April 21

Today’s Reading - Psalm 31-33

(Psa 32:10 KJV) Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which shows a vast difference in the lives of the believer and unbeliever. Psalm 32 is one of the three psalms where David lays out his heart concerning his sin with Bathsheba. He starts out the Psalm stating that they are blessed whose sins are forgiven. A person may not have a lot of material goods and sometimes life is more hard than easy, but knowing that all your sins are forgiven can give a person a much brighter outlook in the midst of a dark time. This Psalm tells us that mercy will surround the child of God. David knew this well as he lived daily on the mercies of God, as we also do. He tells us that those who are wicked, the unsaved, will experience many sorrows. The greatest sorrow will be when they stand before the Lord and realize that all their worldly philosophies and beliefs did not render them anything but eternal damnation. The wicked at funerals cry much harder because they realize they do not know what is beyond that great door of death. Even those who are hostile to the gospel give a second thought about what is beyond death at funerals.

Another sorrow that the unbeliever faces is that they have no guidance in this world. They must try to figure out things for themselves. As Christians God said He would guide us all the days of our earthly life. When a circumstance pops up that we are unable to handle, we can be assured that God never leaves His children alone to walk through this world. When David fought Goliath, he knew that the battle was the Lord’s. This is one key to a perpetual peace in our life and that is God is fighting our battles. But just knowing that fact can also bring a sigh of relief. There is going to come a time when every Christian on earth shall be vindicated and that is when the unbelievers who mocked and made it hard for us will see us in our glorified spiritual bodies when we partake in their judgment. Then they will really see what they were fighting against. This will be an immense sorrow. Another sorrow the unbeliever has is that they have no hope. The Bible teaches that the hope of the wicked perishes with them. The hope that we have lasts until we go to be with the Lord and then it is turned into glorious sight. (1 Th 4:13 KJV) But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

April 22

Today’s Reading - Psalm 34-36

(Psa 34:4 KJV) I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which deals with fear and how God can deliver us from fear. This verse deals only with the child of God because the Lord only hears the prayers of His children. God can deliver us from our fear and fears. God knows what fear can do in the life of a child of God. Fear is one of the greatest hindrances in the Christian’s walk. It is like a prison in that it holds us captive. It attempts to hold us back from doing ministry or even starting a ministry. We worry about everything and that can really damage ministry probabilities in our life. Fear can also consume our mind with doubts. In the Christian walk, it seems fear is aimed at the Lord. We always come up with a bunch of “what ifs.” What if God don’t want me in this ministry? What if I witness wrong? These are all stop signs which prevent us from even getting started in the Lord’s work. Whenever we live in fear, we also tend to filter everything in our life through the mindset of fear. Nothing seems clear and straightforward. Everything seems to be a maze. One thing fear tends to place in our minds is feelings of inadequacy. Now it is true, there are things we cannot do or not empowered to do by God, but no child of God is inadequate because we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places and the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. So the child of God is adequate to meet any situation or challenge which comes our way.

If the child of God is going to remove the fear that is attempting to bind them, they must come to a realization of who they are. First, each Christian should read the first chapter of Ephesians which reveals who we are in Christ. This chapter deals with the wonderful position the believer is given in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we must realize that exalted position is totally secure in Christ. The Lord Jesus promised that He would not lose one of us. Security is a great entity which combats fear. If more Christians knew their position in Christ and their security in Christ, fear would take a leap. Christians would then step out in faith instead of staying in in fear, which would mean a mighty army would be on the move and not just a few isolated militia doing the battle. Not only would the realization of our position in Christ dispel fear, but knowing our possessions too. We have the full strength of the triune God and the Bible promises that no weapon formed against us will ever triumph. (Isa. 54:17) For the believer to fight fear, we must become involved in some aspect of the Lord’s work. Fear feeds on inactivity. The longer we are inactive, the more we ponder, the more we ponder, the more doubts arise in our mind, and then those doubts turn into stultifying fear. It is a shame that some Christians finish their course as they started it, never growing or going. Today, as you read your Bible, highlight those passages which God gives showing the position, security, and possessions we have in Christ. Fear will be on the next stage out of town.

