In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.—Ephesians 4:26–27 (NIV)
This verse encourages you to feel your emotions but to make sure anger doesn’t lead you into harm’s way. Let each sunset remind you to forgive, release anger, and not allow bitterness to take root in your heart.
Dear God, guide me to express my anger in healthy ways and release it at the end of the day.
He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:7
Today’s Scripture
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When Dianne Dokko Kim and her husband learned that their son’s diagnosis was autism, she struggled with the very real possibility that her cognitively disabled son might outlive her. She cried out to God: What will he do without me to care for him? God surrounded her with a support system of other adults raising children with disabilities. He empowered Dianne to trust Him with her often-unexplainable guilt, feelings of inadequacy, and fear. Eventually, in her book Unbroken Faith, Dianne offered hope for “spiritual recovery” to other adults raising children with disabilities. As her son enters adulthood, Dianne’s faith remains intact. She trusts that God will always care for her and her son.
Uncertainties in life can harden our hearts toward God. We may be tempted to place our faith in other things or people, including ourselves. We can, however, depend on “the Rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1)—a phrase that points to the certainty of God’s character. “In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land” (vv. 4-5).
We can live with unbroken faith, worshiping our “Lord our Maker” (v. 6). We can trust Him to be with us and those we love because we’re “the flock under his care” (v. 7).
Reflect & Pray
How has God shown that He cares for you and your loved ones when you’ve felt helpless? How does knowing the certainty of His character help you trust Him as a promise keeper?
Great God, thank You for promising to care for me.
Watch this video to learn how we can count on God’s promises.
Today’s Insights
Psalm 95 together with Psalms 47, 93, 96-99 are known as “enthronement” or “royal psalms” because they use the image of a king to proclaim God’s absolute reign over the entire spiritual and physical realms—over all creation, history, nations, and peoples. The psalmists proclaimed God’s sovereignty and glory, greatness and power, justice and holiness: He is “the Lord Most High . . . the King of all the earth . . . seated on his holy throne” (47:2, 7-8). He’s “robed in majesty and armed with strength . . . . [His] throne was established . . . from all eternity” (93:1-2). “The Lord [Yahweh] is the great God, the great King above all gods” (95:3). “He is holy” (99:3, 5) and will come to “judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness” (96:13). He’s also “a forgiving God” (99:8). Because of who He is, we can trust Him and worship Him even in difficult times.
Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.
Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
Our thoughts affect our words, and our words affect our lives— words have power, and they directly affect our emotions. Words fuel good moods or bad moods; in fact, they fuel our attitudes and have a huge impact on our lives and our relationships.
In Proverbs 21:23 we are told to guard our mouths and tongues to keep ourselves from trouble. Proverbs also tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (18:21 AMP). The message cannot be any clearer: If you speak positive and good things, you minister life to yourself. You increase your joy. However, if you speak negative words, you minister death and misery to yourself—you increase your sadness and your mood plummets. You have the choice between life and death, being positive or negative—so choose wisely!
Prayer of the Day: Father God, please help me to always speak words that bring life and positivity, rather than death and negativity. Guide my thoughts and words to uplift myself as well as others and always reflect Your love and peace. Thank You, amen.
A man yelled “Free Palestine” and hurled an incendiary device into a group at an outdoor mall in Boulder, Colorado, yesterday. Demonstrators for an organization called Run for Their Lives had gathered to raise visibility for the hostages remaining in Gaza. Eight people were hospitalized with burns in what FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino called an “act of terror.” One victim was in critical condition, according to police.
According to Leo Terrell, head of the antisemitism task force at the Justice Department, “This antisemitic terrorist attack is part of a horrific and escalating wave of violence targeting Jews and their supporters simply for being Jewish or standing up for Jewish lives.”
If such violence is intended to deter the Jewish community, I predict it will have the opposite effect. After leading more than thirty study tours to Israel over many years, I can testify that the Jewish people I know, both in the US and in Israel, are deeply resolute, courageous, and determined. They know the power of fighting for a cause greater than themselves.
Therein lies my point today.
