YOU LIGHT UP MY LIFE

Suggested Reading: Psalms 26-27

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Light breaks through the turbulent clouds on the dome of the Santi Luca e Martina church in Rome.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

Like diamonds when the light strikes the many facets, so is the content of these two Psalms given to us by God and His shepherd king David. Let us join David in his prayers. He prays, “Vindicate me – Examine me – Try my mind and my heart – Redeem me and be merciful to me – Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice – Have mercy upon me and answer me – Teach me Your way, O Lord.” He encourages us to – Walk in integrity – Walk in truth – Tell of all God’s wondrous works – Dwell in the house of the Lord – Behold the beauty of the Lord – Inquire in His temple – Wait on the Lord – Be of good courage!!! As a result of prayer and of taking courage from God, David can state, “I shall not slip – My foot stands in an even place – The Lord is the strength of my life – My heart shall not fear – I will be confident – I will sing praises to the Lord – The Lord will take care of me!”

Now, why not confess out loud the words of our key verse! Are we ready to face another 24 hours of life? Yes! Yes! Yes!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

O Lord, today I’m joining king David in his prayers. I’m making those prayers an integral part of my petitions to You! I wait on You Lord! You are strengthening my heart! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’m thinking just now of the absolutely essential elements of loving and serving God which David highlights for us. In the 1970s, the song, “You Light Up My Life,” sung by Debbie Boone, was at the top of the pop charts for weeks. As I chose the key verse, “The Lord is my Light,” I was thinking of Debbie as she sat in the Green Room preparing to go out on the set of 100 Huntley Street. I may have told this story in a previous blog, but she was in Toronto performing the role of Maria Von Trapp in the “Sound of Music” production in a local theatre. My contact with Debbie was through her dad, Pat Boone, who had been our guest several times. As we prayed together, Debbie began to cry. I heard her say, “O Lord Jesus, it’s been so long, so very long.” She had obviously been so preoccupied with her role in such a famous production that she had neglected having a daily experience of the Presence of God. One of my reasons for this daily blog is so that I will never have to say, “It’s been so very long.” My son Ron just told me that I wrote about Debbie Boone in a previous blog, and we linked to a 100 Huntley Street interview with her. In case you missed it, here it is again.

One more thing – out of the thousands of guests I’ve had the privilege of interviewing, there were several who quoted Psalm 27:10 as their personal experience, “When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” I cannot imagine what life would be like if I didn’t know that God is taking care of me!!!

Yours for getting to know God better each day,

David

THE CROSS, CROOK, and CROWN!!!

Suggested Reading: Psalms 23-25

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

The Golden Gate, also known as the Eastern Gate. According to Ezekiel 44:1-3, the Messiah will one day return to the Temple Mount through this gate. The Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent sealed off the Golden Gate in 1541 in an attempt to prevent the Messiah's entrance.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23 is classic literature and worthy of memorization. Even better than this is that it is true! We may want to read it aloud slowly, meditating on each line, applying it to our personal experience. David, the shepherd king, knew from childhood the literal truth of his words. Jesus, perhaps thinking of this Psalm, said, “I am the good Shepherd.” Let us add to David’s words the words of Jesus found in John 10:1-18. Jesus speaks of sheep and shepherds 20 times. He says that “The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.”

Yesterday we read the Psalm of the CROSS. Today, the Psalm of the shepherd’s CROOK. Then in Psalm 24 we have the Psalm of the CROWN. Psalm 24:7-10 are also worthy of memorization. In the PAST, there is the finished work of Jesus on the CROSS! In the PRESENT, His shepherd’s CROOK is our constant source of guidance and protection! In the FUTURE, Jesus as “the King of Glory shall come in.” Amen! Amen! Amen!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, the 3rd Psalm in today’s reading is my prayer. I pray for You to (1) “Show me Your ways,” (2) “Lead me in Your truth,” (3) “Remember Your tender mercies and Your loving-kindnesses,” (4) “Pardon my iniquity,” (5) “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,” (6) “Look on my affliction and my pain,” (7) “Forgive all my sins,” (8) “Keep my soul and deliver me,” (9) “Let me not be ashamed,” (10) Let integrity and uprightness preserve me.” ….. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’m truly lifted up in my spirit as I sit at my laptop computer. I don’t know how anyone could read, “Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in,” and not feel a surge of emotion! There’s another reason my spirit is lifted up…Happy 55th anniversary Norma-Jean! Thank you for your amazing commitment to me on September 19th, 1958 (see photo below). You are more beautiful to me than ever!!

