Chronological Bible Blog

May 15th Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 131; Psalm 133; Psalm 138-141; Psalm 143
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESV.org ~

Psalm 131 verse 2 is a beautiful reflection!  "But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me." What a great reflection and reminder to take 1 day a week as a Sabbath day of rest.  A day to still and quiet yourself.  Just like a small child is with its mother.  Have you been still and quieted yourself recently?  Why would David, the Psalmist, write about this?  Why would this be a good thing to do?

Psalm 133 is a great short Davidic Psalm about harmony!   Verse 1 sets the pace of this psalm nicely: "How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony!"  Do you consistently seek harmony in your interactions with others? Do you pray for peace?

Psalm 138 is an awesome Psalm of thanksgiving and praise to God from David!   You'll note that the word Temple is used in verse 2 - and of course the Temple was built by David's son Solomon.  It is thought that David used the word Temple in reference to the tent holding the Ark of the Covenant.  Some have also thought that this Psalm possibly was written after David's time, in the post-exile period.  Either way, it is a beautiful Psalm of praise.  Psalm 138 begins a final collection of eight "Davidic" Psalms, which are framed by songs of Praise in Psalm 138 & Psalm 145 - and Psalms 139 through 144 are six prayers.

In Psalm 138 today, verse 3 stood out to me - "When I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me the strength I need."  Do you believe that God answers your prayers?  Maybe not exactly in the way you'd expect, but that they are answered?  Do you believe that God answers your prayers through encouragement and by giving you strength?

Psalm 138:7 stood out to me as well - "Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will preserve me against the anger of my enemies. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies! Your power will save me."  Do you believe that Jesus' power will save you in times of trouble?  Or do you rely on your own power and maybe forget about Jesus during times of trouble?  Will you rely on Jesus, realizing that only His power will ultimately save you?

Today we read Psalm 139! I LOVE this Psalm... and had somehow forgotten about it.  Is this Psalm anyone's favorite Psalm out there?  I would not doubt it if was.  This is just an incredibly beautiful Psalm about how much God loves and cares for us.  And just how well God knows us.  Please read and re-read this Psalm this week if you can.  And rejoice in how much God loves you and how much he knows you. Each of the verses in this Psalm are incredible.  I'll highlight a few.  Verse 3 - "You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am."  Do you believe that God charts out your path for you?  Do you believe that God gives you true rest?  Do you believe God knows where you are every single moment of your life?

Verses 13 & 14 - "You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous--and how well I know it."  Do you believe that God was loving and caring and creating you in your mother's womb?  Are you amazed by the complexity and wonder of the human body?  Could it be anything other than the marvelous workmanship of a loving and creative and living God?  (next two images below courtesy of heartlight.org)

And verses 23 & 24 to close out the Psalm: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  Do you consistently ask God to search your heart and mind?  Do you confess to God what is not right in your heart and mind?  What needs healing?  Do you ask God to even point out to you things that you may not realize are destructive to you and others in your heart and mind?  Do you believe that this process of confessing your sins to God and asking for forgiveness and healing will lead you along the path of everlasting life?

Psalm 140 is a prayer for deliverance from evil.  And this Psalm certainly should be a good reminder of the Lord’s Prayer, where we pray – “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”  What is the one thing that can truly deliver us from evil?  Can we deliver ourselves from evil on our own?  Or do we need something beyond ourselves for this deliverance?

Verse 7 in this Psalm gives each of us something to consider and should be an encouragement: “O Sovereign LORD, my strong savior, you protected me on the day of battle.”   Do you believe God is your strong savior who will protect you from evil on the day of battle?  Do you believe that perhaps every day is a day of battle?  Do you believe that Satan or evil ever rests in attempting to tempt people?  Should we pray for protection from evil on a very regular basis?  The Lord’s Prayer / Our Father is one great way to do this each day…

From 1928’s Book of Common Prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.”  Lord, teach us how to pray...