“It brings into focus what’s important to you”
Climbing season at Mount Everest ended Saturday. Every year, between seven hundred and one thousand people attempt the climb; between 60 and 70 percent succeed. It takes about two months to make the climb; the experience costs between $35,000 and $100,000. Most mountaineers train specifically for Everest for at least a year. More than 340 climbers have died attempting to reach or return from the summit.
What draws people to sacrifice so much to do something that offers so little by way of practical return?
It’s not the height itself. If you’ve flown on a passenger jet, which typically cruises at 35,000 feet, you’ve likely exceeded the height of Mt. Everest. It’s not seeing the view; you can do the same by watching this video or others like it.
Alan Arnette, who summited Mt. Everest in 2011, explains its appeal: “It brings into focus what’s important to you. There are a thousand reasons to turn around and only one to keep going. You really have to focus on the one reason that’s most important and unique to you.”
Knowing and doing are not the same thing
Whether we’re planning to summit Mt. Everest or not, in a very real sense you and I are climbing mountains of our own. We are on a path to a destination, a goal, a reason for living. Unlike those who reject faith in a Creator who has a purpose for our lives, we believe that our Father loves us and has a design for us.
Fulfilling this purpose should be “the one reason” for living “that’s most important and unique to you.” We should each seek and follow God’s will for our lives, beginning each day by submitting to his Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) and measuring success by our obedience to his purpose. People who read (and write) articles like this one know this already.
But if you’re like me, knowing that we should obey God’s will and actually doing so are not always the same thing. People who climb Mt. Everest are obviously convinced that this is a triumph worthy of all it costs. Some of us are less sure that the same is always true with regard to the will of God.
Even though we wouldn’t admit it to others, we sometimes harbor unstated questions as to whether complete obedience to his word is worth it. We know of missionaries martyred for their faith. We’re aware of the cultural animosity waiting for anyone who declares and defends biblical truth on sexual morality and other sensitive subjects.
And, quite frankly, we have goals and aspirations for our lives that we’re not sure God fully shares. If we choose to obey his word and will in every dimension of our lives, we’re not convinced that we would be as happy and successful as we want to be.
We’re content to trust in Christ as our Savior, so we’ll go to heaven when we die, and then obey him in all the ways that are obviously beneficial to us. We want him to bless us, so we read his word, pray, worship, and serve (at least to a degree). We’re grateful for his sacrificial love for us, so we seek to love him and others in return.
But if we have to stop doing something we really want to do, or start doing something we really don’t want to do, we discover whether we truly trust that his will is better for us than our own.
“God’s ultimate purpose” for your life
Optional obedience is one of Satan’s subtle strategies for people like you and me. He did not successfully persuade us to reject the gospel. The time you have given to reading this article shows that you want to think biblically and live redemptively in our culture. So he entices us to moderate our commitment to Christ, to “put it in its proper place,” to serve Jesus while serving ourselves.
This is because he knows what we need to remember: a victory far more glorious than climbing Earth’s tallest mountain awaits those who follow Jesus unconditionally today.
When we remember that “God is love” (1 John 4:8), how could it be otherwise? How could his will for us be anything but what is best for us?
His desire for us is that we become like Jesus (Romans 8:29). As Oswald Chambers noted, “God’s ultimate purpose is that his Son might be manifested in my mortal flesh.” How could any purpose be more perfect than becoming like the only perfect person who ever lived? Think of the impact of Jesus’ life on history and ask yourself: If even a few Christians truly manifested Christ in our world, how could our world remain the same?
If it’s still hard to make Christlikeness our highest purpose, we can ask the Spirit to help us. We can pray for the desire to desire this. We can ask for the strength to choose our Father’s will over our own. And we can take our next step into the character and joy of Jesus.
Timothy Keller observed,
“If God is not at the center of your life, something else is.”
Who or what is at the center of yours today?
Quote for the day:
“I was not born to be free—I was born to adore and obey.” —C. S. Lewis
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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.” (Psalm 119:71)
This seems like a strange testimony. Affliction is often accompanied by complaining or discouragement but seldom by a statement of satisfaction and thankfulness such as in our text for today.
