Devotional Reading for May 21, 2024

1 Kings 3:16-28; 1 Kings 5:1-18; 2 Chronicles 2:1-18; 1 Kings 6:1-13; 2 Chronicles 3:1-14; 1 Kings 6:14-38

We start with an illustration of Solomon’s wisdom. This incident is dramatic and we can see why people would talk about it. It causes his reputation to spread, but, more importantly, it causes God’s reputation to spread!

1 Kings 3:28 “All Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king; for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do justice.”

His wisdom is also shown through his arrangements for the building of the temple by continuing David’s relationship with Hiram. We should probably concede that conscripting labor from the Canaanites rather than the Israelites was a stroke of genius too!

The temple, as great and beautiful as it was, represents God dwelling with His people. It also is the place for sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people. Both of these point forward to Jesus Christ!

Galatians 2:20 (WEB) “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.”

Hebrews 9:11-12 (WEB) “But Christ having come as a high priest of the coming good things, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption.”

Devotional Reading for May 20, 2024

Psalm 83; 1 Chronicles 29:23-25; 2 Chronicles 1:1; 1 Kings 2:13–3:4; 2 Chronicles 1:2-6; 1 Kings 3:5-15; 2 Chronicles 1:7-13

Psalm 83 deals with international politics. A coalition has formed against God’s people, and the psalmist asks for God to deal with it in such a way that the nations end up turning to Him. This is an especially fitting prayer for believers to pray against persecutors!

The rest of our verses deal with the beginning of Solomon’s reign. Solomon does what most rulers do as the start: he consolidates his power by going after his enemies. Adonijah’s request for Abishag could be understood as a design on the throne, since a new king inherited his predecessor’s harem. We can interpret Solomon’s moves as ruthless or necessary, depending on our viewpoint. However, we do see some of the flaws that eventually lead to the kingdom splitting on his death. He aligns with foreign powers through marriage, which probably fuels his own idolatry and improper worship (1 Kings 3:1-4). Some also see his building projects as overly aggressive, which leads to dissatisfaction among his excessively taxed subjects.

Even in the midst of all this however, Solomon had wealth, riches and fame, because He asked God for none of them! Instead, he asked for wisdom and understanding so that he could lead God’s people, and God gave it all to him. There is a stark reminder here for us. Just because we are wise in some areas of our lives, or even many areas, doesn’t mean that we don’t have certain blind spots or considerable flaws. One of Solomon’s biggest was also one that is shared by many men (and women) throughout history: improper relationships with the opposite sex that lead him astray.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (WEB) “Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what portion does a believer have with an unbeliever? What agreement does a temple of God have with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God and they will be my people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you. I will be to you a Father. You will be to me sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Sermon outline for 5/19/24 (Radio broadcast 5/26/24) — “Do you Know the Author of Life?” (Acts 3:1-26)

“Do you Know the Author of Life?”
Acts 3:1-26

I) Why this _____________?

     A) It was a _______________ of the Old Testament

     B) It’s a reminder of God’s __________

     C) It’s a reminder of God’s ________________

     D) It’s a reminder of the necessity of the 
        __________

     E) It’s a reminder of the __________ of Jesus

          1) He is the ___________ servant

          2) He is the ___________ sacrifice

          3) He is the ___________ of life

     F) It teaches us the need for _________ in Jesus

II) What happens when we _____________?

     A) We ___________

     B) We gain the indwelling ___________

     C) We look forward to the second ____________

     D) We trust the ____________

     E) We rejoice in God’s ____________

     F) We praise God for His _____________!

Devotional Reading for May 19, 2024

Psalm 79-82

Psalms 79 and 80 deal with national calamity. Both of them recognize God’s establishment and protection of the nation, and call on Him to remember His covenant with them. In addition, Psalm 79 declares that the nations going against Israel are actually a reproach against God, and that He should do something about it. However, even in the midst of a cry for God’s help, Psalm 80 contains a call for God to turn the heart of the nation back to Him. There is an understanding here that the nation has caused it’s own difficulty! Some would say that we could pray such a prayer for the Church in our own day…

Psalm 81 is a little different because it introduces the voice of God. It begins with a reminder that praise is right and proper. It goes on to point out that God saved them in the past (Exodus 2:23-25), and that He was there even when they cried out to him during trouble (Exodus 17:7). But they need to cry out to Him again! They need to turn away from the false gods they are worshiping so that they can experience His blessing.

Psalm 81 for us: “Dear God, it is right for us to praise You! You have saved us through Jesus Christ and Your Spirit and Your Word lead us to worship. You walk with us and sustain us even when we don’t deserve it. And we don’t deserve it now. Your Spirit and Your Word remind us that we put the things of this world before you. We worship money. We worship sex. We worship people. It seems we worship everything but You! Help us to turn from false worship so that we can experience Your presence and Your love in our lives again.”

