouts, and He can pounce upon us in love or in judgment at any moment He chooses. David knew he needed to find Him so that he could be forgiven. I need His forgiveness too. I need this all-powerful, holy God on my side. I do not want to meet Him in judgment around the next bend. But rather I need to find God so that I can be reconciled to Him. Then I will discover that this hidden God is working behind the scenes on my behalf.

In 1 Chronicles we read of David celebrated the arrival of the Ark of the Covenant in Jerusalem, by teaching Asaph and his priestly associates a psalm. In that psalm David calls on the people of Israel to “look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:11).

When in humility I call out to the strong One, and find Him, I want His strength working with me, in me and on my behalf.

About five hundred years after David taught the words to the above-mentioned Psalm, the idolatrous people of Judah went into exile. After a long siege Jerusalem was sacked and burned. The temple of the LORD was destroyed. Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, was charged with delivering God’s stark message of judgment to the people of that time.

What I find most remarkable about this grievous time of judgment is God’s command to Jeremiah. He is ordered by the LORD not to pray for the people of his homeland, “Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them, because I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their distress” (Jeremiah 11:14).

In effect, God was saying that this was one of those times when He would be hidden from His people. He would not hear their prayers. They may seek after the LORD, but He would not be found. Though they cry out, the heavens would be as brass. Though I wish it were otherwise, there are times when God simply cannot be found. We read the word of God, and it is as dry and palatable as sawdust on our tongue. Our prayers fall to the ground lifeless like so much deadwood, and though we wait, no answer comes.

Fortunately seasons change. The cold winter of the soul does not last forever. Later, speaking of a time yet to come, Jeremiah reports, “Then you will call upon me and come to pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity” (Jeremiah 29:12-14).

The lesson we can draw from all this is that we should never presume that God is standing by to do our beckoning. He reveals himself to us when, and as He sees fit. One believer may hear the audible voice of God, while another can hear of God only through someone else. To one believer God’s word is a feast of unmatched proportions, while another may struggle to glean even a single kernel from His word. One believer hears the wondrous love of God being trumpeted straight into his heart; another questions if God even cares. Strangely, on the road of life, the above-mentioned believers may find their roles completely reversed tomorrow. He, who was so full of faith, may find himself racked with doubt. He, who was so close, may find himself estranged.

If we have seen His face today, we cannot presume the hidden God will be showing us His face tomorrow. We must rejoice in what He has revealed of Himself today and holdfast, for we do not know what tomorrow brings.

So then let’s heed David as he admonishes us, “Let everyone who is godly pray to you, while you may be found.” 

If we have found the LORD, been forgiven by Him, and reconciled to Him, then we can build our lives on that rock, which is Christ. We can experience the security of the next statement that David makes in this Psalm. Surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

The Rock, which is Christ, stands above all else. There is no higher ground. He towers above the storms of life, immovable and secure. Surely, Jesus had this very passage in mind when he told the parable of the wise and foolish builders, as found in Matthew chapter seven. If we put Christ’s teaching into practice, we have a foundation set upon that high Rock. Though the storm winds blow, the rains beat down and the flood streams rise, they will not reach Him. And the destructive force of the mighty waters will not reach us either, if our life is built on Him.

At times of catastrophe, we can find rest in this hiding place. Noah knew that hiding place, during the greatest calamity to hit this planet. He also built his house, the ark, upon the Rock. When the rains began, it was the LORD who closed the door shutting him in. While all outside perished, Noah and his family were hidden in God. 

In the greatest storm to hit Europe during the twentieth century, a young Dutch woman found a hiding place in God. While Nazi terror reigned, Corrie ten Boom found refuge in the words of this psalm. Amid the horror of the concentration camp, she found a secret place, a hiding place secure from the raging storm.[1] 

The LORD becomes our hiding place. Take a moment to imagine that. The uber-awesome, hidden God becomes our hiding place. I am tucked snugly between the paws of the great and fearsome Lion of the Tribe of Judah. None can harm me there. No cougar, no wild beast, no human scheme, no demon from hell, can snatch me from between those fearsome, gentle paws. And while the storm rages, while the demons gnash their teeth, while kingdoms fall, I can hear the Lion’s purr. He is protecting me from trouble. He is surrounding me with songs of deliverance.

