The Kind of Person God Uses | Psalm 57:7

“My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” (Psalm 57:7 NLT)   He came from the humblest of beginnings and rose to become the greatest king in Israel’s history. In battle, he was fearless. As a ruler, he was without peer. God once referred to h…

A Loyal Love | Psalm 51:10

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NLT)   Love is not always a pretty or pleasant thing, especially in its earliest form. No matter how long you’ve been married, you probably still remember the first stirrings of love and passion that you felt for yo…

Days of Doubt, Discouragement, and Despair | Psalm 42:11

“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” (Psalm 42:11 NLT)   It’s not unusual for sincere believers to have days of doubt, discouragement, and despair. Even the heroes of the faith struggled in these areas. Moses was …

No Compromise | Psalm 36:7

“How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36:7 NLT)   First Kings 18 tells the story of the prophet Elijah’s epic showdown with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. But before that decisive contest occurs in the chapter, we find a br…

Making Sense of God’s Will | Psalm 34:8

“Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 NLT)   We need to remember that God’s will is good. It may not seem like it at times, but it is. His plan for us is good. However, He usually doesn’t give us a detailed blueprint. Usually, God reveals…

A Second Chance | Psalm 32:1

“Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” (Psalm 32:1 NLT)   Without a doubt, one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life is that our God gives second chances. The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorio…

Just One Thing | Psalm 27:4

“The one thing I ask of the Lord—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.” (Psalm 27:4 NLT)   It’s been said that the greatest danger in life is to permit the urgent things to crowd out th…

The Laws of the Lord | Psalm 19:9–11

“Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever. The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb. They are a warning to your servant, a great reward for those who obey them.” (P…

God Will Meet You Where You Are | Psalm 18:25–26

“To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity. To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.” (Psalm 18:25–26 NLT)   Some of the most exciting passages of Scripture involve theophanies, occurrences when God made Himself …

Righteous and Just | Psalm 11:7

“For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.” (Psalm 11:7 NLT)   God reveals Himself to us in His Word. We know that God is holy because in Isaiah’s vision of Him, heavenly creatures declare, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (Isaiah 6:3 NLT). We know tha…