Category: Faith

Advent Day 6 – All Nations Will be Blessed Through Faith in Messiah Jesus (Jacob’s Ladder + Luke 6)

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Luke 6

The sixth advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with Luke 6. If you don’t have your own copy, you can order your own a Kindle version instantly, while you wait for the paper copy to arrive.

When we read the story of Jacob dreaming about a ladder set up on earth reaching to heaven, let’s pay careful attention to Genesis 28:13-14, where the Lord repeats the promise He had made to Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather, telling Jacob that, “The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.”

I was reminded of Galatians 3.

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” … Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. … But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.”

Galatians 3:8, 16, 25-29 ESV

Friends, though there are many children of Abraham, there is only one ladder by which anyone can reach God, that is Abraham’s one offspring, Christ, the Son of God.

Then, turning to Luke 6, I noticed in verses 17 and 18 that “[Jesus] came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.”

According to Got Questions, “Tyre and Sidon were Gentile cities north of Israel.” And in Luke 10:13, Jesus compares the cities of Galilee (Chorazin and Bethsaida) with these Gentiles cities, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” (You can read more about Tyre and Sidon in Matthew 11:20-24, Matthew 15:21-28.)

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) It is by faith in Him that we can come to the Father now and for all eternity. All the nations will be blessed through the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through Messiah Jesus, the Promised, Long-Awaited Seed.

Heavenly Father, I pray that You will use me to bless the nations of the world. Draw all men to Yourself by faith in Jesus Christ, Your Only Begotten Son. Send Your children out to preach the good news in the corners and in the marketplaces, from the rooftops and through the airwaves. Bring the nations in! We want heaven to be filled with every nation, tribe, people, and tongue to the praise of Your glorious name. In the Name of Jesus Christ who is the Only Way to You, Father, we pray. Amen.

O Holy Night in English, Arabic, and Hebrew

Advent Day 5 – God Provides A Ram in Isaac’s Place (Genesis 22 + Luke 5)

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Luke 5

The fifth advent devotional in “From Creation to Christ” along with Luke 5. If you don’t have your own copy, you can order your own a Kindle version instantly, while you wait for the paper copy to arrive.

I tried to put myself in Abraham’s place, imagining how it would feel to lay my own son on an altar and prepare to give him up as an offering to God. This was particularly difficult for me to wrap my head around since God would never want a person to kill their own child. If I had such a thought in my mind, I would quickly and immediately dismiss it as clearly not from the Lord. Yet, here’s Abraham, obeying God even to the point of traveling for three days to sacrifice his own son.

It’s much easier for me to imagine my gratitude at God sparing my child. Suddenly, all of my confusion is taken away, the clouds part, and I see God’s glorious goodness in technicolor as a ram appears, caught in a nearby thicket. I understand, now, Father! You are so good! You are the great provider!

Then, we followed our advent reading with Luke 5. Again I tried to imagine myself in the events of the passage. I pictured myself a weary fisherman, having toiled all night without catching a single fish. When a man asks to get into my boat so he could teach the people, I oblige willingly enough, thinking, “Eh, what can it hurt?” But, then, when he tells me to go back out into the water, to keep fishing, to let down my nets again, it’s almost more than I can bear. Yet, I obey Him. And then it happens, I catch an unimaginable number of fish, to the point that my nets are breaking and my boat begins to sink. I’m blown away. How is this possible? Who is this man?

But, wait, what’s this? How does Simon Peter respond?

“But when Simon Peter saw it,
he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,
“Depart from me,
for I am a sinful man, O Lord.””

Luke 5:8 ESV

Heavenly Father, How good You are! Your mercies are so great and so glorious! And oh how sinful am I! Who am I, Lord, that You would spare my life and not strike me dead in an instant? Who am I, Lord, that You would invite me into your presence, to sit at Your feet, to read Your Word, to be taught by You? Father, You have done so much for me. You have blessed me so, so much. You have filled my nets to their breaking point. You have filled my boats to the point they would sink with Your mercies. My cup indeed overflows. You have brought me to sit an Your banqueting table. You have invited me to the eternal wedding supper of the Lamb. You have provided for Yourself the offering, the spotless Lamb to die in my own place. You have given Your own Son. For me, not a righteous woman, but a sinful one. You have so clearly demonstrated Your love for me in that while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me. Thank You, Lord. In the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior, I pray. Amen.

Jesus Paid It All – Shane and Shane

An Everlasting Covenant – 2 Samuel 23 – 2025 Day 324

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 121-160, 2 Samuel 23.

After reading all the yuck of the previous 12 chapters of 2 Samuel, I held my breath reading David’s words in 2 Samuel 23:5.

For he has made with me
an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
For will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?

2 Samuel 23:5 ESV

Then I was reminded of 2 Samuel 7 when God made that everlasting covenant with David,

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.

