I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise your name, and the upright will live in your presence. (Psalm 140:12-13) “Surely?” What can you really be sure of in life? Maybe that question evokes a hopeful response in you—like the song that little orphan Annie sings in the musical,...
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24) “Search and Seizure” This is turning out to be a big year for the 4th Amendment! That constitutional protection—the one that prohibits illegal searches and seizures—isn’t typically as...
May all the kings of the earth praise you, Lord, when they hear what you have decreed. May they sing of the ways of the Lord, for the glory of the Lord is great. (Psalm 138:4-5) Why Waste a Good Cliché? Recently I was speaking with a friend about a brand-new worship song that we both really love. We agreed that even though there...
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? (Psalm 137:1-4) “Gateway to God”...
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1) SAY WHAT? When my oldest son Matt graduated from college, he took an internship with an NGO called Food for the Hungry and headed off to Uganda for three months. It sounded like a great opportunity to learn and serve and grow, and so...
