Category: daily meditations

SCRIPTURE: Zechariah 1 OBSERVATION: This book consists of a series of visions given by God to Zechariah (around 520 BC) for the nation of Israel, exiles in Babylon. The basic message is ‘get ready, God is about to act on behalf of Israel!’ [1:16] God had allowed His special people to be defeated by their cruel,…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 146 OBSERVATION A summary of what David says in Psalm 146: I will always boast about how great God is, the great and mighty God who is on the side of the weak and needy! When you think of God, is this what comes to mind for you? The champion of the weak, the needy, the…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 145 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION How much time do you spend thinking about how great and how good God is? Honestly! I’m not talking about singing worship songs, I’m talking about intentional periods of reflection where we list the different ways that God’s greatness or goodness have impacted us. I need to ask myself this question. David…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 144 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION These words need to be read in their context, then applied to our own context. In David’s day, when violence and war were normal, being trained for battle and subduing the enemy was critical. The enemy – often foreigners, or non Jews – was a constant threat to the tiny, vulnerable nation…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 143 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION What did David do when he was in a desperate situation? (a) he prayed desperately, persistently (b) he was honest about his struggles, as wel as about his own sin and need for mercy (c) he reminded himself of God’s past blessings and mercies (d) he opened himself to learn, to be taught (e)…

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 142 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION David is on the run, hiding from King Saul in a cave [see 1 Samuel 24]. He desperately cries out to God for mercy and protection (later he records it as a psalm). As the story unfolds, we see how God puts Saul into his hands, and how David refuses to kill God’s appointed ruler. Saul relents, and…

SCRIPTURE: Psalms 140-141 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION These two psalms are help prayers for Jesus-followers. Although I am not facing the human enemies that David faced, I read these words in light of the evil one, the Enemy behind all other enemies. I am also having to deal with Satan’s poison, his tricks and traps. Like David, I need to…

SCRIPTURE: 2 Peter 2 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION Peter is describing spiritual charlatans, religious sheisters who cloak themselves in religious garb, but who live for their own selfish, sinful pleasure. Deceivers, false teachers, they put on a good show, but… Jesus said we could tell the true and false teachers by their fruit, i.e. by the outcome of their lives….

SCRIPTURE: 2 Peter 1 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION Peter is making sure that these Jesus followers never forget the basic message of God, namely that through Jesus we have been reconnected to God, energized by His Spirit and therefore free and able to live healthy, holy lives in this twisted, sinful world. We have everything we need, through our relationship…

SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 4-5 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION Through Peter, I hear the Lord speaking to me about the challenge of following Jesus… if we do it seriously. To not live for sinful pleasure, but to deny myself for the sake of others, loving and serving them even though I pay a price for it. This is the way (the…