Daily Reflections

from the Book of Psalms

December 6, KISS

David asked for one thing: to dwell close to God all the days of his life, never to feel or be separated. David’s requests were streamlined and simple. He did not ask for many things that would gratify his desires and wants. He did not have...

December 5, The New Covenant

The Lord is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He is the One who initiated the covenants, which have been defined as “a mutual agreement between two parties usually ratified in blood.” The blood indicated the seriousness of...

December 4, You Done Good

At first, David’s claim in these verses seems a bit boastful, for David declared his own righteousness to be sound and without flaw. Yet, it was a true assessment when you consider the early days of his career, when he was obedient and humble.

December 3, Poor Benefits

The poor are mentioned 21 times in the psalms, so it is safe to say they are a priority to the Lord. Therefore, they should be your priority as well. At this time of year, it is common to pay attention to the poor, for the holidays remind those who...

December 2, Enemies of the Cross

David wrote with such elegance and flair, and his description of the wicked in Psalm 10 is no exception. He described their activities, and indicated that arrogance and pride were their motivators as they persecuted and tormented the righteous.

December 1, Go to Bed

There is one sure sign that you trust the Lord and have put all of life’s circumstances in His hands, and that is you are able to sleep. When you have, you do not lie in bed and reflect on all your problems, frantically trying to figure out what you are going to do.

November 30, Language of Praise

The Book of Psalms ends with the simple admonition to praise the Lord, not just for what He does, His “acts of power,” but for who He is, His “surpassing greatness.” Where is the appropriate place to praise? It is not only in church or “his sanctuary,” but also...

November 29, Mind Battle

You are probably surprised (not) that David was in trouble again, so he penned this psalm telling God of his troubles, and his desperate need for the Lord’s presence and help. David was fighting battles against his enemies, but notice that that he was also...

November 28, The God of Creation

A recurring reference in the entire Book of Psalms is the creation story from Genesis 1 and 2. Why is that? Keep in mind that many of the psalms were written when the author was in some kind of trouble. Then the psalms were edited and given their...

November 27, Weaned or Unweaned?

If you have ever been around older children who are still feeding on breast milk, you know it can be an awkward scenario when those children are hungry. When they are hungry, the child doesn’t care where he or she is or...

November 26, Faith to Replace

It is common to experience loss in life due to its fragile nature. The good news is that God is with you in those times of loss, and He is able to restore what was lost in His own way that is also meaningful to you. For example, you can lose a business but...

November 25, Jesus’ Priority

Jesus gave His life not only to save souls, but also to place those souls in a Church that He is building. The Apostle Paul realized this truth, and gave his adult life to found, structure, and nurture churches throughout the Roman Empire, not considering...

November 24, Goals

David was not simply a defensive warrior, but he often went on the offensive and met with stiff resistance. Then there were times when his enemies tried to push him back, but he refused to yield any ground, and called on the Lord for help.

November 23, Trust Reminder

These verses are in the midst of a series of psalms that encourage the reader to trust in the Lord, no matter what people say to discourage such thinking or what the circumstances look like. It is interesting that the theme of trusting the Lord...

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.