Psalm 77: 2 – “ In the days of my trouble I will seek the Lord…” This psalm of Asaph is deeply meaningful to me. Trouble, hardship, trials…these things seem to be our constant companions. It’s so easy to get down and discouraged. And when the difficulties of life seem to come one right after the other, life can be overwhelming. Asaph experienced the same thing and had the spiritual insight to turn his sense of being overwhelmed, not into inward focused misery, but into God-focused relief and deliverance. In Psalm 77 Asaph spends verses 1-9 rehearsing how bad his life is, but then he does something remarkable…something God led. He says in verses 11-12, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work and meditate on your ... Read More about Seeking God in times of trouble
Does God Still Listen? The Answer Hidden in Your Past
Psalm 61: 1-3 – “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. For being such a great man of God isn’t it amazing how much trouble David found himself in? So many of David’s prayers are cries for help. There’s encouragement in that realization for me. Many of my prayers are cries for help also, and I think if you are honest, you will admit that the same is true for you. Why does God keep listening to us? Have you ever wondered that? With all the asking that David did, how does he know that God will keep listening? The answer is found in these verses. David bases his expectations of God’s answers on all that God has done ... Read More about Does God Still Listen? The Answer Hidden in Your Past
The Most Shocking Part of David’s Story Isn’t His Sin
Psalm 51: 10 – “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.” As much as I love and admire David, he really messed his life up this time! If he had just been with his army like he was supposed to have been, he wouldn’t have seen Uriah’s wife bathing on the roof. But that led to lust, and that led to immorality. The unexpected pregnancy led to fear, intrigue, lies, deceit, murder of an innocent man, and a political cover up. I’m tempted to say, ‘unbelievable’, but that stuff is commonplace today. The real unbelievable thing in this story is not David’s utter failure, but after David completely ignores and ... Read More about The Most Shocking Part of David’s Story Isn’t His Sin
The Quiet Decision That Changes Everything in a Crisis
Psalm 27:13–14 – “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living… Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord.” David’s world was not mildly inconvenient—it was hostile. He speaks of enemies advancing, armies surrounding, false witnesses rising, and violence looming. This isn’t poetic exaggeration; it’s sustained pressure, danger that doesn’t let up. And yet, the most unsettling part of this Psalm isn’t David’s circumstances—it’s his response to them. Because David doesn’t panic. He doesn’t strategize. He doesn’t even ask for escape. He anchors himself. “The Lord is my light… my salvation… the stronghold of my life.” That language is not passive—it’s personal. Settled. David isn’t borrowing trite ... Read More about The Quiet Decision That Changes Everything in a Crisis
Try This If You Actually Want to Become Like Jesus
Psalm 33:18–19 confronts us with a reality we often prefer to admire rather than obey: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His steadfast love… ” This is not a blanket promise—it is a conditional one. God’s watchful care is fixed on a specific kind of person. The question is not whether God is faithful, but whether you are positioning yourself to live under that faithfulness. When Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:3–4 that God has given us “precious and very great promises,” he is not offering sentimental encouragement. He is describing a mechanism of transformation. These promises are not passive comforts; they are active, life changing instruments. Through them, you are meant to participate in the divine nature. That is an astonishing claim—and an ... Read More about Try This If You Actually Want to Become Like Jesus
When It Feels Like God Isn’t Listening
Psalm 4:3 – “But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself; the Lord hears when I call to Him.” David is not calm when he writes Psalm 4—he is shaken. He is surrounded by pressure, misunderstood by others, and stripped of the honor he rightly deserved. Those who should have stood with him instead believed lies about him. His reputation was crumbling in the eyes of men, and the weight of it all pressed heavily on his soul. He calls it what it is—great distress. And in that place, it felt like heaven was silent. Have you ever been there? When your heart is overwhelmed, and it seems like your prayers are hitting the ceiling instead of reaching God? David felt that too. But he didn’t stay there. He stopped, quieted his heart, and anchored himself—not in what he ... Read More about When It Feels Like God Isn’t Listening