Author: Dana Hagstrom

Read Psalm 114

This is a psalm, like many, written by an anonymous source. For me it’s harder to identify with the words when I’m not sure who wrote them. But in the case of the Bible, we can be assured that every word was inspired by God, no matter who wrote them, memorialized for us.

So, how does this particular psalm speak to us?

I had to read it over a couple times; thankfully it was a short psalm. It reminds us of God’s power and glory. It shows God moving in history. He is moving today, too, in our lives and in the world around us. Do you see where God has left fingerprints in your life?

Steve Curtis Chapman sang a song years ago called the “Fingerprints of God”.  Take a listen HERE.

God is actively involved in our present, just as he was in the times captured by Scripture. Take a moment to reflect on that. Who, what, where when, how. Each of those words should elicit a thought or memory of God’s intervention.

God gave us free will, I agree, but I strongly believe that God orchestrates the options. When we choose the wrong option, he will give us “Plan B”. It is his hope and intention that we will follow him. He longs for us to be his children, to love and seek him, rejoice in him, and worship him. He wants to be in a relationship with us.

He is that mighty that he can orchestrate this for everyone, loving every person and every creature he has made. We are his. The world is his.

Think again, “where is God in my life?” Is he on the shelf gathering dust or leading the way? Maybe he’s a shadow. You know he’s there with you, yet you are still trying to be in control.

Let’s pray. Father God, I come to you today in awe of your majesty ad your provision. I see your hand prints all over my life, and I am blessed beyond measure. I feel so honored to be your child. Use me today to make your world a brighter place as I shine with your love. I trust you for safety. Help me in learning the lessons I need to learn today. Clear my head so that it clicks. I love you, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 113

Praise should be on our lips every moment.

Praise to our Lord, our God.  Are you living like that? I need to work on that, too.

The psalmist says, “everywhere”, praise Him. Society makes it hard today to follow that wisdom, because so many people are taking exception with our prayer and praise time. But thinking back, when has it been easy? And, if easier, does that mean praise is happening?

So we need to declare our allegiance. If it’s not clear to you that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, more special than anything, then perhaps you struggle with praise. Our hearts and minds need to be in alignment, agreement as it were, and our focus needs to be on praising our Lord for who he is and what he does for us. Who is God to you?

What does praise look like? For me, I love to sing praise songs while playing the piano. It’s one of my favorite past times in retirement. In those precious times, I really connect with God. Everything around me seems to fade away. Just God and me. True connection.

I imagine that’s what heaven will be like. All day long we will sing our praise, and our voices will never tire. Total connection with God. For me, music is an inspiration and catalyst for praise. You will certainly have your own way of showing praise to God.

Have you ever tried a pop-up thank you prayer? They are fun. What you do is–when you see God’s hand or provision in a situation, quickly shout up (whisper up) a prayer of grateful praise to God. You’ll be surprised how many such instances happen in a day’s time, but we often overlook God’s involvement. Keep your eyes open today.

Let’s pray. Lord there is none like you. You are great and worthy of our constant praise. Help me to be more grateful for your provisions. Help me to be more in tune with your greatness. I love to sing praises to you – thank you for the ability to do so. Bless those who don’t know the joy of your grace. I pray that they will continue to seek and find you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 112

“Joyful are those who fear the Lord.” This psalm overflows with the benefits of following God’s ways. It sounds too good to be true. “All goes well” doesn’t always seem to be the case for most of us. We struggle. We have sadness and pain.

Does that mean I’m not godly enough? Would my troubles go away, never to return, if I just had more faith or lived my life differently? I’m struggling with this psalm from that perspective. How about you?

I don’t like spending time frustrated or feeling confused. I want to be growing in my walk with God. So, I took another look at this psalm. How about this? Rather than feeling like I am falling short of the mark of what a true follower should be, I focus on the benefits. I must agree they are there and available. I often reap these benefits, too.

I do confidently trust the Lord to care for me. After all, he loves me so much. I am fearless, and its not because I have my black belt in karate. It is because I have a mighty God, and his spirit lives in me.

I can give generously to those in need with my time and resources (v 9). I look forward to the day when I can do more. There is joy in doing this. The rewards of service are hard to describe.  Have a servant heart, and joy will follow. Where are you serving God?

I try to treat people fairly and certainly conduct business in that way (v 5). Being in a new town, country, culture, we have been especially careful to be friendly, respectful and courteous. Our attempts at learning the language and communicating is appreciated here as not all foreigners have chosen to learn the language. I want to be a blessing to people no matter what our dealings are.

