Daily Reflections

from the Book of Psalms

November 9, Wishful Thinking

It is easy to read into a verse what you think, hope, or even want it to mean. In today’s passage, the psalmist wrote that his enemy did not defeat him because God was with him. You can interpret that to mean that your enemies will not only...

November 8, Mind Your Business

The context of this verse is anger that comes from observing the wicked and seeing how they seemingly prosper and enjoy a carefree life. The psalmist advises the person who is fretting over someone else’s good fortune, especially someone who...

November 7, Horses and Bigger Barns

It is not known who wrote Psalm 33, but let’s assume it was David. David was a king and warrior who probably knew how to use a horse in battle, and had a large army at his command. Yet he came to this conclusion: none of that mattered in battle if...

November 6, Family Matters

When Jesus came, He often had a polarizing effect, for some in a family believed in Him while others did not. That often set the family members at odds with one another, and Jesus did not apologize for that ramification of putting faith in Him. In fact...

November 5, Loneliness

It is not a problem for many to be alone, but when they feel lonely, it can be a debilitating, depressing state of affairs. The interesting thing is that you can feel lonely even when you are in the midst of people, and this can stem from a variety of reasons.

November 4, You Can

David didn’t just talk about advancing in battle or scaling a wall. He did not brag about his potential in the Lord, but instead, he did what he talked about doing. When you say that you can do something, it doesn’t mean you will do it.

November 3, Poor Causes

Psalm 15 provides a list of those who meet the criteria of the questions posed in verse one. In today’s verse, you see that those who use their money not for personal gain but to help others, especially the powerless, are counted among God’s special people.

November 2, Where’s God?

We return to the common psalms theme: trouble and God’s role in it. Obviously, the psalmist had expectations that were not being met, for he thought the Lord would intervene to either prevent or relieve his troubles. It seems the Lord...

November 1, Bad Partnerships

It has been a constant struggle for God’s people to realize that they cannot expect Christian behavior from non-Christians. Yet, they continue to go into business, marry, and enter into agreements with those whose values are not biblical, and...

October 31, Fellowship with Believers

The psalmist declared that his loyalties were with God’s people, and not just those who claimed to be believers, but those who followed God’s precepts as outlined in His word. This concept was radically applied in the days immediately following...

October 30, Praise Him

The book of Psalms ends with an entry that is entirely devoted to praising the Lord. After all the topics that included questions, agony, joy, questions, answers, issues, and other challenges of life, the psalmist ends it as is fitting: with a call to worship!

October 29, Surrounded

It is common practice to thank the Lord for the things you know He has done for you, things like heal your diseases, provide financially, forgive your sins, and on and on. That being true, do you thank the Lord for the things He has done of which you are not aware?

October 28, Your Creativity

Psalm 136 was a song used during corporate Temple worship. The leader would probably sing a line and the people would respond with the next line throughout the entire psalm. Someone had to compose this psalm, expressing his creativity as he was...

October 27, Signs Are for Unbelievers

Right before Israel left Egypt for good, the Lord unleashed the last of the plagues, which was the death of each firstborn creature in the land (except for those in Israel, of course). This finally convinced the Egyptians to release the Israelites so they could...

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.