Daily Bible Devotionals

“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat.” Psalm 19:1-6 (NKJV)

I can understand how Christians have different religious views and even that other people would follow after false religion. What is completely baffling to me is how a person could claim to be an atheist to deny that God exists at all. All people, everywhere, receive nature’s testimony (also see Romans 1:20)! Therefore, the atheist is a “fool.”

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Psalm 14:1a (NKJV)

Today’s psalm tells us that God’s glory is declared by nature itself! No honest, open-minded person could deny the existence of a creator because creation shouts, “Believe!”  So, does that mean a person is saved, apart from trusting in Jesus, by simply by taking a trip to Yosemite? Absolutely not! (Acts 4:12)  Creation prompts people to search for a Creator, but that search always leads them first to His perfect Law. When we get closer to God, we must face the fact that He is holy and has articulated a standard through which communion (fellowship) with Him is possible. That is why Psalm 19 moves from nature’s revelation to Scriptural revelation.

“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11 (NKJV) (see also: 1 Corinthians 14:1)

Once nature says there is a God, and Scripture tells us how Holy He is, we face a dilemma: We are not holy at all! Therefore, something (or Someone) must cleanse us from our iniquity! (1 John 1:9) Enter Jesus. In Him, alone, are we saved.

“Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:12-14 (NKJV)

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Messiah died for us.” Romans 5:8 (NKJV)

“They cried out, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them. Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind; I cast them out like dirt in the streets. You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; you have made me the head of the nations; a people I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me they obey me; the foreigners submit to me. The foreigners fade away, and come frightened from their hideouts. The Lord lives!  Blessed be my Rock!Let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your name. Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.  Psalm 18:41-50 (NKJV)

The title & direction ascribed to Psalm 18 is “God the Sovereign Savior (To the chief musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and the from the hand of Saul…)”. If we are paying attention, we should focus on the phrase “…delivered him from all his enemies and from the hand of Saul”, because David quickly moves beyond his immediate deliverance and transcends to Messiah and His deliverance.  (Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Matthew 22:44; Psalm 110:1) We must remember that one of the titles of Messiah (Jesus) is “Son of David.”

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham….” Matthew 1:1 (NKJV)

Another item to note is how David distinguishes between “Enemies” and “Foreigners.”  There is a false idea that God (in the Old Testament) hates foreigners.  That is not so.  God hates foreign gods.  Whenever a foreigner (in the Old Testament or New) renounces their foreign gods and embraces both the God and people of “Israel,” they are no longer considered “foreign,” even though they are not descended from a Hebrew family.

“Also the sons of the foreigner who join themselves to the Lord, to serve Him, and to love the Name of the Lord, to be His servants - everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, and holds fast My covenant - even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” The Lord God, who gathers the outcasts of Israel, says, “Yet I will gather to Him others besides those who are gathered to Him.”  Isaiah 56:6-8 (NKJV)

Why would the Gentiles praise the God of Israel?  Because He has defeated the enemies of Messiah. And HOW? By the grace and mercy of God.  When a Gentile converts to the Lord, he not only ceases to be an enemy of Israel, but he becomes gathered (along with the outcasts of Israel) to God’s flock! (John 10:14-16)

“Concerning the works of men, by the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer. Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip. I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them. Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.” Psalm 17:4-9 (NKJV)

Satan has a three-fold agenda: Steal, Kill, Destroy. (John 10:10) He wants to steal God’s sheep (us) by promising a better life if we reject God. He seeks to kill by stealing the seeds of the gospel, sown through evangelism. (Matthew 13:19). By doing so, Satan’s ultimate goal is to destroy any hope that we may have of a joy-filled life and eternity with God. So, how does David stay away from the Destroyer (Satan)? By staying off the Destroyer’s path!

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

And how does one ensure they do not travel in the Destroyer’s path, aka: “the path of sinners”? By seeking and obeying God’s Word, “the Word of Your lips.”

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.”  Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

We must remember that while there are many “paths” promising to lead us to a joyful relationship with God (and many of those paths are seemingly trustworthy simply because they are ancient), there is only ONE true path.

“This is what the Lord says: Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths: Which is the way to what is good? Then take it and find rest for yourselves. But they protested, “We won’t!”’  Jeremiah 6:16  (see also: John 14:6; Matthew 7:13-14) (HCSB)

Notice how David communicates that while he stands blameless before the Lord when he wrote this psalm, he is not counting on his personal righteousness to deliver him. He relies on God’s right hand (Isaiah 41:10-13), confident that he is the apple of God’s eye (Zechariah 2:8-9) and will be gathered under His “wing  .”Are you willing to be gathered?