Wealth. Not sure I feel all that wealthy (v. 3), in terms of monetary prominence. There are many people, even in our area in Mexico with much more money in the bank. Where I lack in cash, I have my health and many talents. Even financially, I am very blessed in comparison to many of the local families struggling in this economy.

We need to take ourselves out of the equation. We need to be emptied of ourselves so we are ready and open to let God in. We need to love and trust God because he is walking with us through whatever we are going through right now. We need to let God handle it.

Let’s pray. Father I thank you for all that you have given me. I am rich beyond all my dreams because I have your love and protection. I want to grow every closer to you, Lord, and I pray for your guidance. Forgive me when I try to forge ahead on my own. Bless all those hurting today. May they feel your presence and assurance  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 111

Praise the Lord! This is something to be done 24/7. Do we just reserve our praise and adoration for an hour or two on Sunday morning? Do we take time each day to give praise and honor to our God? Or do we live our lives in constant worship?

This psalm is a great reminder of why we should praise and WHO we should praise.

–how amazing are the deeds of the Lord — we should ponder them.

–his righteousness never fails

–he gives food to those who trust

–he is just and good

–his commandments are trustworthy and true

–he has paid a ransom for his people

The ransom, Jesus. Jesus came to pay for our sins and to bring us freedom. Because of Jesus we have eternal life with him. Ponder that. How can we be unmoved?

“Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.” Who doesn’t want to be wise. We may think we’ve got it together, but we don’t really. The world offers so much distraction and false wisdom. There’s always a new self help book, latest nutrition fad, and “spiritual” practices abound.

But, I put my trust in Biblical truth. The word of the Almighty. I want to revere God and be in awe of him, trusting and obeying him.  That’s reverence, and that’s true wisdom.

This week we are singing Chris Tomlin’s song, “ALMIGHTY” at church…in Spanish!  Here is the English version. Be moved. Click HERE.

Let’s pray. Lord, help me shut out the noise of the world and be more focused on you. May your Word speak to me. You are the King of Kings, my Almighty God, and I bow down before you. How can I help others to do the same? I pray that they will see the wonder of you that makes us complete. Show me Lord. I think of all the prayer concerns you hear each day, Lord, as our lists grow longer and longer. I cry out for all my friends and family who are separated from you. They are not building the true foundation of wisdom. Stir in their hearts the desire for you and bring others to their side. Use me to be that light to somebody today. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Read Psalm 110

What were your thoughts when you first read through today’s psalm? I was thinking, this is really prophetic and points to Jesus.

This psalm is, in fact, one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament. It’s full of references like, “my Lord”, “sit in honor at my right hand”, “rule over enemies”, “a priest forever”, “he will be victorious”. Jesus fought the final battle with evil in the book of Revelation, and he was victorious indeed. Praise be to God!

I don’t know about you, but I love it when scripture does this — agrees with itself.  It proclaims what is to be long before it is. I love when God reveals himself so that his love can be made known.

Think of this — the same Holy Spirit that filled David as he wrote this psalm is alive and well today, living inside us. We are his, too. As followers of Jesus we have access to the power present in creation, that filled the believers at Pentecost (in the book of Acts), that gave Moses the courage and strength to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. We have access to THAT power! Praise be to God!

How does that make you feel?

I’m a bit intimidated, truth be told, yet invincible. Does that makes sense? Can both exist simultaneously? Feeling awe is necessary to take us to the next level of ultimate trust.

How is the Spirit moving in you today? Maybe it’s too early to tell, so think about this week. Where have you seen the Spirit at work?

For me, God’s spirit is most evident when I lead worship. I can feel his fire cursing through my bloodstream. I feel a warmth and connection like at  no other time. I feel numb almost, overcome with a peace that I can’t explain.

I also see his provision when I don’t have the strength or desire to complete a task. Do you ever struggle with fatigue or lack of desire to complete a task? We all do. But when I call upon God and work as if for him alone, I am refreshed to complete what I needed to do.

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. We can celebrate together on how we see God working in us!

One of my favorite worship leaders, Kari Jobe, has a song called Holy Spirit, and I’d like to share a video of this worship time. Click HOLY SPIRIT.

Let’s pray. Father, I come to you today and am trying hard to close out the noise and busyness of the day ahead. Yet, in the stillness you are here, waiting for me. Thank you. I am in awe of you. You are great beyond comprehension. Help me still my soul so I can hear you. Walk with me this day. Open my heart so I can be more attentive to your prompts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.