In the first installment on Psalm 25, we identified the agony for which the psalmist was praying for relief. The community around him shamed and ridiculed him as beyond the reach of forgiveness. Even his own memory tormented him that the sins . . . Continue reading →
Series
Remember Not My Sin, But Remember Me: Psalm 25 (Part 1)
Oh, to be a kid again! It is pretty safe to say that nearly everyone makes this wish at least once. You are full of adulting; the bills keep coming in, the diapers do not end; your body hurts for no discernible . . . Continue reading →
Lift Up Your Heads: Ascending Liturgy—Psalm 24 (Part 2)
In our first piece on Psalm 24, we heard the acclamation of the Lord, creator of all, to whom everything belongs, and to whom all owe reverence and obedience. Then, by the righteous inquiries of the priest, the people swore their oath . . . Continue reading →
Lift Up Your Heads: Ascending Liturgy—Psalm 24 (Part 1)
How do you greet a champion? What is a fitting celebration for the hero returning home? In the present season, we have seen several such festivities. DC adorned itself with pomp and galas for the inauguration. Columbus spilled into the streets for . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 4)
This fourth part concludes our study on Psalm 92, which has considered how the Lord’s Day is an often neglected, yet crucial, component in the Christian’s arsenal. The superscription of Psalm 92, “for the Sabbath,” indicates that this psalm, broadly speaking, is . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 3)
Over the past few weeks in our study on Psalm 92, we have been considering how the Lord’s Day is an often neglected yet crucial component in the Christian’s arsenal. It is an essential ingredient and marvelous gift of God meant for . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 2)
Last time, in part 1 of our study on Psalm 92, we began to consider how the Lord’s Day is an often neglected, yet crucial, component in the Christian’s arsenal. It is an essential ingredient and marvelous gift of God meant for . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 92: A Psalm For The Sabbath (Part 1)
Many of us (ministers, elders, and church members alike) regularly give thought to how we can, by God’s grace, cultivate healthy churches. In that vein, I daresay one of the most underappreciated and underutilized tools we have at our disposal is the . . . Continue reading →
The Queen Poem Of All Scripture: Psalm 23
Life is littered with passages. These are the milestones and the ordeals that transition us from one stage to another. Waiting at the DMV for your driver’s test, sitting for the Bar, getting married, becoming a parent, retirement—these are just a few . . . Continue reading →
Rejoicing In The Divine Warrior: Psalm 21
There come those times in life when you want to express your sincere thoughts and deep emotions to someone special: a birthday, a love letter, a major milestone. The words have to be just right, so what do you do? You can . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 20: Thy Kingdom Come, Not God Save The King
What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, God save the King? Many of us think of some BBC show or a period piece on the British monarchy, as we know this cry entirely from history, literature, or entertainment. Indeed, it . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 14: The Heart Talk Of Fools (Part 2)—The Foolishness Of Fallenness
Why does Psalm 14 focus on the foolishness of sinners? It does so to highlight God’s sovereignty despite the wrongs that are out of place in the world. Sin and its fallout are not what ought to be. These shortcomings about the . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 14: The Heart Talk Of Fools (Part 1)—Prayer’s Call For Reflection
I have never been confident enough in my evangelistic approaches to recommend them to others, but they sometimes do make for good stories. In a previous job at a coffee shop, I remember a conversation with a co-worker who expressed being bent . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 13: How Long? (Part 2)—Our Deep Need For God’s Rescue
Psalm 13 is about how to navigate waiting before God. The Psalter functions at least in part to instruct us about the godly response to the full spectrum of experience and emotion that we encounter in the Christian life. Psalm 13 considers . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 13: How Long? (Part 1)—Canonical Contribution
If you are anything like me, waiting in line is really hard for you. Some of my more frustrating experiences are when I see no forward motion in the line I am waiting in. As you are waiting for your turn to . . . Continue reading →
The God Worthy Of Psalming And Hymning: Psalm 113 (Part 3)
Recently, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, met his subjects in the streets. Floods have lately ravaged Spain, and the monarch came to meet his people. Continue reading →
The God Worthy Of Psalming And Hymning: Psalm 113 (Part 2)
Recently, the King of Spain, Felipe VI, met his subjects in the streets. Floods have lately ravaged Spain, and the monarch came to meet his people. Continue reading →
The God Worthy Of Psalming And Hymning: Psalm 113 (Part 1)
Yuri Gagarin is an unlikely candidate to make an appearance in our churches. The Russian cosmonaut died in 1968. Nevertheless, you may have heard of him. He was the first man in space. He is also becoming a favorite sermon illustration of some. Continue reading →
Psalm 12—A Pure And Protecting Word (Part 2): Application
This series walks through Psalm 12 and its teaching that God’s Word is the pure and protecting source of guidance and deliverance. Part one outlined the three-act structure that developed the problem (1–2), proposed David’s solution (3–4), and presented God’s Word as . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 12—A Pure And Protecting Word (Part 1): Exegesis
With some irony, one of the hot topics in the news today is whether the news is reliable. The so-called “legacy media,” which is basically the major networks and news outlets, seems to face the common accusation of promoting agendas and certain . . . Continue reading →