Star Light, Shine Bright

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 8
Star Light, Shine Bright

* Pray. Ask God to give you an open heart and mind to learn new truths from His Word. Read Psalm 8 through three times. Record any thoughts or questions you have in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, write it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

Have you ever gone outside on a dark starry night and looked up into the heavens? When I was growing up I had a horse named Flicka. We lived out in the country, so when it got dark at night, it was really dark making the tiniest light shine as brightly as high school stadium lights. There were times when I would go outside at night to Flicka’s pen. If she was laying down, I would climb on top of her back, lay down, and look up into the skies. On a clear night, there would be billions upon billions of stars filling up the sky making it look as if the sun were shining brightly; sometimes I even saw stars falling down from the heavens to the earth. It was absolutely beautiful!

David penned Psalm 8 as he looked up into the night skies beholding the beauty of God’s creation. I doubt that he was laying on the back on his horse though when he composed this Psalm; it is more likely that he was walking in the courtyard of the palace or out on the balcony. Wherever he was, he was taken aback at the beauty of the world around him and he was giving God proper praise. He sang praises to God as beautiful music accompanied him on a guitar-like harp.

Have you ever been so taken aback by the awesomeness of God’s creation and then wondered why in the world He created us? As David beheld the majesty of the world around him, he thought this exact thing, “When I consider Your heavens, the works of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit Him? (Psalm 8:3 & 4) What in the whole wide world is man that an Infinite, All-Powerful, All-Loving, All-knowing, Perfect, Holy God would think of him? God has so much more to think about and enjoy, right? He created light and darkness, the heavens and the earth, dry land that would yield plants and flowers, and trees and herbs. He created the sun and the moon, the stars and the seasons. God created the fish of the sea and the birds of the air. He created cattle and other four-legged animals. Oh, and don’t forget about all the creepy crawly things He created. Then, after all that, He created man in His own image. Mankind. Created by God last. If God created us last why would He still be mindful of us? How would He even remember us after everything else? Ahh, my friend! Here’s the deal. We, you and I, were the crowning glory of God’s creation. You see, yes the light shone, and the darkness covered. The flowers bloomed and the trees bore fruit. The planets rotated and the stars twinkled. Fish swam and birds flew. Cows mooed and bugs crawled. But, none of them conversed with God. None of them praised God. None of them had that ability. Not one of them were created in His image with the capacity to think and feel and love. Except man. God created man to fellowship with him. To walk with him and talk with him. To laugh with him and cry with him. To love him above all else; love him so much in fact that He would sacrifice the life of His precious Son. Do you get that? God is mindful of us because He loves us and desires fellowship with us. It totally baffles my mind. I don’t get it all, but I praise Him because of it. His name is EXCELLENT in all the earth! Shout praises to Elohim, the God of creation today.

Living out the Word
The next dark starry night you have in your neck of the woods, I challenge you to go outside, take your family with you, and look up into the night sky. Soak in the majestic beauty of the world around you. Praise the God who created the heavens and earth. Let it be an opportunity to teach your children the importance of shining brightly like the stars do for Jesus.

Praying Scripture back to the Lord
Father, I bless Your Name. From the this day forth and forevermore, I praise You. When the sun rises and when it sets, my lips shall praise Your Name. You are the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. You reign supreme in all the earth. There is none like You. To You, I give all glory and praise.

Praying Scripture- Psalm 113

How do you SEE God?

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 7

How do you SEE God?

* Pray. Ask God to give you an open heart and mind to learn new truths from His Word. Read Psalm 7 through three times. Record any thoughts or questions you have in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, write it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

It appears by the title, “A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the LORD concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite,” that this Psalm was composed in reference to a particular time when David had been falsely accused by his enemies. Instead of lashing out at them, David appeals to God for favor (Psalm 7:1 & 2). He petitions God concerning his innocence as to the things he was accused of (Psalm 7:3-5). David prays to God to be his Judge (Psalm 7:6-9). He expresses his confidence in God that He would take care of him and rightfully judge his enemy (Psalm 7:10-16). And, in the end, David promises to give God the glory for his deliverance (Psalm 7:17).

As I read through this Psalm several times, I kept asking the Lord, “what is it that You are wanting me to see here?” There is a lot about the history of this Psalm that isn’t certain; for example who was Cush, the Benjamite and what was the exact occasion of the writing of this Psalm. The history of the Psalms, although very enlightening at times, wasn’t what was important here. God was asking me two things:
1. How do you approach Me in prayer?
2. Do you praise Me in the storm?

Let’s briefly take a look back at what we do know about the writing of this Psalm before we tackle these questions. It won’t take long. David had been falsely accused by an enemy and took it to God in prayer. That’s it. That’s basically what we need to know about the writing of this Psalm. Now, I want us to focus on the first part of verse 1 and then we will pray verse 17 back to the LORD.

Psalm 7:1a- “O LORD my God, in You I put my trust”
There are three words I want you to see in the original Hebrew language. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament was written in Greek. The text that we have today is a transliteration of the Hebrew and Greek language.

*LORD= Yahweh- I AM, The Self-Existent One, The One Who Is- The name Yahweh is the most scared, holy name for God to His people. Anytime you see LORD is all capital letters, it represents Yahweh, the Great I AM.

