Search Results

Read Psalm 9:1-6 Psalm 9 is a great victory psalm. "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works" (v. 1). Notice the universals in that verse--"my whole heart" and "all Your marvelous works." I must confess that there are times when I don't praise the Lord with my whole heart. At times I've stood in church with the hymnbook in my hand, singing a great song of praise--but not with my whole heart. The best way to have victory is to praise the Lord wholeheartedly. Granted, there are times when it's hard to praise Him. Think of Paul and Silas in prison ( Acts 16:16-34 ). They had been humiliated. Their rights had been stripped away from them. Their bodies were hurting. Yet they were wholeheartedly praising the Lord. God can heal your broken heart if you give Him all the pieces. He'll put it back together again and give you wholehearted praise. Don't praise God only about circumstances; praise Him for who He is. "I will be glad and rejoice in You" (v. 2). Maybe you can't rejoice in your circumstances or in the way you feel. Maybe you can't even rejoice in the plans that are made for today, but you always can rejoice in the Lord ( Phil. 4:4 ). You can rejoice in the Lord today because He is worthy of your praise. "I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High" (v. 2). The thrust of this psalm is simply this: If your cause is right, God is on your side. He is on His throne, and He is administering His world the way He wants to. David didn't quite understand all that God was doing, but he knew that God knew what He was doing. So when your cause is right, you can praise the Lord, even in the midst of apparent defeat. When God is on the throne, everything turns out all right. If your life is broken right now, be encouraged that God knows what is going on in your life and will restore you. Until He does, rejoice in Him and praise His name. 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 104:31-35 When Jesus Christ is your Savior and God is your Father, when the Holy Spirit is within you and the Word of God is teaching you, all of creation takes on new beauty and new blessing. The sky is a deeper blue, and the earth is a richer green. You don't see just creation; you see the Creator. And you don't simply see a Creator; you see the Heavenly Father, who cares for you. "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord" (vv. 33,34). The psalmist wrote these words after considering all of God's creation. He looked at the waters, the mountains springs and the rushing rivers. He heard the birds singing in the branches. He saw the cattle eating grass. He saw man baking bread and making oil. He watched the sun rise and set. "See all this?" he said. "I'm going to rejoice in this Creator, who is my God." All creation is travailing in pain because of sin ( Rom. 8:22 ). But our Creator is still in charge, and His creation, in spite of sin, still has great beauty and great wealth. Did you know that God rejoices in His creation? "The glory of the Lord shall endure forever; the Lord shall rejoice in His works" (v. 31). He rejoices to hear the birds sing. He rejoices to see the rivers flow. Let's rejoice in His works also. And let's rejoice that God is glorified as we obey Him today. * * * God is glorified by His works, for they reflect His greatness. When you look at creation, do you see His greatness? Rejoice with Him as He rejoices in His creative works. "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" ( Phil. 4:4 ). 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 133:1-3 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" (v. 1). This is as true today as when it was written centuries ago. We would expect brothers and sisters to dwell together in unity. After all, they share the same nature because they have the same parents. Until they move out, they live at the same address and eat at the same table. We also would expect God's people to dwell together in unity--but not uniformity. My wife and I currently have seven grandchildren. We can tell that they all belong to the same family, but each is an individual. Similarly, God does not want uniformity among His children; He wants unity. The psalmist gives us two descriptions of spiritual unity. "It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments" (v. 2). Over his chest, his heart, Aaron wore a breastplate that had twelve stones--one for each of the tribes of Israel. The oil bathed all of those stones, and they all became one in that anointing oil. That's a picture of the Holy Spirit of God, who baptizes us into the Body of Jesus Christ and gives us spiritual unity. Unity is not something we create; it's something God gives us. Spiritual unity also is fruitful like dew. "It is like the dew of Hermon" (v. 3). With the mountain dew comes God's blessing. We should strive to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Ask God to help you be a part of the answer, not a part of the problem. * * * As a believer in the Body of Christ, you must do your part to dwell in unity. The Holy Spirit helps you live in unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pray for the fragrant oil and fruitful dew of spiritual unity in your life today. 