Psalm 65
9 You take care of the earth and water it,
 making it rich and fertile. The river of God has plenty of water;
 it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
 for you have ordered it so.

We don’t worship nature, but we certainly worship the God of Nature. This Psalm captures the poetic beauty of the natural world and the privilege of our capacity to appreciate it, if we take the time.

Look at a flower closely today and think about what you see.

Psalm 64

7 But God himself will shoot them with his arrows,
 suddenly striking them down.

 

Theologian Miroslav Wolf has said ‘a Christian can’t be a true pacifist unless he/she believes in a God of Vengeance.’ While I am not a pure pacifist, I understand Wolf’s thinking. With so much evil and injustice done by humans, there had better be proper justice parceled out by God in the scheme of things. God will have his way and do what is exactly right. We all need Jesus.

 

Pray for God to show you the freedom of confessing unrepentant sin.

Psalm 63

 1 O God, you are my God;
      I earnestly search for you.
   My soul thirsts for you;
      my whole body longs for you
   in this parched and weary land
      where there is no water.

If I could have this thirst for God always I wouldn't need to be looking for another source to quench the parched empty places that reside within me. But that's just me. 

Pray for the Holy Spirit to pry you open more to the water of life.

Waiting Luke 1:5-25

When it comes to Jesus, the wait is worth it.

Psalm 62

 5 Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.

 

The soul is central governing force of who we are. That’s a tough job. Much more difficult than any human job there is. Why is that?

 

Because our lives ultimately revolve around our soul. We are at the center of our existence. We are always “on” because we are, always.

 

The only way we can experience true peace is through the design of the designer of our soul. God is the source. Rest is available.

 

Pray for God to guide you to his peace.

 

Psalm 61

6 Increase the days of the king's life, his years for many generations.

 

Leaders come and go. In America we will be electing a new president in a few months. He will be in office for four or eight years and then someone else will be president. So it goes. An important role, yet quite temporary.

 

Probably just as well. I can think of only one person I would like to see rule as long as he wants. And he does. King Jesus.

 

Pray for those who lead.

Feelings-based faith? Luke 1:1-4

How is faith more than a feeling? Let Luke explain...

Psalm 60
11 Oh, please help us against our enemies,
for all human help is useless.

After watching the spectacle, the heartbreak, the triumph, the excitement, and the camaraderie of the Olympics these past weeks, what do you think? Will this be the time when our human wars and conflicts will be overcome by the Spirit of the Games? You know the answer.

The Olympics enthrall me, but only God is going to rescue and restore this world. He already has begun. Jesus brings in the victory. Now we invite others to join us as we follow our champion.

Pray for a new nation you noticed competing in the Olympics.

Psalm 59

14 My enemies come out at night,

      snarling like vicious dogs

      as they prowl the streets.

 15 They scavenge for food

      but go to sleep unsatisfied.

 

When you have trouble sleeping, is it because you are scheming how to do evil in someone else’s life? I don’t think you would be reading this if that were the case. So, is there anything else bothering you? Maybe your enemy is the worry that keeps you awake at night rather than the source of worry?

 

Give up at least one worry you have today.

Psalm 58

11 Then at last everyone will say,

“There truly is a reward for those who live for God;

surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”

In our culture we are used to getting things right away and exactly when we want them and how we want them. This is called, “instant gratification.” Domino’s Pizza grew an empire over this attitude. Their "30 minute guarantee."

But what we think is most important in life often doesn’t fit that “I want to have everything go my way exactly” attitude. Even Domino’s figured this out. Their “You Got 30 minutes” trademark is no longer the same. Here is the fine print today.

Because safety is a priority "You Got 30 Minutes™" is not a guarantee but an estimate. You may get more.

As we grow in faith, we learn that when we go with God it is always on his schedule. He will surprise us with timeliness (from our view) once in a while, but being a friend of God means more often we do a lot of waiting.

What have you been waiting for lately?

Psalm 57
8 Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.

You don’t have to be a morning person to realize that things look different at that time of day. Especially in the early morning, when the quiet makes it possible to focus better, and the first light hints at new possibilities.

Wake at dawn (if you dare) and sense what God is up to that early in the morning.

Psalm 56
11 I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?
What can mere mortals do to me?

Is there something someone could do to us to separate from God? Of course not. This is the theme of one of our most beloved texts of the Bible from Romans 8,

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ.”

Remember who is on your side the next time fear rises. The one you trust in will protect you.

