Tag Archives: love of God

The God who Stoops Down

06 Sunday Jul 2025

Posted by in Psalms, Psalms Alive!

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 113:4-9

The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
He seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.
He settles the barren woman in her home
as the happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD!

You might have a picture of yourself like this. You know the kind. It’s less than flattering. It provides a great view of your backside as you are bent over. Or better yet, someone has caught you in the classic plumber position, with your head under the sink and your opposite end in full view.

I know what to do with photos like that. I toss them in the garbage. I erase them from my hard drive. If I can wrestle the mobile-phone camera from the photographer, I’ll hit the delete button faster than the shutter speed for that priceless Kodak moment.

Who wants to embarrass himself and then keep the evidence for posterity? Apparently, God does. In fact, the LORD has been doing it since time began. The proof for this assertion can be found right here in Psalm 113.

The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?

Who indeed? Why would the exalted One, the enthroned One, stoop down? How undignified! Doesn’t the LORD know that kings and potentates don’t bend over or stoop down? They certainly don’t do that sort of thing in public—not where they can be seen by others. Rulers rule from the seat of authority. They sit; they don’t stoop down.

But our God stoops down. If the truth be told, it’s even worse than that.

The LORD doesn’t just stoop down; He plays in the mud. He has been playing in the mud for years now, ever since he shaped us from the dust of the earth. I would go so far as to say that this behavior—this playing in the mud—has become an obsession with him. It’s a divine obsession. He just keeps right on doing it.

Art by Hult –www.biblicalarchaeology.org

I’m not sure how the LORD justifies his behavior. From a perfectly logical point of view, it simply doesn’t make sense. After all, I would hardly call the LORD’s first experience with mud sculpture a glowing success. Sure, Adam looked handsome enough, and Eve was pretty sweet, but that breath of life idea was a complete disaster.

And what thanks did God get for his efforts? Well, the dear little mud clods disobeyed him. They disobeyed their Maker at the first opportunity, or so I’ve read. What a show of gratitude! But then, I suppose that’s what you get for stooping down and playing in the mud. It goes to show what you can expect from quickened mud clods.

After that experience—that catastrophe run amuck—you would think, the LORD would know better. He should know better by now. But no, not the LORD! He keeps right on going back to the mud holes. He insists on stooping down and rescuing these little, living, breathing, dirt bags.

Let’s take David for example. Let’s call him exhibit, “A.” But rather than listen to me go on about the LORD’s absurd behavior, why not hear David’s own testimony:

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD (Psalm 40:1-3).

Well David, this is all fine and good for you to say. But remember, you’re the one that got yourself into that mess—that mud and mire—in the first place. Have you given even a moment’s thought to the LORD’s dignity? I think not. He has a whole universe to rule, and there you are interrupting him with your pathetic pleas. The LORD has to leave his contemplations, get off his kingly throne and rescue you—rescue you from a mud hole! I am sure God has better things to do than to chase after the likes of you.

And David, this new song of yours—this hymn of praise—let me give you some advice. Pull the plug on it. Why would you want to broadcast your own failings? Why would you want the world to see how dependent you are on the LORD? It’s time to grow up. Learn to stand on your own two feet.  This running to the LORD for everything has got to stop. Don’t you realize He has a whole world to run?

Samuel anoints David

Worst of all David, if you go ahead with this new song, it will turn out just as you say. Many will see how the LORD has rescued you. They will put their trust in the LORD. And what will happen then? Well, I’ll tell you what will happen. Next thing you know, the LORD won’t have a moments rest. Every slime ball on the planet will be calling out to him.

And exactly how will the LORD respond? Well, if past performance is any indicator, He’ll be right out there, big time. He’ll be pulling slime balls out of mud holes all over the world. Like I said earlier, it’s an obsession—a divine obsession.

Take this psalm, Psalm 113, for an example. Have a look at this quote. Let’s call it exhibit, “B.”

He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people. He settles the barren woman in her home as the happy mother of children. Praise the LORD! (Psalm 113:7-9, NIV)

Why doesn’t He stay seated? Why doesn’t the LORD just stay on the throne? Why does He insist on stooping down and getting his hands dirty? You can’t possibly lift people out of dust and ashes without getting your hands dirty.

