Imagine this as your history, the narrative of your life. You are young and inexperienced, the runt of the litter so to speak. When you are the youngest of 8 brothers you either become resilient or a coward. David became resilient. He would need it. His gifts and faith brought him to a place of … More Psalm 59: When an Enemy Pursues You
There is something about real humility that is very attractive. Perhaps it is because it is such a rarity or perhaps it is because it is such a supernatural phenomenon in a human being. In either case, it is clear that David’s brand of humility was rare AND supernatural in origin. In 1 Samuel 16, … More Real Humility: Why is it So Rare?
This morning I was reading Psalm 58 during morning devotions and saw the sarcasm of David’s first two verses for the first time. That’s humbling! In the 47 years since I became a Bible reader, I have probably read psalm 58 over 100 times and only today did it register that David’s psalm begins with … More King David’s Sarcasm and Wisdom
What is the one thing you need? King David knows? Don’t you want to know the one thing that the only man of all of Scripture called a man after God’s own heart says he still needs? I do. Psalm 27
Reading with the Pastor Mark 16 and Psalm 51 Psalm 51 is one of the clearest and best examples of a “penitential psalm” in all of literature. David cries out to God in repentance asking for forgiveness for his grievous sins of lust, arrogance, pride, adultery, conspiracy to commit murder, and murder. He knows he has … More When You are Quilty of Everything and You Know It
Reading with the Pastor Matthew 13 and Psalm 35 Today we get to go back and read one of the pivotal chapters in Matthew, an entire chapter filled with parables of the Kingdom. I love this chapter and can’t wait to preach it sometime later this year. Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of God is … More The Book is Yours
Part of the “Poetry Project”* Read Psalm 69 Psalm 69 and 70 were the evening readings on the schedule last night (three nights ago). I read two verses that I don’t remember reading in the other 200 plus times I have read the book of Psalms. Of course, that last sentence is both improbable and … More When Friends Fail You
Sunday Musings “and to Obed the father of Jesse” Matthew 1:5b One of Obed’s children, this man without a story is Jesse, the father of great King David. And Jesse became the father of eight sons Three soldiers Many shepherds One king But … More Preaching the Genealogy of Christ (An excerpt)
Thursday is for Prayer I was cleaning out some files and found this prayer for a community prayer service I took part of at the town center in Bolingbrook, IL four days after 9-11. It was a public service, but I have made a decision that whenever I participate in these types of services, I … More Prayer During National Turmoil
Friday is for Heart Songs “During this interval David was free to enjoy to the full that which he had acquired through his wrongdoing. The one obstacle which lay in the way of the free indulgence of his passion was removed; Bathsheba was now his. Apparently, the king, in his palace, was secure and immune. … More The “Severe Mercy” of God’s Judgment
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