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Short Devotions/Scripture/Poetry/Quotes All materials in this page are from uncopyrighted writings from my own online bible, or, free public domain online. The majority of the graphic images on this page, and the rest of this site are my own, with few exceptions. +++++++ 2/28/2026 God's Habitation For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. Psa 132:13-16 "This psalm evidently dates from the dedication of Solomon’s temple. In the glory of completion God never forgets the toils and anxieties of the builders. When the topstone flashes in the sunlight, the trench-diggers, and foundation-makers come in for their need of praise. The singer recapitulates two memorable scenes in the history of the Ark: Ephratah is probably Shiloh, in the tribe of Ephraim, where the Tabernacle was situated in Eli’s time; while the field of the wood is Kirjath-jearim, whence David brought the sacred emblem to Jerusalem, 1Ch_13:5. 1Ch 13:5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.
This is my rest for ever - Here the Christian Church is most indubitably meant. This is God’s place for ever. After this there never will be another dispensation; Christianity closes and completes all communications from heaven to earth. God has nothing greater to give to mankind on this side heaven; nor does man need any thing better; nor is his nature capable of any thing more excellent. (Adam Clarke) Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 2/27/2026 As Rain Upon Mown Grass He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. Psa 72:6-7 "The showers that water the earth tend to produce life, beauty, and fruit. In this they symbolize the gracious influences of the reign of Jesus Christ. Growth towards God. “In His days shall the righteous flourish.” As the mown grass springs into vigorous and beauteous growth after genial showers, so the righteous in His day shall grow and prosper; they shall bring forth “fruit unto holiness.” If they have been depressed, by His blessing they shall be revived and strengthened. Their faith and love and obedience, their consecration and zeal and sanctity, their truth and tenderness and power, all shall increase. What an inspiring and glorious prospect this is! Evil shall not always lord it over good. Beneficent government. We have already made some remarks on the righteousness of His administration, but we return to it, because the Psalmist gives special prominence to His treatment of the poor and the oppressed. Three characteristics at least of that treatment he sets before us.
Abundant prosperity. “There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains, the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon, and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the field.” Abundance of corn is the sign of abundant prosperity. As the mountains are prominent and picturesque, so the signs of the prosperity would be conspicuous and beautiful. The cities also shall be populous and prosperous. Beauty, plenty, and joy, shall be universally diffused throughout the dominions of the Messiah. An historical basis of the ideas of prosperity presented in this verse is found in the time of Solomon, and recorded in 1Ki_4:20. Such, in brief, are some of the more prominent blessings of the reign of the Christ. (Preacher's Homiletical) 2/26/2026 Declare God's Works in Every Age O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Psa 71:17-18 "Think of David as a pupil, God was his Teacher. “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth.” This shows that David had a teachable spirit; and if you had asked him where it came from, he would have said that God gave him a teachable spirit. God is not only the Teacher of our spirit, but He gives us a teachable spirit, Have we all received that precious gift? A teachable spirit, although it is despised by many, is a happy spirit; it is a growing spirit; it is a restful spirit; it is a heavenly spirit; and whoever has it, must ascribe the possession of it to the Spirit of God, who leads us into all truth, and makes us willing to be led therein. Oh, that we may have such a spirit, that we shall count it an honor to say, “O God, Thou hast taught me”! In David’s acknowledgment we learn that God took him very early into His school. “Thou hast taught me from my youth.” What a mercy it is to begin to know God before we begin to know anything else. Happy shalt thou be if thy first intelligible thoughts shall be of thy Maker, thy Benefactor, thy Friend. There are many aged men who can say with David, “O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth.” They find themselves learners yet, for they are “Unstable, weak, and apt to slide.”