Psalm 82 is tricky, from both an understanding and an application standpoint. Here is one understanding: God is watching over those who govern His people: “He judges among the gods” (82:1, WEB). He expects them to govern properly and mercifully, caring for those who are destitute. If they do this, then they are acting like God (they are “sons of the Most High”). If they don’t, then they can expect His judgment! How should we apply this? To human government, or to the church? God certainly has charged the church and it’s leadership to care for the needy in their midst (James 1:27). However, the last verse seems to indicate that judgment isn’t just confined to God’s people: “Arise, God, judge the earth, for you inherit all of the nations.” It may be that we should see both a spiritual (church) and a physical (human government) warning in this Psalm.

Devotional Reading for May 18, 2024

Psalms 75-78

Psalm 75 reminds us that God is near and that He is judge, which is why we should fear Him! Fearing means choosing Him, honoring Him, and following Him.

Psalm 75:7-9 (WEB) “But God is the judge. He puts down one, and lifts up another. For in Yahweh’s hand there is a cup, full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours it out. Indeed the wicked of the earth drink and drink it to its very dregs. But I will declare this forever: I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.“

While Psalm 76 celebrates Zion as the place God has chosen to dwell and the capital of the people he has chosen to bless and protect, it’s overall theme is praise for the greatness and sovereignty of God. God even uses the machinations of evildoers against them!

Psalm 76:10 (WEB) “Surely the wrath of man praises you.”

Psalm 77 reminds us again that when things are the darkest we should remember what God has done for us. Some want to pretend that no-one should ever feel this way. Perhaps its better to understand that this is a part of the human condition, and come up with Scriptural coping strategies for when it does!

Psalm 77:10-12 (WEB) “Then I thought, ‘I will appeal to this: the years of the right hand of the Most High.’ I will remember Yah’s deeds; for I will remember your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all your work, and consider your doings.'”

Psalm 78 recounts the events in Israel’s past for a spiritual purpose: so that future generations of God’s people might take the lessons to heart, and that they not be unbelieving and rebellious like the previous generations described here. This is why it’s important to share both Scripture and our own personal spiritual histories with our descendants.

1 Corinthians 10:9-12 (WEB) “Let’s not test Christ, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. Don’t grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.”

Devotional Reading for May 17, 2024

Psalm 50; Psalm 73-74

In Psalm 50 we have a warning not to assume that worship fixes disobedience. We can’t buy God off! Don’t just give money or attend worship if your life isn’t right!

1 Samuel 15:22 (WEB) “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Psalm 73 answers the age-old question, “Why do the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?” The answer is that we should consider their end. What are a few years of prosperity when compared to an eternity of torment? There is a profound passage here that reminds us of the danger of bitterness and how we can overcome it. We overcome by remembering that God is with us!

Psalm 73:21-26 (WEB) “For my soul was grieved. I was embittered in my heart. I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you. Nevertheless, I am continually with you. You have held my right hand. You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Whom do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth whom I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fails, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Psalm 74 is a plea for God to be merciful and remember His promises to Israel following a national disaster. It may refer either to the time of Shishak’s invasion (1 Kings 14:25) or to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem. Although we may want to find parallels to this type of communal lament with a current national event, we can certainly see this type of lament happening in a local church or a Christian community following some type of spiritual or physical disaster.

Devotional Reading for May 16, 2024

Psalms 144-145; Psalms 88-89

Psalm 144 and 145 are sometimes called battle psalms. The first asks God for victory in battle, and the second praises God for victory in battle. Psalm 145 is the last Psalm of David recorded in the Bible, and should encourage us to reflect on the Lord’s attributes. He is merciful, compassionate, good, glorious, and patient. Psalm 144:3-4 reminds us that humility is one of the essential characteristics that leads us to trust in and turn to God.

Psalm 144:3-4 (WEB) “Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him? Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.”

Psalm 88 is one of the saddest of the Psalms, as reflected in the superscription: “to be sung to the tune, The Suffering of Affliction.” This is a plea for salvation so that the psalmist can continue to praise, worship, and witness about God here on the earth.

Psalm 89 is a community lament. The people of God and their king are in danger, and they need God to remember His promises to them. It is ultimately a plea of repentance, asking God to cut His judgment short. The David dynasty continues, as promised here (34-36), and finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ!

Luke 1:30-33 (WEB) “The angel said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him “Jesus.” He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.’”

Aren’t you thankful for God’s promises to us? And although we wait for their fulfillment, we know they are certain!

2 Peter 3:8-9 (WEB) “But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Devotional Reading for May 15, 2024

Psalm 131; Psalm 133; Psalms 138-141; Psalm 143

Psalm 131 is a reminder that we aren’t capable of knowing the reasons behind everything, no matter how much we want to! Our job is to trust.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB) “Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Psalm 133 is a praise for harmony in the congregation. There are two things that we should remember about harmony. First of all, harmony in a congregation doesn’t necessarily come from agreement, but can come from subtraction! And second, harmony should never be raised about the level of doctrine. God doesn’t want harmony that comes from everyone deciding not to follow Him!

