Discovering Your Identity

15 Friday Aug 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 134, Psalms

Tags

Bible, Creator, devotion, family, House of God, identity, Jesus, Prayer, Psalms, Psalms of Ascent, the LORD, worship

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

A song of ascents.

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth (NIV). *

Photo by brenoanp on Pexels.com

Reflection
This is the fifteenth and final psalm in the Songs of Ascent series. This psalm is the pilgrims’ farewell offering of worship to the LORD. After a week or more in Jerusalem, the time has arrived for the pilgrims to return to their homes. But on the evening before they set out on the return journey, they make one last visit to Mount Zion and the great Temple of the LORD. There they lift their hands in praise to the God of Israel. Early next morning, they will begin the arduous journey back home. But for now, it’s time to bless the LORD and offer thanks.

It is likely that the twelve-year-old Jesus sang this psalm with his parents on the final evening of their Passover pilgrimage to Jerusalem. On the following day the family departed for Nazareth where Joseph would resume his trade as a carpenter. When they left the next morning, they assumed Jesus was traveling with them in the large company of other pilgrims from their hometown. See Luke 2:41-52.

Typically, we read this account of the lost twelve-year-old Jesus from the viewpoint of a parent. We identify with the stress of losing a child in a big city. We would title this story, “Mary and Joseph find lost Jesus.” But the story reads quite differently, when we view it from the perspective of a child trying to discover who he really is. Viewed from Jesus’ perspective the title of the story might well be, “Lost Boy finds Himself” or “Lost Boy Discovers His Divinity.”

How did Jesus discover he was the son of God? Some believers might well reason that the answer is obvious. Jesus is God; therefore, he is omniscient. The all-knowing Jesus would surely know that he was God’s son. But many theologians would beg to differ. They view the humanity of Christ as all pervasive. Jesus was 100% human and as such he needed to learn and discover his identity even as any child does.

If through the incarnation Jesus fully took on humanity, then the boy Jesus needed to discover his divine identity. It may have been written into every fiber of his being, but he still needed to discover it, just as any young musical prodigy needs to explore and discover his or her gift. All divine gifts must be discovered and developed to reach their maximum potential.

How do we discover our true identity? From the account in Luke, the boy Jesus apparently discovered his true identity in the House of God. Perhaps it began as he lifted his hands in worship. We cannot fully discover who we are until we discover who God is. We must know our Creator to know ourselves. Self-understanding begins with knowing whose we are. You and I belong to the Father.

Response: Father God, I thank you for loving me and inviting me into your family. Lord Jesus, thank you for purchasing my redemption. Holy Spirit, I thank you for the confirmation that I am your child. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you know whose you are? How is God the Father shaping your identity?

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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Let Us Draw Near to God

12 Tuesday Aug 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 132, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bible, blood of Jesus, cleansing from sin, faithfulness of God, gratitude, House of God, Jesus, Prayer, Righteousness, worship

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

Reading: Psalm 132:6-10

Father God,
I thank you for covering me
with a garment of righteousness.
It’s the supreme righteousness of Jesus.
Help me to serve and worship you daily
with a grateful heart.
Amen.

— — — —

Therefore, brothers and sisters,
since we have confidence to enter
the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
by a new and living way
opened for us through the curtain,
that is, his body,
and since we have a great priest
over the house of God,
let us draw near to God
with a sincere heart
and with the full assurance that faith brings,
having our hearts sprinkled
to cleanse us from a guilty conscience
and having our bodies washed with pure water.
Let us hold unswervingly
to the hope we profess,
for he who promised is faithful.
(Hebrewss 10:19-23 NIV)*

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, Iran, and Ukraine!

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

Flourishing in the House of God

10 Saturday Aug 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 52

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

hope in God, House of God, praise the LORD, Psalms, righteous, stronghold, trust in God

I will praise the LORD!

