Psalm 25 is a heartfelt prayer of David, expressing trust in God, a plea for guidance, and a request for forgiveness. It resonates deeply with those seeking divine direction and mercy in times of uncertainty.  Read More

God specified that the ark was to be carried by poles that would be placed through rings that were attached to the four corners of the ark (Exo. 25:13-14). Levites, it would be the job of the sons of Kohath to bear the ark and that no one was to touch the ark, not even the sons of Kohath, the result of doing so was to die (Num. 4:15). We want God's presence with us but we have to honor his holiness and commands. Uzzah’s death showed that he disregarded God’s commands and it came with consequences.  Read More

Scripture to Focus on: Real Life Principles Psalm 89:1 – “I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.” Psalm 96:3 – “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 100:4-5 – “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever.” Psalm 101:2 – “I will walk with integrity of heart within my house.” Psalm 105:5 – “Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.” Psalm 132:11 – “The LORD has sworn an oath to David, a sure oath he will not revoke.  Read More

Psalms 23 is one of the most popular psalms, the one that is quoted frequently due to its comforting imagery of God as our shepherd. For many the imagery allows us to walk through the scene David put before us. A scene of tranquility such as green pastures and still waters. When feeling anxious or unrest this is the psalm to turn to. The psalm is simple but offers solace in times of hardship and celebrates Gods unwavering love. Psalms 23 is often used at both weddings and funerals making it a psalm for all occasions. Its message about Gods love, care and provision make it comforting for all who read it. Psalms 23 is written by David who expresses his deep faith in Gods provision, protection, presence and guidance. It uses the imagery of a shepherd and lambs to show us Gods love and guidance.  Read More

David is King! All of Israel is rejoicing with him and feasts have been celebrated in his honor! And then: well, it does not take long for David to get served some humble pie…sadly at the expense of Uzzah. “Who is Uzzah,” you ask. (Strictly my opinion here) He was an “innocent” man driving a cart of oxen to bring the Ark of The Covenant into Israel, and we find he fell victim to breaking one of God’s rules about the Ark. He touched it quite innocently in an attempt to stabilize it. He was here, he touched it, then he was dead! We can all read this and think, “Well that was harsh!” We must ask ourselves who put him in that situation though. You see in Chapter 13, David consults all the people (not God) for advice on this, so it was doomed from the start. Our God that put him where He needed him was not sought outright on the Ark being moved.  Read More

Are you proud of your children? Your Grandchildren? We used to pull pictures out of our wallets to show everyone. Now we pull out our cell phones. We have thousands of pictures and even videos. We are quick and loud to tell others about their latest and greatest accomplishments. Why aren’t we that way about our Jesus? Are we embarrassed? Ashamed? All throughout the bible, we see examples where believers spoke of the miracles of God or Jesus and were ridiculed, laughed at, and some were even exiled from their family or even stoned.   Read More

When I was a teenager, me and a buddy of mine were out one Saturday afternoon riding around in my dad’s old 1946 Willis Jeep. We were miles away from home on some old backwoods’ trails, testing the old jeep for its ability to off-road, when something happened to the engine, and it overheated. As we investigated, we found that the belt that ran the water pump had broken and was completely missing. In that day, there were no cell phones to call for help with. We were tasked with figuring it out or walk for miles. We came up with a crazy idea! We took the shoestrings out of our shoes, doubled them, tripled them, quadrupled them, and fashioned a makeshift fan belt. Believe it or not that that creation made it all the way home with no problem! There was no way that one shoestring would have done it alone but with all of them together it was plenty strong. Psalm 133 is all about how God’s people are blessed when we are in unity with one another. We are stronger together than we are as individuals. Just like those shoestrings working together, we are sufficient when together and weaker when alone. King David realizes this as he writes this song of ascents.  Read More

2 Samuel 5 recounts pivotal moments in King David's reign. It begins with all the tribes of Israel coming to David at Hebron, where they anoint him as king over Israel.   Read More

This psalm is unique in that no author is listed, and there are no historical or liturgical notes that accompany it. It is believed that early Christians used this penitential prayer in worship. The psalm’s superscription reads, “A prayer of an afflicted man. When he is faint and pours out his lament (Hebrew- complaint) before the Lord.” NIV version.  Read More

The passage for today’s devotion is a list of names of the tribes of Israel and their descendants. It’s a hard passage to unfold when you only have names, however, I once had a professor who told me that even in those passages, God has a purpose.  Read More

I have often heard that the Bible is a “love letter” from God. The book of Psalms is a collection of prayers, songs, and lamentations, all (in some way) in reverence to God. In these few chapters we cover today, we see a collection of palms that to me depict what many of us experience in life today, especially in my own personal story/testimony. In Psalm 81, the author is communicating a remembrance to the reader of God freeing them from the hand of Pharaoh. God heard their call, freed them, and then we see they forgot about what He had done…they turned to other gods, and the Psalm depicts that God is there waiting for them to find their way back to Him.   Read More

