MY KING AND MY GOD! You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob. —Psalm 44:4             Yes, Jesus is my King— “On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords” (Revelation 19:6).  And yes, Jesus is my God— Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28).  And it is He who gives victories— “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  So, I will trust Him and seek to faithfully serve…

I PUT MY HOPE IN GOD; MY SAVIOR AND I WILL PRAISE HIM! Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. —Psalm 43:5             Where have you put your hope?  Who is your Savior?  Who is your God? Is it government? Is it the republican party? Is it the democratic party? Is it some other political party? Is it money? Is it a job? Is it a relationship? Is it world peace? Is it in trying to control the climate? Is it some power position? Is it protesting or rioting? Is it some material possession? Is it yourself? Again, where have you…

TICK… TICK… TICK— YOUR DAYS ARE RUNNING OUT… “Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.  You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you.  Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure… But now, Lord, what do I look for?  My hope is in you.” —Psalm 39:4-5, 7             What a sorry state for those who are focused only on this temporary life, convincing themselves that this is all there is!  If it is true that life will end here— then what?  We have a certain number…

CONFESS AND HATE SIN! I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. —Psalm 38:18             Does your sin “concern/trouble” you?  If this is not the case when you sin, then something is really spiritually unhealthy.  Our desire should be that of the psalmist in Psalm 119:133— “Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.”  We should not be like the wicked —“In their own eyes they flatter themselves too much to detect or hate their sin.”  No, instead we should “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9).             So let us confess to the Lord what He already knows…

MAY HIS FAVOR ESTABLISH THE WORK OF HIS BY OUR HANDS! Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.  Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: —Psalm 37:3-5 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. —Psalm 90:17             What are we to be about as followers of Jesus?  We are to trust in Him and do good.  He will take care of our needs.  We…

 FLEE FROM YOUR IDOLS TO JESUS! For their hearts were devoted to their idols. —Ezekiel 20:16 I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes. —Psalm 36:1 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.  Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep.  You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.  How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!… For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. —Psalm 36:5-7, 9             Now… which camp are you in?  Are you in the camp where…

TURN FROM YOUR WAY TO THE WAY OF JESUS! Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen. —Ezekiel 16:49-50 Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign Lord. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live? —Ezekiel 18:23             Though this is speaking specifically of Jerusalem, the passage seems to be paralleling the characteristics of Sodom and aligning them also with this city.  What…

LORD, YOUR WORD IS WHAT I WANT TO HEAR AND DO! Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! —Ezekiel 13:2-3 Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. —Ezekiel 13:17             Let’s take our refuge in our Lord God Almighty and not in those who speak from “their own imagination.”  Be sure to listen to the Word of God and not the word of man.  Thank You, my Lord God Almighty, that You have…

CREATION CONFIRMS THE CREATOR— YOU HAVE NO EXCUSE! By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.  He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.  Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.  For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. —Psalm 33:6-9 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is…

I AM FORGIVEN AND MADE RIGHTEOUS Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. —Psalm 32:1-2             You should read all of Romans chapter 4 along with this verse.  It is utterly astounding what our Lord has done for us. “Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of…