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Spring Meadow, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz
A Crown on our Heads
04 Saturday Jun 2016
Posted in Psalms
Tag Archives: love
You Love Me!
18 Wednesday May 2016
Posted in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms
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I will sing your praises! You are my mighty fortress, and you love me (Psalm 59:7, CEV).
The delicate dance of grass at sunset — photo courtesy of Donald Adam
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is the word fortress.
The most reassuring aspect of knowing that the LORD is our fortress is living in the knowledge that we are loved by God. The LORD is our fortress because He loves us. We can run to Him because He wants the best for us.
Today’s verse from the Psalms says just that:
I will sing your praises! You are my mighty fortress, and you love me (Psalm 59:7, CEV).
Rather than running from God, our heavenly Father calls us to run to Him and find our shelter and a place of rest in Him. David, the warrior king and author of many of the psalms, discovered that the LORD was his fortress. The fortress that David retreated to was built on the bedrock of God’s love for him.
The LORD who loves you, even as He loved David, welcomes you into His Fortress built on love.
Response: LORD God, I can’t thank you enough for loving me. You demonstrated that love by sending Jesus to die on a cross in my place. You are my fortress in the storms of life. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you sometimes doubt God’s love for you? How are you reassured of God’s continual love even when times are difficult?
Loving and Faithful
01 Friday Apr 2016
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
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It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are (Psalm 92:2, CEV).
Your Love in the Morning – photo by Donald Adam
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is proclamation.
If the heavens declare the glory of God, then we should join with all creation in doing the same. If the sky has a story to tell about God’s love, then so do I. The psalmist expresses this thought with these words:
It is wonderful each morning to tell about your love and at night to announce how faithful you are (Psalm 92:2, CEV).
As the day draws to a close can you testify to the faithfulness of God? I certainly can. Each day has its set of problems and difficulties, but as the sun sets I can say the Lord has seen me through. I am sure you can say the same.
Take some time to give God the thanks and praise He deserves
Response: LORD God, thank you for being my companion through the day. Your love and faithfulness sustain me. I want to proclaim your goodness. Amen.
Your Turn: Has the Lord been loving and faithful to you?
Nothing I Desire Besides You
30 Wednesday Mar 2016
Reading: Psalm 73
Verses 21-28
When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds (NIV).
Reflection
I love the brutal honesty of the psalmist. I always like to think I am the smartest one in the room, but the truth is I am very capable of wrong-headed thinking. Wrong thinking often leads to hurtful words or unwise actions. Take a moment to consider the psalmist’s confession: When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Kanazawa, Japan – photo by David Kitz
That’s brutal honesty. Are we that honest with God when our reasoning goes off the straight and narrow rails? Or do we justify our thoughts and blame God or others when we are ticked off?
We need to come into God’s sanctuary to have our hearts and minds tuned into the LORD’s thinking. The LORD reminds us that He knows the big picture. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).
When we are in God’s presence, we can have our affections adjusted. All too often I have my priorities all messed up. What about you? The amazing truth about God is that He loves us despite our mess ups. The psalmist knows the power of that love. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
What a patient, loving God we serve! This should become our humble confession: Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Response: LORD God, I want to have your perspective. I want to see as you see. Remind me to take time to be with you. But as for me, it is good to be near God. Amen.
Your Turn: How do you get your affections in tune with God?
The Fruit of Forgiveness
18 Friday Mar 2016
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
But you forgive us, and so we will worship you (Psalm 130:4, CEV).
Plum Blossoms, Nagoya, Japan — photo courtesy of Matthew Taylor
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is forgiveness.
Worship is the fruit of forgiveness. Those who have been forgiven by God worship God. Jesus said this of a sinful woman, “So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love” (Luke 7:47, CEV).
Jesus forgave this woman’s sins and so she poured out her love to him by kissing his feet and washing them with her tears.
Our heartfelt worship is our expression of love for God. Today’s verse from the Psalms captures this thought succinctly.
But you forgive us, and so we will worship you (Psalm 130:4, CEV).
Forgiveness is like a heaven-sent love potion. It restores our relationship with God and draws us into His arms of love.
Response: LORD God, a thousand words of thanks are not enough. Your forgiveness draws me to worship you with a grateful heart. I praise you, LORD of heaven and earth. Amen.
Your Turn: Does God’s forgiveness move you to worship?
Willing Forgiveness
16 Wednesday Mar 2016
Posted in Mid-Week Medtiation, Psalms
You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you (Psalm 86:5, CEV).
Plum Blossoms, Nagoya, Japan — Photo courtesy of Matthew Taylor
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is forgiveness.
We are all familiar with the phrase: Well, I guess if I have to. It’s usually signals a lot of reluctance on the part of the speaker.