[1] The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten Boom, Random House Inc., 1982, paperback.

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Have you read any of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis? Aslan, the great lion in the series, represents Christ, our redeeming king. Consider reading, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, or you can rent the movie. Be prepared for a blessing as you draw the links between this children’s story and the great truths of the Gospel message
  2. What are you doing to seek God? This week take special note of how God reveals Himself to you. Watch for Him. If we are not careful, we can miss the ways He manifests His presence in our lives. A journal can be helpful way to record these events.
  3. We all need a shelter from the storms of life. Are you going through a difficult time right now? Throw yourself into the arms of Jesus. He knows how to shelter you.
  4. The God we seek also revealed Himself as the Saviour—the predator God—who actively seeks us. Jesus said, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). Take a moment to read the account of how Jesus pounced on Zacchaeus the tree-sitting tax collector. Jesus is a hunter—hunting sinners that he might save them. Read Luke 19:1-10 to catch a glimpse of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah on the prowl.
  5. There is something quite unnatural about humans seeking after God. C.S. Lewis said it was like the mouse seeking the cat. How is seeking God unnatural though we are commanded to do it?

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

Breaking the Dam

23 Sunday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 32, Psalms

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Psalm 32:1-5

A Psalm of David 

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him
and in whose spirit is no deceit. 
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. (Selah)
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”
And you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah) 

Beavers are certainly among the most intelligent and industrious of all of God’s creatures. They are ingenious designers and builders of both homes and dams, which completely transform the environment in which they live. Only humans outperform them in this regard. In the wilderness their activity and its effects are a sight well worth seeing.

However, to the rural property owner, the arrival of beavers can turn into a disaster of appalling proportions. The gentle flowing stream that was a source of much pleasure is now blocked. Prized trees are daily being felled by these industrious little devils. Acres of valuable land are being turned into a fetid swamp. As the dam’s reservoir rises, hundreds more trees succumb to drowning. Their stark branches and dead trunks punctuate the sky. A blocked stream can produce an atrocious mess.

A right relationship with God is like a flowing stream. In such a relationship there is a natural giving to God that includes prayer, worship, time spent in His word, and periods of quiet communion. In turn, God by the Holy Spirit pours His peace, love and joy into our lives. And just as trees naturally line a riverbank, there is a verdant fruitfulness that comes to the believer as that refreshing current is allowed to flow.

Sin acts like a boulder hindering the flow of God’s Spirit in our lives. As more and more unrepented sin piles up, a dam is formed. Suddenly prayer stops. Worship and thanksgiving that once cascaded so freely from our lips comes to a halt. The word of God becomes boring, and we find other interests. Times of quiet communion with our Maker are replaced by a search for other things or for constant entertainment.

Now let’s read David’s description of the spiritual swamp his life was turning into because of unconfessed sin.

            “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.”

The flow had stopped. Where was the overflowing cup experience of Psalm twenty-three? At this point David’s cup—his soul—was sitting stagnant. And in the natural realm any liquid left unstirred becomes foul as time goes by.

As I write this, on the veranda below me there’s a small coffee table, and on that table sits a bottle of orange juice. I first noticed this bottle exactly a week ago when I first arrived here in Chicago. After passing this bottle several times on the way up to my room, I became curious and went over for a closer inspection. That’s when I discovered why the bottle was there. It was acting as a paperweight to keep a handwritten note from blowing away. No one would move the bottle in the hope that the unknown person, to whom the note was addressed, would finally show up. In the past few days, due to the summer sun and heat, the orange juice has taken on a rather brown hue.