The Islamic ruler, may have sealed up what is known as “The Golden Gate” (picture above), but when Messiah returns to the Mount of Olives, from which He ascended into Heaven (directly opposite the gate), a few stones will never hinder His entrance into the Temple Mount area. The angels said to the astonished and bewildered disciples of Jesus after He had ascended and disappeared from their sight, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into Heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into Heaven.” Suleiman, as a Moslem, said he believed that Jesus was a great prophet, but his Jesus was not the “SAME” Jesus. Suleiman did not believe in the death of Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God. He did not believe in the literal physical resurrection of Jesus out from among the dead who showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs. I’m expecting the return of the “SAME” Jesus of whom Psalms 22, 23 and 24 speak!!!

Yours for knowing and loving “THIS SAME JESUS” (see?Acts 1:1-11),

David

Our wedding day, September 19, 1958

WHY?

Suggested Reading: Psalms 21-22

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

The Church of Annunciation in Nazareth is spectacular, and when the light enters through the stained glass, the beauty of of man's expression through sculpturing can me seen. Moses had the sculpture of a serpent placed on a pole foreshadowing the fact that Jesus took our sins and sicknesses upon Himself on the Cross (Numbers 21:7-9, also John 3:14,15). Today's reading, which clearly details the crucifixion of Jesus, was written hundreds of years before the Romans had even devised this specific means of excruciating death.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses: Psalm 22:16b-17

They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me…

In today’s reading, Psalm 21 communicates the joy we experience in the knowledge of God’s strength. When the Apostle Paul was struggling, God said to him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect (complete) in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9a). In Psalm 22 we learn that the Saviour took our weaknesses on Himself so that He may make us strong.

Jesus quoted from Psalm 22 as He suffered on the Cross. He cried out the words given to David as a prophecy of the suffering Messiah, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46 “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”). Jesus, in His humanity, asked, “Why?” We are learning the answer to His question as we read God’s Word daily. There are many other references in Psalm 22 to death by crucifixion. Crucifixion was unknown for hundreds of years after David’s time, yet he wrote, “They pierced My hands and feet” (Psalm 22:16b). We read in that Psalm at least eight statements which refer to the words and events spoken and experienced by Jesus on the Cross. A number of New Testament readings illustrate the truth of David’s prophecy. Here’s just one reading for us (John 19:20-24). Compare that with Psalm 22:18, “They divide My garments among them and for My clothing they cast lots.”

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, You revealed the sufferings of the Messiah King to the shepherd king in advance. I pray that You will reveal to me in a new way the historical fact of the crucifixion of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I humbly bow at the foot of Jesus’ Cross. Lord Jesus, You did this because of Your love for me and for all people throughout all time. I give my life to You as the best way I can express my love to You. As David sang, “A posterity shall serve Him” (22:30), and his last words in Psalm 22, “They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, that He has done this.” Lord Jesus, here I am. Please help me to declare this fact to everyone who will read and listen. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’m overwhelmed just now as I think of the dozens of places in the Hebrew Scriptures where the sufferings of Jesus are foretold. No one else who ever lived could step into the fulfilment of these prophecies. The first one was written by Moses in Genesis 3:15, where the “Seed of the woman” would be bruised. Throughout all of Holy Scripture, the seed was, without exception, from a man. Isaiah, of the tribe of Judah, wrote hundreds of years before Jesus was born of the virgin, “Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” On page 113 of my book, “This Far By Faith,” just published in June, I tell a story that illustrates the power of the prophetic Scriptures. If any blog readers don’t have this book yet, just call Crossroads and ask for it. A donation to cover costs would be appreciated. Here’s how to get a book.

Yours for declaring that “He has done this!”

David

P.S. I came across a beautiful rendition of the hymn that begins, “Alas, and did my Saviour bleed and did my Sovereign die…” by Isaac Watts. We don’t know David’s melody for “The Deer of the Dawn” to which Psalm 22 was originally sung. Click here for the Sharon Singers and this unique rendition of “At The Cross” with a different melody. Be blessed; meditate on Jesus’ sufferings on our behalf, and share the blessings.

