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Read Psalm 1:1-6 Have you ever read the preface to the hymnal used in your church? Few people ever do. The preface to God's hymnal (the Book of Psalms) is Psalm 1. It begins with a word we often use--blessed. Nowhere does Scripture tell us that God blesses programs or promotions. But it does teach that He blesses individuals. He blessed Abraham so he might be a blessing to others. And He blesses us so we might bless others. What you delight in is what will direct your life, so be careful what you enjoy. The blessed person delights in the Law of the Lord (v. 2). He delights so much in the Word of God that he meditates on it during the day. Meditation is to the soul what digestion is to the body. It means assimilating the Word of God. The blessed person is like a tree (v. 3). A tree has roots. The most important part of your life is your "root system." Don't be like the ungodly, who are like chaff (v. 4). Chaff doesn't have roots. It is blown away by every wind that comes along. Your root system is important because it determines your nourishment. It also determines your stability and your strength when the storm comes and the wind starts to blow. People can't see your root system, but God can. Praying and meditating on the Word of God will cause your roots to go down deep into His love. God delights in blessing His children. But we must prepare ourselves for His blessings by first appropriating the resources He has given us. Delight in the Word of God and feed on it. But do more than occasionally read the Word; meditate on it constantly. Make it your source of spiritual nourishment, and God will bless you with strength and stability. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Read Psalm 119:105 What does it mean to have the Word of God as light? Verse 105 gives us four statements that answer that question. First, the Word is a light that shines from above. It is revelation. We know that God is Light ( I John 1:5 ). He gave us the Word, just as He gave us the sun. The sun is at the center of our solar system; if it ever burned out, we would die. Likewise, God is the center of our universe through His Word. The Word is a necessity, not a luxury. Like a ray of light going into a prism, the Word of God gives us a multicolored exhibition of His grace. It provides whatever kind of light we need. But if you turn your back on the Word, you'll walk in darkness. Second, the Word is a light that shines within ( II Cor. 4:3-6 ). Paul uses the Old Testament story of creation to illustrate the new creation ( Gen. 1:1-3 ). God formed that which was formless and filled that which was empty. That's a picture of salvation. The light shines in our hearts, and then God begins to form and fill our lives. He works on us through His Word and the power of His Spirit ( Ps. 119:130 ). He has given the Holy Spirit and the gift of teaching to help us understand His Word. The devil tries to confuse us. How tragic it is that some people radiate darkness! Everything they touch is made dark. It's so important to study and read the Word, because the unfolding of the Word brings light and understanding to the simple. Third, the Word is a light that shines around (v. 105). The life of the believer is dangerous. Satan is a roaring lion and a deceiving serpent. He, the world, the flesh and other pitfalls surround us. We need God's Word ( Ps. 43:3 ), for it guides us ( Prov. 6:23 ; Eph. 5:8 ). Don't walk in this world without a lamp. And remember that human teachers are fallible. Depend ultimately on the Spirit of God ( John 16:13 ; I John 2:20 ). The Author of the Bible lives inside you! Finally, the light shines ahead ( II Pet. 1:19 ). We can see what is coming: Jesus will return for His Church. Only in the Bible do we have assurance about the future, so walk in the light of His Word. The Word of God is indispensable to the believer. It shines from above, within, around and ahead of you. Avoid the hidden snares and pitfalls of the world. Improve your vision--use the Word as a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. Copyright 1992, used with permission, all rights reserved. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Read Psalm 121:1-8 This psalm is special to my family. When our children were young and we were all in the car ready to leave on a trip or a vacation, we often read Psalm 121 and then prayed. The children became accustomed to hearing the words, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills--from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (vv. 1,2). God is our Helper. You don't have to go on a vacation or drive on a busy highway to know that. Where does your help come from? The psalmist lifted his eyes to the hills. The most stable, secure thing the Jews knew were the mountains around Jerusalem. Then the psalmist lifted his eyes higher and said, "No, I don't get my help from the hills. I get my help from the heavens. God is my Helper." Whatever your need or task is today, your help will come from the Lord, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. A God big enough to make this world and keep it going is big enough to help you with your problems today. God is also our Keeper. "He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (vv. 3,4). This is a dangerous world we live in. Enemies would like to attack and destroy us. But as we walk in the will of God and depend on His power, He is there as our Keeper and Preserver. "The Lord shall preserve you from all evil" (v. 7). This verse doesn't say we won't have pain. It doesn't say we will never suffer or sorrow. Though we may be hurt, we won't be harmed. "He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore" (vv. 7,8). God is your Helper and Keeper. No matter where your path in life leads, if you walk in His will, He will preserve you. Walk with confidence today. You have a Helper, a Keeper and a Preserver, who will see you through. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Read Psalm 51:12 David did not lose his salvation when he sinned, but he did lose the joy of his salvation. It's interesting to see how much David said about joy in the Psalms. Joy is essential in the Christian life. It is the evidence that we are truly born again. Jesus said, "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven" ( Luke 10:20 ). Whatever your circumstances today, you can rejoice in the salvation of the Lord. Nehemiah 8:10 says that the joy of the Lord is our strength. When you enjoy doing something, the enjoyment gives you sufficient strength to do the task. On the other hand, all of us have tasks to perform that we don't enjoy. We do them out of duty and because it's the right thing to do, but they don't provide the strength that comes from joy. We need the joy of the Lord to witness for Him. Joy shows unsaved people that it is worthwhile to know Jesus. He is the Power for our service. David lost that joy, so he prayed, "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your generous Spirit" (v. 12). Joy and willing obedience go together. When you enjoy doing something or when you enjoy the person for whom you are doing it, you serve willingly. David is saying, "I have been in bondage because I have not confessed my sin. Therefore, I lost my joy and my willing spirit. I lost that real delight that comes from obeying God." How can you restore joy? Confess your sin. Then look to Jesus Christ, not yourself. If you look at yourself, you won't rejoice. But if you look to Him, you will rediscover the joy of His salvation. God intends that you rejoice in your salvation. Have you lost the joy of your salvation? Do you miss the delight that comes from obeying the Lord? Make sure your life is free from sin, and then ask Him to restore your joy. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Read Psalm 103:1-12 Someone has said that memory is a sepulcher of broken bones. Someone else has said that memory is a nursery in which children who have grown old play with their broken toys. Memory is the library and the treasury of the mind. Psychiatrist Rollo Mays says, "Memory is not just the imprint of the past upon us; it is the keeper of what is meaningful for our deepest hopes and fears." Memory is selective. Often we forget what God has done for us. Charles Spurgeon said, "We write our blessings in the sand, and we engrave our complaints in the marble." Memory becomes impressed with burdens. The word remember is used 14 times in Deuteronomy, and 9 of those warn of forgetting. True praise ought to come from the heart, not the memory ( Matt. 15:8 ). Worship is the believer's adoring response to all that God says and does. Engrave God's blessings in your heart, and you'll never grow weary of praising Him. * * * Never forget God's blessings. Praise Him for all He has done. Don't load your mind with past burdens but enrich it with a memory of His blessings. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.

Joshua 3:7 And the Lord said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to magnify you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you." Exalted by God How quickly man-made greatness fades! Before he attacked Russia, Napoleon Bonaparte seemed to have the world at his feet. But the Russian invasion turned into a disaster and Napoleon, fearing his position at home was in danger, left the French army and hurried back to France almost unaccompanied. Arriving at a river crossing, Napoleon inquired of the ferryman whether many deserters had come that way. Not recognizing the famous leader, the man responded, "No, you are the first." God does not deal in such fleeting fame. What He offered to Joshua was something far better than anything man could give. As Joshua responded in obedience to God's Word, the Lord assured him that He would exalt him. Just as God had brought honor to Moses, so would He bring honor and respect to Joshua. This would not be a human grab for glory, but a gracious gift from God. God offers the same to every Christian. As we make Christ the center of our lives and His Word the focal point of all that we say or do, the Lord will bring to us a glory that will outlast any honor that man could bestow. While we may not always be recognized by the movers and shakers of this world, the Scriptures assure us that we will be revealed in all our glory when Christ returns ( 1 Pet.1:7 ). Don't worry if those around you fail to praise you. Seek instead for the honor that comes from the Lord. That glory will last forever. Eternal greatness can come only from an eternal God.

