Seek the Lord Amidst Suffering

Psalm 31

This psalm is very applicable to every single person who calls earth their home. You may ask, why are you wording it this way… Well, we live in a fallen world that was cursed back in Genesis 3:17, and not only was the ground cursed then, but sin has abounded in our world. Cancer, greed, heartbreak, covetousness, and every evil (or imperfect) thing is a result of the sin that Adam committed. So let’s study this Psalm and see how one of the greatest earthly kings of Israel handled his anguish.

Just by means of breaking this Psalm into chunks, we see in the first 5 verses David is requesting protection from the LORD. He exclaims truths that God is his rock, his fortress, and that God is faithful. The next three verses, (6-8) David is portraying his trust and faith in God as his protector. God listens and hears the cry of David.
Now, in verses 9-13 David starts to explain some of the symptoms of his life. He explains:
1. His body and soul are withering away
2. Sin has drained his strength
3. He is wasting away from within
4. His enemies are conspiring against him, plotting to take his life.

Through these verses, David explains both internal and external suffering and anguish. He mentions that his sin has drained his strength. In Psalm 51, David asks the Lord to restore to him the joy of his salvation. There are two truths here. The first being that our own sin can cause us suffering and internal anguish. The second truth is that our sin steals the joy that we once had… But God is faithful to forgive you when you come to Him and He is faithful to restore that joy to you.

The external suffering David faced, and that we face today, is often a result of other people sinning against us. We must remember that sin is simply missing the mark of God’s righteousness and holiness.
Now let’s apply this to our own lives.
1. When we sin and face internal anguish, we must keep short accounts with God (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9, Ps. 32:1-5).
2. We must forgive others so we can also be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15).
3. We must continuously praise God and seek Him as our refuge and rock (Ps. 31:3,21)

Joy Comes in the Morning

Today’s Reading: Psalm 30 

David’s Psalm is a song of praise about joy coming after sorrow. I’m sure we can all think of times when Jesus lifted us out of a situation or circumstance that, at the moment, seemed to knock us down. There are so many that come to mind. If I choose to, I can think of a few things going on right now that without God, I would be floundering and trying to handle daily circumstances on my own, with guaranteed not good results (moving, marriage, parenting, time with God, job 1, job 2, looking for job 3 for family, did I say parenting, being a brother, husband, son, role model).  

Thankfully, spending intentional time daily leaning into the Lord and trusting in Him changes my perception, attitude, and, ultimately, my experience with every circumstance.  

God Rescues from Trouble (vv. 1–3)

“I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths…”

David recalls how God delivered him from a dire situation—possibly illness or near death—and restored him. The image is of being pulled up from Sheol (the grave), a metaphor for being rescued from death or despair.

God’s Anger Is Temporary, His Favor Is Lasting (v. 5)

“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”

This famous verse emphasizes God’s mercy. His anger (often disciplinary in the Old Testament context) is brief, while His favor and love endure. Suffering is real but temporary—joy returns.

The Danger of Self-Reliance (vv. 6–7)

“When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.'”

David admits he grew complacent in times of prosperity, forgetting that his stability came from God. When that favor seemed withdrawn, he was quickly shaken, revealing his dependence on God’s grace.

Transformation of Mourning into Joy (vv. 11–12)

“You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.”

The Psalm ends with a vivid image of transformation: despair becomes joy, sorrow turns into dancing. David commits to praising God forever.

So today, lean in, listen, and trust in what God has planned. Joy and hope are central to the life of faith

Strength of the Spirit of God 

 

Today’s Reading: Psalm 29

“Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”‭‭Psalm‬ ‭29‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Ascribe literally translates to : Write this down.

Write this down …. Write this down…. Write this down.

This is only stated when something important is happening.  This is the call to attention that needs to remembered and transmitted to everyone.