DAY UNTO DAY

Suggested Reading: Psalms 19-20

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

A beautiful sunrise over the Sea of Galilee. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork (Psalm 19:1).

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses: Psalm 19:1-3

The heavens declare the glory of God;

And the firmament shows His handiwork.

Day unto day utters speech,

And night unto night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech nor language

Where their voice is not heard.

Francis Collins, physician, scientist, and leader of the successful project to map the human genome, wrote in his book “Belief” the following statement: “These arguments from the observed order of the universe are compelling [he has just stated scientific reasons as to why he is a believer in the Creator God], but they say little about whether such a “creator” God would be interested in human beings.” King David, inspired by the Creator God, acknowledges that the heavens and the earth, the universe itself, speak in every language to all people everywhere! Then David points all who hear or sing Psalm 19 to the fact that God is “interested in human beings.” God has communicated to us in the “law,” and in “testimony” (19:7). God has given us “statutes” and “the commandment” (19:8). These verses teach us that the Word of God not only communicates the thoughts of God, but they bring conversion, wisdom, rejoicing, and enlightenment!

These are the reasons for this blog! When we grasp the fact that God wants us to know Him (not just knowledge of His physical universe, but to know Him and His thoughts), we can begin to understand that God’s Words in His Book are, “more to be desired than gold,” “sweeter than honey,” and “in keeping them there is great reward” (19:10-11).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, Psalm 20 uses the word “may” seven times as a prayer. May King David’s written words be my prayer too, dear Lord, as I make them personal to me. I believe that You do “answer in the day of trouble;” You do “help…strengthen…remember…fulfill all your (my) purpose” (for my existence). Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

In the 1990s, Crossroads published 8 books, one for each season over a two-year period. The titles of all of these books were Day unto Day, taken from Psalm 19:2. They had the same purpose as this blog, i.e. getting the Word of God into the hearts and minds of people everywhere on a daily basis. Two of our team members at the time wrote the daily commentaries. Rev. Nizar Shaheen covered the Hebrew Scriptures (the Old Testament), and Rev. Jim Cantelon covered the Greek Scriptures (the New Testament). Simultaneously with the publication of these books, Jim and Nizar gave daily teachings on each Bible reading on television. These TV segments were filmed on locations as close as possible to the Biblical sites where the events described in the Bible took place. As the host of100 Huntley Street, I arranged for these to be carried daily. We repeated them twice over a four-year period. We found in our video archives the Day Unto Day segment from 1991 for today’s reading, Psalms 19-20 (click here to watch…I just noticed a bit of a surprise at the end!). I hope to see this inspirational two-year video journey placed on the internet, perhaps beginning after we complete this blog journey next June 3rd, 2014.

Also I must thank God for Psalm 19 particularly, as it was verses 1 & 2 which God used in 1977 to confirm to me that Crossroads was to add a DAILY live voice to our weekly TV productions of Crossroads and Circle Square for children. That daily live voice was named after the address of the studio building in downtown Toronto, “100 Huntley Street.” Now, for over 36 years on TV, “day unto day” and “night unto night,” there has been a voice speaking words about God. We’ve also done productions in 18 languages which have been seen on TV in over 50 countries, and now with “Crossroads 360,” our 7 internet channels are available everywhere. We have graduates of our School of Broadcasting in over 80 countries, and in many of these areas our grads are producing television in a variety of languages which take “their words to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:4).

Yours for listening daily and nightly to our communicating God,

David

MY ROCK

Suggested Reading: Psalm 18

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Monasteries are built high above on great rocks in this rugged landscape in Greece. The monasteries that you see are the Great Meteoro and Varlaam.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses: Psalm 18:1-2

I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

The conclusion David draws from the above statement is this, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (18:3). David composed and sang this song to celebrate the Lord’s deliverance from the hand of King Saul. Saul was trying to kill him. Again and again David hid amongst the great rocks in the area of En Gedi, east of the Dead Sea. It is plain to see as we learn about David, as well as from David, that his rock-solid confidence was not in the rocks, but in the “Rock,” his God! David exclaims in song, “Who is a rock, except our God?” (18:31b). “The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock!” (18:46a).

