Tag Archives: the LORD

Your Prophetic Word

26 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 118

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 118_27a (1)

Reading: Psalm 118:22-29

Father God,
I thank you for your prophetic word
because it points to Jesus.
Lord Jesus,
you are the rock-solid foundation of my life.
I give thanks to the LORD,
for he is good!
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

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.

Vol III 2021-07-17 at 8.15.36 AM

The Significance of the Right Hand

25 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 118, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 118:15-21
Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
The LORD’s right hand is lifted high;
the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
The LORD has chastened me severely,
but he has not given me over to death.
Open for me the gates of the righteous;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation (NIV). *

photo of people near wooden table

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Reflection
Are you left-handed? Today in western cultures being left-handed presents some challenges since many devices are designed with right-handed people in mind. Try finding left-handed scissors next time you’re at a store. Good luck with that! Oh, and if you find them, expect to pay three times the price of a right-handed model. Often lefties don’t have it so good.

Even today in Middle Eastern cultures being born left-handed presents an enormous challenge. The right hand is used for eating food; the left hand is used for personal hygiene—bottom wiping. You dare not reverse that assigned role. Toddlers are strictly trained in this cultural practice. Usually, left-handed children are forced to switch so they conform to the social norm. Making this switch plays havoc with the developing brain and often results in speech impediments such as stuttering, since this transition requires a complete rewiring of the child’s brain.

The Bible was written by Holy Spirit inspired authors, but like authors today they were not blank slates. They wrote from their cultural perspective to the people of their time. As a result, readers today can easily miss or misunderstand concepts that were readily understood in their original context.

The significance of the right hand is one of those culturally important concepts that we often pass over with little thought. The Bible is replete with references to the right hand or specifically God’s right hand. So, what’s the big deal, we think to ourselves. But in Middle Eastern culture the right hand holds great significance. This is the hand of righteousness, honor, and blessing. Thus, there is immense significance in this statement: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things! The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”

Response: Father God, extend your right hand of blessing over me. Work on my behalf. Show me your mercy, your power and glory. Again and again, I will give you thanks, for you answered me. Amen.

Your Turn: Are you like the psalmist? Has the LORD spared your life for a purpose? Has God lifted His right hand to save and bless you?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Triumph over Obstacles

23 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 118

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 118_5

Reading: Psalm 118:1-7

Father God,
I am facing 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.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

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.

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Are You Hard Pressed?

23 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 118

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Reading: Psalm 118:1-7
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 enemies (NIV). *

img_20221220_0901215

Photo by David Kitz

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. 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?

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.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel 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.

Vol III 2021-07-17 at 8.15.36 AM

Enthroned over the Flood

21 Sunday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 29, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

powerful wavy ocean washing picturesque coast with trees

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Reading: Psalm 29

A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
    worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the LORD is powerful;
    the voice of the LORD is majestic.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
    the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
    the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
    the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
The LORD gives strength to his people;
    the LORD blesses his people with peace. *

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel 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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

My Heart Leaps for Joy

20 Saturday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 28, Psalms

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I will praise the LORD!

wooden house with snow on roof in winter mountainous terrain

Photo by Maria Orlova on Pexels.com

Reading: Psalm 28:6-9

Praise be to the LORD,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.
The LORD is the strength of his people,
    a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
    be their shepherd and carry them forever. *

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel 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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Delivered from Death

17 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 116, Psalms

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Reading: Psalm 116:1-9
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). *

img_20220218_1033440

Photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Three and a half 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 was called, 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.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel 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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Keep Me Safe

16 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 115

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Today’s quote and prayer from
“Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer”
by David Kitz.Psalm 115_14-15

Reading: Psalm 115:9-18

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.
For all my days,
You Lord
have been faithful to keep your word.
Amen.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Our Help and Sheild

16 Tuesday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 115

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Reading: Psalm 115:9-18
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). *

2021-02-20a

Christ is our light in a dark time — photo by David Kitz

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.

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, our passive defense. 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.

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.

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel 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.

TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Treasures in the Human Trash

11 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Psalm 113

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Reading: Psalm 113
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). *

silhouette of a person under the beautiful northern lights

Photo by Pat Whelen on Pexels.com

Reflection
In today’s reading the psalmist has a question for you and here it is: 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 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 gets His hands dirty. Actually, He has been getting His hands dirty from the very beginning. The LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7). Now that was a failed experiment if there ever was one. Those living, breathing human dust bags showed no gratitude. They disobeyed God at the first opportunity and down through the generations, humanity has continued that pattern of disobedience and ingratitude.

Now in this psalm we read this: He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap. Why would God show such affection for fallen humanity—humans who keep plunging deeper into the mire? There is no greater mystery. Our God keeps finding treasures in the trash—the human trash.

Yet I keep wondering why anyone would stoop so low. Why would the One, who sits enthroned on high, stoop so low—low enough to die a criminal’s death on a cross? Why did the Lord stoop to rescue me?

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 praise you, LORD. Amen.

Your Turn: When did the LORD lifted you from the ash heaps of this life? How did that make you feel?

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

BGBG_v4.3_150[1818]

Please pray for peace to return to Israel 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.TheElishaCodeCVR5

To purchase or for a closer look click here.