Author: judyinthesky91

Daily Word

Psalm 29

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Read Psalm 29 – Now that’s a leader!  “Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.  Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” :1-2

Could you imagine your father, your boss, your political representative, even your president making these statements?  How great would life be if those in the lead had it right?  

But we are not here for what if’s.  Each of us is the leader of their own life; may it start with us.  May we be the ones to call out for glory, honor, worship and praise to the LORD.  Perhaps you are in need of a reminder.  Our psalm is a good one to go back to anytime life feels off balance.  

Try this, re-read it aloud.  Imagine you are reading this to a crowd with dramatic authority in your voice.  Yes.  Now, have an amazing day!

Daily Word

Psalm 28

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Read Psalm 28 – Beloved, may you be overflowing with reverence and awe of God!  Some like to say that Jesus is their BFF, but I caution you – that is not enough.  Yes, He is a friend to sinners; yes, He is kind and merciful; yes, you can trust Him with all of your worries.  BUT don’t mistake that for equality.  Stand in awe of the one who knit you together in your mothers womb, and knows every hair on your head, and saves your tears.  Be reverent to the LORD, whose ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  Marvel at His glory.  Delight in the LORD on a grand scale.

When David speaks about those who do not belong to God (:1-5), he concludes with, “Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.”  :5  

Yesterday, one of my friends posted a video of lightning, taken from the vantage point of 40,000’ during her cross country flight.  It was marvelous, like a visual symphony as the cloud lit up with explosions of colors.  It was taken during the day, so all sorts of clouds were in the vicinity, but only this one held the lightning.  I could not help but be drawn closer to Jesus by the power and artistry.  The works of the LORD are wonderful.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.  My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” :8  

This world can get rather heavy, so look up in awe!  And may you find yourself singing a song of thanks as your heart leaps for joy today!

Daily Word

Psalm 27

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Read Psalm 27 – Know Jesus, know peace… I don’t know who said that, but it is a wonderful truth. The closer one clings to the LORD, the less power the troubles of this life have.

Our Psalm is a great weapon against anything that may threaten your peace too. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves: THE LORD IS MY LIGHT AND MY SALVATION; WHOM SHALL I FEAR? THE LORD IS THE STRONGHOLD OF MY LIFE; OF WHOM SHALL I BE AFRAID? :1

So many good things await us and can be discovered in this Psalm! Will you treasure hunt for them and hold them close?

Daily Word

Psalm 26

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Read Psalm 26 – Check yourself – you, worry about you – these are some of the admonishments my husband and I gave to our children when they would get riled up over what someone else was doing (usually the other sibling).  

David seems to be going through a poetic self- check.    He says, I have/ will/ shall over and over.   Will you go back and look for these words?   Will you ask the Lord to search your heart as David did?  

Beloved, what do you say about you?  Are you kind?   Do you speak of yourself as one who is greatly loved by God Almighty?   

Daily Word

Psalm 25

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Read Psalm 25 – We last spoke of who God is in Psalm 24.  Now, in Psalm 25, David entrusts himself to the LORD.  (:1-2)

David recognizes that many are his enemy and their behavior is treacherous. David was a man of bloodshed with a life’s purpose to be king according to God’s plan.  I am much more ordinary than that, yet still need a healthy awareness that those who hate Jesus are enemies. (Jesus said in John 15:18-19, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.”)  Beloved, we must love our enemies with wisdom and grace, not simple naivete and wishful thinking.  

“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God, my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” :4-5  Beloved, with this desire you will not be led astray!

David goes on, recalling God’s nature, asking for forgiveness from the sins of his youth and iniquities for God’s namesake… not David’s merits, but for God’s own namesake.  David even speaks about some dark days… David is not a stranger to anxieties, but he also knows where to take them.

Beloved, can you carve out some alone time today, search your soul, as David did, and lay it before Jesus, our Savior.

Daily Word

Psalm 24

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Read Psalm 24 – The meaning of life.  What a great day this is!  Beloved, once you fully understand Psalm 24 everything in life lines up.  

“The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” :1  It’s not about me.  It’s not mine.  Yet God has blessed me to enjoy and care for his creation.  He has blessed me to delight and care for my very own life because I am his.  

Those who seek the LORD with a clean hands and a pure heart will enter his presence, receiving blessing and vindication. (:3-6)  Exhale, Beloved, life is that simple so don’t lose your way with the things of this world.  Walk close with Jesus; stay on the narrow path, and know that the best is yet to come.

Regarding :7-10, when there is a knock at your door, what do you ask?  “Who is it?”  So, who is this King of glory?  He is the one the doors to heaven must be thrown open for!  He is the LORD, strong and mighty, mighty in battle, the LORD Almighty – he is the King of glory!

This was written as a song, most believe it was written for the Ark of the Covenant when it was carried into the tent pitched by David for it, or possibly the Temple built by Solomon.  And it clearly has the dual, prophetic meaning of Jesus at his ascension.

