He Waters the Mountains

03 Sunday Aug 2025

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 104

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

beauty of creation, Lebanon, mountains, praise the LORD, Psalms, the LORD, trees

I will praise the LORD!

Psalm 104:10-18

He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.
He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—
    bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
    oil to make their faces shine,
    and bread that sustains their hearts.
The trees of the LORD are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax. *

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

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

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.

A gripping read from David Kitz.
Is a return-to-Jesus revival possible in our time?
This book points the way forward.
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Like Chaff or Like a Tree

28 Tuesday May 2024

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 1, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Bible, Jesus, Psalms, redemption, righteous, Savior, sins, Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Tree of Life, trees

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365

Reading: Psalm 1
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction (NIV). *

Petrie Island trees by the water — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Have you ever noticed the prominent role trees play in the Bible? The creation account in Genesis begins with God planting two very special trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After our first parent’s disobedience, we were banned from access to the Tree of Life. But the amazing, good news of the Bible is that at the end of the book, in the last chapter of the book of Revelation, God restores our access to the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:1-5).

In a very real sense, the Bible is a story about trees.

Here in the very first Psalm, the life of the righteous is compared to a fruit-bearing tree, flourishing by streams of water. The psalmist presents a picture of tranquil beauty. Is that a picture of my life, or am I caught up in busyness? Sometimes I feel more like windblown chaff—rather worthless and lacking a sense of direction.

But that’s where the other tree at the heart of the Bible comes into play. It stands on a hill called Calvary. There my Savior bled and died. There he showed me my true worth. There my sins were washed away, never to be remembered again. That’s where I became righteous, not by works that I had done, but by the grace and forgiveness of Christ.

What a beautiful tree! The tree on Mount Calvary isn’t t beautiful because of its leaves. It’s beautiful because of its fruit—the fruit of redemption purchased by the blood of Jesus. My righteousness is solely due to him.

Response: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice. Help me to always remember you are the true source of my righteousness. At your prompting help me to rid myself of the worthless chaff in my life. Wind of God, blow on me. Water of life, refresh my soul. May I be fruitful, Lord, for you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you knelt before the tree on Mount Calvary? Today, how can you show your appreciation for the tree God planted there?

Para la publicación de Salmos 365 de hoy en español haga clic aquí.

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

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.

The Tree of Life

02 Monday Jan 2023

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 1, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Mount Calvary, redemption, Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Tree of Life, trees

Be a fruitful tree of life — photo by David Kitz

In a very real sense the Bible is a story about trees.

Your Turn: Have you knelt before the tree on Mount Calvary? Today, how can you show your appreciation for the tree God planted there?

Praying you experience an abundance of God’s grace, mercy and love in 2023.

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

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

Start 2023 with a new devotional series. 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 2023 with a new devotional series. To purchase or for a closer look click here.

Fruit-Bearing Trees

06 Monday Jun 2022

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 92, Psalms

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

flowering, fruit, fruits of the Spirit, trees

Reading: Psalm 92:9-15
For surely your enemies, LORD,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (NIV).*

low angle view of pink flowers against blue sky

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Pexels.com

Reflection
God’s people have been called or compared to many things. Often, we are likened to sheep—the sheep of the LORD’s pasture. But here in Psalm 92 we are likened to trees, the palm tree, the cedar, and various fruit trees.

There is a striking parallel between the tree analogy found in this psalm and a similar analogy found in Psalm 1. In both cases, the righteous are compared to trees. “That person [the righteous] is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3).

By its very nature, there is something very settled about a tree. Unlike a sheep, a tree is not prone to wander. Trees flourish or perish where they have taken root. Have you been planted in the house of the LORD? Are you staying fresh and green and flourishing in the courts of our God?

Fruitfulness begins with flowering. Is your relationship with God in the flowering stage? Have you fallen in love with Him—so in love that you radiate beauty? Are you and the message you bear attractive? Have you made yourself attractive because of your love for the Lord?

What about fruit? Are the fruits of the Spirit beginning to appear on your branches? “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

I can’t speak for you, but I would rather be a flourishing, fruit-bearing tree in the courts of the LORD than a wayward sheep.

Response: LORD God, daily I want to grow more in love with you. Grant me a settled heart. I want my life to bear fruit that will bring honor to you. Help me to radiate your goodness and beauty. Amen.

Your Turn: How attractive is the message you bear? What signals are you sending out into the world?

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

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.

What a Beautiful Tree!

09 Monday Aug 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 1, Psalms

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Mount Calvary, Psalms, tree, Tree of Life, trees

Weeping willow, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

Reflection:
Have you ever noticed the prominent role that trees play in the Bible? The creation account in Genesis begins with God planting two very special trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After our first parent’s disobedience, we were banned from access the Tree of Life. But the amazing, good news of the Bible is that at the end of the book, in the last chapter of the book of Revelation, God restores our access to the Tree of Life (Revelations 22:1-5).

In a very real sense the Bible is a story about trees.

Here in the very first Psalm, the life of the righteous is compared to a fruit-bearing tree, flourishing by streams of water. The psalmist presents a picture of tranquil beauty. Is that a picture of my life, or am I caught up in busyness? Sometimes, I feel more like windblown chaff—rather worthless and lacking a sense of direction.

Your Turn: Have you knelt before the tree on Mount Calvary? Today, how can you show your appreciation for the tree God planted there?

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

https://BibleGateway.com/blog/bloggergrid/

Volume III of Psalms 365: Develop a Life of Worship and Prayer by award-winning author David Kitz is available now. Journey through the Psalms in a year. For a closer look at Volumes I and II click here.

