Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

You'd think that step one, "guarding your mouth with a muzzle", would be all that the good Lord requires of us.  Nope. There is another step:  watch what happens inside.  Does the muzzled anger burn a hole in your heart?  I held my peace inside, but got no peace? I ate my words and they ate me up? If so, there is yet another problem to address. Join me if you just might need more than a muzzle. Subscribe and commenthttps://youtu.be/Vl_HEtQdi54

This Psalm had me at the title. Even before  the title, because of the instructions. This song is to be sung after I am dead at the opening of the temple.If you wrote a song to be sung long after you are gone, what would you say? David, the realist: Weeping my tarry for the nightDavid, the optimist: but JOY comes with the morning.You have turned my mourning into DANCING.I leave you with joy.  I leave you with dancing. Subscribe: https://youtu.be/VjY2ualphr8

Here it is: Be still and know that I am God.I think this would be my mother's favorite verse.  It was one of the first passages she underlined in her bible. She's passed from this world now, so she really now knows that He is God! Meantime, for us we can be still and know some truths in Psalm 46.Join me and my mother today.https://youtu.be/asL_FfGmw7E

May the Lord visit you on this morning; on this dayMay the Lord be so close as to talk to you and test you.May you see that the Lord has set His heart on youMay you appreciate that the Lord has made much of youPerhaps we could respond: You have made much of us, the least we can do is make much of you>As Chief Brody said in Jaws when confronted with the enormity before him: "We're gonna need a bigger boat"https://youtu.be/vXdCsfgLqF4

There is a season in the development of little humans when they cannot yet talk.  Ironically, the Lord uses this season for them to PRAISE and to LEAD in PRAISE. If you have ever seen a baby up close, you might have cooed and admired and commented as to their glory.  This is the Lord's doing.  He uses such little ones to praise Him.  He uses such little ones to lead adults in praise. He uses those who cannot talk to shut the mouths of those who can.He uses those who cannot talk to most clearly sing the strengths of God to those who can.  The world's best worship leaders are infants.  Subscribe for more tomorrowhttps://youtu.be/HrX0nOTl_nw

If we could look inside the mind of God, what would we find? The answer might surprise you.  It certainly surprises me, every time I think about it: He thinks about MANKIND.  He thinks about women. He thinks about men. He thinks about us.  How do we know, He tells us in the powerful and personal Psalm 8. Join me there right now to hear what the good Lord is thinking about. Subscribe for more thoughts tomorrow too: https://youtu.be/f4KLk2SK81Y

The path of an ongoing relationship to a God MUST be marked with conviction, correction, repentance and forgiveness.         Otherwise we cannot be in relationship with a holy God.He warns us about this: don't be MULE HEADED in resistance. The wonderful forgiveness of the Lord accessed by the heavy hand of conviction.When God's hand weighs heavy upon you, listen and respond.But first: subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/n8GvKON8NvQ

I'd love to say that the presence of God always feels joyful, intimate and enjoyable.  Sometimes, though, it feels like a HEAVY HAND. Yikes.This heavy hand is directionally moving us towards something: forgiveness.  It is the most important of life skills. Without the skill of repentance, your life will be an ongoing testimony to one wrecked relationship after another--including with the Almighty. Watch and admire with me what David does when he feels this heavy hand of God.Subscribe for more tomorrow.https://youtu.be/x44p1nopS4s

Not every story ends with rainbows.  Similarly, some psalms stop in the middle of hardship.  They are called laments.  Today will be about how to live when there is not a rainbow at the end of the day.  With what insight does this psalm leave for us when the day does not end with rainbows. Subscribe please: https://youtu.be/6ML7QZ4ceQY

David wonders in Ps51 why God might be so good to him. He asks for mercy first, then more than mercy. He asks for a fully restored, even thriving relationship.  Why?So he can be educationalSo he can be evangelicalSo he can be worshipfulSo he can intercede for the house of God.Don't let this great sin go to waste.https://youtu.be/IRv3OSeGA-M