We find that David took opportunity to declare God’s wondrous work; sometimes with his pen, writing his psalms; sometimes with his voice, singing those psalms; sometimes talking to a few, sometimes speaking to many. Now, dear friends, what I want you all to do is, if you have seen God’s work, and have been struck with it, you should declare it, tell it to others." (C. H. Spurgeon) 2/25/2026 A Prayer in Adversity Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call. Psa 20:7-9 They are brought down and fallen - They were so confident of victory that they looked upon it as already gained. They who trusted in their horses and chariots are bowed down, and prostrated on the earth: they are all overthrown. But we are risen - We who have trusted in the name of Jehovah are raised up from all despondency; and we stand upright - we shall conquer, and go on to conquer. (Adam Clarke)
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. Psa 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Psa 34:21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. Psa 34:22 The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate. 2/24/2026 Songs of Praise and Thankfulness Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. Psa 147:7-8 “Sing unto Jehovah with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God.” The praise which man offers unto God is here represented as—1. A response for Divine favors. “Sing unto the Lord.” The fundamental signification of the word here translated “sing” is to reply, to answer; and, according to Fürst, as used here it means “always to sing in reply, not to sing merely.” Conant translates: “Answer Jehovah with thanksgiving.” And Moll: “ ‘Answer to Jehovah.’ There is no allusion here to an antiphonal choral song, as in Exo_15:21, but a song of praise is called for as the answer of grateful men, to the honor of the Divine Giver (Exo_32:18; Num_21:17; Isa_27:2).” The idea seems “to be, that we are to make a suitable response or answer to the manifold favors which we have received at the hand of God.” God blesses man by the bestowal of His gifts, and man responds to God by the presentation of praise to Him. 2. An expression of gratitude for Divine favors. “Answer unto Jehovah with thanksgiving”. A grateful recollection of the goodness of God to us should find expression in our songs to Him. In our hymns of praise His blessings to us should be thankfully acknowledged, and the glory of them should be given to Him alone."
Psa 145:9 The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. Psa 145:10 All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee. Mat 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 2/23/2026 God's Penetrating Light O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Psa 43:3 “O send out thy light and thy truth.” The joy of thy presence and the faithfulness of thy heart; let both of these be manifest to me. Reveal my true character by thy light, and reward me according to thy truthful promise. As the sun darts forth his beams, so does the Lord send forth his favour and his faithfulness towards all his people; and as all nature rejoices in the sunshine, even so the saints triumph in the manifestation of the love and fidelity of their God, which, like the golden sunbeam, lights up even the darkest surroundings with delightful splendor. “Let them lead me.” Be these my star to guide me to my rest. Be these my Alpine guides to conduct me over mountains and precipices to the abodes of grace.
Psa 119:105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Joh 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. Joh 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 2/22/2026 The Everlasting God A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. "Scripture certainly emphasizes in many places the frail and fleeting aspect of life; the thought of man’s mortality runs as a wail through many a psalm, and touches with pathos the heart of the prophet in his brightest visions. But then there is always in Scripture another side of the picture; and this is the higher, and in the sense of Scripture the truer, side. The good is the original, the substantive of which evil is the inversion. The good is being; the evil is but negation of being.
The idea of God is everywhere noted by the personal pronouns "I;" "Thou;" "I am that I am;" "I am the Lord, and there is none else." The word "personality" simply means that God is moral; that He is a character as well as an energy; that He is a Being full of affection, and care, and thoughtful and deliberate love. He is not only Creator: He is Father. The assurance is that we have a supreme Heart above us, responsive to our hearts; that there is a spiritual home encompassing us, a life that changes not with the varying pulses of our thought and feeling." (J. Tulloch, Contemporary Pulpit, vol. i., p. 297) 2/21/2026 Longing for God Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. Psa 42:8 "What was longing of David? It was not, observe, his lost crown that he most longed for; nor the broken peace of his kingdom; nor even Absalom his son; he had deeper longings than these; he had a deeper need than they could supply. What he did long for was God Himself; for God, he knew, was the strength of his heart, and the only portion which could satisfy him for ever.
Your longing, mourning heart is opened by its very grief, and He is come to bless it. Doubt Him not. Doubt not but that the same Spirit will restore you to peace and joy; will fill you with the assurance of fresh hope; will strengthen you to bear meekly the yoke which He shall lay upon you; will make you to overflow with love, and give you even upon earth a foretaste of heaven. (Canon Morse) 2/20/2026 Many O Lord My God Are Thy Wondrous Works Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Psa 40:5 “Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done.” Creation, providence, and redemption, teem with wonders as the sea with life. Our special attention is called by this passage to the marvels which cluster around the cross and flash from it. The accomplished redemption achieves many ends, and compasses a variety of designs; the outgoing of the atonement are not to be reckoned up, the influences of the cross reach further than the beams of the sun. Wonders of grace beyond all enumeration take their rise from the cross; adoption, pardon, justification, and a long chain of godlike miracles of love proceed from it. Note that our Lord here speaks of the Lord as “my God.” The man Christ Jesus claimed for himself and us a covenant relationship with Jehovah. Let our interest in our God be ever to us our peculiar treasure.