Psalm 138 reminds us that God answers prayer, and we should praise Him before both earthly rulers and the heavenly host: “Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.” Is this referring to the final judgment? The invisible heavenly host that surrounds us? Or boisterous praise that reaches up to heaven?

Psalm 139 reminds us that God is always there. We can’t go anywhere to get away from Him, nor should we want to! He even knows our thoughts and what we are going to say. Notice too, that He was there when we were stitched together in the womb. Even the unborn are His creation, and should be treated as such. Because He created us, we owe Him our allegiance, and we should have a problem with those who hate and blaspheme Him.

Psalm 140 is a cry to God for protection and deliverance, given with confidence and certainty, because God has helped before. We are again reminded that we will experience trouble in this life, and we need to reach out to God for help.

John 15:18 (WEB) “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.”

Psalm 141 reminds us that there is a connection between sinfulness and trouble. That doesn’t mean trouble only comes when we sin, but it certainly can! We should want to be blameless and holy, and we need God’s (and the godly’s) help for that.

Psalm 141:3-4 (WEB) “Set a watch, Yahweh, before my mouth. Keep the door of my lips. Don’t incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity.”

Psalm 143 is a prayer for direction and protection. It is a reminder of how far away God can feel, and how we should desperately want to experience His love and favor.

Psalm 143:6 (WEB) “I spread out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land.”

Psalm 42:1 (WEB) “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.”

For prayer: As the Deer by Shane and Shane

Devotional Reading for May 14, 2024

Psalm 103; Psalm 108-110; Psalm 122; Psalm 124

Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise for God’s mercy and compassion, which we have experienced through Jesus Christ!

Psalm 103:11-12 (WEB) “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Psalm 108 recognizes God’s majesty and care, and calls on Him for help and victory over enemies.

Psalm 108:3-4 (WEB) “I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations. I will sing praises to you among the peoples. For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.”

Psalm 109 is a psalm of vengeance. It calls on God to destroy those who are unjustly attacking the Psalmist. While there may be times when such a prayer does reflect the condition of our hearts, and perhaps rightfully so if we are being mercilessly and unjustly attacked, we would do well to remember that we shouldn’t stay in that mindset.

Matthew 5:43-48 (WEB) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

Psalm 110 is a royal psalm purportedly about David, but really about Jesus Christ!

Matthew 22:44-45 (WEB) “The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

Acts 2:34-35 (WEB) “For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”'”

Hebrews 1:13 (WEB) “But which of the angels has he told at any time, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet?’”

Psalm 122 reminds us of the joy of coming together to praise God, and we should have that joy when gather for corporate worship! What do we do with the prayer for Jerusalem? Should we pray that prayer? Many do, but it should also prompt us to pray for our local church, where we gather for worship and praise and come together to meet God.

Hebrews 10:24-25 (WEB) “Let’s consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Here is an interpretation of Psalm 124 for prayer. Feel free to insert any personal incident in your own life!

“O God, if you had not been on my side, what would have happened to me? My sin threatened to overwhelm me. I was drowning! I could have been dragged down to the depths of hell, but you saved me! Because Jesus Christ died for me, I escaped the jaws of death and am freed from the trap of the grave. Thank you! You are to be praised, because you are my creator, savior, and helper!”

For reflection: Your Love, Oh Lord by Third Day

Devotional Reading for May 13, 2024

Psalm 68-70, Psalm 86, Psalm 101

Psalm 68 is a song that remembers God’s help and protection in the past (for the nation of Israel), and celebrates His continued care and security.

Psalm 68:19 (WEB) “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burdens, even the God who is our salvation.”

Do we spend enough time remembering God’s protection and promises in our own lives? We have heaven waiting for us!

Psalm 69 is a passionate plea for God’s help and salvation. We can easily see ourselves praying it when we feel that life and our enemies are about to overwhelm us. It also foreshadows the ministry and suffering of Jesus (John 2:17; 15:25; 19:28–30; Romans 15:3)

For prayer and reflection: Flood by Jars of Clay

Psalm 70 is very close to Psalm 40:14-16. When we are in trouble we need to turn to God for help!

Psalm 40:14-16 (WEB) “Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt. Let them be desolate by reason of their shame that tell me, ‘Aha! Aha!’ Let all those who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let such as love your salvation say continually, ‘Let Yahweh be exalted!’ But I am poor and needy. May the Lord think about me. You are my help and my deliverer. Don’t delay, my God.”

Psalm 86 is another lament. Why do we call out to God? Because He hears us!

Psalm 86:6-7 (WEB) “Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions. In the day of my trouble I will call on you, for you will answer me.”

Psalm 101 may have been written when David was ascending to the throne. It seems to set for the standards by which he would rule. Those same standards should “rule” in our lives too! Praise. Holiness. Integrity. Humility. Purity. Faithfulness.