Tag Archives: God’s word

He Sent His Word

17 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Psalm 107, Psalms

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Reading:                                        Psalm 107                                                                 

 (Verses 17-22)

Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy (NIV).

Reflection

There is a verse in Psalm 107 that holds deep significance for all eternity—past, present and future. Here is the verse: He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave (Psalm 107:20).

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Raised to new life — spring photo by David Kitz — in Victoria, BC

I was introduced to this wonderful verse at the funeral of my maternal grandfather. Psalm 107:20 was the sermon text. This Bible verse might seem like an odd choice for use at a funeral. After all, in the end the deceased was not healed. In the case of my grandfather, he made it to the ripe old age 92 years, but death triumphed in the end. Or did it?

The pastor pointed out that throughout his life, on countless occasions, God sent out his word and healed my grandfather, and God who is faithful would do it again. But on the next occasion the LORD would raise my grandfather from the dead.

This is the great hope of all who believe in Jesus Christ. He is our forerunner. He suffered death on our behalf, but he also experienced resurrection.

The God who in eons past spoke galaxies into existence can send His word and resurrect my grandfather, and all who have put their faith in the resurrected Savior. With each passing day that awesome moment draws nearer. That’s the ultimate healing and it happens through the power of God’s word.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Response: Father God, send your word. Send your word and heal those who are sick. Send your word and save and transform those who are hostile to you. Send your word and resurrect those who are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. LORD God, send your word. Amen.

Your Turn: Who springs to mind when you pray for God to send His word?

Strongholds in Ruins

02 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by in Psalm 89, Psalms

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Reading:                                         Psalm 89

Verses 38-45

But you have rejected, you have spurned,
you have been very angry with your anointed one.
You have renounced the covenant with your servant
and have defiled his crown in the dust.
You have broken through all his walls
and reduced his strongholds to ruins.
All who pass by have plundered him;
he has become the scorn of his neighbors.
You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
you have made all his enemies rejoice.

 Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
and have not supported him in battle.
You have put an end to his splendor
and cast his throne to the ground.
You have cut short the days of his youth;
you have covered him with a mantle of shame (NIV).

Reflection

Though we cannot be absolutely certain, it seems likely that Psalm 89 was written during the time of the Babylonian invasion of Judea. These were days of disaster brought on by idolatry as the people turned away from God. The rebellious King of Judah suffered a catastrophic defeat as the words of this psalm state: You have put an end to his splendor and cast his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with a mantle of shame. 

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Gatineau Park picnic area — photo by David Kitz

In the last few decades the church in North America has also experienced a number of defeats or setbacks. Enemies of the Christian faith have risen up and become bold in their attacks. Just as ancient Jerusalem was attacked and laid low, so too Christian belief systems have been under constant assault. The walls and strongholds of our faith have been undermined.

Two unshakable biblical truths have come under relentless attack. The first is the truth of creation. Our God is the Creator of the universe—the source point of all matter and life. Since the days of Darwin, who incidentally believed in God, atheists have mounted a ferocious attack on this foundational truth. The Christian response has often been jingoistic or at best disjointed. A more coherent and scientifically sound defense is needed.

The second truth that has been under continual attack is the veracity of the Bible. God’s holy word is mocked and routinely discredited especially at our universities. The word of God is our stronghold. Over and over again it has been proven to be accurate, reliable and true. Archaeologists and scholars have marveled at the veracity and authenticity of God’s word. But the real proof of the inerrancy of God’s word does not come from scholarly research. It comes from the transformed lives of believers.

Response: LORD God, my trust is in you and your word. Creator God, I want my faith to be as secure for me as the earth beneath my feet and the air in my lungs. You are all around me. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Your Turn: Have attacks on your faith caused doubt? How did you overcome?

Open my mind

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by in Psalms, Tuesday's Truth

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Open my mind and let me discover the wonders of your Law (Psalm 119:18, CEV).

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Cobourg, ON — photo courtesy of Eric E. Wright

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is wonders.

Yesterday’s post focused on the wonders of God as seen in creation. The sky declares His glory. But today’s focus is on the wonders of God’s word. Here is the psalmist’s prayer:

Open my mind and let me discover the wonders of your Law (Psalm 119:18, CEV).

The Law in this case is not simply referring to the Ten Commandments or the other precepts in the Jewish ceremonial and civil law. The Law in this verse refers to all of the inspired word of God, which for Christians includes all of the Old and New Testament.

