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Hello All, Here is today's devotional. God Bless, Chaplain Spriensma The Steadfast Love of the LORD 33 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. 2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host. 7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! 9 For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! 13 The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; 14 from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, 15 he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds. 16 The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17 The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. 18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19 that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you. 33 Days – Powerful Words, Powerful Works There is an old story of a young boy who was travelling on a boat when a terrible storm swept across the water. The stormed raged and threw the boat about in the turbulent water. All of the passengers were consumed with fear and at their wits’ end, but the young boy stood smiling in the midst of the chaos. When he was asked for the reason of his peculiar composure, he replied, “This is my father’s boat. He is the pilot and is in control. He will take care of me.” Would we to have that kind of faith! In the midst of all of the troubles of life, we should sing the great hymn “This is my Father’s world.” That is what this psalm is singing about. After the initial call to praise, (v 1-3) the reason for such a song is given. Verse 4 ties the spoken word of the Lord, with the accomplished work of the Lord. What God says, is what God will do. There is no question about it. The psalm demonstrates this by pointing back to creation. Consider for a moment how powerful God’s spoken word truly is. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” (v 6) God speaks, and out of nothing, BOOM! The heavens are there! He utters again, and BOOM! The sky is filled with the millions of stars and galaxies. The angels eagerly watch as he draws in another breath to create the earth. Verse seven captures the wonder of the third day. “And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place.” (Genesis 1:9) Verse 9 sums up this correlation once again between God saying something and it certainly coming to pass. “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” But the power of God’s Word did not stop after the sixth day of creation. It did not retreat from this creation, as many deists claim. He continues to govern and pilot the affairs of this world. He directs them to his appointed ends, namely the glory of his Name and the salvation of his church. Verse 11 proclaims this reality, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.” God’s continued care for his creation has often been called his providence. The word comes from Latin, with “video” meaning “to watch” and “pro” meaning “on behalf of.” Note that verses 13-18 speak of his eye that watches over us. He is always watching out for our good. He directs all to that end. His word is so powerful to bring it to that end. That is why our one true hope is in Him alone. (v 22) Hello All, Here is the daily devotional for Wednesday, November 05. It is a great psalm about our Lord. God Bless, Chaplain Spriensma Taste and See That the LORD Is Good 34 OF DAVID, WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOR BEFORE ABIMELECH, SO THAT HE DROVE HIM OUT, AND HE WENT AWAY. 1 I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. 20 He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. 21 Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22 The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. 34 Days – A Broken Heart, but Not a Broken Bone “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” (verses 19 & 20) The Jews were growing impatient. The criminals just were not dying fast enough. The Sabbath was approaching and people would be coming to worship at the temple. There was a big and special service the next day. They would be celebrating the Passover. Many would pass by that hill called Golgotha. How improper it would be if they had to behold such an accursed sight as a man hanging on a cross on their way to church! There was a common solution to hasten these criminals’ death. The executioners would break the men’s legs. Then the person on the cross could no longer support himself with his legs in order to breath. Hanging only by his arms, the crucified one would soon suffocate and die. They proceeded to break the legs of the two other criminals, but when they came to the third, hanging in the middle, he was already dead. Instead of breaking his legs, they stabbed Jesus in his side. John continues by writing, “These things happened so that the scriptures would be fulfilled: ‘Not one of his bones will be broken.’” (John 19:36) Psalm 34 reads, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Certainly this was true of the one who was truly righteous in every way. Our savior Jesus Christ earned for himself the title “Man of Sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:3) This is also true for the Christian life. Being a Christian doesn’t promise health and wealth according to the standards of this world. In this life, suffering continues and struggles may even be greater. You have joined the cause of Christ, and in turn, sin and Satan have declared war against you. Yet because Christ hung on that cross for us, we can rejoice that this psalm, which was once sung about him, is also something we can sing concerning ourselves and our own salvation. In the concluding verse, God promises to redeem the life of his servants. He buys us back with the precious blood of the lamb. In the Jewish laws, the Passover lamb also could not have its bones broken. (Exodus 12:46) So too, Christ, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed on the eve of the Passover. “None of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.” Find refuge in the cross of your savior Jesus Christ. Hello All, Here is today's devotional. God Bless, Andrew How Precious Is Your Steadfast Love 36 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. OF DAVID, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD. 1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil. 5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. 