*God= Elohim- The All-Powerful One, Creator-This name is usually associated with God in relation to His creation.

*Trust= chasah- This word means to flee to for protection, to confide in, to have hope in, to make refuge in, and to put trust in.

Okay. So we have a few definitions to some words. What’s the big deal? Hold tight, I’m going to show you. David uttered these words in a time of prayer directed to God. Here is the first instance in the Psalms where he addresses God by the combined names LORD (Yahweh) and God. There are no other words more fitting to begin a time of prayer or praise to God. David was reverencing God for who and what He was. To David, God was the most scared, holy Being. God was the Great I AM, the All-Powerful One, the Creator of the universe. David was giving God the praise and reverence that was due His name. Because David had a proper view of who God was, he had great trust in God. God was to David, a place he could flee to for protection during the storms of life; Someone he could confide in. When the world around him was hopeless, God was David’s hope.

Reading through this made me stop and think- David’s view of God was the exact person of God and he acknowledged Him as such. His view wasn’t obscured or tainted by what was going on around him. He still knew, not only in his mind, but also in his heart who God was. That’s why David was able to approach God in trust. When I was growing up I had a black lab named Jake. As he got older, he developed cataracts on his eyes. Eventually, it became very hard for him to see; his vision was blurred causing him to run into things because he didn’t have a clear picture of what was in front of him. David’s vision wasn’t blurred by the current storm that he was in. He had a clear picture of exactly who God was. I must confess to you (I already did to God), I don’t always acknowledge Him as LORD God, the Great I AM, the Creator of the universe, especially in the midst of the storms. There are times when I allow my circumstances to obscure my view of who God is. I look to others to be my refuge and confidante instead of looking to Yahweh, whose very name shows His character of faithfulness and trust.

Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
What about you? How do you approach God in prayer? Do you begin by giving Him the praise due His name or has your view of who He is been blurred by your circumstances?

Beloved, stop what you are doing right now. Allow God to do some corrective eye surgery on you (and open heart surgery if necessary) so that you can see Him for exactly who He is. Sing praise to the LORD according to His righteousness, sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High. Give Him the praise due His name. Place your trust in Him. Allow Him to be your refuge and strength.

Praying Scripture back to the Lord
O LORD, my God, I give You praise right now because You are righteousness. You are truth. In You alone do I place my trust. You are strength to the weary and a refuge to the oppressed. I will fear no one because You are the strength of my life. To You, O LORD, do I lift my hands in praise and my voice proclaims Your awesomeness, for You are the LORD Most High and King over all the earth. I will praise Your name all my days.

Praying Scripture verses- Psalm 9:9; Psalm 27:1; Psalm 46:1; Psalm 47:1-2

Discipline=Christ-likeness

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 6

Discipline=Christ-likeness

David was a weeping prophet like Jeremiah, and this psalm is one of his lamentations: it was either penned in a time, or at least calculated for a time, of great trouble, both outward and inward. This is a Psalm for the afflicted and sick. The tone of Psalm 6 is one of sorrow, humiliation, and hatred of sin. David begins with dejected complaints, but ends with joyful praises; like Hannah, who went to prayer with a sorrowing spirit, but, when she had prayed to the LORD, went her way, and her countenance was changed from sadness to joy. There are three things the psalmist is complaining of in this Psalm:

1. Sickness of body.

2. Trouble of mind, arising from a sense of sin

3. The insults of his enemies due to both his physical sickness and the sickness of his soul

* Read Psalm 6 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

This Psalm can be broken down into two parts.
I. The plea of the Psalmist in his distress. David pours out his complaints before God, protests against God’s wrath, and begs earnestly for the return of His favor- Psalm 6:1-7

In verses 1-6, it is evident that the Psalmist is experiencing a time of discipline from God. There are two ways God goes about bringing His children into submissive obedience. God uses His Word to reprove them; and His rod, with which He disciplines them. God’s Word comes first to His children, giving them warning through His servants, i.e. Pastors, Godly friends, mentors, etc. David had one such man in his life who brought to his attention sin, when it had crept its way in. Remember Nathan, when he came before David and called out his sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12)? God uses Godly men and women to aid Him in calling sinners to repentance. When verbal warnings and rebuke don’t work, like a good father, God spares not His rod in order not to spoil His child. Being disciplined by the Lord is not a fun process, but it results in our being more Christ-like.

“6) And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom He receives."
7) It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8) If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
9) Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?
10) For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
11) For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Hebrews 12:6-11, ESV

Notice again what verse 10 says, “For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.” God disciplines us for our good so that we can be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16). He knows what’s best for us and He knows the end results of who we will be- He also knows what’s it’s going to take to get us to that point of holiness, therefore discipline is good. David, wasn’t overly thrilled with this time of discipline, but he received it from God asking God to discipline him with mercy, because he knew that the outcome would be him being more like God.

II. Confidence in God because He has heard the Psalmist prayers. David assures himself of an answer of peace, because he has great faith in his God- Psalm 6:8-10
What a vast contrast from what we’ve just seen in the Psalmist, a heart full of hopelessness now turned to hope. David had hope because God had heard to voice of his weeping. God had seen the tears streaming from David’s eye as he tossed and turned in his bed at night unable to sleep. Not only did God see the tears streaming from David’s eyes, God also saw the weeping of David’s heart. David was grieved over his sin and truly repentant of his offense against the LORD. Now that God had heard his prayers and received his repentant heart, David’s enemies could do nothing to him. He had been victorious because God was on his side.

Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
When your times of discipline come, how to you receive them? Do you take to heart the counsel of Godly men and women with whom the Lord has placed in your life to draw you closer to Him? Do you submit to God’s discipline, knowing that it’s going to cause you to be more like Him or do you run as fast as you can in the other direction to avoid it? Beloved, remember, God disciplines those He loves and His discipline is for our benefit.

What is your attitude toward the sin in your life? Do rivers of water run down from your eyes because you have sinned against a Perfect and Holy God (Psalm 119:136)? More importantly, is your heart weeping over the sin in your life? Is your heart truly repentant over your sin? To be truly repentant means that one agrees with God’s view of sin, confesses it to Him and turns from it, desiring in her heart not to return to it. Confess your sins to the Lord, He is faithful to forgive (1 John 1:9).

Precious Father, reveal to me any sin in my life that is hindering me from becoming more like You. If times of discipline are needed, I welcome them with open arms. My desire is to more like You everyday- do what is necessary to burn away the impurities of my heart. Mold me and make me into the Godly women You have created me to be.

Hello out There!

Hey, ladies. Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. I've had my head buried in the books, writing and studying for the I AM, Who? study. I hope you understand. The study is going really well. We have a great group of ladies who have come together to dig into God's Word. If you are close by and not involved in a Bible Study on Wednesday nights, we'd love for you to join us. I covet your prayers as I prepare and lead this study.

So, what have you all been up to lately? How has God been working in your life? Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear from you. If you are getting these posts through your eamil, hop on over to the blog and leave a comment at the end of this post. Look forward to hearing from all of you.

Much love and abundant blessings!

My God and my King

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 5

My God and My King

In Psalm 5 we again see a contrast between the wicked man who boasts in his sin and the man made righteous by the grace of God. This Psalm was meant to be celebrated in community worship with the accompaniment of wind instruments. Psalm 5 is a Psalm of David.

* Read Psalm 5 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

“Give ear to my words… my King and my God… my voice You shall hear in the morning… and I will look up.” (Psalm 5:1-3) David begins this Psalm by asking God to hear him when he calls out. Even though David was king over Israel, he understood that there was One King greater than he, the Lord God Almighty. I can just imagine David laying in his bed in the early morning hours looking up to his God conversing with Him. I think David realized the importance of beginning his day with God. Not only in the mornings did he pray and cry out to God, but Psalm 55:17, tells us that morning, noon, and night David called out to God. He was always in conversation with God. He knew he desperately needed God to make it through life.

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness”(Psalm 5:4) God is holy. He says it of Himself in Leviticus 19:2. Where sin is, God cannot be. Where evilness is practiced, God cannot dwell. Where lies are told, God will remain silent. God and sin are like oil and water, they don’t mix. God delights only in truth; the truth of who He is (Psalm 51:6).

“In fear of You I will worship… lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness” (Psalm 5:7-8) When we approach God, we are to come to Him in a spirit of reverence and respect. We are to come before Him with the utmost honor and esteem Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As followers of Christ, we are to walk in His way, being obedient to His direction for our lives. God’s plans and directions for our lives are better than any plan we could conjure up in our minds. His plans are to prosper us and give us peace (Jeremiah 29:11).

“For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is destruction; their throat is an open tomb; they flatter with their tongue.”(Psalm 5:9) Here again is another evidence of the wicked man. In the mouth of the wicked there in nothing faithful or prosperous. In looking more into this verse, I found something very interesting. Tombs were sealed not only to show proper respect for the one who had passed away, but also to keep the sight and stench of the decaying body on the inside. An unsealed tomb would allow all those who are passing by to see and smell the foul decaying body of the dead. The throat of the wicked man is like that of the unsealed tomb. It is open wide allowing the foulness and decaying heart to spill forth evilness and destruction.

“But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.” (Psalm 5:11-12)

As a daughter of the King, I can rejoice and be glad because God is my Defender and Protector. He is my Shield and my Strong Tower.

Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
Do you begin your day with God? Do you rise before the sun to prepare your heart for the day (Proverbs 31:15)? The thought of getting up early in the morning to spend time with God seemed impossible to me for a long time. My thoughts were, “I’ll spend time with God before I go to bed”. For me personally, I’ve found (and Scripture speaks to it on more than one occasion) it is an absolute necessity to rise before the sun and my family to spend time with my King and my God. Starting my day with Him, gets my heart prepared for what’s to come throughout the day. If you aren’t in the habit of being the first one in your house to rise in the mornings, I want to challenge you to set your alarm clocks 30 minutes early tomorrow morning and when it goes off, get up and meet with God. Allow God to hear your voice calling out to Him in the morning. He’s listening for you.

Is there sin in your life that is keeping you from hearing God speak? Confess your sin to Him today; He is faithful and just to forgive you (1 John 1:9) Allow Him to wash you in the precious blood of the Lamb making you as white as snow.

Do you approach God in awe and reverence? Do you esteem Him as great? Are you following His direction for you life or have you made up your own plans?

