Savoring the Scripture

Psalm 24 The King of Glory Psalm 24 is a psalm of adoration. It rehearses the greatness of the King we serve and reminds us of the required response of His people: holiness. Our obedience is an act of worship in gratitude to the King of Glory who has done so much for us. The Lord is described by several names and several deeds in this psalm. May we take time to pause and consider Him who is the Lord, who founded and established the world, who dwells in His holy place, the God of our salvation, the God of Jacob, the King of Glory, the Lord strong and mighty and mighty in battle, and the Lord of hosts. This is our great God. The Creator God: The Great King 24:1-2 The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers.  Lord, I praise You: ▫️For You have created all things. All things belong to You, including me. I praise You that though the entire world is Yours, You have chosen m...

Psalm 23 The Lord My Shepherd The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most well-known and beloved Psalm and for good reason. It is the assurance to the follower of Christ that we have a good Shepherd who is leading, guiding, protecting, and providing for each one of us in a personal way. We do not need to fear, even when we walk “through the valley of the shadow of death” for our Shepherd is even there leading us in the right paths He has ordained. He only leads us on necessary paths.  In Hinds Feet In High Places , an allegory of the Christian life, the character Much Afraid has the seed of Love planted in her heart by the Shepherd, but almost immediately she is caught up in her fears and she feels very ashamed that she is again reverting to her old ways. “She did not dare look at the Shepherd, but had she done so she would have seen with what compassion he was regarding her. She did not realize that the Prince of Love is ‘of very tender compassions to them that are afraid.’” If she had loo...

Psalm 22 Ten Looks at the Suffering Servant Robert Murray McCheyne said, “Learn much of the Lord Jesus. For every look at yourself, take ten looks at Christ. He is altogether lovely. Such infinite majesty, and yet such meekness and grace, and all for sinners, even the chief!” Today, as we pray through Psalm 22, we will take ten looks at Christ. Ten ways in which His suffering can comfort us in our suffering because He became like us and suffered for us. 22:1-5 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.   #1: He was forsaken. ▫️I thank You, Lord, that because Christ bore Your wrath on the cross in my place and was forsake...

Psalm 21  Joy Inexpressible and Full of Glory Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4 For the believer, our joy is independent of our circumstances. Joy seems to me to encompass a host of emotions or attitudes: quietness, rest, confidence, anticipation, tranquility, and gladness.  However, sometimes we too feel the impact our difficulties seem to have on our joy. But our joy in the Lord is worth fighting for. And our joy can be unshakeable, when truly based on the Lord and our eternal inheritance. At times we will need to carefully and persistently remind ourselves of the basis of our joy and rest in His provision and supply of that joy. But I want my life to be marked by joy and for that joy to be evidence that I serve a trustworthy, amazing Father. Joy in His Presence and Power 21:1-6 O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults! You have given him his heart's desire and have not withheld the request of hi...

Psalm 20 The Day of Trouble We may have our own will, when our will is God's will. C.H.Spurgeon  The day of trouble. It’s not really the day anyone anticipates or can fully prepare for. I don’t know anyone who looks forward to those days that bring heartache or turmoil. But everyone faces some of those days, or many. Perhaps your “day of trouble” has come and gone, leaving a wake of trouble. Perhaps your day is looming on the horizon. For the Christian, the day of trouble does not have to be a day of defeat or fear. But we must recall to our minds the truth of our God and His character. He is faithful and will not be absent in our time of need.  He Supports in the Day of Trouble 20:1-3 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah   Lord, I pray: ▫️You would answer my cr...

Psalm 19 Praying for Our Children This morning we pray for our children. As a mother, the words of 3 John 4 resonate with me, “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” Psalm 19 describes the great sufficiency of the Word of God. I pray the Lord grants our children a deep and abiding love for Him because they have come to know Him through His Word and have seen His glory on display in creation. Creation Declares God’s Glory 19:1-6 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and t...

