A lunch room thief began stealing food from others at my company. A hidden camera was installed and the thief was caught… only to find out it was not someone who fortuitously saw something delicious in someone else’s lunchbox and decided to take it.  No, this person was merely hungry.  

Today, my wife reported to me that she had seen on the news a house which had been totally destroyed by the recent tornados with two exceptions – the grandmother and the three grandchildren were protected. Also, their Christmas tree and all of the presents under it had been disturbed although the rest of the house was gone. Clearly a miracle!

Have you been through a time when you feel like God is not speaking to you? No Bible verses are impacting you; no messages from the pulpit are impacting your heart; no worship song is getting through the fears and the darkness in your soul – it is a hard place. How tormenting that is - the quietness of God.

Death is the great equalizer. Death comes to every person whether we are prepared for it or not. We will all die – rich or poor. At that moment our lives will not be defined by how much we have accumulated - our houses or our lands, but our eternal destinies.

Psalm 49 reads more like a proverb than a Psalm as it lays out its deep and resounding wisdom for every living person – we cannot carry anything into the grave but our relationship with Christ.

A perfect example of God’s faithfulness and ultimate victory in the end is Jerusalem. As Psalm 48 says – this city will become “the joy of the whole earth”.

In Psalm 48 we see the ultimate heavenly city and the warfare surrounding it, but also the physical city of Jerusalem and the warfare of destruction that has always been around it and continues to this day. Ultimately these two realities and two stories will converge into a beautiful tapestry of God’s faithfulness and presence seen on earth.

That was it. No wallowing in self-pity, no sadness; no defiance, complaints or recriminations; no regrets.

Just gratitude. Thanksgiving for the blessings God had given him. Thanks for the people who meant so much to him - and to whom he had meant so much.

What a proclamation of praise and exuberance seen in Psalm 47 as the King of the whole earth is exalted and lifted up as the supreme ruler.

The command of the New Testament is to incorporate patience into our hearts as we wait for the Lord to return. This Psalm gives another picture to set in our minds as we wait patiently for everything to be made right and Jesus to give us our full inheritance as the Bride of Christ.

There is always a way into peace and joy even in the middle of tribulation. The nations can be raging, the kingdoms of power can be moving, but God will utter His voice, and everything will melt and stop.

This bride is one that is completely desired by the King. That kind of intense love and affection is what causes worship to spring up in the heart of the bride. It is a response to His great love.

The worship that comes out of her is pure and not afraid of rejection. It is this abandoned worship that makes the bride even more beautiful and more desirable to the King as she comes bringing gifts. He draws her close, entreating her to leave behind all worldly relationships and cleave only unto Him, her bridegroom to whom she is now betrothed.

We’re accustomed to politicians who see all sides, talk all sides, take all sides.

Personal ambition too often rises above principle. Fear weakens conviction. Indecision clouds courage. Apathy steals confidence. Deception covers surrender and confusion prevents judgment.

If we’re not careful, this can happen - to you and me.

Persecution is real.

Not only in ancient Israel did the children of Israel go through intense times of suffering but throughout Christianity especially in the dark ages – this Psalm has been used to bring comfort in the middle of Christian persecution.

Have you ever considered what it would be like to know you are going to be burned at the stake? 

Ben didn’t want to think the worst when the money came up missing. It had to be an honest mistake - not embezzlement. It wasn’t a big company - about 80 employees on average. There was a logical explanation, a bookkeeping error, an innocent oversight.

Trying to convince himself, Ben wrestled deep inside. This had never happened before. Ever.

Sometimes it feels like the world is against us. Many times – we feel the oppression and the pressure of a national crisis beating down on our hearts and minds. The Psalmist in Psalm 43 felt that too – so these five small verses were his way of dealing with the pressure.

Hunger for God – it sounds so deep and theological, but it can manifest in an ache, a longing, and a feeling of exhaustion without Him.

I can just imagine the deer without water for hours upon a time and panting at the edge of the brook for a drink. Finally, the deer has arrived after miles of travel to the source of life. It leans over and fully drinks. How refreshing it is!

God sustains us, cares for us, and watches over us with His love. He does not forget about us. He doesn’t stop praying for us. He upholds us.

So just like Him - the needs of the household of faith should always be a priority for us as believers.

The promise of the transformation of our lives is not just for us – it is for the others who will see it and be changed. We so often lose perspective on the effect of our great salvation upon the world around us; but the beginning of Psalm 40 is a promise.

The cool twilight breezes made their way gently through the rugged hillside.

It grew still. The men sitting there looked down.

Nobody said anything.

It had been another day of eager and curious crowds; demanding questions and puzzled faces - stressful, exhausting - and confusing.

Though in the natural life’s shortness and our true essence as sojourners might seem like negative thoughts – they should give us hope and peace. I personally think David is bringing them up because of the comfort it was giving him.

Life in view of eternity with God makes sense. Without God in the picture – it doesn’t make sense.

David is experiencing what all of us must go through in our steps to come to God. We must see our sin and realize that we need a Savior.

Salvation needs to be priceless to us. It has to be something that we couldn’t earn on our own. This is where the value of Jesus comes in. We need Him!

The key verse is the last one – “Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (verse 22)

After a week of carrying burdens for our nation – peace flooded my heart as I read these words. This feeling on contentment in His promises is exactly why I need Jesus and the communion with Him in His Word.

This is true living!

Over and over again in Psalm 37 – God speaks these powerful words to our souls – “Do not fret!”