So Easily Misunderstood

The Bible is such an encouragement. I love Psalm 139, especially verses 1-5. Another favorite verse is Psalm 37:4, which says ‘Delight yourself in the Lord;And He will give you the desires of your heart.’.This verse is often misunderstood. There can be a tendency to assume this verse means that whatever we ask of God, He is obligated to give us. However closer investigation reveals this to be a long way from the truth. Just as many bible verses do, this promise has a condition attached. To discover the real meaning, we need firstly to concentrate on the first part … Continue reading →

Questions From a Psalm

What do your thirst or hunger for? In Psalm 42 the psalmist states the deep thirst he has for God, like that of ‘a deer panting for water,’ verse 1. Do I have that same ongoing desire and need to meet with the Lord as this psalmist?I admit I have been struggling in this area recently. What about you? Do you have this same deep longing for God – that you simply couldn’t imagine life without Him? That you can’t wait to be in His presence? God certainly convicted me this hasn’t been my response of late. The psalmist recognizes … Continue reading →

How Can Reading a Psalm Help You?

Let me give you some ideas of how reading a psalm can sharpen and challenge our thinking. And suggest how to apply it to your life. This morning I read Psalm 57. In verse 1 David pleads with God to be gracious. Why? Because his soul ‘takes refuge’ in God. Is God my place of refuge and the One I run to when trouble comes? Is he yours? Notice David’s confidence in verse 2. He knows exactly where to turn and why to go there. He has confidence in God’s ability to undertake for him. David knew God ‘accomplishes all … Continue reading →

Psalm 5: Praying Expectantly to Combat Discouragement

The older I get and the closer I grow to the Lord, the more I’ve come to realize that discouragement is really ungodly thinking in disguise. I don’t really mean to say that one should never be discouraged. But rather a discouragement without hope, one that ruins our day and our thoughts, is discouragement that hasn’t been handed over to God. And yet, how do we hand discouragement over to God? David, if anyone, had a reason to be discouraged. Like so many of God’s faithful he was persecuted for doing nothing wrong. He served Saul faithfully, so faithfully in … Continue reading →