Help Me, O Lord – Psalm 109 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Earlier this year, we were in a financial crunch. We cut back all we could, but the cash had run out. It’s a situation that weighs on you. As the Psalmist says: “…my heart is stricken within me.”

A friend of mine and I regularly go on walks, and I shared some of our needs. He returned later that afternoon and gave me a cash gift. It wasn’t a huge gift, but it was enough for groceries. We made it through that time, with God’s help, and are doing better now.

When we are needy, we feel small, just like the bird in the picture. But just like the bird in the picture, tiny and insignificant, we are still God’s creation – we are still His child.

Dear Lord, when I am poor and needy, when my heart is stricken within me, save me according to your steadfast love. Help me turn to Christ for my salvation. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 109 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Give ear to my words, O Lord – Psalm 5 KJV 2 Minute Devotional

A friend stopped by last night and was telling us how she had used a “blue” bottle to feed milk to baby kittens. It took us a while to figure out that she was saying “glue” bottle. Communication problems seem to happen in our house all the time. Sometimes the results can be quite humorous as with “no man is an island” turns into “no mayonnaise in Ireland.”

With God, there are no translation or communication problems when it comes to our prayers. The God who fashioned our very being and bodies understands our needs as we express them in prayer.

I thought this image fit well with the verse. Ears that large have got to be very sensitive to even the smallest noise or the most distant sound. How sensitive do we think God’s ears are? Do we have the faith to “direct our prayer unto thee and will look up?” Lord, help us to have the faith to believe that you hear us.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 5 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes KJV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Give Thanks! – Psalm 109 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Why do we thank people? Normally it’s because they have done something for us and we feel some debt of gratitude. We should say “thank you” much more often – to our spouse, children, friends, pastor and others for what they do for us.

It is especially true that we should thank God more often. As Psalm 109 says, we should give “great thanks” to the lord. We should also understand that we are the “needy one” and God has saved us from death.

I love this picture of “Mr. Beaver.” It looks like it came from a Disney movie. With a raised paw he seems to be admonishing us to “Give thanks to God! Give thanks!”

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 109 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Spurgeon on “Comfort in God’s Choosing” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

Do you remember, as a child, being taken somewhere by your parents? If it was a place you really wanted to go, like the state fair, you were very excited. Additionally, you were absolutely confident in their choice to take  you where they said they would. Not only was it exciting, it was a great comfort as well, that you could trust them at their word.

Now contrast that with being lost in a big city. You never know if the choice you made to turn left or right will be the right choice – the choice that will take you to your destination. There is no comfort, only anxiety as you search for the way home.

Election in the Bible has to do with God choosing us. It’s amazing, that as you read the Scriptures, how many times we come across passages about how God has chosen us.

As Spurgeon says, it is truly humbling to know that we are not chosen because of anything about us, what we have done or even accomplished. For that undeserved grace, gratitude should pour from our hearts. We can take great comfort in that.

Now if my salvation and standing with God is the product of my choice, it would be unsettling, just like being lost in the big city. Did I make the right choice? If I choose God, can I then “unchoose” God? If I ever do find the way, then it would have been done through my effort, my choices.

I’m no theologian, but it just seems that concerning salvation, God choosing me, is much more of a comfort than me choosing God. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Eph 2:8-9 ESV. If we look closely at this passage, we find that even our faith is the gift of God.

Dear Lord, Grant me the gift of faith, that I may believe. Help me to know how perfect your choice is. Help me to take comfort in your election, your choosing of the saints. If there is any uncertainty in me, help me to begin to understand the depth and completeness of your grace, and let my heart bring forth gratitude and praise. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Spurgeon on “Cast Your Burden on the Lord” ~ 2 Minute Devotional

This quote is from Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotional. The code M12-19 means that it is from the Morning reading on December 19.

The sparrow image was chosen to match the quote and really helps to emphasize God’s care for the least of His created creatures and how he truly cares for each of us.

The Spurgeon Quotes iPhone app has quotes for each day of the year with a matching image. The day’s quote is presented when the app is launched, plus you can browse through the other quotes if desired.

I hope you have been blessed by this quote and the accompanying image taken from the Spurgeon Daily Quotes iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Great is the Lord – Psalm 48 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

We use the word “great” to describe people: “He was a great baseball player,” or “She has a great voice.” It is used to describe things like: “That is a great car,” or “We saw a great movie.”

While the word “great” elevates the person or thing above the ordinary, I feel that words fail us when trying to describe the greatness of God. Nor are there words that can fully express praise due to God, as in “greatly to be praised.”

In the Scriptures, mountains are frequently associated with the worship of God, such as Mount Zion in this Psalm. When we look at a mountain, such as the one in this picture, we think about massive, immovable, tall, and “great.”

However, give me the tallest mountain, and God is greater. Give me the greatest man alive today, and God is greater. Let me praise God with all my strength, and I can scarcely express my thanks for the “great” salvation God has given me.

Dear Lord, Help me understand your greatness that I may praise you more and more each day. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 48 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Fill My Heart With Joy – Psalm 4 NIV 2 Minute Devotional

Psalm 4 is a wonderful picture of the joy and peace that come from trust in God. But, how can this be in the fallen world in which we live?

We know, from other Psalms, that the Psalmist has been through great suffering and difficult trials. Yet this Psalm is amazingly upbeat. I think the joy mentioned here is much deeper than a few moments of superficial happiness that may come from wine or drink, or a brief time of pleasure. Such moments don’t fill our hearts with the joy and praise to God mentioned in this Psalm. It takes more than that to cause a person to sleep in peace.

Just like filling a cup with water takes time, so does filling our hearts with the joy and comfort that comes from knowing Christ as savior. Relationships take time to develop to a deeper level, and so does developing a relationship with the Lord. The deep joy will come in time, but you can enjoy as least some measure of it as you heart is filled day-by-day.

If you do not have a relationship with the Lord, you can pray for it right now. You can ask God for help today. If you do know the Lord, pray for a deeper relationship with Him.

Dear Lord, I want my heart filled with the joy that comes from knowing you. I want a peaceful sleep that comes from trusting you. I want to know that my sins are forgiven. Help me to look to you for salvation, and let the light of your face shine upon me. Amen.

Here are a few practical tips for deepening your relationship with the Lord. Read the Bible. It is how we get to know God. A good place to start is the Gospel of John. Seek out christian friends and a church where you can worship God in a community of other believers. May God bless you dear friend.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 4 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Will Rogers on the “Evils of Democracy.”

Our form of government is truly amazing. Power peacefully changes hands as often as every four years. Votes and not machine guns determine the outcome of elections. If you don’t approve of who is in office, there’s always the next election.

The image is from one of Rogers’ silent movies called Jubilo from February 1920. Rogers plays a lazy roving hobo who encounters a rancher’s pretty daughter and reforms, slowly, painfully, but completely.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

With my Whole Heart – Psalm 119 KJV 2 Minute Devotional

Never has temptation and sin been so near as in this internet age. It’s only a click away! After the first click, another click, and another, and another. Sin makes us feel dirty. So how do we get clean?

Psalm 119 gives us some answers. The KJV says, “By taking heed according to your word.” By letting the Word of God begin to guide our lives. It can cleanse us, just like the pure clean water flowing in the image on the left.

Begin to seek God with your whole heart. But you might say: “That’s impossible, it’s too difficult!” Indeed it is, but you’re not alone – the Lord can help you if you ask him. The Psalmist prays: “Oh, let me not wander from your commandments!”

The other thing I noticed about this passage is praise: “Blessed art thou, O Lord!” As we ask God to help us, we should praise him. Consider the many blessing you already have, and praise God for them.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 119 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes KJV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Longing for God – Psalm 143 NASB 2 Minute Devotional

There have been a few times in my life where I’ve been really thirsty. You know how it feels – throat parched, tongue thick, mouth feels like cotton. Fortunately in our modern world, water is usually nearby at a fountain or faucet.

I’ve seen movies and read books about people who have suffered from severe dehydration and thirst. Perhaps the person is lost in the desert, like the one pictured on the left. There’s nothing but barren rock and scrub brush. No streams, no ponds, no springs, no water anywhere.

I think the Psalmist captures the feelings of a thirsty wanderer in Psalm 143. The spirit is overwhelmed with the thought of finding water. All thoughts are consumed with the search. The mind drifts back to times when the glass was full, thirst was quenched, water was flowing in abundance. Then there is the mirage, the pool of water just ahead of us. We stretch out our hands and stumble toward the illusion.