Psalm 141 is a beautiful prayer of David's - praying for deliverance from the wicked and their ways.  Verse 4 is powerful - "Don't let me lust for evil things; don't let me participate in acts of wickedness. Don't let me share in the delicacies of those who do evil." Is this a prayer you could incorporate into your prayer life?   What might be some examples of "delicacies of those who do evil"?  Will you pray to God to avoid these "delicacies" and "treasures" that will ultimately fail you?

Psalm 143 verse 8 stood out to me today - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I have come to you in prayer."  I read somewhere before - I think it was Bruce Wilkinson's book "Secrets of the Vine" - that many great men and women of our Christian faith connect with God in the morning through prayer, reading the Bible, and other quiet time activities.  Bruce even suggested that this is the preferential way to go - to start your day by spending time with God in the morning, rather than at night.  Because he said this would then transform the rest of your day - in terms of being more conscientious of our relationship with God.  This does make sense to me - and in fact, I have started reading the One Year Bible now in the mornings, and it is a beautiful way to start the day! I like what this Psalmist says - "Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning."  And it reminds me that somehow, someway, it almost seems easier to me to connect with God in the morning.  Actually - one other thing I used to do in the morning is read a page or two from Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest."  And I am thankful that I did this in the morning for a season.  How about you?  Do you have some way that you connect with God in the morning?  Are you able in some way to hear of God's unfailing love for you in the morning?

Worship Video: Today's readings in Psalm 139 reminds me of the beautiful song by Josh Wilson called "Before the Morning:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqKYX472XJY

Are you awaiting the Morning dawn in your spiritual life? Click here for a new day!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 TNIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are living in unity today with God's people! Pray that your life is good and pleasant to other Believers in your life.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

May 14th Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 103; Psalm 108-110; Psalm 122; Psalm 124
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESV.org ~

Psalm 103 is a great Psalm today! Each verse is a powerful reminder of God's character and our relationship to God. Verse 8 definitely stands out today - "The LORD is merciful and gracious. He is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love." Do you believe that God is merciful and gracious?  Have you experienced God's mercy? His grace?  Do you believe that God is slow to get angry?  When was the last time you experienced God's unfailing love?  (think now... God loves you so much he's given you beautiful life-giving oxygen to fill your lungs as you read this... praise God for the very air we breath!)

Today in Psalm 103 verses 11 & 12 we read these verses about God – “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” I think these verses are a wonderful look at what it means to be spiritually reborn and living in relationship with God. These verses are a glimpse of the true freedom that is found in relationship with God - freedom of living in God’s perfect love, and freedom from our slavery to sin. Do you believe that God’s love for you is as high as the heavens are above the earth? Do you believe that God has removed your sins (transgressions) from you as far as the east is from the west?  Do you thank God often for His love for you?  Do you thank Jesus often for saving you from the bondage of sin?

I love Psalm 108 verse 1 today: "My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises! Wake up, my soul!"   Is your heart confident in God?  Do you sing God's praises?  Is your soul awake?  Or does your soul need a wake up call?  Where do you suppose you can find that wake up call for your soul?  The Bible?  Jesus?  The Holy Spirit?  God?  Will you answer the call today?  Will your soul wake up?

Today in Psalm 109 verse 4 in the NIV we read these words of David – “I am a man of prayer.”  Wow. I like that. And I’m not sure I can honestly say that about myself right now. Sure, I will roll out of bed and offer up some prayers. Yeah, I’ll try to say a prayer before meals. And yes, I’ll pray briefly before going to sleep. Oh yeah, maybe in church once a week too I’ll offer up some prayers. But, for me to say “I am a person of prayer” would probably not be truthful. Ouch. Don’t worry – I’m not beating myself up too badly over it. But - if I really want to realize that God is holy and a Rock and if I really want to love God and other people, then I have a hunch that being a person of prayer is a critical part of the equation. I don’t think that prayer is so much talking to God as it is really slowing down and listening to God. Sure, it’s a conversation, but I think in our fast pace world today we would do well to really slow down in prayer and listen to God. Listen for that still small voice within our hearts leading us to God’s kingdom and glory and peace. It’s there. I think it takes prayer to really hear it oftentimes. How about you? Are you a person of prayer? Do you want to be a person of prayer? When you pray, do you talk more or listen more to God? Do you want to live your life as a person of prayer?