How important is it to write things down?  During the last year of college, while taking a graduate level mathematics course; I learned how to pay attention and write things down. The class consisted of only five people. The professor walks in and starts to write on the board. Everyone around me starts to write in their notebook. I was listening to him and paying attention.  The professor filled the entire board in less than five minutes. He spoke to the class for two minutes. He turned around and erased everything that he wrote. He then he began to start writing again. I did not get the memo that I needed to write everything down, so I started to feverishly write all the notes that he was giving me. It taught me not take for granted anything that was told to me, it may not be repeated. Now,  I am a prolific note taker.

In this psalm , David is telling everyone the magnitude in the magnificent of the spirit of God. He even references the first part of Genesis in this psalm…

“The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭29‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

David also tell the power and gentleness of God the Spirit

“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory!””

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭29‬:‭4‬-‭7‬, ‭9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

With this might and power of the Spirit, David shows the true mission of the Spirit…

“May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

It’s not just trying to tell us what and how the spirit of God works, but he also is telling us that when we allowed to Spirit to work and move in us that he is given us peace and strength and all the things that we do. This is the true mission of the Spirit is to show God‘s awesomeness in everyday life. This shows how the love that God gives provides strength and peace to us to overcome all things.

Be blessed

God, My Rock

Psalm 28

When I call on God, what do I call Him? Sometimes it’s “Father,” sometimes “Savior.” But I realize that if I have ever called Him “Rock,” it’s because I learned it right here in Psalm 28. David prayed that way, and if it was good enough for David, it’s good enough for me.

But what does it really mean for God to be my Rock? Rocks don’t move. They don’t crack under pressure. They aren’t bothered by storms, by rain, by heavy winds. If God is truly my Rock, then nothing can shake Him — not my relationship problems, not my health issues, not my financial fears, not even death itself.

The truth is, I often want to be a rock myself. I pray for courage, for strength, sometimes even for money, hoping to become strong and immovable. Yet, after the prayer ends, I often feel like a hypocrite — nothing changes. I am still fragile, still anxious, still me. I haven’t become the rock I asked to be.

And maybe that’s exactly the point.

God didn’t promise to make me the Rock. He promised to be the Rock. It’s an important distinction. My strength is not in becoming unbreakable; it’s in leaning on the One who already is. He is unmovable, unshakable, dependable — not me.

So what do I need a Rock for? I need a Rock to stand on when the storms rage. I need a Rock to cling to when my own strength fails. I need a Rock to remind me that though I may falter, He never will.

Psalm 28 teaches me that it’s not about being strong enough. It’s about trusting the One who already is.

No Fear

Today’s reading is Psalm 27.

I grew up in the Lutheran Church attending Confirmation classes in junior high which ends the Spring of your 8th grade year with taking your first Communion. As a part of this we picked our own personal Confirmation verse. By the time the sheet with possible options and a sort of “greatest hits” of Bible verses reached me, the ones I mostly knew at the time were gone.

Psalm 27:1 is what I ultimately selected…

The Lord is my light and salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life;

of whom shall I be afraid?

Many of us in born in the early to mid-80s probably remember the many “No Fear” shirts and stickers. While I didn’t have any myself, they were very popular, and I think is the reason I picked this verse. I had a great Aunt Naomi who was very close to our family being that she had no children of her own. When my Confirmation day came, I remember her telling me this was also her Confirmation verse, so I always think of her when I hear it again.

I read in the past few days something which said to the effect of that God did not keep Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from being thrown into the fire, but it was the fact that He put Jesus in their with them to protect them that mattered. God doesn’t promise us in this chapter that trials and bad things won’t happen.

In Psalm 27:2, “When evildoers assail me,.…”

In Psalm 27:3, “Though an army encamp against me,..”

In Psalm 27:5 it discusses, “in the day of trouble..”

The chapter indicates bad things will happen, but the Psalmist has peace in who will be with him and where his focus will be.

In Psalm 27:4, he seeks after being able to “dwell in the house of the Lord” and to “gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.”

In Psalm 27:8, he says, “’Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

In Psalm 27:11 he asks God to “Teach me your way O Lord.”

Lastly, in Psalm 27:13, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!”

As we reflect on current troubles, let us ask ourselves where our focus is…is it on our problems or Him?