Nevertheless, in terms of the long-range goal of character development, afflictions are often good for us, helping to make us more Christ-like and preparing us for our ministry of service to Him in the age to come (Revelation 22:3), if only we profit from them and submit to them as we should.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray,” testifies the psalmist, “but now have I kept thy word” (Psalm 119:67). “This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me” (Psalm 119:50). Such testimonies have been echoed innumerable times throughout the centuries as godly men and women have drawn closer to the Lord through His comforting Word during times of affliction than they ever did during times of ease.
In fact, afflictions often draw even the unsaved to the Lord. They would never come when things are going well, but many do come in times of sorrow or rejection or when they are forced to the end of their resources. It is then that “godly sorrow [literally ‘sorrow from God’] worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of” (2 Corinthians 7:10).
As for those instances when God’s people suffered in ancient times, it was said, “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them” (Isaiah 63:9). Although no such affliction “for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby” (Hebrews 12:11). HMM
The Lord confides in those who fear him. — Psalm 25:14
What is the sign of true friends? That they tell you secret sorrows? No, that they tell you secret joys. Many people will confide to you their secret sorrows, but the ultimate sign of intimacy is confiding secret joys. Have we ever let God tell us his joys? Or are we so busy telling God our secrets that we leave no room for him to talk to us?
At the beginning of our Christian life, our prayers are full of requests. Then we discover that what God wants is to bring us, through prayer, into a personal relationship with him so that he can reveal his will. Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer is, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). Are we so committed to this way of praying that we catch the intimate secrets of God? God may bring us great big blessings, but it is the small, secret things that make us love him, because they show his amazing intimacy with us. They show that he knows every detail of our lives.
“He will instruct them in the ways they should choose” (Psalm 25:12). At the start of our life of faith, we want to be conscious of God guiding us. But as we go on, we no longer need to ask what his will is; the thought of choosing anything else no longer occurs to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God instructs us in every choice we make, guiding our common sense and alerting us when we are in danger of choosing something he doesn’t want. When God checks us in this way, we must obey. Never reason it out and say, “I wonder why I shouldn’t.” Whenever there is doubt, don’t.
2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38
Wisdom from Oswald
Jesus Christ reveals, not an embarrassed God, not a confused God, not a God who stands apart from the problems, but One who stands in the thick of the whole thing with man. Disciples Indeed, 388 L
Real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.
—Luke 12:15 (TLB)
There are two ways of being rich—have a lot, or want very little. The latter way is the easier for most of us. Many people make themselves miserable by wanting more than they can ever have. They suffer from “thing-itis,” the insatiable desire for more, better, and newer things. Jesus was the most satisfied man that ever lived, and He had less than most of us. “The foxes have their holes, and the birds their nests, but the Son of man has no place to lay His head.” He had learned the secret of adjusting His wants to His needs.
Prayer for the day
Father, You have given me so much more than I deserve. May I always show a grateful and contented heart.
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?—Matthew 6:26 (NIV)
Consider the spider weaving its intricate web, each thread a testament to patience and perseverance. Like the spider, you too are called to weave your life with care, knowing that each decision, each moment is part of a larger pattern. Trust that just as God provides for the smallest creatures, He will also provide for you.
God, guide me as I weave the web of my life. Help me to trust in Your provision.
Run in such a way as to get the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24
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Today’s Devotional
“Not winning is in fact more powerful than winning,” Professor Monica Wadhwa argues. Her research reveals that people tend to be most energized and motivated not when they win but when they almost win. Falling just short of one’s ambitions tends to give people the motivation to keep growing and striving. Easy victories, on the other hand, tend to cripple energy and motivation.
Wadhwa’s perspective gives fresh insight into Paul’s analogy used in two passages that compare following Christ to running a race: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Philippians 3:12-14. In both instances, Paul emphasizes that believers ought to give their pursuit of Christ and the gospel their all, “straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13) and running “in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Corinthians 9:24).
The paradoxical truth is that what we’re striving for—faithfully sharing the gospel (v. 23) and knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8)—aren’t things we can ever say we’ve achieved. We’ll always fall short. We’ll never be able to say we’ve “already arrived” (v. 12).
But that’s okay—because it’s the experience of drawing ever closer to Christ that matters. It’s only His strength that empowers and motivates us to pour our whole hearts into pursuing Him—the one who will one day carry us to victory.