Judging from David’s comment regarding the strength sapping heat of summer, we might assume that the contents of his soul had taken on a rather brown hue as well. The problem was he kept silent. Sin has an insidious way of silencing our relationship with God. We are not told what sin or transgression produced this damming effect. Yet that is just what it was. A dam caused by sin was now completely blocking up David’s relationship with God.

Perhaps it is better that we don’t know the particulars of David’s transgression here. A certain sense of personal spiritual superiority might set in. But sin is sin. Sin in any of its various forms fouls our relationship with God. James reminds us that a single sin can have huge consequences: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:9).

What can break the sin dam and bring us back into a right relationship with God? David discovered the answer within this Psalm. Now, hear his pivotal words: Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.”

Confession breaks the dam. David verbally brought his sin out in the open before God. He acknowledged what God knew all along. You see David’s sin was not hidden from God. It was in plain sight of the LORD from the moment of its conception.

Once again, the words of James are very instructive in this regard, as he states, “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full-grown, gives birth to death (James 1:14-15).

Sin was already working with deadly effect on David’s soul. By his own admission, his bones were wasting away, and his strength was sapped. Only a dam-busting experience could bring David back into right relationship with God, and restore the flow of praise, prayer and worship that had once been there.

One of the critical allied successes of World War II was the June 16, 1944, RAF raid on the Mohne and Eder dams on the Ruhr River system in Germany. To break the dams a specially designed spinning cylindrical bomb was created by British inventor Barnes Wallis. These huge bombs were dropped by specially modified Lancaster bombers from a height of sixty feet. The bomb would hit and skip across the surface of the water of the dam’s reservoir. They would then slam into the back of the dam, begin to sink, and then explode with massive dam-busting force. A decisive victory was achieved that night as these dam-busting bombs unleashed their power.

Fortunately, God has equipped each of us with dam-busting bombs to destroy the spiritual dams in our life—dams which our own sins have built. Words of confession and contrite acknowledgement are dam-busters. They break strongholds of sin, and in so doing they release the putrid dead waters that have backed up into our lives.

It is well worth noting that these putrid dead waters can be the cause of actual physical disease within our bodies. The human spirit is inextricably linked to the human body, and when our spiritual man is sick due to unrepented sin, physical ailments and sickness often follow. They are the natural by-products of a sin-blocked spirit.

When David states my bones were wasting away, and my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer, we can see these words simply as a nice poetic touch. But the stark reality is, spiritual sickness can produce a plethora of physical symptoms. Doctors have been aware of this link for many years now.

Again, the brother of our Lord has much to say on this point. Let’s look at his thoughts on this topic:

If you are sick, ask the church leaders to come and pray for you. Ask them to put olive oil on you in the name of the Lord. If you have faith when you pray for sick people, they will get well. The Lord will heal them, and if they have sinned, he will forgive them. If you have sinned, you should tell each other what you have done. Then you can pray for one another and be healed (James 5:14-16 CEV).

What stands out most clearly in this passage is the link between physical healing and forgiveness. Confession is the bridge that re-establishes our link to God, and it is God who is the source of both forgiveness and healing. Re-establish the link, and the current of God’s grace can once again flow into your life.

I do dramatizations of the Epistle of James, and it is always amazing to hear accounts of what happens when God’s people put His word into action. In one case a pastor contacted me to report how a young woman in his congregation was miraculously healed of rheumatoid arthritis after watching me doing a dramatization of James. She acted on the word of God. Her relationship with her father was completely broken down. After confessing her faults and seeking restoration, God not only healed that relationship, He also healed her of the arthritis that had been crippling her body for years. The sin dam was broken, and God flooded her body with healing.

Can you hear the joy in David’s voice as he announces to the world, “And you forgave the guilt of my sin?”