What is spilling forth from your mouth? Words to encourage? Words to tear down? A sweet, pleasant aroma or a foul aroma of death? Ephesians 4:29 says, “Say only what will help to build others up and meet their needs.”

Rejoice in God today because He is your Defender and Protector! Praise His name.

Father, You are my King. You are my Lord. Early will I seek You. Please keep my tongue from evil and fill my heart with good things so that my mouth spills forth encouragement and praise. If there be any wickedness within me, wash me in the blood of the Lamb. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness. Show me Your path, O Lord; make me to walk in Your way. I praise Your name, Precious Lord.

My Righteousness

Psalm of the Day

Psalm 4

My Righteousness

Psalm 4 is considered to be a continuation of Psalm 3. There are similarities shared by these two

Psalms. In the writing of this Psalm, David is once again overwhelmed with suffering, injustice, and oppression from his enemies. As with Psalm 3, we will see in Psalm 4 David, as he goes from apprehension about his present situation to assurance in his God. Psalm 3 is often times labeled a morning Psalm, while Psalm 4 is labeled an evening Psalm.

The title of Psalm 4 is “To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.” The chief musician was the master or director of the temple choir. David appointed three men to be the chief musicians: Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun. Along with these men, David chose other men to make up the choir; a total of 288 men. All of these men were Levites; men, if you recall, who were first set apart for God’s service in the wilderness. At that time their primary task was to carry and take care of the Ark of the Covenant, God’s holy dwelling place. David increased their job duties to include them singing Psalms of praise to God (see 1 Chronicles 6:31-48; 15:16-22; 25:1; and 25:7 for more reading on the chief musicians and the temple choir).

Psalm 4 was given to the chief musicians to be sung in the temple while being accompanied by beautiful melodies played on stringed instruments.

“1) Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.”

Once again, in his time of need, David is calling out to God. This is a testimony to the One who calls Himself Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11). God is our righteousness. Righteousness comes from the Hebrew word, tsadaq, which means to be made right, cleanse, turn into righteous. God, through Christ Jesus, brought us back into right standing with Himself. He has cleansed us from our sins, making us righteous in His sight. I don’t know about you, but that makes me want to shout HALELLUJAH! I had a whole lot of sin to be cleansed from. Praise His name! He’s big enough to cover all our junk!

“2)How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? 3) But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; the LORD will hear when I call to Him.”

In verses 2 and 3 there is a contrast made between the ungodly and the godly. The ungodly man has no purpose. All that he does is of no value, empty, worthless. He desires things that are not true and fills his life with them. The ungodly man tries to fill the void in his heart with anything he can get his hands on. The godly on the other hand, has been set apart by the Lord for so much more. He has been commissioned to be holy as God is holy (1 Peter 1:16). His heart is filled with the things of God. The godly have been blessed by God. As a child of God, David knows that God will hear him when he calls.

“4) Be angry and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. 5) Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.”

My son, at times, has trouble with anger and acting on his anger. We are trying to teach him that it’s ok to be angry, but it’s not ok to fly off the handle because of that anger. It’s what we do with the anger that matters. Verse 4 literally tells us to find a place where we can sit, be still, and think in our hearts about the situation. What is it that caused the anger? Why has it made me angry? Was it something that was done intentionally to me or unintentionally? How does God want me to react? If we are to be holy, as He is holy, and offer to Him sacrifices of righteousness, then our anger must be controlled.

“6)There are many who say, ‘Who will show us any good?’ LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. 7) You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased. 8) I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

Sadly, many today are seeking the “good” of this world and not the goodness of God which only comes through a personal relationship with Him. There are no pleasures of this world that will satisfy the deep longings of man. Only God Almighty, satisfies the empty soul and brings gladness to the heart. As in Psalm 3, God gives true peace to His children and causes them to dwell in safety.

Questions to Answer- Thoughts to Ponder
Can you testify to a time in your life when God has been faithful and true?

How reassuring is it to you to know that God will hear you when you call out to Him? We do not walk through this life alone. God will never leave us nor forsake us. Your family may leave you, your friends may leave you, but Precious One, God will never leave you. You can take that to the bank! (Hebrews 13:5)

If we are to be holy, as He is holy, and offer to Him sacrifices of righteousness, then our anger must be controlled. Do you have a problem with anger? Give it to the Lord. Trust Him to take care of it. The next time you feel anger welling-up within you, put into practice Psalm 4:4.

Who or what are you looking to to satisfy your soul? Christ is the only One who can quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger. “And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’” John 6:35

Oh, Father, how I praise Your Name. Thank You for being my righteousness. Thank You that You are Faithful and True. You are the only One who can satisfy the deepest longing of my heart. You are my peace and my safety. Help me to be holy as You are holy.

God is our Defense

Psalm of the Day

Psalm 3

God is Our Defense

Psalm 3 was composed by King David on the occasion of his fleeing from his son Absalom. We’ve looked into the background of this Psalm the already, so let’s jump right into the text to see how David reacted to his enemies and what we can learn from him.

