Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful servants.
Truly I am your servant, LORD;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD—
in your midst, Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. (NIV)*
Response
LORD, I want to serve you. Today please show me how I can be the best possible servant to you and those around me. Open my eyes to the needs of others. I want to serve with a heart filled with gratitude and joy. In all things you are my help. 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
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the LORD say:
“His love endures forever.” When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD;
he brought me into a spacious place.
The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
I look in triumph on my enemie. (NIV)*
Reflection
Psalm 118 is a psalm of thanksgiving and triumph, over adversaries and adversity. Many of the enemies we encounter have no human face; instead, they are life circumstances, worldly thinking, or schemes hatched in hell. We all have struggles and obstacles that we must overcome. The good news found in this psalm is that God is on our side. When we surrender to the LORD, we join the winning side. Then we can join the psalmist in this declaration: The LORD is with me; he is my helper.
This psalm begins and ends with this statement: Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever (v. 1). From ancient times this psalm was likely used in public worship. It may well have been used in a kind of call and response with the priest or worship leader calling or singing out, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,” while the congregation answers back, “his love endures forever.”
I think at various times we all have experienced the truth of the following words: When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD. If you have prepared for a semester-ending-round-of-exams, you know all about being hard pressed. If you have a crucial work deadline, you know all about being hard pressed. If you have spent countless days and hours preparing for a special event, you know all about being hard pressed. Life is full of hard-pressed moments. How we respond in those stressful situations is crucial to our development as citizens of earth and heaven.
In those high-pressure moments have you learned to cry out to the LORD? Have you experienced His help? Have you come out the other side as a stronger, more courageous person because you faced your fears? When you called out to God did He bring you through to victory? If the answer is yes, let these words become your response: He brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (v. 5-6)
Response
Father God, I am facing some deadlines and difficulties. But you are my helper, LORD. I call out to you. I want to triumph over the obstacles I face. I thank you in advance for the victory you have instore for me. Amen.
Your Turn
Has God helped you in a high-pressure situation? I would love to hear about your victory.
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
Praise the LORD, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD. (NIV)*
Reflection
Psalm 17 is the shortest of all the psalms. It reminds me of tabasco sauce. It’s concentrated; you don’t need much to set your mouth on fire.
What’s so great—so powerful—about Psalm 117 you ask? Well in 29 short words, it sums up the call and global appeal of the entire Bible.
Let’s consider this opening sentence: Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. This call to worship is for all people; it’s universal. The message of the Bible is for all people. It’s not limited to a single nation, race, or people group.
This call for universal praise is unusual because it draws all humanity into a common faith in the LORD. The Jewish faith was and is a very exclusive religion. This is the faith of the chosen people—God’s chosen people. They did not choose Him, but rather they were uniquely selected by God to bear His name before the nations of the world. Throughout the Old Testament we have a clear sense that God was dealing with his own special people, and they were to walk separate from the nations. They received God’s laws and were the guardians of His word. They were instructed not to intermarry with other nations, nor be polluted by them and their idol worship. The worshippers of Yahweh were an exclusive group, a unique people, but they were not evangelistic. They kept the message to themselves.
But here in Psalm 117 the constricted, exclusive God of the Old Testament appears to break out of His narrow nationalist cocoon. We see that He is a God for all nations, not just for the descendants of Abraham. Here we catch a glimpse of the big picture—the global perspective. All the nations of the earth are to praise Him. The longstanding intent of the God Israel is that every people group should know his ways and experience His salvation.
But why should all nations praise the LORD? The second verse of this miniature psalm provides the answer. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Where did the LORD demonstrate His great love for us? We see God’s love most vividly on the cross. There the Son of God poured out His blood to redeem men and women, boys, and girls, from every nation under heaven. There love flowed down in a crimson stream. There God fulfilled His Abrahamic promise. “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). There the prophecy of John the Baptist was achieved. “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
Concentrated within the shortest Psalm is enough truth to set the world on fire.
Response
Father God, I just want to praise you. Thank you for your great love and faithfulness as revealed by Jesus on the cross. I love you, Lord Jesus. I am grateful that your love encompasses all. Amen.
Your Turn
Why is racism contrary to anyone who claims to love God? If God has a universal love for humanity, why do we sometimes try to put limits on that love?
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
Precious in the sight of the LORD
is the death of his faithful servants.
Truly I am your servant, LORD;
I serve you just as my mother did;
you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people, in the courts of the house of the LORD—
in your midst, Jerusalem. Praise the LORD. (NIV)*
Reflection
Funerals are fascinating occasions for a whole variety of reasons. Recently I have had an opportunity to attend a number of these end-of-life events. There is something bittersweet about most funerals—bitter due to the loss of a loved one—sweet because often fond memories are recalled.