7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. 10 Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart! 11 Let not the foot of arrogance come upon me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the evildoers lie fallen; they are thrust down, unable to rise. 36 Days – Class is Outside Today Certain things stand out most clearly by way of comparison. For example, you might not think your car is dirty, until you park it next to a car that looks like it just came out of the car wash. The color off-white often doesn’t seem to off, until it is compared with pure white. Here God’s righteousness is contrasted with the wickedness of men. The wicked are consumed by sin in stages. In verse 1, they act as if God will not hold them accountable for their actions. When God is out of the picture, he becomes the measure of all things and he no longer has any accurate moral standard of right and wrong. Even in the midst of his sin, he compliments and congratulates himself for his accomplishments. (v 2) He no longer can do any good. (v 3) And finally he is consumed both day and night by his wickedness. (v4) But enough about the wickedness of men! The psalm suddenly shifts to meditate upon the righteousness of God. It is too great to fathom, so he calls on the aid of the creation to help him try and grasp the wonder of his God. God’s unchanging love extends to the heavens. (v5) It has no limits or boundaries. He is faithful to his spoken promises. God is right and good in everything that he does. Next time you visit the mountains, try and recall verse 6. Next time you visit the vast oceans, think of God’s just ways. Next time you look up into the sky on a sunny clear day, consider how God’s love for you transcends above the highest cloud and reaches out to the farthest sky. Such justice, such faithfulness to all his promises, and such love were never so clearly portrayed than in the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What all of creation could not adequately portray is captured upon a cross. The apostle Paul prays that we, with all the saints, “might have the ability to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” (Ephesians 318) It is a great blessing when God’s general revelation (creation) reinforces and highlights his special revelation. (his Word) Next time you enjoy God’s beautiful creation, consider the testimony it is making about its Creator. He has shown his love, faithfulness, and justice in the creation all around us. He has proven his love, faithfulness, and justice in the cross erected on behalf of us. Hello all, Here is the devotional for Sunday, Nov. 2. Sorry I got a little behind towards the end of the week, but today was the last time I preached here in Iraq! It is sort of bittersweet. It is good, because it means we are going home soon. It is sad, because there are great Christians who I have met and worshipped with that will be missed. We will all worship together again in glory. The print is a little small on the psalm, so I suggest you plus up the zoom or view a bit to help read it. I had to include the whole psalm, b/c Psalm 37 falls into the TOP 5 category! God Bless, Andrew 37 OF DAVID. 1 Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! 2 For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land. 10 In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. 11 But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. 12 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, 13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. 14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; 15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. 16 Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. 17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. 18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; 19 they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. 20 But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. 21 The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; 22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. 25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. 26 He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. 27 Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. 28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 29 The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. 31 The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. 32 The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. 33 The LORD will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial. 34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. 35 I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. 36 But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. 37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. 38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. 39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble. 40 The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. 