>It seems more than coincindental that I return from a trip to Colorado to find myself ready to blog about Psalm 63.O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;my soul thirsts for you;my flesh faints for you,as in a dry and weary land where there is no water (verse 1).The Psalmist compares his … Continue reading >Dry and Weary Land – Psalm 63

>For God alone my soul waits in silence;from him comes my salvation.He only is my rock and my salvation,my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken (Psalm 62:1 & 2).Psalm 62 continues the rock imagery of Psalm 61, expanding the metaphor to encompass salvation as well as safety.After the initial confession of God as the … Continue reading >Salvation and Glory (Psalm 62)

>Lead me to the rock that is higher than I... (Psalm 61:2b). Psalm 61 begins with a plea for God to hear the Psalmist's cry and prayer: Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint (1 & 2a). Even … Continue reading >The Higher Rock (Psalm 61)

>When David penned Psalm 59, he was trapped in his house, which was surrounded by men Saul had sent to kill him. Sort of puts one's own troubles into perspective, doesn't it?When he says, "For behold, they lie in wait for my life," it wasn't hyperbole; it was reality.David uses a simile to speak of … Continue reading >Singing When Surrounded (Psalm 59)

>Psalm 58 is like Psalm 57 (see yesterday's post) in overdrive. The image of wicked liars as lions continues full force with this prayer:O God, break the teeth in their mouths;tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD! (v. 6).Psalm 58 is one of what are sometimes called "imprecatory" Psalms, designated that way … Continue reading >Broken Teeth & Torn Fangs (Psalm 58)

>Way back when, before my lengthy posts about becoming a discerning reader and before my lengthy post-surgical absence, my last devotional post was on Psalm 56, "Tears in a Bottle."This week marks my effort to get back into pre-surgical work mode, which means I'm blogging as the first work segment of my day. And I'm … Continue reading >Lying Amid Lions (Psalm 57)

>While repeatedly reading Psalm 56, I always pause at the words of verse 8:You have kept count of my tossings;put my tears in your bottle.Are they not in your book?The beauty of this imagery is almost too much to comprehend. God not only knows how many times I toss and turn when I wake in … Continue reading >Tears in a Bottle (Psalm 56)

>Since my last blog (on Psalm 49) some significant things have happened in my life and in our country.I've been experiencing a health struggle and our nation is just beginning what I am convinced will be a major health care reform struggle.Will God use this new socialization as judgment on our nation? It's possible, but … Continue reading >No Salvation in Socialism (Psalm 50)

>When I wake in the night and can't get back to sleep, I try to pray God's words back to him by repeating sections of Psalms. But when I woke early this morning, I just couldn't seem to recall very many; my mind was full of family and financial concerns.Finally getting up, I read Psalm … Continue reading >Resting in Peace (Psalm 49)

>God continues to speak directly to me in the Psalms. Yesterday was a long day: a long morning of uncomfortable sitting, strained listening, and concentrated note-taking at Classis; followed by a long afternoon and a longer evening of frustrating searching, stressful sorting, and interminable calculating for taxes.This morning I read Psalm 48:Great is the LORD … Continue reading >The gentle whisper