No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly Psalm 84:11 Uprightly – I want tov in my life – all those prosperous, useful, beneficial things that God has designed into my plan and purpose. Amazingly, God wants to give them to me. But there are two ends to the delivery chain –…
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly Psalm 84:11 Good – “Live long and prosper,” is the Vulcan greeting in Star Trek. Spock might as well have used the Hebrew word tov. Occurring 738 times in the Old Testament, the general idea of tov is utilitarian. To be “good” is to…
No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly Psalm 84:11 Withhold – Start now! Save. Watch your resources carefully. Retirement, the golden age of relaxation, is a big seller these days. Entire communities are billed as “retirement living.” The advertisement on the radio says, “Will you outlive your money or will your…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies Psalm 23:5 Enemies – Who is my enemy? Is he the one who stands against me with sword in hand? Is he the one with a bomb concealed in a bag? Is he the one with a finger on the trigger? Or the…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies Psalm 23:5 In the presence of – If you are going to enjoy the feast God is arranging, you will have to give up your microwave mentality. God is a gourmet chef. He takes His time. And when everything is ready, He presents…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies Psalm 23:5 Before – God knows that the best part of a meal is cooking, not eating. Of course, it’s wonderful to enjoy the fruits of the chef’s labor. But it’s far more engaging to be in the kitchen while the meal is…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies Psalm 23:5 Table – What kind of table does God prepare for those who walk uprightly (take a peek at Psalm 84:11)? It’s not a trivial question. And it’s not about the table construction. Wood, glass, steel – it doesn’t matter. The word…
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies Psalm 23:5 Prepare – Important guests are coming for dinner. In my house, that means tablecloths and napkins, the best silverware, dishes arranged, glasses placed, silver polished. Of course, cooking the food is not like ordering pizza. Sometimes preparation begins days beforehand. Everything…
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 Fear No Evil – Twelve Steppers offer us David’s worldview in an acronym: FEAR – False Evidence Appearing Real. We need this truth deep in our souls. God’s word is the…
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 Shadow of Death – Are you afraid of the dark? Oh, I don’t mean the night. At night there is still light – the stars, perhaps the moon, the glow of…