37 Days – The Wisdom of an Aged Saint While I was just an interim pastor in the early days of seminary, I would go visit the elderly of the church on every Thursday. Now I was only 23 years of age at the time, so young that even the young preacher Timothy could have despised my youth! (I Timothy 4:12) One of my favorite passages to read when I visited these elderly saints was Psalm 37, particularly verse 25, “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.” The words are spoken from a life full of experiences and understanding. In days of youth, many Christians may find that the wicked seem to prosper. Meanwhile, the life of the Christian is full of challenges and setbacks. The child of God who has lived a full life has had the opportunity to see it all from a larger picture and broader perspective. As they begin to draw closer to death they see how transitory all the riches of this world are. They focus upon that which is unseen, yet eternal. The psalm is full of short proverbs-like sayings, most noting how the wicked person’s life of prosperity will end in vain, but the Lord will allow the meek to inherit the earth. (v 11 –Does that verse sound familiar to you?) One of the greatest proverbs of this psalm is verse 4. Again, this is the testimony of an aged saint. It reads, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” The verse is eloquent even in its simplicity. If we were to make God our heart’s one desire, then the LORD surely would answer our prayers and longings, and the desires of our hearts would be satisfied. He promises to give himself to us. What the aged saint is telling us is we often need to stop praying and fusing about all the things that we want out of this life. We need to ask God that he would change our hearts, so that we long for him more than anything, so that we might long to know him. We need to ask for an appetite and a fierce hunger to taste his goodness and grace. We need to long to be conformed to his holiness. Seek his face in prayer and sweet communion. Ask God to make himself your heart’s one desire. These are requests that the good Lord cannot deny. When you behold your God clearly, you will then see, as the aged saint had learned, that God truly is delightful in all his ways. His glory and grace bring a joy and happiness into the heart of man that nothing on this earth could ever compare with. Forget what the wicked have. Forget what you do not have. Pray that we might recognize the greatest treasure we already possess. May you see him more clearly, and know him more truly, and love him more deeply. Then you will realize that God himself is the greatest fulfillment of all of your heart’s desire. Do Not Forsake Me, O LORD 38 A PSALM OF DAVID, FOR THE MEMORIAL OFFERING. 1 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. 12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!” 17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20 Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 21 Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! 38 Days – Winding and Twining and Shrinking Some scholars think David wrote this psalm shortly after his sin with Bathsheba. Others say he must have written it later when he was in ill health. Whenever it was that David wrote the psalm, he knew that he was sick and that he had sinned. John Bunyan, author of “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, records a similar time of anguish. Bunyan had just become a Christian when he succumbed to temptation. Spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical disturbances knotted him up. He wrote: “I struck into a very great trembling, insomuch that something I could, for whole days together, feel my very body, as well as my mind, to shake and totter under the sense of the dreadful judgement of God….I felt also such a clogging and heat in my stomach, by reason of this my terror, that I was, especially at some times, as if my breast bone would have split in sunder….Thus did I wind, and twine, and shrink, under the burden that was upon me, which burden did so oppress me that I could neither stand, nor go, nor lie, either at rest or quiet.” God has made us in such a way that our spiritual well-being is closely connected with our physical well-being. When we are plagued by guilt, all is anguish, fear, and lonliness. Is there any way out of this? Yes! We find it in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.” O my offended Lord, Restore my inward peace. I know you can; pronounce the word, And bid the tempest cease. CHARLES WESLEY (an excerpt from “The One Year Book of Psalms”) What Is the Measure of My Days? 39 TO THE CHOIRMASTER: TO JEDUTHUN. A PSALM OF DAVID. 1 I said, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” 2 I was mute and silent; I held my peace to no avail, and my distress grew worse. 3 My heart became hot within me. As I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: 4 “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! 5 Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah 6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! 7 “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool! 9 I am mute; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. 