Tag Archives: nation

We Have Wandered Away

08 Friday Sep 2023

Posted by in Psalm 78

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 78_56-64 -365

Reading: Psalm 78:56-64

LORD God,
collectively as a nation,
we have wandered away from you.
LORD in your mercy lead us back
to the center of your holy will.
Give us repentant hearts that seek your face.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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.

Abandoning God

08 Friday Sep 2023

Posted by in Psalm 78

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Reading: Psalm 78:56-64
But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.
Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow.
They angered him with their high places;
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.
When God heard them, he was furious;
he rejected Israel completely.
He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,
the tent he had set up among humans.
He sent the ark of his might into captivity,
his splendor into the hands of the enemy.
He gave his people over to the sword;
he was furious with his inheritance.
Fire consumed their young men,
and their young women had no wedding songs;
their priests were put to the sword,
and their widows could not weep (NIV). *

img_20220812_2011585

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Sin has consequences. We can pretend it isn’t so, but we’re fooling ourselves. Unchecked sin on a personal level can have devastating consequences—consequences that lead to heartache and an early grave. I think we all know individuals who became trapped in sin and wandered down a self-destructive path.

Today’s reading from Psalm 78 reminds us that a whole nation can abandon God and become mired in the consequences of sin. The nation of Israel did just that. The psalmist tells us they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.

When Israel abandoned God, He in turn abandoned them. We read, “He rejected Israel completely. He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent he had set up among humans. He sent the ark of his might into captivity, his splendor into the hands of the enemy. He gave his people over to the sword; he was furious with his inheritance.”

Has God changed? If the LORD abandoned His people in ancient times, will He treat our nation—any nation that turns away from Him differently today? There are consequences for sin and that truth applies to nations too. When collectively we abandon the ways of God and the precepts He has established from the foundations of the world, we can expect dire days ahead. That’s what happened to ancient Israel, and it can happen to us today as well.

Response: LORD God, collectively as a nation, we have wandered away from you. LORD in your mercy lead us back to the center of your holy will. Give us repentant hearts that seek your face. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you concerned about the spiritual state of your nation? What are you doing about it?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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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Defend Your Cause

22 Tuesday Aug 2023

Posted by in Psalm 74

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 74_22

Reading: Psalm 74:18-23

LORD God,
defend the helpless.
Arise and save your people
here in our nation and abroad.
Show yourself strong by turning back
the enemies of the cross.
Our hope is in you, Jesus.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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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Bring Your Salvation on the Earth

21 Monday Aug 2023

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 74_16-17

Reading: Psalm 74:9-17

LORD God,
you see the sins of our nation.
Bring us back to you.
You are the Almighty God.
You do not change.
Bring your salvation on the earth
even as you did long ago.
Jesus, you are my King.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to 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.

B1P95Jv-LtS._SY300_

Watching for Signs

21 Monday Aug 2023

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Reading: Psalm 74:9-17
We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
How long will the enemy mock you, God?
Will the foe revile your name forever?
Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter (NIV). *

black asphalt road near mountains under cloudy sky

Photo by Benjamin Suter on Pexels.com

Reflection
Do you watch for road signs? I’m inclined to say yes, of course I do. But if I am traveling through a familiar neighborhood or to a familiar location, I pay very little attention to road signs. After all, I know where I am going and how to get there. But put me in unfamiliar territory without a GPS, and the situation changes dramatically. I am hunting for road signs like a sharp-eyed hawk hunts for field mice. Every sign is spotted well in advance; the details are read and repeated to cement them into my memory. Landmarks and the appearance of the terrain are memorized for future reference. I do all this because I don’t like being lost.

In our reading from Psalm 74, the psalmist finds himself in unfamiliar territory. The nation has been invaded and the enemy has desecrated the temple. This is an enormous loss. But beyond the loss, there appears to be no way forward. The psalmist laments, “We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. How long will the enemy mock you, God?”

When I am lost, I watch for signs. But in this situation God gave no signs. After the psalmist pours out his complaint before God, he does not stay there. He goes on to recall the miraculous works of God. He reminds God of His interventions into the affairs of humankind. He makes this bold personal declaration, “But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.”

As we pray for our nation, we would do well to pattern our prayers on Psalm 74.

Response: LORD God, you see the sins of our nation. Bring us back to you. You are the Almighty God. You do not change. Bring your salvation on the earth even as you did long ago. You are my King. Amen.

Your Turn: Is it helpful to recall God’s mighty deeds in your life? Will our nation return to God?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

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.

