Walking Through the Psalms“You spread out our sins before you—our secret sins—and you see them all.” – Psalm 90:8 (NLT)“Your Secrets Aren’t Really Secrets” There was a hysterical story in the news a few years ago. A man arrived in Barcelona, Spain, on a flight from Bogota, Colombia. As the man made his way through customs, he caught the attention of the police. He was acting nervous and anxious, w...

Walking Through the Psalms“Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.” – Psalm 90:2 (NLT)“God From Beginning to End” Sometime ago, at a Celebrate Recovery event, I shared about my past. Sometimes it’s not easy looking back. Many of us have hurts and experiences that we’d just as soon forget. But the scar tissue of our past ...

Walking Through the Psalms“I will steady him with my hand; with my powerful arm I will make him strong.” – Psalm 89:21 (NLT)“Remember Who the Real Hero Is” There is a prayer that I pray every week before our Sunday services. It is a prayer of confession. I confess every week before God that if anything at all of significance is going to happen, it will have to happen because of Him. I’m pretty goo...

Walking Through the Psalms“The heavens are yours, and the earth is yours; everything in the world is yours—you created it all.” – Psalm 89:11 (NLT)“It’s God’s” “It’s God’s.” Say that out loud. It’s a truth that will help you more than you can imagine. Say it again. “It’s God’s.” Isn’t that freeing? We take so much responsibility for things outside of our control, and all we do is make ourselves ne...

Walking Through the Psalms“I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.” – Psalm 89:2 (NIV)“God’s Love Stands Firm” God’s love stands firm. I’ve got a feeling someone needs to hear that today. You’ve been jilted. You’ve been left. You’ve been lied to. You’ve had one promise after another broken. You’ve had one person too many look...

Walking Through the Psalms“You have taken away my companions and loved ones. Darkness is my closest friend.” – Psalm 88:18 (NLT)“You Know What You Know” Say this out loud: “I know what I know.” Now say it again. If you’re having a really bad day, you may want to say it one more time. Why? Because some days, what you know is all you have to hang onto. If you read Psalm 88 in its entirety, it’s depr...

Walking Through the Psalms“Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O LORD, help and comfort me.” – Psalm 86:17 (NLT)“When You Need a Sign” Do you ever ask God for “a sign”? David did. He wants it to be something that lets his enemies know that God is on his side. But I have a feeling it was for him, too. I believe David, like all of us, had moments of in...

Walking Through the Psalms“But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” – Psalm 86:15 (NIV)“Slow to Anger” “Slow to anger.” What a great description. Aren’t you glad that God is “slow to anger” with us? I sure am. It means that God is patient. It means He remembers that we are fallen humans who frequently don’t get it right. It means that...

Walking Through the Psalms“Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” – Psalm 86:11 (NIV)“An Undivided Heart” “Give me an undivided heart.”What a great prayer. And what a HARD prayer! David realized that his heart IS divided at times. There’s a part of him that wants what God wants. But there’s also a part of him that want...

Walking Through the Psalms“When I am in distress, I call to you, because you answer me.” – Psalm 86:7 (NIV)“The Teacher Can’t Teach Until the Student Is Ready” Some years ago, I had a staff person who was struggling with a situation. I heard about it second-hand through one of my other staff members. I knew I could help them with it, but instead of going to them and offering advice, I waited. For ...

Walking Through the Psalms“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” – Psalm 86:5 (NIV)“You’re Never Too Far Gone” You can call on Him. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. I know you’re afraid that He won’t accept you. But He will. I know you think you’re too far gone. But you’re not. I know you think that you are the last person in the world that God wants to h...

Walking Through the Psalms“Bring joy to your servant, Lord, for I put my trust in you.” – Psalm 86:4 (NIV)“Lord, Restore My Joy” Joy. Could YOU use some? When I read this verse today, I thought about what a perfect prayer it is for so many of us. I’ve had several really intense conversations lately with folks who have been walking through some tough places. Some are dealing with health issues that...

Walking Through the Psalms“Bend down, O LORD, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.” – Psalm 86:1 (NLT)“I Need Your Help” I read a story a few years ago about a man who ran his sailboat aground near San Diego. He had sailed into a cove where the water was fairly shallow, and suddenly he was stuck. People on shore watched him as the waves kept pushing him further and further in, the ...

Walking Through the Psalms“I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, or he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.” – Psalm 85:8 (NLT)“Don’t Be Hard of Learning” A guy named Nigel Graham from Southampton, England, thought he’d be sneaky. When his mother died in 2002, he took her blue disabled parking badge and put it in his car. He used it to pa...

Walking Through the Psalms“For the LORD God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory.” – Psalm 84:11 (NLT)“Sun and Shield, Grace and Glory” “Sun and shield. Grace and glory.” Think about those words for a few moments today. One commentator I read said that the “sun” represented restoration. When the sun comes up, it’s a New Day. It’s a New Beginning. It’s a chance to start over. No m...

Walking Through the Psalms“A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” – Psalm 84:10 (NLT)“Stimulation or Transformation?” A young man stopped by the church today looking for a Narcotics Anonymous group. They don’t meet here anymore, so I got online to tell him where ...

Walking Through the Psalms“Blessed are those whose strength is in you.” – Psalm 84:5 (NIV)“The Lord Is Your Strength!” In John 15:26, Jesus tells His disciples that He will send them an “Advocate.” Some translations will say “Comforter” or “Counselor.” The word in Greek is Paraclete. It’s a legal term that refers to a lawyer or an attorney. But don’t think shyster or some accident-chasing, trying-...

Walking Through the Psalms“Oh, that my people would listen to me! Oh, that Israel would follow me, walking in my paths! How quickly I would then subdue their enemies! How soon my hands would be upon their foes…But I would feed you with the finest wheat. I would satisfy you with wild honey from the rock.” – Psalm 81:13-14, 16 (NLT)“Choose God’s Way” Have you ever watched your adult child or grandch...

Walking Through the Psalms“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.” – Psalm 81:10 (NLT)“Open Wide for God!” My wife is weird. She says she’s “picky.” I say “weird.” You be the judge. She doesn’t like things that are sweet. So most kinds of candy are out, except Skittles and Peanut M&M’s. She doesn’t like most kinds of meat. She won’t eat thick steaks, thick hamburgers, and she d...

Walking Through the Psalms“Blow the ram’s horn at new moon, and again at full moon to call a festival! For this is required by the decrees of Israel; it is a regulation of the God of Jacob.” – Psalm 81:3-4 (NLT)“Don’t Forget to Remember” On July 14, 2023, Kenneth Webb was cooking up some food at his home in Jackson, Mississippi. It was something he loved to do. But his deep fryer splashed some gre...