Category: Psalms

  • Time is slipping by

    Make the most of it

    Time seems to be flying. It’s already nearing the end of August, and the schools will be starting up in a few weeks. The robins and other birds are beginning to flock up in preparation for their migration south. 

    The fruit trees are heavily laden, and you can see windfall apples wherever there are apple trees. The yellow jackets are getting more aggressive and swarm around anything resembling food, making barbeques and picnics a bit more challenging. We are starting to see the early turning leaves on some trees.

    School supplies are back in stores now. The giant Halloween store that pops up yearly in a vacant spot has already opened. Good luck if you need to replace a piece of summer clothing. Heavy jackets, anyone?

    Time passes. It is a simple fact of this life. Sometimes, it seems to race by, and other times, it creeps ever so slowly, but the clock just keeps ticking. I saw a photo of a child I saw recently as a newborn; she’s a teenager! How is that even possible?

    Time is a priceless commodity, which means that over the years, I have squandered great wealth by unwise use of it.

    We are given very few days to live this life, and none know how many except the Lord (and He isn’t telling).

    Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. James 4:13-14 ESV

    Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Psalm 89:47-48 ESV

    All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you. 1 Peter 1:24-25 ESV

    God has given us days to work and days to rest. He gives us seasons of great energy in our youth and seasons of less ability in our more senior years.

    The Lord has given us two incredible gifts. He has given us life itself and the opportunity to glorify God in that life.

    Make the most of it.

    Kevin

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    SUMMARY

    Watching the seasons turn reminded me how fast our days actually go, and how easy it is to waste time we can’t get back. Life is short and none of us know how many days we have — so let’s not waste the ones we’ve been given.

    TAKEAWAY

    The turning season — birds flocking, fading summer clothes, early leaves — is a vivid picture of how fast time moves

    Scripture (James 4:13-14, Psalm 89:47-48, 1 Peter 1:24-25) describes our life as a mist and grass that withers, while God’s word alone endures forever

    God has given us two gifts — life itself and the opportunity to glorify Him in it — so the call is to steward the days we’re given

  • Psalm 25: Teach Me Your Ways, Lord

    A meditating spot overlooking the ocean. A place to think on God's teaching

    This morning, I’ve been reading in Psalm 25. It seemed a natural place after reading Psalm 24. I’m just going to camp on one small section of the Psalm this morning, so let me give you an overview of the entire thing first. It’s worth reading and meditating on. 

    Psalm 25 opens with David lifting his soul to the Lord and trusting Him not to let him be put to shame before his enemies. From there he asks God to teach him, to lead him in truth, and to remember him according to mercy rather than the sins of his youth. He pauses to reflect on who God is: good, upright, ready to instruct sinners and guide the humble.

    Then the urgency returns. David cries out for God to look on his affliction, forgive his sin, and deliver him from his enemies because he has taken refuge in the Lord. He doesn’t stop with himself either; he closes by asking God to redeem all of Israel out of their troubles. The prayer moves from trust, to teaching, to reflection, to rescue, and finally outward to the whole people of God.

    Like David, we often find ourselves in situations where we need help and refuge. We call out and He answers. But David does more than call out to YAHWEH for help; he asks God to teach Him.

    Make me to know your ways, O Lord;

    teach me your paths.

    Lead me in your truth and teach me,

    for you are the God of my salvation;

    for you I wait all the day long. Psalm 25:4-5 ESV

    God is so much more than a cosmic genie to bail us out of trouble and keep us out of hell. Our faith walk is more than crying out to God when we have a need. The Lord wants to be in a relationship with us and to make us more like Jesus.

    The lord loves those with humble hearts who seek Him and His desires. He loves to teach us His ways and sanctify us. The more we become like Christ, the more freely we call out to Him; we crave His presence, not just think of Him as an afterthought when we are in trouble.

    I know who I am without the Lord at work in my life. I don’t want to be that person anymore. I want the fruit of the Spirit to show abundantly in my life.

    Lord, teach me to judge less and extend grace and forgiveness more easily. Teach me to keep my mouth closed to inappropriate things and to allow words of blessing to come forth. Make me kind and generous, learning to put others first rather than thinking that I’m the center of the universe and everything is about me. Create in me a clean heart. Teach me to be faithful.

    Thank you for the Spirit and the Word. Thank you that I’m not who I once was and that you are transforming me into who you call me to be.

    May we be like David and seek the Lord’s face and to be transformed into His image.

    May you be blessed today,

    Kevin

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    SUMMARY

    This morning I’m reading in Psalm 25 and camping on David’s request that God teach him His ways, not just rescue him from trouble. I’m reminded that a relationship with the Lord means wanting to be shaped into Christ’s likeness, not just calling on Him when I need help.

    TAKEAWAY

    Psalm 25 moves from trust, to teaching, to reflection on God’s character, to urgent rescue, and finally outward to all of Israel.

    David asks God to teach him His ways in Psalm 25:4-5, showing that our faith is about more than calling out to God in crisis.

    The Lord wants to sanctify us and grow the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, not just answer our prayers for deliverance.

    Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone) 

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