Category: “Listening to God” Devotional

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+131

 

Psalm 131 (ESV)

I Have Calmed and Quieted My Soul

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
² But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore.

 

REFLECTION:

1. David pictured faith as a young child nestling against its mother and contrasted this attitude with an arrogance which challenged God’s word.
2. Pride is essentially a belief that one does not need God but is self-sufficient. He looks down on other people and overestimates his own abilities as well as his own importance. The humble person, however, has a realistic understanding of his or her capabilities and limitations.
3. The ability to rest and be quiet, rather than struggling for what we want, is a sign of maturity as well as humility.
4. David called on the nation to follow his example and rest in confidence that the Lord would provide what His people needed. This dependent trust is a need God’s people never outgrow.
5. This psalm reminds us what it means to have faith as a child. We can trust God because He is who He is. We must trust Him because we are who we are.

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Lord, My Heart is not Haughty – www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixuoMaBSec0

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+130

 

Psalm 130 (ESV)

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
² O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!

³ If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.

⁵ I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
⁶ my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.

⁷ O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
⁸ And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Donald Grey Barnhouse used to picture a believer, burdened with a sense of guilt, appealing to God for forgiveness. The believer was ashamed, for he knew that he had committed the same sin many times before. “O Lord,” he begged, “please forgive me again, I know I don’t deserve it, as this is the nineteenth time I’ve committed this sin this month. But please, Lord, forgive me this nineteenth time.” And Dr. Barnhouse would say, the Lord looked up in surprise. “What do you mean, nineteenth?”
2. The point this great old expositor of God’s Word was making is stated clearly in Psalm 130:3-4. “If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness.”
3. God keeps no record of our sins! When we confess, He forgives, and then our sins are gone.
4. What a blessing! Our past is no longer a weight we must carry with us always. Our past is gone, and we can look ahead with renewed hope. Through forgiveness we have been cleansed! Tomorrow will be different, and through Christ we will win victory over sins that in the past meant defeat.
5. Don’t let a sense of shame keep you from enjoying God’s forgiveness. Confess your sin (sorry), receive God’s forgiveness (thank), ask for protection and strength to resist any future temptations (please).

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

I Will Wait for You – www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C3WQ1G1Uso

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+129

 

Psalm 129 (ESV)

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of Ascents.

1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—
let Israel now say—
² “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,
yet they have not prevailed against me.
³ The plowers plowed upon my back;
they made long their furrows.”
⁴ The Lord is righteous;
he has cut the cords of the wicked.
⁵ May all who hate Zion
be put to shame and turned backward!
⁶ Let them be like the grass on the housetops,
which withers before it grows up,
⁷ with which the reaper does not fill his hand
nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
⁸ nor do those who pass by say,
“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
We bless you in the name of the Lord!”

 

REFLECTION:

1. The psalm writer urged the people to acknowledge that God had enabled Israel to survive the many persecutions throughout her history. Israel’s enemies had, as it were, plowed deep furrows on Israel’s back. This was a vivid figure of speech in an agricultural economy. It pictures the land as a human being. However, righteous God had cut the cords to Israel’s oppressors.
2. The psalmist encouraged the Israelite pilgrims to pray for continuing deliverance. The mention of Zion, the pilgrim’s destination, recalled the place where God dwelt, the most important place in Israel. Those who hated Zion would be hating and setting themselves against God.
3. God’s people should carefully thank Him for past deliverances, but should also continue to pray for His safekeeping in the future, since their enemies will continue to oppose and oppress them.

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

The Lord is Righteous – www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kg26SmiPJQ

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+128

 

Psalm 128 (ESV)

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
who walks in his ways!
² You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴ Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the Lord.

⁵ The Lord bless you from Zion!
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life!
⁶ May you see your children’s children!
Peace be upon Israel!

 

REFLECTION:

1. “Fear of the Lord”, the Old Testament respect for God that motivates obedience, is the path of blessing for all of us. In most cases, the blessing will be obvious: long life, prosperity, a large and happy family.
2. These are the things that the Jews of biblical times wished for one another as they gathered for worship: peace and prosperity.
3. This psalm beautifully tied family and nation together in the thinking of the pilgrim Israelite who traveled with his family to Jerusalem for a national feast. It is a reminder of the importance of God’s blessing on both home and nation that are mutually dependent. Families and nations can only succeed with God’s blessing.
4. Pray for your family and your nation to fear the Lord and to enjoy God’s blessings.

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord – www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B1wXeKhVO4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+127

 

Psalm 127 (ESV)

Unless the Lord Builds the House

A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
² It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.

³ Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Our culture elevates the possession of things and applauds compulsive work habits. This psalm puts it in perspective. We can’t be self-sufficient. We can’t make ourselves safe. Work and workaholic lifestyles don’t help a bit. God alone provides, guards, and gives peace.
2. The folly of working all the time and not trusting in the Lord should be obvious when one considers that much of what we enjoy does not come from working hard. Many of life’s best blessings come as gifts from God. Children are one of these great gifts. God gives them to a couple or withholds them, as he chooses, regardless of how much a husband and wife may strive to obtain them.
3. Followers of Christ need to recognize that people are never self-made. We owe all that we possess to God’s providence ultimately. Consequently, we should avoid the trap of depending totally on ourselves for all we need in life. Instead, we should trust God as we work and acknowledge His good gifts.
4. Is God building your business? Family? Support system? Or are you building it?
5. Have a conversation with God about this “building” business.

 
PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Psalm 127 – www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYs4baSxdFA

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+126

 

Psalm 126 (ESV)

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of Ascents.

1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
² Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³ The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.

⁴ Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
⁵ Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
⁶ He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.

 

REFLECTION:

1. This is a song of celebration by the exiles who returned to Zion. What emotions do you see expressed throughout this psalm? Have you ever experienced such emotions?
2. Has God ever done something so great that you had to pinch yourself to see if you were dreaming?
3. The Israelites give God the credit for the “great things” that have happened. How do you do with giving God the credit?
4. When do you feel inhibited about freely expressing your joy?
5. What do you need to praise God for? Share your joy with him and others.

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Those Who Sow in Tears Shall Reap Joy – www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHmzUwqTJs4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+125

 

Psalm 125 (ESV)

The Lord Surrounds His People

A Song of Ascents.

1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
² As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time forth and forevermore.
³ For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
lest the righteous stretch out
their hands to do wrong.
⁴ Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts!
⁵ But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
Peace be upon Israel!

 

REFLECTION:

1. The simile “like Mount Zion” offers a powerful image. Those who trust God enter into a towering security where evil neither has sway nor corrupts, where God’s goodness and peace prevail.
2. Christians will also face many temptations and challenges as we live out our lives with God in this world. We should have such confidence and stability knowing that “the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forevermore.” (v2)
3. What worldly influences tempt you at home, at work, or in society? How do you stay “unmoved”? (v1)
4. When is it hardest for you to trust the Lord? Why?

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Psalm 125 – www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IAe3dR62e4

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+124

 

Psalm 124 (ESV)

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side—
let Israel now say—
² if it had not been the Lord who was on our side
when people rose up against us,
³ then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
⁴ then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
⁵ then over us would have gone
the raging waters.

⁶ Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth!
⁷ We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped!

⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.

 

REFLECTION:

1. David voiced praise to God for not allowing the pagan nations that surrounded Israel to defeat and assimilate God’s people. It’s only because God was on Israel’s side that they had survived. So, all Israel praised the maker of heaven and earth, who has proven to be His people’s help.
2. No one can fight evil alone. It is God who “was on our side” fighting for us. God has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrew 13:5) Jesus told His disciples, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:20)
3. What external or internal enemy is God saving you from? Come before His mercy throne, for we know where we can have sure help.

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Our Help Is In the Name of the Lord – www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGsTLgn2qQg

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+123

 

Psalm 123 (ESV)

Our Eyes Look to the Lord Our God

A Song of Ascents.

1 To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
² Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.

³ Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.
⁴ Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.
 

REFLECTION:

1. Mercy (v3) is a much-admired quality in the Old Testament. It is compassion and concern for a helpless person’s plight, which finds expression in reaching out with help.
2. The person who needs mercy is completely dependent on the willingness of another to help. God’s people look to God for mercy as a slave, dependent on another’s kindness, looks expectantly to his or her master. How wonderful that as we depend on God, He does reach out to help us.
3. Recall a time when you’ve said “I’ve had it” (or as in v3, “we have had more than enough of contempt”). How has God shown mercy then? Read this psalm over a couple of times and have a conversation with God.

 

PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Unto You I Lift Up My Eyes – www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWN1CvaMtYk

 

Read chapter in full: biblegateway.com/passage/?version=ESV&search=Psalms+122

 

Psalm 122 (ESV)

Let Us Go to the House of the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

1 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
² Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!

³ Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,
⁴ to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵ There thrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!
⁷ Peace be within your walls
and security within your towers!”
⁸ For my brothers and companions’ sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

 
REFLECTION:

1. David wrote of his delight in going up to the temple to worship God in this short psalm. And the joy of finally arriving at Jerusalem where God’s people worships. Surely this is a cause for celebration.
2. Worship at Mount Zion was both a regular obligation (although a joyous event) and a bonding experience for temple-bound worshipers. What is “going to church” like for you?
3. Psalm 122 also reminds us of how Jesus marveled and wept over Jerusalem (Lk 9:51; 13:31-35; 19:41-44). By comparison, what tears have you shed over your beloved city?
4. Scan the city news section of your newspaper for events and people that need God’s “shalom” (peace and prosperity). Bring to God in prayer everyone you know in city hall and the key urban areas that need shalom.

 
PRAYER:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what He wants to tell you.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in your spiritual journal.

 

HYMN:

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem – www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPZcSbDSvN8