Category: Psalms

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Thankful for Shepherds

I don’t know how many cowboy movies I have viewed in my lifetime but there have been many, some of them I have watched over and over. And in nearly every one, if they refer to a Bible verse they generally use Psalm 23, the Lord is my Shepherd. Time and again the Scripture refers to the Lord as our Shepherd. Jesus even gave example that he was the good shepherd who gives his life for his sheep.

This morning’s verse on giving thanks refers to that relationship as well.

“Then we, your people, will always thank you.
We are like sheep with you as our shepherd,
and all generations will hear us praise you..” Psalm 79:13 CEV

A good shepherd provides food, rest, protection. He is constantly with his sheep and protects them from intruders and cares for them if they do get hurt. Our shepherd does the same – His death provides for our salvation or as one Bible translation calls it – soundness.

Those of you reading this that have a horse background know better than others what it means to be sound. That’s what Jesus has done for us – He has made us sound, whole, strong.

So do what this verse says – show your praise to all generations. Talk of the Lord’s goodness to those of your own generation and to those older and younger. Our younger generations need to know the reality of God’s goodness.

Sing it loud and long today. Let the children know the goodness of the Shepherd.

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Grateful for Age

This week I have had the opportunity to be with one of the youngest members of our family, Sam, and the oldest, my mother. What a joy to spend time with them both. Sam was depend upon us for most everything he needed; meals, help getting dressed, supervising his activities, bath time, bed time – you get the picture.

Mom, too, is at a point in her life where she is more dependent. She doesn’t drive anymore and she walks slower and needs help getting around but her mind is still sharp and her memories bring her great joy.

I had fun telling Sam stories about Jesus, singing little choruses and praying with him. Praying for him to grow into a man that loves the Lord, honors his parents and impacts his world. And then I also had the opportunity to listen as Mom told me of her love for the Lord, her prayers for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her desire is to live her days as an example of God’s love and goodness. She said she can’t be burdened down with worry but instead has to trust the Lord to reach her family with His love so that each one is with her one day in heaven.

Both the youngest and the oldest have a quiet trust in the Lord, for that I am truly grateful!

“Praise him, young men and women, old people and children.
13 Praise the Lord’s name! Honor his name forever!
His name is greater than any other.
He is more glorious than heaven and earth.” Psalm 148:12-13 ERV

All through the Bible we find the older teaching the younger. There is a constant instruction to remind the younger ones of the milestones in life. Moses taught the people that they should be talking of the things of the Lord when they came in and when they went out; when they got up in the morning and when they went to bed at night.

“Always remember these commands that I give you today. 7 Be sure to teach them to your children. Talk about these commands when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road. Talk about them when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hands and wear them on your foreheads to help you remember my teachings.” Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ERV

I’m thankful that my parents and grandparents taught me to love the Lord and I’m grateful for the opportunity and the responsibility to teach my children and grandchildren of God’s goodness!

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Comfort in Troubling Times

Do you ever have thoughts come to you out of the clear blue? You know, you’re thinking about one thing and then something else just invades you thinking process. That’s the way it was for me this morning.

I wasn’t even really awake when a song I had heard on the radio on Sunday arrived in my heart and head bringing me to a place of conscious thought. Here are just a few of the lyrics that were written by Hillsong.

“What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus
What a wonderful Name it is
The Name of Jesus”

And as I kept repeating that refrain my mind went to what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18:9

“The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety—”

And then I began to pray for those who lost loved ones yesterday in Las Vegas and those who were injured and those who were called to care for the injured and the dying. How do we cope with such senseless acts of violence and destruction?

I run to the Lord and find comfort in His loving arms.

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 I trust God, so I am not afraid of what people can do to me!
I praise God for his promise to me.” Psalm 56:3-4 ERV

God wants to use us to bring comfort and consolation to those around us. It’s important that we aren’t overwhelmed but that we stay anchored in His love.

“Don’t let evil defeat you, but defeat evil with good.” Romans 12:21 CEV

So even as I am writing this the chorus above keeps going through my mind. What a wonderful name it is, The name of Jesus! I will continue to trust in Him, to lean on Him for strength and will praise Him because He is greater than all my fears.

“Stand and shout praises to your Lord, the eternal God!
Praise his wonderful name, though he is greater than words can express.” Nehemiah 9:5 CEV

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Taste and See – It’s Good!

Yesterday we celebrated our grandson’s 2nd birthday. He had been running around playing with his friends but when his Mom said it’s time for cake, he was eager to climb up in his booster seat and buckle in.

It didn’t matter that his friends were still playing or that there was a lot of other activity going on, he just wanted the cake.

It was a funfetti white cake with black sky frosting sprinkled with silver stars. It was his and he loved it!

As I watched him experience such complete joy, oblivious to all that was around him, I thought of what King David wrote in the Psalms.

“This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear (reverence) Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him” Psalm 34:6-8

We can experience God’s love with the same abandon as Sam eating his cake. Its a kind of up-to-your-elbows, smeared-on-your-face kind of joy that you get when you realize that the Father loves you unconditionally, dirty face and all!

Start the day knowing that you are blessed and you have angels around you to protect and help you today.

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Sit – Stay

When Kaci was small we had a wonderful Australian Shepherd named Bear. He had been badly abused when we adopted him and made him a member of our family. He had trust issues to say the least. We were given the name of a good trainer and once a week I took him to class. It didn’t take long for him and I to learn to work together. The commands of sit and stay were some of the first we worked on. He needed to know that when I gave those commands he could TRUST that I wasn’t going to leave him or beat him into obedience.

Presently I am in a sit still stage of my life. I’m not doing it very well. I have things to do, places to go, people to meet and minister too and God is saying “Sit Still”. I have learned in the past and am learning again that it’s just as important to be obedient to that command as it is to “love thy neighbor” or “pray without ceasing”.

If you know me at all you know I always have a list – things need to be done! I don’t do SIT – STAY very well. Years ago I read a book by Tim Hansel, “When I Relax I Feel Guilty”, that describes me to a tea. Retirement isn’t easy for a “list person”. I had a very dear friend tell me that it’s just as important to wait as it is to march forward. Both have their place but we have to be obedient to what God is saying and when He’s saying it.

“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Psalm 46:10-11

The children of Israel had a tangible, visible sign that they followed. The Lord placed a cloud over the Tabernacle and when it moved the moved; and when it stayed they stayed.

“Sometimes the cloud was over the Holy Tent for only a few days. So the people obeyed the LORD’s command—they followed the cloud when it moved. 21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only during the night—the next morning the cloud moved. So the people gathered their things and followed it. If the cloud moved, during the day or during the night, they followed it. 22 If the cloud stayed over the Holy Tent for two days, a month, or a year, the people stayed at that place. They did not leave until the cloud moved. When the cloud rose from its place and moved, they also moved. 23 So the people obeyed the LORD’s commands. They camped when the LORD told them to, and they moved when he told them to. They watched carefully and obeyed the LORD’s commands to Moses” Number 9:21-23 ERV

Obedience! That’s the key. We say “Lord, speak to me and I’ll do whatever you tell me to do.” And then He speaks something so simple as to stay – rest and we sit for 15 minutes and then want to get up and get back to our normal routine. It’s hard to rest!

Once again it’s the Holy Spirit teaching obedience and most of the time obedience involves crucifying the flesh. God’s way of doing things is generally contrary to the natural way. He told Joshua to march around a city and they would capture it – Jesus told us to achieve greatness we must strive to be a servant. Paul said when I am weak then am I strong. See – these things seem to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but that’s God’s way.

I’m learning and I imagine I will be learning this lesson again. I hope what I am being taught will encourage you when it comes your turn to “rest”.

