Image: an alley in the Old City of Jerusalem off Lion’s Gate street. Notice how time has worn down the ancient stone steps. Little David was the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons, a nobody from a nobody-family. Then one day the prophet Samuel came to the home. Samuel instructed Jesse to round up his sons,Continue reading “Do You Have a Target on Your Back? Psalm 54.”
Category Archives: Psalms Teaches Us How to Relate to God
Psalms: a Book About the Heart. Psalm 149:4.
Do you ever think about how easy life is in the United States? We find ourselves on the wrong side of a political decision and say we are being persecuted. Yet we know nothing of real persecution. Or we wallow in a bad mood (I’m in a funk today!), never realizing how mild an AmericanContinue reading “Psalms: a Book About the Heart. Psalm 149:4.”
THAT’S PRACTICAL. My Johnny Derouen Story. Psalm 27:4.
Image: Johnny Derouen’s first day at FBC Houston, spring of 1984. Also pictured, Joel Nettles. Photo courtesy of Lance Vinson. The story goes that in the early ‘80s, Associate Pastor Felix Wagner interviewed 70-some people before he found the right man for the job. Let’s call it 77—the perfect number. After a two-year quest, FirstContinue reading “THAT’S PRACTICAL. My Johnny Derouen Story. Psalm 27:4.”
Talk to God Honestly. The Psalms of Asaph.
God wants us to talk to him honestly, to speak the truth of our situation and our feelings to him. And in response, God speaks to us with honesty. As the old saying puts it, this is not religion but a RELATIONSHIP. Like any other relationship, your relationship with God grows through honest communication. DavidContinue reading “Talk to God Honestly. The Psalms of Asaph.”
Give God Your Heart and Every Emotion You Find Therein. Psalm 88: a Paraphrase.
Psalm 88. —By Heman, son of Korah, of the tribe of Levi, servant to King David. Oh, God who saves! I’ve been crying to you day and night! Listen to me! My soul is filled with trouble. I can feel my life slipping toward the grave. I’m as good as dead. Might as well callContinue reading “Give God Your Heart and Every Emotion You Find Therein. Psalm 88: a Paraphrase.”
King David Pours His Heart Out to God: Reading the Psalms as a Journal Entry.
David could hear the crowd before he could see them. The streets of Jerusalem were crowded with well-wishers, children, and families, all of them cheering. The king had seen it so many times before. He was surrounded by his people: runners out front, then his sons on black horses, and then David, riding a hugeContinue reading “King David Pours His Heart Out to God: Reading the Psalms as a Journal Entry.”
Psalms: Songs About the Rhythms of Life. Psalm 30:5.
“The waves crash in/ The tide rolls out/ It’s an angry sea/ But there is no doubt/ That the lighthouse/ Will keep shining out/ To warn a lonely sailor.” –Rich Mullins, “Ready for the Storm.” We live in constant rhythm, like a beach beaten by crashing waves. You cannot escape rhythm. Breathe in, breathe out.Continue reading “Psalms: Songs About the Rhythms of Life. Psalm 30:5.”
Introduction to Psalms: The Song Book That Teaches You How to Relate to God. Psalm 23:2.
As a young college student, I once had a conversation with both an Old Testament professor and the dean of our humanities department. I wanted to build a research paper around the works of C.S. Lewis. The dean spoke up: “Well, I don’t know.” He looked at the Old Testament professor. “I think Lewis isContinue reading “Introduction to Psalms: The Song Book That Teaches You How to Relate to God. Psalm 23:2.”
The Prayers of King David. Various Psalms.
Long before he was king, David wrote psalms (poetry and songs) reflecting on the years he spent as a fugitive, hunted by King Saul. David is a rich example of godly manhood–he makes mistakes, of course. But the man is unusually well-adjusted. He is courageous but sensitive, bold but vulnerable, strong but compassionate. This warriorContinue reading “The Prayers of King David. Various Psalms.”
Household Words: 