Verse 14 - Spiritual Muscles
Waiting is hard; especially waiting on God. But if all things work for our good (toward our Christlikeness), does that include waiting?...
Keep ReadingIt's good to think more deeply about the mercies of God in times of crisis. To help guide us in this effort, we'll consider Paul David Tripp's collection of meditations from Psalm 27 called "A Shelter in the Time of Storm." You can get your own copy on Amazon here.
Psalm 27 is a psalm of trouble and worship, of difficulty and beauty, of the evil of people against people, and of the mercy of God. Because of its honesty about life in this fallen world, Psalm 27 speaks into the life of every believer. At the same time it places joyful and self-sacrificing worship right next to the trouble that is the psalm's background theme. This juxtaposition makes Psalm 27 unique, interesting, practical, challenging, and encouraging.
I'm not going to be reprinting the meditations in their entirety; I'll be pulling out some of my favorite parts, answering the recommended dicussion questions, and adding some of my own commentary. Whether you read the book yourself or just follow along with these posts, I'm confident you'll benefit from carefully considering the message of Psalm 27.
Waiting is hard; especially waiting on God. But if all things work for our good (toward our Christlikeness), does that include waiting?...
Keep ReadingRejection is a terrible feeling but it's not one that we suffer alone. ...
Keep ReadingWho is most likely to become an idol in our lives? Ourselves....
Keep ReadingThe kingdom of self and the kingdom of God are always vying for our loyalty. Which do we pursue?...
Keep ReadingOur quest for autonomy is is not good for us. The independence we seek is slavery of the worst kind....
Keep ReadingWhat makes you safe? What do you think makes you safe? ...
Keep ReadingYour life has an organizing purpose - it's what your after and why you do what you do. What is it?...
Keep ReadingWhen sinned against, what should we do? What shouldn't we do? Which list best describes what we actually do? ...
Keep ReadingWhat objects do our hearts long for? For what should they long?...
Keep ReadingIf comfort cannot be found in platitudes, where can we find it? In what can we "take heart?"...
Keep ReadingGod has placed a song on the lips of his people. We should remember, especially in difficult times, the invitation to join in that song with the heavenly chorus....
Keep ReadingWe have no plea to offer before God except that which is based on his own mercy toward us in Christ. ...
Keep ReadingWhile our paths from justification to glorification could be straight, we choose detours into sin and rebellion. ...
Keep ReadingHow good are we at self-counseling? What do we tell ourselves in times of trouble? ...
Keep ReadingGod hears the prayers of his people, but why? How can we know that he will hear and respond to us? ...
Keep ReadingGod is good, and in that unchanging goodness is our hope made secure....
Keep ReadingOur savior waits with us for the recreation of all things. Be patient....
Keep ReadingThe beauty we see here is reflective; pointing back to and drawing us toward its source and creator. ...
Keep ReadingWould God ever tell us to "go away"? Are we afraid that he might?...
Keep ReadingWhat's the "one thing" that your heart craves? The "one thing" that you think will change your life? ...
Keep ReadingWhat can the inability to gaze with the eyes of the body teach us about the failure to "gaze" with the eyes of the heart? ...
Keep ReadingHumans were made to search for stability and to feel "unstable" without proper grounding. That feeling of instability exists to lead us to God....
Keep ReadingWhile we try to find security in all kids of things, the only place it can really be found is in the knowledge that God is our Father - our Light and our Salvation. ...
Keep ReadingPsalm 27:1 asks the key question for every Christian: whom shall I fear? If the Lord is your light and your salvation, the answer must be "no one."...
Keep ReadingWe, and the world in which we live, are both fallen. We need to set our expectations accordingly....
Keep ReadingOnce we understand just how far we've fallen (from "very good" to "breathing out violence") we start to understand how much we need God's grace. ...
Keep ReadingDavid prayed that God would teach him, even because of his enemies. Do we still have teachable hearts when it comes to the important questions of life? Do we have a plan for the things we need to learn. ...
Keep ReadingWhy this Psalm? Why now? Since the answer to the second question is pretty obvious, let's focus on the first. What does Psalm 27 have to say that will help us in times of trouble? ...
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