“If I would declare and speak of them,” and surely this should be the occupation of my tongue at all seasonable opportunities, “they are more than can be numbered;” far beyond all human arithmetic they are multiplied; thoughts from all eternity, thoughts of my fall, my restoration, my redemption, my conversion, my pardon, my upholding, my perfecting, my eternal reward; the list is too long for writing, and the value of the mercies too great for estimation. Yet, if we cannot show forth all the works of the Lord, let us not make this an excuse for silence; for our Lord, who is in this our best example, often spake of the tender thoughts of the great Father." (Charles Spurgeon-Treasury of David) 2/19/2026 The Number of Mans Days Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. Psa 39:5 "You have made my days as handbreadths: “He compares it to a ‘handbreadth,’ one of the smallest units of measurement in ancient Israel. It is equivalent to ‘a couple of inches.’” (VanGemeren) "Certainly every man at his best state is but a vapor: David was a champion, an accomplished Special Forces warrior, a leader, a celebrity, a skilled poet, a musical genius, a survivor, and a king. If anyone might have thought more highly of himself, David had the right to. Yet he understood that he, like every man is – at his best state – merely a vapor, a puff of steam or smoke. “He learns that, since life is short, the only real meaning of a man or woman’s existence must be in his relationship to God, for God is eternal.” (Boice)
• Each of them works hard and heaps up riches, yet does not think beyond his own short and frail life. "This is the land of shadows. Heaven is the land of reality, of true high definition. “Every man that exists, is vanity. All his projects, plans, schemes, etc., soon come to nothing. His body also molders with the dust, and shortly passes both from the sight and remembrance of men.” (Clarke) 2/18/2026 Trust and Commit Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psa 37:3-5 "God is building up a kingdom that is invisible—a kingdom of holy thoughts, of pure feelings, of faith, of hope, of righteousness. God’s kingdom is advancing surely, though it advances slowly, and though it is invisible to us. Here then is the foundation of our faith, our hope, our patient waiting. We are to rest on the fact that God is carrying on a work in this world; that He never forgets that work; that He never lets it lag or linger; that it is ever going forward, though we may not see it advance, and though it may seem to be receding."
"Trust in the Lord - Confide in him; rest on him. Instead of allowing the mind to be disturbed and sad, because there are wicked men upon the earth; because they are prosperous and apparently happy; because they may injure you in your person or reputation Psa_37:6, calmly confide in God. Leave all this in his hands. Feel that he rules, and that what he permits is wisely permitted; and that whatever may occur, it will all be overruled for his own glory and the good of the universe. If there are wicked men in the world, if wickedness abounds around us, there is the more reason for our endeavoring to do good. If others are doing evil, we should do good; if they are wicked, we cannot do a better work than to do good to them, for the best way of meeting the wickedness of the world is to do it good. So shalt thou dwell in the land - This would be more correctly translated as a command: “Dwell in the land.” That is, abide safely or securely in the land - referring, perhaps, to “the land” as the land of promise - the country given to the people of God. The idea is, that they should abide there calmly and securely; that they should not worry themselves because there were wicked men upon the earth, and because they were successful, but that they should be thankful for their inheritance, and partake gratefully of the bounties which they receive from the hand of God." (Albert Barnes) 2/17/2026 Safe Under God's Wings Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. Psa 36:6-7 "The great mountains, “the mountains of God,” as David calls them, suggest the idea of stability, or strength. Hence they are fit emblems of the righteous character of God, which nothing that may happen can ever prevent from ruling in all His dealings with His creatures; and of the righteous work of Christ through which grace reigns unto eternal life. It is everlasting as the high hills of God (Isa_51:6). The great mountains speak of security or protection. Yet the security and protection of the hills are only emblems, beautiful and significant, but still faint, of that impregnable defense which is enjoyed by him who is arrayed in Christ’s robe of righteousness, and who puts his trust in the righteous character of God. The great mountains afford a shade to exhausted travelers as they pass along beneath a burning sky; and the like refreshment does a saint enjoy when in spirit he reposes in the finished righteousness of Christ." (Biblical Illustrator)