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 106:16-23 We often think of Moses as a great leader and a great legislator, and indeed he was one of the greatest. But have you ever thought of Moses as a great intercessor, a man of prayer? I was amazed to discover how many instances of prayer are recorded in the life of Moses. For instance, when the Israelites turned against God, made a golden calf and began to worship like the heathen, God was prepared to judge them. But Moses went up on the mountain and interceded, or "stood in the gap." "Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He destroy them" (v. 23). The people of Israel had been delivered from Egypt and were standing at Mount Sinai, where God was giving Moses the Law. But they built an idol. How soon we forget what God has done for us; how soon we forget what He has said to us. We turn away and start living on substitutes. Moses could have profited personally from their sin. God said, "Moses, I'll start with you and make a whole new nation, and no longer will the Jewish nation be the people of Abraham. It will be the people of Moses." But Moses replied, "No, Lord, you love these people. They are your people. Don't judge them." God did judge their sin, but He did not destroy the nation. Of course, the people did not appreciate what Moses had done for them, and they began to criticize him as well. I thank God that today in heaven we have an Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ, who ever lives to make intercession for us at the Father's throne ( Heb. 7:25 ). He and the Father love us and together are guiding and building our lives. * * * Intercession is one of the believer's most important ministries. Are you an intercessor? Others need your prayer support. Follow the example of Moses and stand in the gap. 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.

Air Date: 1/23/19 - Patience. We know it's an important virtue. But when the person in front of you is driving so slow, or your child takes forever to find her shoes, you may find that patience is hard to put into practice. Find out the secret to developing this vital quality, as Warren Wiersbe shares from the Word of God. Back to the Bible Classics Presents - Warren Wiersbe https://youtu.be/vGorYGDi9Wo

Isaiah 11:1-2 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Rod of Jesse During World War II, Hitler's bombers rained destruction upon London from the skies. Over 15,000 people lost their lives and many parts of the city were reduced to rubble. Yet when spring came, an amazing thing happened. Beautiful wildflowers, many of them thought extinct, sprang up in the midst of the devastation. Botanists concluded that the seeds had laid dormant under buildings and other structures until the bomb blasts exposed them and gave them the opportunity to germinate. Isaiah foresaw a day when Israel also would be devastated. The word for stem means a stump. David's lineage would be decimated. His mighty family tree would be chopped down to a stub. Yet God would be faithful. Out of that "stump" would come the One who would be the Savior of the world. At a time when civilization lay devastated by the effects of sin, when the rubble of broken lives would be scattered over the countryside, a Branch from a tree long thought dead would appear with the promise of new life. And so it happened. Paul declared, "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons" ( Gal. 4:4-5 ). If the landscape of your life has been ravaged by discouragement and despair, look to Jesus, who is able to bring the hope of new life. Perhaps you have lost a loved one and life looks bleak. Maybe health problems have left you feeling like you're living in a war zone. Or family problems have created craters deep enough to swallow you whole. God will still be faithful to you. Give Him the "stump" of your life and watch Him grow a healthy and prosperous branch. Only the Rod of Jesse can give you such hope. God can bring riches out of rubble.