Reflected cloud in York River, Bancroft, ON

Reading: Psalm 52:5-9

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck you from your tent;
    he will uproot you from the land of the living.
The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh at you, saying,
“Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
    and grew strong by destroying others!”
But I am like an olive tree
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
For what you have done I will always praise you
    in the presence of your faithful people.
And I will hope in your name,
    for your name is good. *

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 summer read from David Kitz
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The Beauty of His Dwelling Place

02 Friday Aug 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

David, House of God, power, Prepare, presence of God, sanctuary

Reading: Psalm 26:8-12
LORD, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.
Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
in whose hands are wicked schemes,
whose right hands are full of bribes.
I lead a blameless life;
deliver me and be merciful to me.
My feet stand on level ground;
in the great congregation I will praise the LORD (NIV).

throne in an ornate interior of a church
Photo by Gu Bra on Pexels.com

Reflection
In America, Canada and much of the western world, people have been abandoning the house of God in droves. In the most recent census survey, by far the largest growth has been among those who identify themselves as having no religion. This move to “no religion” is most pronounced among our young people. There are many factors that have led to this decline. Perhaps a hard look in the mirror is needed for us to see what we are doing wrong. Jesus attracted people. Why are his followers today repelling people?

David had a completely different attitude toward the house of God. Hear the cry of his heart, “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.”

No one had to drag David to the LORD’s house. He was eager to meet with God there. Really, that’s the secret. If God is in the house—if His glory is present—it will be hard to keep people away. The question we need to be asking ourselves is, “Is God in the house? Is His glory dwelling here among us?”

If God is truly, tangibly present among you, look out! The transformational power of God will overwhelm individuals and ignite the congregation. I have seen it happen and there is no experience quite like it.

I live in expectation of His appearing among us. The living Christ visits His church. Are you anticipating His coming? Have you set the table for Him? Have you prepared your heart and your mind? Have you put out the welcome mat?

All too often church has become program maintenance. The focus is entirely wrong. Church in its most vibrant form is God dwelling among us—God breathing upon us. That was the Book of Acts Church. That’s the church I love. When we have found that place—when we experience the LORD of that place—we will join David in declaring, “My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the LORD.”

Response: Come, Lord Jesus, dwell among us. This is my confession: “LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.” Lord come and dwell in my local congregation. Manifest your presence there, so many will see it and be changed by your Spirit. Amen.

Your Turn: Do you love the house of God? Why or why not? Is God showing up at your church? What are you doing to make the place ready for Him?

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!

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My Soul Thirsts for God

22 Saturday Jun 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 42, Psalms

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Tags

hope in God, House of God, praise, praise the LORD, Prayer, Psalms, Savior, the LORD, thirst for God

I will praise the LORD!

Niagara Falls — photo by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 42:1-5

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my 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!

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Whose Are You?

22 Friday Mar 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 134

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

gifts from God, House of God, identity, incarnation, Jerusalem, Jesus, Passover, pilgrims, praise the LORD, Psalms, the LORD

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

Reading: Psalm 134
A song of ascents.
Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth (NIV). *
Psalm 119_172

Your Turn: Do you know whose you are? How is God the Father shaping your identity?

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

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

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The House Where You Live

31 Sunday Dec 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 26, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

blameless, congregation, glory of God, House of God, praise, praise the LORD

I will praise the LORD!

Photo of Landestreu Church

Reading: Psalm 26:8-12

LORD, I love the house where you live,
    the place where your glory dwells.
Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
    my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
in whose hands are wicked schemes,
    whose right hands are full of bribes.
I lead a blameless life;
    deliver me and be merciful to me.
My feet stand on level ground;
    in the great congregation I will praise the LORD. *

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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Better than a Thousand Elsewhere

26 Tuesday Sep 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 84, Psalms

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Tags

God's presence, House of God, love, love starved, pilgrimage

Reading: Psalm 84:8-12
Hear my prayer, LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, God of Jacob.
Look on our shield, O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.
Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
LORD Almighty,
blessed is the one who trusts in you (NIV). *

Extol Him — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
All of Psalm 84 is written in praise of a special day—a day spent in God’s presence. Throughout this Psalm there is a longing to be with God—a desire to be close to him. So, we hear the Psalmist declare, “Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.“

If you were to plan for the best day in your life, what would that day include? What would it look like? How and where would you spend your best day? Would the LORD be at the center of it all?

Love is at the core of every special day. Think back to some of the best days of your life—days marked by joy and excitement. If you scratch beneath the surface of those days, you will find love at the core. We are in fact love starved people. We need it as much as the air we breathe. Experiments have shown that the unloved, un-caressed, unspoken to baby will die, even though all its physical needs are met. So, when love comes to us, we celebrate it, frolic in it, and throw a party to announce it.