And why does the LORD keep elevating people? Doesn’t He know that they are the source of all the problems in the world? If He must interact with humanity, He should at the very least pick his contacts more carefully. Why associate yourself with the poor—the scum of the earth? Go for the cream of the crop. If the LORD is so high and mighty, why doesn’t He stick with the high and mighty? He keeps diving below his rank—well below his rank.

To be honest with you, the LORD seems to be completely out of touch with how this messed up world operates. When it comes to the LORD, it’s like we’re dealing with some kind of heavenly dumpster diver. He keeps finding treasures in the trash.

But what I find most disturbing about this passage is the statement about the barren woman. Help the woman, if you must, LORD. But turning her into the happy mother of children is a terrible mistake. I’m not sure we need more of these snivelling, whining, God-needing, God-dependent creatures. Things will only get worse with more of them around. The LORD will never have a moment’s rest—not with them bawling around for help. I can see it all now—even more stooping, more bending over mud holes. He’ll spend even more time saving the incompetent from themselves.

Photo by Laura Garcia on Pexels.com

This obsession with creatures of dust, and extracting them from mud holes, has gone totally out of control. It has completely taken over the mind of the LORD. That’s what obsessions do. How else can you explain what happened next?

He decided to have a Son by one of these daughters of earth. You might even say the LORD decided to become one of them. I know it’s incredible, absolutely incredible. I call it a case of divine insanity.

And the poor woman He had this child by, what a mess He left her in! First of all, you think that the LORD, who “is exalted over all the nations, who sits enthroned on high” would choose a partner of noble birth, but not the LORD. No, He chooses some poor humble servant girl, at the bottom rung of society. Granted Mary comes from royal stock, but this lineage of David that you read about, meant absolutely nothing in practical terms. It didn’t put food on the table, or clothes on her back, or boost her social status.

Yes, you heard right. Mary is from the thousand-year-old line of David—the same David that the LORD pulled out of the mud and the mire, way back then. Not exactly a proud legacy, in my opinion.

So, the LORD “who sits enthroned on high” got Mary pregnant, and then He left her. He left her high and dry—stranded. He didn’t even hang around to explain himself. He let Mary do the talking. He let her explain this whole mess to Joseph, her fiancé.

Mary Comforts Eve

“Who is like the LORD our God?” Who indeed?

Then to top off this public relations fiasco, this descent from the heavenly realm, we have the actual birth of the Son of God. What a botched, low budget affair that was! Unbelievable! Born in a stable. The Son of God placed in a manger—a feeding trough for slobbering cows! Incredible.

When the LORD stoops down, He really stoops down!

The lack of coordination in this whole event simply defies description. Was any thought put into this at all? Why this last-minute rush? Why have the baby born in Bethlehem? Why not Jerusalem, the holy city, the capital?

And then there’s that disaster with the angels. As far as I’m concerned, they showed up in the wrong place entirely. Why announce the Savior’s birth to a few, poor, lowlife shepherds? They have no influence—no means to spread the news beyond a small circle. I can only assume the lead angel somehow got his coordinates mixed up and landed in the wrong location.

The heavenly choir was a nice touch. Here at last was some pomp and ceremony—some razzle dazzle and celestial fireworks, befitting the birth of a heaven-sent king. But it was all wasted on those shepherds. Like I said, it happened in the wrong place. The LORD would have had far more bang for his buck, if the angels had put on their show over Jerusalem.

Then, there are the Magi. Nice try wise guys. Too bad you arrived almost two years after the fact, and your blundering ineptitude almost got the Son of God killed.

No, this whole experiment in cross-cultural communication—heaven to earth communication—did not start well. Is it any wonder that things went quickly downhill from there?

As for the Son of God, well he’s just like his Father—the very image of Him! He has the same character too. He’s always hanging around with the bottom end of society, with the harlots, the tax collectors, the sinners. He does a lot of stooping down too, and He plays in the mud. He spit on the ground and made some mud once. He used it to heal a man born blind (John 9:1-12). And then, there’s that time he pardoned the adulteress. On that occasion, He stooped down and did a lot of writing in the dirt (John 8:1-11).