When we think about God, we may feel that since He is perfect and holy, He may be reluctant to forgive our many sins. Just the opposite is true and today’s verse from the Psalms makes this crystal clear.
You willingly forgive, and your love is always there for those who pray to you (Psalm 86:5, CEV).
Jesus beautifully portrayed the love of our heavenly Father when he told the story of the prodigal son.
The younger son got up and started back to his father. But when he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt sorry for him. He ran to his son and hugged and kissed him (Luke 15: 20, CEV).
Our heavenly Father shows no reluctance to forgive.
Response: Father God, I come to you. Thanks for running to me when I repent and ask for forgiveness. I do not deserve such a loving response. It is beyond wonderful. Amen.
Your Turn: Have you seen God as reluctant to forgive?
Always, always, ALWAYS!
19 Friday Feb 2016
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
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You are merciful, LORD! You are kind and patient and always loving (Psalm 145:8, CEV).
God’s Paintbrush – photo courtesy of Donald Adam
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is patience.
Sometimes I don’t see something because it’s too obvious. I stare into the fridge looking for that jar of fruit, but can I see it? Of course not! My wife has to come over and point it out.
I think the same is true when it comes to seeing God. He is always there – at work right in front of us, but like that jar of fruit, it seems we can’t see Him.
The sunset photo above is a beautiful example of God at work painting the sky. What a work of art! What an artist! God paints a gorgeous sky-scape twice a day, but do we even notice? Sometimes I need someone to point out to me that God is always loving, kind and patient.
Response: LORD God, open my eyes to your patience and love. I know it’s always there, but I want to see it daily with the eyes of my heart. Help me to see you today in the world around me. Amen.
Your Turn: Do you have trouble seeing God?
Patient Love
15 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in Monday Meditation, Psalms
Tags
1 Corinthians 13, God, impatience, love, mercy, patience, the LORD
The LORD is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails (Psalm 103:8, CEV).
Wild Flower – photo courtesy of Donald Adam
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is patience.
Can love be impatient? I certainly can be. But true love is not about me. It’s always about the other person. Impatience is all about me. The other person has not moved according to my schedule, so I am irritated or displeased.
Today’s verse from the Psalms reminds us that God is loving and patient with us. The LORD is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails (Psalm 103:8, CEV).
I wonder if the apostle Paul had the words from this Psalm in mind when he penned those famous lines: Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn’t selfish or quick tempered. It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, CEV).
My impatience reveals my need for a greater level of God’s love, and mercy in my life. The love, mercy and patience that I have received from the LORD needs to be extended to others.
Response: LORD God, fill me with unselfish love so that I can be patient with those that don’t quickly conform to my wishes. Give me patient love. Amen.
Your Turn: How do we break our habits of self-focus?
Goodness and Peace
01 Monday Feb 2016
Posted in Monday Meditation, Psalms
Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite (Psalm 85:10, CEV).
Monarch Butterfly — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is goodness.
Do you pay attention to the news? At times it can be quite discouraging listening to a daily barrage of reports about violence, suffering and war. Then there’s that other feature of the news: politicians and world leaders arguing about—you guessed it—violence, suffering and war.
It can leave you wondering if there is any goodness left in our world.
That’s why I find today’s verse from the Psalms so comforting. Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite (Psalm 85:10, CEV).
There’s a promise in that verse. This is something that will happen. We have God’s word on it. I want to be part of it.
Response: LORD God, give me faith to believe your word. Grant me hope so that I can see you at work. Give me grace to be an instrument of peace and love in a world of discord. Amen.
Your Turn: How can you be an instrument of peace this week?
Always Loving
29 Friday Jan 2016
Posted in Friday's Focus, Psalms
You are merciful, LORD!
You are kind and patient
and always loving (Psalm 145:8, CEV).
Sunset over Lake Ontario – photo by Eric E. Wright
Reflection
This week’s I Love the Psalms theme is mercy.
What is God like? Gaze into the sunset pictured above and you will get a very good idea of what God is like. He is splendid, glorious and creative–a God of diversity and variety. We can deduce this from observing nature.
God puts on a splendid show before our eyes every day. The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done (Psalm 19:1, CEV).
But today’s verse from the Psalms also tells us the LORD is merciful, kind, patient and always loving. The word of God reveals more fully to us the character of God. That’s why I read the Bible.
We see God in nature, we learn about Him through His book, the Bible, and we experience Him through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Response: LORD God, I want to know you better. I want to see more of you in my life. I want to experience your mercy, kindness and love. Open my eyes to see you all around me. Amen.
Your Turn: Where do you most often see God?
I love the Psalms 