Reflect & Pray
How have you experienced growth through falling short? How can falling short encourage you to rely on Christ?
Dear God, thank You that I don’t need to fear falling short, but that You use these moments to continually draw me closer to You.
For further study, read Why Is Confession So Hard?
…Make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1 (AMPC)
When God asks us to do something, we often ask: What is this going to cost me? What do I have to give up? If I do this, how uncomfortable am I going to be?
The truth is that anything that is really worth doing requires a sacrifice, especially anything we do for God. Part of loving and serving Him involves a willingness to lay down our lives for Him.
Do not be afraid of sacrifice when God calls you or puts a dream in your heart. Whatever it is you have to lay down or give up is nothing compared to the reward that comes with obeying His guidance. God’s plan for you is greater than anything you can imagine. Every sacrifice you make as you follow His guidance will bring increased peace and joy in your life.
Prayer of the Day: Lord God, please give me the strength to embrace sacrifice for Your purposes. Help me trust that what I give up will be nothing compared to the joy and peace You bring. I pray this in the name of Jesus, amen.
In recent days, President Trump has seemed to grow increasingly incensed with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump called Putin “crazy” and warned that he was “playing with fire” before Trump claimed that he was essentially the only person standing between Russia and a host of “really bad things.”
In response, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev—who stood in as surrogate for Putin during the four years the latter was technically unable to be president—responded by posting on X: “I only know of one REALLY BAD thing—WWIII. I hope Trump understands this!”
To this point, Trump has primarily attempted to coax Putin to the negotiating table and end his invasion of Ukraine by offering a series of rewards—a place back with the G8, resource deals, and lifting sanctions, to name a few. As Conner and Micah discussed on this week’s Culture Brief, it hasn’t worked.
The truth is that Putin currently has little reason to pursue peace. He is winning the war, cares relatively little about the loss of life, and stands to gain by continuing to drag the conflict out. And there is little Ukraine can do, even with additional armaments, to change that reality.
If Putin is going to seriously entertain peace, then additional pressure will have to come from Europe and the United States.
Europe took a step in that direction with additional sanctions last week, though few think they will be sufficient to force Russia to the table. For that to happen, most agree that President Trump will need to apply pressure of his own as well. Congress appears ready to pass a bill that could help him do just that.
Will Trump sign off on sanctions?
A bipartisan bill in the Senate with more than 80 cosponsors would impose new sanctions on Russia by targeting its ability to sell energy to other nations. While such sanctions are hardly a novel concept, the difference with the proposed legislation is that America would also impose a 500 percent tariff on any country that buys Russian energy.
As Marc A. Thiessen describes, the bill would “create incentive for China, India, and other countries that would be subject to secondary tariffs to press Putin to agree to peace.” Given the way Russia has resisted threats and pressure from the West, pressure from its allies could be what tips the scales.
However, Trump has appeared hesitant to take that step thus far, despite declaring in March that he would support sanctions and even additional military aid for Ukraine if it became clear that Putin was responsible for the war’s continuation.
Most of the world agrees that we reached that point a long time ago. But even if Trump is not willing to impose the sanctions at the moment, Congress could still pass the bill and hold it until he is. Doing so would allow the President to apply additional pressure on Russia without actually having to cut off trade with its allies.
The delay of those additional tariffs could weigh more heavily in the President’s thinking than you might expect given the degree to which tariffs have become a staple of his foreign policy.
Why reality is often more complex than it appears
While China and India are among the most prominent purchasers of Russian energy, they are hardly alone. In fact, as many as twelve countries in the European Union—including prominent members like France, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands—would be subject to the 500 percent tariffs should the law go into effect. In total, the EU spent an estimated €23 billion on Russian fossil fuels last year, which is more than it spent on military support for Ukraine.
Moreover, five additional countries rely on Russian-made nuclear reactors, which require Russian-made fuels to operate. While the EU is attempting to phase out Russian energy by the end of 2027, those efforts still have a long way to go. As such, many in Europe find themselves in a bit of a quandary: excited by the prospect of renewed American support but fearful of what the tariffs would do to their economies.