Colossians 3:13-17 We must beware of false peace. Some who do wrong may have a peace about it, but it does not come from God. As someone has said, "Peace of heart alone is not always the peace of God." A significant test to apply to determine the origin of the peace is this: If I have peace in my heart about a matter, do I also have peace with others in the Body of Christ concerning it? Understandably, not everyone will agree on any single issue, but if only the person himself thinks he is right, he has reason to question his decision. If we are out of the will of God, we will bring discord and disharmony to the Body of true believers. I realize the difficulty in assessing who is a true believer, especially in a group situation. Sometimes those who are part of the group do not evidence salvation themselves. Other times, some may clearly evidence salvation but give little evidence of mature judgment in things related to the Christian life. One of the best safeguards against a false peace is simply making sure that you have the desire to please Jesus Christ in all that you do. If it is your concern "that in all things he might have the preeminence" ( Col. 1:18 ), you can trust Him to bring conviction and a lack of peace when your life is not honoring to Him. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" ( Ps. 119:165 ).

Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart. When we live lives that are pleasing before the Lord, godly lives, righteous lives, we may always be assured that no matter where our steps take us, we have been led there by the Lord God Himself. Indeed, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD" ( Psalm 37:23 ). By this time in his life the madness of King Saul had become so notable that he had nearly destroyed himself and his nation as well. His hatred for David and his jealousy of this young Bethlehemite caused David to be resigned to a life of wandering. Once David learned that the Philistines were besieging the city of Keilah, he immediately hurried to rescue the city. Successful in his rescue, he drove off the enemy and scattered them, making this for a short time his headquarters ( 1 Samuel 23:1-6 ). However, whenever Saul learned of the whereabouts of David, he was sure to be persistent in his pursuit of him; again David was forced to flee ( 1 Samuel 23:7-14 ). Although during his wanderings David attracted to his side 600 soldiers in support of his cause, nevertheless these were days of hardship and grief for David. Finally he had to leave the kingdom entirely and seek refuge among his former enemies, the Philistines. Although the enemy clearly remembered that David slew the giant Goliath, now he was an enemy of Israel's king; and so the Philistines made an unlikely alliance with David and his men. With the consent of Achish, king of Gath, David made his headquarters at Ziklag for more than a year ( 1 Samuel 27:1-7 ). Because he supported the Philistine king in raids on the tribes to the south of the wilderness of Shur ( 1 Samuel 27:8-12 ), David gained the respect and friendship of Achish. Things were fine as long as the Philistines were fighting someone other than the Israelites. But that situation was about to change. The Philistine armies assembled at Aphek to encounter the Israelites in Jezreel. David was now in a desperately ticklish situation. He was with the armies of the Philistines, arrayed in preparation for battle against his own people, Israel. What would he do? How would God get him out of this jam? David didn't have to wait long for a resolution to the problem. The princes of the Philistines began to wonder whether or not they could trust David fighting against his own people. If he were to win the favor of King Saul again, what better way than to kill the Philistines. Therefore, Achish commanded, "Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart" ( 1 Samuel 29:10 ). Once again, through the suspicions of the Philistines, God had spared David from fighting against his own people. Rowland V. Bingham, founder of the Sudan Interior Mission, was once seriously injured in a terrible automobile accident. Rushed to the hospital in critical condition, he did not regain consciousness until the next day. When he asked the nurse what he was doing there, she replied, "Don't try to talk now, just rest. You have been in an accident." "Accident? Accident?" exclaimed Dr. Bingham. "There are no accidents in the life of the Christian. This is just an incident in God's perfect leading." Our attitude toward the Lord's leading our steps ought to be the same. When we live righteously before Him, free from known sin, there are no accidents in our lives, only incidents in His perfect leading. Let Him lead you today. MORNING HYMN In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet, God leads His dear children along, Where the water's cool flow bathes the weary one's feet, God leads His dear children along. Some thru the waters, some thru the flood, Some thru the fire, but all thru the blood; Some thru great sorrow, but God gives a song, In the night season and all the day long. Devotional is used with permission from the author. It may be used solely for personal, noncommercial, and informational purposes. Republication or redistribution of this devotional is prohibited.

