Daily Reflections

from the Book of Psalms

July 27, Vindication

One of the most difficult aspects of life to surrender to the Lord is your reputation. When someone makes an accusation or charges you with an offense, everything in you wants to defend yourself and correct what people are thinking about you. Yet the Lord desires that you trust your reputation with Him, allowing Him to be your...

July 26, A Kingdom Worker

The concept of work is different for a believer than for someone who doesn’t know the Lord. For the unbeliever, work is how he or she makes money. For believers, God has promised to provide, so they work to extend God’s kingdom rule on the job. What does that mean?

July 25, Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On

It is easy to misinterpret a Bible promise to mean something that it does not mean. In Isaiah, God makes the promise that no weapon formed against you shall prosper (see Isaiah 54:17). The verse doesn’t mean the weapons won’t be formed or won’t try to be effective against you, it simply says they won’t be successful.

July 24, Leaders and Kings

God is a leadership God. He works through leaders, but the tendency of mankind has been to put expectations on their leaders that should only be put on the Lord. This has led time and again to the glorification and deification of leaders, and that always gets people in trouble — for leaders are mortal and will eventually pass from the scene, no matter how effective or evil they are.

July 23, Water in a Dry Place

God led His people in to the wilderness, another word for the Sinai desert. The temperatures were scorching, the nights were bitter cold, there was no food, and of course there was no water. What’s more, there were millions of people, plus all their herds of animals, and they wandered there for 40 years before they entered the Promised Land.

July 22, Friendship Betrayed

There is an aspect of Psalms that not only describes the experience of the psalmist, but also looks ahead to the ministry and suffering of Jesus. Jesus lived the psalms, just like you do when you read them to identify with the human pathos they represent and narrate. In these verses, we learn that Jesus...

July 21, Choosing Friends

David declared that he was careful about choosing both his friends, associates, and his spiritual leaders. He understood what Paul wrote much later: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Paul also wrote, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.

July 20, Change

For you to sing a new song to the Lord means that you must stop singing the old song. No, that is not an endorsement for contemporary music over hymns, but rather an indication that God desires to bring change into your life. As a believer, you should eat change for breakfast, so to speak, for the Spirit who lives in you is always moving and changing you and the things around you.

July 19, A Refuge From the Storm

When I was in a dangerous country on a ministry assignment, our team met every morning at 7 AM, and part of our regimen was reciting Psalm 91 in its entirety as a group. After that, we were more focused on God’s promises of protection as we went about our business. God does not have a shelter nor does He cast a shadow.

July 18, Holy Geography

In the Old Testament, Zion was the place where God resided in Israel’s mind, for it was in Jerusalem and close to where the Temple stood. Even while they were in Babylonian exile, the Jews talked, sang, wrote, and dreamed about Zion. God’s people were “born” there, for that is the place where they communed and met with God.

July 17, Seek His Kingdom

Today’s verse basically tells you that God is everything you need, every day and in every way. If you need light, He is the sun, heating and brightening your way. If you need protection from the sun, He is your shield. He grants honor for work done and favor in the eyes of those who can help you along the way.

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...

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.