Note: In most of the devotions here now, they are for comfort to the saved, and callings to the unsaved, still living in rebellion. We are in the days of Noah Jesus spoke of to the disciples-we are in the very last days. Few believe this, and remain in their rebellion, and scoff and scorn those of us who are preaching and warning to turn from sin, and get saved-because the door is closing. I encourage you to take the time to listen to this teaching by a biblical scholar, who is very reputable-it will open your eyes to where we are now, and show you the parallels of what the ungodly were like in Noah's day, and how they are the same today, and to the seriousness of where we are in God's timeline. Jesus is still calling, and saving, but, not much longer. Genesis Pre-Flood History pt 12 - Fallen Angels to the Flood- https://www.youtube.com/live/hopeR8R6hMI?si=-1dWAUpcu6CZPjqS 2/16/2026 Those Who Are Blessed O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. Psa 34:8-9 “O taste and see.” Make a trial, an inward, experimental trial of the goodness of God. You cannot see except by tasting for yourself; but if you taste you shall see, for this, like Jonathan's honey, enlightens the eyes. “That the Lord is good.” You can only know this really and personally by experience. There is the banquet with its oxen and fatlings; its fat things full of marrow, and wines on the lees well refined; but their sweetness will be all unknown to you except you make the blessings of grace your own, by a living, inward, vital participation in them. “Blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Faith is the soul's taste; they who test the Lord by their confidence always find him good, and they become themselves blessed. The second clause of the verse, is the argument in support of the exhortation contained in the first sentence."
Men seek a patron and hope to prosper; he prospers surely who hath the Lord of Hosts to be his friend and defender. (Charles Spurgeon-Treasury of David) Jn 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 1Jn 1:2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 1Jn 1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 2/15/2026 Praises of the Righteous Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright. Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. Psa 33:1-3 “Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous.” It is the vital condition of all spiritual rejoicing that we are right with God. Our life must be adjusted to His will, and the adjustment must be made on every side. If our communion with the Lord is only partial, we shall not reach the condition in which joy becomes inevitable. I remember that some time ago an electric bell apparatus in my home got out of order and the bell ceased to ring. I made a careful examination, and I found that two or three of the strands, which together formed the one wire, had been broken, and along the remaining strands sufficient electrical energy could not travel to ring the bell.
And so I am not surprised that the psalmist is making his confident appeal to the “righteous,” the rectified, those who are right on every side with God." (J. H. Jowett, M. A.) Isa 42:10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Psa 147:1 Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely. Rev 5:11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Rev 5:12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Rev 5:13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 2/14/2026 Our Hiding Place Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah. Psa 32:7 This psalm, while it is one of the saddest, is at the same time one of the most joyful of the inspired lyrics. It is no less the record of a bitter, penitential sorrow, than the expression of a heart full of praise. It comes to us to-day to tell us that the worst sinner, forgiven by God, is a happy man. A man who is pursued as if he were a wild beast can appreciate the value of a safe hiding place.