And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

2 Samuel 7:12-16 ESV

And then I was reminded of 2 Samuel 12 when God swore to bring evil upon David because of his sin.

“Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”

2 Samuel 12:9-12 ESV

And I was once again reminded that God is a promise keeping God, both in His promises of blessing and His promises of wrath. God did keep His everlasting covenant with the house of David, bringing Jesus, our eternal King of kings, but God also kept His oath that the sword would come upon David’s house and that his wives would be given to his neighbor, as we just read about in chapters 15-16.

So, then I wondered, why do so many professing Christians only talk about God’s steadfast love and refuse to talk about His just anger against our sin?

The reason God’s great mercy
is the BEST NEWS EVER
is because God’s great wrath
is the WORST NEWS EVER.

Friends, if you are not in Christ, then you are still under God’s judgment, and if you are judged by your own deeds, you will be found “guilty as charged” and justly endure God’s eternal condemnation.

Everyone loves John 3:16 ESV — “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” But, let’s not forget about the other verses of John 3,

  • “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:18 ESV
  • “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36 ESV

And what about 1 John 5:11-12? “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.“

Heavenly Father, help us to believe and proclaim the full counsel of Your Word, the full gospel of truth, that You are holy and righteous, that You are the judge of even our secret sins, those hidden things that no one else knows about, the thoughts and intentions of the heart as well as our words and deeds. None of us can stand before You by our own merit. We need You, Lord. Cover us with the blood of Jesus and wash us clean. Redeem us and deliver us from sin. In the Holy, Almighty Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

O Holy Night – Stephen McWhirter

As we approach this season of advent, remembering with anticipation both Christ’s first coming and His return, I hope you’ll join me in reading through my Christmas daily devotional, “From Creation to Christ: A Family Advent Devotional Tracing the Story of the Savior Through Scriptures, Stories, Songs, and Pictures.”

Trust, Call, Praise – 2 Samuel 22 – 2025 Day 323

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:81-120, 2 Samuel 22

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 ESV

David trusts in God because he knows His Word. David trusts that God sees him and cares about him, so he puts his faith in Him. David trusts in God because he knows that God is good. I’m reminded of Psalm 9:10, “And those who know your name put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You,” written by David.

The better You know God’s Word, the better you will know God.

The more deeply you know God, the more deeply you will trust Him because you will know His immense and everlasting goodness and power.

This is why I love reading The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer so much, and why I wrote my latest book, Who is God? A Former Atheist Looks at the Attributes of God.

As your trust in God grows, then you will seek Him and call upon Him, which reminds me of another Psalm of David. Psalm 34:4, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

As you call upon Him, He will answer you, and then you will praise His Name.

For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to your name. Great salvation he brings to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed, to David and his offspring forever.

2 Samuel 22:50-51 ESV

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your goodness and mercy towards me. You are the almighty God, the steadfast rock, the refuge for those who seek You. Help me to trust in You, fully and daily. May I not trust in horses and chariots and human wisdom, but in Christ, the solid rock on whom I stand. He is the eternal God and King of kings. It is in His holy name that I pray. Amen.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

Psalm 34:2-3 ESV
Psalm 34, Taste and See, Shane and Shane

Where is My Treasure? – 2 Samuel 20-21 – 2025 Day 322

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 119:41-80, 2 Samuel 20-21

I love that David put away his concubines, going in to them no longer, yet continuing to provide for them.

I love that the wise woman was willing to rush her own life to save her city.

I love that David continued to spare Mephibosheth, keeping his oath to Jonathan and to the Lord.

I was thrilled when this song by CityAlight came up on my Pandora station. It’s one of my favorites.

Christ is Mine Forevermore – CityAlight

So today I’m thinking again, where is my treasure? On earth or in heaven?

If earth, why? What joy does earth hold? Good food? Fancy clothes? Fun times with friends? The love of grandbabies and children and a husband? The ecstasy of seeing someone receive the gift of faith and be welcomed into God’s eternal kingdom?

If heaven, why? Do I want to be in heaven so I can be reunited with loved ones who have already been called home, like my Grandma Norma and my babies gone too soon? Or do I want to be in heaven so I don’t have to deal with all the pain and sin that life on earth entails? Or do I want to be in heaven so my faith will finally be as sight and I can enjoy living in the presence of my Savior?

For to me to live is Christ,
and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21 ESV

Heavenly Father, You are worthy of it all. What does earth have that compares to the joy of knowing You? Help me to cast off all that sin that clings so tightly. Give me strength to pursue You, to live on earth with eternity and heaven in view. Christ is mine now and forever. ✝️ ♾️ Amen

Worthy of it ALL – Stephen McWhirter

A Father’s Love – 2 Samuel 18 – 2025 Day 320

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 118, 2 Samuel 18.