I am amazed once more this morning at God’s Word.  It is so multifaceted and rich.  One could spend about a minute reading Psalm 24, or one could meditate on it for all eternity.  Reading the Bible is our opportunity to fall deeper and deeper in love with Jesus every day.

Daily Word

Psalm 23

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Read Psalm 23 – The LORD is my shepherd. Okay, raise your hand if your grandmother made you memorize this. I hope your hand is raised, and if not, will you commit to memorizing it now? These 6 verses are excellent for navigating life in our fallen world with the Good Shepherd.

King David had a correct view of himself as a sheep, and the LORD as the shepherd. Remember, David was a shepherd; he knew a shepherd’s role and the needs of sheep. The LORD guides and guards his sheep. The shepherd is responsible for food, water, rest, care from sickness, and protection from attack when caring for the flock.

Okay, now re-read and pray through Psalm 23. “I shall not be in want.” :1 Lord, am I fully trusting you for all my needs? Show me my heart through your eyes…. (confess anything He brings to mind) Green pastures, still waters… offer gratitude for the Lord’s provision. Fear… what are you fearing? Get practical: is it a tax bill, a relationship, a promotion? Remind your fear how big your God is! Prepare a table… Thank God for knowing the plans he has for you, plans for your good and his glory. Goodness and love… Beloved, celebrate with the LORD that you don’t have to get tangled up in this world, his goodness and love follow you and ultimately you will dwell in the house of the LORD forever… In the New Testament, Paul says, “To live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 As you view this life through the lens of God’s care and control, know that the best is yet to come. Your future is certain in Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd, and all the days leading up to that divine appointment are filled with meaning and purpose because you are His.

Daily Word

Psalm 22

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Read Psalm 22 – Blessed David, did he know when he penned this how prophetic it was?  Did he live through an instance that led his heart to cry out these words?  He certainly lived through many times of peril.  Yet Jesus used these very words during the last moments of his human life, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34  

Did you know the number markers, 3:16, 8:28, 22:1, etc, were added over a thousand years after Jesus?  In his day, one would bring up a passage by uttering the first few words.  

I say that to ask you to picture Jesus as you read.  This is Jesus, scorned and despised (:6).  This is Jesus with his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth (:15).  This is Jesus, pierced through his hands and feet (:16)… read about this wrath that we deserve, yet was paid by him who knew no sin.

Sit in wonder as you consider how perfectly this prophetic psalm was fulfilled in our Savior hundreds of years after it was penned.  There is so much to marvel at; I will be quiet and trust the Holy Spirit to work on your heart as you read and meditate on Psalm 22.

Daily Word

Psalm 21

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Read Psalm 21 – Praise the LORD, Jesus is King!  “How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD!  He shouts with joy because you give him victory.  For you have given him his heart’s desire; you have withheld nothing he requested.” :1-2

These verses had the present meaning of David’s joy as he reflected on the LORD’s hand over his life.  They also had the future meaning as Jesus walked this earth, completing all he set out to, conquering sin and death, rising again in glory… “You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.  You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.” :3  God’s Word is incredible, multifaceted, true, rich, layered, timeless and perfect.

“You will capture all your enemies.  Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.” :8  ALL always means ALL.  It does not mean SOME or MOST; All means ALL.  All the enemies of God will have their day of reckoning.  So many people hate God today… it shocks and saddens me, yet it is no surprise to the LORD and one day they will be blotted out like a mosquito.

My husband and I went to the movies last night.  It was an action film about dinosaurs, and the corruption of man trying to play god… the bad guys always want to rule the world.  The good guys prevailed, preserving life, even the dinosaurs.  Some of the bad guys saw the error of their ways, repented and began life brand new.  Other bad guys were destroyed by the very thing they sought to control.  It was silly entertainment, but reality is not so far off.

Beloved, may your joy in the LORD be a light for those headed for destruction.

Daily Word

Psalm 20

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Read Psalm 20 – I feel as if each Psalm is a brand new gift to open. Other books of the bible tell of an era, while each Psalm is whole and complete on its own. Psalm 20 is a prayer offered before a battle. In King David’s sense it was a literal battle. In Jesus’s sense it was that night in the Garden of Gethsemane as he prepared to lay down his holy life in sacrifice for you, me, and all who call upon his mighty name.

My friend welcomed a new granddaughter into the world yesterday, for the mother, the battlecry was labor… endless hours of pushing her body further than any other day would require, and the victory was so excellent, the pain and exhaustion faded to the background.

For others it could be sickness or family upheaval.

David’s Psalm was for the nation of Israel, and we would be wise to offer steady prayers for our nation as well. No matter how things look, remember: “Some nations boast of their chariots and some horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.” :7 Pray with vigilance for our nation because God is greater than anything in this world!

Beloved, are you facing a battle? What are you trusting in?