Today's Devotion
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Psalm 14
“There is no one who does good, not even one.” David is speaking about the wicked and the fact that they have nothing good in them. Paul applies the concept to every person and concludes with the reality that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We are all born sinners which means that sin is natural to every human. The fool reveals his foolishness when he says that “there is no God,” and the everyday man might admit that God exists but will still struggle to trust Him. We look at our world today and assume it is more wicked than it was in David’s day; I suspect he would argue that all days are evil and that every person, ancient or modern, has “turned aside (from God), together they have [all] become corrupt.” Our culture regularly promotes the concept that people are inherently good, but God in both the Old and New Testament tells us that “there is no one who does good.” We are born wicked to the core, and it is only by grace through faith in Jesus that we can be saved from our sin and transformed into a wise and usable vessel. Even after being declared right by God (justified), we still struggle with that sin nature and fight daily battles to walk in righteousness. David gives us two reminders: all people are sinners and destined for an eternity separated from God (spiritual death), and this world’s only hope is Jesus. “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!”
Help me, Lord, to stop allowing the culture to influence my understanding of humanity and sin. Help me to continually share the gospel with the lost so that they can find hope in Jesus.
Psalm 14
“There is no one who does good, not even one.” David is speaking about the wicked and the fact that they have nothing good in them. Paul applies the concept to every person and concludes with the reality that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We are all born sinners which means that sin is natural to every human. The fool reveals his foolishness when he says that “there is no God,” and the everyday man might admit that God exists but will still struggle to trust Him. We look at our world today and assume it is more wicked than it was in David’s day; I suspect he would argue that all days are evil and that every person, ancient or modern, has “turned aside (from God), together they have [all] become corrupt.” Our culture regularly promotes the concept that people are inherently good, but God in both the Old and New Testament tells us that “there is no one who does good.” We are born wicked to the core, and it is only by grace through faith in Jesus that we can be saved from our sin and transformed into a wise and usable vessel. Even after being declared right by God (justified), we still struggle with that sin nature and fight daily battles to walk in righteousness. David gives us two reminders: all people are sinners and destined for an eternity separated from God (spiritual death), and this world’s only hope is Jesus. “Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!”
Help me, Lord, to stop allowing the culture to influence my understanding of humanity and sin. Help me to continually share the gospel with the lost so that they can find hope in Jesus.
Weekly Archive
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Psalm 13
Do you ever feel that God has forgotten you, or that He is not listening to your prayers? David was facing one of those moments in his life. His enemies were bearing down on him, and it felt as if he was alone with no hope of future victory. He was depressed (“having sorrow in my heart all the day”), confused (“how long will my enemy be exalted over me?”), and struggled to see any light at the end of the tunnel (“enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death”). David does what we must all do in those difficult and demeaning moments; we must turn to Him by faith. “I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” David could not see victory, but he trusted that God would provide it in His perfect time according to His perfect plan. Faith is not about sight; it is about an absolute trust that our God is in complete control and will accomplish His work as He sees fit. Will you “sing to the Lord” and rest in His past blessings until He provides fresh ones? God is calling us to a sightless faith that relies fully upon Him to “deal bountifully” with us. He promises to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and to answer our prayers as we walk by faith (Jeremiah 33:3; Philippians 1:6-7). Let your faith overrule your fear! Our God will keep His promises.
Help me, Lord, to overcome depression and confusion with faith in You and Your promises. Help me to trust that You will show up at the perfect moment and will keep every promise.
Psalm 13
Do you ever feel that God has forgotten you, or that He is not listening to your prayers? David was facing one of those moments in his life. His enemies were bearing down on him, and it felt as if he was alone with no hope of future victory. He was depressed (“having sorrow in my heart all the day”), confused (“how long will my enemy be exalted over me?”), and struggled to see any light at the end of the tunnel (“enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death”). David does what we must all do in those difficult and demeaning moments; we must turn to Him by faith. “I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.” David could not see victory, but he trusted that God would provide it in His perfect time according to His perfect plan. Faith is not about sight; it is about an absolute trust that our God is in complete control and will accomplish His work as He sees fit. Will you “sing to the Lord” and rest in His past blessings until He provides fresh ones? God is calling us to a sightless faith that relies fully upon Him to “deal bountifully” with us. He promises to never leave us (Hebrews 13:5) and to answer our prayers as we walk by faith (Jeremiah 33:3; Philippians 1:6-7). Let your faith overrule your fear! Our God will keep His promises.
Help me, Lord, to overcome depression and confusion with faith in You and Your promises. Help me to trust that You will show up at the perfect moment and will keep every promise.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Psalm 12
God always keeps His promises! David gladly shouts that truth from his lofty position as king of Israel. He knows without question that God keeps His promises. His problem is with those who say one thing or act a certain way only to completely change at some point in the future. They either tried to manipulate to get their way or got disillusioned on the way and their words and ways reversed. They went from supposed friends to certain enemies from mentors to haters. Now, David turns to the Lord for protection and for a fulfillment of His promises. Have you experienced a negative turn in some of your friend’s words, attitudes, and actions? If so, you most likely understand David’s predicament. David learned to lean on the Lord in those tumultuous moments by spending even more time in His Word. We must learn to do the same, because “the words of the Lord are pure words” and He will use them to distinguish His people from this double-tongued and double-minded generation. Praise the Lord for His goodness and make His Word a priority so that you can walk daily in His precious and pure promises.
