Tag: Psalms

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

He loves it

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible: devotion from Psalm 87.

Maybe you’ve seen those HGTV shows like “Love it or list it.” What do you do when your house no longer does it for you? Renovate for a changed lifestyle, or sell it and buy something else.

Psalm 87 answers that question for God regarding his house.

On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
     the Lord loves the gates of Zion (Psalm 87:2)

The Lord loves this city! It’s not perfect. In fact, it’s a real mess sometimes. The bible recalls numerous remodeling jobs. It’s a target for both Assyrian and Babylonian attacks.

Of course, Zion is more than just a place. It’s God’s people. It’s a city filled with people who don’t listen, don’t care, and mostly think of themselves. They are led by unfaithful kings, reject prophets, and ally themselves with foreign nations. They talk a good game, but their hearts are far from God.

And God loves this place. Not because of them. Not because they have potential. Not because they will eventually come around. He loves it because it’s his. He designed it and built it. God loves it because of who he is.

In the New Testament, Paul will describe the church as a place for God’s spirit to dwell made up of people just like them and us. Yes, we’re a mess, we’re undependable, and we forget how much he’s done for us. And yet he loves us. He loves his church. He paid for her with his son’s life.

It’s a keeper. You and I are keepers, too. All because of him.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Open wide

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 81.

In Psalm 81, Asaph encourages all sing aloud and shout for joy to the Lord.

Sing aloud to God our strength;
    shout for joy to the God of Jacob! (Psalm 81:1)

Now’s not the time to hold back. Let loose with praise for who God is and what he has done for you. He’s brought you out of Egypt, subdued all your foes, and feeds you with the finest.

A great promise follows:

“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” (Psalm 81:10)

It’s okay to be a church that looks like baby birds in a next with mouths open wide, crying out. Their pleas are heard, and their mother fills them, just as God opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every creature he’s made.

You can complain, gripe, and lash out. You can be discontent, grouchy, and irritable.

Or you can spend your energy on thanks and praise, and not only focus on God’s abundant grace, but receive even more in the process!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Right at home, just like the birds

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 84.

Whenever I go to a big box home improvement store, I’m delighted to hear the birds singing and watch them fly around the upper reaches of the store. No one ever tries to get rid of them. I’m sure the rafters are filled with nests, too.

And why not? There is shelter from any kind of weather. There’s always a little bit of seed on the floor, so plenty of food. Bugs on some of the plants if you want them, I suppose. What a great place to live.

It’s not a new idea. There’s nothing new under the son. It sounds like birds lived in Old Testament worship spaces.

Even the sparrow finds a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
    my King and my God. (Psalm 84:3)

At 45 feet, the ceiling of Solomon’s temple was higher than the stores. The tabernacle stretched up fifteen feet, plenty high for birds to find safe nesting places. I find it fascinating to think that birds were flying around in the uppermost corners of the temple as priests prayed and burned incense. It must not have bothered them, and it made for a good song lyric, too.

Sparrows are a dime a dozen. But there’s a place for them in God’s house. Swallows are restless birds, darting here and there. But they calm down and rest in God’s presence.

Feeling insignificant? Restless? Relax. You matter. There’s a place for you, too.

I love how animals teach us a lot about God!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Right on time

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Andrik Langfield on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 70.

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me! (Psalm 70:1)

It’s interesting to meditate on David’s words. His prayer (or song) begins, “Hurry up, God!” As if God were dawdling. Or late. Or behind schedule. Or got distracted and lost track of time.

From our point of view, a situation may seem urgent. From God’s point of view? Maybe not so much. He knows what’s going on. He knows what you’re anxious about. He knows how things will turn out. He knows how other people will be affected. He knows what you need to experience and what you need to learn.

Most importantly, he’s never late. He’s always right on time. Now from out point of view, with our eye on the clock and a day full of deadlines, it might feel lke he didn’t get the memo.

But in hindsight, I often discover that God was already present and active in situations when, like David, I implored the Lord to hurry it up. Sometimes, it becomes clear that God had already taken care of something even before I asked him about it. I guess that means he showed up early.

There are people in this world who are habitually late. Others always arrive early. Still others are on time to the second. God isn’t bound by time though. He’s there, never in a rush, never trying to catch up, and never too busy to pay attention to your urgent requests.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

The look on his face

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 67.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us. (Psalm 67:1)

Our faces communicate much about how we’re feeling. We can express approval, displeasure, joy, or grief with just a glance. I can wrinkle my brow, grin, purse my lips, or roll my eyes, and you’ll ask, “What?” But you know. You know in that moment that I’m concerned, amused, thoughtful, or exasperated.

