Today's Verse: Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. ~Psalm 123:1 How well can you handle criticism? Criticism is when someone has taken the opportunity to give his opinion and remarks about who we are, what we said, what we believe, or what we have done. There is constructive criticism, which helps us make needed improvements to our life or performance. There is adversarial criticism that dismantles, divides, and destroys. Adversarial criticism

Today's Verse: Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way. ~Psalm 119:37 One of the challenges of parenting babies and toddlers is keeping their attention focused. Little kids tend to be distracted easily. Learning to focus is part of child development and training. In some cases, children who have difficulty focusing are said to have attention deficit disorder. In a spiritual sense, some Christians find themselves pulled in different direction

Today's Verse: The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me? ~Psalm 118:6 Who do you go to if you need help? Little children go to their parents. Little brothers or sisters go to their big brothers and sisters. Members of a congregation go to their pastors. Wives go to their husbands. The psalmist made a monumental proclamation. He said, “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear; what can man do unto me?” Let’s see what he meant by that emphatic statement.

Today's Verse: Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob; ~Psalm 114:7 The words "tremble" and "trembling" are found 78 times in the English King James Version of the Bible. These words are associated with being moved with awe, respect, and fear. They mean to shake and shiver within. When we are very cold or our body temperature drops below normal, we tend to shiver. When we have been terribly frightened or traumatized by a serious

Today's Verse: Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. ~Psalm 103:5 Eagles are considered the most majestic of bird species. They are a wonderful spectacle to behold in the sky. They are considered masters of both sky and land. Eagles are mentioned 34 times in Scripture. Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise. David was praising the Lord with all his soul for God’s mercies, forgiveness, and care. In Psalm 103:5, he says that God’s ca

Today's Verse: For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations. ~Psalm 100:5 Worship is when we express our adoration, praise, and honor to God. The worship of God demands our words, works, and wealth. God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth. Psalm 100 is a delightful psalm of worship. We see the personification. “For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all

Today's Verse: Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. ~Psalm 52:1 We are in a spiritual battle every day of our lives. Paul said, “When I would do good, evil is present with me.” He describes our spiritual battle as the flesh lusting against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. In Psalm 52, David was referring to a prime enemy that was a thorn in his side. His name is Doeg. We see the diabolical of Doeg. “

Today's Verse: Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. ~Psalm 51:10 Someone who is in trouble with the law understands the seriousness of their offense. The record of their offense can be used against them over and over again. However, there is a wonderful feeling when the offender finds mercy in the eyes of the law, has his record cleared, and is able to get a clean start. As we start a New Year, we must not overlook the importance of a clean

Today's Verse: Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. ~Psalm 48:1 Is there a bucket list of cities you hope to visit one day? Is there a city that stands out as your favored city? When we think of a favored city, we think of iconic sites, eateries, people, and things to do. We prefer places that are safe. We prefer places where others share the same good opinion about those places. This morning, we are taking a

Today's Verse: For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me. ~Psalm 38:4 Have you ever felt like you were in over your head in something? Being in over your head is an idiom that describes how you feel about a situation that is occurring in your life. David was in over his head in a situation that he could not undo. Everyone who knew something about David’s situation doubted his credibility. He was bewildered and at an extreme m

Today's Verse: What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? ~Psalm 34:12 People, as they get older, will sometimes tell their family and friends, “I’ve lived a good life.” By what means are we qualifying a good life? Is it our comfort level? Is it our success? Is it our career achievements? Is it our travel? David gives us the biblical perspective on what constitutes a “good life.” Everyone wants a good life and Psalm 34 tells us how it is a

Today's Verse: My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me. ~Psalm 31:15 Have you ever been involved in a life-or-death situation where your ultimate fate was in someone else’s hands, and you said, “I’m putting my life into your hands”? This is absolute trust. It is when your input, ideas, and know-how are useless and only the person who is stronger and more knowledgeable can get you through your situation. David was a

Today's Verse: The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. ~Psalm 28:7 Psalm 28 was written either during David’s flight from Saul or Absalom. There were moments when the closeness of his adversaries made him think life was over. He was overcome with incredible fears. Yet, as this psalm progresses, there is a major shift in his tone and outlook. As we meditate on t

Today's Verse: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ~Psalm 23:1 Perhaps no psalm is more beloved among believers than Psalm 23. It is the second of a trilogy of psalms that are known as the "shepherd psalms." In Psalm 22, Jesus is our Good Shepherd. In Psalm 24, Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. This comes from Hebrews 13:20 where it speaks of our Lord Jesus as the Great Shepherd of the sheep. This morning, let us be refreshed by the Person of our Great Shepherd. We see

Today's Verse: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? ~Psalm 22:1 Psalm 22 is one of the great Messianic psalms. It is a psalm that records for us the sufferings of our Lord Jesus on the cross. Psalm 22-24 are referred to as the "shepherd psalms." Psalm 22 is referred to as the psalm of the Good Shepherd where the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. In this psalm, we have a vivid descript

Today's Verse: Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. ~Psalm 112:4 Have you ever been at a place where you feel like you have been in the dark? By this, I mean you are uninformed or left clueless about something that others know about. Well, this morning God gives us the secret to how not to be in the dark when it comes to a life that He desires to bless. We see his adoration. “Praise ye the LORD. Ble

Today's Verse: The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD; and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice! ~Psalm 21:1 Psalm 21 is a psalm of rejoicing. It is a psalm of worship and praise for the blessings of his salvation. David wrote this psalm as a sovereign and as a son. It is a psalm that looks back, looks at the present, and looks ahead. The essence of this psalm is “the joy of my salvation.” Let us see this morning why being saved should result in rejoicing in ou

Today's Verse: Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. ~Psalm 20:7 In advertising, a company tries to successfully convey an idea about its product or service to compel consumers to purchase it. One such branding cliché is the use of the term “the trusted name.” Companies that use this description have consistently successful results backed by consumer testimonials of their trustworthiness. This morning, we are greatly

Today's Verse: Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. ~Psalm 37:1 A few years...

Today's Verse: Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my...