What have you feared lately?

Psalm 55

7 I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness.

The power of branding is amazing. Even though it was back in the 70's, can you still fill in this blank?

"Calgon, ______ __ _____!"

If you are over 50, of course you can. Or if you listen to music from Mariah Carey ("Shake it Off") to hip hop artist David Banner from Crooked Lettaz ("Grey Skies").

Who doesn't feel like just getting away from it all? God. He sticks with us, after all.

Pray for an openness to God's companionship.

Psalm 54

5 May the evil plans of my enemies be turned against them. Do as you promised and put an end to them.

God promises to vindicate his people. Actually, in the end God will always do exactly what is right for everyone. This is why Jesus can make the radical claim for Christians not to take vengeance. It isn't because someone else doesn't deserve God's discipline. It is because we are free to focus on our future, not get caught up in the injustices of our past.

Pray for God to deliver you from past injustices.

Psalm 53

No one does good, not a single one!

God is comparing our actions to those of Jesus here. No human on human power is ever going to be close to measure up. It is time we stop comparing ourselves. Those who are holy are those who are close to the Father. If you are close to the Father, you don't have to let everyone know. They can see this for themselves.

Pray for any desire for comparisons you make to go away.

Psalm 52

You love evil more than good and lies more than truth.

Evil is purposely living outside of God's ways. Lying to gain advantage is a sign of this. So, to be honest about when you stray from God's ways and admitting that to him? That's repentance.

What would unrepentant sin be? Purposely living outside of God's ways and lying about it to myself. What is the result of this way of life? I could become the kind of person who cannot want God. Don't need him in my life.

Pray for honesty before God always.

Psalm 51

6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

According to this psalm, God gives all people a conscience that draws them to him. Conscience is a non-physical reality. Some would say that consciousness and thought and being themselves all come from the physical- DNA, genetics, brain circuitry and such.

Sorry, if that were the case, why would I trust your teaching on this topic if you are pre-wired to say it anyway? The only thing you could do is force me to believe it. Whoever holds the power has the truth? Don't think so.

What are examples of moral behavior that is similar cross-culturally and across the ages?

Psalm 50

22 "Time's up for playing fast and loose with me. I'm ready to pass sentence, and there's no help in sight!" (The Message)

I really enjoy The Message translation of the Bible, by Eugene Peterson. It gives such a new perspective to the Word of God. Except when Peterson wimps out. Come on, Eugene, it's just a metaphor.*

(*Psalm 50:22 in NIV reads, "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue.")

Have you ever sensed the strong discipline of God? When?

Psalm 49

17 For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

The old joke about a hearse pulling a U- haul trailer. "Who said, 'You can't take it with you?'"

Who knew it was from the Bible?

Pray for generosity with your riches. (if you don't think you are rich, ask a villager in Malawi)

Psalm 48

We had heard of the city’s glory, but now we have seen it ourselves—

A common theme in the Bible is to experience something; not just hear about it. This is why feeling God at work in me is such a wonderful sensation. I don't base my confidence in this, but I do relish it. Now that I mention it, if I were to feel nothing when I kiss my wife, I would worry big time about our connection. Why would I expect less with God? Maybe feelings are important after all. Praise God, hallelujah!

Pray that God touch you emotionally this week.

Psalm 47

1 O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

If you think the Bible is the Word of God then you do what it says in the context of what it is saying. Psalm 47 is a worship setting. I quoted the King James Version just to make sure this was old school. How come my grandma never told me to clap my hands and shout in worship? She loved the Bible. She read it all the time. I just don't remember her reading this to me.

Praise God, hallelujah! I am making up for lost time!

Find a time today to shout to God with a voice of triumph.

Psalm 46

10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

Most religions and philosophies are extremely culturally conditioned. They don't "travel" well. Not so with Christianity. It reaches all kinds of places with all kinds of people. How fortunate that Jesus is adored in Benin and Boston. What a coincidence?

Pray for the influence of the good news of Jesus with people who have not experienced him before.

Psalm 45

7 You love justice and hate evil. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you, pouring out the oil of joy on you more than on anyone else.

God wants us to be like him. To love the things he loves. To hate the things he hates. God gives us the ability to have influence in our lives for the good of others. Justice or fairness is what he wants. The world asks, "Is it legal?" God demands, "Is it fair?"

We live in both of these worlds. make sure you error on the side of God. More joy.