Even though Absalom had killed Amnon, David’s oldest son, out of revenge for him raping his sister, and even though Absalom had tried to take his father’s rightful place on the throne, David orders his army captains to deal gently with him during their battle against the Israelites (2 Samuel 18:5) And then when David finds out that Absalom is dead, David cries, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33)

That’s how good parents loves their children. Their love is unconditional. It’s love with no strings attached. No matter how your child disappoints you or angers you, you keep loving them. As 1 Corinthians 13:8a says, “love never fails.”

This is the kind of love our Good Father has for His children.

  • “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:11-13 ESV)
  • “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” (Galatians 4:4-7 ESV)
  • “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8 ESV)
  • “How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” (Psalm 36:7 ESV)

Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your steadfast, faithful love. Love without end. Love that never fails. You are good. You are worthy. Make us more like You. Conform us into the image of Jesus Christ, Your perfect Son, who loved us even to the point of death. It is in His Name that we pray. Amen.

The Love of God – Mercy Me

The Lord’s Will be Done – 2 Samuel 17 – 2025 Day 329

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 117, 2 Samuel 17

Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10 ESV)

Today’s passage encouraged me to once again trust that what the Lord has ordained will come to pass. No one can thwart Him. No one can stay His hand. The safest place I can be is in the center of His will. I can trust His goodness and power to accomplish His purposes.

So I ask myself, am I working for Him or against Him?

Heavenly Father, I pray that the counsel I give to others will be founded on Your love and wisdom. Help me to trust You. Help me to put one foot in front of the other, doing the next right thing, and seeking Your guidance each step of the way. Keep me inside the guard rails that You have established. Help me to be discerning, so I can sort out what is Your voice and what is the devil’s, and then give me the desire and strength to obey. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen

Whate’er my God Ordains is Right – Collierville Bible Church

The Importance of Discernment – 2 Samuel 16 – 2025 Day 328

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 116, 2 Samuel 16

In 1 Samuel 25:3, we read that Abigail was both beautiful and discerning (or sensible, intelligent, of good understanding, depending on your translation). Then, earlier this week in 2 Samuel 14:17, the woman of Tekoa flattered King David saying, “my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil.” Next month we will dive into 1 Kings and read about David’s son, Solomon, who asked God to give him an understanding mind that he might discern between good and evil so he could rightly govern the nation of Israel.

How desperately we need discernment! We are indeed surrounded by so many liars and deceivers, men and women who call light dark and dark light, who call good evil and evil good (Isaiah 5:20). Satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:13). As my pastor said when he was teaching through 2 Corinthians 11, Satan disguises in order to deceive, and I might add he deceives in order to devour. (See 1 Peter 5:8)

Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
He disguises himself in order to deceive us.
He deceives us in order to devour us.
We must be discerning,
distinguishing rightly between good from evil.

We must be wise. Not with the wisdom of the world, but with the wisdom of God. Remember Paul’s introductory words in his letter to the Corinthians, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'” (1 Corinthians 1:18-19 ESV)

“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.

About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

– Hebrews 5:7-14 ESV

Let me ask you, when did you first receive Christ?

  • Last week?
  • Last month?
  • Last year?
  • Last night?

Oh, baby Christian, enjoy the sweet, pure milk on the gospel. It has been given to you to help you grow up to full maturity.

But, sister, were you born again years ago, even decades ago? It’s time to grow up into maturity, training your powers of discernment by constant practice.

In today’s passage, 2 Samuel 16, David isn’t a baby believer anymore. He’s a grown man who knows God and the truth of His Word. He knows that he ought to inquire of God. God has proven Himself faithful. David needed to listen to the Holy Spirit’s counsel that he might know the way that he should go and who he should believe … and so do we.

Heavenly Father, Thank You for giving us Your Word and filling us with Your Holy Spirit. Give us wisdom and lead us in the paths of righteousness for Your name’s sake. Help us to discern what is good and right and true that we may run toward it. And help us to discern what is foolish and wicked and false that we may flee from it. In the Almighty, Holy Name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, and Redeemer we pray. Amen.

Thy Word – Ellie Holcomb

Carried to the King’s Table. Mephibosheth and Me – 2 Samuel 9 – 2025 Day 322

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 110, 2 Samuel 9.

I’ve loved the story of Mephibosheth since I very first read it. I hope you will love it, too.

“And David said, “Is there still anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

Now there was a servant of the house of Saul whose name was Ziba, and they called him to David. And the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?”

And he said, “I am your servant.”

And the king said, “Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God to him?”

Ziba said to the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in his feet.”

The king said to him, “Where is he?”

And Ziba said to the king, “He is in the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar.”

Then King David sent and brought him from the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, at Lo-debar. And Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David and fell on his face and paid homage. And David said, “Mephibosheth!”

And he answered, “Behold, I am your servant.”

And David said to him, “Do not fear, for I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan, and I will restore to you all the land of Saul your father, and you shall eat at my table always.”