The forgiveness of God is amazing. It breaks the chains of sin’s bondage. There is no liberation like the liberation of full and free forgiveness. It frees the tormented soul from guilt and sets the liberated individual on the path to heaven, the very path that all the saints have trod. Oh, that our nation would be awakened by the joyous cry of liberated sinners. We need a society-changing sinners’ liberation.

David experienced the dam-busting, soul-liberating power of the LORD’s forgiveness. Is it any wonder then that he begins this Psalm by announcing, “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.”

David knew this blessed state of forgiveness.  Now for him, the long ledger of sin has been wiped clean. The debt has been paid. Any person who finds himself in such a position is truly blessed.

Yesterday’s gospel reading, at my home church here in Ottawa, was the Beatitudes from Jesus Sermon on the Mount. Each beatitude begins with the phrase, “Blessed are …” I wonder if in his mind, Jesus was using the opening lines of Psalm thirty-two as his springboard for launching into the Beatitudes. The blessed state of the forgiven is certainly a key theme throughout Jesus’ teaching and ministry.

There is a rather curious statement in the opening lines of this Psalm, and it is made in regard to our sins being covered. We are wonderfully blessed when our sins are covered. Yet only a few lines down David laments the fact that he tried to cover up his iniquity. On the one hand he is saying that our sin being covered is a good thing, and on the other hand covering our sins is terrible. David, what do you mean?

The question we need to ask ourselves is, “Who is covering my sin?”

If you are covering your sin, it is an abomination—an affront to God. God can see your sin and any amount of cover-up that you attempt is utter foolishness before the all-seeing, all-knowing LORD of the universe. Before Him the whole of it, is always fully exposed. David’s attempt to hide his iniquity was an act of sheer stupidity. Any of our attempts at sin-hiding, fall under the same category. It is a form of spiritual deceit. We must bring our sins out into the open before God. That’s what David eventually did, and that’s when forgiveness flowed. At that moment, David entered that blessed state, the blessed state of the forgiven.

But what happens to that exposed sin? God covers it. As believers who stand on this side of the cross, we know that Jesus covers it with his blood. Only the all-seeing, all-knowing God can cover our sin so well that even He cannot find it.

God gave us a lesson in sin covering on its very first occurrence in Genesis. Adam and Eve hid and covered their nakedness with fig leaves. Their cover-up was not acceptable to the LORD back then, even as our cover-up is unacceptable to Him now. We read, “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).

The LORD covered them. He shed the blood of an animal to provide a covering of skins for them. Because I need a covering today, two thousand years ago the LORD God shed the blood of His one and only Son, so that I too could be covered. O, what a blessed covering that is!

Because of Jesus I am blessed. I am forgiven! How about you?


Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Words of contrite confession are like dam-busting bombs. Are there unconfessed sins that are clogging and hindering your relationship with God? Make it your priority to confess these sins to God. If your relationship with others has been affected, seek reconciliation with them. God desires that all our relationships be healthy and filled with the free-flowing life of His Spirit.
  2. Do a James five health check. If you are sick or disabled in anyway, ask the church leaders to anoint you with oil and pray for you. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His healing grace is available to those who humbly call on him. And remember he still makes house calls.
  3. Read the Beatitudes as recorded in Matthew 5:3-12. Consider possible attitudinal links to Psalm 32.
  4. If forgiveness is a key theme in Jesus’ ministry and teaching, can you think of accounts in the Gospels that reflect this? Stumped? Here are a few quick references to check out: Mark 2:1-12; Luke 23:39-43; Luke 19:1-10; Luke 7:36-50; Luke 18:9-14

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

Restoration Through Divine Favor

20 Thursday Feb 2025

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Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 85:1-7
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
You, LORD, showed favor to your land;
you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You forgave the iniquity of your people
and covered all their sins.
You set aside all your wrath
and turned from your fierce anger.
Restore us again, God our Savior,
and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive us again,
that your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your unfailing love, LORD,
and grant us your salvation (NIV). *

Reflection
Psalm 85 begins on a high note as the psalmist reflects on God’s goodness in the past. You, LORD, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob (v. 1).