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!”  Matthew 23:37 (NASB)

“I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11 (NKJV)

Here, in Psalm 16, David is speaking prophetically and pleading emphatically. He begins with desperation, “Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust.” Obviously, David has found himself in a jam only God could get him out of. It is not unlike many prayers that you or I have prayed, looking for a way through a dilemma for which we cannot imagine a solution. But David’s situation leads us to believe that he feels he may not make it out alive. So, he is declaring his belief that if he dies, God will preserve him, resurrecting him from the grave.

Notice his words, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Heb: the grave)….”  

David is declaring his belief, not just in God’s ability to resurrect the dead, but in His willingness to resurrect David, personally, because he has placed his faith in God. For those who hold to the notion that the resurrection of the dead is a purely New Testament idea, this is solid evidence otherwise! But don’t feel lonely; the Old Testament’s teaching (of the resurrection of the dead) was hotly debated, even in the days of Jesus and His apostles.

“Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, ‘My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’” Acts 23:6 (NIV)

Just when we might believe Psalm 16 is purely a declaration of David’s belief that he will be resurrected, his psalm moves to the subject of Messiah (Jesus) and His resurrection: “…nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” Psalm 16:10b (NKJV)

It should not surprise us that David prophesied about Messiah. After all, the Messiah was also known as “the Son of David.”  However, David was not the only prophet who understood the Messiah’s role. Every single Old Testament prophet plainly saw Jesus and His role & resurrection. (Micah 5:2; Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; Isaiah 9:6)  Furthermore, they all knew there would be no salvation other than Messiah Jesus.  

“All the prophets testify about Him (Messiah) that through His Name everyone who believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins.” Acts 10:43 (see also: John 12:41) (NASB)

“This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other Name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12 (NKJV)

“Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord? Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right, speaking the truth from sincere hearts. Those who refuse to gossip or harm their neighbors or speak evil of their friends. Those who despise flagrant sinners, and honor the faithful followers of the Lord, and keep their promises even when it hurts. Those who lend money without charging interest, and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.”  Psalm 15:1-5 (Compare: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11) (NLT)

There is a false assumption dominating the understanding of many Christians that Old Testament believers were somehow justified by the works of the Law. Reading today’s psalm, it’s easy to assume a “salvation by works” mindset, so some explaining is necessary. Nobody has ever been justified solely by their good works. Salvation has always been and forever will be, by grace, through faith.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

Old Testament righteousness, by grace, through faith, is the primary message of the New Testament book of Hebrews. Hebrews was written to the Jewish community after Jesus’ resurrection to drive home the reality that none of the Old Testament heroes were justified in the eyes of God based solely on their own good works.  

So, exactly how were those Old Testament heroes justified before God? They were saved when they put their faith in God’s Word, which said that if they would repent and turn from their sin as He prescribed, He would forgive them. Again, it was not their works that saved them but their faithful belief that God’s Word was true. That faith motivated their works and met His standards. Works must follow faith, but faith does the heavy lifting. Otherwise, a person with no faith in God could do certain prescribed actions and be saved without believing in God. As one pastor put it, “We are not saved by faith & works. Rather, we are saved by faith that works!”  Notice how the Apostle John introduced Jesus as “the Word” in his gospel.  

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…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;14 (NKJV)

So, what does the Bible say we must do to be saved in our generation? We must believe God’s Word. The Bible says that God loves the world and desires to forgive sinners who are willing to repent. (John 3:16)  We must repent (turn from our sin), placing our faith in Jesus, that He paid our sin debt by dying on the cross and was raised from the grave. By God’s grace, we are saved when the object of our faith is Jesus’ work, not our own. By His work, we stand blameless before God! By faith in Jesus’ work, we are made righteous, and that motivates our good works.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord? There they are in great fear, for God is with the generation of the righteous. You shame the counsel of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.” Psalm 14:1-7 (NKJV)

Several years ago, while I was living in California and teaching Bible studies in various coffee shops, a young man got quite angry at me when I put forth that certain psalms were prophetic…speaking of the Messiah (Jesus, who would come many generations later) and of other events that did not occur until after the psalmists had passed. Of course, I shared today’s Psalm, along with a few others, and posed the question: Were the people of Israel in exiled captivity during David’s lifetime? Undeniably, no, they were not.

