Category: Daily Devotionals

DOUBLE CHECKING THEOLOGY

You are good and do good.  Psalm 119:68a

What do I really believe down deep about the character of God?  In reality, each of us can be prone to make judgment calls about God’s parenting according to our experience.  There are four choices, humanly speaking.

1. God is a bad parent because he does bad things. If I choose to be the interpreter of all the suffering in the world, and I believe there is a God, then I might conclude that God can not be good.  There is too much pain and a God who allows that, or causes that, can not be trusted.  I never trust Him to be my Father.  I remain a son of the devil – who is a bad parent and does bad things.  Irony. Continue reading “DOUBLE CHECKING MY THEOLOGY” →

JUDGMENT AND KNOWLEDGE

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments.  Psalm 119:66

An educated person can be full of knowledge but lack good judgment.  Street smart and book smart are not one in the same.  What if I excel in one but not the other?  Can God teach me what I lack?  Yes. Continue reading “JUDGMENT AND KNOWLEDGE” →

LOVE OVERLOOKED

The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statues.  Psalm 119:64

Every day the earth showcases fresh outpourings of God’s steadfast love. The sun comes up.  The earth stays on its axis.  Oxygen is plentiful.  Rain falls.  Crops grow.  Deep springs are replenished to provide water.  We are such a speck in the solar system, so fragile in the big scheme of things.  It wouldn’t take much to set us off course so that sustaining life would become impossible.  Just read about any other planet and it’s a sobering experience. Continue reading “LOVE OVERLOOKED” →

HOW OFTEN I FORFEIT FAVOR

I entreat your favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise.  Psalm 119:58

There are many who feel that God’s favor is owed to them.  Perhaps this describes the majority of God’s creation.  They believe that they do more good than bad.  Because of how that set of scales reads, they believe that God owes them pleasure and ease. Continue reading “HOW OFTEN I FORFEIT FAVOR” →

TIME AND COURAGE TO PONDER

When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies.  Psalm 119:59

It is one thing to say I love God’s ways and will follow them for the rest of my life but another thing entirely to consider the ways my beliefs and actions betray God’s ways.  There are always the obvious sins but what about the subtle ways I neglect doing what Christ would do in my situation? Continue reading “TIME AND COURAGE TO PONDER” →

CHOICES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS

This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept your precepts.  Psalm 119:56

The descent to depravity is a gradual one.  A series of bad choices, starting with what seems like small ones, ends up taking someone to ruin.  At the end of the trail, one shakes their head and wonders how they got there.  Choices. Continue reading “Choices And Their Implications” →

I’M SORRY FOR GOD 

Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.  Psalm 119:53

            The writer of this emotional admission wasn’t horrified (meaning of indignation) for himself.  He wasn’t the one who was wronged.  God was.  He was so emotionally connected to God that when God was wronged, He felt it.  Continue reading “I’M SORRY FOR GOD” →

UNBROKEN PROMISES

Remember your word to your servant, in which you have made me hope.  Psalm 119:49

Sometimes, we don’t like to be reminded of the promises we’ve made.  Usually the reminder comes because the person we promised perceives that we have forgotten.  We are acting in a such a way that leaves them shaken about the strength of our word.  Continue reading “UNBROKEN PROMISES” →

A PROMISE MADE POSSIBLE

I will keep your law continually, forever and ever.  Psalm 119:44

The psalmist’s words sound like a marriage vow; a pledge that is certainly a lofty goal but is it really possible to keep it and never fail?  Does one love, honor, obey, and cherish their spouse every hour of the day?  If truth be known, everyone at the altar takes a deep breath while making such vows, aware that it’s above them to be able to keep their promise. Continue reading “A PROMISE MADE POSSIBLE” →

THE MORE YOU NEED, THE BETTER

Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord, your salvation according to your promise.  Psalm 119:41

It’s easy to love others when their lives are going well, when the needs are low.  Let their needs rise and love is tested.  To walk beside them during their toughest times takes steadfastness.  You can absolutely spend yourself on their behalf on a given day, make a real difference, then go to bed that night and think, “Whew! Now they’re finally set.” But then the next day, the needs are just as great so you can spend it all again.  It is exhausting and discouraging. That’s because we’re human. Continue reading “THE MORE YOU NEED, THE BETTER” →