Tag Archives: God

Setting a Guard

11 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Psalm 141, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

(Verses 1-4)

I call to you, LORD, come quickly to me;

hear me when I call to you.

May my prayer be set before you like incense;

may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;

keep watch over the door of my lips.

Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil

so that I take part in wicked deeds

along with those who are evildoers;

do not let me eat their delicacies (NIV).

Reflection

Like so many of the psalms, Psalm 41 is a conversation with God—a prayer to the LORD—the Holy One. Prayer should be part of our daily routine, as routine as getting out of bed in the morning, and as regular as our evening meal. David, the psalmist, expresses this thought with these words: May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Karen Iris 2016-06-07

Anticipating the beauty of spring—backyard iris — photo by David Kitz

In his revelation of the throne room of God, John saw our prayers being offered as incense before Jesus, the Lamb of God. And when he had taken it [the scroll], the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people (Revelations 5:8).

I find it fascinating to view our prayers being offered up in a tangible way as incense—a pleasing aroma to the LORD. See Numbers 15:1-15.

David continues his prayer with this petition: Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. 

Often my mouth gets me in trouble. I say I’ll do something, and then don’t follow through. I let others down. In frustration I blurt out words that I later regret. James, the brother of Jesus, provides us with this advice. My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires (James 1:19-20).

I need a guard over my mouth. This is true in my daily conversation with others, but it’s also true of my conversations with God. I think we often pray rash prayers—prayers that in His mercy God does not answer. I think I know what is best for me only to discover after the fact, that what I thought would be a blessing is a huge detriment. My prayers can be mixed with the stench of human flesh.

Response: LORD, I want my prayers to be like sweet incense to you. Help me to pray according to your will. That means listening for your voice before I blurt out my requests. Guide my thoughts. Amen.

Your Turn: How careful are you with your prayers? Can we be too cautious in prayer?

The Earth Bows Down

09 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by in Psalm 66, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

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Bilberry Creek spring thaw a week ago today — photo by David Kitz

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name;
    make his praise glorious.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you;
    they sing praise to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”
(Psalm 66:1-4, NIV)

Where Morning Dawns

08 Saturday Apr 2017

Posted by in Psalm 65, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

Eric Wright

Where evening fades — photo courtesy of Eric Wright

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.

(Psalm 65:5-8, NIV)

To You All People Come

06 Thursday Apr 2017

Posted by in Psalm 65, Psalms

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I will praise Him!

Liz Kranz

Living in your courts — photo courtesy of Liz Kranz

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.

(Psalm 65:1-4, NIV)

Later this year, Kregel Publishing will be releasing my Passion of Christ novel entitled “The Soldier Who Killed a King.” I was able to meet an editing deadline on this book yesterday, but I was unable to do my regular, full-length Psalms post for today. I hope to resume my devotional posts soon.  — David Kitz

Finding Rest

02 Sunday Apr 2017

Posted by in Psalms, Sunday's Psalm

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I will praise Him!

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My soul finds rest in God — photo by David Kitz

Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
    my hope comes from him.
Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people;
    pour out your hearts to him,
    for God is our refuge.

(Psalm 62:5-8, NIV)

A Place for Hate?

29 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Psalm 139, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 139

(Verses 19-22)

If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.

Reflection

As much as I love the psalms of the Bible, there are some psalms, or verses within psalms that I would just like to skip. I wish they weren’t there. Today’s reading from Psalm 139 is a prime example. The author’s words are filled with venom. Why are they even in the Bible? (Please bear with me.)

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Snow covered tree in Grey Nuns Park — photo by David Kitz

Passages like today’s reading are particularly troubling in light of Jesus’ teaching in the New Testament. In his great Sermon on the Mount, he gave us this teaching: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:43-45).

Reconciling today’s reading from Psalm 139 with Jesus’ words makes my head hurt. Jesus calls us to an incredibly high standard—God’s standard. God shows kindness and love even to the unrighteous. They like us receive both sunshine and rain. Let’s face it, when someone hurts me, my default position is to hurt them back. That’s the natural human response. That’s the way it has been since the beginning, and the world is full of lasting scars—intergenerational scars because of it. Wounded people have been busy hurting other wounded people as hate builds on hate in the home, at work and internationally.