Can I thirst for God, like the body thirst for water? Does it consume me, does it move me to long for Him and meditate on his blessings in my life?

Dear Lord, let me thirst for you and long for you in all I do. Help me to find the water of life in your scriptures and in the preaching of the gospel, in prayer, in worship, and in service to your people. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 143 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes NASB iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or  Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

Gladness Beyond Your Companions – Psalm 45 ESV 2 Minute Devotional

Don’t you wish you could be as happy and carefree as the sea otter in this picture? God seems to have given these playful creatures an energy and happiness above their fellow creatures. You don’t normally associate happiness with a bear, elk, tiger or walrus, do you?

So it is with us. Some people just seem to be happier. Could it be that people who love righteousness might generally be happier than those who don’t? The Psalmist indicates that the righteous person is favored with gladness from God.

In this fallen world, it is amazing that happiness exists at all. Natural disasters, wars, strife, accidents, and so many other events in our lives seem designed to rob us of any happiness at all. The pursuit of happiness seems a fruitless exercise, sadness a certain curse. Is there any hope?

God has “anointed you with the oil of gladness,” says the Psalmist. Deep happiness, gladness, joy, comes from God. God is the one who can turn back the fallenness and give us hope. This is something that we cannot do on our own.

Consider the life of Jesus. Jesus broke though the fallenness of this world with his healings, teachings and miracles, and most important, his death and resurrection. The Holy Spirit continues the work of redemption today in the lives of believers. Seek the living God today and ask Jesus for the joy and happiness that comes from forgiveness of your sins. With the help of the Holy Spirit you can “love righteousness” too.

Dear Lord, Save me from this fallen world. Help me to find true happiness, no matter what comes my way. Amen.

I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 45 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ESV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.

iPhone Daily Psalms ESV 1.1 update

The Daily Psalms ESV application update 1.1 was just approved by Apple and is available at the iTunes Store.

Will Rogers on “The Crime of Taxation”

If ever a Will Rogers quote was relevant today, it is this one. When I send my hard-earned money off to Washington, I hope that they would spend it wisely. Is that too much to ask?

Apparently so! When I hear about the pork barrel spending and waste, it just burns my grits. We’re talking about huge amounts of money here folks. When a government accountant sneezes, a million dollars goes up in smoke. When a politician blinks, a billion dollars vanishes and when the president gives a speech, wealth disappears.

The President is a rich guy. His tax bill this past year was over $400,000. He talks about the rich people needing to pay their fair share, but if I sent that kind of money to the government, I would expect a “thanks,” and a little accountability.

Instead, my money is spent on failed programs, by the billions. We have a Federal Education department that hasn’t improved education by any measurable result. The War on Poverty has had more negative results than positive. Yet we hear how important these programs are, and that more money is needed to fix the problems they created in the first place.

Any belief that elected officials in this administration posses any special wisdom and common sense went out the window when the Vice President said: “Just becaust the Recovery Act was a monumental failure, does not mean that it is not working.”

My only hope is that candidates in the next election come up with something better to offer than empty promises. Is that too much to ask?

Image Info: Wiley Post is pictured with Will Rogers in this colorized image. Post was one of the most famous aviators of the 1930s, and set records for high-altitude and round-the-world flights. Rogers and Post were killed in a plane crash in Alaska in August of 1935.

The image was taken directly from pictures at the Will Rogers Memorial Museum archive. I apologize for the quality of the image, but this is exactly what the 1920s photo looked like when I scanned it. In the hundreds of images contained in this iPhone application, I wanted to share as many different Will Rogers photos as possible from as wide a variety of times and situations – movies, cowboy, vaudeville, with famous people, and family scenes.

Will Rogers is a man worth remembering, and quoting. His wit, humor and insight into life will amaze and astonish you. His life will inspire you. Watch for new blog posts from my Will Rogers quotes collection.

I hope you have enjoyed this quote from Will Rogers and the accompanying image taken from the Will Rogers iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that might enjoy a bit of wisdom from Will Rogers.

Daily Psalm ASV iPhone App Upgrade is released

Apple just approved the Daily Psalm ASV (American Standard Version) upgrade.
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