Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
to him who rides across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
who thunders with mighty voice.
Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the heavens.
You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!
Response LORD God, thank you for sending Jesus. Thank you for coming in frail human flesh—flesh like our own. Thank you because now we can know you as one of us—God with us. Be with me today and every day. Amen.
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
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
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon,
who was righteous and devout.
He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,
and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not die
before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit,
he went into the temple courts.
When the parents brought in the child Jesus
to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms
and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother marveled
at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them
and said to Mary, his mother:
“This child is destined to cause the falling
and rising of many in Israel,
and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts
will be revealed.
And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” *
(Luke 2:25-35, NIV)
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.
Available now…
James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?
David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.
But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.
To view further details or purchase directly from the author click here.
Lord Jesus,
I thank you for your suffering
and death on the cross.
Your blood cleanses my hands
and purifies my heart.
Today I want to seek you.
In your great mercy reveal yourself to me
and guide my steps,
my thiughts and my actions. Amen.
— — — —
Mary Song—The Magnificat
And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud
in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” (Luke 1:46-55 NIV)*
Pray for enduring peace in Israel and Gaza, and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
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.
Heavenly Father,
help me rise up
as a spiritual warrior for you today.
Help me to spread the aroma
of the knowledge of Jesus everywhere.
Through the power of Christ,
I know I am more than a conqueror.
Amen.
— — — —
These are the last words of David:
“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs:
“The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’ (2 Samuel 23:1-4 NIV)*
Pray for ongoing peace in Israel and Gaza, and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
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.
New from David Kitz
James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?
David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.
But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.
To view further details or purchase this or other books directly from the author click here.
As for God, his way is perfect: The LORD’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great. You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way (NIV). *
Reflection
There’s a principle of biblical interpretation that goes something like this: The natural comes first, and then comes the spiritual. We can see this illustrated in Paul’s comparison of the first man, Adam, with the new man, Christ, in 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. Similarly, the natural Kingdom of Israel is replaced in the New Testament by the spiritual Kingdom of God, which has no physical or geographic boundaries.
In David’s time natural Israel had borders, which needed to be defended from attack by flesh and blood enemies only too eager to take advantage of any perceived weakness. In the same way today, the church and every born-again believer must be on guard, because Satan and his demons are lying in wait, ready to attack.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Devil. And he has marked you as his target. He has spiritual murder as his top priority—your murder. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
But God did not leave David or natural Israel defenseless. The LORD provided His matchless word and His impenetrable shield of faith against the foes attack. Furthermore, there was strength for the battle. David declares, “It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure… He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze” (v. 32, 34).
This portion of Psalm 18 has its New Testament spiritual counterpart in Ephesians 6:10-17, where Paul the apostle, calls us as spiritual warriors to put on the armor of God. Like David, we are in a battle.
Response: Heavenly Father, help me to fight the good fight. Today, I put on the armor of God to fight the attacks of the enemy. Give me your strength in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Your Turn: How does Satan try to bring you down? What weapons are you using to counter his attacks?
Thank God for peace in Israel and Gaza, and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
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.
New from David Kitz
James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?
David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.
But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.
To view further details or purchase this or other books directly from the author click here.
The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless his people Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron, he will bless those who fear the LORD— small and great alike. May the LORD cause you to flourish, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to mankind. It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.
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.
Coming soon…
James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?
David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.
But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.
When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs? Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water. *
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.
Coming soon…
James—the brother of Jesus—who was this man? What evidence do we have that this “brother of our Lord” even existed?
David Kitz digs deep into archeology, family dynamics, church history, and the biblical texts. What emerges from his research is a portrait of a decisive, pivotal leader who embodied the will and character of Jesus Christ.
But how did James—James the unbeliever—transform to become a leader who changed the course of world history? In these pages you will uncover the answer and rediscover for yourself the life-changing power of the gospel.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever. and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever. with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever. to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever. and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever. but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever. to him who led his people through the wilderness; His love endures forever (NIV). *
Morning mist, Bell Creek, Durham, ON –photo by David Kitz
Reflection Because of the responsive pattern employed by the psalmist, today’s reading from Psalm 136 begins as an incomplete sentence. When combined with yesterday’s reading, the full sentence reads: Give thanks to the Lord of lords, to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, and brought Israel out from among them with a mighty hand and outstretched arm (v. 1 &. 10).
