I Will Show Him My Salvation

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 91:14–16 (ESV)

¹⁴ “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. ¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

As we read the end of this psalm, we read of God’s promises to the psalmist. We are first told that this is one who holds fast to God in love (i.e. “with all his heart”), knows God’s name, and calls on God. In response, God promises to deliver, protect, answer, be with, rescue, honor, satisfy with long life, and show him salvation.

As we read these promises of God, know that these are the promises that God makes with all who call out to God in faith. He will rescue us and give us eternal life. God is a God of grace and he offers salvation to all who will trust in him. Seek him today with all your heart and he will answer you.

**Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible reading devotional. Please use the links at the bottom to subscribe to this page. You can also share this post with your friends through social media using the buttons below. Thanks for reading!

Establish the Work of Our Hands

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Thank you for reading Shaped by the Word, a daily Bible-reading devotional. I do not publish devotional content on Sundays, but I do include a suggested reading from Scripture. Please be sure to subscribe to this page so you can read along with us each day. We are currently reading through the Book of Psalms.

Reading the Word

Psalm 90:13–17 (ESV)

¹³ Return, O Lord! How long? Have pity on your servants! ¹⁴ Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. ¹⁵ Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. ¹⁶ Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. ¹⁷ Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

How Long, O Lord?

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 89:46–52 (ESV)

⁴⁶ How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? ⁴⁷ Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! ⁴⁸ What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah ⁴⁹ Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? ⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations, ⁵¹ with which your enemies mock, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. ⁵² Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.

Understanding and Applying the Word

“How long, O Lord?” These are the words that the psalmist asks as we near the end of Psalm 89. The writer is wondering when God will fulfill his promises to his people. When will he provide a king from the line of David and defeat the enemies of Israel? It seems as though God has forgotten.

The way God chooses to fulfill his plans and purposes is not always evident to us. At times, we may be left wondering what God is doing or if he is doing anything at all. We may cry out with the psalmist, “How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?”

Notice that the author of Psalm 89 continued to put his hopes in God’s promises. He may not have understood how they would be fulfilled, but he waited for them. We know from the rest of Scripture that God did keep his promises by sending his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. We have the benefit of knowing with greater clarity how God is working to redeem the world from sin, so let us continue to trust in him even when we do not always understand our circumstances or trials. Blessed be the Lord forever!

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Tim Farley

Reading the Word

Psalm 89:1–8 (ESV)

¹ I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations. ² For I said, “Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” ³ You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ⁴ ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.’ ” Selah ⁵ Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones! ⁶ For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, ⁷ a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him? ⁸ O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?

Understanding and Applying the Word

This psalm begins speaking of God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to his people. It speaks specifically of God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:4-17 where God promises to establish David’s throne forever. This promise is what we refer to as the Davidic Covenant and is the promise of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would come and be the eternal King.

As we reflect on these words, it is important to see the connection to the rest of this psalm. In these opening verses, the writer praises God for keeping his promises. In the following verses, he asks God to save his people so that those promises can be fulfilled. As we face the challenges of life and as we seek God in prayer, we too need to remind ourselves of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love through the ages, both to us and those who came before us. By doing so, we give praise to God for all he has done and we are strengthened to face our circumstances knowing that God is with us.

I Am Helpless

Posted on August 3, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 88:10–18 (ESV)

¹⁰ Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah ¹¹ Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? ¹² Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? ¹³ But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. ¹⁴ O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? ¹⁵ Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. ¹⁶ Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. ¹⁷ They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. ¹⁸ You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.

Understanding and Applying the Word

As this psalm began, so it ends. The writer is calling out to God for help in the midst of great despair. As we come to the end, we may be wondering what we can learn from such a passage.

Here are a few things that I believe this psalm teaches. First, God does not always remove our trials and difficulties from us. We may have to face them all our days. This should not come as a surprise to us. Even our Savior prayed that the “cup” be taken from him before he was crucified. The Father did not remove the cup and Christ went to the cross. When we pray, we do so with the same words of Jesus: “not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42).

A second thing that we can learn is that we should never stop praying. It is an act of faith when we do. Even though the psalmist was discouraged and even after the passage of much time, he continued to pray. He showed his trust in God by continuing to go to him.