Add in the President’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a trade deal with the EU—one that comes with a July 9 deadline—and the situation grows even more complicated. Trump would have the ability to potentially pause the 500 percent tariffs for “national security interests,” but only for 180 days, and the EU will need far longer than that to wean itself from Russian energy.
So while the proposed bill would seem like a fairly straightforward path to increasing pressure on Russia, the reality is more complex. And therein lies an important reminder for each of us today.
Our way or God’s way?
One of the most tragic characters in Scripture is King Saul. For most of his reign, or at least up to the point when he was driven to insanity by a dark spirit (1 Samuel 16:14), Saul legitimately tried his best to do what was right for his people and to follow God’s will. However, the difference between him and David (at least most of the time) was that you never really see Saul ask God how to do that.
Whether it was burning an offering to keep his soldiers from fleeing (1 Samuel 13), vowing that none of his men would eat until the Philistines were destroyed (1 Samuel 14), or a host of other examples, Saul epitomized Solomon’s warning that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14:12).
Israel’s first king stands as a reminder to us all that even when we have the best intentions and make decisions that seem right to us, they can still go wrong when we rely on our wisdom alone.
The reason is that it is difficult, if not impossible, for us to fully discern every consequence of our choices. We can and should try to see each angle and make the most informed decision possible, but in the end, we will never have more than partial information when relying on ourselves.
When I first read about the potential sanctions on Russia, it seemed like a prudent path forward. It wasn’t until I was reminded of the degree to which our allies in that fight would be harmed as well that the potential problems became clear. And the truth is that there are countless other ways the sanctions could help or hurt efforts to bring an end to the war. In the end, we just can’t know.
Fortunately, we serve a God who does. His “understanding is beyond measure” (Psalm 147:5), and he sees “everything under the heavens” (Job 28:24). There is no limit to his knowledge, and his omniscient Spirit dwells within every Christian.
So while we should not trust the way that seems right to us, God stands ready to help us understand the way that seems right to him. The only question is if we will take the time to humbly seek his understanding rather than rely on our own.
Both Scripture and experience point to the problems inherent to the latter approach, and that is just as true for presidents as it is for each of us.
Whose way will you trust today?
Quote of the day:
“Faith is a reasoning trust, a trust which reckons thoughtfully and confidently upon the trustworthiness of God.” —John Stott
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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.” (Revelation 3:22)
It makes an eternal difference whether a person hears but doesn’t hear or really hears what he hears, especially when God speaks! In Christ’s seven letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2 and 3), representing all churches, each letter concludes with His words in our text. How important it is to really hear when He speaks!
First of all, when we truly hear His call, He gives salvation. “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Then, if we have really become His sheep, we will hear His voice and follow Him as He leads. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27). “He calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out” (John 10:3). Also, if we really hear when He speaks through His Word, we will do what He says. “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock” (Matthew 7:24).
The voice of the Lord can even raise the dead: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth” (John 5:28-29). Now, if even those who have died physically can hear Him, surely He is able also to quicken those who are spiritually dead if they will only listen as He calls. But it is necessary that they hear! “To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. For some, when they had heard, did provoke…whose carcasses fell in the wilderness….So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:15-19). “He that hath an ear, let him hear!” HMM
Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? — Psalm 25:12
What are you haunted by? “Nothing,” you will say. But we are all haunted by something. Usually we are haunted by ourselves or, if we are Christians, by our spiritual experience. The psalmist says we must be haunted by God—that it is God alone we must fear.
To be haunted by the Lord is to make him the ruling consciousness of our lives. A child’s consciousness is so mother-haunted that although children are not always consciously thinking of their mother, they instinctively seek their mother whenever a crisis arises. In the same way, we are to live and move and have our being in God. The whole of our life, inside and out, is to be absolutely dominated by his presence.
If we are haunted by God, nothing else can get in—no worries, no distractions, no troubles. We see now why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying (Matthew 6:25–34). How dare we be so unbelieving when God is all around?
“His soul shall dwell at ease” (Psalm 25:13 KJV). In tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander—in the midst of all these things—if our life is hidden with Christ in God, he will keep us in peace. We rob ourselves of the marvelous revelation of this abiding companionship. “God is our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can get through this shelter.