Bible.org's commentary on Psalm 109 titled "A Prayer for the Punishment of the Wicked" is at this link.

Psalm 110 is a powerful Psalm!  It is considered Messianic and some say the most prophetic of all the Psalms.  Verses 1 & 4 are the 2 verses that are believed to be most prophetic of Jesus and both verses are referenced in the New Testament, most often verse 1. 

Verse 1 -
"The LORD said to my Lord,
        "Sit in honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies,
        making them a footstool under your feet.""

Verse 4 stands today, with very similar teachings to what we've just been reading about this in Hebrews this past week or so!
"The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow:
       "You are a priest forever in the line of Melchizedek.""

Bible.org's commentary on Psalm 110 titled "David's Lord" is at this link.

Psalm 122 is the third in a series of Psalms of pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  This is a joyful Psalm!  Today in Psalm 122 verse 1 we read – “I rejoiced with those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”” Have you ever had this experience? Have you ever rejoiced when someone invited you to attend church? Have you ever given this experience to others? Have you said to others in your life, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”? Do you make it a regular habit to invite people to church? Does church bring joy to you? Do you think it might then also bring joy to others? Others who are waiting for you to simply invite them? Will you? Will you rejoice with those around you through the simple & graceful act of an invitation?  Are you yourself part of a church community? Are you attending church on a regular basis? Do you believe that being in community with other Christians each week will help grow your relationship with God? If you are not part of a church community, will you seek one out this upcoming week?

And verse 6 is so true then - and still true now - "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Will you join me in praying for the peace of Jerusalem?

I read in a commentary that Psalm 124 was likely a call and response from a Levitical priest and worshipers.  Verses 1 through 5 were likely spoken by the priest and verses 6 through 8 were the response of the people.  Great way to read this Psalm!  Even though this Psalm title says it is a "Psalm of David", some commentaries believe this Psalm is post-exile from Babylon based on verse 8: "We escaped like a bird from a hunter's trap. The trap is broken, and we are free!"  Though, I could see that verse apply to Davidic times too. Verse 8 is a joyful response that hopefully each one of us can sing confidently: "Our help is from the LORD, who made the heavens and the earth."  Amen and Amen!

Worship Video:  Psalm 103 today reminded me of Building 429's song "Always:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi39oAOgJn0

Do you know God's love always? Click here for Always!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "I rejoiced with those who said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD.'" Psalm 122:1 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you rejoice every time you to go church. Pray that you invite others to join you at church regularly.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

May 13th Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 68-70; Psalm 86; Psalm 101
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESV.org ~

I always like the idea and reminder to sing to God!  Do you sing to God at places other than church?  Maybe in your car?  Maybe at home with the headphones on?  Do you "sing" to God with the way you live your life?  Here's verse 4 in Psalm 68 today which I love - "Sing praises to God and to his name! Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is the LORD-- rejoice in his presence!"  How do you sing your praises to the Lord each day?  Is it done as passionately as this fella below?  :)

Today in Psalm 68 verse 20 we read – “Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.” Do you believe God is a God who saves us? How did / does God do this saving? Do you believe that escape from death comes from God and his Son? I’ve been reflecting on this “death” aspect of our fallen world a bit lately, which has been sad to reflect upon. I had an experience with a few friends very recently where I was reminded of how self-destructive we can be in our lives. I think that without Jesus we can oftentimes not know where to turn for an escape from death – we do not know where to turn from an escape from our own self destructive behaviors. My friends need Jesus. I need Jesus. The world needs Jesus. Our God is a God who saves. From God and Jesus comes escape from death. May this season of Easter bring us, our friends, and families closer to the God who saves!