Maybe we don’t have many troubles at this very moment but let us pray for wisdom that when we do, because Psalm 27 and John 16:33 says we will have them, our focus will be on Jesus. Let us pray that we will seek Him and His face and presence in these times.

Psalm 27:3 tells us when we do so we can live with confidence.

Though an army encamp against me,

My hear shall not fear;

Though ware rise against me,

yet I can be confident.”

Four Questions – Pass or Fail

After reading Psalm 26, I have a few questions I asked myself…..

1. Have I led a blameless life?

2. Have I trusted in the Lord without wavering?

3. Do I associate with hypocrites?

4. Do I always refuse to sit with the wicked?

Here are my answers in that order.  No.  No.  Yes.  No.   Just another reminder that I am so far from perfect, not that I had forgotten.

These aren’t written as questions in this Psalm but that is the way I read it back to myself.  I already know my answers before I can finish the question.

Blameless Life – If it isn’t my fault then whose is it?  Where do I point the finger?  In reality, I do often find myself pointing that finger in the mirror.  I find myself saying, “I could have handled that better”, or “I didn’t need it to escalate it that high”.

Trust the Lord without Wavering – I do trust the Lord.  This one I definitely tend to be more self-conscious of.  I know there are times that I certainly waver, but I am quick to take a step back, talk to God for a moment, and understand when I must give up the controls to Him.  That makes it a lot easier than ever thinking I have all the answers when we know that isn’t true!

Associating with Hypocrites – GUILTY!  I probably do it every day. Shoot, I can be that hypocrite.  It makes me feel even worse when I type it out load.  This one is difficult.  My good Christian credibility takes a hit here.

Refusing to Sitting with the Wicked – This one is interesting and the way I view it isn’t the right way.  I never sit with the wicked(figuratively or literally) because I also want to become wicked.  Instead, I am probably trying to gain something from them.  Maybe it is to learn what not to do or how not to be.  Maybe selfishly it is to use it against them someday. I know, I know,  that isn’t the right answer…..

The point of all this remains the same.  None of us are perfect.  Yes, we already know this.  The point is to think about it more, think about these questions.  Try and get through a day while asking yourself these.  How did you do?  Isn’t it impossible to go 24 hours with a passing grade.  If you can, good on you.  I am not sure I could, but it certainly makes me want to try a little harder each day.  Just like no sin is greater than another in God’s eyes, neither are these questions.  When in doubt take a moment, acknowledge whatever the situation and put your faith and trust in Jesus.  I promise you will feel better!

Paul’s Call for Unity and Harmony

“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had.” – Romans 15:5 (NIV)

Romans 15 calls us to something deeper than personal growth—it calls us to collective strength. Paul reminds us that those who are strong in faith should support those who are weak, just as Christ bore our burdens. This is not merely about tolerance; it’s about active love, patience, and selflessness.

Christ is our ultimate example. He didn’t come to please Himself, but to serve and to save. As believers, we’re invited to mirror His humility and grace. When we live with His mindset, our communities become places of healing, hope, and unity.

Paul also emphasizes the power of Scripture—it sustains us with encouragement and gives us hope. Whether we’re tired, confused, or discouraged, God’s Word is a steady foundation.

Finally, the chapter expands our view to the global church. Christ came for both Jews and Gentiles, and His acceptance compels us to welcome others with open hearts. We’re not just individuals following Jesus—we are a people joined together for God’s glory.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to live selflessly, just as Christ did. Teach me to support and uplift others in their journey. Fill me with endurance and encouragement, and give me a heart that seeks unity over division. May my life reflect Your grace and welcome others into Your love. Amen.

Live with Christlike patience, build up others, and embrace the unity God desires for His people.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT

A “smoking” lesson at the finish line!

A friend of mine had significant work-related stress for several years. As part of that, he worked early until late – including weekends, smoked a lot of cigarettes, and didn’t take good care of himself physically or emotionally. Then, once the storms of his job cleared, he embarked on his wellness improvement journey. This journey included exercise on a regular basis, weight loss, and he quit smoking cigarettes.

My friend then set and achieved a long-term goal to run a half-marathon. I was really proud of the progress he made and the results he had achieved.

