Back to John’s Gospel
Having completed a second series of 30 Psalms, we return for this next month to the Gospel according to John for our devotionals. I trust they prove a blessing. In Christ, Andrew Young
Devotionals: Psalms
Misunderstood
“For not even his brothers believed in him.” (John 7:5) Bible Reading: John 7:1-9 We pick up our devotionals in John’s Gospel with Jesus still in Galilee. He has fed the 5,000, spoken about being the true bread that gives life to the world, and witnessed many of his “disciples” turning back from following him on account of his “hard sayings” (John 6). It is about six months before his death, and the time is approaching for the third annual festival of the Jews “the Feast of Booths” (or Tabernacles). As a faithful Jew, Jesus habitually attended such feasts. And it is […]
Valiant through God
“With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.” (Psalm 60:12) Bible Reading: Psalm 60:1-12 It is not personal troubles that lie behind this psalm of David so much as a national calamity. God seems to have rejected his people – particularly their armies – such that they are powerless to overcome their foes. “O God,” David begins, “you have rejected us, broken our defences; you have been angry; oh, restore us” (Psalm 60:1). He continues, “You have made your people see hard things; you have given us wine to drink that has made us stagger” (v. 3). At […]
God our Strength
“O my Strength, I will sing praises to you. For you, O God, are my fortress…” (Psalm 59:17) Bible Reading: Psalm 59:1-17 Once again, David uses vivid imagery to capture the circumstances he finds himself in at the hands of his enemies. “Each evening they come back howling like dogs and prowling about the city,” he says, referring to those who seek his life (Psalm 59: 6, 14). In our mind’s eye, we see savage mongrels waiting to rip and tear helpless prey. “There they are,” he adds, “bellowing with their mouths with swords in their lips… They wander about for food […]
God and the Wicked
“O God, break the teeth in their mouths…” (Psalm 58:6) Bible Reading: Psalm 58:1-10 This psalm is dominated by the judgments that David wants God to mete out on those who are wicked. He draws a sharp contrast between such people, who he speaks of as “estranged from the womb,” who “go astray from birth, speaking lies” (Psalm 58:3), and the “righteous” (vs. 11, 12). From the first verse, it appears that the “wicked” that David has in view are “gods” or judges, people in places of authority. Interestingly, Jesus alludes to this idea when accused of making himself equal with God […]
Giving Thanks to God
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord among the peoples…” (Psalm 57:9) Bible Reading: Psalm 57:1-11 From the title, this appears to be another psalm of David written in the context of fleeing from Saul. He speaks of his soul being “in the midst of lions,” of lying down “amid fiery beasts,” and of his opponents as people “whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords” (Psalm 57:4). Yet, his trust in the Lord is unwavering. His soul takes refuge under the shadow of God’s wings (v. 1), confident that God will show his steadfast love and answer […]
In God I Trust
“In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust…” (Psalm 56:4) Bible Reading: Psalm 56:1-13 The title of this psalm suggests that it was written by David “when the Philistines seized him in Gath” (1 Samuel 21:10, 11; 22:1). He had fled to the land of the Philistines to escape Saul but was treated with suspicion by these mortal enemies of Israel. Evidently, there were those among them who put his life in jeopardy every day. He speaks of his enemies as those who “trample on me all day long… All day long they injure my cause,” he complains; “all their […]
Our Burden-Bearer
“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you…” (Psalm 55:22) Bible Reading: Psalm 55:1-23 It has often been noted that many of the psalms are called “laments” – they are songs and prayers arising out of distress. They make it very clear that life in this world for those who fear God is strewn with difficulties. But they also witness just as clearly to the fact that God is a refuge for his people in such circumstances. In this psalm, we see David seeking God in a time of particularly deep trouble. He is surrounded by oppressors and enemies […]
God our Helper
“Behold, God is my helper…” (Psalm 54:4) Bible Reading: Psalm 54:1-7 This appears to be another psalm of David when he was on the run from Saul. According to the title, it relates to the time when the “Ziphites went and told Saul, ‘Is not David hiding among us?’” (See 1 Samuel 23:19, 26). This act of betrayal was committed by those David describes as “strangers” and “ruthless men,” men who “do not set God before themselves” (Psalm 54:3). They are opportunists, out to do whatever will serve their interests best. They have no thought of whether David might be the Lord’s […]
Faith and Life
“The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity…” (Psalm 53:1) Bible Reading: Psalm 53:1-9 Psalm 53 is almost identical to Psalm 14. It would not be out of order simply to refer to the devotional on the earlier psalm, but we won’t do that. Instead, let’s look at this one from a fresh angle. Note firstly the connection between ungodliness and sinfulness. The psalm begins, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 53:1). This is the essence of ungodliness – to deny the reality of God, if not in theory, […]