Happy Thanksgiving.  I'll hope I can give you something to be thankful for in these 7 minutes. David starts with murder. Not only does he ask for MERCY, he asks for MORE THAN mercy. Sure, he wants forgiveness and for the almost-impossible process that sin becomes UN-SEEN forever. But wait, he wants MORE: David wants the BIG ASK: PROXIMITY to God; PRESENCE of the HS; and the PLEASURE of a restored relationship.Ps.51 starts with murder and ends with MORE THAN mercy. He asks for God Himself. Listen.https://youtu.be/aKlJUlGE9_E

Shouldn't David be "the Jeffery Dahlmer" of the Bible? Isn't David “as bad as Hitler?”  Yes, except that Psalm 51 happened.David has committed Lust, adultery, and murder. You cannot sugar coat this.  He has misused the power that was supposed to be used to care for a nation, to kill and covet parts of that kingdom. He has betrayed this family; he has been disloyal to his office; he has offended the Lord.How is David going to get out of this mess?  You gotta go to Psalm 51.  Join me!https://youtu.be/4eIvrpmmJpk

My prayer for you is that you become a blessed, prosperous, known, fruitful man/woman. How can this happen?  Ps1 tells us: Don't do some stuff: with your words, your ways, and stay away from wicked.Do do some stuff: be planted, be powered, be producing,  be principled under law of Lord and be pleased by the Person of God.This is how you get to be a powerhouse, a spiritual powerhouse.Subscribe to this channel to be this powerhouse:https://youtu.be/4toK7lQj3G4

So why can we rest, be quiet, be still, and wait quietly? Because the Lord has got this. He is not still.  He is busy being steadfast.  He is busy keeping us. We can be still because He is not still.We can be still because He is being steadfast.         Stillness is our SUPERPOWERThe meek shall inherit the earth.Stillness is our strength, because it is rooted in His strength.Stillness is our superpower. Your superpower is subscribing to this channel on Youtube.     https://youtu.be/8cPTXCa42pQ

Jesus was so excited about Psalm 37 He based the Sermon on the Mount on it. Perhaps we might pay close attention.The meek shall inherit the earth.  It means the bowed; the bent. The bent can get a whole kingdom.  It just depends on what you do with your bend.  Join me in Psalm 37 and let's do the right thing with our bent. https://youtu.be/KiQbkcmvXdk

Wonder with me: What do the OLD know that the young do not? Psalm 37:25 tells us.  It is a psalm that ONLY the old could write.It is a psalm whose truths have enjoyed the run of the years. 25  I have been young, and now am old,  yet I have not seen the righteous forsakenListen 7 minutes to:  the psalm with gray hairSubscribe if you plan on living another day.https://youtu.be/-AQmudfGu2U

The Lord has a heart for the Jewish people. The Lord has a heart for the non-Jewish people. He told us this in the famous "Great Commission" passage of Matt 28: 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..."Our Psalm today, psalm 96, reveals that a thousand years before the "Great Commission" God was greatly commissioning Jews and Gentiles to get busy and get ALL PEOPLES, ALL NATIONS into His beloved family. 1000 years of God's heart in just 6 ½ minutes.  Worth it. Subscribe and watch:https://youtu.be/1BsYg9rTHc0

This is either the most selfish psalm in the world (if you only read verse 1) orThis is the most UNSELFISH psalm in the world (if you read the other 6 verses).It asks that the Lord shine His face on US.  So is it just for those who know Him, for those that are already in His family? Or, is it ultimately that the whole world would know Him?! This is the most UNSELFISH psalm in the world because it is FOR THE WORLD.Subscribe, etc.: https://youtu.be/cBmXmG51Dd8

"God loves you and has a purpose for your life". I've heard this said many times. Well, it comes from Psalm 138.If you want to understand where YOU are going, you'd best understand where GOD is going, (and where God has been.) The Lord will fulfill His purpose in me.  If you need purpose, Ps 138 is a great place to start.For further details on your purpose tomorrow, please subscribe. https://youtu.be/JaQJXG2LOn4

In a strange spiritual metaphor, God plants TREES inside buildings. They are big, healthy, growing trees.  Why? to give fruit. How? by paying attention to the basics of plantsmanship. In the church, what characteristics have been attended to to result in fruitful plantings? They are people who have paid attention to fellowship, to service, to study and to AWE. Join me for 7 minutes as we do exactly that.Subscribe and comment and share on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RZfQTxP5Y0E