"The song of final and eternal deliverance. It is not till the Church has reached her heavenly home, and every member of the great body of Christ is finally redeemed from the power of the world,—and death, the last enemy, destroyed, that the glorified Church shall stand on the shores of the glassy sea, and swell high the anthem of triumph that began in the deliverance of Israel under Moses, and is consummated in the triumph of the Lamb, over the world, and sin, and death, and the grave. Then her joy shall be full, in the sense of her own safety assured for ever against all enemies. Nothing shall remain but joy add song." (J. Riddell) Rev 15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. Rev 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. 2/13/2026 God's Hidden Ones Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. "God communes with every soul; and though we are the poorest outcast, we are within the circle of the loved ones for whom Jesus died. With God, there is no special favoritism. Remember the greatness of his forgiveness. See the miracle on the sick of the palsy, and the words Christ spoke to him. If men knew the infinite compassion and love of God, they would starve to death or be burned alive rather than grieve Him by sin. Comfort yourselves with the goodness of his power. To the most enslaved of Satan’s captives, the fallen, the drunkard, He will give power to resist sin. There was said—not falsely—to be a reserve in the City of Glasgow bank. It only existed on paper. But there is a reserve, inexhaustible, in God’s goodness. When you were born he gave to you the fortune of everlasting love; and that fortune is “laid up” for you. The prodigal thought he had spent all in the “far country,” but he found an ocean of love still flowing in his father’s heart." (W. Birch)
An eclipse of the sun is not caused by any change in the sun, but by an opaque body, the offspring and satellite of the earth, coming between the earth and sun. And so, when Christian men lose the light of God’s face, it is not because there is any variableness or shadow of turning in Him, but because between Him and them has come the blackness—their own offspring—of their own sin. You are not safe if you are outside the light of the countenance. These are the conditions of security." (Biblical Illustrator) Rom 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. Rom 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. "The secret - Or, as in the secret of thy presence: either, As if they were in thy presence chamber, where thine own eye and hand girdeth them, from all the assaults of their enemies; called his secret, partly, because the greatest part of the world are strangers to God and his presence: and partly, because it is a safe and secure place, such as secret and unknown places are. Or, As if they were in the secret of God's tabernacle, as it is called, Psa 27:5, the place of God's special presence, where none might enter save the high - priest. With thy secret favor and providence, which saves them by hidden and unknown methods. From - From their vain - glorious boasting and threats, and from their bad and insolent attempts. Pavilion - Or, tabernacle. Strife - From contentious and slandering tongues." (John Wesley) 2/12/2026 God's Call-Man's Response When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. Psa 27:8 The divine call. It suggests to us-- The spiritual condition of unsaved men. They are estranged from God. They have built up between themselves and their Creator an icy cold barrier of heartless indifference, or else an almost impregnable wall of dearly loved sins. This separation is the fruitful cause of all possible misery and destitution, for there is no hell of woe that can give greater pain to human spirits than the consciousness of their apostacy from God. The condescending grace of God in His dealings with unsaved men. He speaks to them, makes gracious overtures, and sends them a message, tender with sympathy, rich in mercy, and pregnant in the promise and potency of a pure and vigorous spiritual life. S. The nature of true religion. It is the heart of man coming back to God.
Explicit. Men will do anything rather than make an uncompromising surrender. They will turn over a new leaf, sign the pledge, attend the sanctuary, and even take the sacrament. All these are good and right in their place, but they are no substitute for salvation, they cannot set the heart at peace. Any one who tries to make them a compound between God and his own conscience will fail. Sincere. It came from the heart. It is related of a Greek musician that his touch was so delicate and his ear so quick that he would often play a tune on his harp that only his own ear could catch. Whether fact or fable, this incident illustrates God’s intercourse with men’s hearts. You hear the preacher, but he does not hear your response to his appeal. God always hears it. He is speaking to you now, and His ear is close to your heart, listening to what it will say. (W. Wheeler) Jer 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. Jer 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Joh 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 2/11/2025 The Secret of the Lord The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant. Psa 25:14 “The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.” Some read it “the friendship:” it signifies familiar intercourse, confidential intimacy, and select fellowship. This is a great secret. Carnal minds cannot guess what is intended by it, and even believers cannot explain it in words, for it must be felt to be known. The higher spiritual life is necessarily a path which the eagle's eye hath not known, and which the lion's whelp has not travelled; neither natural wisdom nor strength can force a door into this inner chamber. Saints have the key of heaven's hieroglyphics; they can unriddle celestial enigmas. They are initiated into the fellowship of the skies; they have heard words which it is not possible for them to repeat to their fellows.