10 Remove your stroke from me; I am spent by the hostility of your hand. 11 When you discipline a man with rebukes for sin, you consume like a moth what is dear to him; surely all mankind is a mere breath! Selah 12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more!” 39 Days – Just a Traveler Passing Through David may have been thinking of Abraham when he wrote verse 12. Abraham was a stranger in a foreign land when he came to Cannan. Or perhaps David was thinking of someone like Ittai, one of his generals. Ittai, a Philistine from the city of Gath, commanded a contingent of six hundred Gittites in David’s army. When David was fleeing from Absalom and everything was in disarray, David told Ittai to go back. “You are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile….I don’t even know where we will go. Go on back.” But Ittai responded, “I will go wherever you go, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death” (2 Samuel 15:19-21). Or maybe instead of Ittai, David was thinking of his great-grandmother, Ruth, a Moabite, who had chosen to live as a foreigner in the land of Cannan. She told her mother-in-law, “Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God” (Ruth 1:16). “My only hope is in you,” David confessed earlier in this psalm (verse 7). Now, recognizing his sinfulness, David pleads for God’s mercy. He knew he had no rightful claim on God’s favor. But God had established laws to protect the guests and travelers in the land, and David was coming as Abraham, Ittai, and Ruth had come. He knew that whenever people came as outcasts—requesting, not demanding, and trusting in God’s goodness—God always proved merciful. I once was an outcast stranger on earth, A sinner by choice, and an alien by birth; But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down, An heir to a mansion, a robe, and a crown. HARRIET E. BUELL (an excerpt from “The One Year Book of Psalms”) Hello All, Here is today's devotional. God bless, Chaplain Spriensma My Help and My Deliverer 40 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. 2 He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! 5 You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. 6 Sacrifice and offering you have not desired, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. 7 Then I said, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.” 9 I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. 10 I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. 11 As for you, O LORD, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! 12 For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. 13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! 14 Let those be put to shame and disappointed altogether who seek to snatch away my life; let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire my hurt! 15 Let those be appalled because of their shame who say to me, “Aha, Aha!” 16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, “Great is the LORD!” 17 As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! 40 Days – Feeling Trapped Several years ago the news covered a story of a young boy who, while playing in his backyard, fell down into a deep and narrow drain hole that had been left uncovered. It was a real-life modern day story of a boy who fell down the well. The news casts shot live action as huge rescue teams and several experts arrived on the scene to plan a great rescue attempt. After hours and hours, the boy was finally rescued and suffered nothing more than a few broken bones. The rescue in this psalm is a far greater one. David describes his situation as if he is trapped in a deep, dark well, where he is slowly sinking in the mud. (v 2) The metaphor captures a fear that is common to all mankind. Often we feel trapped, as if there is no solution. Later, David ascribes his present circumstance as a result of his own sins as well. (v 12) Often times we may feel trapped in a sin, perhaps it is a bad habit. We get angry too easy or quickly utter lies. (v 4) Sometimes we feel trapped by circumstances that make us feel powerless to respond or endure the trials we face. In the deep, dark well, the only direction you can look is up. David says he waited patiently for the Lord. Sometimes the Lord may have us look to him a little while longer and pray for deliverance a little harder before he answers prayer, but he does answer them. Verse 4, begins to speak of the life of the man who has trusted in God and found deliverance from him. It is a life that is marked with open praise of God’s wonders. (v 5,9) He does not keep what God has done for him to himself. (v 10) The life of the redeemed is also one that is marked by obedience. Verse 8 sings, “I desire to do your will, O my God; you law is within my heart.” Sacrifices and offerings (v 6), or mere outward religious observance, is not what God is after. He wants a people who will submit their hearts to him and his Word in perfect obedience. Ultimately, this person is realized in the person of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 10:5-10 quotes this psalm in reference to Jesus Christ, because he was the perfect sacrifice of obedience that God was pleased in. Such a life of obedience is a struggle to us, for we are still stained with our sin. That is why in verse 12, the already-delivered David still prays that God would continue to deliver him from his many sins. Already saved, we also need to pray that God would continue to deliver us from our sins. May we have the obedient Spirit of our Lord. Hello all, Here is today's devotional. Yesterday's didn’t get published. Sorry about that, but I hope you read Psalm 42 on your own anyways. Wednesday's is Psalm 41. God Bless, Andrew O LORD, Be Gracious to Me 41 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID. 1 Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the LORD delivers him; 2 the LORD protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. 3 The LORD sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. 4 As for me, I said, “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” 5 My enemies say of me in malice, “When will he die and his name perish?” 