In trying to understand today’s psalm, perhaps it helps to read it in reverse. Because if we read it from the top down, we tend to get stuck on the idea that all men have turned aside and become corrupt. It is not until later in the psalm that we recognize there is a “generation of the righteous.”  So, if all men are corrupt and do not seek God, how does a righteous generation arise? Of course, by the end of the psalm, we learn that salvation comes not from the works of unrighteous men but rather from the atoning work of the Lord Himself. Only then, when the Lord saves, will captives truly be set free, for the captivity of God’s people is not solely defined as unwilling restraint by a foreign people. Our true captivity, which ALL MANKIND holds in common, is the captivity of sin & death. Both have been defeated on the cross by the Lord Himself, Messiah Jesus! (Micah 5:2; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Notice how the prophet Isaiah describes that “generation” for which the Messiah atones.

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”  Isaiah 53:6-10 (NKJV)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Psalm 13. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalm 12:6-7 (NKJV)

Today, let’s start with the positive message of this psalm: God will preserve His Word throughout the generations, even unto eternity! College professors, entertainment stars, business giants, and militant false religions may war against the Bible. They may seek to silence and destroy those of us who commit our lives to faithfully submit our lives to the Word, but God will preserve it. Sure, we may train ourselves to “defend” the faith, but God will personally sustain it! By way of spiritual oppression, what we see may appear to be insurmountable mountains of opposition all around us. But God only sees grass that needs to be mowed! In fact, the Lord told the prophet Isaiah to tell the people who considered themselves too highly that they were merely grass in His sight.

“The voice said, ‘Cry out!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry? All flesh is grass,

And all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, and the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.’” Isaiah 40:6-8 (NKJV)

The Hebrew word for “breath” or “wind/air” is Ruach. It is also the word for “spirit.” So, when the Lord says that He blows on the grass and the grass (even the more flowery grass) dies, He is saying that by His “Ruach HaKodesh” (Holy Spirit), He establishes men, allowing them to have glory (flower). Furthermore, He brings them to their end. Meanwhile, His Word, which seemed (in the short term) to be on the verge of extinction, keeps on keepin’ on!

When Godly men pass away, we tend to fret that the light of the gospel and the preaching of the Word will cease. Notice David’s anxiety.

“Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaks proud things, who have said, ‘With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?’… The wicked prowl on every side, when vileness is exalted among the sons of men.” Psalm 12:1-4; 8 (NKJV)

There is the long-fought struggle…and then God weighs in. The time of our faithful wait is over, as God Himself brings His faithful Word to pass! Are you waiting in faith for God to deliver you? Hold on! He is faithful to complete what He has called us to.

 “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now I will arise,” says the Lord; “I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.” Psalm 12:5 (NKJV)

“In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, ‘Flee as a bird to your mountain’? For look! The wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow on the string, that they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.”  Psalm 11:1-2 (NKJV)

A few years ago, my brother sent me a photo of a deer he shot with his bow. Unlike rifle hunting, the bow and arrow are silent killers. Due to the slower velocity of the arrow as compared to a rifle bullet, bow hunting demands the archer position strategically and wait patiently. The animal must get as close as possible before letting go of the string. TWANG! Thud. Bull’s-eye!

David uses the image of an archer to describe how the wicked are taking aim at him. The Bible describes how David was literally hunted by his enemies, stalking him with both literal arrows and figurative ones: injurious testimony and discouraging words. David’s response? He remembered the Word of the Lord, the foundation of our faith, and God’s promise to those who pursue righteousness.  

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  Psalm 11:3 (NKJV)

If we depart from the Bible, what foundation can we stand upon when it seems no hope is in sight? If we have forsaken God’s Word, where do we turn when we need to be encouraged and refreshed? What well can we drink from if we have left the source of Living Water?

“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)

God’s Word declares that we can stand firm and have joy when all around us seems hopelessly dark. We remember that the Lord sees us and has the power and determination to save His own people in the time and manner He determines!

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked, He will rain coals; fire and brimstone and a burning wind shall be the portion of their cup.”  Psalm 11:4-6 (NKJV)

It is our memory of Scripture that calms our hearts in these days when it seems that followers of Jesus are perpetually “in season  .”Wicked men seek to destroy the faithfulness of God’s Word by hunting His people. Still, we take heart knowing a righteous Judge presides over His creation and delights in His righteous ones.

“For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.” Psalm 11:7 (NKJV)