fear the LORD – Be Still…

Psalm 15:1-5 – Living a Blameless Life

God knows we will all fall short, yet we strive to attain the goals we set out for ourselves. If we limit our goals, we might miss out on what God has in mind for us. The psalmist, David, wants to achieve his goal of being in the presence of God. He asks and answers the question “Who is good enough to worship and enter into God’s presence?”

What exactly is the blameless life God hopes we live? Is there any chance we can pull it off? What sorts of things do we need to change to reach these standards? I like Google’s AI definition of a blameless life. “A blameless life is a life characterized by integrity, innocence, and a lack of wrongdoing, where actions and words are consistent, free from guilt and deceit, and aligned with God’s will.” The psalmist gives us some specifics. Continue reading “Psalm 15:1-5 – Living a Blameless Life”

Psalm 34 – Why Fear the LORD?

Read Psalm 34

What a great testimony! This psalm is ascribed to David following a time he pretended to be insane while hiding from an angry King Saul in enemy lands. You have to be pretty desperate to attempt something like that to be safe. You can read more about David’s story in 1 Samuel 21. David memorializes his trust in the LORD during this frightening time in this beautiful psalm.

David says he will “praise the LORD at all times.” Do you have trouble singing praise to God when you are going through a rough patch in life, or do you draw in closer still? Some might say, “it depends.” David invites us all to “Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together.” It’s hard to get lost in our despair when we are speaking of the great things God has done. If we have a hard time seeing the blessings in our own lives because of our circumstance, we can always look to how God moved among his people in Bible times. Continue reading “Psalm 34 – Why Fear the LORD?”

Nehemiah 5:1-13 – Helping the Oppressed

Read Nehemiah 5:1-13

I wondered how the people were surviving financially in the new land. If all their time was spent on the construction project, when did they earn a living? When did they rebuild their own homes? This passage reveals some of the inequality going on in the new land.

Apparently, Nehemiah was not aware of the financial hardships some were facing. Now that he was, he was angry that some of their own people were taking advantage. It breaks my heart that children being be sold into slavery. That was a common practice in those days, too. Today, human trafficking is at an all time high because of greedy people with no regard for human life.

Hope for Tomorrow: A New Year’s Reflection

person standing with arm reaching up facing the sun and sun beams

Hope. It’s what we all need a little more of these days. With the dawning of a new year comes an opportunity for new beginnings. If you haven’t done so yet, take some time over the next couple of days to dream of what the coming year could be like. You’ll want to start by taking a look back to learn from what worked and didn’t last year.

Remember that a new year beginning marks time for everyone in the same way. Nearly everyone is talking about their new year’s resolutions or goal setting strategies. Our faith journeys, on the other hand, are all on a different schedule. Here’s a Bible verse to reflect on: 2 Corinthians 5:17 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” When we belong to Christ, we get a fresh start at life. We are forgiven and free!