“1) LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. 2) Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God’. Selah 3) But You, O LORD, are a shield to me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. 4) I cried to the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. 5) I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. 6) I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7) Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. 8) Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people.”
Psalm 3:1-8

David’s enemies were great in number. Absalom and his followers all said there was no one to help David, even his God. They were looking only at what they could see with their eyes. David saw with his heart and he knew God was his shield and protection. Because of David’s great trust and faith in God, he had confidence that God was going to take care of him. He didn’t lay awake at night wondering and worrying about what was going on around him. He was able to sleep in peace and wake to the newness of the next morning with hope in God. Sure David was troubled over the situation, who wouldn’t be? But he cried out to God for help and gave all his cares and worries over to Him to take care of.

How many times do we cry out to God in our times of greatest need only to cling to the problem instead of allowing Him to be the problem solver? Trust God with your greatest needs and worries; He always hears to cries of His children. Then through God you will find true rest, true peace- a peace that passes all understanding. We can rest in His arms no matter what the circumstances around us might be. His arms are shields of protection.

Allow God to be your strength and shield today. Let Him wrap His arms around you. Trust in Him and He will help you. Cast all your cares upon Him. Don't fear the enemy who surrounds you, God is your defense.

How do You Treat Your Enemies?

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 3

How do You Treat Your Enemies?

Psalm 3 is composed by David on the occasion of his fleeing from his son Absalom who was leading a revolt against his father trying to overtake the kingdom. It is a Psalm that contains examples of praise, peace, and prayer in the midst of great adversity. Psalm 3 is a confident prayer of the king who was forced to flee his palace in the dead of the night surrounded by a multitude of enemies. Although many of David’s enemies were convinced he had no hope, David found safety and protection through the night giving him confidence in God’s ultimate deliverance of him. Because of David’s fleeing during the night and God’s protection of him, Psalm 3 is considered to be a morning Psalm.

* Read Psalm 3 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

Today I would like for you to read 2 Samuel 15-18. This is the account of Absalom’s revolt against his father. Reading through this, I believe, will give us more insight into the true meaning of Psalm 3.

*In 2 Samuel 15:1-12, what is Absalom telling the people? What is the motive behind his new found interest in them?

*Upon hearing what Absalom was doing, what action did King David take? Read 2 Samuel 15:14.

*2 Samuel 15:19-21 tells us that Ittai followed King David when he fled. King David urged him to return, but Ittai would not. Why do you think Ittai chose to follow King David? This reminds me of when Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah were returning to Bethlehem after the deaths of their spouses and sons. Naomi urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their homeland and be with their own people. Orpah quickly returned, but Ruth said to Naomi, (I’m paraphrasing here) “where you go, I go, your people are my people, your God is my God” (see Ruth 1:16 & 17). Ruth was a Moabite. She had came from a place and a people who worshipped pagan gods. Ruth had seen in Naomi, an Israelite (remember the Israelites are God’s chosen people) something different and she wanted it. Could it be that Ittai saw in King David a heart that followed after God and he desired to have that for himself? King David and Naomi had great influence on the people around them. What kind of influence on you having on those around you? Are you drawing them to God by the way you live your life or are you pushing them farther away?

*King David went to the top of the Mount of Olives weeping with every step he took. He was in a state of mourning, both outwardly, apparent by the head covering and bare feet, and inwardly apparent by the tears he shed (2 Samuel 15:30). Why do you think King David was in a state of mourning? I believe he was weeping over the rebelliousness and lostness of his son, Absalom, not only toward him, but more importantly toward God. Psalm 119:135 says, “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your Law.” Do you weep over the sins and lostness of your loved ones? Do you lift them up to the Lord?

*In 2 Samuel 16:5-14, what happened to King David when he came to Bahurim? What was his reaction to Shimei? How do you react in the midst of persecution? Do you look at it as an opportunity for you to grow to be more like Christ or do you kick and scream and fight back?

*We see in 2 Samuel 18, King David and his men preparing to go to battle against Absalom. After all the pain and hurt Absalom has caused his father, King David, what command concerning Absalom does King David give the commanders of his army in 2 Samuel 18:5? How do you treat your enemies? Do you love them even though they’ve hurt you greatly or do you wish harm on them? Read Matthew 5:43-48. How are we to treat our enemies?

*What happened to Absalom? Read 2 Samuel 18:14. Were King David’s orders obeyed?

*Ahimaaz and the Cushite came to report to the king what had happened in the battle. What was King David most concerned about, winning the battle or the safety of his son? Read 2 Samuel 18:29, 32.

*What was King David’s reaction to the news of his son? (2 Samuel 18:33- 19:4)

Thus is the account for David penning Psalm 3. I hope this gives you new insight into the heart of David and to your own heart as well. How do you treat your enemies and those who’ve hurt you? Precious one, love them as unto the Lord.

The Anointed King, Part 2

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 2

The Anointed King, Part 2

Today we will continue on in our study in Psalm 2. We learned yesterday the theme of this Psalm is God’s use of “His Anointed” to defeat and control a rebellious people. Today let’s look at how God will rule over this rebellious people and what man’s responsibility to Him is.

III. God’s Rule- verse 7-9

“7) I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You. 8) Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9) You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” Psalm 2:7-9

In these verses the Anointed One, Jesus Christ, is making known the decree God has given Him to carry out. A decree is an ordinance, a task, a precept, a rule. These are precepts and rules which must be obeyed. God gave Christ a task, a decree which He must carry out to full completion. In verses 7 and 9 the decree is pronounced and in verse 8 a promise is spoken.