6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him; he will not rise again from where he lies.” 9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. 10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them! 11 By this I know that you delight in me: my enemy will not shout in triumph over me. 12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. 41 Days – Mercy Me One of the beatitudes that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount was, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matthew 5:7) Psalm 41 teaches the very same thing as it introduces this psalm. One who has mercy on the weak and the poor can look to God to have mercy on them in the day of trouble. The following verses specify what that day of trouble is. The psalmist is lying weak on a sickbed. (v 3) Those that visit him say faint encouraging words, (v 6) but upon leaving the hospital room they comment, “He looks awful. It will be anytime now.” (v5, 8) Finding no support in his “friends,” he cries out to God in the middle of this psalm. Verses 4 and 10 mark the beginning and end of his prayer. Both are a cry to God for mercy and grace. “O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, raise me up!” Between these cries, he notes that his companions are anything but merciful. They see his weakness and exploit it for their gain. Only the Lord can deliver him. The psalm ends expressing the confidence that God will hear his cry for mercy. In verses 11 and 12, he acknowledges that he finds favor in God’s eyes, and he will dwell in his presence forever. Because of this, his enemies will never be able to triumph over him. He ends his prayer singing praise to his God, who provides such wonderful assurance. Therefore, when you are prosperous or powerful, (your words and actions are more powerful than you might think) make sure you use such power and prosperity graciously and mercifully with those around you. This does not automatically guarantee God’s mercy towards us. Only Christ’s work for us on the cross secures for us God’s mercy. The psalm points to that work. Christ himself asked God to graciously deliver him when his friends betrayed him and he was on the brink of death. In John 13:18,26, Jesus teaches his disciples that Judas Iscariot is about to fulfill verse 9 of this psalm, as he breaks bread with Jesus right before slipping off to plot his death. Yet, God the Father had mercy on his merciful Son, and raised him up again. Those in Christ need not fear death or sickness, because he will raise us up in Him. Because of his great mercy, let us hear this beatitude. Practice mercy, for the merciful will receive mercy. Hello All, Here is today's devotional. God Bless, Chaplain Spriensma Send Out Your Light and Your Truth 43 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! 2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. 43 Days – The Road Back to God Psalm 43 and Psalm 42 are like two twins that were separated at birth. They seem to stand on their own, but when you put them next to each other, you can tell that they were originally cut from the same mold. The most notable way you can tell this is the same chorus that they share three times between the two psalms. Here it is found in verse 5. “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil with me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” The chorus holds the key to the psalmist’s distress. His hope alone will be in God. His joy will return when he again finds the presence of God in his life. Currently, he shouts out the prayer. He is lost and he does not know which direction to even yell in, so he shouts in the midst of darkness, hoping that God will hear him and lead him home. God hears and sends out his light and his truth. D. A. Carson calls this “God’s search and rescue team.” They find the lost and distressed soul and begin to lead him back to the Lord. (v 3) They lead him back to God’s holy hill (Mount Zion), where God dwells in his temple. The return is done in footsteps, not instantaneously. He is not swept up by the birds of air and immediately set before the God of the heavens. It is a journey of its own. First he approaches the holy hill of Zion, then he is brought to the temple, next he is brought before the altar, and finally he beholds his God. Once he beholds his God, who is his exceeding joy, his once downcast soul is filled with praise. He has found his hope and his salvation. There are times when God feels afar off and when we feel distant from his presence. We, like sheep have gone astray and are prone to wander from his tender care. His word guides us back to him. Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, has paved a road back to his heavenly sanctuary, so that we can return to the Lord and dwell in his sanctuary once again. Only there will you ever find rest for a downcast soul. Place your hope in God. Praise him, for he is our salvation and our God. Come to Our Help 44 TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A MASKIL OF THE SONS OF KORAH. 1 O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: 2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; 3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them. 4 You are my King, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob! 5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us. 6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. 7 But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. 8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. 10 You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have gotten spoil. 11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter and have scattered us among the nations. 12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. 