Read Psalm 58:1-11 Today there is a need for God's people to display righteous indignation. May we never complacently accept babies being aborted, the poor being exploited and politicians breaking the law. God does not want people in authority to use their authority for themselves. A true statesman uses his authority to build people and his country. David was righteously indignant when he wrote this psalm. He was not angry but anguished. David denounces the readers' sin (vv. 1-5). Their speech was unrighteous, and they did not judge uprightly ( Job 31:6 ). Their hands were tipping the scales the wrong way because their hearts were evil. David compares these leaders to snakes (v. 4). David pronounces the readers' judgment (vv. 6-9). He presents six pictures of coming judgment for the leaders: (1) a lion without teeth (v. 6)--God one day will pull their teeth and they will be defenseless; (2) water soaking into the ground (v. 7)--after the dry season, rain disappears and is soaked into the soil; (3) broken arrows (v. 7)--God will take away all their defense; (4) a snail melting away (v. 8)--the wicked will gradually destroy themselves the further they go; (5) a stillborn child (v. 8)--they will experience a lot of pain and then death; and (6) a meal being cooked that is destroyed by a whirlwind (v. 9)--their schemes won't last, and they will be destroyed by God's living, burning wrath. David announces his praise of God (vv. 10,11). We do not avenge our ourselves, but we can rejoice at God's righteous judgment of the wicked ( Rev. 18 , 19 ). He will stand on His enemies ( Ps. 68:23 ). The righteous will one day enjoy the victory of God. He is patiently waiting to judge the world. When that happens, God will be vindicated, and Jesus will be glorified. The misuse of authority is an age-old problem. The Bible tells us what will become of those who abuse their positions of authority. God's people may confidently express their righteous indignation, for we know that He will one day judge corrupt leaders. Praise Him for His coming victory and vindication. Copyright© 1992, used with permission, all rights reserved. Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group (bakerpublishinggroup.com). Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from Baker Publishing Group.

For when David was up in the morning, the word of the Lord came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer. Have you ever noticed that you make your greatest mistakes immediately after your greatest victories? Why is that? The answer is likely pride. The Bible frequently warns us about the penalty of pride. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall." The pages of the Holy Scriptures are filled with people who have met their defeat, not because of their inferiority, but because of their haughty and arrogant spirit. A graphic illustration of the penalty of pride is seen in the life of King David. A man after God's own heart, David early won favor with Jehovah for his faithfulness and purity of life. He rose above the usurpation of his throne by two of his sons. He lived down the shame of his sin with Bathsheba. Now he had come to the end of his life, a valiant warrior and a victor. Following the catalog of David's mighty men is the statement, "And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah" ( 2 Samuel 24:1 ). The wrath of God was upon His people at this time, not so much for a specific offense as for the general deterioration of their faithfulness to Him. First Chronicles 21:1 indicates that it was Satan who incited David to take this census. Although the penalty for this sin affected all people, David accepted it as the result of his own personal sin. Why? Because the numbering of the people was done in pride, for the purpose of self-glory, and pride always pays a penalty. Immediately after David learned the strength of his army, he recognized the basis for his need to know their number. "And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done . . . for I have done very foolishly." As soon as David was up in the morning ( 2 Samuel 24:11 ), God offered three potential punishments for this pride. David's options were not good: the people could endure seven years of famine; David could flee three months from his enemies; Israel could experience three days of the worst pestilence they had ever seen. David preferred to receive punishment from God rather than from his enemies. Thus the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel in the morning. Because of Israel's continued sin and David's pride, 70,000 men died during the next three days in Israel. There is an old fable about two ducks and a frog that played together in a small pond. Each summer, when the days got long and hot, the pond shrank to a small puddle, and the ducks and frog were forced to move. The ducks could fly to another place, but not the frog. As the fable goes, the frog finally suggested that the ducks put a stick in their bills so he could cling to it with his mouth and thus fly away with them. The frog was very proud of his brilliant idea. As the ducks took off for a nearby lake, the stick between their bills and the frog clinging tightly, they passed over a farmer, who seeing this strange sight questioned, "Well, isn't that a clever stunt! I wonder who thought of it?" Swelling with pride, the frog said, "I did!" and with that he lost his grip and went crashing to the ground. His own pride had done him in. Let us beware of our pride today, for it may lead to the same kind of painful end that the frog experienced. Even worse, it may lead to pain inflicted upon others, as was experienced in the life of David. Remember, "Pride goeth before destruction" ( Proverbs 16:18 ). MORNING HYMN Lord Jesus, look down from Thy throne in the skies And help me to make a complete sacrifice. I give up myself and whatever I know Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow. Devotional is used with permission from the author. It may be used solely for personal, noncommercial, and informational purposes. Republication or redistribution of this devotional is prohibited.