Psalm 69 verse 16 today is such a true statement that maybe we need to be reminded of today - "Answer my prayers, O LORD, for your unfailing love is wonderful. Turn and take care of me, for your mercy is so plentiful."  God does answer our prayers - perhaps not in the way we "want" Him to, but always in the way that is ultimately best for us and the Kingdom.  His unfailing love is wonderful.  His mercy is so plentiful.  But, yet, somehow I think I sometimes forget all of this.  Why?  I think I forget about God's love & mercy when I am not praying to him.  How about you?  Are you needing a reminder today about God's unfailing love and his mercy?  Are you praying to God for these very things?  Will you allow God to demonstrate both his love and mercy to you today?  Will you offer up prayers and allow God to answer in his perfect way? 

I love Psalm 69 verse 33 today - "For the LORD hears the cries of his needy ones; he does not despise his people who are oppressed."  God hears the cries of his needy ones.  Perhaps the question is then, do we hear the cries of God's needy ones?  Do we hear the cries of those starving today? Sick from lack of clean water?  Suffering from HIV / AIDS?  Spiritually poor?  Needing a friend?  How is the soil of our hearts if we are not hearing these cries?  Should we be hearing these cries?  And if we do hear them, what then should we do?   Remember Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 25 verses 34-36:  "‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’" 

Psalm 70 verse 4 is awesome - "But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "God is great!""  Indeed, I think as Christians we should be filled with joy & gladness!  Yes, there will be tough times.  And suffering.  But overall, I pray that we are filled with joy and gladness.

Wow. Today in Psalm 86 we read an amazingly wise prayer of David to God in verse 11 – “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name.” How do you think this verse works as a prayer? Can you imagine praying it to God? Do you want God to teach you his way? Do you want to walk in God’s Truth? What does it mean to you to have an undivided heart? It is possible that your heart is now divided in some way? Will you pray to God for an undivided heart? What does it mean to fear God’s name? Why would David pray to fear God’s name? I read an interesting commentary on this verse saying that David is wisely praying for God to save him from his frailty within himself. Oftentimes in the Psalms we will read about David praying for God to deliver him from his enemies. In this verse David is praying for deliverance from what is within. This is a critical point to consider. I think sometimes we always look toward “external” circumstances as the cause of all of our problems. When perhaps we need to look at some “internal” things going on inside of us as causes of some of our problems? And in realizing that there are some internal things that need to be fixed, perhaps we can humbly pray Psalm 86 verse 11 like David did thousands of years ago?  “Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name.”

Psalm 101 is a great Psalm of David today! Great verses, all of them.  I like verse 3 - "I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar." This seems to be a bit tougher and tougher to adhere to in our modern world where pornography is getting more and more into the mainstream.  But, it is such a beautiful and true Psalm of David for us to adhere to!  Do you refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar?  Do you avoid watching TV shows, reading magazines or papers, or going to see movies where you know you'll end up looking at things vile & vulgar?  Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying avoid watching all TV, reading all mags & papers or avoid all movies.  I'm just saying that there are some of these forms of media that we know in advance that what they "sell" us will be vile and vulgar.  Why would we "buy" that garbage?  Refuse to look at it.  Don't give it one inch of power over you!  (or your kids!)

A portion of verse 2 stood out to me today - "I will lead a life of integrity in my own home." This is powerful. How often do we have integrity outside of our home - but then not display integrity within our own home? Think this is healthy? Should we strive for leading a life of integrity within our own home?

