Daily Reflections

from the Book of Psalms

October 26, Victory in Oppression

Keep in mind that the psalms were edited into their current order -- and a few of them were written — when Israel was in Babylonian exile. There they were subjected to ridicule and idolatrous customs. Yet the Babylonians could not break their spirit.

October 25, Persecution

The theme of persecution runs through the book of Psalms, as it does throughout the New Testament, especially in the book of Revelation. God’s people can never make peace with this world, for this world’s values are totally opposed to...

October 24, Get Ready

The psalmist was in a difficult place, perhaps hemmed in by negative circumstances, enemies or his own limitations. He cried to the Lord and God not only heard him but also removed the limitations and put him in a place where he could grow.

October 23, Optimist or Pessimist?

When you put your trust in the Lord, you should have an optimism for life that is based on God’s faithfulness and steadfastness. It is not an optimism that emanates from your trust in the economy, your company, or the reliability of other people.

October 22, Fruitful Fields

God has created all things to bear fruit as we read in Genesis, fruit that was according to “their kind” (see Genesis 1:22, 24, 28). In fact, today’s passage tells us that God has to intervene to stop the fruitfulness process, and He intervenes when...

October 21, Rebuilding

Perhaps you are facing a situation in your life that was damaged or destroyed through sin, negligence or through the uncertainties of life. Maybe your business failed, or a relationship ended that you valued. You could have had a...

October 20, Joy Commanded

The key word in today’s verse is joy, and it seems out of place, for this verse talks about the Lord coming to judge the earth and the world. While He judges the world with a stern standard, however, He also judges His people with...

October 19, Assumptions

When God is silent, people come to one of two conclusions or assumptions, both of which are erroneous and potentially dangerous. The first is that He doesn’t see what’s going on, which is ludicrous. The other is that He agrees with...

October 18, The Nations

It is common in the Psalms for the Lord Himself to speak in the midst of what the psalmist was writing, as happened in today’s passage. The psalmist was writing about the “city of God,” when the Lord entered in to say that at some time in the future, other nations would...

October 17, Holy Discipline

God’s discipline is seldom easy or pleasant, but it is much better than being left alone to suffer the consequences and reap the fruit of your own actions, attitudes, or thinking. When God confronts you with some truth about you and...

October 16, The Sincerity Trap

Believers are people of the Word, so obviously words are important to them. They listen to words, encourage others with words, pray with words, and study ancient words to gather more insight into what the Word may mean.

October 15, Bitter Trouble

Once again we turn to the topic of suffering and trouble, a common theme throughout both the book of Psalms and this devotional. The title of Psalm 71 does not indicate that David wrote it, but it certainly sounds like him as we have...

October 14, Remember

David obviously wrote and composed when he was in trouble, which was pretty much all the time, and his writing must have helped him process his situation and regain his perspective. His complaints or laments almost always ended in...

October 13, Thirst for God

David was in the desert and he was probably thirsty. Yet he indicated his spiritual thirst was as great if not greater than his physical thirst. David went on to say, “You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy” (Psalm 63:5).

Your Life Matters

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For centuries, people have turned to the Book of Psalms to help make sense and to find comfort in times of trouble. They have also gone there to find words to express the praise in their hearts for the magnificence and glory of God. In Your Life Matters: Daily Reflections from the Book of Psalms, John Stanko adds his own insight into the Psalms and how they relate to your life matters such as suffering, prayer, the poor, mercy, grace and leadership. For every day of the year, John assigns a reading from Psalms, picks a verse or passage, makes some devotional comments, asks some pointed questions and adds a cross reference to another portion of the Bible. Your Life Matters is practical, inspirational, and helpful, and is certain to become your daily favorite to help you reflect on your life and God’s role in it.