The confidence that those of us have who believe in Jesus is expressed in song too. Let’s find online that amazing hymn, “Rock of Ages,” and sing along (click here).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord Jesus, You gave me instructions about the foundation for my life. I know that I must build my life on the Rock! You are that Bedrock, dear Jesus. I rest securely on You, not on the shifting sands of contemporary human experience and the philosophies of mankind. I pray that I will stand firm on You, Lord God! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I may have referred to this sometime last year, but here goes… I was listening to a French language radio station as the late Pope, John Paul II, was speaking in Quebec City. Here are the words I heard, “Pierre (Peter) est un petit pierre (is a little stone), mais Jesus est Le Grande Pierre! (but Jesus is The Great Rock!).” He was referring to the words of Jesus following the answer of Peter to the question of Jesus, “Whom do men say that I am?” Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” Then Jesus said to Peter, “You are Peter (a little rock) and upon this Rock (a great Rock, Jesus Himself), I will build my Church.” In my early days as a follower of Jesus, I struggled with my understanding of these words of Jesus found in Matthew 16:18. My concerns about the Church being built on Peter were highlighted by the words of Jesus just five verses later (Matthew 16:23): “But He, (Jesus) turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'” Yes, Peter was mightily used of God. I want to be used of God too, but I’m ever so thankful that no church is built on me, a weak and flawed human being. There is only one GREAT ROCK!!! Jesus Himself!!! I’ve just read again Matthew 16:13-26. Like those very small-appearing monasteries built on that great rock in Reynold’s photograph above, I’m building my life and my hope for eternal life on Jesus alone!!!

Yours for the only true eternal foundation for life, “The Christ, the Son of the Living God,”

David

FULLNESS OF JOY

Suggested Reading: Psalms 15-17

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Belvoir Fortress was constructed by the Crusaders 1000 years ago on a precipice high above the Jordan Valley. This location is only about 20 kilometres south of the Sea of Galilee and looks across into Jordan.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

YES!!! IT’S TRUE!!! Right now we can experience that “fulness of joy!” and the pleasures that are at His “right hand!” Just think of the amazing honour to be able, by God’s grace, to do as Psalm 15 instructs us.

The Apostle Peter is a participant in today’s blog. Here’s a commentary on Psalm 16 by Peter, given in the first recorded message he preached on the birthday of the Church on the streets of Jerusalem. Let’s read together Acts 2:22-32. Jesus is alive!!! Then let’s read again our key verse. If we are not finding in Jesus the “joy” spoken of in our key verse, we should check our pulses…we may be dead!

Psalm 17 has in it the words, “apple of Your eye.” That’s God’s eye to which David refers in his prayer. Just think how careful we are to protect our eyes. David prayed, “keep me as the apple of Your eye.” Now that’s protection! That’s the best security we could ever have! YES!!! JOY!!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray with the writer of this prayer, David (a suggestion to everybody – read and pray out loud, if possible, the following verses…Psalm 17:1-8). Then, Lord, I am confessing with full assurance of faith, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness” (17:15). Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I accept and believe God’s Truth! The Apostle John wrote three letters to us all. He begins the first letter with, “These things we write to you [you and me] that your joy may be full!” (1st John 1:4). Then in chapter 3 of that letter, verses 1-3 (click here), John declares that, “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” Oh, the longing that filled my heart as a 16-year-old as I learned and sang the chorus, “O to be like Thee, Blessed Redeemer…Come in Thy sweetness. Come in Thy fullness, stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.” I weep with joy as I sing this prayer just now. I can hardly see the keys for tears. The English language fails me in expressing what is in my heart. Therefore I’m praying, as Paul said he did, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding!” (1 Corinthians 14:15). That refers to my spirit. According to the Scriptures, I am “spirit, soul and body.” Here’s a link to that song of longing to be like Jesus.

Yours for “Fullness of Joy!”

David

The moat around the Belvoir Fortress (described in the photo caption above). According to the Shepherd king David, we have much greater security than a castle with a moat around it! Amen!!!