First and foremost it is made know that Christ is the Son of God and the decree has been spoken to Him. Verse 9 tells us what the decree is, “You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Remember that a decree is a task or rule which must be obeyed. The task Christ is given is to correct and punish the rebellious peoples. Christ is going to correct this rebellious people by way of a rod (Revelation 12:5; 19:15). A rod was meant for correction and punishment and was usually made from a wand or cane. Here it is made out of iron which shows us how weighty, severe, and effectual the punishment will be. This punishment will not only bruise, but it will break them into pieces like a shattered clay pot. We must keep in mind that Psalm 2 is a prophet Psalm giving us insight into what is to come. David Pitcairn says, “Upon Christ’s second return, He will dash, scatter into pieces the antichristian confederacy of kings and peoples, and take possession of His long promised and dearly purchased inheritance.” I believe too, that this rod is going to be a dividing tool used to seperate God’s promised inheritance and those who do not belong to Him.

*Read Matthew 3:17 and Mark 1:1. Who do these verses say God’s Son is?

*Read Hebrews 12:7-11. Who does the Lord discipline? Why? What does being disciplined by the Lord result in?

*Describe a time when you have experienced God’s discipline. How did you view it at the time? How do you view it now?

In verse 8 God’s promise is spoken. He promises the Anointed One that at His (the Anointed One) request the nations of the earth will belong to Him and He will rule over them with an absolute scepter of authority. Not only does God promise the Anointed His inheritance, He also promises support to Christ in all the conflicts and trials He will face

*Read Isaiah 42:1-9. What do these verses say about God and His relationship to Christ?

*Read Psalm 55:22. What does God promise to do for the righteous?

VI. Man’s Responsibility- verse 10-12

“10) Now therefore, be wise, O Kings; be instructed, you judges of the earth. 11) Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. 12) Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 2:10-12

Here is an exhortation from the Psalmist to the rulers of the nations to yield to the Anointed One. I believe this exhortation is for us as well. Those who reject the Anointed One will experience the divine wrath of God. Those who put their trust in Him will be blessed.

*Read Proverbs 2:1-9. True wisdom lies in obeying God. What do these verses tell you about the value of wisdom?

Verse 12 says to “Kiss the Son”. Kissing someone was a symbolic act indicating allegiance and submission. It gives us to idea of embracing and depending on the one we have kissed. To kiss the Son, would imply that one is depending upon Him alone for everything. I was reading last night The Attributes of God by A.W.Tozer. I was taken aback by a statement he made. I want to share it with you. He said, “We’re not a happy people because we’ve got our minds set on things. We multiply things, and we increase things and we perfect things. We beautify things and put our confidence in things and God. We have our job and God; we have our husband and God; we have our strong body and God; we have our good job and God; we have our home and God. We have our ambition for the future and God, and so we put God as a plus sign after something else. Our problem is that we are putting our confidence in things and not in God. All that is beneath God will not satisfy.” Do you get the picture of what he is saying. Maybe this visual will help.

Job + God = Happiness
Husband + God = Happiness
Kids + God = Happiness

If we kiss Christ and embrace Him, depending on Him for everything our lives should look like this.

God = Happiness

When God is our all in all; He alone satisfies our deepest longings. He fills all the voids. He provides all we need. He comforts. He heals. He protects. He never leaves nor forsakes. He never changes. He’s always trustworthy, always opened armed, always quick to listen. He is full of grace and mercy, compassion and love. HE IS EVERYTHING!

*When was the last time you kissed the Son? Let Him be your all today.

Oh, God, satisfy our deepest longings today. Meet us where we are. Wrap Your arms around us and hold us tight. We praise You. We love You. You are our everything.

The Anointed King

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 2
The Anointed King

The theme of Psalm 2 is God’s use of “His Anointed” to defeat and control a rebellious people. This Psalm is a picture of the future Messiah, Jesus Christ, God’s anointed King. Through this Psalm we see the selfish nature of one’s sin and the horrible results of it if it were allowed to reign. Psalm 2 is cited more frequently in the New Testament than any other Psalm. To better help in our study of this Psalm, we are going to break it down into four sections:
I. Man’s Rebellion- verses 1-3
II. God’s Reaction- verses 4-6
III. God’s Rule- verses 7-9
VI. Man’s Responsibility- verses 10-12

* Read Psalm 2 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

I. Man’s Rebellion- verses 1-3

“1) Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? 2)The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying, 3)‘Let us break Their bonds in pieces and cast away Their cords from us.’” Psalm 2:1-3

In these three verses we see that the people have come together to corporately oppose the Lord and His Anointed One. Verse 1 describes the people in a rage. It’s important for us to understand that this rage the people are in isn't an inward, blooding boiling rage. This rage is an outward rage; a rage that involves shaking one’s fists at God; a snorting, biting, anger beyond anger kind a rage. They are outwardly expressing their hatred toward God and making a spectacle of themselves. Why do you think the people are in such a rage? Verse 3 gives us the answer. These kings, judges, and nations view God and His anointed One as wanting to place on them a yoke of slavery and bondage. To them, the coming Kingdom of God is nothing but slavery tying them down with bonds and thick cords. Bonds and thick cords were used to tie around the neck of one who belonged to another indicating that he was a servant (Jeremiah 27:2, 6 & 7). The nations absolutely do not want to be a servant to anyone and are plotting against the Lord to over take Him and His Anointed One. These bonds and cords were not and are not at all slavery bonds but love- bonds, “I drew them with gentle cords with bands of love, and I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck. I stooped and fed them” (Hosea 11:4).