After the race, we talked about how it went and the journey to where he is now. During the conversation, I asked “Did you celebrate with a cigarette?” I was half-joking, but then I was shocked when he responded by saying “Yes, I had one at the finish line.”

After all that hard work, why return to such a detrimental vice?

Around the time my friend shared his decision to quit-quitting smoking, I read Romans 14 about “judging others” and I was quickly reminded of my internal response to my friend. I definitely unfairly judged this person. Was I loving like Jesus or was I filled with sinful pride?

Romans 14 focuses on believers judging other believers. While the examples include Jewish vs. Gentile traditions, we can still be prone to unfairly judging others today, and therefore putting a wedge between ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as our Creator when we in seemingly harmless ways call to question:

  • What someone wears to church (or anywhere).
  • How or when they pray.
  • Whether they drink achohol or smoke.
  • How they parent or educate their children.
  • What their worship style or tradition looks like.

The list can go on forever, so we need to pause and look to Jesus who was called a friend to sinners, he loved unconditionally, and in the end, he was the ultimate example of being unjustly judged. He was perfect and sin-free, yet he was sentenced to a brutal death on a cross, and he did this willingly as the most loving act in human history as a substitution for our sins.

From personal experience, I’ve learned that when I unfairly judge others, it often stems from a desire to feel better about myself. However, in the end, it only leaves me feeling more disappointed. We are all works in progress though, so let’s not beat ourselves up when we fail because we are loved and forgiven! Jesus didn’t define people by their shortcomings, he saw their value and their heart.

Who comes to mind today that needs your love instead of your judgment? Who around you has stumbled and could use a hand, a hug, a word of encouragement, or even an apology? Let’s choose to see people the way God sees them: His creation, deeply loved and cherished as His children.

Worship God by Offering Yourself as a Sacrifice

Romans 12
This post was supposed to go up yesterday, but forgive me for getting to it today. This post will be on Romans 12 and all that Paul writes within this chapter.

Paul starts off by telling us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice which is our reasonable service. Now why is this our reasonable service to Him? Well, first we must remember that we are a royal priesthood as Peter would describe us in 1 Peter 2:9, and one of the roles of the priests was to offer sacrifices. We must not think that we offer ourselves as a sacrifice and therefore work for our salvation, but it is our reasonable service because of the sacrifice that Jesus already offered. In Romans 11:33 Paul says, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out?” This verse lays the context of why we worship God by sacrificing our bodies and our lives to Him. I have heard it said before, if we knew everything about God and understood everything about Him, then He would not be a God worth worshipping. A sacrifice as substantial as our own bodies is reasonable because of God’s holy, just, righteous, merciful, and gracious character (to name a few of His attributes). 
Paul then adds that we should “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Now, as we sacrifice our bodies to God, submitting to Him, and as we renew our minds with things above (Phil. 4:8), there should be results. We should notice that the gifts given to us by God’s grace are used for the sake of other people. We should notice a unity within our Christian community with Jesus as the head. We should notice that we are carrying out vv. 9-21. Lastly, we should be people who love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and mind; and people who love their neighbor as themselves. It all starts with humility.

Confidence in Promises

Today’s Reading: Romans 11

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means!

Sometimes, you feel God is not present, listening, or possibly punishing you for some sin.  The evil one is always around, taking any insecurities and trying to find ways to make you question every aspect of your life.   The question of God keeping His promises is a question of divine integrity and belief that we all need.  Thankfully, God will always keep His Word.

Titus 1:2 God is God who cannot lie.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

 

In verse 2. “God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew.”

“Foreknew”  basically means a predetermination to love. He knew the Israelites, and He knows us. We know He loves us. He even died for us.

Dear Lord,

It is so awesome to know that You are a God who keeps Your promise. It is an amazing confidence I can live with knowing I can trust You in all my life and future.  Lord, help us believe in our hearts always and obey. We trust You with our time on this Earth and the lives we live.  Our whole life can be predicated on You being trustworthy and a God who keeps His Word.   Amen