April 23

Today’s Reading - Psalm 37-39

(Psa 37:4 KJV) Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is probably one of the most famous passages in Scripture. It tells us to delight or to take pleasure in the Lord. This does not signify a passing fancy or just to call upon Him once in a blue moon. To delight or take pleasure in someone or something means that we must be committed to them. If a husband spoke to his wife only once a week, how would he be delighting in her? (I know ladies-it would be a blessing) When we are totally committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, then we can see the desires of our heart. As we desire more of the Lord, he opens Himself up to us and our relationship grows closer to each other. Too many Christians are really not delighting themselves in the Lord. Oh they may be busy doing the Lord’s work or being a testimony or even being involved at church. But if many Christians really looked at their life, they would see they are not as close to the Lord as they should be. Verse 5 states, “Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” The desire of every Christian is to be closer to the Lord each day. And as we get closer to the Lord, the desires of our heart will be met. What are the desires of the Christian? The desires of the Christian should be to become closer to the Lord and then the desires of the soul are met in its fullest. Sometimes Christians pull away from the Lord and this is why they may feel a cold Christianity .

When we commit ourselves to the Lord and not to a project or ministry, we are standing before the Lord and saying, “I just want to know you.” Then we begin to see God in a whole new light and we experience the love He has for His children

more deeply than we could have imagined. For us to be committed in the truest sense, we need to be pliable in the hands of the Lord. We need to allow Him to mold us or re-mold us according to His will. When we become pliable in God’s hands, it means we are trusting Him completely with our life. We are in essence saying that we trust His judgment to make out of my life what He deems to be the best for me. One mistake we make is that just when God is ready to bless us and show us something, we may conclude that God could not be taking me down this path or God wouldn’t put me in this situation. Many of us have such a gift of cutting short the work of God in our lives and missing out on His best. This is why we are to commit ourselves to God and leave the results to Him. We must trust Him to fulfill totally in our lives what He wants to and then we will realize what the desires of our hearts really are. It is not material goods or some position in life, the desire of every soul is to rest before the Father and experience the Father Heart of God. It is to bask in the love and care our Heavenly Father has for us. When you unreservedly commit yourself to God, the desires of your heart will be met above all your expectations.

April 24

Today’s Reading - Psalm 40-42

(Psa 40:2 KJV) He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us a four-fold insight into the Christian walk. First, the Lord brings us up out of the horrible pit which may be understood as a place of tumult. It is a place of destruction. Every believer before they become saved was taken from the kingdom of Satan. God takes His children from the precipice of hell, which is a place of eternal destruction. Next, the Lord removes us from the miry clay, which would be a like a soggy mud. If anyone has ever seen a mud slide or stepped in substantial amounts of mud, you know that it is almost impossible to move the way you want. It causes you to slip and lose your balance. I think Jeremiah would understand this because he was thrown into a pit of mire. The mire was a wet mud. This part of the dungeon was the lowest part. This is what God does for the believer, He brings us up out of the lowest part of the dungeon. He removes us from there and He removes all the mud off of us, which is like Him removing all the sin from our soul.

The Lord does not stop there. He then removes us from the dungeon and sets our feet upon a rock. We go from the slippery places of hell to being planted on a rock. That rock being the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. (1 Cor 10:4 KJV) And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. If you notice God is doing the placing on the rock. God is the one who joins us to the Lord Jesus Christ and it is by no works of our own. Then finally, after we are set firmly on the Lord Jesus Christ, God then begins to establish our goings or to set us on the pathway which He has already given us the spiritual gifts to do. Basically, the word “goings” is the word steps. (Psa 37:23 KJV) The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Of course, the only good man in the sight of the Lord are those that are saved. We see that God delights to establish the path for us to take and then He delights in our way when we accomplish whatever the Lord would have us to do. So we see the four-fold description of the Christian walk but we also see the three-fold work of the Lord. That is He brings us up (draws us), sets our feet (saves us), and establishes our goings (guides us through life). What a great verse this is as we see what God has done for us in this life, especially as He transitions this life into eternal life. Let us share the joy of the Psalmist. (Psa 40:8 KJV) I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

