Dear Friends,
There have been quite a number of posts from Systems of Merritt, Inc. over the past few months, and unlike many posts in the blogosphere, these have more of a timeless quality. Please feel free to browse back through the older posts, and share them with your friends and family. With the variety of topics, there is sure to be something that will bring a smile to someones face, or be an encouragement in a time of need.
Years ago, when I was a teenager, I had no interest in God. I certainly didn’t want to follow Him or be accountable for the wrongdoing and sin in my life. I was in a downward spiral toward destruction. In this Psalm, it says God will destroy the wicked, but I am so thankful for God’s mercy. I think of Romans 5:8 where it says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Now that I have the benefit of God’s mercy and grace, I have a desire to love and serve the Lord. I have the opportunity to cry out to Him for my needs and praise him for answered prayer.
Dear Lord, If I am numbered among the wicked, as the Psalmist says, show me your mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. Rescue me and give me the desire to follow you that I may come to praise you with my whole heart. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 145 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.
Matching the image and quote adds quite a bit to the meaning of the selected verse. The geese flying against the beautiful sunset conveys the natural beauty of this world and God’s majesty. It should remind us of his protection as a shield. It should also remind us to walk uprightly.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 19 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ASV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
Some people are under the impression that it is possible to be fully sanctified this side of heaven. Is it really possible to be without sin in our daily lives here on earth?
Perhaps when I am older I could isolate myself from the cares of this world. I could live without sin and temptation and simply commune with Jesus until he returns or I die. In the past, monks and nuns separated themselves from the world in order to live a more perfect life before God.
Experience, common sense, the Scriptures, and Spurgeon tell us that in this life there will always be temptation and sin. There will always be a struggle with the flesh for the christian, even after a lifetime of serving God.
Spurgeon’s imagery in this quote drives home the point! “The great dog of hell will bark at you still.” The christian cannot avoid temptation, even through seclusion. Spurgeon points out that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness while alone.
What can we do? We can pray “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” We can trust God to not let us be tempted above our ability to endure it. (I Corinthians 10:13) If we do fall, we can repent and ask for forgiveness: “forgive us our debts.” (Matthew 6:12)
Dear Lord, Help me to draw closer to you each day, so that when the “great dog of hell” barks, I may resist temptation, and if I do sin that I may find forgiveness through Jesus. Amen.
If you are struggling with sin, and don’t have a relationship with Jesus as your savior, take a moment and pray for his forgiveness and help. Begin reading the Bible. I suggest starting with the gospel of John in the New Testament. Also, ask God to lead you to other christians for fellowship.
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.
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.
I’ve been so sick on occasion that I didn’t feel like doing anything. I didn’t even want to sit up and read because my eyes were sore. Sickness, grief, depression and other afflictions can get us down to where it feels like our soul clings to the dust, and our soul melts from heaviness, as the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:25. We feel like a desert wasteland, as shown in the image. Nothing is growing, nothing is green.
It’s amazing what a little medication can do for the body. A friend can come alongside to share the grief, or offer an encouraging word to help lift the heaviness of our heart. Rain in the desert can bring out beautiful blossoms and colors.
The Psalmist also asks for God’s help. “Quicken me” he says, “Make me understand the way of Your precepts” he prays. Once we start thinking about it we can begin to meditate on his wondrous works and offer the Lord praise for his grace and kindness toward us.
The passage continues: “Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me thy law graciously.” God’s word or law is our help and comfort.
Dear Lord, when our body is sick or our soul is heavy, please help us to turn to your word. Let it revive us, strengthen us and comfort us. Amen.
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.
In 1933 the country was in crisis as the Great Depression took its toll. The elections were over and FDR was waiting to take office when Will Rogers wrote this Daily Telegram on January 19, 1933.
From this Will Rogers quote, it seems that nobody was in charge, and nobody wanted to tackle the problems facing the country in early 1933. Would they dare try to balance the budget? Could they bring in debts owed? Would they spend money that we didn’t have?
Are we in the same situation today? Congress has been spending money like a drunken sailor. It’s worse that that! Drunken sailors eventually run out of money. Congress can print more.
Maybe this is just too simple, but suppose that I sign up for every credit card application that comes in the mail, with the thought that I can use them to spend my way out of debt and on to prosperity. Not to worry, when I die, my kids will pay for the debt.
