January 7, 2016. Reading: Psalm 148-150. Background: Psalm 145-147. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 148 Praise the Lord: As we draw near the end of the book of psalms, we find that the majority of psalms are solely songs of praise to the Lord. This is the case with this song, as we are called together…
Tag: honor
Psalm 145-147: Praise the Lord!
December 31, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 145-147. Background: Psalm 142-144. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 145 Great is the Lord: This psalm, attributed to David, is a song of praise and glory to the Lord, praising His marvelous nature and deeds. The psalmist opens with blessings and praise, setting the Lord in unsearchable greatness. Notice the…
Psalm 142-144: Refuge.
December 30, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 142-144. Background: Psalm 139-141. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 142 The Lord as refuge: This psalm, attributed to David, is a cry and prayer of mercy and protection from the Lord. Notice how the psalmist puts his faith and trust in the Lord, even when he finds little refuge here…
Habakkuk 1-3: What the Lord is doing.
November 20, 2015. Daily Reading: Habakkuk 1-3. Background: Very little is known about the prophet Habakkuk, as we are not given his family linage, hometown or who was in power when he carried out his ministry from the text. His name even is not a common Hebrew name and it is only found twice in…
Ecclesiastes 5-6: Satisfaction and dissatisfaction.
November 12, 2015. Daily Reading: Ecclesiastes 5-6. Background: Ecclesiastes 3-4. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 5 1. Few words before God: Chapter five of the book of Ecclesiastes opens with a discussion on the relationship between God and man, reminding us of where we stand before the Creator of the universe and how we should approach…
Colossians 1-2: The preeminent Christ.
June 28, 2015. Daily Reading: Colossians 1-2. Background: Paul’s letter to the church at Colossae is unique in the sense that this was not a church that had been originally founded on one of his missionary journeys, nor was it one to which he had personally visited (see 1:7, 2:1). It could have been founded…
Proverbs 2-3: The blessing of wisdom.
May 28, 2015. Daily Reading: Proverbs 2-3. Background: Proverbs 1. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 2 The value of wisdom: After introducing wisdom in the first chapter, the book continues by describing the value of wisdom here. Before her value is revealed, however, notice the insistence on the need for seeking and searching for wisdom. Wisdom does…
Psalm 45-47: The King.
April 22, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 45-47. Background: Psalm 42-44. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 45 A love song to the King: The 45th psalm is self named as a love song to the king, who tradition would tell us was king Solomon. However, this psalm has a much deeper and greater purpose nested within it than to simply…
Psalm 27-29: The Lord’s glory.
March 11, 2015. Today’s Reading: Psalm 27-29. Background: Psalm 24-26. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 27 “Whom shall I fear?”: As in many of the psalms, David directs our minds here to the power and protection of the Lord when we are in His fold. Since the Lord is his light, salvation and stronghold, David assures all…
Who do you worship?
December 23, 2014. There is a popular song out there today that I love the music of and the way it is written, but its message is so bad that I do not like to listen to it. As you might guess from the name and the opening sentence, “Take me to church” by Hozier…
Hymnnotes: When My Love to Christ Grows Weak.
November 28, 2014. For a while now I have wanted to do a series on some of my favorite hymns with a running commentary on the verses as they unfold. I believe singing to be one of the best ways to worship our Lord, and music has throughout the centuries both captivated and touched the…
A psalm of thanksgiving and praise.
November 27, 2014. “For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 