God’s favor is not something we earn; it is undeserved. God’s favor is synonymous with God’s grace. We may attempt to explain God’s grace, but in reality, there’s no accounting for it. God showers His grace upon us, but why on us and not someone else? There is an aspect of Divine grace that we may never fully comprehend. We simply need to receive it and rejoice in God’s favor when it comes our way.

Make no mistake. God’s grace and His favor are rooted in forgiveness. Note the words of the psalmist: You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger (v. 2-3).

Because of our sins and disobedience, we deserve God’s wrath and anger, but instead He has shown us favor and forgiveness. How awesome is that! There is something over-the-moon wonderful about the love of God. When we experience its fullness, it puts a smile on our face and a wellspring of joy in our hearts.

But… But there is a point of transition in this psalm. The wonderful sense of nearness to God has been lost. About midway through the passage above the psalmist cries out in anguish. Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us. Will you be angry with us forever? (v. 4-5a).

We are not told what has caused this sense of separation from God. Is it sin? Is it unforeseen hardships or calamities of various kinds? Whatever the cause, the psalmist pleads for revival and a return to joy.

Response: LORD God, revive my love for you. I want to sense you near me again—smiling down on me. Show me your favor and your unfailing love. Let me know your grace. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you lost a sense of nearness to God? What can you do to restore it?

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

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* 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.

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A gripping read from David Kitz.
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The LORD Loves the Foreigner

06 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalm 79

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

Reading: Psalm 79:8-13

LORD God,
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name’s sake.
Forgive the sins we have committed
against minorities within our borders.
You hold us accountable.
Show us your mercy,
Lord Jesus.
Amen.

— — —

For the LORD your God is God of gods 
and Lord of lords, 
the great God, mighty and awesome, 
who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 
He defends the cause
of the fatherless and the widow, 
and loves the foreigner residing among you,
giving them food and clothing. 
And you are to love those who are foreigners,
for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
Fear the LORD your God and serve him. 
Hold fast to him
and take your oaths in his name.
(Deuteronomy 10:17-20)*

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

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

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
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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

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

A Call to Repentance

06 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalm 79, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 79:8-13
Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.
Help us, God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake.
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times
the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will praise you forever;
from generation to generation
we will proclaim your praise (NIV). *

Reflection
Psalm 79 began with the psalmist lamenting that Jerusalem had been invaded by foreign armies. Destruction and bloodshed were everywhere. “O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple, they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble” (Psalm 79:1). Now at the conclusion of this psalm there is a plea for God’s help and mercy. “Do not hold against us the sins of past generations; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need” (v. 8).

It becomes clear from this psalm and other passages in scripture that there are personal sins and there are corporate or national sins. Here specifically the psalmist is reflecting on the sins of the nation. Both personal and national sins can be intergenerational. They are passed down from generation to generation with terrible consequences. The father who disrespects and abuses his wife is far more likely to raise a son who does the same to his partner.

The nation that mistreats racial, religious, or ethnic minorities within its borders can expect dire national consequences. The LORD hears the cries of the oppressed. He heard the cries of the people of Israel when they were enslaved in Egypt, and the LORD hasn’t suddenly changed. His ears are still open to the cries of any people who cry out to Him for mercy.

But as for us, we need to recognize our collective or national sins even as we recognize and repent of our personal sins. “Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’” (V. 10).  As always, our God is watching us. He is watching over the nations, and He sees how we treat our neighbors here and around the world.

Response: LORD God, deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake. Forgive the sins we have committed against minorities within our borders. You hold us accountable. Show us your mercy. Amen.

Your Turn: Does the LORD care only about us, or all people? How can we reflect God’s love for all?

