Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth . . . . Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; Let the sea roar, and all it contains; Let the field exult, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy …
O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things . . . The Lord has made known His salvation . . . He has remembered His lovingkindness. (Psalm 98:1–3, NASB) This psalm calls God’s people to exuberant praise (98:1). The reason—His deeds (98:1) are reflective of His redemptive mercies (98:2) and faithfulness to …
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. (Psalm 1:1, NASB) Thus far, my wife and I have survived four teenage drivers. Two have successfully made it into their twenties, and we have two late-teener’s to go. Prayers are still accepted! Having taught all four to drive, I made …
“Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” (Psalm 2:8, NIV) Age 12: Mom, I think I want an RV. Age 7: Can you get a mortgage and buy me a real Darth Vader suit? Teen: Can I take a two-week class at Cambridge? It’s only $6,000 + airfare. …
They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. (Psalm 45:15, NIV) A young couple fell madly in love during their college years. A prominent company in her field recruited her and signed her to an exciting multiyear offer. He, on the other hand, needed to continue on to graduate …
What I did not steal, I then have to restore. (Psalm 69:4, NASB) Some years ago, Lieutenant Lloyd Prescott, a deputy of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Department, was conducting a class for police officers at the Salt Lake City Library. When he saw a gunman take eighteen people hostage and lead them into a …
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? (Psalm 22:1, NIV) Among the reasons for the incarnation of the Son of God in Jesus of Nazareth, surely the atonement is the pinnacle of His work in the first advent. …
But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning, my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? (Psalm 88:13–14, ESV) I grew up in New York from junior high through grad school. Christmas in NYC is magical. Some of my best memories come from …
I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord Now in the presence of all His people. (Psalm 116:13–14, NKJV) In His last meal, Jesus and His disciples celebrated the Passover Seder (Mark 14:12), including four cups of wine and the …
The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. (Psalm 118:22, NASB) If you ask most knowledgeable Christians about messianic texts in the Old Testament, they will likely note Isaiah 53 or Daniel 7:13–14. A less well-known messianic text, however, is Psalm 118. In fact, this psalm gets used in two ways in the New …
A Lesser-Known Messianic Psalm: The Rejected Messiah Exalted by God Read More »
He split the rocks in the desert and gave them water as abundant as the seas. (Psalm 78:15, NIV) Looking at Psalm 78, one would not at first see it as either messianic or Christmas-like. It is an encouragement to parents about instructing their children, reciting God’s great acts in bringing Israel out of Egypt. Asaph’s …
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:11–12, ESV) Psalm 91 is a messianic psalm. Satan quoted and misused Psalm 91:11–12 in the context of Christ’s temptation (Luke 4:9–12; Matthew 4:6), …
My heart is not proud, O Lord. . . I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. . . . Put your hope in the Lordboth now and forevermore. (Psalm 131:1–3, NIV) If you have observed a baby nursing at a …
You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. (Psalm 16:10, NIV) A birth prompts a whole range of responses. One of the most prominent is hope. When a person is born, we begin to imagine the promise of a life well-lived. What will …
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36:9, NIV) Winter brings darkness. But it also brings snow and the blinding light of sunshine on snow, which can transform the whole world. “I have a message from God in my heart,” David begins in Psalm 36, “concerning the …
The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1, ESV) Almost one thousand years before Jesus was born, King David spoke of our Savior in Psalm 110. He described the Lord God speaking to One who was David’s Lord. This One, later specified as Jesus Christ, …
The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. (Psalm 24:10, NASB) Perhaps my favorite Christmas hymn is Isaac Watts’s majestic “Joy to the World!” set to Handel’s regal strain: Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King. Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room, And heav’n and nature sing! I’ve often …
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NRSV) Christmas is the busiest time of the year. There is shopping to do, family activities for which to plan, and church commitments to fulfill. It can be overwhelming. It is comforting to know that we …
The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. (Psalm 118:14, ESV) A few decades ago, I stood before witnesses and made a covenant with my wife. What happened that day is as clear in my memory as the events of yesterday. That day, I promised to do several things that …
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart. (Psalm 138:1, ESV) When David gave thanks, he used everything in him: “I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart” (Psalm 138:1). David’s life exemplified exuberant praise and worship of the Lord. Psalm 138 gives us a glimpse into why David was so …
The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. (Psalm 34:19–20, niv) We live in a broken world. Today’s news recounts horrendous atrocities—war, corruption, crimes against humanity. Evil is not new. It existed in Bible times and …
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, …
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth. (Psalm 8:1, NASB) We think of Christmas as a time of celebration, with expressions of love for family, delicious food, laughter, and sharing a year’s worth of memories. We usually pray that these occasions will be inked indelibly in our memories. I …
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come…I desire to do your will.” (Psalm 40:7–8, NIV; Hebrews 10:7) What nostalgic Christmas memories dance in your head? Probably not the contents of shiny packages you tore open Christmas morning but forgot by afternoon. Growing up, were you privy to special traditions that made Christmas a season …
He makes the barren woman abide in the house as a joyful mother of children. (Psalm 113:9, NASB) There is a Christmas connection that threads from Hannah and her hymn over the miraculous birth of Samuel (1 Samuel 2) to the Magnificat of Mary when she learns she will be the mother of Jesus (Luke …
The Telescope of Greatness and the Microscope of Grace Read More »