TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 3-4 & Psalms 129-130

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 3- Established

2 Chronicles 3:17
“Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.”

In addition to building the Temple, Solomon had two large pillars erected, which he… Read More
2 Chronicles 4- House Of God

2 Chronicles 4:19
“Thus Solomon had all the furnishings made for the house of God…”

The primary purpose of the Temple was to serve as a place where God and man could meet, however, it also serves as an illustration of the our salvation. Each of the furnishing depicts … Read More

Psalm 129- Under Attack

Psalms 129:1
“Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,”

Difficultly is part of the journey for the people of God. Israel as a nation has been under constant scrutiny and attack since its inception and at the same it is true of the child of God. The moment you publicly proclaim the name of Jesus… Read More
Psalm 130- Accusations

Psalm 130:3-4
“If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared.”

The Psalmist is rejoicing in the pardon the Lord provides. In doing so, he considers what would happen to us if the Lord treated our wrongdoings the way we do. What would happen to us if, instead of forgiving sin, God kept a detailed record of it. Instead of removing it as far as the East is from the West, or casting it into the depths of the… Read More

Psalms 128:3
“Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
In the very heart of your house,
Your children like olive plants
All around your table.”

In the financial world it is common to speak of ROI or “Return on Investment.” Decisions are made based upon the projected returns a particular investment will bring. The greater the return the better the investment. Another term used in the financial world is “Risk Free Investment.” Which refers to an investment where you are guaranteed to get back at least what you put in. Here the psalmist is speaking of a risk free investment that will yield a massive return. He writes about marriage and family and describes a scene with the family sitting around the table enjoying sweet fellowship with one another. There are few things in life that are more beautiful than seeing a family loving and caring for one another. This scene is often depicted in movies, art and even on commercials when holidays are approaching. Sadly, the scene is not nearly as common in real life. Statistically speaking the family has been under attack for decades. According to Pew Research Center 1/2 of America’s children are living in a home that has suffered divorce or where their parents were never married.

Since the family is the backbone of society great effort has been enacted in an attempt to strengthen the family. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) represents more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad. While these efforts are valiant and there are certainly times when professional help is necessary there may be a more effective way to change the staggering trend we are on as a nation. What if each of us were to take more seriously our role as parents and make the necessary physical, emotional and spiritual investments in our spouse and children? This type of investment is risk free. The more we pour into our families the greater returns we will later enjoy.

The Bible speaks to husbands and wives to show mutual respect to one another and to express love in tangible and even extraordinary ways. Instead of looking at all the ways your spouse is failing to meet your expectations, take the time to pour into them. Love them, cherish them, respect them and watch what kind of returns you will yield.

The Bible speaks to parents regarding the need to care for, disciple, train, provide for and raise their children to honor, love and properly fear the Lord. This is to be accomplished by spending time with them and using real life as a classroom to instill in them godly values, goals and experience. It is the responsibility of the parent to teach by example. When we learn to live for Christ and walk in grace we will be a living bible for our children to read and follow.

It is never too late! No matter what family life has been like for you it is time to increase the efforts, make the proper investments and patiently await the return you will one day yield. The Bible even promises a day when many will see their prodigal children returning home.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 128

1. In verse 1 of this psalm, we are told that the person whose life is directed by a desire to please the Lord and do things His way is a happy person.  Then we see how this attitude affects various aspects of his life.
2. Look at verse 2.  How will his vocational and financial life be affected?
3. Look at verse 3 and 6. How will his family life be affected?

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 2 Chronicles 1-2 & Psalms 127-128

Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 1- Slip Sliding

2 Chronicles 1:15
“Also the king made silver and gold as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedars as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.”

After Solomon ascended to the throne of David, he was gifted by God with everything necessary to become the greatest king the world had ever known. Because of his father’s military campaigns, the nation would experience a time of peace unlike anything they had ever…Read More
2 Chronicles 2- Heavy Lifting

2 Chronicles 2:5-6
“And the temple which I build will be great, for our God is greater than all gods. But who is able to build Him a temple, since heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I should build Him a temple, except to burn sacrifice before Him?”

Solomon faced a great predicament, he desired to build… Read More
Psalm 127- Why Worry?

Psalm 127:2
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.”

The Psalmist is describing a scenario common to all of us. There are times, when the hand life deals us is difficult to cope with; sleep is effected, and our… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 28-29 & Psalms 124-125

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 28- Looking Ahead

1 Chronicles 28:8
“Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God, be careful to seek out all the commandments of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land, and leave it as an inheritance for your children after you forever.”
…Read More

1 Chronicles 29- Investment

1 Chronicles 29:3
“Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver.”

David, and others, invested in the temple at great personal cost. They devoted their time, talents, and treasures to ensure that the house of the Lord was built. Their devotion to this project… Read More

Psalm 124- One Size Fits All

Psalm 124:8
“Our help is in the name of the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”

I have always been somewhat puzzled by the marketing slogan “one size fits all.” It seems that really means it might fit, but it won’t fit well. It is much like the all-in-one tools that don’t seem to do any jobs quite right… Read More

Psalm 125- Cannot Be Moved

Psalms 125:1
“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.”

1. 4,000 years ago Abraham was instructed to take his son to Mount Zion and offer him to the Lord. 2,800 years ago David purchased the threshing floor of Ornan… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 26-27 & Psalms 122-123

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 26- Small Things

1 Chronicles 26:13
“And they cast lots for each gate, the small as well as the great, according to their father’s house.”

As David recounts those who would serve in the various capacities within the house of the Lord, he reminds us that all service, small or great, is determined by the Lord. Those who would attend to the gates of the city were chosen by… Read More
1 Chronicles 27- Behind The Scenes

1 Chronicles 27:1
“And the children of Israel, according to their number, the heads of fathers’ houses, the captains of thousands and hundreds and their officers, served the king in every matter of the military divisions. These divisions came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division having twenty-four thousand.”

