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.

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 20-21 & Psalms 115-116

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 20- Let’s Battle

1 Chronicles 20:1
“It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle… But David stayed at Jerusalem…”

Although the writer of Chronicles does not include it here, this is the time when David compromised, broke… Read More

1 Chronicles 21- Full Price

1 Chronicles 21:24
“Then King David said to Ornan, ‘No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.’” 

When it comes to worship, we can learn much from King David. The longest book in the Bible is a book of praise songs, and David… Read More
Psalm 115- In His Image

Psalm 115:8
“Those who make them are like them; so is everyone who trusts in them.”

I remember being in a cultural anthropology class in college, when the professor said, “the Bible says man was created in the image of God, but I believe God was created in the image of man.” While I… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 18-19 & Psalms 113-114

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 18- Team Work

1 Chronicles 18:1
“After this it came to pass that David attacked the Philistines, subdued them, and took Gath and its towns from the hand of the Philistines.”

This chapter records the successful military endeavors of King David. We read of his defeating, or… Read More

1 Chronicles 19- When Things Go Wrong

1 Chronicles 19:4
“Therefore Hanun took David’s servants, shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle, at their buttocks, and sent them away.”

David sent a handful of his men, as goodwill ambassadors, to Ammon. They went with a gift, as a way to offer condolences to the king for the death of his father. When they arrived, instead of being welcomed, they were brutally mistreated and embarrassed; their beards were shaved and their clothing cut to reveal

… Read More

Psalm 113- He Humbles Himself

Psalm 113:6
“Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?”

A few years ago my wife and I were window shopping at an outdoor mall in southern California when we stumbled onto a crowd of people huddled around a large telescope. We decided to stand in line and see what they were… Read More 

Psalm 114- Rock Into Water

Psalms 114:8
“Who turned the rock into a pool of water, The flint into a fountain of waters.”

Israel was in a bad place. Conservative estimates calculate the camp of Israel to be nearly 2 million souls. They had left the comfort of the Nile river and began the arduous journey through… Read More

TODAY’S DAILY READING: 1 Chronicles 16-17 & Psalms 111-112

Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 16- Let’s Talk

1 Chronicles 16:23
“Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.”

Over the years, I have met Christians who seem crippled by uncertainty. They struggle with every decision they make, because they don’t seem to be able to determine God’s will. It is true God has a perfect plan for our lives, and to understand…Read More

1 Chronicles 17- Not Now

1 Chronicles 17:2
“Then Nathan said to David, ‘Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.’”

David learned it is possible to have a great desire to do something, that is not the will of God. His heart burned within him to build a more permanent structure to house the… Read More

Psalms 111- In The Congregation

Psalm 111:1
“Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.”

God created us as social beings; we need the companionship of one another. Knowing that being together is a necessary part of healthy development and spiritual… Read More