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

* 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.
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Saved by Grace, Not by Our Works

29 Wednesday Jan 2025

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Reading: Psalm 78:32-39
In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.
So he ended their days in futility
and their years in terror.
Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;
they eagerly turned to him again.
They remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High was their Redeemer.
But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;
their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.
Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.
He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return (NIV). *

Reflection
Psalm 78 is a lengthy indictment against the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness to the LORD. Sometimes it’s easy to forget these were the people of God—His chosen people—yet they responded with lies, unbelief, and disloyalty. If this is how the people of God conduct themselves, what are we to expect from those who do not know the LORD?

Unfortunately, the people of God today are not so different from the people of Israel 3,000 years ago. When we look about the church world, we see a plenty of division, backbiting and sin. All too often hate rules instead of love. We cover ourselves with a fig leaf of self-righteousness and then proceed to attack those who fail to meet our standard. We do all this while we are trapped in our own secret web of sin. We are determined to clean up the world while ignoring our personal pile of filth.

The words of Jesus from his Sermon on the Mount still ring true today, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:4-5).

But given this deplorable situation, what does the LORD do? The psalmist states, “Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them” (v. 38). Like the people of ancient Israel, we are saved not because of our righteousness, but solely because of God’s mercy and grace.

Response: LORD God, I cannot boast because of my righteousness. You know all my shortcomings. I have an impressive pile of personal sin. Forgive me through the mercy of your son, Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been guilty of pointing out the faults of others while ignoring your own? If so, repent before God.

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

* 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.
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The Hope of Resurrection: A Promise of Restoration

03 Friday Jan 2025

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Reading: Psalm 71:19-24
Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?
Though you have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.
You will increase my honor
and comfort me once more.
I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—
I whom you have delivered.
My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion (NIV). *

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Reflection
Typically, Christians view resurrection as a New Testament concept, but here in the conclusion to Psalm 71, we can see the Old Testament psalmist had a solid grasp of resurrection truths. Consider his words. “Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up” (v. 20).

That sounds like resurrection to me. Jesus fulfilled the prophetic words of the psalmist when he stepped out of the tomb on resurrection morning. Elsewhere David spoke prophetically of Christ and his resurrection when he wrote, “I am your chosen one. You won’t leave me in the grave or let my body decay” (Psalm 16:10).

Peter sited this verse as proof of Jesus’ resurrection when he preached to the crowd gathered on the Day of Pentecost. See Acts 2:22-36.

The promise of the resurrection filled the psalmist with hope, and it should do the same for us. Because Jesus is alive now, we too will be raised to life. That thought should buoy us on tough days. When we lose a loved one, whose faith was rooted in God’s redeeming love, we can rest assured our farewell is not forever. We will see them again at the resurrection. On that great day we can join with the psalmist and declare, “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you—I whom you have delivered” (v. 23).

Response: LORD God, thank you for the promise of resurrection. Thank you for the hope we have in Jesus. Through Jesus’ shed blood we have redemption, and the forgiveness that makes resurrection possible. Hallelujah! Amen.

Your Turn: Why is the resurrection meaningful to you? What are you hoping for when you consider eternity?

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

* 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.
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The Joyful Song of Gratitude

10 Tuesday Dec 2024

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Reading: Psalm 65:1-8
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy (NIV).

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Reflection
There is a joyful exuberance found in Psalm 65. In some ways this psalm reminds me of a Broadway musical in that there’s an eagerness—a readiness—to burst into song. It could happen at any moment. The opening line expresses this joyous exuberance well: Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion! 

What about you and me? Is there an eagerness and enthusiasm to praise God as we walk through our day? Is there a song in our hearts just aching for the moment of release? Is your heart filled with gratitude to God? If you can answer, “Yes!” then you have captured the spirit of Psalm 65.

David penned this psalm, and it reflects an attitude of gratitude that is present in many of David’s psalms. David provides several reasons for his jubilant praise. First, our God answers prayer. He hears when we call out to Him. Over many years, on countless occasions, God has answered my prayers, sometimes in miraculous ways. Like David of old, I can’t help but be grateful.

