Savoring the Scripture

Holy Habits Psalm 71 Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex. Norman Vincent Peale What patterns are you developing in order to walk more closely with your Savior? Some patterns happen more naturally while others take intentional effort. Some patterns must be broken and others strengthened. The hardest patterns or habits to change are the ways we think and respond. Those inward thoughts and wrestlings, which are then manifested in our words, facial expressions, and actions, are the habits that have been developed over a lifetime and must be transformed by Christ for the remainder of our life.  The fleshly thoughts and responses happen naturally as we have all been born with a sin nature that is in rebellion against God. And these are the habits that must be broken. Even after we have been saved, there is an intense battle for our affections, desires, and thoughts. Paul knew this struggle ...

A Severe Mercy for Our Highest Good Psalm 62 You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have. Corrie ten Boom In our western culture where GrubHub, over-the-counter medication, Kindle books, 2-day Amazon prime delivery (or same-day, depending on what you order), livestream, and countless other services designed to meet our every desire quickly, it can be hard to imagine an existence where we are left with only one necessary thing. With the surplus of our society, and the quick meeting of every need, how do we come to a place where we understand David’s statements in Psalm 62 where he repeats that he waits for God alone , and only He, the Lord, is David’s rock, salvation, and fortress?  I think the answer to that will be found in the hard places of life. The circumstances that leave us wondering what God is doing and how He could purpose good out of the mess we find ourselves. Those severe mercies: severe because they cause discomfort or hardship and t...

Lead Me to the Rock Psalm 61 Experience is the nurse of faith. From the past we gather arguments for present confidence. Charles Spurgeon  How quickly I can feel faint as a mother. The physical demands of mothering coupled with the weightiness of the task results in tiredness, weariness, and concern. So many demands from my children (I still have 6 at home!), the expectation of those outside, and my own earnest desires can mount up to discouragement and being overwhelmed, if I’m resting in my own strength. But like David in Psalm 61, I must practice daily, “when my heart is faint, lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” And what a great Rock we have! His way is perfect. All His ways are just. He is a God of faithfulness and without injustice. Righteous and upright is He (Deuteronomy 32:4). He is the Rock of our salvation (Deuteronomy 32:15), our fortress, and our deliverer (2 Samuel 22:2). He is not deaf to us, and He is the rock of our strength (Psalm 28:1; 31:2). We need this...

Watching and Waiting Psalm 59 May God teach us the blessedness of waiting on Him. Andrew Murray  “O my Strength, I will watch for you” (Psalm 59:9).  David writes these words when his life is yet again in danger. He needs the Lord’s help and protection. In confidence, he says, “I will watch for You.” David is keeping vigil, waiting and expecting the Lord’s help.  When our family is expecting visitors, especially sweet friends or family, my younger children like to pull up chairs to the large windows in the front of our house and watch the road for the arrival of our guests. The anticipation of the arrival of guests means my children are watching while they are waiting. They’re eagerly looking down the road to see the first sign of the guest’s car. And to me this serves as a good picture of our posture while we wait for the Lord. These ideas of waiting and watching are connected in the Scriptures.  In Psalm 130, the psalmist cries, “Out of the depths I cry to you, O L...

A Prayer for the Betrayed Psalm 55 We amid all our sorrow may find rest in Jesus. Charles Spurgeon Betrayal is painful. The very nature of the word intimates that there is a relationship established that has been broken. A citizen betraying his country, a spouse betraying spouse, friend betraying friend, or child betraying parent. Trust has been broken. A deliberate act of disloyalty has violated that trust. What should be a relationship of security is now threatened by the untrustworthiness of the betrayer.  David, in Psalm 55, cries to the Lord in anguish. He is restless, complaining, moaning. He wishes to fly away from the situation, to wander far into the wilderness to feel sheltered from the intensity of his sorrow. His prayers rise continuously to the Lord—“evening and morning and at noon” (55:17). And the cause of his anguish is his companion, his familiar friend, one who used to take sweet counsel together with him has dealt insolently with him and taunts him. But even in t...

Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Psalm 50 Our whole lives should be ones of continually giving thanks. Giving thanks to God for both His temporal and spiritual blessings in our lives is not just a nice thing to do—it is the moral will of God. Failure to give thanks due Him is sin. Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins   Thankfulness is the grateful acknowledgment of past mercies. As believers we are commanded to give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18), and truly the believer has an abundance of spiritual and temporal blessings for which he ought to give thanks to the Lord. In fact, our thankfulness should be abounding and overflowing (2 Corinthians 4:15; Colossians 2:7).  What hinders our thankfulness? Discontent hinders thankfulness, since discontent stems from a heart that thinks it deserves better than what it has received. Discontent is not satisfied with the Lord’s provision. Discontent leads to grumbling and complaining rather than giving thanks.  Martha Peace in Attitu...

Regarded as Sheep Psalm 44 As it is written, “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Romans 8:36 NKJV We love a happy ending. We love to hear of Job’s restoration after his loss and suffering. We look at the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and rejoice at God’s mighty and miraculous deliverance. And we should! What hope many a believer has received that God wondrously works on behalf of His people. But 40 years of suffering? A lifetime spent in bondage? Counted as sheep to be slaughtered? We don’t like to contemplate that.  Jeremiah spent over 40 years warning his people to repent because God was sending the Babylonians to capture them, and they ridiculed him and abused him. Before the Exodus, there were many Israelites who died while in bondage still looking for the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham. Throughout the ages, God’s people have suffered chains, imprisonment, ridicule, rejection, and death.  But this reali...

Psalm 35 Prayer for the Persecuted Church, part 2 Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. 2 Corinthians 1:9-11 NASB Paul, near the end of his life, told Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). And Paul had experienced this first hand as he testified in 2 Corinthians. He had been shipwrecked, thrown in a pit, beaten, stoned, hungry, and more.  Throughout the ages God’s people have suffered for the sake of the gospel and the Lord has at times delivered His people from great peril, and other times He has allowed their suffering for the spread of...

Psalm 35 Prayers for the Persecuted Church, part 1 The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Tertullian This week on the blog, we will be praying for the persecuted church. Most of us reading this blog are living comfortably and worshiping freely. But many of our brothers and sisters around the world are risking their lives to live for Christ. Let’s pray Psalm 35 this week for God’s protection of His people and the furtherance of His kingdom in the world. Charles Spurgeon said, “An inward persuasion of security in God is of all things the most precious in the furnace of persecution.” May the Lord use our prayers and the truth of His Word to supply His saints with the security and comfort that only He can provide. Access this  link  to go to the Voice of the Martyrs webpage for prayer requests and to see information on the countries around the world that are hostile or restricted as pertains to the Christian faith. I encourage you to pick a few countries for which you...

Psalm 33 Prayer for the Local Church  One of our first priorities in corporate prayer ought to be praying for the local church as a whole: for her holiness, unity, boldness, protection, and growth. Megan Hill, Praying Together God has redeemed for Himself a people for His own possession. While we rejoice in our personal salvation, the Lord did not save us to be on our own apart from the community of believers. We are one body sharing one Spirit, called in one hope of our calling, having one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6). We are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a special people, who together edify and build one another up, growing up in all aspects into Him, who is our head, Christ (Ephesians 4:15). How sweet and pleasant it is when we dwell together in unity! Let’s pray for our local body of believers to whom we have been united in our Lord Jesus Christ. A People Who Praise Him 33:1-5 Shout...

Psalm 30 Victory In the Battle In God’s act of condescension to the psalmist’s need, He realized afresh God’s love for him. VanGemeren Is there anything looming on the horizon for you this morning? Is there a task that must be completed, a conversation that must be had, a doctor’s appointment that you must attend, a season of uncertainty you must forbear? Is there sin you must confess, forgiveness to extend, patience to exercise? We may feel powerless to even step one foot in the direction we need to go, but as God’s children, we can cry, “Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD be my helper!”(Psalm 30:10) and God is able to exchange your anxiety for His peace, your hurt for His healing, your anger for His forgiveness, and your mourning for His gladness. His faithfulness is trustworthy, and by faith we can look to Him to supply all we need for the next step of faith, no matter how small. I Cried to You 30:1-5 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my fo...