Help me, Lord, to expect disappointment and frustration from this world and yet find rest in Your promises. Help me to trust Your promises and praise You daily as my unchanging and faithful God.
Psalm 12
God always keeps His promises! David gladly shouts that truth from his lofty position as king of Israel. He knows without question that God keeps His promises. His problem is with those who say one thing or act a certain way only to completely change at some point in the future. They either tried to manipulate to get their way or got disillusioned on the way and their words and ways reversed. They went from supposed friends to certain enemies from mentors to haters. Now, David turns to the Lord for protection and for a fulfillment of His promises. Have you experienced a negative turn in some of your friend’s words, attitudes, and actions? If so, you most likely understand David’s predicament. David learned to lean on the Lord in those tumultuous moments by spending even more time in His Word. We must learn to do the same, because “the words of the Lord are pure words” and He will use them to distinguish His people from this double-tongued and double-minded generation. Praise the Lord for His goodness and make His Word a priority so that you can walk daily in His precious and pure promises.
Help me, Lord, to expect disappointment and frustration from this world and yet find rest in Your promises. Help me to trust Your promises and praise You daily as my unchanging and faithful God.
Monday, November 3, 2025
Psalm 11
Where do you find refuge from the storms and instability of life? Some find refuge in substance abuse, sex, or success, but David, a man after God’s own heart, finds refuge in the Lord. When his enemies attack or his people shock him with some outlandish idea, he turns to the Lord for wisdom, strength, and safety. He knows that those who do evil will continue to be a problem, but he also trusts that His God is in control and can easily deal with those who threaten him with harm. Our enemies might look different, but they are still present in our daily lives. Anger, frustration, addiction, illness, emotional hurt, or mental struggles are all enemies of our physical, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being. They consistently threaten to do us harm; therefore, we, too, need a refuge, a safe place to rest and recuperate. We cannot abandon the world around us, but we can take a short break to reset for the next battles. God is a refuge who loves righteousness. As we live in a manner that honors Him, He will be our refuge and our strength amid the storms and the unstable. Do not give up, my friends, stay the course and find your refuge in the Almighty.
Help me, Lord, to find my refuge in You. Help me to stay the course amid the storms and the instability of life and find rest in those sacred moments that I have with You.
Psalm 11
Where do you find refuge from the storms and instability of life? Some find refuge in substance abuse, sex, or success, but David, a man after God’s own heart, finds refuge in the Lord. When his enemies attack or his people shock him with some outlandish idea, he turns to the Lord for wisdom, strength, and safety. He knows that those who do evil will continue to be a problem, but he also trusts that His God is in control and can easily deal with those who threaten him with harm. Our enemies might look different, but they are still present in our daily lives. Anger, frustration, addiction, illness, emotional hurt, or mental struggles are all enemies of our physical, emotional, and/or spiritual well-being. They consistently threaten to do us harm; therefore, we, too, need a refuge, a safe place to rest and recuperate. We cannot abandon the world around us, but we can take a short break to reset for the next battles. God is a refuge who loves righteousness. As we live in a manner that honors Him, He will be our refuge and our strength amid the storms and the unstable. Do not give up, my friends, stay the course and find your refuge in the Almighty.
Help me, Lord, to find my refuge in You. Help me to stay the course amid the storms and the instability of life and find rest in those sacred moments that I have with You.
Sunday, November 2, 2025
Psalm 10
Wickedness exists on the earth, and David struggles with God’s response to it. He sees evil on the earth and wonders why God does not step in and stop it. The wicked question God’s existence and sometimes seek to hurt those who follow Him. They have mouths “full of curses and deceit and oppression; under [their] tongue is mischief and wickedness.” Their words reveal the wickedness in their heart and promote evil actions against the righteous and those who do not agree with their lifestyle or ideology. They “sit in the lurking places of the villages; in the hiding places [they] kill the innocent…and watch for the unfortunate.” After considering the wickedness on the earth, David has no other recourse but to turn to the Lord, the forever King of kings, and trust that He will strengthen the hearts of the innocent and vindicate the oppressed. Do you see evil reigning in our culture? Do you wonder as David did why God does not shut it down? While we do not have that answer, we know that He is will strengthen us and vindicate us in the hardest of times. We also know that He will not leave us even when our feelings say otherwise. Our God is the forever King of kings, and He is trustworthy. As evil continues to thrive, rest in the reality of an eternity without wickedness or evil and filled with His goodness and grace.
Help me, Lord, to stop focusing so much on the evil of others and rest in Your goodness and grace. Help me to wait for Your strength and vindication and trust that You will never leave me.