DESTROYED FOUNDATIONS

Suggested Reading: Psalms 11-14

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Priene was an ancient Greek holy city located just to the north of Miletus in western Turkey. The picturesque ruins include several columns of the Temple of Athena, much of the city wall, and a well-preserved theatre and a council chamber. Priene is not mentioned in the Bible, but it is likely that the early Christians of Miletus (Acts 20:16) had contact with the city. Priene had a substantial Christian community during the Byzantine period.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Psalm 11:3-4a

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in His holy temple, The Lord’s throne is in heaven…

Our key verse applies to our time! There are those who are taking jack hammers and bulldozers to the foundations of moral standards laid down over the centuries. The word “if” leaves room for the possibility of saving the values on which western civilization is built. What confidence we have in the fact that God is still on His throne! Let us never forget that God works through His people to change the world. Through the proclamation of the Person and work of Jesus Christ, and through our prayers, our witness, our giving, and our leadership, God is in the process of strengthening the foundations, so that He can continue to build His Church through us in a stronger way than ever! The Carpenter of Nazareth, the One with the calloused hands of a creative working Man, is doing as He promised, “I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”!!! (Matthew 16:18b).

There are four Psalms here – A B C – Satan’s strategy to destroy the foundations: (A) Attack! (Psalm 11); (B) Believers back off! (Psalm 12) – Satan will never be able to destroy God’s promise of success, Jesus’ Church! And (C) a Cry from believers will bring the happy ending of the closing verses of Psalms 13 & 14! Let us cry out to God now! “How long! How long! How long! How long!” Four times these words are the cry of the Shepherd King.

Well… what are we waiting for blog partners!!! Let’s just do it!!!I

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, I pray the prayer written by David and presented to the chief musician, “Consider and hear me, O Lord my God!!!” You have promised to hear and answer “yes” to the fervent effectual prayer of a righteous man or woman (James 5:16b). I come before You, as the hymn says, “Dressed in His (Jesus’) righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne!!!!” Amen!!!! For a New Testament reading today, we may want to (click here) read the entire chapter of James 5.

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

As I type this I’m still in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I met with the Board of our U.S. federally chartered (501c3) corporation known as Crossroads USA. One of these days, I hope to introduce on the blog all the Directors of our Boards in both Canada and the United States, but for today, I want to write about the pastor who incorporated Crossroads in the USA. His name is Rev. Albert Vaters. There is a high school in St. John’s, Newfoundland, named after Albert’s father, Rev. Eugene Vaters. His Mom and Dad were among the very first supporters of Crossroads Christian Communications in Canada years ago. When his Dad passed on, Albert found cheques made out to Crossroads, dated for the months ahead. It brings tears to my eyes to think of the faithful people who have given and given to make this ministry possible! Back in the 1960s and 1970s, when Albert was Pastor of Stone Church in downtown Toronto, he also served as Chairman of our Board. Then God called him to Pastor a great church in California. God has blessed the ministry of Albert and his wife Anita in a marvelous way. He participated in yesterday’s board meeting as a very effective Director. When Albert’s Dad was called to higher service above, his Mom moved into a seniors complex at Clark’s Beach, Conception Bay, Newfoundland. For years, every time I was in Newfoundland, I never failed to visit her. What a mighty woman of prayer! She’s in that great prayer meeting before God’s Throne in Heaven now. I would kneel in front of her chair and she would lay hands on me and pray a fervent prayer.

From time to time I still visit God’s saints, kneel in God’s Presence, and I am the most blessed man ever. As the last verse of Psalm 13 says, “He has dealt bountifully with me.”

Yours on behalf of all of us who are expecting God’s bounty,

David

P.S. My son Reynold recently shot a video of me talking about the genesis of this daily blog. We put it on the 100words.ca website in the “About 100words” section (click here). As you encourage others to follow along with us, please share this link with them!

P.P.S. Below is a photo of our chapel at the Crossroads Centre in Burlington, Ontario. The pews in the chapel came to us as a result of the renovation of The Stone Church in Toronto, where Albert Vaters was pastor during his years as our Crossroads Board Chairman.

WITH MY WHOLE HEART!

Suggested Reading: Psalms 9-10

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Even the desert is marvellous to behold as you travel throughout Israel. Looking from Israel inside Timna Park, you can see on the distant horizon the mountains of Edom. This mountain range is now part of the Kingdom of Jordan. Jordan is not a wealthy country and yet because of the disaster of middle east political and moral realities, Jordan has had to care for millions of refugees. Let us do whatever we can to help!

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Psalm 10:17

Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear.

Yes! God will cause His “ear to hear.” Let us make personal the prayers found in our reading. Here are examples of what we may say when we pray. The shepherd king begins his prayers with praise and worship. He writes in the first two verses the four actions he is taking. For our devotional exercises today, why not meditate on these statements, expand on them, and do as it says.