"The word “friendship” would perhaps express the meaning here. The sense is, that those who fear the Lord are admitted to the intimacy of friendship with Him; are permitted to come into His presence, and to partake of His counsels; are allowed free access to Him; or, as it is more commonly expressed, have “fellowship” with Him. Compare 1Jn_1:3. The language is such as would be applied to the intimacy of friends, or to those who take counsel together. The language belongs to a large class of expressions denoting the close connection between God and His people." (Excerpt from Albert Barnes) 2/10/2026 The King of Glory Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah. Psa 24:9-10 "Notice the historical and original application of these words to the King who dwelt with Israel. The thought of God in these words is mainly that of a God of strong and victorious energy, a Warrior-God, a conquering King, One whose word is power, who rules amidst the armies of heaven and amidst the inhabitants of earth.
Look at the application of these words to the Christ Who will dwell in your hearts. The very central idea of the Gospel is this, that if you will open the gates of your hearts, He will come in, in all the plenitude of His victorious power, and dwell in your hearts, their Conqueror and their King." (A. Maclaren, Christian Commonwealth, December 18th, 1884) 2/9/2026 All Thy Saints Praise Thee-King of Kings Be thou exalted, LORD, in thine own strength: so will we sing and praise thy power. Psa 21:13 "This is a companion to the psalm preceding. The blessings there asked for are here gladly acknowledged to have been granted; and bright anticipations are entertained for the future. How much of this psalm is true only of the ideal King-our Lord! Let us read it with special reference to Him as He rides forth on His white horse, Rev_19:11-16.
That which the heart desires, the lips at times find difficulty in expressing. God’s help always prevents us, that is, “goes before” us, anticipates our needs. The only life that can satisfy is the eternal, but that is ours already if we only knew it. Our beloved dead are more blessed forever, because they see Him “face to face;” but we also may share their joy. Trust in Christ is the secret of immovability. God has exalted Christ to be a Prince and a Savior, and we shall never be at peace until we have done the same." Act_5:31 (F.B. Meyer) 2/8/2026 The Light of Life For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. Psa 18:28 “The lamps lighted in the house is the image at once of prosperity and continuance of life and happiness.”—Perowne. "Amid the darkness which everywhere presses upon us, God is the lamp of His people, the source of their comfort and gladness.” A lamp or candle in the house is a common Hebrew figure for prosperity, and its extinction for distress." (Bishop Mant)
God is a true Light. Nothing but the pure white light. “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” The light He imparts never leads astray; the joy He gives has no sorrow added to it; the honor and glory He gives to His children has no abatement or stain, they are altogether kings. God is a safe Light. Nothing can extinguish the central orb. And if we put our trust in God, if we draw the supplies of life from Him, nothing can extinguish our joy and hope. We see how David’s life and joy and glory were often threatened with total extinction, but the hand of God preserved him, the very darkness of death was lit again into day. God is an everlasting light. “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.” (Isa_60:20) (Preacher's Homiletical) 2/7/2026 What is Man When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? Psa 8:3-4 The glory of God as seen in nature is: 1. Unspeakable. “How excellent!” No poet, no saint, can adequately speak of it. It fills us with a wonder and joy too deep for words. 2. Gracious. “How excellent!” The earth, so far as its primitive and essential arrangements are concerned, declares the loving God. The glory of God is His goodness. 3. Universal. “In all the earth.” Everywhere, under the whole heavens, we see the glory of God. “Known through the earth by thousand signs, By thousands through the skies.” “He whose eyes are open cannot want an instructor, unless he wants a heart.”-- (Charnock, quoted by Spurgeon)
"Only in Christ can man’s magnificent destiny be realised. “Man’s destiny as depicted in this psalm is not, and cannot be, accomplished out of Christ. He is the true Lord of all. In Him man reigns, in Him man shall yet be restored to his rightful lordship, and shall really and completely be in the new world of redemption what now he is but very imperfectly, God’s vicegerent, ruling a subject creation in peace, and harmony, and love.” (Perowne) 2/6/2026 Sing Praises to Yahweh I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high. Psa 7:17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness - That is, particularly as manifested in the treatment of the righteous and the wicked, protecting the one, and bringing deserved punishment upon the other. The purpose of the psalm is to show this. In the course of the psalm the author had declared his full conviction that this was the character of God, and now, in view of this, he says that he will render to him the praise and glory which such a character deserves. He will acknowledge him by public acts of praise as such a God; and will at all times ascribe these attributes to him.