“The LORD is good and merciful;
our God is so kind.
6 The LORD takes care of helpless people.
I was without help, and he saved me.
7 My soul, relax!
The LORD is caring for you.” Psalm 116:5-7 ERV

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Don’t Worry – Be Happy!

Time to start a new week. What’s on your calendar today? Bring strength to your life today. Bring health to your body. Don’t let stress or “dis – ease” rob from you today!

Be thankful – focus on God and what is has done and is able to do and live in peace, joy, health and strength.

” Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:10

” A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit dries the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

“The Lord gives perfect peace to those whose faith is firm. 4 So always trust the Lord
because he is forever our mighty rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4

So many times we end up thinking that if we live a godly life we’ll be missing out on all the fun. However, just the opposite it true. God will show us the answer to our problems and fill our lives with joy and pleasure! If you are anxious, worried, stressed out and don’t know which way to turn – hang out with God today – there’s joy, pleasure and peace in His presence.

“You will show me the path of life, in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:11

Let the Lord fill your life with joy and bring you pleasure today!

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Are You Grounded?

Are you grounded? If I asked that question of a teenager, I might get an answer of “not currently”.

Being grounded can have several different connotations. To a pilot it means they can’t fly; to a kid it means they can’t hang out with their friends; to a horticulturalist it means their plants have a good root base and to an electrician it means the wires are safe.

The basis is the same. Grounded: rooted attached, secured, stabilized, immovable.

Yesterday a friend told me that my morning devotions were peaceful and got her grounded for the day. That stuck with me!

Lord, I want to be grounded. I don’t want to fly off if conditions aren’t safe. I don’t want to be hanging out with people that can cause me harm and I certainly don’t want to be touching something that could be shocking.

“16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built (GROUNDED) on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is.” Ephesians 3:16-18 ERV

I want my life to be like that of a tree that’s grounded. The roots run deep keeping it stable during the high winds and strong storms.

“Great blessings belong to those who don’t listen to evil advice, who don’t live like sinners, and who don’t join those who make fun of God.
2. Instead, they love the Lord’s teachings and think about them day and night.3 So they grow strong, like a tree planted by a stream— a tree that produces fruit when it should and has leaves that never fall. Everything they do is successful.” Psalm 1: 1-3 ERV
So I’ll ask again…are you grounded? I hope so.

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The Heart Connection

The heart and the mouth are connected – Jesus knew that and He gave some specific teaching in that regard.

“Every tree is known by the kind of fruit it produces. You won’t find figs on thorny weeds. And you can’t pick grapes from thornbushes! 45 Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.” Luke 6:44-45 ERV
Listen to your words today. What do they say about you, the real you, the heart of you?

You don’t change your heart but changing what you say. What you say will change when your heart is transformed.

Say with the Psalmist David, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:13-14

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Love and Protection

Now before we look at the final few verses of Psalm 91 I must make a statement. I hear from time to time from well-meaning people, “You can’t just take verses out of the Bible and really believe that they will work for you. Sometimes God doesn’t work like that.” Well, if you or I made a promise and we didn’t keep it we would be lying and God’s not a liar. When He makes a promise He keeps it!

He is a loving, compassionate Father and He desires the very best for His kids. When you come face to face with the love of God, you find He is so much greater than we can possibly comprehend. God’s love is the basis of all He does. He is love! When you see how love works, you see God! The verses in I Corinthians 13, the love chapter, are a description of God.

Love is “patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, 5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its delight in the truth.7 Love always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.8 Love never ends…” vs 4-8 CJV

Now replace love is with God is “patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful,5 not proud, rude or selfish, not easily angered, and it(He) keeps no record of wrongs.6 Love (God) does not gloat over other people’s sins but takes its (his) delight in the truth. 7 Love (God) always bears up, always trusts, always hopes, always endures.8 Love (God) never ends”.

That’s who our Father is! Now let’s look at the last 3 verses of Psalm 91. This is God talking about what He will do for those who live in the “secret place, under the shadow of the Almighty”.