There are wonders to be discovered in the pages of your Bible. Have you established a daily routine that includes reading the word of God? To discover the wonders of God’s word, we need to be immersing ourselves in God’s word, and as we do we do that we need to pray for a mind that is open to what God is saying to us. God’s word becomes wonderful as it is applied. Only then will it transform and give meaning to our lives.

Response: LORD God, today I want to open my mind to your word. Speak to me through it. I want to be a doer of your word. Help me make life changing discoveries in the Bible. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you have a habit of reading God’s word? Has the Holy Spirit spoken to you recently through the pages of your Bible?

Remembering Your Words

22 Friday Apr 2016

Posted by in Friday's Focus, Psalms

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I will take pleasure in your laws and remember your words (Psalm 119:16, CEV).

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Ottawa River Sunset – photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is remembering.

It seems that Bible memorization is a thing of the past. There was a time when both children and adults routinely committed large portions of the scriptures to memory. For the most part this practice has gone into decline. Memorization has fallen out of favor in the educational realm as well. There is so much information so readily available through handheld devices, why bother memorizing anything?

Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us that memorization is an important skill.

I will take pleasure in your laws and remember your words (Psalm 119:16, CEV).

Remembering God’s word should be more than a skill. It should be a pleasure—a pleasure because God’s word has transformative power. It changes our thinking and our lives.

Joshua, the great conqueror, succeeded because he meditated on God’s word. It’s hard to meditate on something you haven’t committed to memory. Joshua conquered God’s word as he conquered the Promised Land. Perhaps we should follow his example.

Response: LORD God, I want to know your word far better. Help me to memorize and meditate on your precious word. You have the words of life. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you memorized portions of God’s word?

Where do I put my hope?

11 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by in Friday's Focus, Psalms

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Even before sunrise, I pray for your help, and I put my hope in what you have said (Psalm 119:147 CEV)

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Grey Nuns Park, Ottawa, ON — Photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is hope.

Where do you put your hope? The psalmist put his hope in what God had said. Has God spoken to you? Have you heard His voice in prayer, in nature or through His written word? Have confidence in God’s word. Those who put their hope in His word will overcome.

Response: LORD God give me ears to hear what you say. Help me to pray with expectation. You are my hope and my help. Amen.

Your Turn: How has God spoken to you?

Finding Hope

10 Thursday Dec 2015

Posted by in Psalms, Thursday's Thought

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You are my hiding place and my shield. I find hope in your word (Psalm 119:114 NET)

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Photo by David Kitz

Reflection

This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is hope.

Do you have a personal hideout? Is there a place where you can retreat from the world and its demands? The psalmist found his hiding place in God. He is our shield—a place of safety. As we hear and read his word we find hope.

Response: Word of God speak to me. Let me hear your words of love and assurance. Show me the way forward today. Amen.

Your Turn: Does God’s word bring you hope?

Whose word do you praise?

04 Tuesday Aug 2015

Posted by in Psalm 56, Psalms

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Reading:                                          Psalm 56

 (Verses 8-13)

Record my misery;
list my tears on your scroll—
are they not in your record?
Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.

In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise—
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?

 I am under vows to you, my God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life (NIV).

Reflection

Psalm 56 is a relatively short psalm. Yet in this short psalm, David repeats the phrase ‘whose word I praise’ three times. In today’s reading he states, “In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid.”

For me this phrase raises a question. Whose word do I praise? Do I praise God’s word? Do I appreciate and value the written word of God? Have I made it my refuge as it was for David? Is it my sustenance? Do I feed on it daily? While fasting in the wilderness Jesus answered the tempter, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4).

The Bread of Life --David Kitz

The Bread of Life — David Kitz

Do you trust the living, active word of God to help you today and every day? Trust really is crucial. If I don’t trust that God’s word will help, encourage, correct and sustain me, I won’t bother reading it or meditating on it. I’ll trust in my own abilities or seek direction from other sources.

On the weekend an election was called here in Canada. Politicians from a variety of parties are making their pitch to the electorate. Again the fundamental question for each voter is whose word, do you trust? Politicians frequently promise more than they can deliver. Often I have been let down by a politician who promised to do things differently, but once in office failed to deliver, or became caught up in scandal after scandal. I presume the same disappointment holds true for many voters.

We need to remember that salvation won’t ever be achieved at the ballot box. It was achieved at the cross—only at the cross. The remedy for my sin is found there. The living word of God reminds us of that trustworthy, unchanging truth.

Response: LORD God, I put my trust in your word. I praise your life-giving word for it is good. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you make it your habit to read and meditate on the word of God?