STUPID is a rare word in scripture.  It is used only 12x in 1000 pages. When the stupid speak then, we probably should listen.  Specifically, listen what NOT to do. The stupid never ask a little question that we are going to ask: Am I being stupid?It is a brave question.  Join me for 7 minutes as we ask it. https://youtu.be/n0BUhiJ3i4o

If only evil would just STAY IN ITS LANE. No, it has the intent to spill over and assail the people of God. This background of difficulty and opposition is what makes the truth of Ps 27 all the more beautiful.  Join me as David sets his heart in a certain way that can be beneficial to us if we follow him.  https://youtu.be/UJUEY9Qc_6Y

Listen as I am swarmed by a few thousand grackles during this podcast.  That's OK, because it is about BEING KEPT BY THE LORD.  It means both to been SEEN and to be PROTECTED.  Where does my help come from? So the Psalmist asks and then answers: My help is from the Lord. Listen if you are being Kept, or if you are soon to be kept.Or watch if you just like 1000s of grackles. Subscribe: https://youtu.be/Piwgu8ZrZY0

Ps 84:10    For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.        I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my Godthan dwell in the tents of wickedness. Better than a day at Cedar Point, Disneyland, or a thousand Christmas mornings is a day in the presence of God. Join me for 6 minutes as we honor doorkeepers and all those who "find a home" at the altar of God. Subscribe because it will be good to be here tomorrow too.  https://youtu.be/x1NERLXdcWQ

A day is coming when God shows up to make all things right.  Little Psalm 82 addresses that day and all the days in between then and now.Rulers now will be overshadowed by the real Ruler.Weak and strong alike will receive justice.God arises to judge the earth.It is the day when He makes all things right.  Join me for 5 minutes:https://youtu.be/P8L4ntiiFgU

The Throne of David, 3000 years later is STILL occupied in Israel.  3000 years from now, it will continue to be occupied then and forever.  It is Jesus that now "sits on the throne of David."David's house is forever. David's throne is forever. David's kingdom is forever.Join me in Psalm 18 as David sings about this truth that even he does not fully understand.  https://youtu.be/aTGf4MaDTvo

Nope. God doesn't answer every  call. Why? Because some calls are asked insincerely. They are just words, often of regret, but of no real repentance.Good news: God DOES answer every call that is petitioned with humility and submission.  He is a shield to ALL who (sincerely) call on Him. The tent is big enough for everybody who is on their knees. Listen first for 7 minutes. Call on Him for 2 minutes after you subscribe.https://youtu.be/yUTo6WinwIk

Join me for a real moment in time when God "bows the heavens" toward David.  David is in real trouble as he has real spears and real armies thrown at him.  We'll admire the affections of David and the arrival of the Lord.  Join me in psalm 18.  We'll show up to watch the Lord show up for David. If you like, subscribe. If you don't like today's, subscribe anyway, for tomorrow will be better. https://youtu.be/kWT63K43hy0

If Ps119 could speak it'd have a lot to say:It would say the spiritual life is not lived alone. It'd ask us to Attach to the people of God with the same grace that the Person of God has attached to you.It would say that believers have their feet in the butter tub of grace, and we'd best be living lives of gratefulness. Finally, it would say that suffering can actually be good.  There are things to grow from in the midst of it. I might even stretch toward gratefulness because of it.Subscribe and comment: https://youtu.be/eKKhynt8pQc

There are 8 kinds of people who should watch this 7 minute video:those who struggle with pornthose who have a broken relationshipthose who are caught in doomscrollingthose who are in circumstances they do not preferthose who desire real inimacythose who are interested in walking the faithful history of Godthose who want a bigger portion of Godand those who want to profit from their suffering.If any of those are you, then Ps119 is for you. Watch here and maybe even subscribe: https://youtu.be/TV3Dez0iJhc

It takes some guts to request to be sought, especially if that search will be conducted by God Almighty. Today, we'll hear of an invitation by a human to the Divine: seek me, discover me, find me.The first question is practical: will I allow myself to be geographically discovered? The second is more dramatic: will I allow myself to be spiritually discovered?Join me for 7 minutes to hear a human make such a request. Please subscribe. https://youtu.be/5Sigr0MkHYw