Read Psalm 122:1-9 Are you glad when it's time to go to the house of God to worship? Are you really happy when, on the Lord's Day or any other day, you can go to church? The psalmist was. "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord"' (v. 1). We worship the Lord privately as well. I trust that every day you read His Word and pray and worship Him. But Christians belong to each other. We are the sheep of God's flock. We're the children in His family, and we should want to worship Him together. The house of God is a place for praise. Verse 4 talks about the tribes of Israel going up to give thanks to the name of the Lord. We also go into the house of God to praise Him, and how much we have to praise Him for! Charles Spurgeon used to say that Christians are prone to write their complaints in marble and their blessings in the sand. How soon we forget what God has done for us. The next time you go to church, praise Him for all He has done. God's house is also a place for prayer. In verse 6 the psalmist says to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I hope you are praying for God's people, Israel, and for peace in Jerusalem. I hope you also are praying for peace in your congregation, in your community and for those who are in authority. We are also to pray for prosperity--the riches of grace and spiritual blessing. "May they prosper who love you" (v. 6). The psalmist also prays for God's people. "For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, 'Peace be within you"' (v. 8). We should be praying for God's people and seeking good for them. "Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek your good" (v. 9). Do not take your privilege of worship for granted. God's people should gather to praise Him and to pray to Him. When you do this, you become a vehicle through which God can give His peace to others. 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 119:25-32 An enlarged heart, in the physical sense, is dangerous. But spiritually speaking, an enlarged heart can be a blessing. "I will run in the way of Your commandments, for You shall enlarge my heart" (v. 32). If you have an enlarged heart physically, you don't do much running. But if you have an enlarged heart spiritually, you are ready to walk and run with the Lord and accomplish His purposes. When an athlete is running, he is on a path and has a goal in mind, which gives him the energy to continue. That's what God wants for us today. He has a goal for us to reach and a path for us to follow. And He gives us His strength through His Word. What does it mean to have an enlarged heart? First, an enlarged heart is open to God's truth. It's a heart that's honest and says, "Lord, I want Your truth even if it hurts." Second, an enlarged heart is obedient to God's will. It's a humble heart that says, "O God, what You have said, I will do. I am the servant. You are the master." Third, an enlarged heart is occupied with God's glory. It's a happy heart. Some people's hearts are small and narrow. They live in their own little world and have their own narrow view. What a wonderful thing it is to grow in grace and the knowledge of truth ( II Pet. 3:18 )! Our horizons are expanded. We can see what we haven't seen before. We can hear what we haven't heard before. God gives us an enlarged life because we have an enlarged heart. Open your heart to God's truth and be obedient to His will. Every step of obedience expands your horizon of blessing and ministry. Most of all, be occupied with God's glory. 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 102:12-28 Have you heard the phrase, "It's as sure as the world"? In fact, nothing is more unsure than the world. "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure" (vv. 25,26). The "sure" world will perish. Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away" ( Matt. 24:35 ). What is the surest thing in your life? On what are you building your life? You'd better be building it on the Lord; He's the only One who is sure. Jesus always is the same. "But You are the same, and Your years will have no end" (v. 27). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. God has made this universe, and everything around us looks so certain. We are so sure of the way things work. We can send people from the earth to the moon. God's universe is precisely crafted, but He says that all of this will perish. What should you do, knowing that you live in a temporary world? Trust God, who is sure. Pray to Him. "He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, and shall not despise their prayer" (v. 17). Trust His Word and praise Him. Prayer and praise go together. "This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the Lord" (v. 18). Many people foolishly build their entire lives on the cracked foundations of this world and will one day perish with it. But God is changeless and eternal. He wants you to build your life on Him. When you pray, praise Him for His creation and for His work in your life. 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 118:1-9 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (v. 6). This is a word of assurance. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" ( Rom. 8:31 ). The God of the universe is on our side--Father, Son and Holy Spirit. No matter who may be against us, He is on our side. It's also a word of confidence. "I will not fear." As I look at the past, I see that God has cared for me every step of the way. As I look at the present, I know He is with me. As I look to the future, I know He is ahead of me. He surrounds me. He promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" ( Heb. 13:5 ). I respond, "I will not fear. What can man do to me?" (v. 6). Finally, it is a word of defiance. "What can man do unto me?" In other words, fear God, not humans. Jesus taught this to His disciples. "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" ( Matt. 10:28 ). When you fear God, you need not fear anyone else. To fear God means to love Him, revere Him and respect Him. No matter how difficult your experiences are, the Lord is on your side. You need not fear the past, present or future or what anybody can do to you, because you fear God. You have His words of assurance, confidence and defiance. 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.