And lastly, this psalm reminds us that the fulfillment of the promises of God will not be realized in this world, but the next. God has put in motion a plan to redeem his creation from sin and its effects. There will be a new heaven and a new earth without sin and suffering and mourning and death, but that day is still future. We live in a fallen world and the effects of sin impact us all. So, we wait eagerly for the world to come and we trust in the promises of God until they are realized.

I Cry Out Day and Night before You

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Tim Farley

greyscale photography of woman wearing long sleeved top

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Reading the Word

Psalm 88:1–9 (ESV)

¹ O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. ² Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! ³ For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. ⁴ I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, ⁵ like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. ⁶ You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. ⁷ Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah ⁸ You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; ⁹ my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you.

Understanding and Applying the Word

These verses record the words of one who is in great despair. As he calls out, he tells God that his soul is full of troubles, he has no strength, he feels cut off from God, and he is sorrowful. As we read the words it is easy to get a sense of the writer’s pain.

Sometimes we may feel like if we share some of the same feelings and emotions that this psalmist writes about, that there is something wrong with us. After all, Christians should never feel that way. We should always be happy. It does not matter what circumstances you are facing.

If you have ever felt guilty for feeling sorrowful or troubled, this psalm may be a great encouragement to you. These verses teach us that such feelings are normal for the people of God and that we can go to God and tell him how we feel. We can cast our burdens on the Lord because he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

A God Merciful and Gracious

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Tim Farley

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Reading the Word

Psalm 86:14–17 (ESV)

¹⁴ O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. ¹⁵ But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. ¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. ¹⁷ Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Understanding and Applying the Word

David is under attack by men that he calls “insolent” and “ruthless”. Yet, in his prayer, David calls out to God to show him mercy and grace based on God’s steadfast love and faithfulness. He does not plead with God based on his personal merit or righteousness. His prayer shows that he is willing to admit that he may share some of the blame in the circumstances.

We can learn much from David. Often times, when we feel as though we are being mistreated we need to stop and self-examine. We need to be willing to admit that we may have at least contributed in some way to our circumstances. When we pray to God for deliverance, let us also pray for forgiveness and grace. Then let us praise him for his love and faithfulness toward us.

I Call on You, O Lord

Posted on July 29, 2018 by Tim Farley

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible-reading devotional. I do not publish devotional content on Sundays, but I do include a suggested reading for the day. Please subscribe to this page so you can follow along as we read through the Book of Psalms in 2018.

Reading the Word

Psalm 86:1–7 (ESV)

¹ Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. ² Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. ³ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. ⁴ Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. ⁵ For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. ⁶ Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. ⁷ In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me.

Give It to the Lord

Posted on July 22, 2018 by Tim Farley

Romans 1219 [widescreen]

Shaped by the Word is a daily Bible-reading devotional. I do not publish devotional content on Sundays, but I do include a suggested reading from Scripture. You can follow along as we read through the Book of Psalms in 2018 by subscribing to this page. Thanks for reading!

Reading the Word

Psalm 83:9–13 (ESV)

⁹ Do to them as you did to Midian, as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, ¹⁰ who were destroyed at En-dor, who became dung for the ground. ¹¹ Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, ¹² who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves of the pastures of God.” ¹³ O my God, make them like whirling dust, like chaff before the wind.

I Cry Aloud

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Tim Farley

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Reading the Word

Psalm 77:1–4 (ESV)

¹ I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me. ² In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted. ³ When I remember God, I moan; when I meditate, my spirit faints. Selah⁴ You hold my eyelids open; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

Understanding and Applying the Word

In a time of trouble, the writer of this psalm turned to God. He cried out and was confident that God heard his cries. Notice that he says that he cried aloud and without wearying. The psalmist must have been in great despair!

Where do you turn in times of trouble? The place we go first may say a great deal about what we trust most. When we turn to God and cry out to Him, we can be confident that He hears us and that we can continue to cry out to Him without growing weary, knowing that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

Shaped by the Word

A Bible Reading Devotional

Tag Archives: Prayer

I Will Show Him My Salvation

Establish the Work of Our Hands

How Long, O Lord?

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

I Am Helpless

I Cry Out Day and Night before You

A God Merciful and Gracious

I Call on You, O Lord

Give It to the Lord

I Cry Aloud

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