Does any of this sound familiar? Well, they are familiar all right. As I said, the Son is just like the Father, and the Father is just like the Son. (See Colossians 1:15.) As for this divine obsession with creatures of dust—this divine insanity—what did it lead to? It led straight to the cross—the Son’s death on the cross.

He was pierced for our transgressions.

As I said, you can’t possibly lift people out of dust and ashes without getting your hands dirty. Well Jesus, God’s Son, couldn’t lift people out of dust and ashes without getting his hands bloody. He got his hands pierced. I guess that’s what the LORD gets for stooping down and playing in the dirt.

How do you explain all this? There are some things we will never fully understand. I am sure that this is one of those things. We cannot fathom this—not in a million years.

They say love is an obsession—a case of temporary insanity. That is the only explanation that I can think of for this outcome. He has a bad case of love; the LORD has a terminal case of love. And in His case, it never has stopped; He has never gotten over it. He fell in love with us from the first time He saw us—from the moment He formed us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (John 3:16).

Still, I keep wondering why anyone would stoop so low? Why would the One, who sits enthroned on high, stoop so low for me?


Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. Jesus’ earthly family members were not numbered among the rich and famous of the land. Read James 5:1-6. Our LORD’s brother has some strong words for the rich and powerful. In the struggles of life, who do you identify yourself with, the wealthy or the poor?
  2. Do you stoop down? Plan an activity that aims to help the poor or the disadvantaged. What are you doing to help the orphan or the widow, whether next door or on the other side of the globe?
  3. Read the account of Jesus healing the man born blind in John 9:1-12. Note the similarities with the creation of Adam as recorded in Genesis 2:4-7.
  4. Simply take some time to thank the LORD for his incomparable love. Verbalize your thanks to him.

Today’s post is Chapter 19 from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To find out more or purchase click here.

 

Praise the LORD, O My Soul

08 Sunday Jun 2025

Posted by in Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 103:1-5

Of David

Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 

The long wait was finally over. It was a beautiful day, and it all started so well. Anticipation does make the heart grow fonder.

For many years my wife had told me how she wanted her own desk and her own bookcase. It would help her organize her things; every woman needs her own space. I couldn’t agree more. The only problem was money. There was never enough of it. With a young family and a mortgage to pay, there always seemed to be more month left than money. These extras were always put on hold.

But then one spring day our income tax refund check arrived, and Karen renewed her perennial plea. This year the roof didn’t need shingles, the driveway didn’t need paving, but she did need that long delayed desk and bookcase. At long last, the time had come to answer her request and this time, a shortage of funds was not standing in the way.

After some judicious shopping, she narrowed the range of furniture choices, and then she brought me in to help in the final selection process. Together we chose a compact and versatile three drawer desk with a fold down top that acted as the writing surface. She loved the little compartments that could be used to store papers and valuables. A matching three-shelf bookcase completed our order. Both selections were unfinished furniture made of solid maple.

We both love solid wood because of its grain and texture. Of course, solid hardwood furniture is supremely durable as well. I gave some consideration to finishing the furniture myself. But a look at my work schedule led us to decide that it simply would be easier to have the furniture company apply the wood finish of our choice and then pick up the finished product upon completion. We paid our hard-earned money and waited.

About a week later the call came. The desk and bookcase were ready for pick up, but our car was too small for the job. No problem. Our neighbor kindly lent us his pickup truck. Now, this old Ford had seen better days. Rick briefly introduced me to old Betsy. He mentioned the rear tailgate was a bit cantankerous. I practised closing it. Then he handed me the keys and watched as I drove off with my wife by my side. We headed off like two giddy kids on a Christmas morning race to the tree.

At the furniture warehouse the bookcase and desk were packed in corrugated cardboard boxes. We did a quick inspection to confirm they were the right pieces, finished with the right colored stain, and then we loaded them onto old Betsy. I slammed the tailgate shut and we set out on the twenty-minute return trip to our home.

What happened on that return trip can best be described as tragic comedy. However, it would be fair to say that the comedic elements in this story were not entirely evident to us at the time.