1 Chronicles 6 focuses on the genealogy of Levi. His descendants and famous figures like Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. This chapter also details the Levites who were temple Musicians, highlighting God is into music and singing. It highlights the holy responsibilities, sacrifices, offerings, and upkeep of the temple. The service and role in the cities of refuge or sanctuary cities.  Read More

1. The Struggle with Comparison and Doubt (Psalm 73) Asaph begins Psalm 73 with raw honesty: “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold” (Psalm 73:2). He had watched the wicked prosper, and it seemed like their lives were easier—no pain, no struggle, just success. And yet, as he compared himself to them, he felt discouraged, like all his efforts to live righteously were in vain.?  Read More

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 introduces us to Jabez, a man described as "more honorable than his brothers." Despite the pain associated with his name, Jabez turned to God in prayer, asking for blessing, protection, and expansion of his territory. His prayer reflects a deep trust in God's provision and sovereignty.  Read More

How many times will the Lord forgive you? How many times HAS the Lord forgiven you? How many times will the Lord forgive you? How many times HAS the Lord forgiven you? When I worked in the Water Works business, we had to collect water samples and test for a bacteria called coliform. If there was a bad sample, due to collecting it wrong or accidental contamination, the lab would send a report back requesting a re-sample, and the report would be stamped “TMTC”: Too Many To Count (coliforms). After 430 years, God set the Israelites free from Egypt (Exodus 12:43). He promised them freedom and a promised land. The Journey would be long, but necessary to relearn God’s Laws and rekindle their relationship with God. But, impatience, selfishness, greed, would constantly get in the way.  Read More

The first two chapters of 1 Chronicles concerns the genealogies of Israel. These genealogies are the official family records of the nation of Israel. They give us an overview of the history of God’s work from Creation through the captivity of His people. These records served to teach the exiles returning from Babylon about their spiritual heritage as a nation and to inspire them to renew their faithfulness to God. Although these lists show the racial heritage of the Jews, they contain the spiritual heritage for every believer. We are a part of the community of faith that has existed from generation to generation since the dawn of man.   Read More

Psalm 6 is a heartfelt lament where the psalmist cries out to God in deep distress. He may feel the Lord is correcting him in anger or in wrath he is being disciplined. His bones hurt, he is tired, he has been cryin, his soul is in anguish, in emotional turmoil. His eyes are swollen because of the grief he is experiencing. He feels his enemies are around. So he is urgently and persistent in asking the Lord for mercy, deliverance, for emotional, spiritual and even physical healing. He reminds God to act according to His steadfast love.  Read More

The purpose of 2 Samuel is to (1) record the history of David’s reign; (2) demonstrate effective leadership under God; (3) to reveal that one person can make a difference; (4) to show the personal qualities that please God; (5) and finally, to depict David as an ideal leader of an imperfect kingdom, and to foreshadow Christ, who will be the ideal leader of a new and perfect kingdom.  Read More

He is risen Let’s rejoice Hopefully, you will be joining us this morning at the Grimes County Fairgrounds, or you already were there with us celebrating our Savior. Today’s Psalms are truly beautiful, I encourage you to treasure them in your mind and heart. Short and straight to the point, they all encourage us to trust the Lord. As I read them, I imagined the psalmists singing on how they had the assurance of trusting the Lord and knowing He was going to be their helper in different situations. Their confidence is on the one and only true omnipotent God and that HE can keep them from all evil forever.  Read More

Who you gonna call? I am a child of the 80’s, so my immediate answer is … “GHOSTBUSTERS!!” Not today though…today we are reminded in Psalm 18 that we are to call upon the Lord! He is the one that can save you from your enemies. He is the one that is mighty, powerful, and has the authority to rule over things on Earth, as He does in heaven.  Read More

Spiritual thirst, worship, trust in God’s faithfulness, and the joy of a personal relationship, are the themes in Psalm 63 during David's time in the wilderness. David yearns intensively for God’s presence. His commitment to worship God wholehearted even in the midst of difficult times.  Read More

This stage of David’s life is a very chaotic period. Samuel has anointed him as a king, but he is on the run because King Saul is trying to kill him. YES! Saul is basically hunting David, and in the previous chapter, we see a picture of David sparing Saul for the first time.  Read More

We can learn a lot by reading the Psalms that David wrote. His examples of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving are what made him a man after God’s own heart. He sought the Lord about everything. David told Him the good, the bad, and the ugly. He entreated the Lord. He asked questions. He begged for help. But, he also kept the perspective that God is holy, and worthy of praise, no matter what was going on in his life.  Read More

PSALM 7REAL:  What truth or principles are found?David is calling for God’s action against a foe. He’s requesting the Lord’s help and for Him to meet out judgment against his enemy.RELEVANT:  How can this be applied?Pray. Talk to the Lord. Ask. Tell HIM what’s on your heart.READY:  What will your next action steps be?Verse 17, “I will give thanks to the Lord because of his righteousness, and wil...  Read More