"We conclude with the joyful contrast. In this all these Psalms are agreed; they all exhibit the blessedness of the righteous, and make its colors the more glowing by contrast with the miseries of the wicked. The bright jewel Sparkles in a black foil. Praise is the occupation of the godly, their eternal work, and their present pleasure. Singing is the fitting embodiment for praise, and therefore do the saints make melody before the Lord Most High. The slandered one is now a singer: his harp was unstrung for a very little season, and now we leave him sweeping its harmonious chords, and flying on their music to the third heaven of adoring praise." (Charles Spurgeon-Treasury of David) I Sing Praises to Your Name Terry MacAlmon https://youtu.be/zH3-UNBGBH0?si=qxL_TFhUqBy01Pvw 2/5/2026 David's Cry to God From the Heart Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. Psa 5:2-4 "Taking this Psalm as an example of personal waiting upon God, what may we learn of personal worship? Mark the directness, the earnestness, the intelligence, of the speech. The Psalmist shows intelligence by his conception of the character of God, and by his view of the character and deserts of the wicked."
In verse four we see here the condemnation of whatever speaks lightly or tolerantly of sin. Of the philosophy which does—the philosophy which pleads for evil as necessary to effect God’s purposes; as one of our poets speaks of the devil-- “Existing for some good, By us not understood.” Of the morality which does—the morality which regards sin as an inconvenience or impolicy, rather than as damnable in its essence. Of the Christianity which does—Antinomianism; Roman Catholicism, with its division of sin into venial and mortal; and that general Christian experience which has no burning hatred to evil. In our personal life, in the Church, in all departments of worldly action, we must look upon foulness with horror, or with horror God will look upon us “Ye that love the Lord hate evil.” (Preacher's Homiletical) 2/4/2026 David's Appeal to the God of His Righteousness To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David. Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. Psa 4:1 "He first appeals to God. He does not go to God when all human inventions have been tried and failed, but his first cry is to Heaven. It is a good thing to take life’s questions to Him “straightway.” Before you go to the doctor, go to God; before you go to the lawyer, go to God; before you go to your friend, to your minister, go to God. Go directly from your trouble, with your trouble, to God. We often suffer loss by keeping back our burdens. Consult Heaven at first, and you will feel after that that you have little to ask from human counsellors and comforters.
“Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress.” The Psalmist had truly a good memory. He did not forget God’s help and mercies in days past; his memory was full of sun-pictures; and with faultless logic he inferred that still God would deliver him. Our memory is often bad, and we forget God’s mercies; our reasoning is often bad, and we argue from past deliverances to future desertions and disasters. May God mend our memories and our logic. In the day of trouble and persecution, remember how God has ever stood by His people, and remember that His faithfulness faileth not." (Preacher's Homiletical) 2/3/2026 Thou O Lord Art a Shield For Me Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah. But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah. "A shield - My defense. My glory - Thou hast formerly given, and wilt farther give occasion of glorying in thy power and favor. Lifter up - Thou wilt restore me to my former power and dignity." (John Wesley) "With returning day there comes back on the monarch’s heart the recollection of the enemies who threaten him, a nation up in arms against him; his own son heading the rebellion, his wisest and most trusted counsellor in the ranks of his foes (2Sa_15:1-37; 2Sa_16:1-23; 2Sa_17:1-29). Never, not even when hunted by Saul, had he found his position one of greater danger.