Can we really spend our way out of debt? They couldn’t do it in the 1930s. Why does this administration think it can be done today. Let’s hope and pray that sanity will prevail with the new congress and bring some balance back into the budget.
This image is from a Will Rogers’ silent movie called An Unwilling Hero, released in 1921. Rogers plays Whistling Dick, a hobo who loves life and classical music. He loves just about everything except work.
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.
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.
One of the most famous passages of literature is Psalm 23. It truly captures our soul’s desire, that we would be led by the Great Shepherd to the quiet waters.
This verse can certainly be applied to many areas of life. Our brave combat soldiers might take “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” quite literally. Financial struggles might not be a matter of life and death, but they can weigh heavily upon us. This Psalm brings hope to all believers in all circumstances.
I thought the image of the sheep looked like it might be speaking to us. Modern day sheep need their shepherd, just like in the days of David the king.
I thank the Lord that even when I am prone to wander, he brings me back to the flock, and cares for me, and comforts me.
This image is a screenshot of the Psalm Daily Quotes NIV iPhone app, and it allows you to scroll through the rest of the verse.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 67 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.
I love my customers, and quotes like the following make it all worthwhile!
A good way to start the day
This is a nice app. Each day there is a nature picture and a quote from Spurgeon worthy of pondering. Very easy to use.
Another Comment
Though He Be Dead, Yet Still He Speaketh…I love this man….WOW!!!
Do you remember Marley from the movie “A Christmas Carol?” He was weighted down forever with terrible chains, forged during his life by his sins.
In this Spurgeon quote, we find another type of chain. This chain is made of God’s blessings, linked together in your life. This chain is light and uplifting, as you count the links and ponder each blessing. Spurgeon also talks of “showers of blessing,” that rain down upon the believer. Have you ever seen a parched plant after a spring shower? Almost immediately you can see the change as the plant revives and takes on new beauty. In this image of the leaf, you can almost feel the refreshment of the water upon its surface.
Do you have the converting grace from God? Salvation through Jesus and the forgiveness of our sins is the greatest blessing of all. With that Spurgeon says comes comforting grace and blessings undeserved. This gives us hope during the difficult times and helps us share an encouraging word with others who are in need.
Dear Lord, I give you thanks and praise for your “showers of blessing,” for undeserved grace and refreshing water from heaven. 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.
Matching the daily verse with a unique image is the main distinctive of the Daily Psalm and Spurgeon Daily quotes apps.
When I started working on the basic concept of the daily Psalm app on the iPhone two years ago, There were two issues that concerned me. First, was there enough space to store over 365 images, and second, was the screen resolution high enough to render a quality image? I was pleasantly surprised that the answer to both was yes! There was more than enough space, and the images were stunning, even on the small iPhone screen.
Reading through the Psalms for quotes was a joy. From there I needed hundreds of images to work with, and to keep the cost down, I needed images in the public domain. I found that government websites were loaded with quality images. The credits with each application give a list of the websites if you are interested.
Each image is from some nature setting, and none of them show people or human objects such as roads, fences or houses. The one exception are a few images of the pyramids when the psalm mentions Egypt.
Matching an image with each quote was the next challenge. Images were matched through some keyword, thought or concept whenever possible. The result was that the image gives the verse more meaning. In some cases, the combination is quite stunning. If you go to the product pages, you can see some sample screen shots to fully comprehend what this means.
When the verse mentions “under the shadow of his wings” the images I found, include eagles with outstretched wings, or a small bird in a nest covering her young with her wings. When the verse mentions wine, an image of a grape vine might be used. In some cases the images give a bit of humor when it seems that an animal seems to be talking or gesturing. Beavers, otters, and penguins are some of my favorites.
I hope you enjoy the verses and images each day. Drop me a line and let me know what you think. Rating the application will let other know you have been blessed by the app.
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.
Hurry up, God! I need this, I need that – right now! Perhaps we are far too impatient, which is why we can identify with the plea in Psalm 70 – “make haste to help me, O Lord!”
I have trouble waiting for paychecks. They never seem to come in time. Yet our needs have been met every time. Unexpected income and help from friends have taught us to “rejoice and be glad” as we see God’s provision for us time and again.
The beautiful dolphins in the image convey speed, power and grace as they glide through the water. Perhaps we can believe that God comes to our aid with speed, power and grace. Make haste, O God! For God’s provision let us say with the Psalmist “Let God be magnified!”