And he paid homage and said, “What is your servant, that you should show regard for a dead dog such as I?”

Then the king called Ziba, Saul’s servant, and said to him, “All that belonged to Saul and to all his house I have given to your master’s grandson. And you and your sons and your servants shall till the land for him and shall bring in the produce, that your master’s grandson may have bread to eat. But Mephibosheth your master’s grandson shall always eat at my table.”

2 Samuel 9:1-10a

It reminds me of my 2024 Word of the Year, “ENOUGH” and the refrain of Dayenu, a traditional Passover song, “it would have been enough.” Click here to read the full lyrics.

  • If David had allowed Mephibosheth to continue living in Israel, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
  • If David had given Mephibosheth a daily allotment of bread to eat, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
  • If David had given Mephibosheth a small plot of his land, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
  • If David had given Mephibosheth a single servant, Dayenu, it would have been enough.
  • If David had allowed Mephibosheth to eat at his table once a year, Dayenu, it would have been enough.

What a picture this is of what Jesus has done for us!

Jesus has given us more than a meager portion of bread and a scant cup of water. He has given us the living bread of His Word and the living water of His Spirit. He has prepared a bountiful table before us. He has filled our cups to overflowing.

Jesus has given us more than a corner in a godforsaken land. He has brought us to His own banqueting table and spread His banner of love over us. He has even gone to prepare a place for us in the glories of eternal heaven.

Jesus has given us more than a mere human servant could give. He washed more than our feet; He washed our whole lives white as snow

Jesus has given us more than the very best, friend friend could give. He has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in us and to walk with us as our ever-present counselor and comforter.

Jesus has made us more than the very best human Father could give. He has made us more than just slaves in His heavenly kingdom. By His very own blood, He has made us more than just His friends. He has adopted us as His very own children and He has invited us to live in His home and eat at His table forever and ever.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God;”

1 John 3:1a ESV

Have you received this gift? If not, what are you waiting for?

If so, who does God want you to share it with?

Our Father’s table is large enough to fit people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. Let’s go out to the streets and bring them in to join us at this feast.

Heavenly Father, It would’ve been enough to be a gatekeeper at the door of Your palace. It would’ve been enough to dwell in the courtyard of Your temple. It would’ve been enough to sit at Your feet. It would’ve been enough to be Your handmaiden. Yet, in Your immense, boundless grace, You have brought me to sit at Your banqueting table and You have spread Your banner of love over me. Thank You. I don’t deserve it. I could never earn it. I could never work hard enough or be good enough to merit all this favor that You have poured over me. Let my life be one of grateful submission to Your will die me. I love You today and every day. In the Name of Jesus, Your Son who gave His life for me. Amen.

What You “Say in your Heart” Matters! – 1 Samuel 27 – 2025 Day 312

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Read through the Bible in 2 Years: Psalm 100, 1 Samuel 27

Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.”

1 Samuel 27:1 ESV

Be careful what you allow yourself to say to your heart, those things that are too dreadful or foolish to speak out loud, things you’d never utter to your husband or sister or parent or pastor because you know they’re not true and not right.

Some of us are prone to saying discouraging words in our own hearts. We need to remember what the Lord said in Deuteronomy,

“If you say in your heart, ‘These nations are greater than I. How can I dispossess them?’ you shall not be afraid of them but you shall remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, the wonders, the mighty hand, and the outstretched arm, by which the LORD your God brought you out.”

Deuteronomy 7:17-19a ESV

Some of us are prone to saying boastful words in our own hearts. Again, we need to remember what the Lord said in Deuteronomy,

  • Beware lest you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.’ (Deuteronomy 8:17 ESV)
  • Do not say in your heart, after the LORD your God has thrust them out before you, “It is because of my righteousness that the LORD has brought me in to possess this land,” whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the LORD is driving them out before you. (Deuteronomy 9:4 ESV)
  • Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, “I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.” This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. (Deuteronomy 29:18b-19 ESV)

Remember the warnings of Psalm 10. The wicked man says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity,”  renouncing God and saying in his heart, “You will not call to account”? while the helpless man says in his heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Rather, let us say to our hearts these words of David’s son, Solomon, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding,” and “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.”(Proverbs 3:5, 29:25 ESV)

Heavenly Father, help me to be careful what words I say aloud, but also what words I say to my own heart, those things that no human being will ever hear. You know them, and I know them. You know my thoughts before I speak them. Help me to guard my heart for it is the wellspring of life.  Help me to think about what is good and excellent and true and praiseworthy. Help me to take sinful thoughts captive and make my thoughts obey you. I recognize that I am unable to do this on my own. I need Your strength. Please help me do it for Your glory and for my good. In the name of Jesus Christ who saved me and redeemed me and rules over me, I pray. Amen

Psalm 100 (Enter In) – People and Songs