Answer me when I call, God, who vindicates me. You freed me from affliction; be gracious to me and hear my prayer. (Psalm 4:1 CSB) At first glance, the beginning of this Psalm may seem almost too bold. David is bold because he understands his position, his standing, with God. The...
I cry aloud to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again because the Lord sustains me (Psalm 3:4-5 CSB). The Psalms teach us that we can be honest with God when we pray. King David cried out to the...
The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and against his Anointed One: “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us." (Psalm 2:2-3 CSB) In our culture today, it can be difficult to stand up for Jesus. In the...
But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night (Psalm 1:2 CSB). What do you delight in? We can take delight in many things, from a well-executed play on the football field to a well-planned party. Psalm 1 tells...
I know that you can do anything and no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, “Who is this who conceals my counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wondrous for me to know. You said, “Listen now, and I will speak....
No one is ferocious enough to rouse Leviathan; who then can stand against me? (Job 41:10 CSB) What’s a Leviathan? Most scholars believe a Leviathan is a crocodile or perhaps a sea creature that has become extinct. For me, I imagine Godzilla with his skin of armor-like substance. Whichever it...
Then Job answered the Lord: ”I am so insignificant. How can I answer you? I place my hand on my mouth.” (Job 40:3-4 CSB) Faced with the fierceness and awesomeness of the Lord God Almighty, Job answers wisely. When we begin to understand the greatness of God, who are we to...
Does the hawk take flight by your understanding and spread its wings to the south? (Job 39:26 CSB) As we read through the different examples of God declaring what He has created and controls, we could stop at any given verse and spend a few moments in awe. For example, God...
Can you send out lightning bolts, and they go? Do they report to you, “Here we are?” (Job 38:35 CSB) Can you imagine what it would be like if, unexpectedly, the Lord decided to speak to us? That’s what happened to Job as the Almighty Lord begins to question him....
My heart pounds at this and leaps from my chest (Job 37:1 CSB). Elihu knew God, and he tries to put into words how excited he becomes when he hears God’s “majestic voice.” God is awesome! Eihu's friend, Job, knew it too, but needed to be reminded of it. When...