David was the … Read More

Psalm 122- Come With Me

Psalm 122:1
“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us not to forsake the gathering together of the brethren (Hebrews 10:25). In other words; get to church! That is the heart of what David is singing about in this Psalm. He begins by declaring what a blessing it is to have someone invite him to the house of the Lord. Even as the king of a nation, David was still a… Read More

Psalm 123- Free From Sin

Psalm 123:1-2
“Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us.”… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 24-25 & Psalms 120-121

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 24- Raising Leaders

1 Chronicles 24:4
“There were more leaders found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus they were divided. Among the sons of Eleazar were sixteen heads of their fathers’ houses, and eight heads of their fathers’ houses among the sons of Ithamar.”
… Read More

1 Chronicles 25- God Speaks

1 Chronicles 25:1
“Moreover David and the captains of the army separated for the service some of the sons of Asaph, of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, stringed instruments, and cymbals…”

Worship is an important part of the life of the believer and the health of the local church. It is a time when we are able to take our eyes off ourselves and our circumstances and put them on the Lord. It is a time when we are able to declare the truths about the character and behavior of God in a way that brings Him glory and magnifies… Read More

Psalm 121- Lift Up My Eyes

Psalms 121:1-2
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.”

Life is filled with trying … Read More

Psalms 120:4
“Sharp arrows of the warrior,
With coals of the broom tree!”

I grew up hearing “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I am quite certain that those who shared that sentiment with me were trying to help, but I also learned at a rather young age that it simply wasn’t true. Wounds caused by sticks and stones tend to mend both quickly and completely leaving little if any scars. The wounds caused by unkind, abusive or slanderous words have a tendency to linger and sometimes affect us for a lifetime. When it comes to the sharp arrows of the tongue there are a few things we need to keep in mind.

First off, it is important to remember that our words will have an impact on others. If we speak kind, uplifting and challenging words we will find our relationships enhanced and see others develop into healthy individuals. If we speak harsh, bitter, angry and demeaning words we will find that the spirit of others is drastically and negatively impacted. This is particularly true in marriage and child rearing. The words we speak can be like arrows that destroy the lives we are seeking to help.

Secondly, if you have been negatively shaped by the harsh words of others it is important to remember that there is grace for that. You may carry insecurities because growing up you heard things that caused you to think you would never measure up. As real as those insecurities and their impact upon you actions might be we can take comfort in knowing that God is always able to provide what is lacking. Instead of being crippled by them we can look to the one who will provide the Spirit of Christ Jesus and find that we are more than able to succeed even with all our shortcomings.

Pastor Jim

TODAY’S DAILY READING: Psalm 119- Ashamed

Psalm 119:5-6
“Oh, that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, when I look into all Your commandments”

The devil is crafty and a master of deception. Paul referred to him as an angel of light, because of his ability to disguise himself in order to fool the Christian.

When we are first introduced to him in the garden,  we watch as he tricks Eve into thinking the one thing that… Read More

 

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 22-23 & Psalms 117-118

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 22- The Word Of God Is Greater

1 Chronicles 22:13
“Then you will prosper, if you take care to fulfill the statutes and judgments with which the Lord charged Moses concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

As the time of David’s departure drew near he took the time to… Read More

1 Chronicles 23- Everyday

1 Chronicles 23:30
“. . . to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening; . . .”

The Levites were the tribe appointed to serve around the Tabernacle and later, the Temple. Here, we are reminded of their duties. Webster defines duty as “assigned service, obligation or required activity.” Their duty included beginning and ending each day with worship. They were to stand… Read More

 

Psalm 117- Short But Sweet

Psalm 117
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!
For His merciful kindness is great toward us,
And the truth of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!”

It is not always the longest, or even the most creative works, that become the most well known. I am not a poet, and cannot speak to the artistic side of things, but I doubt… Read More

 

Psalms 118:12
“They surrounded me like bees; They were quenched like a fire of thorns; For in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.”

A few years ago I was part of an outreach in a remote area of northern Ghana. One afternoon a few of us went for a walk along a path that led us to the small river that skirted the village. As we weaved out way through the bush we were suddenly confronted with an odd buzzing sound. At first it was difficult to discern exactly where it was coming from, that is until we made our way past a large tree and the obscure noise suddenly made sense. We had inadvertently walked right beside a large bee hive and we could now see what was making all that racket. We immediately turned and began to run as fast as our legs would take us. As we ran a friend reminded us of the B-budget movie from the 70’s called The Swarm about killer African bees that attacked unsuspecting people. All we could think of was to run for a body of water to dive into and escape.

Fortunately we escaped unharmed and were able to laugh about our close encounter with the dangers of wild Africa, but apparently the psalmist had some bee experiences of his own that he reflected upon when times got tough. He speaks of his trials surrounding him like a swarm of bees. It does not take personal experience to discover that this would create chaos, confusion and fatigue. While we may not all have been chased by bees we can all speak of times when difficulties mounted up against us and made life almost unbearable and all we could think of was how to escape. In times like those it is important to remember that the mercy of God endures forever and he wants to come to our aid and to provide us with comfort for the difficulty and ultimately deliverance from our struggles.

If life is like a swarm of bees turning your world upside down, remember that there is a secret place of the most high where you can hide and find comfort, protection and deliverance.

Pastor Jim

Questions for Psalm 118

1. “His mercy endures forever” what does this mean to you?
2. Read verses 8-9, is it better? How are you going to put faith to these words today?
3. As you read you the entire psalm you understand that the writer is speaking of Jesus. Over 1000 years before the birth of Jesus.