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 ...

Hasten to My Help Psalm 70 It is not forbidden us, in hours of dire distress, to ask for speed on God's part in his coming to rescue us. Charles Spurgeon If I’m honest, my timetable is rarely in step with the Lord’s. I seek God’s answer to my prayer and I think I know the time He ought to step in and answer. I wish I could direct His Omnipotent hand to bring about my relief in what I would deem a timely manner. I see the minutes, days, weeks, perhaps even years go by and I think the sooner He answers me, the better. At times, His answer to my earnest prayers is delayed, or seems to be. In Habakkuk 2:3 God is speaking to Habakkuk about a vision he has had concerning the future of the southern kingdom of Judah. “The vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3 NASB). I think there are several principles of which we can remind ourselves when we desire...

Revive Me! Psalm 69 LORD, revive Your work. Habakkuk 3:2 For the believer, the word “revive” has a two fold meaning. In one sense, we have been revived by our Lord in that we were once “dead in our trespasses and sins” but God “made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:1,5 NASB). We were dead spiritually, but God gave us new life in Christ. He revived us by redeeming us and paying the ransom price, the debt, we owed. “The price we owe to the Lord is the price of our very lives, which we ourselves cannot pay, but Jesus paid this price in the place of all who trust in Him alone for salvation” (Tabletalk, June 2020). The second sense in which we as believers can be revived is in gaining new strength, increased vitality, to our spiritual life and walk with Christ. We must first be brought into a new life with Christ, and then the power of His Holy Spirit invigorates and revives us in an ongoing basis so that we can continually be increasing in our nearness and intimacy with the Savi...

Courage in Times of Deep Water Psalm 69 I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. Psalm 69:2 In our psalm today, David expresses his hardships in vivid language. We can sense his desperation when we read the first few verses that describe his difficulty with phrases like “the waters come up to my neck,” and “I sink in deep mire.” He continues, “I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.” He’s weary with his crying. His throat is parched  because of his continual cries. He is weary with waiting on God. We do not know the circumstances that have brought David to this place where he feels like he is drowning in affliction, but I’m thankful we do not have all the details. In his commentary on the Psalms, Longman says, “The troubles are not specific, which is in keeping with the purpose of the Psalms to provide templates of prayers for later worshippers who have similar, though not identical, issues.” Without specifics, we are able to insert ourselves ...

Protector of Widows Psalm 68 He is…the Protector of Widows. He is so glorious that he rides on the heavens, but so compassionate that he remembers the poor of the earth. How zealously ought his church to cherish those who are here marked out as Jehovah's especial charge. Charles Spurgeon The context of Psalm 68 is God as the Divine Warrior of His people. He scatters His enemies and all those who hate Him flee. The analogy the psalmist uses is that of wax melting before the fire, and so shall God’s enemies be. And because of the great deliverances He procures for His people, He is their Divine Warrior and their Great Champion. He is described as having chariots twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands (68:17). He is the God of salvation, who daily bears up His people, summoning His power on their behalf (68:19-20,28). And in this context, God declares Himself to be the Protector of widows (Psalm 68:5).  “Loss of a spouse is one of the most negative life events, next only to the ...

His Shining Face Psalm 67 The blessing of God’s shining face upon us is an indescribable benefit and guarantees that His Spirit is working among us. The Face of Blessing, Ligonier In Numbers 6:24-26, the Lord instructs Aaron and his sons to speak a blessing over the people of Israel. The blessing may be familiar: The LORD bless you and keep you;  The LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. In Psalm 67, the psalmist uses some of the language of the priestly blessing at the beginning of the psalm. He is requesting for God to be gracious to them, to bless them, and to make His face shine upon them. To have God’s face shining on them meant the near presence of the Lord to impart His life, His blessing, His favor on His people. What joy and security comes to God’s people when His face shines upon them!  At times it may feel that God is hiding His face from us. Several times in the psalms we see a des...

Tested and Tried Psalm 66 The reason the Lord holds you to the fire is not to punish you, but to reveal the splendor of Christ through your life. Mary Kassian  Proverbs 25:4 says, “Take away the dross from the silver and there comes out a vessel for the smith.” The purification of silver happens when silver goes through the process of heating. The dross, the worthless part and impurities, separates from the pure silver and can then be poured off. Through this process the silversmith obtains a useful substance, a vessel fit for the task of its master. Throughout Scripture God uses this analogy to describe His work in our lives. He tests us in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10). In the afflictions of life, He is refining us, purifying us. Peter tells us that though we are distressed by various trials, it is to show the genuineness of our faith, a faith more precious than gold or silver, tested by fire, to result in praise and honor and glory (1 Peter 1:6-7). And in Psalm 66, th...