Walking Through the Psalms“The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” – Psalm 51:17 (NLT)“The Healing Power of Brokenness” Some time ago, I was talking with a man who had done something that hurt his wife. He came to me frustrated because his wife was not “getting over it” as quickly as he wanted her to. When he told me how he had apologi...

Walking Through the Psalms“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” – Psalm 51:12 (NIV)“Restore My Joy!” The first public miracle that Jesus performed was in John, chapter 2. It was where He turned water into wine. For the Jews, wine represented Joy. For them to run out of wine at a wedding would have been a huge embarrassment. So Jesus saved the day. ...

Walking Through the Psalms“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” – Psalm 51:10 (NLT)“Making the Most of Grace” In 1998, Rene Fernandez stood before Judge Edwin Collier. He was accused of driving while intoxicated. It was his second offense in three months. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail. However, Judge Collier decided to show mercy to Rene. He suspended the jail ...

Walking Through the Psalms“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.” – Psalm 51:1 (NLT)“A Grace That Is Big Enough” Have you ever wondered how big God’s grace really is? I can answer that question for you. It’s Big Enough. It’s big enough to wipe your slate clean, no matter how stained it has become. It’s big enough t...

Walking Through the Psalms“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High.” – Psalm 50:14 (NLT)“Habits Of The Heart” My youngest son and his wife are working hard with our 4-year-old grandson Adrian to teach him to say “please” and “thank you.” Those simple words are actually magical words that make the people you say them to feel valued and appreciated. The h...

Walking Through the Psalms“They trust in their wealth and boast of great riches. Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death by paying a ransom to God. Redemption does not come so easily, for no one can ever pay enough to live forever and never see the grave…But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of the grave.” – Psalm 49:6-9, 15 (NLT)“What Money Can’t Buy” Money...

Walking Through the Psalms“For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.” – Psalm 48:14 (NIV)“Shining Bright Until The End!” A few years ago, I visited with a really sweet lady who was in rehab. She was up in years and had fallen. I wasn’t sure what kind of condition she would be in, or whether or not she would even want visitors. But when I walked into the room,...

Walking Through the Psalms“O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.” – Psalm 48:9 (NLT)“The One Thing That Changes Everything” Sundays are busy days for pastors. We sometimes have a MILLION things on our minds. We’re thinking about our sermons and last-minute illustrations. We’re thinking about whom we need to talk to…and whom we don’t want to talk to! We’re thinking...

Walking Through the Psalms“Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! For the LORD Most High is awesome. He is the great King of all the earth." – Psalm 47:1-2 (NLT)“A God Worth Cheering For!” I am a die-hard Oklahoma City Thunder fan. That’s our local NBA basketball team for those of you who may not follow basketball. My office is full of rugs, pictures, cups, posters, and ...

Walking Through the Psalms“Be still, and know that I am God!” – Psalm 46:10 (NLT)“Be Still” I’m not good at being still, are you? I have things to do, people to talk to, sermons to work on, devotions to write, and emails to answer. “Still” doesn’t work well for me. I don’t think it works well for MANY of us. That’s probably why God calls us to do it! Stillness isn’t a burden that God wants to put ...

Walking Through the Psalms“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. – Psalm 46:1 (NLT)“The Best Friend You’ll Ever Have” There are two kinds of friends. There are friends who tell you, “Let me know if you need anything,” but you know they don’t mean it. They just say it because that’s the kind of stuff friends are supposed to say. It’s not that they don’t love you,...

Walking Through the Psalms“Only by your power can we push back our enemies; only in your name can we trample our foes.” – Psalm 44:5 (NLT)“His Power, His Name, His Victory!” One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in Acts 19. People are blown away by the powerful ministry of the apostles. They are not only preaching with power, they are healing people and casting out demons, just like Jes...

Walking Through the Psalms“We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.” – Psalm 44:1 (NIV)“Let Your Stories Live On!” One thing that I’ve become very aware of is how much the faith of my family and church became the foundation of my own faith and journey with God. My father told me story after story of how God worked in his family...

Walking Through the Psalms“Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!” – Psalm 43:6 (NLT)“The Dark Cloud of Discouragement” Discouragement is like a dark cloud that can settle upon any of us. Like a thick morning fog, you can just wake up some days, and it’s there. Sometimes we don’t even know where it came from. All we kn...

Walking Through the Psalms“Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live.” – Psalm 43:3 (NLT) When I read this verse, I felt sorry for the Psalmist. Like most godly men of his time, he was seeking for God. He wanted to know the direction God had for his life. He wanted to know if he was doing the right things with his lif...

Walking Through the Psalms“As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?” – Psalm 42:1-2 (NLT)“I Miss You” My wife said something to me not long ago that caught me a bit off guard. One evening, after we were both finally home, she said, “I miss you.” On the surface, that seems like a funny thing to say. I mea...

Walking Through the Psalms“Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely, the one who shared my food, has turned against me.” – Psalm 41:9 (NLT)“Out of the Ashes of Betrayal” Have you ever been betrayed? There’s hardly anything that hurts more than that. You expect your enemies to hurt you. That kind of goes with the very definition of “enemies.” You’re not even terribly shocked when you get c...

Walking Through the PsalmsBut may all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness in you. May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The LORD is great!” – Psalm 40:16 (NLT)“The Joy Is in the Chase!” One of the reminders I frequently give young couples getting married is to keep the courtship alive. The reason is that the joy is in the chase! When you’re actively courting someone, ...

Walking Through the Psalms“For troubles surround me—too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, LORD, rescue me! Come quickly, LORD, and help me.” – Psalm 40:12-13 (NLT)“Mountain-Moving Grace” I had a friend tell me today that he’s recently seen God work in his life like never before. He’s had a long stret...

Walking Through the Psalms“LORD, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.” – Psalm 40:11 (NLT)“God Won’t Hold Back” I love this prayer of David for so many reasons. Mostly because it reminds me of how much I NEED God. And I do. I need God’s “tender mercies.” When I read that today, I thought about the verse from Lamentations 3:23 that...