We Wait in Hope
12 Friday Jun 2020
Tag Archives: the LORD
Be Still, and Know That I Am God
02 Saturday May 2020
I will praise the LORD!
Peace like a river — photo by David Kitz
Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
(Psalm 46:8-11, NIV)*
* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica
When You Are in Distress
23 Thursday Apr 2020
Our Lord Lives!
17 Friday Apr 2020
The Defender of the Fatherless
27 Friday Mar 2020
Tags
Reading: Psalm 10
(Verses 12-18)
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account?”
But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
The LORD is King forever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror (NIV).
Rideau Falls, Ottawa, ON — photo by David Kitz
Reflection
From the beginning, it has always been so. At the start of life there is a father. Without a father there is no life. Ponder those words for a moment.
Of course those words are true of a mother as well. But today’s psalm focuses on fathers. To be more accurate, the psalmist calls attention to the fatherless. Apparently, fathers aren’t just needed at the beginning of life; they are needed throughout life.
There are voices in our society that question the need for fathers. Life can go on without them. In some cases, life is better without them. But I would argue that that’s not life as life should be—as life was designed to be from the beginning. Our prisons are filled with fatherless men. A huge chunk of the misery, distress and degradation in this world is caused by the absence of fathers—men who fail to assume their role as fathers.
A good father—an active, involved father—makes a world of difference in the life of a child. As a public school teacher I saw the truth of this every day. The well-fathered child of either gender has advantages beyond compare on every social, economic and intellectual scale. We need fathers. I need a father—a perfect Father.
That’s why we can draw comfort and encouragement from this psalm. Twice the LORD promises to be a helper and defender of the fatherless. Jesus came to introduce us to our Father—a Father who cares.
Response: LORD God, father me. Thank you for caring. Help me become the father I need to be. Amen.
Your Turn: Has your father made a difference in your life for good or bad? Are you being Fathered?
*New International Version, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.
This post by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in book format later in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing under the title 365 Days through the Psalms.
God Is Still on the Throne
25 Wednesday Mar 2020
Psalm 40:16
22 Sunday Mar 2020
LORD God, Lead Me
16 Monday Mar 2020
Tags
Reading: Psalm 5
(Verses 8-12)
Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness
because of my enemies—
make your way straight before me.
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
their heart is filled with malice.
Their throat is an open grave;
with their tongues they tell lies.
Declare them guilty, O God!
Let their intrigues be their downfall.
Banish them for their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you (NIV).*
Photo by Ylanite Koppens on Pexels.com
Reflection
How good is your eyesight? Is it 20/20? How well do you score on an eye exam? I recently had elective lens replacement surgery. I simply got tired of wearing glasses. They were the bane of my childhood. I was an active lad and in those early years I can’t begin to count the number of times I broke or damaged the frames.
Going without glasses was not an option. I was practically blind without them; everything was a blur.
Today’s reading from Psalm 5 begins with David making this request: Lead me, LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make your way straight before me (v. 8).
Trust me on this point. If you can’t see clearly, you may need someone to lead you. David recognized his need. Because of his enemies, he needed the LORD to lead him. He knew his enemies were waiting to ambush him at any moment. But where were they? Enemies in hiding are not easily spotted. That’s why like David, we need the LORD. He sees everything.
My greatest enemies are not parading around out in the open. They are lurking within. Pride and selfish ambition come dressed up in various disguises. It’s easy to justify that lingering eye or that wayward glance. Somehow we have 20/20 vision for that sort of thing.
The truth is I too need the LORD to lead me because of the enemies of my soul. How about you? Now here is the outcome we want: But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them that those who love your name may rejoice in you (v. 11.
Response: LORD God, lead me. I can’t see the dangers ahead. Often I am unaware of the enemies that are trying to undermine my life and my love for you. Go before me. Show me the way, Lord Jesus, because you are the way. Amen.
Your Turn: How is your spiritual vision? Can you see the enemies that derail your progress?
*New International Version, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica.
This post by award-winning author David Kitz will be published in book format later in 2020 by Elk Lake Publishing under the title 365 Days through the Psalms.
Wonders too Many to Declare
14 Saturday Mar 2020
I will praise the LORD!
Photo by David Kitz
Blessed is the one
who trusts in the LORD,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.
Many, LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done,
the things you planned for us.
None can compare with you;
were I to speak and tell of your deeds,
they would be too many to declare.
(Psalm 40:4-5, NIV)*
* New International Version, Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica
Our Salvation Comes from the LORD
29 Saturday Feb 2020
Tags
I will praise the LORD!
Big sky country in the Red Deer River Valley, Alberta — photo by David Kitz
I love the Psalms 