The cries of the needy stand out! David speaks of “the oppressed,” of people in “trouble,” of “the cry of the humble,” of “the needy,” of “the poor,” of “the helpless,” and of “the fatherless.” Let us name before God the names of people we know personally who may fit these descriptions. Most certainly those in war-torn lands where it seems that human cruelty knows no boundaries.

Let us never forget that Jesus issued a press release in advance of His second coming. The words this King of the Universe will utter when He will sit on “the Throne of His Glory” have to do with way we have, or have not, cared for the needy (see Matthew 25:31-46). We pray fervently and then we are moved to help God answer our prayers. Amen!!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“Arise O Lord! Do not let man prevail” (9:19a). “Arise O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand!” (10:12a). “Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear, to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may oppress no more” (10:17-18). Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Today I am here in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a meeting of the Board of Directors of Crossroads USA. I’m praying fervently that God will release the vast potential of the wealthiest country in the history of humanity, for His purposes, in a greater way than ever. I pray the same for my country, Canada. May God give us wisdom and may He be Lord over every decision. I pray for our Chairman, Don Simmonds, for our Chief Executive Officer, John Hull, for our Exectutive Director of Crossroads USA, Jerry Johnston, for our Chief Financial Officer, Ken Pellisaro, and for each Director. May God’s will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Yesterday, the Chairman of our Boards of Directors, both in Canada and the USA, spoke with our new International CEO on the 100 Huntley Street telecast. I encourage all my fellow bloggers to check out their conversation (click here). Please pass this on to anyone who you think might be interested. I believe that God is more interested in His cause here on earth than all of us put together could ever be! Let’s pool our resources and get the job done! Amen!!! Billy Graham lives here in North Carolina. He’s now 94 years old. The prayer in our reading is “Arise O Lord!” Billy surely arose with God and did his part magnificently. Now it’s our turn to “Arise” with the Lord, and do the job that He has called us to accomplish!

Yours for reaching a needy world with His love, His provision, and His Gospel,

David

P.S. Billy Graham appeared several times on the 100 Huntley Street telecast. Here’s a picture from 1978. That day he challenged Canadians to experience a great spiritual renewal and thus bless the whole world. His associate, John Wesley White, is a Canadian from Saskatchewan. For years I’ve considered John a member of our team as well as a member of Billy’s team.

Billy Graham and John Wesley White praying with me on the set of 100 Huntley Street in 1978.

EXCELLENT

Suggested Reading: Psalms 7-8

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

How inspiring it is to watch the sun come up over the Sea of Gallilee!

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses: Psalm 8:1a (and 8:9)

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth.”

The shepherd king, David, sang the words of Psalm 7 “to the Lord.” Imagine singing of persecution, tearing apart like a lion, being trampled upon, etc. Somehow when we sing in our pain, it makes it more bearable, particularly when we also sing “My defence is of God,” Who is, “angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:10-11). When in trouble, sing of God’s excellence. One of the benefits of an early morning start to our devotions is the time alone with God. There’s no rush. The telephone is not ringing. No one is texting you or knocking on the door. Therefore, since we have the time, I recommend that we listen to an excellent singer, Larnell Harris, singing, “How Excellent is Thy Name O Lord” (click here). Larnell has often appeared over the years on 100 Huntley Street, singing of the excellence of the Lord!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

“O LORD MY GOD, IN YOU I PUT MY TRUST!” O Lord, I commit to praying the prayers of David throughout my devotions daily in the Psalms. I thank You that while I pray spontaneously most of the time, I also find that it often helps me focus more intensely when I read prayers directly from Scripture or those prayers written by men and women who love and serve You passionately. I pray Your blessing and provision for all my fellow blog followers! Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

This past Sunday, I participated in worship at St. George’s Anglican Church, a congregation which meets in the chapel at the Crossroads Centre here in Burlington. The Rector is Rev. Ray David Glenn. I performed the wedding for Ray David and Rhonda a number of years ago. Rhonda was my co-host on 100 Huntley Street television, and in 2010 she passed into the immediate presence of the Lord. In preparation for partaking in communion at the Sunday service, we read together the following prayer, “Lord God, we have sinned against You; we have done evil in Your sight. We are sorry and repent. Have mercy on us according to Your love. Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin. Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of Your salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