2 Chronicles 17-18; John 13:1-20
Wisdom from Oswald
We should always choose our books as God chooses our friends, just a bit beyond us, so that we have to do our level best to keep up with them.Shade of His Hand, 1216 L
If we are living now by the Holy Spirit’s power, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
—Galatians 5:25 (TLB)
When Bill Borden, son of the wealthy Bordens, went out to China as a missionary, many of his friends thought he was foolish to “waste his life,” as they put it, trying to convert a few heathens to Christianity. But Bill loved Christ and he loved men! He hadn’t been out there very long before he contracted an oriental disease and died. At his bedside they found a note that he had written while he was dying. It read, “No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets.” Bill had found more happiness in his few years of sacrificial service than most people find in a lifetime.
Prayer for the day
Help me not to count the cost of serving You, Lord Jesus, but let me be completely yielded to Your leading.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.—Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
Every task you undertake is an opportunity to serve the Lord. When you pour your heart and soul into your work, it becomes a form of worship, a testament to your faith and dedication. The satisfaction of a job well done is not just about earthly rewards or recognition—it’s about knowing you’ve given your best to honor God. Approach every task with diligence and integrity, and experience the profound satisfaction of serving the Lord wholeheartedly.
Lord, inspire me to give my best in all I do, knowing that my work reflects my service to You.
Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up. Psalm 69:15
Today’s Scripture
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Today’s Devotional
San Fruttuoso Abbey is nestled in a cove off Italy’s northwest coast. Accessible only by boat or foot, it’s a secluded gem. But even more treasure hides in its bay. As divers venture into the sea and descend fifty feet down, the figure of a man starts coming into view. This is Christ of the Abyss, the world’s first underwater statue, placed in 1954. The bronze figure depicts Jesus in the depths, His hands raised to heaven.
The depths. Maybe you’ve experienced them. “I sink in the miry depths,” Psalm 69 says, “I am worn out calling for help” (vv. 2-3). Mocked by his foes and estranged from his family (vv. 4, 7-12), the psalmist found no comfort in others (v. 20) and feared his misery would “swallow” him up (v. 15). Whether it’s sin or sadness that takes us there, the depths are life’s moments of dark despair.
Thankfully this isn’t the last word on the depths. For while they’re cold and lonely, there is one who can be found in them (139:8). And He will rescue us from their chilly waters. “I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths” (30:1).
As that sculpture reminds us, when we’re sinking under the world’s weight, we’re not alone. Jesus by the Spirit is there in the depths, His hands raised high—ready to meet us and lift us out in time.
Reflect & Pray
How have you experienced “the depths” in the past? How might Psalm 69:15 be pivotal in getting through them?
Dear Jesus, thank You for meeting me in the depths. Please lift me out with Your love, grace, and power.
Gain more wisdom from the book of Pslams.
Today’s Insights
Psalm 69’s vivid description of a “servant” (v. 17) of God enduring unjust suffering parallels Isaiah’s description of a suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Although the psalmist refers to personal “guilt” (Psalm 69:5), this could be an indirect way of confessing general innocence—that is, God knows everything the psalmist is guilty of and knows none of it could justify such treatment.
In the New Testament, Psalm 69 is frequently quoted in reference to Jesus. He was hated without cause (Psalm 69:4; John 15:25), consumed by zeal for God’s house (Psalm 69:9; John 2:17), carried insults intended for God (Psalm 69:9; Romans 15:3), and given vinegar to drink as He neared death (Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34, 48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:29). Jesus knew “the depths” as no one else could, and He helps us as we face them.
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.
Psalm 149:4 (NIV)
The Bible says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6 NKJV) and that if we will humble ourselves under His mighty hand, He will exalt us in due time (1 Peter 5:5–6). God hates pride, because proud people depend on themselves instead of on Him. They have an inflated opinion of themselves, and they think more highly of themselves than they ought to.
Humble in the original Greek language of the New Testament meant lowly or to make low. It means to make yourself lower than God and depend entirely on Him. We are often independent, which is the opposite of the way God wants us to be.
