Savoring the Scripture

A Piercing that Drives Us to Our Knees: to the mothers of the brokenhearted and the wandering Where there is a praying mother there is always hope. J.C.Ryle From the time our children are a positive line on a pregnancy test and then placed in our arms for the first time, our hearts as their mother are intricately intertwined with theirs. The first cry brings tears and joy, such inexpressible joy. And then they grow, and we love to see them exploring, learning, and developing their personalities. But the moment they come home having faced rejection for the first time, or they struggle with a mental illness that leaves us feeling deeply inadequate, or we get an email from the school that they’ve been caught cheating, each taste of sorrow and sin that they taste, we experience as well. The words spoken to Mary could be the gentle warning each mother must heed, “and a sword will pierce even your own soul”(Luke 2:35).  I’m not sure our children will understand until they become parents ...

A Prayer When Suffering Seems Without Boundaries Psalm 118 "And I placed boundaries on it and set a bolt and doors, And I said, “Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop" (Job 38:10-11 NASBS). The Lord spoke these words to Job explaining His mighty power and ruling of all things. The boundaries the Lord set on the seas and oceans were not the only things He hemmed in with His power and authority. If you read through Job 38-40, it is astounding to think of all the things our Lord governs. He laid the foundations of the earth, commands the morning and causes the dawn to know its place, He reserves storehouses of snow and hail for His appointed time, He divides the light and directs the wind, brings rain, and makes seeds sprout. He wisely governs all these things. Not only did God show His power to place limitations on the created world, but also in the story of Job, He demonstrates His power and right to exercise a restraining hand on the su...

. Trusting God in the Dark Psalm 106 To trust God in the light is nothing, but to trust Him in the dark—that’s faith.  Spurgeon  Psalm 106 is another remembrance Psalm that walks through the Israelites’ history. The composer of Psalm 106 sits in exile waiting on the Lord’s deliverance. What we will see in the recounting of their history is that when God delivers the Israelites, then they believe in Him. But when things are hard, when they are thirsting in the wilderness, or craving more than manna to eat, when they grow impatient waiting for the Lord, their response is not one of faith. They trust God in the light but fall away in the dark. As the writer of Hebrews testifies, “the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard” (Hebrews 4:2 NASBS, emphasis mine). They lacked the faith that would trust God in the dark.  These things are written as an example for us and they are written for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11)....

Prayer for a Steadfast Heart Psalm 57 We may in times of great straits expect mercies of a remarkable kind. Charles Spurgeon In the book of Philippians, Paul is writing to the Philippians while he sits in jail. He loves them deeply and desires that they continue to pursue Christ. He knows they are suffering and yet he encourages them that this is a gracious gift given to them in order that they may know Christ more deeply (Philippians 1:29; 3:10). He himself is suffering but rejoicing even in his imprisonment. And he tells them he is pressing on and straining forward “toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (3:14). He is able to press on, to remain steadfast and diligent, “because Christ has made me his own” (3:12). Christ had made Paul his own.  If we are in Christ today it is because Christ has made us His own. He has purchased us with His precious blood. He has redeemed us from the power of sin and death. He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Himself. There i...

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 25 Praying for a Beloved Friend, pt.1 Walking with a friend in the dark, is better than walking alone in the light. Helen Keller Friendship is a beautiful gift from God. I am thankful that He has blessed me abundantly with sweet friends throughout my life. True friends will speak truth, give comfort, be faithful, and encourage one another and much more. Friendship in Christ is even sweeter as we have the joy of being family, who all share the same Father. A wonderful privilege we have toward our sister-friends is to come before our Heavenly Father on their behalf. Today, let’s come before the throne of grace and seek our Father’s help for a friend. Lifting the Soul to God 25:1-3 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.   Heavenly Father, I pray: ▫️My dear friend would lift her soul to You, an...

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 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...

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...