He had sent back the ark and the priests, for he knew that God could still hear him from “His holy mountain” (Psa_3:4), could still lilt up the light of His countenance upon him, and put gladness in his heart (Psa_4:6-7). Sustained by Jehovah, he had lain him down and slept in safety; trusting in the same mighty protection, he would lie down again to rest. Enemies might taunt, and friends might fail him, but the victory was Jehovah’s, and He could break the teeth of the ungodly (3:7, 8). (J. J. S. Perowne) 2/2/2026 The Revolt of the Nations Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Psa 1:1-2 The rulers take counsel together: Since the time of Babel, men have continued to band themselves together against God. Their mistaken belief is that two or more men united against God have a better chance than one man set against God. Today we see them coming together in their meetings, plotting and scheming what they are going to do in their alliances to rule the nations, and conspire to plan the ways they are going to do it. Their hubris is at a fever pitch, and they believe they are the gods who rule the lives of people, and how many will live, and how many will die. James details the godless men of the world, and what he thinks of them: Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
"We have, in these first three verses, a description of the hatred of human nature against the Christ of God. No better comment is needed upon it than the apostolic song in Act_4:27, Act_4:28 : “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” The Psalm begins abruptly with an angry interrogation; and well it may: it is surely but little to be wondered at, that the sight of creatures in arms against their God should amaze the psalmist's mind. We see the heathen raging, roaring like the sea, tossed to and fro with restless waves, as the ocean in a storm; and then we mark the people in their hearts imagining a vain thing against God. Where there is much rage there is generally some folly, and in this case there is an excess of it. Note, that the commotion is not caused by the people only, but their leaders foment the rebellion. “The kings of the earth set themselves.” In determined malice they arrayed themselves in opposition against God. It was not temporary rage, but deep-seated hate, for they set themselves resolutely to withstand the Prince of Peace. “And the rulers take counsel together.” They go about their warfare craftily, not with foolish haste, but deliberately. They use all the skill which art can give. Like Pharaoh, they cry, “Let us deal wisely with them.” O that men were half as careful in God's service to serve him wisely, as his enemies are to attack his kingdom craftily. Sinners have their wits about them, and yet saints are dull. But what say they? what is the meaning of this commotion? “Let us break their bands asunder.” “Let us be free to commit all manner of abominations. Let us be our own gods. Let us rid ourselves of all restraint.” Gathering impudence by the traitorous proposition of rebellion, they add - “let us cast away;” as if it were an easy matter, - “let us fling off 'their cords from us.'” What! O ye kings, do ye think yourselves Samsons? and are the bands of Omnipotence but as green withs before you? Do you dream that you shall snap to pieces and destroy the mandates of God - the decrees of the Most High - as if they were but tow? And do ye say, “Let us cast away their cords from us?” Yes! There are monarchs who have spoken thus, and there are still rebels upon thrones. However mad the resolution to revolt from God, it is one in which man has persevered ever since his creation, and he continues in it to this very day. The glorious reign of Jesus in the latter day will not be consummated, until a terrible struggle has convulsed the nations. His coming will be as a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap, and the day thereof shall burn as an oven. Earth loves not her rightful monarch, but clings to the usurper's sway: the terrible conflicts of the last days will illustrate both the world's love of sin and Jehovah's power to give the kingdom to his only Begotten. To a graceless neck the yoke of Christ is intolerable, but to the saved sinner it is easy and light. We may judge ourselves by this, do we love that yoke, or do we wish to cast it from us"? (Charles Spurgeon-Treasury of David) 2/1/2026 Trees Planted by the Water Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psa 1:1-3 There are cases in which without a figure "ignorance is bliss." Observe that all the characters mentioned here may have their excellences and their attractions; for example, the ungodly may be rich, the sinners may be convivial, the scornful may be brilliant: yet blessed is the man who has nothing to do with them. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord". A man who sees the law of the Lord in all nature, in all history, all life, everywhere and always, and delights to trace its beneficent and almighty power.
"He is a tree planted by the rivers of water. There is not only a rock to hold on to, but there is the river to refresh it. Rock and river, river and rock, this is what the law of God becomes. They who do not know think of the law of God as the hard stern voice of thunder, with its “Thou shalt.” But they who do know cry, “Great peace have they that keep Thy law.” It is rivers of waters, sweet, refreshing, quickening. So, rooted in obedience and stretching up into communion, the blessed man comes to be like a tree; there is stability, and steadfastness. He knows whom he has believed, and is persuaded that that will hold though winds may blow and rains may beat. He bringeth forth his fruit in his season. He hath the real spirit for the hour; the very occasion seems to bring the grace he needs." (Mark Guy Pearse)  Comments are closed.
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Welcome
Two minutes daily of devotions and content that hopefully will add a blessing and thoughtfulness to your day. 
Look To This Day
Look to this day, For it is the very life of life. In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The glory of action, The bliss of growth, The splendor of beauty, For yesterday is a dream and tomorrow is only a vision; But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope. Look well, therefore, to this day Anonymous 
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