Born for a Purpose

A Hallelujah Life | Psalm 135:1-7 Today's Passage: Psalm 135:1-7 Key Verses: Psalm 135:1-3 Praise the L ORD . Praise the name of the L ORD ; praise him, you servants of the L ORD , you who minister in the house of the L ORD , in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the L ORD , for the Lo RD  is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant. Anyone want to take a wild guess at what the psalmist is driving at in these verses? I am pretty sure the point is: Praise the Lord! The English phrase "Praise the Lord" comes from one powerful Hebrew word "Hallelujah." According to this psalm (and many passages like it), followers of the Lord are to live a "Hallelujah" life. Praise is the act of expressing approval, admiration and adoration. It includes belting out songs from the tops of our lungs and the bottoms of our hearts, but it doesn't stop there. Praise must be expressed with all of our being. Some questions to consider: Ar...

Today's Passage: Psalm 129 Key Verses: Psalm 129:1-4 A song of ascents. "They have greatly oppressed me from my youth," let Israel say; "they have greatly oppressed me from my youth, but they have not gained the victory over me. Plowmen have plowed my back and made their furrows long. But the LORD  is righteous; he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked. " You may be oppressed, but you're not defeated. OK, so you're down, but you are not out. You may be on the short end of the score, but the game is far from over. Get your head up! Look up! The Lord does what is right and he will cut you free from the cords that bind you. The psalmist was experiencing a tough time. From early in his life he was weighed down by heavy burdens. He describes the pain of his life as a plow digging a long furrow right down the middle of his back. However, even when others were greatly oppressing him he proclaimed, "but they have not gained victory ...

Forgiveness: Costly and Free | Psalm 130:1-4 Psalm 130:1-4 A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to you, L ORD ; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. If you, L ORD , kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you. Forgiveness. The word is powerful and tender, cleansing and costly.  If God would keep a database of our sins we would be bowled over by indefensible and mounting guilt; but (say it out loud)  with God there is forgiveness! Here's what forgiveness looks like. God removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). God washes our hearts until they are as white as snow (Isaiah  1:18 ). God sweeps our sins away like a cloud (Isaiah 44:22). God hurls our sins into the depths of the sea (Micah  7:19 ). God paid the penalty of sin by sacrificing himself (Hebrews  9:26 ). Jesus "bore...

Blessed to Give Psalm 128 A song of ascents.   Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him. You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the LORD. May the LORD bless you from Zion; may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you live to see your children's children-peace be on Israel.   Fearing God is not a cowering terror. It is not all talk and no action. It does not hide secret sin behind a pretense of godliness. The fear of God is an awe and respect that honors God with one's whole life. The fear of God is, in one word: Obedience.   The prosperity gospel, taught by many, purports that God provides health and wealth in return for a cursory and conditional acknowledgement of him. This acknowledgement is of...

Never Fight Alone Psalm 124 A song of ascents. Of David. If the LORD had not been on our side-let Israel say-if the LORD had not been on our side when people attacked us, they would have swallowed us alive when their anger flared against us; the flood would have engulfed us, the torrent would have swept over us, the raging waters would have swept us away. Praise be to the LORD, who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler's snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. You do not want to fight the battle alone. The enemy is too strong, too powerful, too cunning and too evil. Go into the battle alone and you will be swallowed up, engulfed, swept over and swept away. You are not up for the fight. Go into combat alone and you will be defeated. Not "If," not "When?" but "For Sure!" Unless your help is in the name of the L...