The end of a life here on earth gives us an opportunity to reflect on the values that the deceased portrayed, and by extension it allows us to examine the values and qualities that shape our own lives. Our lives paint a portrait. What sort of portrait will it be?
Apparently, the LORD takes note when one of His own passes on from this life. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. Truly I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains (v. 15-16).
The word servant is significant in the passage above. It is repeated twice along with its verb form serve. Now here is a question for you. Who are you serving? Are you a servant of the LORD or are you serving only yourself?
Those who serve only themselves should expect few at their bedside as they draw their last breath. All too often their last days are spent in loneliness and bitter resentment—not so for those who spent their lives in the service of others and the LORD. They can expect to be surrounded by family and friends because they have poured out their lives in service. We reap what we sow, and when the Grim Reaper comes, those who have sown generously will be rewarded generously. God, Himself will be present!
Now we should note that genuine service to others is service to the Lord. In essence, Jesus said just that when in his parable of the final judgment he declared, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).
Response
LORD, I want to serve you. Today please show me how I can be the best possible servant to you and those around me. Open my eyes to the needs of others. I want to serve with a heart filled with gratitude and joy. Amen.
Your Turn
Are you living a life of service? What does serving God mean for you?
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
I trusted in the LORD when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”; in my alarm I said, “Everyone is a liar.” What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. (NIV)*
Reflection
Today started a bit different. Rather than beginning my day with a hot cup of coffee, I had a few sips of water and then headed off for some blood tests. I missed that cup of coffee, but in reality going without it was no great hardship. Some view their morning shot of caffeine like a cup of salvation—early morning salvation. Today’s reading from Psalm 116 speaks of the cup of salvation. I’m sure the psalmist wasn’t speaking of his morning cup of java. What was he speaking of?
The psalmist lifts up the cup of salvation and calls on the name of the LORD in response to this question: What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? (v. 12) The psalmist lifts up his cup as an expression of thanksgiving to the LORD for the salvation he has received from God.
But salvation came at a price. To purchase our salvation, Jesus lifted a cup and brought it to his lips. It was a cup of unimaginable suffering. In the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). He was referring to the anguish he would endure. In the hours that followed, Jesus drained that cup of suffering dry, even as his body was drained of blood on a cruel Roman cross.
In the great plan of redemption, Jesus’ cup of suffering became for us a cup of salvation. He drank it down to save us from the cruel consequences of our sin. Jesus assumed the full penalty of our disobedience, rebellion, and devious ways. But now by faith, we can become active recipients of the salvation he won on our behalf.
The next time you bring the communion cup to your lips you are remembering—acknowledging in a tangible way—that Jesus’ blood was shed for you. Salvation came through a cup of suffering. We can rejoice in that truth because early on a Sunday morning, Jesus’ dead body was jolted back to life. He was resurrected by the power of the Father, and one day the body of every believer will be resurrected too. In that moment we will experience the fullness of our salvation.
Tomorrow morning, I’ll return to my usual routine, and I’ll enjoy my hot cup of coffee. But the cup I savour most is the cup the Lord provides—the cup of salvation.
Response
Lord Jesus, I thank you for your sacrifice. You gave yourself fully for me. On a crude wooden cross, you purchased my salvation. Today, help me fulfill my vows to the LORD. Amen.
Your Turn
Which cup do you appreciate most? How can you show your appreciation for the cup of salvation?
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
I love the LORD, for he heard my voice;
he heard my cry for mercy.
Because he turned his ear to me,
I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me,
the anguish of the grave came over me;
I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“LORD, save me!” The LORD is gracious and righteous;
our God is full of compassion.
The LORD protects the unwary;
when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul,
for the LORD has been good to you. For you, LORD, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the LORD
in the land of the living. (NIV)*
Reflection
Six years ago, on a personal level I experienced the power and truth of the following words: For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
When I was seventeen, during a routine physical exam required for college entry, I was informed I had a heart murmur. Years later when I talked with other doctors, I was told my leaky heart valve was barely perceptible—not a big deal. Well, it was no big deal until I collapsed while sitting at my desk on the morning of July 16th, 2020. Suddenly, I felt incredibly weak. I dropped to the floor with my head between my knees. I tried desperately to remain conscious.
Moments earlier my wife had driven off to do some errands. I had visions of her returning to find me dead on the floor. Frantic I reached for my phone. Dialed. Ring. Ring. Ring. Prayed for her to pick up.
She answered. In minutes she was home. An ambulance arrived and half-conscious I was whisked off to hospital.
For the next eight days I teetered on the brink of death. Then, in the early months of the COVID pandemic, I had open-heart-triple-valve-repair surgery. It saved my life. Along with my wife I can rejoice and say, “You, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
Response
Father God, I love you LORD, for you heard my voice. Over and over, you have answered my prayers. You have extended my life. You are a very merciful God. Now help to live each day with renewed vigor, thanksgiving, and purpose. Amen.
