Daily Reflections

from the Book of Psalms

March 21, Mercy

Our God is a God of mercy. You cannot earn, presume upon, or understand His mercy. You can only thank Him for it, never fully realizing the reason why He chooses to bestow mercy as graciously and as often as He does. His merciful heart is revealed in His encounter with...

March 20, Emotions

There are some who say that emotions are potentially dangerous and to be avoided when you serve the Lord. Those people must not have read the psalms, for they comprise a book of emotions — anger, joy, frustration, sadness, and gladness just to name a few.

March 19, Stalkers

There is no lack of dangerous trends that stalk mankind. New, exotic diseases baffle experts and defy any cure. Terrorism is on the rise and seems to be in every corner of the world. Bizarre, violent behavior is present in every country. Economies seem to teeter on the verge of collapse. Yet...

March 18, A United Heart

I see three truths in Psalm 86:11, perhaps you see more. First, you never lose your need to learn the ways of God. That requires you be taught by knowledgeable people who know and love the Lord. What are you studying and learning in the Lord? What are you reading? Are you...

March 17, Heartburn

In today’s verse, the psalmist first made a commitment to listen to the Lord’s voice. Do you listen to God’s voice? He speaks every language, speaks through circumstances, through other people — some who know Him, some who...

March 16, Ethical Skill

David was a great leader who, for the most part, had an ethical compass that kept him righteous along with skill that made him effective. For you to be truly successful, you will need both those components working in your life. Skill without ethics can make you proud, believing you can...

March 15, Self Prayer

The 150 psalms were written by numerous authors, one of whom was Solomon. In today’s passage, Solomon began his psalm with a prayer, which must have been the theme for his reign, which was getting divine wisdom so he could rule well. Solomon prayed for himself that he would be able to...

March 14, The Great Commission

You pray for God’s blessings, not simply for your own benefit, but for your ability to help spread the gospel to other people and nations. In the midst of life — raising children, doing jobs, building local churches — you still have one overriding assignment, and that is to...

March 13, Faith for Living

Faith is not an event; it’s a lifestyle. It’s not a parachute to be opened in an emergency, it is the oxygen of the soul that you are to breathe every day to sustain your existence in the Lord. There is saving faith — faith that you put in Christ to forgive your sins and...

March 12, Leadership

God is watching the ethical behavior not just of leaders who know and serve Him, but also of all leaders. God is a leadership God, which means He promotes leaders to their positions, no matter what the sphere of influence. He then expects those leaders to...

March 11, Betrayal

It is a painful experience for a friend to betray you. It is what I call a Star Trek that happens when your shields are down and you aren’t expecting an attack. Once it happens you can wrestle with issues of unforgiveness for a long time, sometimes having to...

March 10, Wisdom of the World

There are many forms of wisdom that appeal to man’s carnal nature, some of which even sound spiritual. Often those who subscribe to that wisdom become followers and name their group after the main proponent of the philosophy or movement.

March 9, Encourage Yourself

You can wait for someone to come along and encourage you if you are discouraged, or you can take up the task and encourage yourself. Once again we see that your self-talk and your specific thoughts are the keys to your attitude, mental health, and behavior.

March 8, Your Reward

There is definitely a reward in store for those who serve the Lord. While your reward may delay, you cannot and should not lose sight of the fact that God does reward His people as they serve Him. Paul wrote the Colossians to encourage them to trust God and...

Your Life Matters

$14.99

BUY NOW

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.