On the four-lane expressway at 65mph (100kph) old Betsy’s tailgate popped open. The bookcase toppled out onto the hard black asphalt. I slammed on the brakes and pulled off to the shoulder. My wife was frantic; we were both frantic. Even at a distance I could tell the bookcase was still intact inside the corrugated cardboard box. Perhaps the damage was minor, or so I hoped. I jumped out of the truck and began running back to this hapless box as it lay on the highway. Three quarters of it lay on the paved shoulder—only one corner protruded onto the far-right lane of this busy four-lane expressway. As I ran back, several cars zoomed right by it. They didn’t even need to swerve to avoid it.

I thought it was safe.

But…

But… the next vehicle was a twenty-ton cement truck. It did not swerve. It bore down relentlessly on that cardboard box. What I saw next was an explosion. On impact, the bookcase exploded out of its cardboard box. Shelves and splintered pieces of wood went flying through the air and into the ditch.

It all happened so fast. In an instant our long-awaited treasure was turned into a mangled, splintered mess.

I gathered the debris out of the ditch, put it back in old Betsy, slammed the cantankerous tailgate shut, and drove on home.

Karen was in tears.

This should never have happened! A thousand regrets flooded my mind. Why? Why this disaster? What did we do to deserve this mess?

I hugged my wife.

Strangely on another level, a different set of thoughts was welling up from within. Those thoughts went something like this, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV).

And then from the distant recesses of my spirit I heard, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2).

What lunacy is this? Why should I give thanks to God in the middle of this disaster? If God cared about me—about us—why didn’t he prevent this fiasco? My God is bigger than a cement truck. He could have steered that twenty-ton behemoth around our bookcase. Better still, the LORD Almighty could have kept that tailgate from popping open. And now, at this moment, I’m supposed to praise him? What insanity is this?

Again, I heard the Spirit’s prompting, “Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”

There are bigger things in life than a broken bookcase, I conceded. Under my breath I began to mumble, “Bless the LORD, O my soul and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”

Those were tough words to say at that moment. You see, my soul doesn’t always want to bless the LORD. If I’m going to praise him, shouldn’t it be in church while the choir sings softly in the background? Why praise him on an expressway, with my wife sobbing at my side, while I have fresh images of a splintered bookcase lodged in my brain?

There are times when cursing the LORD would seem to be a far more appropriate response than praising him. Surely, this was one such time.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

“LORD, why are you bringing these scriptures to my mind now?” I asked. “I would much rather blame you, God, and feel totally miserable, than give thanks in these wretched circumstances.”

But God’s Spirit would not relent. I can’t say I heard this audibly. But if I were to translate what I feel God was speaking to me at that moment, it would go something like this:

“Just shut up. Quit your bellyaching, Mr. Know-it-all. (God sometimes needs to be blunt with me.) All I am asking you to do is praise me. Praise me, whether you feel like it or not. You don’t know the beginning from the end, Mr. Wise-guy. Don’t you think I’m bigger than a few pieces of shattered wood?”  

In sullen reluctance, I agreed. I obeyed. I began to praise God. That’s right. I began to praise the LORD God Almighty, who let my wife’s long awaited, brand new, not-even-out-of-the-box bookcase get hit by a twenty-ton cement truck.

Praise the LORD? Yes, the LORD.

Now which Lord was that again?

The LORD “who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases”.

 Ah, yes that LORD. He really is quite wonderful. Imagine forgiving all my sins, every last one of them. That’s a lot of sins.

That’s a lot of forgiving.

Praise the LORD. He’s quite some God.

Which God was that again?

The LORD who “heals all your diseases.”

Ah, yes that LORD. He really is quite fantastic. Imagine healing all my sicknesses, and all my injuries, too, from my childhood to this very moment. Now, that’s a whole lot of pain and woe.

Gone. It’s all gone. I don’t feel any of it now.

Praise the LORD. No aches or pains—that’s amazing. He’s an awesome God.

Now tell me again, which Lord is this?

The LORD “who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”

Oh yes, that LORD. He redeemed me—redeemed me with his blood. He went to the whipping post, was stripped naked and nailed—nailed through hands and feet to a cross. The LORD who was despised and reject. The LORD who came to his own, but his own would not receive him. That forsaken LORD—the LORD—who loved me to death. The LORD my redeemer, that’s the LORD, I praise.