April 25

Today’s Reading - Psalm 43 - 45

(Psa 43:2 KJV) For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

In today’s reading we come across this verse which gives us insight in to the strength of the believer. Now when we speak of strength, we automatically think of physical strength. We live in a time when there is much emphasis on the physical body. If you have ever had a night when you couldn’t sleep and you turned the TV on just to flip through the channels, you will no doubt come across no less than 10 infomercials all trying to sell you fitness products, whether it be vitamins or juices for the internal and exercise machines for the external. Well, God not only gives us the physical strength to make through each day, He also gives us other strengths which are vital to our Christian walk:

Strength of Character - God gives us the strength to maintain our Christian character, especially during a time when a temptation may creep up on us and attempt to shipwreck us.

Strength of Mind - God strengthens our minds so we can think clearly and act responsibly instead of responsively in any given situation.

Strength of Spirit - God strengthens our spirit to be able to ward off any false teachings which may attempt to draw us away from the Lord Jesus Christ and send us down a path which is different from the Bible. When your spirit is strengthened, you can withstand the attacks of Satan, even unto death.

Strength of Morals - God strengthens our morals in case we run into a situation which may be engineered by a Jonadab. Remember him?

Strength of Emotions - God strengthens our emotions and give us stability in the midst of turmoil. This stability allows us to act instead of react which can prevent compounding of a serious situation.

Strength of Tranquility - God strengthens the peace in our lives as He assures us that as we commit everything to Him, we can rest knowing that each situation has already been settled

I guess that is why the Psalmist says in the last part of that verse, “why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” Because deep down, he knows that God cares for him and will never let him down. How deep does your trust for God go?

April 26

Today’s Reading - Psalm 46-48

(Psa 46:9 KJV) He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which teaches us a little about the essence of the gospel. In the first part of this verse we see that God makes an end of wars to the end of the earth. At the time this verse was being written God was still dealing with only the nation of Israel in terms of bringing the true Gospel. But the verse states that the wars will cease to the end of the earth. First, we must establish what war is in view and the following verse gives us that insight. (Rom 5:1 KJV) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Until a person becomes saved, they are at enmity with God, literally they are at war with Him. But when a person becomes saved, we are at peace with God which means the hostilities have ceased. Some have used this verse in the belief that it speaking of physical wars and it may have an inclination in that area. When a physical war breaks out and God’s purposes have been accomplished, then God will end that war. After the surrender of Japan in World War 2, General MacArthur told the churches in America to get their missionaries over to Japan. While the church held meetings and councils, the cults were pouring into Japan.

On that same note, we are at war with the terrorists who follow Islam. They see us as Infidels who worship a Christian God while they believe they are serving Allah. Allah is another name for their Moon God which pre-dates 7^th century Arabia when Islam came into being. If America wins the war against Islam, then they will see the God of Christianity is more powerful than their god Allah. Just for your information, Saudi Arabia is pumping millions of dollars into the propagation of Islam in the United States through the building of Mosques and schools. The bow, the spear, and the chariot are all instruments of war. They are mentioned as some trust in these things. (Psa 20:7 KJV) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. These instruments are weapons of offensive battle but God does not want us worrying about falling in the midst of the battle. He tells us to take the full armor of God. That armor of God is found in the Scriptures and when we take up the mantle of truth, the arrow and spear may be thrown toward us but they will never pierce the armor which is God Himself, who protects us by being our shield. The chariot was the most feared weapon of war because it represented a mobile cavalry which could come upon a nation in a short time and destroy its defenses. (Isa 52:12 KJV) For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. This verse tells us that God will even be our rear guard which will make it impossible for any false gospel or attack of Satan to ever penetrate our ranks. The only time we fall in battle, is when we remove the armor of God’s Word and replace it with our reasoning. Oh how foolishly we go to the slaughter!