“Because he loves me, I will rescue him; because he knows my name, I will protect him. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him when he is in trouble. I will extricate him and bring him honor. 16 I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation.” Vs 14-16 CJV

Now one more thing – replace the 3rd person pronoun “he” with your name and read it again. This is who God is and what He desires to do on our behalf!

“Because he (Kristi) has set his (her) love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him (her); I will set him (Kristi) on high, because he (She) knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness—trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him (her), no, never].

15 He (Kristi) shall call upon Me, and I will answer him (Her); I will be with him (Kristi) in trouble, I will deliver him (her) and honor him (her).

16 With long life will I satisfy him(Kristi) and show him (her) My salvation. Vs 14-16 AMP

There’s an old song that talks about the love of God. One verse says this

“Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.”

Next time you see that beautiful expanse of sky imagine that it is filled with the words “I Love You”. Written there over and over again, the Father conveying His love for us. His love has no end.

Knowing God’s word and fellowshipping with the Father in prayer is the greatest thing we as His children can do!

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Rattlesnakes & Storms

I forgot to tell you the other day when we started this study in Psalm 91, I like to read this Psalm in the first person. It makes it personal and I am also really enjoying reading it in the Complete Jewish Bible. It gives me additional insight on this Psalm.

“For you have made Adonai, the Most High, who is my refuge, your dwelling-place.
10 No disaster will happen to you, no calamity will come near your tent;
11 for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.
12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone.
13 You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.” Vs 9-13 CJV

For I have made the Most High my refuge and my dwelling place – no disaster will happen to me and no calamity will come near my tent.

When we would go back to work in Iowa I was introduced to tornado warnings. I had never experienced anything like this before. I would have to fight fear the first couple years and then the last few years, I could go through those experiences in peace because the Holy Spirit brought these verses to my heart – not just my mind – but really settled them in my heart. “No calamity will come near my tent or RV as the case may be”.

When I read these verses I am often reminded of Peter and the other disciples that were on the sea with the waves beating against the boat and the wind blowing a gale force. Jesus was sleeping while the disciples were bailing water. They woke him up and said “Master don’t you care – we’re about to sink”. But Jesus reaction was completely different.

“And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled. 38 But He [Himself] was in the stern [of the boat], asleep on the [leather] cushion; and they awoke Him and said to Him, Master, do You not care that we are perishing? 39 And He arose and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, Hush now! Be still (muzzled)! And the wind ceased (sank to rest as if exhausted by its beating) and there was [immediately] a great calm (a perfect peacefulness). 40 He said to them, Why are you so timid and fearful? How is it that you have no faith (no firmly relying trust)? 41 And they were filled with great awe and feared exceedingly and said one to another, Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?” Mark 4:37-41 AMP

No fear! Resting in the promises of God’s word.

If you remember satan used Psalm 91:11-12 as one of the temptations that he brought to Jesus. “for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go. 12 They will carry you in their hands, so that you won’t trip on a stone.” But Jesus comment was that He would not tempt the Lord, His God.

We can confidently trust in God’s protection and power when circumstances come against us but we also have the admonition not to be foolish in our actions and then say we are using these verses as our protection.

Years back we lived verse 13 on a daily basis. “You will tread down lions and snakes, young lions and serpents you will trample underfoot.” Farming alfalfa in the Arizona desert we had daily encounters with rattlesnakes. We learned to live and walk cautiously. We taught our children how to play wisely and we prayed this verse and Luke 10:19

“Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.” AMP

We put God’s work to work! And we saw it come to pass on several different occasions. Working late at night, changing water, we had a couple of experiences of actually stepping on rattlesnakes and not having them coil, rattle or strike. We saw God’s word at work on our behalf.

This Psalm is your personal promise from the Father. It was confidence in God and His word that let Daniel sleep in a lion’s den and Jesus sleep on the stormy sea. God’s word is practical and He has given us His word to use in our lives.

Live it daily!

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