Worship Video: Today's readings in Psalm 68 remind me of the Matt Maher song "Alive Again:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSTaVmDQP5s

Do you need to be made alive again? Click here for Life!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "I will sing of your love and justice; to you, LORD, I will sing praise." Psalm 101:1 NIV

Prayer Point: Pray that you are singing praise to God today and each day forevermore.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

May 12th Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 61-62; Psalm 64-67
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESV.org ~

Today we read Psalm 61, which has some powerful verses for us to meditate upon when the storms of life come crashing down upon us. This Psalm reminds us of who is indeed our true Rock – our true Refuge. Verses 1 through 5 are so powerful to meditate upon when you are going through a storm in your life –

“Hear my cry, O God;
  listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
    I call as my heart grows faint;
    lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been my refuge,
    a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in your tent forever
    and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.
For you have heard my vows, O God;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.”

Today we read in Psalm 62 verse 11 - "God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you." This is a powerful verse - no pun intended. . .  :)  Really, think about it. Where does power come from? Who gives power? Who takes it away? I think it is such a blessing when we truly understand this verse and then live it out. When we realize that we really have no power of our own. Any power - any thing - we have comes from God and God alone. And thank God for that. It's when we start believing we create or own or control power that we begin to get prideful or we'll misuse the power given to us. I think a great teaching on where power truly comes from comes from Jesus when he is before Pilate in John chapter 19 verses 10 & 11 - "“Do you refuse to speak to me?” Pilate said. “Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?” Jesus answered, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above."" Where do you think your power to do anything at all comes from? Do you believe it was given to you from above? If so, how might truly realizing this change how you live your life? How might it change how you utilize the power given to you?

Psalm 64 verse 10 is beautiful - "The godly will rejoice in the LORD and find shelter in him."  Do you consider God a shelter for your life?  When storms come into your life, do you find shelter in God?  How about the Bible?  Is the Bible a sort of shelter in your life?  Do you find refuge in the Bible?

Psalm 65 has some amazing verses about nature!  I love verse 8 - "Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy." When is the last time you have been inspired to shout for joy to God for the beautiful sunset he created?

Verse 7 of Psalm 65 says this - "You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations."  When is the last time you have stood in complete silence before God because of his beautiful Creation?

Psalm 66 verses 1 & 2 are awesome!  "Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth! Sing about the glory of his name! Tell the world how glorious he is."  Do you tell the world about how glorious God is?  How do you do this?  Think these kids below might be singing & shouting joyfully to God?  Think there is anything we might be able to learn from these kids?  :)

Psalm 67 verse 2 today sounds very Great Commission-ish: "May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere." It's interesting to read this verse when just recently I was reading a review in my local newspaper about a book that "exposes" evangelical Christians. (of which I am one)  This book really dives into how "successful" evangelical Christians are in "recruiting" young adults ages 20 to 35 with their ministries.  And this book reviewer - and the book author - were very disdainful of Christianity.  Saying it threatened secular society...  and this just made me realize that the more we do indeed make God's ways known throughout the earth - the more we introduce people to God's saving power among people everywhere - well, then the secular world will push back big time with books and reviews like the one I read.  And the secular world will even push back in more severe ways as well.  This makes me realize that indeed our efforts to make God's was known - God's love, grace, mercy, salvation, call to repentance - are being noticed by others.  But hopefully more than just being noticed by others, let us pray that our Kingdom work actually introduces others to God's only son Jesus, who transforms hearts and lives for eternity!

Worship Video: Psalm 67:2 reminds me the amazing song "My Redeemer Lives" by Nicole C. Mullen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QvX4CwSmwY

Do you know our Redeemer lives? Click here for Life!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture today: "God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you." Psalm 62:11 NLT

Prayer Point: Pray that you would not rely on your own power, but will rely only on God's power in you. Pray that you will always humbly know that power belongs to God alone.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!

May 11th Chronological Bible Readings

Psalm 39-41; Psalm 53; Psalm 55; Psalm 58
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~
~ Listen to today's Scripture on ESV.org ~

Today we read in Psalm 39 verse 5 – “My life is no longer than the width of my hand. An entire lifetime is just a moment to you; human existence is but a breath." This verse is a powerful verse for each of us to meditate upon.