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The photo of Jerusalem on the cover of Psalm 365, Volume II

The Plans of the Nations

06 Thursday Apr 2023

Posted by in Psalm 33, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 33:10-15
The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do (NIV). *

img_20211007_1049293

Through the open window — Mackenzie King Estate, Gatineau Park — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
I confess I am a bit of a history buff. I am currently reading The War that Ended Peace by Margaret MacMillan. The subtitle is The Road to 1914. As you might guess, it highlights the causes of World War I. Throughout, the author meticulously points out that war was not inevitable. A change in course by any of the key players in the years leading up to 1914 could have prevented this monumental catastrophe. Each nation had plans and objectives that they considered in their best interest. Quite naturally the pursuit of those plans led to conflict with neighboring nations with opposing objectives.

What does the psalmist say about national objectives? The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Nations pursue their own perceived national interest. Despite the rhetoric we sometimes hear, they do not pursue the plans and purposes of the LORD. For political leaders’ national self-interest trumps the purposes of God. In fact, the purposes of God are seldom considered. But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Was it God’s plan and purpose to have millions of Christian believers go to their slaughter in World War I? Many atheists purport that this is what we believe. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are responsible for our own actions. God does not cause war. Humans cause war and they carry it out. Why should we suddenly blame God for what we have engineered through our own dogged stupidity? Blaming God for our own arrogant idiocy is the pinnacle of irresponsibility, yet we do it all the time, both on a national and a personal level. Most often we are the author of our own disaster. We stubbornly fail to pull back and change course before it’s too late.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.

Response: LORD God, thank you for choosing me to be to be one of your people. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to you, my Father. You watch over me. You, O LORD are my inheritance, and first and foremost, I am a citizen of your eternal Kingdom. Amen.

Your Turn: How does personal conflict escalate? Do you blame God rather than examine your own words and actions?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

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.

We Have Wandered Away

19 Tuesday Apr 2022

Posted by in Psalm 78

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

Psalm 78_56-64 -365
Reading: Psalm 78:56-64

LORD God,
collectively as a nation,
we have wandered away from you.
LORD in your mercy lead us back
to the center of your holy will.
Give us repentant hearts that seek your face.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

Volume I of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer has won the 2021 Best Book of the Year Award and for those who love God’s word, it’s an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord. For a closer look at Volumes II and III click here.

Guide Our Nation

25 Thursday Feb 2021

Posted by in Psalms

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Today’s quote and prayer from Psalms 365
the nation that forgets 365 Psalm 106cHeavenly Father,
I thank you for my personal redemption.
Lead me in the right path for my life.
Guide our nation.
May there be a collective turning to you
in repentance and faith.
Amen.

The first volume of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is now available. For a closer look at this 262-page daily devotional book click here.

Watching for Signs

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

Posted by in Psalm 74, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 74
(Verses 9-17)
We are given no signs from God;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.
How long will the enemy mock you, God?
Will the foe revile your name forever?
Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
But God is my King from long ago;
he brings salvation on the earth.
It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.
It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave it as food to the creatures of the desert.
It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.
The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.
It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter (NIV).*

2020-10-17c

Petrie Island marsh — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Do you watch for road signs? I’m inclined to say yes, of course I do. But if I am traveling through a familiar neighborhood or to a familiar location, I pay very little attention to road signs. After all, I know where I am going and how to get there. But put me in unfamiliar territory without a GPS, and the situation changes dramatically. I am hunting for road signs like a hungry, sharp-eyed hawk hunts for field mice. Every sign is spotted well in advance; the details are read and repeated to cement them into my memory. Landmarks and the appearance of the terrain are memorized for future reference. I do all this because I don’t like being lost.

In our reading from Psalm 74, the psalmist finds himself in unfamiliar territory. The nation has been invaded and the enemy has desecrated the temple. This is an enormous loss. But beyond the loss, there appears to be no way forward. The psalmist laments, “We are given no signs from God; no prophets are left, and none of us knows how long this will be. How long will the enemy mock you, God?”

When I am lost, I watch for signs. But in this situation God gave no signs. After the psalmist pours out his complaint before God, he does not stay there. He goes on to recall the miraculous works of God. He reminds God of His interventions into the affairs of humankind. He makes this bold personal declaration, “But God is my King from long ago; he brings salvation on the earth.”

As we pray for our nation, we would do well to pattern our prayers on Psalm 74.

Response: LORD God, you see the sins of our nation. Bring us back to you. You are the Almighty God. You do not change. Bring your salvation on the earth even as you did long ago. You are my King. Amen.

Your Turn: Is it helpful to recall God’s mighty deeds in your life? Will our nation return to God?

* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica

Some good news: The first volume of 365 Days through the Psalms by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in November, 2020, by Elk Lake Publishing. Two additional volumes will follow in 2021 to complete the three volume set of devotions from the Psalms.

He Who Forms the Hearts

04 Saturday Jan 2020

Posted by in Bible, Psalm 33, Psalms

≈ 4 Comments

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I will praise the LORD!

branch cold freezing frost

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
    the people he chose for his inheritance.
From heaven the LORD looks down
    and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
    all who live on earth—
he who forms the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.

  (Psalm 33:12-15, NIV)