Flourish in the Courts of Our God

06 Wednesday Jan 2021

Posted by davidkitz in Psalms

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

bear fruit, flourish, fruits of the Spirit, trees

Reading: Psalm 92
(Verses 9-15)
For surely your enemies, LORD,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (NIV).*

Plum blossoms — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
God’s people have been called or compared to many things. Often we are likened to sheep—the sheep of the LORD’s pasture. But here in Psalm 92 we are likened to trees, the palm tree, the cedar and various fruit trees.

There is a striking parallel between the tree analogy found in this psalm and a similar analogy found in Psalm 1. In both cases the righteous are compared to trees. That person [the righteous] is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers (Psalm 1:3).

What about fruit? Are the fruits of the Spirit beginning to appear on your branches? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).

I can’t speak for you, but I would rather be a flourishing, fruit-bearing tree in the courts of the LORD than a wayward sheep.

Your Turn: How attractive is the message you bear? What signals are you sending out into the world?

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

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.

The Trees of the LORD

12 Saturday Dec 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Psalm 104

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

mountains, praise the LORD, the LORD, trees

I will praise the LORD!

Photo by David Kitz

The trees of the LORD are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

(Psalm 104:16-18, NIV)*

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

What a Beautiful Tree!

09 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by davidkitz in Devotionals, Psalm 1, Psalms

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Bible, Psalm 1, redemption, Tree of Life, trees

Weeping willow, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

Reflection
Have you ever noticed the prominent role that trees play in the Bible? The creation account in Genesis begins with God planting two very special trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. After our first parent’s disobedience, we were banned from access the Tree of Life. But the amazing, good news of the Bible is that at the end of the book, in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation, God restores our access to the Tree of Life (Revelations 22:1-5).

In a very real sense the Bible is a story about trees.

But that’s where the other tree at the heart of the Bible comes into play. It stands on a hill called Calvary. There my Saviour bled and died. There he showed me my true worth. There my sins were washed away, never to be remembered again. That’s where I became righteous, not by works that I had done, but by the grace and forgiveness of Christ.

Response: Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice. Help me to always remember that you are the true source of my righteousness. At your prompting help me to rid myself of the worthless chaff in my life. Wind of God, blow on me. Water of life, refresh my soul. May I be fruitful, Lord, for you. Amen.

Your Turn: Have you knelt before the tree on Mount Calvary?

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 through the Psalms.

Flourishing in the Courts of our God

14 Wednesday Mar 2018

Posted by davidkitz in Bible, Devotionals, Psalm 92, Psalms

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

cedar of Lebanon, courts of the LORD, faithfulness, fruit, fruits of the Spirit, God, goodness, joy, kindness, love, old age, peace, Psalm 92, self-control, the LORD, trees

Reading: Psalm 92

(Verses 9-15)
For surely your enemies, LORD,
surely your enemies will perish;
all evildoers will be scattered.
You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox;
fine oils have been poured on me.
My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries;
my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him” (NIV).

Growing like a cedar of Lebanon — photo by David Kitz

I can’t speak for you, but I would rather be a flourishing, fruit-bearing tree in the courts of the LORD than a wayward sheep.

Your Turn: How attractive is the message you bear? What signals are you sending out into the world?

Trees

01 Saturday Jul 2017

Posted by davidkitz in Canada Day, Psalms

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Bliss Carman, Canada, confederation, creation, Garden of Eden, Gatineau Park, God, Grey Nuns Park, Lord, New Brunswick, Orleans, poetry, trees

Trees
By Bliss Carman

In the Garden of Eden, planted by God,
There were goodly trees in the springing sod –
Trees of beauty height and grace,
To stand in splendour before His face:

Maple glade, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

Apple and hickory, ash and pear,
Oak and beech, and the tulip rare,
The trembling aspen, the noble pine,
The sweeping elm by the river line;

My soul finds rest in God — photo by David Kitz

Trees for the birds to build and sing,
And the lilac tree for joy in spring;
Trees to turn at the frosty call
And carpet the ground for the Lord’s footfall;

Gatineau Park trail – photo by David Kitz

Trees for fruitage and fire and shade,
Trees for the cunning builder’s trade;
Wood for the bow, the spear, and the flail,
The keel and the mast of the daring sail –

Pine tree path, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

He made them of every grain and girth
For use of man in the Garden of Earth.
Then lest the soul should not lift her eyes
From the gift to the Giver of Paradise,
On the crown of a hill, for all to see,
God planted a scarlet maple tree.

The path ahead, Grey Nuns Park, Orleans, ON — photo by David Kitz

This poem by New Brunswick poet Bliss Carman is posted in honour of Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation, July 1st, 1867.

God bless Canada!

I love the Psalms

~ Connecting daily with God through the Psalms

Tag Archives: trees

He Waters the Mountains

I will praise the LORD!

Psalm 104:10-18

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Like Chaff or Like a Tree

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

The Tree of Life

Praying you experience an abundance of God’s grace, mercy and love in 2023.

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

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

Fruit-Bearing Trees

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

Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

What a Beautiful Tree!

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

Flourish in the Courts of Our God

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

The Trees of the LORD

I will praise the LORD!

The trees of the LORD are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

(Psalm 104:16-18, NIV)*

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

What a Beautiful Tree!

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

Flourishing in the Courts of our God

Trees

Trees
By Bliss Carman

I will praise the LORD!

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Today’s Devotion from Psalms 365

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

Please pray for peace to return to Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine!

Praying you experience an abundance of God’s grace, mercy and love in 2023.

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

Your prayers for the people of Ukraine are making a difference.

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

Please pray for the people of Ukraine!

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

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

I will praise the LORD!

The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.There the birds make their nests; the stork has its home in the junipers.The high mountains belong to the wild goats; the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

(Psalm 104:16-18, NIV)*

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

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

Trees By Bliss Carman

The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

Trees
By Bliss Carman