Tag Archives: grace of God

Spared by the Grace of God

27 Wednesday Aug 2025

Posted by in Psalm 137

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Reading: Psalm 137:7-9

Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks (NIV). *

Reflection
German is a fascinating language. It’s a language that seems to specialize in compound words—short words that are combined to form longer words. Some English language examples of compound words are homerun, overcoat and windshield.

Schadenfreude is a compound German word. It’s such a useful and descriptive word that it has migrated into the English language, and it can be found in any quality English dictionary. Schaden means harm or damage. Freude means joy. Simply put schadenfreude means joy experienced at another person’s expense—rejoicing in someone else’s suffering or loss.

Today’s reading from Psalm 137 is all about schadenfreude. The Edomites celebrated the destruction of Jerusalem. Rather than mourn over their neighbor’s calamity, they joined in calling for the destruction of the Jewish capital.

This manifestation of schadenfreude was rooted in centuries of fraternal rivalry and envy. The Edomites were the descendants of Esau, while the people of Jerusalem were the descendants of Jacob. These two people groups were linked by heredity, language, and culture, and yet generation after generation they continued this brothers’ feud.

This psalm is not the only biblical counsel for us to avoid rejoicing in other people’s harm: Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble do not let your heart rejoice, or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them (Proverbs 24:17-18).

If the LORD is punishing the evildoer, we should not appear too smug. We are spared by the grace of God and not by our moral superiority. The self-righteous suffer from delusions of pride. It’s best not to identify with that camp. The opposite response is called for. Rather than crowing over someone else’s misfortune, we should be offering help or drawing lessons on how to avoid a similar calamity.

When I see others experiencing calamity, I need to replace my schadenfreude with the genuine joy found in extending mercy, grace and compassion.

Response: LORD God, at times I have been guilty of schadenfreude. Help me to show compassion rather than smug indifference when I see others experience loss. Thank you for your ongoing mercy. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you experienced schadenfreude? How do you keep it in check?

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

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

We Have Redemption through His Blood

22 Friday Aug 2025

Posted by in Psalms

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

Reading: Psalm 136:10-16

Father God,
 I thank you for redeeming me
with the sacred blood of Jesus.
I have been adopted into your family.
You are my heavenly Father.
I can never thank you enough.
Amen.

— — — —
 
Praise be to the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
who has blessed us in the heavenly realms 
with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
For he chose us in him
before the creation of the world
to be holy and blameless in his sight.
In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship
 through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with his pleasure and will— 
to the praise of his glorious grace, 
which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 
In him we have redemption through his blood, 
the forgiveness of sins,
in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 
that he lavished on us.
(Ephesians 1:3-8 NIV)*


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, Iran, 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.

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.

The Gift of God

19 Tuesday Aug 2025

Posted by in Psalm 135, Psalms

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

Reading: Psalm 135:8-14

Father God,
I thank you for liberation.
Through Jesus,
you freed me from the bondage of sin.
I am eternally grateful.
Fill me with the joy of your salvation.
You saved me.
Hallelujah!
Amen.

— — — —

 But because of his great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy, 
made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions—
it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with him
in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 
in order that in the coming ages
he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 
For it is by grace you have been saved,
through faith—
and this is not from yourselves,
it is the gift of God—
not by works,
so that no one can boast. 
For we are God’s handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, Iran, 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.

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.

It Is God Who Works in You

02 Wednesday Jul 2025

Posted by in Psalm 119

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


Reading: Psalm 119:57-64

Father God,
help me. I want to obey your word.
I want to live out the words of this psalm.
I can only succeed by your grace,
so give me the will to do your will
by the power of your Holy Spirit.
Amen.

— — — —

Therefore,
my dear friends,
as you have always obeyed—
not only in my presence,
but now much more in my absence—
continue to work out your salvation
with fear and trembling,
for it is God who works in you
 to will and to act
in order to fulfill his good purpose.
(Philippans 2:12-13 NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Happy Canada Day to my Readers in Canada!

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, Iran, 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.

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

Because of His Great Love for Us

05 Thursday Jun 2025

Posted by in Psalm 113

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


Reading: Psalm 113

Father God,
 your love is beyond comprehension.
Thank you for stooping down
and involving yourself in my life.
When I reach out to you,
Father God,
you lift me up.
I praise you, Lord Jesus,
for redeeming me.
Amen.

— — — —

As for you,
you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
in which you used to live
when you followed the ways of this world
and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,
the spirit who is now at work
in those who are disobedient.
All of us also lived among them at one time,
gratifying the cravings of our flesh
and following its desires and thoughts.
Like the rest,
we were by nature deserving of wrath.
But because of his great love for us,
God, who is rich in mercy,
made us alive with Christ
even when we were dead in transgressions—
it is by grace you have been saved.
And God raised us up with Christ
and seated us with him
in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,
in order that in the coming ages
he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,
expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
(Ephesians 1:1-7 NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
For details click here.

