Daily Bible Devotionals

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret—it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more.” Psalm 37:3-10 (NKJV)

I love the “cause & effect” language in today’s psalm. Trusting & doing good leads to dwelling & feeding on. Delighting in the Lord leads to Being Given. Committing & trusting leads to God Bringing-to-Pass & bringing Forth. We get a strong sense that God does not just demand our obedience but that He also delights in it!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7 (NKJV)

In all of this “cause & effect,” it is easy to get an opinion of God that He can be manipulated into doing whatever we want, literally, giving us the “desires of our heart.” We should be cautioned that God is not our “genie” in heaven. He is our FATHER in heaven. This being the case, we should seek Him to align ourselves with Him.  When we read His Word and apply it to our lives, we begin to trust Him, learning to love the things He loves and avoid the things He disapproves of. Such people ask of the Lord and can expect to receive because they ask according to His will as they grow closer to Him daily. He gave us His Word so we would seek it daily, meditate on it, and continually discuss it.  

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

Also notable in today’s psalm is the idea of inheriting the earth. It reminds us of both the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes.

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.” Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 (NKJV) (Eph 6:1-4)

The Hebrew word “HaEretz” means more than just “earth  .”It refers to a “Covenant Land.”

“Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. our righteousness is like the great mountains; Your judgments are a great deep; O Lord, you preserve man and beast. How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. or with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, and Your righteousness to the upright in heart." Psalm 36:5-10 (NKJV)

God’s mercy, faithfulness, righteousness, and judgment all work together to give us a glimpse of His holiness. It is not arbitrary that David combines these attributes in his worship of the Lord as he sought refuge under His “wings.”  The grace of God is shown to men, even though all men are sinful, and we can be confident that God will show us mercy whenever we turn from our sin. He literally protects the same people who, before repentance, deserve His rebuke. When we see the word “wings,” we should be reminded of the prophet Malachi as he is speaking of Messiah.

“But to you who fear My Name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves.” Malachi 4:2 (NKJV)

Jesus described His desire to show mercy, particularly concerning those who killed and stoned the prophets, as that of a mother hen extending her wing of protection to her wandering chicks.

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Matthew 23:37 (NKJV)

Not only do repentant sinners come under the protection of the Lord, but also His direction, His “light” (John 1:4), and provision, quite literally the “fountains of living water.”

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17 (NKJV) (Revelation 21:6)

“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV)

“Jesus answered and said to her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, “Give Me a drink,” you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.’” John 4:10 (NKJV) (Proverbs 13:13-14; Proverbs 14:27)

“Plead my cause, O Lord, with those who strive with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for my help. Also draw out the spear, and stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” Psalm 35:1-3 (NKJV)

I have been in several troublesome situations during my lifetime. The kind of trouble that I could not fathom a way out. So, I can identify with David’s words. I know how it feels to have exhausted all imagined escape routes, knowing salvation must come from the Lord if it is to come at all. Perhaps that is why Jesus’ Name in Hebrew, “Yeshua,” literally means “Salvation.”  More precisely, “Salvation of God.”  In verses 5 and 6, David cries out to Messiah (The Angel of the Lord) to personally save him. The same Messiah to whom we cry out for salvation.  (Micah 5:2; 1 Corinthians 10:1-4)

“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:19-21 (NKJV)

For a moment, let’s lay aside the idea of our need for eternal salvation. Instead, let’s focus on various situational needs for salvation we may encounter, such as health issues, financial crises, and relational or criminal aggression. Whenever we encounter a situation we are certain that only the Lord can rescue us from, we typically ask the Lord, “How long?” or plead, “Please do not let this situation go any further!”  

“This You have seen, O Lord; do not keep silence. O Lord, do not be far from me. Stir up Yourself, and awake to my vindication, to my cause, my God and my Lord. Vindicate me, O Lord my God, according to Your righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me. Let them not say in their hearts, ‘Ah, so we would have it!’ Let them not say, ‘We have swallowed him up.’ Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion who rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor who exalt themselves against me.” Psalm 35:22-26 (NKJV)

Remember, the Lord allowed Pharaoh to pursue Israel so closely that Egypt literally overtook the Israelites at the Red Sea. He allowed this so the Egyptians would know the Lord is God, and the faith of the Israelites would be strengthened.