But Jesus came to interrupt that corrosive cycle. He asks us to counter that hurt—that slight—that injury with love. Now that’s truly revolutionary. It’s a revolt against the status quo of hatred that has poisoned human relations in our country and the world. Has someone gone out of their way to hurt you? Retaliate with an act of love. That’s what Jesus is saying.

Is that hard? Absolutely. It’s much easier to respond like the author of today’s reading from Psalm 139. So why is this portion of Psalm 139 in the Bible? Maybe it should be redacted—blacked over like a secret government file.

In reality, Psalm 139 like all the psalms, began as someone’s personal prayer—their personal interaction with God. They are pouring out their heart before God. It’s a heart that has been wounded by others. Should they bottle up those feelings and never express them to God? Of course not. We need to pour out our hurts to God. He alone can heal and change that wounded heart.

Response: LORD God, you know all my hurts. I bring them before you. Pour your love into me, so I can love my enemies. Show me the way forward. Jesus, you forgave even those who killed you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you changed your default position from hate to love?

In My Mother’s Womb

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Psalm 139, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 139

(Verses 13-18)

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you (NIV).

Reflection

Psalm 139 is a psalm of incredible intimacy—divine intimacy. God knows us; sees us; loves us like the LORD only can. He has known us and cared for us from the moment of conception. We need to make that statement personal, because it is personal. The Almighty has known me, and cared for me from the moment of my conception.

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Morning glory, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Last week, I had lens replacement surgery on my left eye. The same surgery was done on my right eye three weeks earlier. This highly skilled tinkering with my eyes has left me in awe of the gift of sight. What a miracle! Yes, the surgeon worked wonders. My sight has been restored without the need for eyeglasses—something I have needed and have worn since the age of eight. Now for first time in 58 years, I can roll out of bed and not reach for my glasses.

What I truly appreciate is the original miracle—the gift of sight itself; a gift we are born with. Because the miracle of sight is so universal, we take it for granted. But when that precious gift is lost or threatened we appreciate it again with new eyes. I join with the psalmist in making this declaration: I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

God took the time to knit you together in your mother’s womb. You can be sure He didn’t miss a stitch. You were formed according to His plan to live for His purpose. Wow! What an awesome privilege. And all the days ordained for [you and] me were written in [God’s] book before one of them came to be.

Response: LORD God, thank you for the gift of life, for sight, sound and touch. You thought of me. What joy that brings! Help me to live the days assigned to me with gladness and gratitude. Amen.

Your Turn: Do we take our physical gifts for granted? How do you cultivate an attitude of gratitude?

Hide and Seek

27 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by in Psalm 139, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 139

(Verses 7-12)

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you (NIV).

Reflection

One of my favorite games as a child was hide and seek. Whenever a group of kids got together, it wouldn’t take long before someone would say, “Hey, let’s play hide ‘n seek.” We settled on who would be the seeker, and off we went, happily playing until the adults eventually called an end to our fun.

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Hiding in the garden of God — photo by David Kitz

I preferred being the hider rather than the seeker. What about you? There seems to be something fun, even natural about hiding. We should be good at it. Humankind has been hiding since that fateful day in the Garden of Eden. After willfully disobeying God, what was the first thing Adam and Eve did? They hid. First, they hid their nakedness from each other; then they hid from their loving Creator. Humanity has been playing hide and seek from God ever since. And yes, we are the hiders.

We should be the seekers—seekers after God. Instead we find ourselves hiding our sins and hiding from our God and Savior. What utter foolishness this is? The psalmist expresses this reality so well. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

We can’t hide from God? Why can’t we, you ask. Because He is God—all knowing—present everywhere. This behavior—this hiding from God—is nothing more than profound stupidity on our part. Why do we even attempt such an impossible feat? Are we so blinded by guilt and shame that we can’t face the One to whom we must give an account? But the Grand Accountant has also provided the remedy for our sin and the guilt and shame that follows.

The remedy is the blood of Jesus. He is the atoning sacrifice that brings us back into fellowship with God. He became one of us so he could lead us, like errant sheep back to our Father God. There is no need to hide. Speaking of himself, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).

Response: LORD God, you know me. You know all my sins, my weaknesses and shortcomings. Yet you love me. I bring all these things before you. Wash me clean. Jesus, your shed blood is my remedy. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you been playing hide and seek with God? Is it time to stop hiding and start seeking?