Verse 14 - Rest
We're headed toward eternal rest. We don't have to be so tired when we get there. ...
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.
We're headed toward eternal rest. We don't have to be so tired when we get there. ...
Keep ReadingGod's glory and beauty are on display everywhere. Are we looking for them? ...
Keep ReadingIt was the cross of Christ that fulfilled every hopeful expectation within the Psalms....
Keep ReadingYou and God both have a plan for your life. Getting them aligned is a key to happiness. ...
Keep ReadingHow can we endure false accusations? ...
Keep ReadingWe aren't there yet. Sanctification precedes glorification....
Keep ReadingGod has designed waiting into our lives. What is he doing through it?...
Keep ReadingDo you ever look at this broken world and wonder to yourself, "why bother?"...
Keep ReadingDavid offers sacrifices with shouts of joy. ...
Keep ReadingWe want to be in control. Everything gets better when we acknolwedge that we're not the center of the story. ...
Keep ReadingGod always welcomes his people into his presence. ...
Keep ReadingHow influential is God's opinion in your definition of "the good life"?...
Keep ReadingChristians should always been in "student mode," searching for wisdom and ready to learn what God is trying to teach. ...
Keep ReadingWe can see God's beauty all around us. Are we looking for it? ...
Keep ReadingIf there's really no other effective refuge than God's covenant love, why do we keep running elsewhere?...
Keep ReadingHow long will we wait before we give up? Sometimes, not very long. ...
Keep ReadingWhy do we hate waiting so much? Could it be a sin issue?...
Keep ReadingThe time of complete peace and rest is coming, but until then Christians are called to be watchful....
Keep ReadingAre we willing to take help when we need it? Would we if we saw that the help was from God himself? ...
Keep ReadingHow do we avoid sin when we're the one being attacked? Can we respond rightly, even when we're offended?...
Keep ReadingGod's beauty is worth our attention. Are there other things that distract us from it? ...
Keep ReadingIs there objective beauty and, if so, where does it come from?...
Keep ReadingWe are children of God and we will see his goodness - that's a promise....
Keep ReadingIn times of trial we shouldn't forget the resources available to us in the love of God....
Keep ReadingWhat will you never, ever see? The back of God's head. He will never turn his face away from you....
Keep ReadingWaiting 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? ...
Keep ReadingOne of the most important lessons our children will ever learn from us is the need for quick repentence and quick forgiveness. No matter how often, or what details, we teach about this, what sticks with them is more likely to come from our actions than from our words. In any relationship we will do things that cause offense and hurt, both sinful and not. Learning how to a...
Keep ReadingWhat do we want our children to become, and what are we teaching in order to get them there?...
Keep ReadingThat parents would be proud of their children is commonly accepted - but that children would be proud of their parents?...
Keep ReadingChildren do what they see and speak what they hear. We can do more than just restrain our tongues (though we should do that!). We can also show them how to use our speech for good....
Keep ReadingIn Genesis 1 God creates us and calls us to be fruitful and multiply. Hard as it seems sometimes, being a good, God-honoring, parent is possible!...
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