Dear Lord, When I am poor and needy, come quickly and deliver me. Let me love your salvation and magnify you continually. Amen.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 70 and the accompanying image taken from the Psalm Daily Quotes ASV iPhone app. Please visit our blog, twitter, or Facebook page regularly and pass these posts on to friends that need an encouraging word.
In the midst of a difficult trial or physical sickness, I ask the question, along with the Psalmist: “Where is my God.” Unbelievers love to press that same question since they know that God doesn’t exist in this physical realm, in the sense that we don’t see him with our eyes or hear him with our physical ears. Is God my rock, massive, solid, everlasting, as in the image, or is He more like a cloud or vapor, intangible, fleeting, untouchable?
The financial crisis passed, grief has subsided, the body heals, or I learn to deal with the condition, a job decision is finally made clear. As I look back, I can see God’s guiding hand was there all the time, but I don’t have that clarity looking forward. It turns out that God sees our future as we see out past. His purpose will be accomplished in His time, in His way, for His glory.
If I could just have eyes of hope that can trust God with this trial and my future. The Psalmist says we should yet praise Him! As we Praise God it can help us get through the tough time because praise encourages us to trust God.
Dear Lord, Help me to put my hope in you. I will praise you because you are my Savior and my God, and I know you will not forget me. Amen.
Below is a special musical treat for you. The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 42 to music. Check out the sample and pick up your copy at the iTunes store.
I hope you have been blessed by Psalm 42 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.
The Sons of Korah have put Psalm 42 to music. Listen to a sample below and purchase your own copy at the iTunes store by clicking on the button.
| Psalm 42b – Rain Album |  |
The sun plays a major role in our lives. The sunrise marks a 24 hour cycle we can’t ignore. If the cycle changed in length it would have a profound effect on us, but the sun never changes. It’s there for us every day, constant, unchanging. The sun has been there since ancient days, it’s …
Watch the Federal Reserve! That’s the message from Will Rogers in 1929. We’re still watching today, and things haven’t changed much. Mix the Federal Reserve manipulation of interest rates with Democrat meddling in the mortgage banking industry, and what do you get? Forclosures! Over 1 million Americans seen losing homes in 2011. The Democrat solution is, …
Foes come in all different forms. For Christians in Egypt, they come with bombs and machine guns. For others, there is physical and mental persecution. The foe for some of us comes in the form of temptation and addictions. Just like the tiny animal in the picture, we feel small in the face of our …
Will RogersThe stock market crashed on October 29, 1929, and as you can see, Will Rogers wrote this quote 2 days later. This bit of Will Rogers’ common sense would have been a solution to the wild speculation prior to the crash. Will Rogers seemed to find humor, in just about anything. It was his …
Sometimes we engage in struggles to accomplish a particular goal. I was out shoveling snow this morning. It’s a lot of work! The more I shoveled, the more tired I got. My heart was racing and my body was getting weaker. I did finish finally, and sat down in a warm room to catch my breath. …
Will RogersThose poor Democrats, along with the mainstream media, just can’t seem to denounce anything these days without making a mess of it. It looks like they haven’t changed since Will Rogers published this quote in 1930! Whoever is advising them, doesn’t know the difference between gasoline and water when it comes to putting out …
I’m proud to be humble pretty much summarizes my belief that I can grow spiritually through my own efforts. Because I say it, means it is so. Spurgeon’s quote helps me realize that all that I do, and all that I am is because of God, not me. Not that I am a bystander, but …
Like many people, Will Rogers followed the sport of boxing, and he was friends with some of the greatest champions, like Jack Dempsey. When a German boxer named Smelling came to Will Rogers’ attention, it was too much for any humorist to resist! I hope you enjoy this great piece of Will Rogers humor. The …
When I am in a high place, looking over the edge, I am seized with fear. I’ve been in tall buildings, on the edge of the Grand Canyon, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and many other high places. Some people are completely paralyzed with a fear of high places, and others, like steel workers, can …
Will RogersAfter reading this Will Rogers quote, I suddenly realized why there has been so much confusion and controversy over where all of the “shovel-ready” jobs have gone. With the extension of unemployment benefits, nobody wants a shovel-ready job when they are offered a putter-ready vacation. Actually that’s only half the problem. Our Vice President …