Your Turn
Has God helped you? Has He answered your prayers? Take a moment to testify.
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, you his servants;
praise the name of the LORD.
Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised. 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 his people.
He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD. (NIV)*
Response
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 have been redeemed by Jesus, your precious Son. I praise you, LORD. 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
All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield. 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. Praise the LORD. (NIV)*
Reflection
As a sharp contrast to placing our trust in the lifeless idols of this world, Psalm 115 calls us to place our trust in God. Today’s reading begins with a threefold call to trust the LORD. All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the LORD—he is their help and shield (v. 9-11).
For those who are logically minded, there is a simple equation or formula at work here. Trust in the LORD results in help and protection—he is their help and shield. Our trust or faith in God brings a response from Him. The LORD’s response is both active and passive. He provides help; He intervenes by actively assisting us. From personal experience I know the LORD has been my help. In the nick of time, He has provided words of knowledge and wisdom. He has been my constant guide. When needed most, He has opened the windows of heaven and poured out blessings. He has sent help in various forms, and in ways too numerous to mention.
But the LORD is also our shield. He protects us from the slings and arrows of the evil one. He shields us from the enemy’s attacks, whether it is from physical harm and disease, or spiritual attacks that undermine our faith through faulty reasoning or deceptive philosophies. The LORD is our sure defense. We can draw strength from this promise: He will bless those who fear the LORD—small and great alike (v. 11).
Response
Father God, I trust you to be my help and my shield. Keep me safe from the evil one. Thank you for all your help through the years. You have been faithful to keep your word. Amen.
Your Turn
Can you think of instances when God has helped you? Take time to thank Him for being your help and your shield.
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness. Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them. (NIV)*
Reflection
Where are your idols? “I have none,” you say. Are you sure? Most readers of this post would deny being idol worshippers, but perhaps we have more idols than we care to admit.
Idolatry was commonly practiced during Israel’s kingdom era. In Old Testament times, the nations around God’s people all practiced various forms of idol worship. One might assume God’s redeemed people, who were rescued from slavery, would have nothing to do with such vile practices. But you would be wrong. Time and again Israel fell into idolatry.
King Solomon, who was revered for his wisdom, is a prime example of someone who condoned idol worship. Here’s what we read about this ‘esteemed’ leader: On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods (1 Kings 11:7-8).
When leaders go astray, there will be many who follow. In the church today we have many leaders who have fallen captive to the god of Mammon—material goods. Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
Before we claim to be free from idols, we need to examine our hearts. Are we yielding to the Holy Spirit, or are we controlled by our desire for what this world has to offer?
Response
Father God, show me if there are idols in my life. In love, correct me when I stray. I want to serve you—put you first in my life. Lord Jesus, be my master. It’s an honor to serve you. Amen.
Your Turn
What things have become idols in your life? What actions can you take to establish Jesus as your Lord?
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
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. (NIV)*
Reflection
“Why?” A four-year-old’s favourite question is, “Why?” Here in Psalm 114, the psalmist has some why questions as well. “Why did the sea flee? Why did the Jordan River turn back? Why did those mountains and hills seem to skip and dance? Why?”
The answer of course is because of the jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-stopping power of God. God caused the sea to flee. He caused the Jordan to turn back. He caused mountains and hills to skip about and frolic like yearling lambs set free from the stall. What an awesome display! What an awesome God!
Psalm 114 is all about the overwhelming power of God. It is a grand portrayal of the pivotal event in the Old Testament Scriptures. Here within a few short verses, we catch a panoramic view of God’s might on display, starting with Israel’s escape from Egypt to their arrival in the Promised Land.
Why did the miracle-working LORD make the sea flee? Was it simply to display His awe-inducing power? Was it simply to create excitement among the million or more mortals who were eyewitnesses to this divine wonder? In the Exodus account, the reason for this miraculous intervention is stated clearly: That day the LORDsaved Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. And when the Israelites saw the great power of the LORD displayedagainst the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant (Exodus 14:30-31).
This power display had one primary purpose. That purpose was salvation. The LORD wanted to save people—His covenant people—from the vicious clutches of oppression and a tyranny. In short, the LORD works wonders so He can save people—so He can bring them into His Kingdom—so they can escape the sin systems of this world and come under His loving rule.
Response
Father God, thank you for going all out to save me through the death and resurrection of your Son, Jesus. What a display of your love and power! Help me to love, fear and trust you. Amen.
Your Turn
Why did God save you? Is there a reason for His mercy?
Pray for peace in Israel, Iran and the Middle East and continue to pray for peace to return to Ukraine and Russia!
People have been praying and praising God using the Psalms for millenia. For those who love God’s word, this three-book series is an ideal way to daily meet with the Lord.
