Psalm 89 - 4.30.25
Scripture: Psalm 89: 1
I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
Observation
This Psalm was written by Ethan the Ezrahite. In 2 Samuel 7:12-17, God promises King David that there would always be a king of the Jews. Ethan wrote this Psalm after the Jews were deported to Babylon. In it, he expressed a belief that despite what he saw, he had faith that the promises described in 2 Samuel 7:12-17, would still be fulfilled. (Reference: Wikipedia)
Ethan kept the faith.
The promise of God to King David didn’t seem like it was going to happen. However, in this Psalm, the writer was encouraging himself in the faithfulness of the Lord and His promises. Despite the circumstances around him showing him something different, he still kept the faith.
Application
Keep the faith.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
There are four things about faith in these two passages that we can apply to our daily lives.
- It’s impossible to please God without it.
- We must believe He exists when we come to Him.
- We must EARNESTLY seek him. Definition for earnestly in the Oxford dictionary is “with sincere and intense conviction; seriously.”
- We must be confident in what we hope for, even though we don’t see it yet.
What faith move or prayer is the Holy Spirit asking you to make today?
Prayer
Dear Lord, It is impossible to please you without faith. I pray that we would always encourage ourselves in You regarding Your promises and character as described in Your Word. Help us not to trust our circumstances, but You alone. Amen.
- Michelle Gaddi
Acts 17 - 4.29.25
SCRIPTURE: Acts 17:24-28a "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being."
OBSERVATION: The men of Athens were educated, and very religious, but they didn't know the One true God. Paul had walked around and looked carefully at their objects of worship, and he found an altar with the inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Realizing they were ignorant of the very thing they worshiped, he proclaimed Who God is, and what He had done for all mankind through His Son, Jesus. He preached about Jesus' resurrection, and the importance of putting their faith in Him. Paul also explained concepts such as the resurrection of the dead and salvation.
Paul was a rabbi who had been taught by the finest scholar of his day. He was well prepared to communicate what he had learned because he had spent much of his life reading and studying the Scriptures. He emphasized that God is not a distant deity but the One who intimately interacts with His creation. Paul conveyed that we only live because of God, and that we were created by the works of His own hands. After Paul spoke, there was a number of people who became followers of him.
APPLICATION: Paul was an excellent example of someone who took the time to prepare to share the gospel, and because he had spent so much of his life thinking and reasoning through the Scriptures, he was well equipped to answer their questions and arguments truthfully and constructively. He had been allowed to speak on three successive Sabbaths, which indicates that he was well respected, and possibly eloquent in speech. (I desire to have both of those attributes).
PRAYER: Lord, You are the One true God. I worship You for Who You are and for all You have done. In You I live and move and have my being. I pray as Your offspring that I will continually allow Your Word to shape me, mold me, instruct me, motivate me, challenge me, and give me wise council. I pray, like Paul, that I will allow Your Word to fill me and use me as I share it boldly with others. Your Word is inspired and trustworthy, and I thank You that it is being used to equip me to live for you. I pray Your Holy Spirit will help me to read, study, and memorize Your Word so that I am able to share it wisely, timely, and effectively.
- Robin Orefice
2 Chronicles 20 - 4.28.25
Scripture
2 Chronicles 20:15 NIV
“He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Observation
The Moabites and Ammonites with some of the Meunites came to wage war against King Jehoshaphat. King Jehoshaphat was feeling a bit overwhelmed and terrified over this planned attack. So what was King Jehoshaphat’s first plan of action?..He begged God for guidance and called on the people to fast and pray (verses 3 & 4). Then while the people of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered together seeking God, the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel. And through Jahaziel, God spoke to the people. He told them, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.”
Application
Is something in your life troubling you and you don’t know what to do? Seek God’s help!
I love how King Jehoshaphat’s first response after feeling threatened and terrified was to seek God’s help. He called the people to fast and pray. He could have easily panicked and tried to form alliances with other kingdoms so he could fight his enemies or he could have cowardly surrendered to his foes in defeat. But, King Jehoshaphat remembered God’s faithfulness. He remembered God’s covenant with the people of Israel. He remembered that his God was mighty and powerful! Once he realized that, God answered his prayers. King Jehoshaphat found comfort knowing that the battle was not his to fight, it was God’s.
We could all learn from King Jehoshaphat here. If trouble comes our way and we feel our problems closing in on us, seek God first! We can tend to forget that sometimes. We could seek other avenues for help and refuge from these world’s problems, but we need to remember that we have God on our side. He is mighty 💪🏽 and He is awesome! Trust in Him and allow Him to fight our battles for us.
“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” -Exodus 14:14
“For the Lord your God will fight for you.’” -Deuteronomy 3:22b
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for always being on my side. Thank You for Your faithfulness and goodness. You are always watching over Your children, keeping them safe and out of harms way. May I always be reminded of that. May You be the first One I seek when times are rough. May You be the first One I seek when times are good. You oh Lord, are with me through it all and I praise You. Be my place of refuge and source of strength today. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽
-Moses Gaddi