If your life knows some trouble, perhaps you will find a partner in Ps119. The psalmist knows trouble. But it doesn't stop there.He also knows his Bible.He also knows the character and the actual Person of God.So, don't just stop with the trouble. This hard work isn't for sissies. Subscribe and comment and appreciate: https://youtu.be/EY0zz4Un-Y4

Ps 119:151 makes an audacious claim: YOU ARE NEAR, O LORDWe must then ask: when exactly is God near? What is going on? What are the circumstances and when is this nearness experienced?Listen to a sliver of this grand psalm to discover WHEN GOD is NEAR.https://youtu.be/co8gwM5B9Uo

One of the great beauties of Ps119 is TROUBLE.  It pulls no punches.  It faces the reality of life head on.   Trouble is here.  Then what? Join me in Ps119 for 6 minutes and let's find out what we might do when "trouble has found me out". https://youtu.be/VGiyAEnPLyM

The guy who wrote Psalm 119 reports that he loves God's communication more than GOLD, pure Gold.  At current pricing, that is more than $4000 per ounce.  It is precious. By that, I mean the metal and the message; the shiny stuff and the Scripture. Both are treasures, but only one lasts.God's oration is more valuable than our most rare ore. God's sovereignty is of greater worth than any sovereigns. God's declaration is more precious than all the doubloons out there.See if this podcast is worth 6 ½ minutes of your life. If so, subscribe on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PmSy8ljSiSw

We all get to decide how inclined or not inclined we set our heart towards the Bible. Ps119 instructs us to deal with the Bible by inclining our hearts toward it. We do thisdemonstratively: that is, with our affections, and lovedirectionally: we allow the Word to help change our directiondesperately: if there were any other plan b, we wouldn't have to throw ourselves so desperately upon Him.  But there is not.  We MUST so incline our hearts.So let's lean into Him as we are confronted with the Bible. Let's close the distance.https://youtu.be/dACX7Cjt-mQ

Oh, How I Love Your _________. Can you guess it from Ps119?Oh, how I love Your Law.It is my delight. It is my LIFE, my PROTECTION. It is my favor. It is useful and practical in life. It helps with every step. Your word is sweet to me, sweeter than honey. I delight in your lawOh, how I love Your Word. Subscribe! https://youtu.be/AuPJ5OBZCDQ

I notice Two things regarding what the psalmist desires: 1. You cannot see it NOW (except in promise)2. You cannot see it HERE (except in shadow)So the TIMING is: Not now, not yet.and the LOCATION is Not here.The object of his ambitions are other worldly and slightly delayed.  Let us respond in knowledge and in faith and in agreement. Subscribe. https://youtu.be/dlpD911xXNw

What if God's hands have made my hands?  If God even made my pinkie, it changes everything.If my hands are made by HIM, then what these hands do regarding work; what these hands consider regarding who these hands hold, and to WHO THESE HANDS ARE RAISED IN WORSHIP is all affected.Who made your pinkie? If it was you, you can skip the next part. If it wasn't you, then listen carefully to the next 7 minutes. It changes everything.  Subscribe to change everything tomorrow too.https://youtu.be/-JOLRhrORLk

We have got some big questions to throw at a big Psalm. In fact, one might call these the BIGGEST questions for the biggest Psalm.Will there be suffering and will I suffer? (yes)Will I get the big prize? (yes.  If no, receive Him today!)Will I be alone in all of this? (no)Join me for 7 minutes to throw the big questions together. Subscribe on Youtube and comment.https://youtu.be/h4wueWygCJM

Is there anything good that can come of suffering? Our psalmist points us towards two unexpected benefits: 1.Our growth.  Suffering can develop and change us for the better.2. Our gratefulness. This is obviously a big-ask. Can we actually be grateful  for the suffering because of the fruit it can yield? If you are suffering, this one is for you. Subscribe and comment: https://youtu.be/4iE7RSwXppw

Soldiers when they are being overwhelmed by an enemy will sometimes call in an airstrike very near their position.  It is called being “danger-close”. Alternatively, we have a strong, faithful, loving God who is “shadow-close”That I get to sing in recognition.  I get to remember this. Not everybody enjoys this intimate fellowship with the Lord.  Not everyone stands in the SHADOW of the Almighty. Listen