The Bible says that you reap what you sow. Put another way, what goes around comes around. In other words, your actions have consequences and if your actions are good and helpful and just, then eventually goodness, help, and justice will come your way. If your actions are cruel and deceitful and wicked, then eventually …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 41:1-3 “What Goes Around, Comes Around”
Bashing religion has become something a the intellectual sport du jour. If you want to make a splash then write a book about the death of God ro the evils of religion. Even among evangelical Christians religion bashing, and bashing the church along with it, has grown in popularity to immense proportions. People think it …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 40 “God Does Not Want Your Religion”
Average life expectancy continues to climb thanks to the advances in medicine, hygiene, nutrition, and improved working conditions. Yet life is still relatively short compared to eternity. David writes this Psalm asking God to make him aware of the fleeting nature of life in order to be focused and make the most out of every …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 39:1-7 “Life is Short, Make the Best of It”
Clearly David has self-esteem issues. The guilt that drips from the verses of this Psalm is palpable. He is feeling God's displeasure. God's arrows have pierced David's heart and the hand of the Lord's discipline weighs heavy on Him. For many people today such a view of self and of God is rejected out of …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 38:1-9 & 21-22 “The Failure of Self-Esteem”
We so often want what we do not have. When we see others have it we can easily become envious. When we are trying to follow God, don't get want we want and see others who could not care less about God and they have it all, it is easy to become bitter and blame …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 37 “The Problem of Envy”
When considering the character traits of God, what we call His attributes, people most often will speak of God as love. It is a commonly agreed to characteristic of God even among those who are uncertain if God even exists, because if He does exist we are certainly want Him to be loving. Yet, like …
We have seen it time and again in the first 35 Psalms, David crying out to God because there are people who seek to do him harm. They have ill will in their hearts towards him and in some case want him dead. Each time David has cried out to the Lord for His protection …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 35:1-8, 11-14 “It is Hard to Love Some People”
I have a friend from Australia who recently made the comment that from a distance America looks like a country driven by fear. It was hard to argue with him. Parents live in fear of what might happen to their children when they are out of their sight so 8 and 9 year olds have …
Continue reading Provocative Devotion: Psalm 34:1-7 “Facing Your Fears”
I have recently noticed a rash of statements along these lines, If you support (insert controversial cause/organization/political position here) then unfriend me now. It is the latest social media trend of polarization and follows on the heels of the name calling, truth stretching, innuendo flinging, and assuming the worst possible motives of others that is …
Continue reading Friendship in an Age of Social Media Polarization, Soundbites, and Vitriol
What joy! What delight! There is shouting and singing because of how great God is and how great are the things He has done and continues to do. There is thanksgiving to God because His Word is reliable and true. There is confidence in the future because God loves righteousness and justice and will not …
Shame and guilt are extremely heavy burdens to bear. They eat away at our soul. They drive us into seclusion and lead to deeper isolation. The world tries to eliminate shame and guilt by saying we did nothing wrong. But in our heart of hearts we know otherwise. We know this because God has placed …
In you, O Lord, do I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me! 2 Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily! Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me! 3 For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name's sake you …
We are not promised a life free from suffering and pain. As much as we might long for Utopia in this life, it will never be. One day to be sure, those who trust in the Lord will find ultimate joy and peace, but not yet. Life in a fallen world, filled with sin, is …
Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. 3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord …
I am struck by how often David cries out to God in the midst of conflict and turmoil. It seems that at every turn David has people out to get him. There are wicked people all around who want to do him harm and he consistently cries out to God to be delivered from them …
The Provocative Christian 