April 27

Today’s Reading - Psalms 49 - 51

(Psa 51:1-2 KJV) Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. {2} Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

In today’s reading we come across these two verses which contain the three-fold confession of David. Psalm 51 is the third in the trilogy of sorrow which David wrote after his sin with Bathsheba. First, David asks the Lord to blot out his transgressions. One of the greatest benefits the Christian has is the fact that God has taken our sins away. He did not just cover them but He removed them permanently. (Psa 103:12 KJV) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. The Lord Jesus Christ completely detached our sins from us so when we enter His holy presence, there is not a trace of sin on us and then we can enter Heaven. David’s sin was also taken away even before Nathan approached him. This is the essence of the Grace of God which completely removes our sins.

The David asks the Lord to thoroughly wash him from iniquity. David is asking the Lord to completely be washed from every stain of guilt. David knows that when one sins against the Lord much guilt can accompany that sin and not only do we ask the Lord to remove the sin, but also the effects of that sin. Guilt can be a stop sign in the believer’s life and cause them to even stop witnessing. Did you ever commit a sin and not deal with it and then try to witness? What is the first thing that comes to your mind? It is the fact that you are being a hypocrite and that can weaken your personal witness. This is probably what was going in David’s mind, in that how could he be a good administrator and adjudicate discrepancies between people if he himself was guilty of sin. Only the Lord can wash us clean from the guilt of sin.

Then David asks the Lord to cleanse him from his sin. In ancient Israel, when anyone spoke of cleansing, immediately leprosy came to mind. David would have know what leprosy looked like which God used as a solemn picture of sin with all its physical effects on the body. A leper could lose feeling in their extremities like hands or feet, and they could burn and the person never knows it. David was fearful that sin could anesthetize him to the point of sinning without a conscience. David wanted to start over with a clean slate. What area is God dealing with you in today? Don’t reject Him, it is for your own good!

April 28

Today’s Reading - Psalm 52-54

(Psa 54:1 KJV) Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

In today’s reading we come across this short verse which is packed full of encouraging spiritual truths for the believer. David is asking the Lord to save him, now whether he was speaking spiritually or physically, we don’t know but David knew that God was his savior and apparently David is beseeching the Lord for help from his enemies. Notice he is asking God to save him by His name. When we search the Scriptures, we see there are many names for God and his attributes. Every specific name that God reveals Himself by speaks to the needs He fulfills. Let us look at just a few names of God which represent attributes of God which we can see as active in our lives. “Jehovah Shalom” is the God of Peace. Many times when we are in a rough situation or even just having a hectic day, God gives us stabilizing peace. Another name that God is known by is “Jehovah Jireh” which means the “Lord will provide.” Many times we pray for not only spiritual things but for physical necessities. We ask God to guide us into a new job, or to guide us in finding a spouse. Whatever our need may be, we can count on God to provide according to His will. When we don’t get what we feel we should, God has still provided, in that He provided what was best for us according to His will and perfect knowledge of us.

David then goes on to ask God to judge him according to the strength of God. He was asking God to decide his cause. He wanted God to investigate him to see if he was doing anything sinful. Yet, he believed that he was doing nothing against the Lord. Whenever we sin against the Lord, the last person we want to investigate us is the Lord. For if God finds any wrong ways about us, He will let us know and if we do not do anything about it, then He will chastise us, so we may return to right ways. This Psalm may have dealt with the time when David was on the run from Saul and since Saul had a bigger army, David was asking God to judge the situation and to intervene with His mighty power. He was asking God to protect him from the adversaries who wanted to take his life. It is the same in the Christian walk. There may not be anyone who wants to take our life but there will be unbelievers out there who will want to destroy our testimonies and we should beseech God every time we go out into the world. We need the same spiritual protection that David needed because even though times have changed, the goal of the unbeliever has not. Satan is still out to shipwreck as many believers as he can. He knows he cannot own us so he tries to derail us. This first verse in Psalm 54 is an excellent verse to pray before we face the day. Your spiritual testimony may depend on it.