Whereas yesterday’s reading from Psalm 136 celebrates the wonders of God’s creation, today’s reading celebrates the wonders of God’s redemption of Israel. The LORD delivered the captive souls of Israel from hard labor and slavery in Egypt. Though the eldest child of the Egyptians perished, the Hebrew children were spared from the Angel of Death, because the blood of the Passover lamb was applied to the doorposts of their home. See Exodus 12.
At a grim Passover celebration 2,000 years ago, Jesus suffered and died on the cross as our Passover Lamb. When we place our faith in his sacrificial blood, we too are spared from death. Jesus tasted death on our behalf, so that we can live eternally with him. As believers we can rejoice and draw comfort from these words. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
Through the blood of Christ, the power of Satan is broken, and we are brought into the dominion of the Son of God. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14).
Surely as redeemed children of God—children personally redeemed by the Son of God—we have this testimony: His love endures forever.
Response: 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.
Your Turn: Are you living in a new kingdom, under a new king—King Jesus? Is your heavenly citizenship evident to others?
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.
Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD;
praise him, you servants of the LORD,
you who minister in the house of the LORD,
in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession I know that the LORD is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him,
in the heavens and on the earth,
in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
he sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses (NIV). *
Reflection Like many of the psalms, Psalm 135 begins by calling us to worship. Specifically, this is a call to praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant (v. 3).
So, what is the difference between praise and worship? Worship is a broad term that expresses itself in a variety of ways. The Encarta Dictionary defines worship as “the adoration, devotion, and respect given to a deity.”
We can show devotion, adoration, and respect for God in wide range of ways. We can use our bodies to express worship by bowing, kneeling, falling prostrate, or lifting our hands and faces heavenward. We read that both David and Miriam danced before the LORD as an act of worship. See 2 Samuel 6:13-15 and Exodus 15:20-21.
Praise and thanksgiving are verbal forms of worship that reflect a heart of adoration. But why do the Psalms call on us to praise God so frequently? Is the LORD a grand, heavenly egomaniac who demands our worship to satisfy His desire for recognition and importance? Hardly.
Actually, just the opposite is true. God does not need our worship. We are the egomaniacs. Praise and worship counteract the selfishness that is at the root of our sinful nature. We desperately need to get our eyes off ourselves and onto the One who is worthy of all praise. So here to counter what ails us is a simple but powerful prescription from your heavenly Father: Praise the LORD.
Response: Father God, I worship you. Thank you for sending Jesus to be my Savior. Holy Spirit, infuse my praise and worship with joy. You are so very good—so very kind to me. Let praise in all its varied forms flow from me to you. Amen.
Your Turn:What forms or expressions of worship are most meaningful to you? Why are they meaningful?
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.
“They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”
let Israel say;
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
but they have not gained the victory over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
and made their furrows long.
But the LORD is righteous;
he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.” May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame. May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,
nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
“The blessing of the LORD be on you;
we bless you in the name of the LORD” (NIV). *
Reflection A few years back I had a conversation with a Jewish friend about what it means to be numbered among God’s chosen people. I found his response quite surprising.
“Most people see being God’s chosen as a great honor or a blessing. The reality is quite different. The reality is persecution. The reality is envy and hatred by your neighbors. The reality is six million dead in the Holocaust. We are God’s chosen people. Is that a blessing? Sometimes it feels like a curse.”
Psalm 129 reflects the truth of my friend’s words: “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long.”
Often, we assume that being chosen by God will bring great blessing. But being called and chosen does not mean trouble free. The apostle Paul was God’s called and chosen messenger to the Gentiles, but fulfilling his mission involved tremendous suffering, beatings, imprisonment and ultimately martyrdom. See 2 Corinthians 11:22-33. Paul makes this observation about his calling: For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings (1 Corinthians 4:9).
Genuinely following Jesus in the world today can lead directly to persecution. Amnesty International reports that 80% of the systemic persecution in the world today is targeted at Christians. There is often a price to pay for being God’s chosen.
Response: Father God, I pray for those who are facing severe persecution, whatever their faith may be. But I pray especially for my brothers and sisters in Christ. Have mercy on them for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you see yourself as chosen by God? How do stories of suffering and persecution affect you? Is there something you can do to help those in need?
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.
I love the Psalms 