*Who is the LORD’S Anointed One? Read Acts 4:26.

*The nations view the bonds and cords as slavery bonds. What does Christ tell us about His yoke, or bond? Read Matthew 11:30.

*Read John 8:36. True or False. Christ enslaves us.

*How do you view the bond of Christ? Do you delight in it or do you shake your fist at God every time He calls you to do something?

II. God’s Reaction- verses 4-6

“4) He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision. 5) Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: 6) ‘Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.’” Psalm 2:4-6

God’s feelings and purposes toward the rebellious nations are described in these verses. Before the foundation of the world, He already had a plan or decree in place for Christ to be enthroned on the holy hill of Zion and rule over this disobedient people. God smiles at what man is scheming to do against Him and knows that it is all in vain, because He is far above all the evilness of mankind. Man can do nothing to God. God is all-powerful and will do with His enemies what He desires (Psalm 115:3). What is God going to do to His enemies? “Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.” God is going to enthrone His King, Jesus Christ, on Jerusalem’s most prominent hill, Zion. The temple, the place God’s people knew Him to dwell, was built on Mt. Zion, thus making it a “holy hill”. Christ’s throne, spiritually speaking, is in the heart’s of His people. We are His dwelling place.

*Read Jeremiah 31:31-34. God is going to establish a New Covenant with His people. This people will be not only the Israelites, God’s chosen ones, but Gentiles as well. Unlike the Mosaic Covenant that was written on stone, where will this New Covenant be written?

From Acts 4:26, we saw that the Anointed One, is Jesus Christ. In verse 6, we can conclude that God’s King is Jesus Christ. Christ is a threefold King.
I. Jesus Christ is King over all
He is King above all kings- read Isaiah 40:15
He is King above the angels- read Hebrews 1:6
He is King above all kingdoms- read Daniel 7:14
He is King above all the nations and the ends of the earth- read Psalm 2:8

II. Jesus Christ is King to His saints and to the wicked
He is King of the saints, those belonging to Him through salvation, and He rules them in spirit and grace. He rules them in their hearts. Christ is King of the wicked and rules over them by His power and might.

III. Jesus Christ is the Father’s King
He is the Father’s King because He rules for the Father.

We’re going to stop here for the day. We’ve covered a lot and I want you to sit and meditate over it all. You’ll notice I’ve included questions and thoughts throughout the study today. If you haven’t already done so, go back and answer those questions and read the additional verses that were given.

Father, I thank You that Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. And, I praise You that You have set me free from the bondage of sin. Help me not to be one who balks at Your commands but who whole heartedly serves You with joy. Thank You for writing on my heart Your New Covenant and taking up residency within me. Continue to work in me, molding and making me into the woman You desire me to be.

Psalm Friday

Psalm of the Day
Psalm 1

By the Streams of Living Water

"1) Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2) but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. 3) He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper. 4) The ungodly are not so, but are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5) Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6) For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Psalm 1:1-6, NKJV

Read Psalm 1 through three times. Record your thoughts and questions in your journal. If a verse stands out to you, record it on an index card and begin committing it to memory.

Blessed is the man who delights in the law of the LORD- Blessed is a word that means happy, a deep-seated joy and contentment in God because one is in right fellowship with Him. Notice that LORD is in all caps; this is the Jewish national name for God, it is Jehovah, the Lord, my Lord. God is a personal God to each of us, meeting us exactly where we are, not expecting you to be me or me to be you. The one who is contented in God has Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Because God is his Lord, he is delighting in the Word, following Its instruction and not the advice of the ungodly. God’s Word has become to him, a very desired thing in his life; desired and valued more than anything else, so much so that he is meditating on It, pondering over It, speaking of It, studying through It, and talking about It day and night. When God becomes our Jehovah, He transplants us from our old life of sin into a new life of grace and mercy beside the streams of Living Water (Jesus Christ) that will never run dry (John 4:13-14). When we are transplanted by God into that rich soil beside the stream of living water, we can never be uprooted (Matthew 15:13). Being planted by the streams of living water and meditating on His Word, receiving all the nutrients it has for us, results in deep, deep roots which allows us to withstand the raging winds of the enemy and enables us to bear fruit for the Kingdom (Jeremiah 17:7-8).

The ungodly are not so- Here in verse 4 we see an immediate contrast from what we’ve just read. The ungodly, those whose God is not Jehovah, are nothing like the godly. They have made for themselves their own gods possibly from money, people, things, addictions, etc. They will be like the chaff that is blow away during the harvesting of the wheat. The chaff is the substance in the winnowing process that is of no value. When the ungodly stand before God in judgement, He will see that they have not received the nurtrients from the Living Water. Why? Because their leaves will be withered and they will have produced no fruit for the Kingdom.

