The Psalmist declared,”Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” He found his place of security in the Lord’s presence which he took with him wherever he went. 

We have this same privilege … abiding in the Lord’s presence. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me and My Words abide in you, ask whatever you will and it will be done unto you.”[Jn. 15:7]

This is the power and presence we take with us wherever we go … the power in the Name of Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, we want to cease from our labors and enter into Your rest. It is not us that labors but You are working in and through us. Amen!

READING: Ps. 89-93

Ps. 87 speaks of being born in Zion. It’s my conviction that this concept refers to the NT act of becoming a born again Christian. Zion refers to the church. It’s the city of God. It’s where He dwells.  WE are His dwelling place.

The Church is the joy of the whole earth. Jesus came to redeem the Church and prepare it as His Bride. Glorious things have been spoken of her.

I love the old hymn, “Tis a Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, washed in the blood of the Lamb.

PRAYER: Lord, I am a part of Zion. I have been born into You. Let Your mighty power flow through me today. Let Your profound joy be seen upon me and draw all men unto Yourself as I lift You up.

READING: Ps. 79-88

God can make life so great, so blessed, but He can also make life tough and full of trials. When His people forgot what He had done for them, He allowed men to ride over them. After He slew them, they would return and follow His ways again.

It’s as if life can be this merry-go-round of periods of obedience and blessing, straying and curses. Yet, in His mercy, the Lord always brings us back to Himself and causes us to repent and regain His favor.

When will we learn?

PRAYER: Father, forgive our inconsistencies and wanderings. Keep us close to Your Hand and Your table of blessing. Teach us Your Ways and cause us to follow Your Path of Life through Christ Jesus.

READING: Ps. 73-78

Zion was the fortress that David lived in. He speaks often of the security it provided to him and his family, yet he ultimately pointed to God’s presence as his true source of protection.

In March, I hope to stand on the streets of Zion and peruse what I can of David’s city. As exciting as that will be, it is just a geographic location. David knew his place of refuge was in the shelter of God’s wings. You and I can find that place of refuge anywhere in the world … as we call upon the saving name of Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, Your presence overwhelms us and provides all we need. In Your presence is fullness of joy, and at Your right hand, pleasures forevermore.

READING: Psalm 69-72

The Psalmist declared, “From your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.”

Truth is, so many of us have enjoyed God’s bounty our entire lives. We often see it as a chance to save up, to get ahead. Yes, God has been so good to us, but this verse indicates that some of that bounty is already designated for the poor.

We are wise to look for opportunities to share God’s abundant bounty with the poor and needy around us.

PRAYER: Father in Heaven, forgive us for heaping up to ourselves the countless blessings You have showered upon us. Open our eyes and hearts today to see the poor and needy around us.

READING: Ps. 62-68

Ps. 61:8 changed my life many years ago. It has been instrumental in forming my daily devotional life.

In this verse we see David’s daily commitment to lifting his voice to the Lord. David is the NT Christian’s pattern for devotional life.

Paul says, “Speak to yourselves in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in you hearts to the Lord.” [Col.3:16]

PRAYER: Father, may we be a people who show forth Your praises from day to day. If we don’t praise You, the rocks will cry out.

READING: Ps. 56-61

In his Psalm of repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba, David makes reference to the importance of faithfulness.  He says, “You desired faithfulness … Renew a steadfast spirit within me … (and) Grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

For whatever reason David lapsed into unfaithfulness, he quickly understood the value of maintaining a faithfulness of devotion to the Lord so he wouldn’t have another moral fall.

Faithfulness in devotion prevents unfaithfulness in morality.

PRAYER:  Father, You are faithful. We want to be like You and display to this world a steadfastness in our devotion to You and Your ways.

READING: Psalm 51-55

In March, I am fortunate to be able to visit the Holy Land for the first time. One of my greatest goals is to see Zion, the city of David. Ps. 48 will come alive as I gaze upon the restoration model of the city once built there. I will indeed be pinching myself on that day.

As glorious and significant as Zion is, it more importantly represents the Church, the Real City of God. He prefers to dwell in the hearts and lives of His people.  WE are Zion. WE are the true “Joy of the whole earth.”

PRAYER: Father, open our spiritual eyes to see not just buildings of men, but Your True Building, the Church. We are Your building, Your tabernacle, Your dwelling place. Let Your glory rest upon us that we might show forth Your praise.

READING: Ps. 46-50

Ps. 41 takes on so much personal meaning for me since I have severe medical challenges like the author of this chapter. One of the keys I see to his healing and restoration is described in verse one … this man has regard for the weak. Other translations say, “Blessed is the man who considers and cares for the poor and needy.”

Actually, there are very few in our society who do this. Prayerfully, this is an activity worth pursuing. It obviously brings healing.

PRAYER: Father, open our eyes to opportunities to care for the poor. Give us the grace to respond with appropriate action.

READING: Ps. 40-45

Psalm 37 is packed with glorious promises for the person who delights in the Lord. One such is for those who don’t have the strength to sustain their motion … they stumble and run the risk of falling. With four joint replacements and being overweight, stumbling and falling is one of my greatest fears. But, this Psalm declares that the Lord will uphold me with His hand, that I WON’T FALL.

I’ll take that. Thank You, Jesus.

PRAYER: Lord, You are my EVERYTHING. With You, I can walk through life with confidence. Through You, I can be an overcomer. You are my Helping Hand.

READING: Psalm 36-39