Author: Pastor Doug

Our scripture today is Psalms 150:6 (NIV).

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

The opening of Psalms reminds us that God’s people are those “whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:2). While we have read psalms that express sadness and cries for mercy, virtually every psalm offers praise and thanks to God. This is what God intended as our natural state, loving Him and sharing that love everywhere. When we used our free will to choose something else, things changed. God still loves us but we must decide to choose Him over anything the world would use to distract us from our mission of discipleship.

Gracious God, You have called us to share the joy we know in You with everyone. Bless us to go in Your name to tell the world the Good News. Amen.

Our scripture this morning is Psalms 148:13 (NIV).

Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

This psalm describes the entirety of creation offering praise to God for their very being. Jesus alludes to this in Luke 19:40 saying if the people were silent “the stones would cry out”. Everything that is owes its existence and thanks to the Lord who made us all. Nature and other creatures offer God their praise by being what they were created to be. We however, are made in God’s image and charged with a higher purpose: to care for the rest of creation.

Loving Lord, You made everything with a purpose. Help us to see our purpose and place in Your plan, and do what You have for us eagerly. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 105:8 (NIV).

He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations

In  Genesis 12:2 we read God’s covenant with Abraham: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing.” The Lord made a promise, and regardless of our failures, God remains constant in His word. He continues to reach out in love, wanting only the best for His children. The problem is we forget that a covenant works both ways – we have a responsibility to God and each other to use what we have been given wisely. 

Gracious God, we are so grateful for all Your blessings sent in love for our benefit. Help us to continue to grow in faith and share the Good News with the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 100:1-2 (NKJV).

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

Scripture presents a variety of different psalm styles and purposes. In most translations, today’s psalm carries a heading of thanksgiving, offering the Lord our praise and worship. We are called to be in connection with God and be aware of what He has done for us. God created the Sabbath for us to rest and reflect, as He did after creation. When we come together in worship we see each other as God’s children, all loved and blessed by Him. We need to carry our worship mindset into the world, sharing His love and care with everyone.

Heavenly Father, You created us with a purpose – to love You, love each other and bring people to Your love. May we worship You in spirit and truth. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 51:10 (NKJV).

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51 is one of seven penitential psalms, those that acknowledge our wrongdoing and ask God’s forgiveness. Psalm 6, 32, 38, 102, 130 and 143 are the others. They are traditionally used during Lent, but they speak to our need to be forgiven and reconnected with God. Today’s verse is a plea from the psalmist of Israel, King David himself. David has admitted his sin and asks God to give him “a clean heart”. This is how God repairs us and reclaims us as His own.

Loving Lord, we are sorry for our willful disobedience and lack of love for one another. Forgive us and bless us to go in Your name to share Your love. Amen.

Our scripture today is Psalms 1:2 (NKJV).

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

The Book of Psalms has been called the songbook of God’s people. Most of the lessons we have read so far are a history of the people and their relationship with God. While the psalms still speak of our relationship, they do so with the full force of human emotion, good, bad, happy and sad. Sometimes these are difficult to read, as in the opening line of Psalm 22 prayed by Jesus on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” However, our cries of anguish are soothed by the words of Psalm 23:1 speaking gently “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” There are 150 Psalms and while we won’t study them all, we will see a variety of styles and emotions used to offer praise, worship and prayer to our Creator.

Loving Lord, thank You for the gift of being able to voice to our joys, our fears and every other feeling we have. Bless us to see that our emotions are part of our being, made by You and that we can come to You for comfort and strength. Amen.

Our scripture today is Job 42:16-17 (NKJV).

After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his children and grandchildren for four generations. So Job died, old and full of days.

The Book of Job has poetic passages like Psalms and words of wisdom like Proverbs. It teaches us that being faithful when things are difficult is the example of Jesus as the suffering servant. Jesus knew what God was doing; Job was clueless. God restored Job in the end because of this. Even though he didn’t know God’s plan, Job was faithful through all the misfortune Satan brought against him. The actions of Job’s wife and friends show how the world may respond to our faith. No matter how the world reacts, we lean on God for our support.

Heavenly Father, we don’t know everything You have planned but we know we can trust in Your love. Bless us to walk by faith, not by sight and to share the Gospel with the world. Amen.

Our scripture today is Job 16:1-2 (NKJV).

Then Job answered and said: “I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!”

Job expresses a very universal complaint: we are miserable comforters when we try to offer advice instead of genuine love and understanding. Job’s friends all point to what they claim is God’s law and insist that Job admit his guilt. This would be a false confession and Job knows it. Their reliance on rules and regulations offers no comfort at all! None of them have the whole story, yet they all have what they believe is the answer.

Loving Lord, You taught us to mourn with those who mourn, sharing their burden. Help us to first offer comfort and love before we suggest any action, and may You guide us to healing. Amen.

Our scripture today is Job 12:2 (NKJV).

No doubt you are the people, And wisdom will die with you!

The Bible Knowledge Commentary says of this verse “Job jeers at his friends alleged wisdom.” While they know the words of the scripture, they don’t have the same relationship with God that Job has. They also lack the understanding that God does not send prosperity for the faithful and calamity for sinners. The effects we see in the world around are the result of our sin, not anything sent by God. However, God can use circumstances such as these to strengthen and teach us, literally using evil for good.

Loving Lord, we know you are the source of every good thing and You send them to us to be used wisely. Forgive for the times we act selfishly with Your gifts, including our witness for You. Bless us to be joyful evangelists, sharing Your word and Your love. Amen.

Our scripture today is Job 5:8 (NKJV).

But as for me, I would seek God, And to God I would commit my cause—

Job’s friends gather to console him on his lost family, property and health. They offer what seems to be solid religious advice…except it’s not. All of their direction is predicated on Job being guilty of some sin he refuses to admit. Later God will accuse them “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2). The lesson here is to weigh what advice we are offered against what we know about God, even when it “sounds” religious. Satan quotes scripture incorrectly to Jesus (Luke 4) in an attempt to lead Him into sin. Jesus knows scripture better than that, and more importantly, He knows the Father. We need to ask God’s advice rather than considering any earthly source.

Wise and wonderful God, You have sent us Your wisdom in scripture and through the gift of Your Son. Bless us to be receptive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and share Your love with the world. Amen.