For the LORD knows… This is more than just knowing someone on a surface level. God, Jehovah, the Lord, knows His righteous ones intimately (2 Timothy 2:19). He knows the way, or the path of the righteous one. God knows the path of the righteous and the path of the wicked. There are two paths in life to walk upon and two destinations to end up at; the path of the righteous that leads to life eternal with Jehovah or the path of the ungodly which leads to death eternal without Jehovah.

Questions to answer- Thoughts to Ponder
Are you delighting in the Law of the LORD? Are you meditating in His Word? Pondering over It? Speaking Its truth? Studying Its instructions? And talking about It with those around you?

Are you soaking up all the nutrients the Living Water has to offer?

Read Proverbs 4:10-27. What happens when we walk in the right path? What happens when we enter into the path of the wicked?

Read Matthew 7:13-14. Describe in your own words the two gates mentioned in these verses. How does one enter each? Which gate have you entered?

Father, I thank You that You are the Living Water. Thank You for quenching my thirst. Grow my roots deep into the richness of Your Word so that I will be the Godly woman You desire me to be. Help me to cling only to Your Word and counsel and not to the advice of those who don’t belong to You. Help me to meditate on Your Word and desire it more than anything else. Direct me in the path of the righteous.

Hmmm...what to do, what to do?

As, I lay in bed last night talking to the Lord about where to begin the New Year in His Word for all of us, He immediately said to me, “Psalm. Begin in the Psalms.” That’s what we’re going to do. We are going to spend the next several months slowly going through the book of Psalms. There are 150 beautiful Psalms, so it’s going to take us some dedicated time to get all the way through them. I know you are probably thinking, “there’s no way I can do that!”- I was thinking the same thing and even asked the Lord if He was sure that’s what He wanted us to do- guess what He said- YES!. I’m going to ask each of you to commit to spending at least 30 minutes (you are more than welcome to spend more time in the Word- in fact, I encourage it) a day reading the “Psalm of the day”. Each day or so we will read a Psalm and mediate on it. There will be some Psalms that we’ll spend more than a day on. I’ll have questions for you at the end of each post to help you dig in more or thoughts for you to ponder. You can print out the blog post if that makes things easier for you; just copy and paste it into a blank Word document. This is a big commitment I know, but God is calling us to step up, to stop making excuses for the sin in our lives, to stop being so lazy, and to allow Him to transform us into the Godly women He so desires us to be. So, grab your Bible, notebooks and pens, a good cup of coffee and get ready to dig into God’s Word. I can’t wait! Here we go.

A Little Bit of History on the Psalms
The entire collection of Psalms is entitled “Praises” in the original Hebrew text. There are 150 Psalms written by Godly men meant to bring about the proper praise and worship of God. The Psalms were Israel’s (God’s chosen people) ancient, God-breathed hymnbook. The background for the Psalms is twofold: first, they show us God’s hand in creation and history, second, the Psalms tell us the history of Israel. The Psalms cover a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from heavenly worship to earthly war (John MacArthur). The book of Psalms is the largest book in the Bible and is the most quoted Old Testament book by New Testament authors.

Here are a few things I’d like each of us to do before we begin this journey together. First we are going to pray a prayer of commitment to the Lord giving Him this time. Second, there are some things I’d like you to do to make the most out of this time:

1. Set aside at least 30 minutes a day of uninterrupted time to focus your thoughts on God and His Word. This may mean you have to get up before your family, turn off the TV, talk less on the phone, spend more time at home, etc. Do whatever you need to do to spend at least 30 minutes of alone time with God everyday.

2. Get a journal or notebook to write down what God is teaching you or questions you might have.

3. Buy yourself some index cards to use for Scripture memorization. As we go through the Psalms, write down verses that speak to you and begin committing them to memory.

4. Find someone to join you on this journey who will hold you accountable to the commitment you’ve made. It’s always easier for me to commit to something when I have a friend walking with me. We can all be an encouragement to each other by posting comments on the blog sharing what the Lord is doing in our lives.

5. Pray. Pray. Pray. Pray everyday before and after you read the Psalm of the Day. Pray that God speaks to you in new ways. Pray that He reveals to you areas in your life that need a little housecleaning. (When He does reveal those areas to you, make sure to get them cleaned up in a jiffy J) Pray that God will transform who you are right now and grow you to be more of the Godly women He desires you to be.

Father, how we praise Your Name. You are our Jehovah, the Lord. Thank You that You are a personal God who loves us where we are, but refuses to leave us there. You desire for us so much more than we could ever begin to imagine. You always have our best interest in mind. As we embark on this journey through the Book of Psalms, we commit to You right now that we will set aside time each day to spend with You; time in Your Word, time in conversation with You, and time listening to You speak. Teach us new truths from Your Word that we may hide in hearts so we can be the Godly women You’ve called us to be to the precious ones You have placed in our lives. Father, I ask on behalf of each of these women, myself included, that You would place in our lives a Heart Friend to join us in this journey; someone to walk with, someone who will encourage us when we are struggling, someone who can strengthen us and hold us accountable to this commitment we are making. It is my prayer that our lives would be transformed more into the image of Your Son, our Savior, through the digging in of the Word. Precious Lord, we love You and we give You all praise, honor, and glory. Bless our time in Your Word.