In biblical thought, God’s shining face is a look of approval. Do you imagine God looking at you with pride, or with disappointment? Is he glad to hear from you, or does he roll his eyes? Do you picture him smiling or frowning?

I hope you picture the Lord with a big grin on his face. He made you, he loves you, he’s proud of you, and he wants to be with you. He came to be with you, to be your Savior, to adopt you as his child, and secure a place for you with him forever. I believe he’s very fond of you, and you can see it on his face!

Take a day and notice people’s faces. What does their face communicate? What do you think is on their mind? What are they thinking? What’s their mood?

Think again about God’s face? Your faith in Christ means he looks at you as he looks at his own son: with love, pride, approval, and joy. Your Father loves you, and you can tell by the look on his face!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Just like silver

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 66.

For you, O God, have tested us;
    you have tried us as silver is tried. (Psalm 66:10)

I found these fascinating words in a little commentary on this psalm: “Silver is pure enough when the refiner can see his image in the molten metal.”

You know how silver (and gold) is refined, don’t you? You heat the metal up until it is a liquid. Once that happens, any impurities will also melt and rise to the surface. The refiner skims all of that off, leaving the pure silver beneath. It now reflects the refiner’s image.

The analogy is powerful. God tests and tries us like precious metal. He heats up our circumstances, allowing temptation, crises, difficult people, and unexpected expenses into our lives. He does all that to bring us to repentance and dependance on him. His forgiveness purifies us from our failures, shame, guilt, and all the stupid things we’ve done. And then guess what? You can see him reflected in our lives. Pretty cool, huh?

Now when we’re going through it, it’s not so cool. It’s hot. It’s hard. It makes us want to wail, “I’m melting!” But it’s worth it. Who else can take our mess and make it magjificent?

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Listen up

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 61.

When Jesus taught in parables, he said, “He who has ears, let him hear.” In other words, “Listen up!”

At the beginning of Psalm 61, David turns that thought around and calls on God to hear his prayers.

Hear my cry, O God,
    listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is faint. (Psalm 61:1)

Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The children of God are never content until their prayers are heard. Not just spoken, but heard.”

I think that’s a great reminder that it’s not so much what we say when we pray as it is who we are speaking to. Sometimes, when I hear people pray out loud in a group, I wonder, “Is that the way you talk to Jesus when you’re alone?” Some frame their petitions with doctrinal truths that seem to be directed more at the listeners in the room than the Father in heaven. Just tell him what’s on your heart. Release whatever is on your mind. Implore him to hear you, and be confident that he does.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

There’s another lion

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Mike van den Bos on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 57.

My soul is in the midst of lions;
    I lie down amid fiery beasts (Psalm 57:4)

David wrote these words when Saul was pursuing him, intent on killing him. Hiding in cave, David whispers a prayer for God’s mercy as he feels surrounded by lions.

David has faced lions (and bears) when he was tending sheep. Having killed those predators, he knew he could handle Goliath.

But this was different. These were people bent on his destruction. They were relentless. They tested David’s faith more than ever.

David doesn’t despair. Instead he sings. He sings God’s praises as if he’s already been rescued.

How did he do that? I believe he remembered another lion, the Lion of Judah. His Lord never changed, no matter what the enemy threw at him. God got him through it before, and God would get him through it again. He’s in the cave, surrounded by lions, and he’s singing about his victory.

One day Daniel would be there. He actually got a good night’s sleep because that same divine Lion sent an angle to close the mouths of all the others.

I’m big into visualizing my prayers. I love this picture of the Lord, because you never know when you might have to face lions.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Shifting your burdens to him

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Marcin Simonides on Unsplash

A “through the bible” devotion from Psalm 55.

Whether you got a lot of things on your plate or a lot of things on your mind, this promise from Psalm 55 is powerful and comforting:

Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:12)

As I ponder those words, I can’t help but wonder, “How exactly does one do that?” What does it look like to cast your burdens on the Lord?How do I go about shifting a burden from my life to him?

I’ve thought of a few practical ways to do that.

Confession. That’s the obvious one, right? If we confess, he is faithful to forgive. He arranges the ultimate trade: Jesus takes the burden of our sin on the cross and gives us his righteousness through faith. Bonus: his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

Repentance. Not so obvious here. To repent is to turn, to do an about face from sin and follow Christ. The burden is now on his to lead you in paths of righteousness.

Prayer. Talking it out with God means that at least one other will share your burden. A pretty good deal if you ask me.

Do it together. When we gather for worship as a church, we remember that we don’t do this alone. We do it as the body of Christ. We’re called to bear each other’s burdens. You help others cast their burdens on the Lord simply by being there for them. They are there for you, too.