Psalm 18 Praying for Our Spouse and Our Marriage, part 3 Marriage is not mainly about being or staying in love. It’s mainly about telling the truth with our lives. It’s about portraying something true about Jesus Christ and the way he relates to his people. It is about showing in real life the glory of the gospel. John Piper , This Momentary Marriage The Lord Equips Us 18:37-42 “I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet. For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me. You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them. I beat them fine as dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.  Let’s pray: ▫️We and our spouses would be persistent and persevere in fig...

Psalm 18 Praying for Your Spouse, part 2 Our marriages are signposts pointing toward or away from the glory and nature of God’s relationship with his bride. Aaron Sironi and Lauren Whitman We are continuing to go to the Lord for our spouses and our marriages, praying through  Psalm 18. Walking Blamelessly 18:20-24 The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his rules were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me. I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my guilt. So the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.  Let’s pray: ▫️The Lord’s rules, statutes, and word would be the daily bread for us and for our spouses, a habitual act of drawing near to the Lord. He would open our eyes to see wondrous things from His law. ▫️We and our spouses wo...

Psalm 18 Praying for Your Spouse, part 1 Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time, before you intercede, be quiet first, and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, and how He delights to hear the prayers of His redeemed people. Think of your place and privilege in Christ and expect great things!  Andrew Murray  Let’s pray for our spouses and our marriages today and expect great things from our great God. The Lord is All We Need 18:1-3 I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.  Let’s pray: ▫️Our spouses would love the Lord heartily.  ▫️They would be strong in the Lord and in the p...

Prayer for Protection  Psalm 17 His prayer is confident, but it is a godly confidence, expressive both of the deepest trust in and of a tender walk with God. W. VanGemeren In a world affected by the curse, many people experience circumstances that place them in a position of vulnerability. There can be times when it seems the strong rule the weak for their own advantage and to the detriment of those under their care. Other times, it’s not extreme, but there can be a sense of powerlessness to change our situation or influence those in authority over us. We do not need to lose hope. Our God still reigns, and we can come to Him to redress wrongs suffered and continue to honor Him and do good while we wait. Lord, I praise You: ▫️You are the Judge of all the Earth and You will do what is right (Genesis 18:25). ▫️You save those who seek refuge in You. A Cry for Vindication 17:1-5 “Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! From your prese...

Pleasures Forevermore Psalm 16 Zodhiates, in the Complete Word Study Dictionary, defines the beautiful inheritance of Psalm 16:6 as describing “the splendor and pleasantness of having the Lord as one’s lot in life.” When the Lord is my portion, my cup, my lot, I will indeed have a life filled with joy, gladness, and good things. That does not mean my life will be filled with only good experiences and circumstances, but it does mean, that no matter what I face in this life, if the Lord is at my right hand I will rest securely and not be shaken. I will be able to say throughout life’s changes and challenges, “The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.”  Lord, I praise You this morning, because: ▫️In the midst of my sorrows, You are my portion and my cup. ▫️My whole life long, through various trials and many blessings, You have caused the lines to fall to me in pleasant places and given me a beautiful inheritance. ▫️You are my keeper and the giver of all good things. I Have No Go...

Only the Righteous Psalm 15 Every day we are training ourselves in one direction or the other by the thoughts we think, the words we say, the actions we take, and the deeds we do. Jerry Bridges, The Fruitful Life God’s goal for His children is that they would be conformed to the image of His Son. While we have been positionally made right with God and stand before Him on the basis of Christ’s merit, we are still sinners in practice and must grow in sanctification while we remain in this life. Today we will pray through Psalm 15 and use its direction to help us pray for growth in godliness. Who May Abide? 15:1 “O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?   I pray: ▫️I would abide in You and bear much fruit for Your glory.  ▫️I would walk according to the Spirit and rejoice in the work of Christ on my behalf. ▫️I would be made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:28). ▫️I would pursue holiness empowered by the knowledge that You have made me justified ...