Daily Reflections

from the Book of Psalms

July 16, God is Able

When the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, He led them into the Sinai desert. They considered their surroundings and chose to panic, lashing out at the Lord, even though they had seen His power to provide when He sent forth water from a rock. They had to trust the Lord daily for their provision and they grumbled, opting not to believe Him able to...

July 15, Career Counselor

Promotion in your work, association, politics or career is not only a matter of education, experience, talent and preparation. While all those are important, the real issue in career growth is God’s will for you and where He desires to place you. God does not promote people with potential, but rather people who have developed that potential.

July 14, Weakness

Superhero movies abound and people flock to see them, identifying with these seemingly ordinary people who do extraordinary exploits. Books abound with stories of athletes and business leaders who excelled through exceptional effort and talent, and we refer to them as celebrities. Yet David...

July 13, Word Ambush

David was a mighty warrior, but in this prayer, he prayed that God would hide him from those who spoke evil. He had bravely faced Goliath and embarked on other military engagements, but when it came to gossip, slander and criticism, David asked God to hide him rather than have to face those who uttered vicious and harmful words.

July 12, Listening for God

David was in deep distress (again) and was crying out to God for help in today’s verses. In the midst of his seeking, God spoke to him and let David know that He, God, was in control of everything. While David was praying, God spoke, David heard what He said and wrote it down. Notice that the Lord...

July 10, Wealth Prep

Many people dream of winning the lottery and therefore play it every day, providing governments, companies and illegal entities a lot of money. Yet few who play are prepared for the pressures that come with money and don’t understand how difficult it can be to...

July 11, God’s Business

Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance, probably after his sordid relationship with Bathsheba and the circumstances surrounding their son’s birth and death. When David sinned, he did not run from God but to Him. He did not go into hiding, but instead made a commitment to the Lord to reach out and teach others about the Lord and...

July 9, Jesus’ Help

While the psalms accurately described what the writers were experiencing, there is an aspect of Psalms that pertained to Jesus and the suffering and rejection He encountered during His mission to earth. Jesus embodied the message of Psalms, and endured God’s judgment to set you free from that judgment.

July 8, Your Heart Matters

There is much confusion and distrust about the issue of the heart. Many have been taught and believe that the heart is evil, will always be evil and is never to be trusted. That makes their faith a “head” faith — lacking emotion and passion, but strong on doctrine and, if not careful, legalism. What’s more...

July 7, Doctor Jesus

God is faithful and ready to forgive sin, if the sinner asks for forgiveness. When sinners hide or deny guilt, they have no need for forgiveness and will continue in their sinful ways. As we have seen throughout this devotional, God requires honesty, not for His benefit since He already knows the truth, but for yours.

July 6, Handling Fear

The Bible in general and the book of Psalms in particular speak about fear a great deal, since it is so common and prevalent among all human emotions. Fear can neither be ignored, nor can it be allowed to rule by saying, “I’m only human.” Recently, I received an email update from an author named Seth Godin that spoke about fear. Here is what he wrote:

July 5, Fear No Evil

David faced the temptation to fear, but he avoided it by determining not to be afraid no matter how foreboding the situation was. Instead, he chose to focus on the fact that the Lord was with him to comfort him in his troubles. Fear is the great enemy of your faith, and even if the Lord speaks to you...

July 4, Your Stuff

In today’s verse, David made a clear statement of commitment and devotion to the Lord. Perhaps it’s a good thing that David did not live in our materialistic age, where the emphasis is to own cars and more cars, clothes and trendier clothes, games and more complex games, homes and bigger homes.

July 3, Dealing with Godless Fools

A correct understanding of God is required for any and all righteousness. Without that, God identifies the godless as fools and their ability to do good is minimized. Therefore, the best way to turn around evil and wickedness is to convert the evil doer into a God-fearer.

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.