I praise the One who pulled me out of the pit, the pit of self-pity, the pit of despair, the sucking pit of self-indulgence that spirals only downwards. He redeemed me from that sinking pit. And now, he is the One I praise.

But he doesn’t just redeem. He crowns me with love and compassion. Now that’s beyond amazing. Though I don’t deserve it, he puts a crown of love on my head. He wore a crown of thorns, but on my head, he puts a crown of love and compassion. He encircles my head—my stubborn head, my sin drenched head—with love and compassion. Awesome. What an awesome God!

Praise the LORD!

I’m a bit slow today, God. Remember I’ve got a splintered bookcase on my brain. Could you just remind me—remind me one more time? Which LORD are you?

The LORD “who satisfies your desires with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”

Oh yes, LORD, you do satisfy me. You satisfy me with a thousand good things. I live like a king. My every need is met; every comfort is mine. I have abundance. Compared to billions on this planet today, and compared to billions going back through the ages, I am blessed—blessed beyond measure. 

You renew my strength. You put a glint in my eye, a spring in my step, and a well of hope in my heart. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Now, I’m soaring. Praise the LORD!

I said, “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!”

I was feeling much better by the time I got home, and so was my wife.

As for that bookcase, I’m glancing up at it even as I write this chapter. It looks great! Some carpentry clamps and a little wood glue can work wonders. Despite being hit by a twenty-ton cement truck, only one shelf was broken beyond repair. While I was replacing that shelf at a wood shop in a school nearby, I was encouraged by a friend to take a university course in design and technology. That course rerouted my whole teaching career. It brought me into a line of work I simply love. I started on that new route because of a broken bookcase. Praise the LORD!

I said, “Praise the LORD, O my soul!”

Yes, praise the LORD! In any situation, it’s one of the best things this cantankerous soul can do.

 

Bringing Life to the Psalms

  1. The well-known adage, “Prayer changes things,” should be joined by its lesser-known cousin, “Praise changes things.” How do you think an attitude of praise worked to change things in the real-life account you just read? How is a praise response possible during difficult circumstances?

  2. What are the first words to come out of your mouth when something bad happens? If we change our reaction, can we affect the longer-term outcomes from a negative event?

  3. Praise changes our point of view. We look up at God instead of our circumstances. His perspective on the events in our life is completely different from our own. He does see the beginning from the end. He has the full picture. Genuine praise and worship elevates us. By the Spirit, it brings us above our situation. Remember things always look different when viewed from above.

  4. Reread Psalm 103, or better yet memorize it. Begin to build a foundation of praise in your life. It will help you weather many a storm.

  5. To start your day tomorrow read Psalm 100. Let your praise to God flow like a river.


Today’s post is Chapter 15 from the book Psalms Alive! Connecting Heaven & Earth by David Kitz. To find out more or purchase click here.

 

 

Because of His Great Love for Us

05 Thursday Jun 2025

Posted by in Psalm 113

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

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.

Setting Spiritual Goals

14 Monday Apr 2025

Posted by in Psalm 101, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365 by David Kitz

Reading: Psalm 101:1-4
Of David. A psalm.
I will sing of your love and justice;
to you, LORD, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life—
when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs of my house
with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.
I hate what faithless people do;
I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil (NIV).*

Greenery growing in the rampart walls of Jerusalem — photo courtesy of Lois Morrow

Reflection
Psalm 101 is a call to action or commitment. David, the author of this psalm, commits himself to a course of action. In this short opening portion of the psalm, David makes seven ‘I will’ statements. Each commitment is life altering in some way.

The first commitment David makes is to sing of the LORD’s justice and love. He is determined to praise his God with a full, joyous awareness of the LORD’s character. This is the true starting point of any sustained relationship with God. The LORD is both loving and just. If we emphasize aspects of God’s justice too much, we risk becoming legalistic. If we focus only on the love of God, His holiness is ignored resulting in a break down in personal responsibility. Within the Godhead there exists a perfect tension between His justice and His love. As God’s servants, we do well when we recognize and maintain that tension.

Twice David uses the word blameless. I will be careful to lead a blameless life—when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart (v. 2). With these words, David has set for himself a high standard—an impossible standard. Did David succeed in reaching his lofty goal? The biblical record leaves no room for doubt. He failed miserably. In his affair with Bathsheba, King David was guilty of both adultery and murder.