“And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness. So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.” Exodus 14:8-9 (NKJV)

Regardless of how close the enemy gets, remember that God can save you at any distance!

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 34. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!  For praise from the upright is beautiful.  Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.  Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy.”  Psalm 33:1-2 (NKJV)

While this psalm begins with a praise band and songwriting, it is primarily a tribute to the Word of the Lord.  And that really is the major role that music plays within a church service: to serve & support the preaching of God’s Word.  In the words of Martin Luther, “Music is the handmaiden of theology.”

Being a songwriter myself, I pay particular attention to the term “Sing to Him a new song.” Whenever I teach a songwriting course at a university or a conference, I almost always get this question: "Which comes first, the melody or the lyrics?”  Concerning Psalm 33, David would say his new song sprang forth from seeing God’s Word fulfilled.  And doesn’t that happen to us whenever we read the Bible and God reveals something to us that constitutes a paradigm shift, a significant change in how we now view the world through the lens of Scripture?  You may not play an instrument, but doesn’t your heart burst forth in song as you ponder what He has revealed to you, how, as you committed to studying His Word, He responded by meeting you and revealing His truth?  If you have had that experience, surely you can resonate with David’s words!  If not, keep reading the Bible because God delights to reveal His Word to those who diligently seek Him in Bible study!

So, what else can we learn today from Psalm 33?  Have you noticed how David goes on and on about the Word of the Lord and how everything was made by God’s word?

“For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth.  He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.  By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.  He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses.” Psalm 33:4-7 (NKJV)

Now consider Psalm 33 in light of John, chapter 1, where we learn that the “Word of the Lord” is Messiah, Jesus.  That’s right before He was born as a baby and before we knew Him as “Jesus.”  He is “The Word” existing before creation, from eternity past.  (Micah 5:3)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” John 1:1-4; 14 (NKJV)

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”  Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. - Selah -  I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. -  Selah” Psalm 32:1-5 (NKJV)

There is a false idea circulating the Church-at-large that salvation in Old Testament times was obtained by doing the works of the Torah (Law/Teaching). This wrong idea is not a modern church invention. The Apostle Paul had to set the record straight in his letter to the young church in Rome. As his evidence that salvation had never been obtained through the works of the Law but had always been by God’s grace when men faithfully believed in Him, the apostle Paul quoted Genesis 15:6 along with today’s psalm.

“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Romans 4:4-8 (NKJV)

Not only was God’s forgiveness available to David, but he describes how, in his pride, he resisted confession, which staved off God’s restoration. Before we hiss at David, we can all remember times when we refused to confess sin. Biblical confession leading to restoration is more than simply admitting we have sinned. True confession includes the desire and serious intent not to sin again. David details how his refusal to confess his sin prolonged God’s “heavy hand” upon him and made his bones ache and groan. The moment that David acknowledged his sin, God forgave him. What a great God we serve! Still, His offer of forgiveness is not extended forever.   Eventually, His grace & mercy must be eclipsed by judgment. Hence, there is URGENCY in the gospel. Seek Him while He may still be found!

“For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him. You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. – Selah” Psalm 32:6-7 (NKJV)

“Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Isaiah 55:6-7 (NKJV)

“In You, O Lord, I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Your righteousness. Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” Psalm 31:1-5 (NKJV)

While suffering on the cross, the Bible records that Jesus made seven statements. They were, in order, loosely phrased as such:

1) To His accusers, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,”

2) To one thief next to Him on the cross, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise,”

3) To His mother (referring to John the disciple’s new responsibility of taking care of Jesus’ mother): “Woman, here is your son,”

4) To the Father, “Why have You forsaken Me” (quoting Psalm 22),  

5) “I am thirsty” (also quoting Psalm 22),

6) “It is finished” (The sin debt of the world had been fully paid for, God’s requirement had been satisfied),

And finally, today’s psalm is quoted 7): “Into Your hand, I commit My Spirit.”

“Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:44-46 (NKJV)

For those who truly study the Bible, it is apparent that Jesus was not making random, mindless, or arbitrary statements from the cross. He was prophesying, mostly quoting Scripture. He presumed that we should know the deeper meaning of His statements because we should all be studying and meditating on His Word every day.  

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NKJV)

When we read Jesus’ statement, “Into Your hands I commit my Spirit…” in the gospel, we should be mentally filling in the beginning and end of that statement from Psalm 31: “For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net, which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength - You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”  That is what He intends for us to do. We are to know the passage He is quoting and automatically fill in the blanks. That way, we understand that Jesus’ 7th statement from the cross was not communicating resolute defeat. He gave a final statement of faith that He believed God would deliver Him from the grave so that we would remember, as the chapter title of Psalm 31 states, “The Lord is a Fortress in Adversity,” even the adversity of the cross and tomb!

“I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You healed me. O Lord, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:1-5 (NKJV)

While I was living in Chicago back in the early 2000s, there was a Romanian bass player named Dan on my worship team. One day, I asked Dan how he came to live in the United States. He told me that he, along with his father and uncle, fled the Communists by floating on an inner tube across the Danube River. He also described how hard it was to worship in a Communist state, where the police would often burst into a home Bible study, physically beat the leader, and drag him to jail. Dan said they prayed for years that the Lord would let them escape Romania, and he added that he would never forget God’s graciousness to his family, where they had a home in Chicago in which they could study the Bible without fear.

King David was a fugitive most of his early adult life. The song he wrote upon completing the construction of his house meant more to David than a simple tribute to architecture and property value. It was the fulfillment of all he had prayed for during those run-for-your-life years, sleeping in caves and on the desert ground. David even compared his house in Jerusalem with having been resurrected from the grave, “You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.”  

We, too, can often feel there is no end to our personal suffering. In desperation, we offer prayers, pleading for deliverance. We hope the Lord hears, cares about our plight, and has the power and character to deliver His children today.  David’s song of praise should encourage us to see how the Lord can deliver us from the greatest depths imaginable and that He still turns mourning into dancing!

“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” Psalm 30:11-12 (NKJV)

But what of those who do not hope in the Lord?  What of those who choose to rebel and refuse to trust Him?  Where is their comfort when the dance party ends?

“The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance has turned into mourning.” Lamentations 5:15 (NKJV)

The good news is that there is nobody beyond rescue who is so bad that they cannot have the grace of Messiah Jesus if they will simply turn from their sin and commit to following Him.  (Ezekiel 18:23; John 6:36-37; Matthew 11:28-30, John 3:16)

“The Lord sat enthroned at the Flood, and the Lord sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.” Psalm 29:10-11 (NKJV)

As a child, I recall people singing the hymn “Have Faith in God.”  The chorus was simple, “Have faith in God, He’s on His throne. Have faith in God, He watches o’er His own; He cannot fail, He must prevail. Have faith in God, Have faith in God.” That is David’s message to us in Psalm 29: God is in control, even in the midst of the greatest calamity. It is also a reminder to all the “mighty” men (kings & business tycoons) that they are NOT in control. God is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Hence, He is worthy of all honor & glory, for all power is His.

“Give unto the Lord, O you mighty ones, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” Psalm 29:1-2 (NKJV)

“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders; the Lord is over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars, yes, the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf, Lebanon, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the Wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and strips the forests bare; and in His temple everyone says, ‘Glory!’” Psalm 29:3-9 (NKJV)

Note how David mentions natural signs accompanying the presence and work of the “voice” of the Lord. They are the same signs Elijah experienced at Mount Horeb.

“Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NKJV)

So, what is the Voice of the Lord declaring? The powerful Word of the Lord!

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. …  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-3; 14 (NKJV)