Today's Devotions

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Showcase: Assorted Treats

  • Listening to God +

    Scripture 1 Chronicles 22 11 “Now, my son, the Lord be with you, and may you have success and build Read More
  • August Devotional: Repentance +

    Scripture Read More
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SylviaGod often speaks to me early in the mornings in a word, a phrase, or at most one sentence.

One morning my impression was simply "Psalm 30." These promptings are always jewels to pursue.

The first time I read the psalm, what jumped out at me is who God is in the verbs telling what he does:
v 1 lifter and deliverer
v 2 answerer of prayer and healer
v 3 preserver and life-giver
v 4 holy name
v 5 favor, comforter, and joy
v 6 provider, prosperity, and security
v 7 protector and strength
v 10 One who hears, has mercy, and helps
v 11 One who turns mourning into dancing and sackcloth to joy

But in the midst of these wonderful attributes, David referred to enemies, sickness, near-death experiences. He had real emotions of depression, weeping, desperation, dismay at unanswered prayer, mourning, and the sackcloth of fasting.

Notice that David began the psalm with praise, praised God and gave thanks in the middle, and ended with praise and thanksgiving. In all his trials and adversity he kept his eyes on God. None of the "bad" was bigger than God. 

And that's the point. When God delivers us, He brings us through life circumstances, not necessarily around them. And that's worth a shout of joy.

Reflections to Consider

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Publications

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Music

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Audio & Video

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Favorites

  • Falling in Love With God +

    “falling in love with God,” as Boa’s subtitle for the facet explains. In this approach we attempt to enter into Read More
  • An Infallible Assurance: John Donne +

    Our God is not out of breath, because he hath blown one tempest, and swallowed a Navy: Our God hath Read More
  • At the Feet of Jesus: We Fall Down +

    Chris Tomlin We fall down and lay our crowns At the feet of Jesus The greatness of Your Mercy and Read More
  • I am Not a Robot, I am a Unicorn: Learning How to Communicate in a Fallen World +

      Read More
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Hidden Blessings

  • Transforming this World: The Hope of Glory by NT Wright +

    Wright confronts the perspective that this world doesn’t matter, and that we live only to be in heaven. He shows Read More
  • What is Good in a World that Defies Hope: a talk by NT Wright +

    This is the second part of three talks by NT Wright at Harvard University in November, 2008 on the topic Read More
  • The Stream, the Lake and the River: NT Wright +

      Acts 2.1-21; John 7.37-39; a sermon at the Eucharist on the Feast of Pentecost, 11 May 2008, by the Read More
  • Jesus in the Perfect Storm by NT Wright +

    Zechariah 9.9-17; Luke 19.28-48; A sermon for Palm Sunday, April 17, 2011, In the University Chapel of St Salvator, St Read More
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