Well, what good is there then in setting lofty goals? Why make any ‘I will’ statements if I am doomed to fail? Why not freely look on the vile and indulge in it?

Despite David’s stunning failures, there are many sound reasons for calling ourselves to a high standard. To put it bluntly, God expects it of us. He demands holiness from us—always has—always will. Will we succeed? Of course not. That’s why there’s the gift of repentance. That’s why there’s a Savior named Jesus. He’s the blameless one. I need his sinless record applied to my account.

Response: Dear God, I want my will to be conformed to your will. I want to lead a blameless life. By Jesus’ blood, grant me a blameless heart that is determined to love and serve you for all my days. Amen.

Your Turn: Should we set goals for ourselves? How do you measure the progress in your love for God?

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 begin the new year, and daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

How Great Are Your Works, LORD

13 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by in Psalm 92

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

I will praise the LORD!


Psalm 92:1-8

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

It is good to praise the LORD
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD;
    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
How great are your works, LORD,
    how profound your thoughts!
Senseless people do not know,
    fools do not understand,
that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.
But you, LORD, are forever exalted. *

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 begin the new year, and daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

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

There Is None Like You, Lord

01 Saturday Mar 2025

Posted by in Psalm 86

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

I will praise the LORD!


Psalm 86:8-13
Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
    no deeds can compare with yours.
All the nations you have made
    will come and worship before you, Lord;
    they will bring glory to your name.
For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
    you alone are God.
Teach me your way, LORD,
    that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
    that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
    I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
    you have delivered me from the depths,
    from the realm of the dead. *

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 begin the new year, and daily meet with the Lord. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

RGB72PsalmsVol2

A gripping read from David Kitz.
4485 SHARABLE-2

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Teach Me Your Paths

25 Tuesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalm 86

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

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

Reading: Psalm 86:8-13

LORD God,
unite my heart to praise your name.
I don’t want to be distracted
by the pursuits of this world.
I set my affection on you.
Thank you for loving me
as your own dear child.
Amen.

— — —

Show me your ways, LORD,
    teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
    for they are from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
    for you, LORD, are good.
(Psalm 25:4-7)*

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.
RGB300Kitz2AWARD

The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise

19 Wednesday Feb 2025

Posted by in Psalm 84

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

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

Reading: Psalm 84:8-12

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

— — —

“Surely the day is coming; 
it will burn like a furnace. 
All the arrogant 
and every evildoer will be stubble, 
and the day
that is coming will set them on fire,”
says the LORD Almighty.
“Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 
But for you who revere my name, 
the sun of righteousness will rise
with healing in its rays.
And you will go out and frolic 
like well-fed calves. 
Then you will trample on the wicked;
they will be ashes under the soles of your feet
on the day when I act,”
says the LORD Almighty.
(Malachi 4:1-3)*

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.
RGB300Kitz2AWARD

 

Grace That Brought Us Safe Thus Far

12 Tuesday Nov 2024

Posted by in Psalm 52, Psalms

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 52_9

Reading: Psalm 52

LORD God,
help me to always put my trust
in your unfailing love.
You are my help and refuge
in the storms of life.
Bring me through difficult days
by your grace.
Amen.

— — —

Through many dangers, toils and snares
We have already come.
T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace, it will lead us home.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun.

T’was Grace that brought us safe thus far
And Grace will lead us home
(Lead us home)
And Grace will lead us home.

— John Newton

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.

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.
RGB300Kitz2AWARD

In Quietness and Trust Is Your Strength

28 Monday Oct 2024

Posted by in Psalm 46

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 46_10

Reading: Psalm 46:8-11

LORD God,
alter me at the foot of the cross.
I need you to change my heart,
my life, my attitude.
Help me be still before you
as I contemplate your love—
love I don’t deserve—
love that I have not earned.
But Jesus, you offered yourself freely.
Thank you.
Amen.

— — —

This is what the Sovereign LORD,
the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
    in quietness and trust is your strength,
    but you would have none of it.

You said,
‘No, we will flee on horses.’
    Therefore you will flee!
You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’
    Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
(Isaiah 30:15-16), 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.

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.