Jesus says that we are to abide in Him, and that apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5).
To abide means to live, dwell and remain; to depend on continuously. Because I didn’t have anyone who really cared for me as a child, I became independent and repeatedly told myself that I could take care of myself and didn’t need anyone. However, when I entered into a relationship with God through Jesus, I had to let Him break my independent attitude and learn to depend on Him.
I have discovered, as you will or may have already discovered, that life is much better when we humble ourselves and let God take the lead in our lives.
Prayer of the Day: Father, forgive me for the times when I proudly depend on myself instead of on You. Help me learn to always depend and rely on You for everything.
by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.
“He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.” (Psalm 148:6)
In this central psalm of the last five psalms comprising the “Hallelujah” epilogue to the book of Psalms, the entire physical creation is exhorted to praise the Lord as all the universe is restored to its primeval perfection. All the people of the earth, all the angels, even all the animals, will praise the Lord.
Furthermore, in some way that can only be understood by faith, the entire inorganic creation—sun, moon, stars, mountains, winds, everything—will be able to praise Him. Even the primeval waters above the heavens (Genesis 1:7-9) will have been restored, and they will praise the Lord (Psalm 148:4-5).
And all of this will continue forever and ever! The new heavens and new Earth—that is, the renewed heavens and Earth, with the Curse removed (Revelation 22:3)—the sun and moon and stars, with the eternal throne of the Lord Jesus established on the earth in the New Jerusalem in the midst of all the redeemed men and women of all the ages, will forever be a praise to God.
God is not capricious, and He does not fail. He will not “uncreate” what He has created. “Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever” (Ecclesiastes 3:14). The earth must yet be purged by fire (2 Peter 3:10), but it will be renewed in righteousness (v. 13) and without any evidences of the former regime of decay and death.
And then it will last forever. “And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever” (Psalm 78:69). “[God] laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever” (Psalm 104:5). “And they that turn many to righteousness [shall shine] as the stars for ever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). HMM
I will follow you, Lord; but . . .— Luke 9:61
Suppose God tells you to do something that doesn’t square with your common sense. What are you going to do? Hang back? If this is your inclination, watch out. If you develop the habit of avoidance in your physical life, the habit will rule you until you break it. The same is true in your spiritual life. Again and again you will come to what Jesus Christ wants from you, and again and again you will turn back. “But suppose I obey God in this matter,” you say. “What about my concerns? I can only obey God if his command follows common sense. Don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”
Jesus Christ demands that we display the same reckless, daring attitude in spiritual life that the boldest among us display in natural life. If you’re going to do anything worthwhile, sometimes you have to risk everything and leap. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you leap into what he says, risking everything common sense has taught you. The instant you do, you’ll find that his command makes perfect spiritual sense.
Measured by the standard of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem insane. But if you measure them by the standard of faith, you will find that they are the words of God. Trust entirely in God, and when he brings you to the precipice of a challenge . . . leap. We act like pagans in a crisis: only one in a crowd is daring enough to risk everything on the character of God.
2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11:30-57
Wisdom from Oswald
The life of Abraham is an illustration of two things: of unreserved surrender to God, and of God’s complete possession of a child of His for His own highest end.Not Knowing Whither, 901 R
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
—Romans 3:24
Salvation is free! God puts no price tag on the Gift of gifts—it’s free! Preachers are not salesmen, for they have nothing to sell. They are bearers of Good News—the good tidings that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Money can’t buy it. Man’s righteousness can’t earn it. Social prestige can’t help you acquire it. Morality can’t purchase it. It is, as Isaiah said, “without money and without price.”
God is not a bargaining God. You cannot barter with Him. You must do business with Him on His own terms. He holds in His omnipotent hand the priceless, precious, eternal gift of salvation, and He bids you to take it without money and without price. The best things in life are free, are they not? The air we breathe is not sold by the cubic foot. The water which flows crystal clear from the mountain stream is free for the taking. Love is free, faith is free, hope is free.
Do you need to give or recommit your life to Christ? Do it today.
Prayer for the day
Even though my salvation was obtained only through the costliest sacrifice ever made, You freely gave it to me. Lord, I praise You for this gift so lovingly given.
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