April 29

Today’s Reading - Psalm 55-57

(Psa 56:11 KJV) In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which is an encouragement to all Christians. This Psalm is written by David when he was under attack by his enemies. David was declaring that he was putting his trust in the Lord. It is a great dovetailing truth that David is making, by putting his trust in the Lord he is not fearing what any man can do to him. David, no doubt, had seen so much of what God had done in his life that trusting God had become easier. It is the same with us. When we come to a realization of how God has cared for us in the past, then placing our trust in him for situations becomes a little easier each time, even if the situation is the most challenging we have ever faced. David is teaching us that when we place faith in the Lord it will drive out the fears that we have. (1 John 4:18 KJV) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. When our relationship begins to mature as we get older in the faith, we begin to love the Lord more and more, and that begins to drive out fears that may have accumulated in us for years.

Now I want to switch gears a little bit concerning the first part of the verse. I remember some years ago when I first became a Christian I was heavily into contest entries. I used to buy magazines which listed all the current contests and the requirements for entering them. At that time I was still playing the lottery because I thought that it was not really gambling, simply because I was not pulling the handle of a slot machine. Then I was reading my Bible and I came across this verse and it hit me like a rock. How could I be trusting God if I was placing my trust in the lottery or various contests? If God wanted to make me monetarily wealthy, He doesn’t need the lottery to do so. Of course, since that time I have come to see that lotteries are definitely gambling and they really do require a measure of faith, because you are always hoping that your numbers come out. Basically, it constitutes a divided allegiance. (Mat 6:24 KJV) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Trying two entertain the world system and the Lord in our lives will create a great spiritual controversy. Now this principle does not exclusively apply to lotteries but whatever else in our life may be usurping or trying to piggyback itself on our life of faith. You know, even computer addiction can crowd out a life of faith because it leaves very little time to work on your spiritual life. Let us be careful in our walk, because there are many things that can spiritually derail us.

April 30

Today’s Reading - Psalm 58-60

(Psa 58:3 KJV) The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

In today’s reading we come across this verse which describes the plight of every human being. It is the fact that we are born in sin and there is not a thing we can do about it. (Psa 51:5 KJV) Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. David was not talking about being born in a sinful manner, he was speaking about sin being transferred from one generation to the next. As we see in this verse, it doesn’t take long for a new human being to start their rebellion against God. It happens as soon as we are born. There is a teaching which has been around for many years called “The Age Of Accountability” in which it is taught that children are under the blood of Christ until such a time that they can understand the gospel and make a choice as to whether they accept the Lord or reject Him. This is not taught in the Scriptures because unsaved man is incapable of understanding spiritual things unless God opens their spiritual ears as He did to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:45). Our verse tells us that all human beings are sinful the moment they are born. Look at the following verses in the Psalm and we find nothing to the effect that children are protected by the blood of Christ until a certain age.

Now the question always arises, what about when a baby dies. Well, we look at little babies as cute and cuddly. God views that child as a rebellious sinner. We cannot know where each individual baby goes upon death. If they are the elect of God, they go right to the presence of the Lord. If they are unsaved, they will await the judgment as any other unsaved person. This is a hard teaching to swallow but we must always look at things from God’s point of view. This is why He gave us the Bible. As sinners, we would never be able to look at ourselves as God sees us, in need of salvation. A great picture of the believer’s salvation is Lazarus when he came out of the tomb. Lazarus was dead for four days and the Lord stands at the tomb and calls only Lazarus came forth. This is significant because if the Lord would have just said, “Come forth,” every grave in the world would have been opened. The Lord called Lazarus from physical death which is a great picture of the Lord calling us from spiritual death. (Eph 2:5 KJV) Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) The word for dead is the word “nekrous” which means “useless or lifeless.” That is what we are. Does this mean that no babies become saved? Absolutely not! Look at some famous Bible people saved in the womb: Paul - (Gal 1:15 KJV) But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,; Jeremiah - (Jer 1:5 KJV) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.;