On Tuesday of this week, I hosted on television, along with our Chairman of the Crossroads Board of Directors, Don Simmonds, the introduction of our new Chief Executive Officer, Dr. John Hull. John served well as the Pastor of The People’s Church Toronto, from 1993 to 2000. If you can take the time, please watch this interview (click here). Also, HERE is the press release from Crossroads about this change. I believe with all my heart that this organizational move is in God’s perfect will. While Don Simmonds has stepped aside as CEO, he retains the Chairmanship of the organization. Don’s wife, Faye, is not well. Please pray for her complete recovery. Amen!!!

Yours because of the “excellence” of the Name of the Lord “In all the earth,”

David

TWENTY-FOUR/SEVEN

Suggested Reading: Psalms 4-6

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Shepherds milk a sheep amidst the ruins of Jerash, Jordan. David, the shepherd king, has given us three hymns in today's reading.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verse: Psalm 4:8

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

How many of us have prayed the bedtime prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep! If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take!” How many of us have considered that this prayer could have come from David? As a boy, David slept on the hills around Bethlehem. In order to find good pasture, he would often wander far from home. With wolves and mountain lions in the area, what a comfort David’s faith in God must have been to him.

These Psalms of prayer cover 24/7 time periods: morning, evening, and all night long. By practise, we develop a special sense of God’s presence at all times. In fact, we may want to read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. While the middle verse of these three tells us to “pray without ceasing,” the verses before and after encourage us to “REJOICE” and to “GIVE THANKS!” David knew the secret of practising the presence of God. In Psalm 4, he writes of “GLADNESS” (verse 7a). In Psalm 5, he encourages, “REJOICE” and “SHOUT FOR JOY!” (verse 11a). And in Psalm 6, David writes of “WEEPING” (verse 8b). It is good emotional health to give vent to our feelings before God. So, go ahead, get alone with God and let your emotions surface, expressing whatever is in your heart. David surely did this. In fact, God said of David, as recorded by the Apostle Paul, “I have found David the son of Jessie, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22b).

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, “HEAR MY PRAYER!” “MY VOICE YOU SHALL HEAR IN THE MORNING, O LORD!” “HAVE MERCY ON ME, O LORD, FOR I AM WEAK; O LORD, HEAL ME, FOR MY BONES ARE TROUBLED.” I cry out to You Lord with the words of David. I also confess David’s declaration of faith, “THE LORD WILL HEAR WHEN I CALL TO HIM.” I do so in the Name and through the Person of the One Who said, “FATHER, I KNOW YOU ALWAYS HEAR ME,” Jesus Christ (John 11:42a). Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

Today is the anniversary of the evil and infamous attack on the World Trade Centre Towers in New York City. The Islamists who committed this unspeakable evil claim that David is one of their prophets. David wrote, “The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man” (Psalm 5:6b). If I dwell on the evil in the hearts of people, I will surely do as David did, “drench my couch with my tears” (Psalm 6:5b). And at the same time I believe that, “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer” (Psalm 6:9).

I identify strongly with the words of Psalm 6:2b, “Heal me for my bones are troubled.” I’m feeling better than I have for almost two years and yet yesterday my blood tests showed that the marrow of my bones is not producing healthy white blood cells, but cancerous ones. According to the medical people, the MDS acute leukemia is my diagnosis. Nevertheless, I pray with fervency every day, “Heal me, O Lord!” I believe God hears and answers my prayer. I’ve quoted before the couplet I heard my dad say, “Be my symptoms what they will, Jesus is my Healer still!” Amen!!!

Yours with total confidence in God’s provision!

David

P.S. I’ve had the honour of preaching in many different churches (those that hold to the solid faith of the early church fathers clearly written in the ancient creeds). I cherish the hymnbook pictured below which was presented to me after I preached in a Lutheran Church. The Psalms were the Hymnbook for worship in the Temple in Jerusalem for 1,000 years. Jesus worshipped in the Temple, and no doubt the Psalms were the book from which He sang and worshipped. This hymnbook sits on the shelf just above the place where I type this blog. I often take it down and read or sing one or more of the great hymns handed down to us by men and women of God. I don’t sing solos in public, but I surely do so when it’s just God and me here in my study.