13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. 14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. 15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face 16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17 All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten you, and we have not been false to your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way; 19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals and covered us with the shadow of death. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord? Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever! 24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly clings to the ground. 26 Rise up; come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love! 44 Days – Where Is God? This psalm asks some hard questions: Where is God in our suffering? Why isn’t he doing anything? Doesn’t he care about us anymore? This psalm no doubt echoes the thoughts of other Old Testament figures such as Job, who innocently endured terrible suffering, or Joseph who repeatedly wronged even though he honored God. It also expresses the sentiments of Jeremiah, who was nearly killed as he prophesied the truth to a rebellious nation. And certainly it captures the feelings of millions of believers through the centuries. The truth is, sometimes it’s downright dangerous to trust in God. But the apostle Paul helps put things in perspective: “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will give us later” (Romans 8:18). It’s not over till it’s over. Bad things happen to good people, but through it all “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28). It may not always seem that way. In fact, later in Romans 8, Paul quotes Psalm 44:22: “We are being slaughtered like sheep” (verse 36). But ultimately our enemies can never take away our most valuable possession—God’s love for us. So if bad things ar happening to you, it doesn’t mean God has stopped loving you. On the contrary, “God blesses those whoare persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs’ (Matthew 5:10). God His own doth tend and nourish; In His holy courts they flourish. From all evil things He spare them; In His mighty arms He bears them. CAROLINA SANDELL BERG (excerpt from “The One Year Book of Psalms”) Hello all, Here is today's devotional. God Bless, Chaplain Spriensma Your Throne, O God, Is Forever 45 TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO LILIES. A MASKIL OF THE SONS OF KORAH; A LOVE SONG. 1 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 2 You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. 3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty! 4 In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds! 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you. 6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness; 7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him. 12 The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people. 13 All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold. 14 In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her. 15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. 16 In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. 17 I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever. 45 Days – A Really Great Wedding At weddings today you will often here Pachelbel’s Canon in D, or Bach’s Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, and most notably, Wagner’s Bridal Chorus (aka Here Comes the Bride). In Israel, Psalm 45 would be the most fitting psalm to be song at the wedding. Originally written for a royal wedding, the psalm celebrates the beauty of both the king and his bride. The song starts in the sanctuary, where we find the dashing king waiting for his bride to appear in the back doorway of the church. The king is handsome and dashing. (v 2) He is highly honored and respected for he has fought and won many battles. While many are still in awe of his commanding presence, the church doors fling open, and the bride is seen in her slow approach. All the heads turn to adore her. (v 14) She is beautiful and clothed in a wedding dress made of the finest gold. Who is this happy couple? Historically we do not know. But the psalm also alludes to another. In the New Testament, Hebrews 1:8,9 explicitly identifies the king-groom as being Jesus Christ. Who is the lucky bride of the King Jesus Christ? It is the church. Paul tells the church in Corinth, “I promised you to one husband, to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:2) In Ephesians 5:27, Paul again compares our earthly marriages to the spiritual marriage of Christ and his church. Revelation 19:7 celebrates the final wedding day, saying, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” The bride in Psalm 45 is one who is given a high status of royalty as she is married to the great king. We, the church, are glorified in Jesus Christ. Although we in ourselves deserve only shame, united to Christ Jesus we will be exalted and glorified. All the angels will look on with fondness like the attendants of verses 14 and 15. The bride also is clothed in beautiful robes. Revelation 19:8 says that these fine lines stand for the righteousness of the saints, but that they were given her to wear. Our beauty and righteousness is not of our own sowing, it is tailored by our lover, Jesus Christ. He makes his own bride beautiful. He purifies his church for that coming day. Moreover, He is enthralled by our beauty. (v 11 :NIV) Finally, notice the bride is devoted and submissive to her new husband. “Since he is your lord, bow to him.” (v 11) Let us eagerly serve and submit ourselves to Jesus Christ, the lover of our souls.