Secondly, David was thankful for the forgiveness of his sins. There is no better feeling than knowing you have been washed clean from the inside out by the cleansing blood of the Lamb of God. And now you are accepted—welcomed with open arms into God’s family. Oh, hallelujah! I’ve been redeemed.

Finally, all of God’s creation declares his glory. Mountains, prairie, sea, and sky shout out His praise!

Response: LORD God, I thank you for hearing my prayers, for forgiving my many sins, and surrounding me with the beauty of your creation. I praise the name of Jesus. Amen.

Your Turn: What blessing from God are you most thankful for? Is there someone or an experience you want to thank the Lord for right now?

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

* 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.
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Spiritual Hygiene

11 Monday Nov 2024

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Reading: Psalm 51:10-19
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
so that sinners will turn back to you.
Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
you who are God my Savior,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
May it please you to prosper Zion,
to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,
in burnt offerings offered whole;
then bulls will be offered on your altar (NIV).

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Reflection
I just had my morning shower. Nothing special about that—daily showers are the social norm. But they haven’t always been the norm. Step back a century and the weekly bath was the norm. Step back a thousand years and a bath was an annual event. With this lack of personal hygiene is it any wonder epidemics ran rampant through the medieval population, and diseases like smallpox and the bubonic plague killed millions in Europe?

As a society we have embraced the concept and practice of personal hygiene. But what about spiritual hygiene? Have we embraced that as well? I fear the opposite is true. Are we routinely plunging into the deep end of a cesspool of sin? Do we mistakenly believe there are no consequences? A filthy spirit can be as deadly as bubonic plague. A host of mental, emotional, and social problems are a direct result of poor spiritual hygiene. Cleanse your heart and mind and you will walk in spiritual health.

From his own cesspool of sin David cried out: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (v. 10-12).

I don’t know about you, but daily I need to bathe in Christ’s love and forgiveness. He cleans me up.

Response: LORD God, thank you for the forgiveness you purchased for me through the shed blood of Jesus your son. I acknowledge my need for your cleansing power. Amen.

Your Turn: How is your spiritual hygiene today? How do you keep your spirit clean?

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

* 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.

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Embracing a Heart of Repentance

08 Friday Nov 2024

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Reading: Psalm 51:1-9
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
When the prophet Nathan came to him
after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
you taught me wisdom in that secret place.
Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity (NIV).

Men praying to God

Reflection
Psalm 51 is the great repentance psalm. Nothing matches the deep contrition expressed here by David. There can be little doubt David was truly remorseful for what he had done. He says it with words, but according to the Scriptures, his actions which followed also revealed a repentant heart. There is no blame shifting here; David takes full responsibility for his actions. Hear his humble plea: “For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge” (v. 3-4).

When Saul and Jonathan were slain in battle by the Philistines, David composed this lament. “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your high places! How the mighty have fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19 NRSV). David might well have sung this lament for himself. Here he was the vaunted King of Israel, the LORD’s anointed, and he had a fellow soldier murdered to cover up the adulterous affair he was having with this loyal soldier’s wife. This was the conduct of David—the man of God! Yes. “How the mighty have fallen!”

The amazing part of this story is not David’s sin or the depths of his depravity. The amazing part is that he repented—earnestly repented. In our day leader after leader has been caught red-handed in unscrupulous practices. But do they repent? Do they come clean and change their ways? Not likely. Most often they continue in denial. Those with absolute power continue to govern ruthlessly. Nathan, the prophet, was fortunate King David heard the voice of God speaking through a human vessel. David was quick to humble himself and repent. How do you respond when confronted with your sin?

Response: LORD God, I want to be like David—quick to acknowledge my sin and repent. Grant me a soft heart—a sensitive heart—a repentant heart in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Your Turn: How do you respond when confronted with your sin? How can we maintain a repentant heart before God? What hinders repentance?

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

* 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.

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