When Jesus Saw Their Faith

23 Wednesday Apr 2025

Posted by in Psalm 103

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

 Reading: Psalm 103:7-12

Heavenly Father,
because of your love,
mercy, and grace I want to serve you.
Please accept my feeble attempts
at loving you back.
Jesus,
your forgiveness leaves me
with a debt of love I cannot pay.
Amen.

— — —

Some men came,
bringing to him a paralyzed man,
carried by four of them. 
Since they could not get him to Jesus
because of the crowd,
they made an opening in the roof above Jesus
by digging through it
and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 
When Jesus saw their faith,
he said to the paralyzed man,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Now some teachers of the law
were sitting there,
thinking to themselves,
“Why does this fellow talk like that?
He’s blaspheming!
Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit
that this was what they were thinking in their hearts,
and he said to them,
“Why are you thinking these things?
Which is easier:
to say to this paralyzed man,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say,
‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
But I want you to know
that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
So he said to the man,
“I tell you, get up,
take your mat and go home.”
He got up, took his mat
and walked out in full view of them all.
This amazed everyone
and they praised God, saying,
“We have never seen anything like this!”
(Mark 2:3-12 NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Today’s review of “The Soldier Who Killed a King“


This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

Do Not Weep for Me

08 Tuesday Apr 2025

Posted by in Lent

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

 Reading: Psalm 98:7-9

LORD God,
in the past
I have dreaded your judgment,
but now I recognize your goodness.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
I want to see this world set right
through your power, mercy, and grace.
Amen.

— — —

As the soldiers led him away,
they seized Simon from Cyrene,
who was on his way in from the country,
and put the cross on him
and made him carry it behind Jesus. 
A large number of people followed him,
including women
who mourned and wailed for him. 
Jesus turned and said to them,
“Daughters of Jerusalem,
do not weep for me;
weep for yourselves and for your children.
For the time will come when you will say,
‘Blessed are the childless women,
the wombs that never bore
and the breasts that never nursed!’

Then
“‘they will say to the mountains,
“Fall on us!”
    and to the hills, “Cover us!”’

For if people do these things
when the tree is green,
what will happen when it is dry?”
(Luke 23:26-31, NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer won the Best Book of the Year Award from The Word Guild and Volume II has won the Best Devotional of the Year Award. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Today’s review of “The Soldier Who Killed a King“
Fasten your seatbelt, because this story will bring a new perspective of Christ’s humiliation and suffering, which is so unique and powerful that you feel you are there. David writes with great command and pulls the reader into how it might have been for Jesus of Nazareth, when even His beloved disciples left him alone. Most of us know the biblical story, but we can’t imagine how it might have really been for our Savior. I give this book 5 stars and a recommendation that everyone should read it. — Mary Cates


This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

He Sold His Inheritance Rights

02 Wednesday Apr 2025

Posted by in Psalm 96

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

 Reading: Psalm 96:7-13

LORD God,
I want to see your glory and strength.
I acknowledge your attributes.
You are magnificent, holy, merciful, and just.
Thank you for your righteous judgments.
Help me to see the good in others.
Amen.

— — —

Make every effort to live in peace
with everyone and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord.
See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God
and that no bitter root grows up
to cause trouble and defile many. 
See that no one is sexually immoral,
or is godless like Esau,
who for a single meal
sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 
Afterward, as you know,
when he wanted to inherit this blessing,
he was rejected.
Even though he sought the blessing with tears,
he could not change what he had done.
(Hebrews 12:14-17, NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
Winner of the 2024 Word Award of Merit in Biblical Studies
TheElishaCodeCVR5

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.

This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

He Tasted Death for Everyone

12 Wednesday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 89

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

Reading: Psalm 89:46-52

 Heavenly Father,
I thank you for Jesus,
the Christ,
the anointed One.
Thank you for His death,
burial, and resurrection.
I join with the psalmist in saying, 
“Praise be to the LORD forever!
Amen and Amen.”

— — —

But we do see Jesus,
who was made lower than the angels
for a little while,
now crowned with glory and honor 
because he suffered death, 
so that by the grace of God
he might taste death for everyone.
(Hebrews 2:9, NIV)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
Winner of the 2024 Word Award of Merit in Biblical Studies
TheElishaCodeCVR5

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.

This biblically accurate novel is ideal for the Lent/Easter season.
For details click here.

Authority to Forgive Sins

20 Thursday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalm 85, Psalms

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

Reading: Psalm 85:1-7

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 and experience your grace.
Amen.

— — —

Which is easier:
to say to this paralyzed man,
‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say,
‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? 
But I want you to know that the Son of Man 
has authority on earth to forgive sins.”
So he said to the man,
“I tell you, get up,
take your mat and go home.” 
He got up, took his mat
and walked out in full view of them all.
This amazed everyone
and they praised God, saying,
“We have never seen anything like this!”
(Mark 2:9-12)*

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

bgbg_v4.3_1501818
* NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, COPYRIGHT ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

New from David Kitz
Winner of the 2024 Word Award of Merit in Biblical Studies
TheElishaCodeCVR5

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.
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