Psalm 10
Wickedness exists on the earth, and David struggles with God’s response to it. He sees evil on the earth and wonders why God does not step in and stop it. The wicked question God’s existence and sometimes seek to hurt those who follow Him. They have mouths “full of curses and deceit and oppression; under [their] tongue is mischief and wickedness.” Their words reveal the wickedness in their heart and promote evil actions against the righteous and those who do not agree with their lifestyle or ideology. They “sit in the lurking places of the villages; in the hiding places [they] kill the innocent…and watch for the unfortunate.” After considering the wickedness on the earth, David has no other recourse but to turn to the Lord, the forever King of kings, and trust that He will strengthen the hearts of the innocent and vindicate the oppressed. Do you see evil reigning in our culture? Do you wonder as David did why God does not shut it down? While we do not have that answer, we know that He is will strengthen us and vindicate us in the hardest of times. We also know that He will not leave us even when our feelings say otherwise. Our God is the forever King of kings, and He is trustworthy. As evil continues to thrive, rest in the reality of an eternity without wickedness or evil and filled with His goodness and grace.
Help me, Lord, to stop focusing so much on the evil of others and rest in Your goodness and grace. Help me to wait for Your strength and vindication and trust that You will never leave me.
Saturday, November 1, 2025
Psalm 9
“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.” David gave thanks to the Lord because he recognized where every good thing in his life came from. He did not try to take credit for his good life, nor did he listen to the accolades that consistently came his way; instead, he gave praise to the Lord with every ounce of his being. He watched God defeat his enemies and silence those who tried to ruin his reputation. He praised God with the confidence of a man who had no fear because of the One he praised. How often does fear stop you from praising the Lord? David learned to quinch His fear with praise that flowed freely from his lips. We must do the same! When fear threatens to steal our joy and peace, we must quinch that fear with praise. Our God is so worthy of praise and because of Him we have nothing to fear. Our enemy prompts our fears with that which we cannot control and manipulates our emotions in our most vulnerable moments, but it is a façade created to undercut our faith and stunt our spiritual growth. Praise the Lord no matter what you are facing and celebrate His work in that situation when He does more than you could imagine.
Help me, Lord, to praise You in every season of life. Help me to praise You when fear threatens to steal my joy and peace and stunt my spiritual growth.
Psalm 9
“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart.” David gave thanks to the Lord because he recognized where every good thing in his life came from. He did not try to take credit for his good life, nor did he listen to the accolades that consistently came his way; instead, he gave praise to the Lord with every ounce of his being. He watched God defeat his enemies and silence those who tried to ruin his reputation. He praised God with the confidence of a man who had no fear because of the One he praised. How often does fear stop you from praising the Lord? David learned to quinch His fear with praise that flowed freely from his lips. We must do the same! When fear threatens to steal our joy and peace, we must quinch that fear with praise. Our God is so worthy of praise and because of Him we have nothing to fear. Our enemy prompts our fears with that which we cannot control and manipulates our emotions in our most vulnerable moments, but it is a façade created to undercut our faith and stunt our spiritual growth. Praise the Lord no matter what you are facing and celebrate His work in that situation when He does more than you could imagine.
Help me, Lord, to praise You in every season of life. Help me to praise You when fear threatens to steal my joy and peace and stunt my spiritual growth.
Friday, October 31, 2025
Psalm 8
As you read this beautiful song by King David, it is important to notice the structure that he used. He starts and ends the psalm with the same phrase, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” He follows that with a succinct paragraph on the majesty of His creation. The climax follows at v. 4, “What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” From that point forward, David focused on the crown jewel of God’s creation, humanity. Chiasm then has a structure of A,B,C,B,A with C being the climax or turning point of the song. Why is this important? It is important because it helps us see what the former shepherd emphasized and to enjoy it even more. He celebrates God as the one and only God who sits majestically on His throne after creating the universe in all its splendor. In His sovereignty, our great God chose to use humanity as His instrument of care for His creation, to bring Messiah onto the earth, and to build His kingdom. This is God’s plan, nor ours; therefore, we should never take for granted those great honors bestowed upon us. God’s name is “majestic…in all the earth,” and we should be shouting His praises the loudest because we have enjoyed His blessings the most.
Help me, Lord, to see Your majesty in Your creation and take my responsibilities for it seriously. Help me to always shout Your praises, especially when I see Your hand at work in my life.
Psalm 8
As you read this beautiful song by King David, it is important to notice the structure that he used. He starts and ends the psalm with the same phrase, “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” He follows that with a succinct paragraph on the majesty of His creation. The climax follows at v. 4, “What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” From that point forward, David focused on the crown jewel of God’s creation, humanity. Chiasm then has a structure of A,B,C,B,A with C being the climax or turning point of the song. Why is this important? It is important because it helps us see what the former shepherd emphasized and to enjoy it even more. He celebrates God as the one and only God who sits majestically on His throne after creating the universe in all its splendor. In His sovereignty, our great God chose to use humanity as His instrument of care for His creation, to bring Messiah onto the earth, and to build His kingdom. This is God’s plan, nor ours; therefore, we should never take for granted those great honors bestowed upon us. God’s name is “majestic…in all the earth,” and we should be shouting His praises the loudest because we have enjoyed His blessings the most.
Help me, Lord, to see Your majesty in Your creation and take my responsibilities for it seriously. Help me to always shout Your praises, especially when I see Your hand at work in my life.