Ahab was a firsthand witness of the power of God at Mount Carmel and the recipient of God’s mercy after he’d murdered Naboth and his sons. You’d think that would be more than enough for Ahab to devote himself wholly to the Lord. But he didn’t. He surrounded himself with 400 pseudo-prophets and looked to them exclusively for guidance.
Read More false prophets, truth, prophecy
God is our help in times of trouble. That’s the good news! But there’s good news and bad news. The rest of the story is that God doesn’t exempt us from trouble (compare John 16:33).
This world will never be free from sin and suffering.
Read More help in trouble, thanksgiving, praise
When there’s a repetition of a text, it’s obviously important – a mnemonic device to capture attention, aid memory and precipitate action. “Restore us, O God” is the echoing heart cry of this psalm (compare vv 3, 7, 19), a visceral plea for God to “make us strong again” (CEV), “smile your blessing smile” (Msg), “bring us back” (GNT), “make your face shine down upon us” (NLT).
Read More restoration, prayerWhy should we praise the Lord? Why shouldn’t we just eat, drink and be merry? (see Luke 12:19). Why shouldn’t we simply live an entitled life? In a free-wheeling, sex-loving, ambition-driven, selfie-focused world, why should we waste time exalting, extolling and glorifying the Lord?
Read More praiseHow should we pray when hope is spent, there’s nowhere to turn, and nothing more we can do?
Asaph begins his entreaty in the dust of despair. A savage enemy has wreaked carnage. In the blood spattered, ember smoking aftermath of destruction, there’s nothing but desolation.
Read More desperation, prayer, hopeThis Psalm is about two cities – Jerusalem and Babylon – the city of God and the city of Satan.
Jerusalem, yrw meaning ‘the city’ and salem meaning ‘of the god Shalem’, was, and will be, God’s capital of the world. It’s name is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18 as the city where King Mechizedek, the priest of God Most High, came from.
Read More BabylonSinging, laughter, celebration, deliverance! God’s people liberated at last. This is the background to Psalm 126.
Have you ever wondered if what was happening to you was a dream? Such was the case with Peter. Shackled by chains and guarded by four squads of four soldiers each, there was no way he could escape from prison.
Read More singing, deliverance, weepingAll gravestones have two things in common: names and dates. There’s something else they have in common, something most people overlook – the dash between the dates. Names and dates are important, but without the dash they’re meaningless. That’s because the dash is more than a simple horizontal line, more than punctuation.
Read More life, numbering our days“In God we trust” is the official motto of the United States of America. Its Spanish equivalent, En Dios Confiamos, is the official motto of the Republic of Nicaragua. It’s not just the motto of these two countries. “In God we trust” resounds with the Psalms (Psalm 9:10, 40:3, 91:2, 73:28, 118:8) and is a fitting title for Psalm 91.
Read More our refuge, trust