I love verse 7 of Psalm 39 - "And so, Lord, where do I put my hope? My only hope is in you."  Is this true of your life today?  Are you putting your hope anywhere else? 

Psalm 40 starts off in verse 1 with a beautiful reflection on David "waiting patiently for the Lord" about his prayer, and in turn God "heard his cry." David then goes forward in the Psalm rejoicing in the Lord and culminating in this powerful statement in verse 8: "I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart." How does this Psalm speak to you today? Do you wait patiently for the Lord in your prayer life? Do you desire to do God's will? Is His law within your heart today?

Today Psalm 40 verse 16 stood out to me for it's pure joy and praise - "But may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, "The LORD is great!""  Does this verse resonate with you today?  Have you searched for God in your life?  Are you filled with joy and gladness because of that search?  Do you love God's salvation?  Do you shout praises to God for all he has done for you? 

Maybe if Psalm 40:16 does not resonate for you today, hopefully verse 17 can encourage you - "As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord is thinking about me right now. You are my helper and my savior. Do not delay, O my God."  Do you believe that Jesus is thinking about you right now?  Do you believe that Jesus is your helper and your savior?

Today we read in Psalm 41 verse 1 – “Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.” For some reason this verse really opens up my heart. Something about the word “weak.” Maybe this verse really speaks to me because I myself feel weak at times. And yet, I am so blessed in so many ways. And I realize that there are so many others out there in this world who may not have the blessings that I have, and who are struggling through an extremely tough cycle of weakness. And I wonder – what am I doing to help those who are weak? Do I really have regard for the weak? Do you? What in our life really demonstrates that we have regard for the weak? Are we investing time or finances into the weak? Are we praying for the weak? Are we loving the weak?

If you've ever asked yourself - or ever been asked - why do we need a Messiah?  What is our need of Jesus?  Well, I think this question is clearly answered in verses 2 & 3 of Psalm 53 - "God looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if there is even one with real understanding, one who seeks for God. But no, all have turned away from God; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not even one!"  This is why we need Jesus.  With Jesus, we indeed seek for God.  With Jesus, we are blessed with the Holy Spirit to begin to have some real understanding.  But without Jesus.... well, it reminds me of the old DC Talk song "In the Light" - "What's going on inside of me?  I despise my own behavior.  This only serves to confirm my suspicions, that I'm still a man in need of a Savior!"  Amen... Today's Psalm reminds me of a powerful blog posting from Tim Challies I recently read titled "Real Guilt and Sinfulness," which you can read at this link.

Today we read Psalm 55 verse 22, which is a beautiful reminder to all who believe in the risen Lord! "Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall." Please do meditate on this verse a bit.  Do you make it a habit of giving your burdens to the Lord?  Or do you try to carry your burdens on your own strength?  Is there a burden you are carrying today that you can give to the Lord?  Will you?  And do you trust that he will take care of you and not permit you to slip and fall?

Psalm 58 verse 11 stood out to me today - ""There truly is a reward for those who live for God; surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.""  I think this is wise for us to remember that God indeed judges.  We don't.  We shouldn't.  But God indeed judges justly.  This verse also brings up the question - are we living for God?  If so, what will our reward be?  Are you looking forward to the reward?

Worship Video: Today's readings in Mark 6 about Jesus praying and Psalm 40 about David praying reminded me of the Casting Crowns song "What If His People Prayed." Here's a great live version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF-lXgjEHo0

Are you praying? Click here and pray!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on two verses of Scripture today: "Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered — how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath." Psalm 39:4-5 NLT

Prayer Point: Pray that God will remind you daily of how brief your time on earth is. Pray that you would live each day fully for the Lord in light of the brevity of your life.

Comments from You:  What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings?  Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

p.s. I would greatly appreciate it if you would pray for this Chronological Bible Blog ministry today! Please also consider partnering with us by financially supporting this ministry. Thank you!