We need love. We need to receive it. We need to give it.

It was love that brought the psalmist to the House of God. It drew him like a magnet, pulled at his heart, tugged at his sleeve, and finally ushered him through the door. Love set him on this pilgrimage. It kept his weary feet moving mile after dreary mile. When he finally reached his goal—the object of his love—in wonder, we hear him exclaim, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.”

The psalmist was pursuing love with the one he loved—the LORD Almighty. Have you spent time pursuing him lately? Is a day spent with him, something you yearn for?

Response: LORD God, I love you. I know that you love me because Jesus showed the extent of your love. He reaches out to me with nail-scarred hands. I want to spend my day with you. Amen.

Your Turn: Is a day spent with Jesus, something you yearn for? How can you make that happen?

Please pray for peace to return to Ukraine!

Vol III 2021-07-17 at 8.15.36 AM

A Burning Desire

01 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 69

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Tags

family, House of God, passion, values

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

Reading: Psalm 69:6-12

LORD God,
give me a zeal for your house and your presence.
As the months and years roll by,
I want my values to be reflected in my actions,
and my passion for you and your family.
Replace my lukewarm heart
with a burning desire to know and love you.
Amen.

Please pray for peace to return to Ukraine!

B1P95Jv-LtS._SY300_

Putting God First

01 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 69

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

goals, House of God, love for God, zeal

Reading: Psalm 69:6-12
Lord, the LORD Almighty,
may those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me.
For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face.
I am a foreigner to my own family,
a stranger to my own mother’s children;
for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.
When I weep and fast, I must endure scorn;
when I put on sackcloth, people make sport of me.
Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards (NIV). *

Landestreu Church — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
The start of a new month is a time when many of us set goals and consider our progress over the past month. Our personal goals spring from those things we value and hold dear. So, what did David, the author of this psalm, value and hold dear? According to his own words, David was motivated by his zeal for the house of God. He longed to be in God’s presence and to seek His face. He placed his love for God ahead of his love for even his family.

I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother’s children; for zeal for your house consumes me…

Many of us would call that misplaced zeal, even fanaticism. But Jesus called for precisely this kind zeal from his disciples. He calls for a radical transformation in the lives of his followers. Are you a disciple, or are you following at a distance? His words are an open challenge to everyone.

“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39).

After Jesus cleansed the temple, his disciples recalled the words from this psalm. His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17).

Response: LORD God, give me a zeal for your house and your presence. As the months and years roll by, I want my values to be reflected in my actions and my passion for you. Replace my lukewarm heart with a burning desire to know and love you. Amen.

Your Turn: Where does the house of God rate on your zeal meter? Do you value the community of faith to which you belong?

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

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. Start your day with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

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

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

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

Reading: Psalm 132:6-10 Father God, I thank you for covering me with a garment of righteousness. It’s the supreme righteousness of Jesus. Help me to serve and worship you daily with a grateful heart. Amen.

— — — —

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

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

I will praise the LORD!

Reading: Psalm 52:5-9

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

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

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

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

I will praise the LORD!

Reading: Psalm 42:1-5

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah.

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

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

Today’s Devotion from the Psalms

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

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

I will praise the LORD!

Reading: Psalm 26:8-12

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel and Ukraine!

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

Please pray for peace to return to Ukraine!

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

Reading: Psalm 69:6-12

LORD God, give me a zeal for your house and your presence. As the months and years roll by, I want my values to be reflected in my actions, and my passion for you and your family. Replace my lukewarm heart with a burning desire to know and love you. Amen.

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

Please pray for peace to return to Ukraine!

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

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

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

Reading: Psalm 132:6-10

Father God,
I thank you for covering me
with a garment of righteousness.
It’s the supreme righteousness of Jesus.
Help me to serve and worship you daily
with a grateful heart.
Amen.

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

LORD God,
give me a zeal for your house and your presence.
As the months and years roll by,
I want my values to be reflected in my actions,
and my passion for you and your family.
Replace my lukewarm heart
with a burning desire to know and love you.
Amen.