Psalms For Psalms- Day 35

In the quiet hour before battle, men quake. Swords are being sharpened. Anxiety settling in. It's go time.

Aragorn's speech at the Black Gate comes to mind.

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.

A day may come when the courage of men fails

when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship,

but it is not this day.

An hour of wolves and shattered shields,

when the age of men comes crashing down,

but it is not this day!

This day we fight!!

By all that you hold dear on this good Earth,

I bid you stand, Men of the West!!!"

But everything changes when we have God our King on our side. He's already won the battle, so we run in confidence.

My prayer today is that we would trust in God to go before us and walk confidently to the throne of Christ Jesus our Savior.

Psalms 35- God is my Shield

Warriors prepare for battle

But God is my shield

My I trust You in the darkest hour

To God my spirit yields

Drive away evil men

Like chaff in the wind

May their way be dark and slippery

Those who have sinned

We stand firm in the heat of battle

Knowing God's sword is drawn

Hacking down our enemies

Until every one is gone

When I see your victory

In You I will rejoice

All my bones will cry out

With a loud voice

In the great congregation we praise You

All voices together as one

Giving thanks to God in Heaven

The Father, Spirit, & Son

Psalms For Psalms- Day 34

The beginning of Psalms 34 is convicting... "I will bless the Lord at all times"

Do we really bless God at all times? Or do we bless the Lord only when things are going well?

My brother in law gave me some of the best parenting advice I've ever heard. He said, "When a baby cries, consider it a monastic calling of the bells to go to God and pray every time you hear those cries"

Last night, I was rocking Merritt and praying to God, thanking Him for the wonderful gift of my kids and wife.

I don't always get it right, but in that moment, I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God's grace and the sweet blessings Christ has given us.

God takes us wherever we are and holds us fast, until we are asleep in His arms just like Merritt was asleep in the picture above.

I pray today that we would bless the Lord at all times, reminding ourselves of the incredible blessings that God has given us.

Psalms 34 starts with a convicting line... "I will bless the Lord at all times

I will bless the Lord at all times

Psalms 34- Bless God At All Times

I will bless the Lord at all times

Even when my baby cries
When the world is in despair
I trust in God who is wise

There is nothing good apart from God
I will boast in Christ Jesus
Magnify the Lord with me
And praise the One who sees us

God answered my prayers
Took me from the lowest of lows
To the highest of highs
Jesus saved me from my woes

Taste and see that the Lord is good!
More satisfying than the best meal
Those who take refuge in Him
Find their hearts healed

God redeems us from nothing
Molds us like clay
Fashions our hearts into a life worth living
Guiding us every step of the way

Psalms For Psalms- Day 33

Everything is better with community. 

When I think about all the miles I got to run with teammates throughout the years, it brings me much joy. The great camaraderie we had, the laughter, the fellowship was truly a blessing in my life. We joked and made fun of each other, shared our hopes and dreams for life, and knew each other better than our own family.

It wasn’t all joy. I remember runs where we shared really difficult things going on in our lives. We got real, we laughter together, but we also cried together. That was community. 

In my life now, I have an amazing community group of people that get to share in our joys, hurts, and pains as well. It is such a treasure to walk through life with people who know you and care for you.

And even more so, how sweet is it that our Lord and Savior gets to walk with us through life. I have this image of running with God, stride for stride, laughing and talking like old friends. The reality is, God is with us. He is running by our side every day. What a gift and privilege it is to run with our God and King. 

My prayer is that we would remember that today, and continue to run after the Straight Race of life with Christ by our side!

Psalms 33- Running By Our Side

When we walk with our God

Praise overflows from our souls

Like an unending waterfall

His steadfast love has made us whole

God spoke a single word

And the earth was made

How the mighty mountains shutter before Him

The enemies of God are afraid

But we stand amazed

At our God and King

Blessed are His people 

To Christ we will forever cling

The Lord brings nations to nothing

Accounted as dust on the scales

Do you not know? Have you not heard?

God Almighty will never fail

The eyes of the Lord are on His people

On those who trust in His grace

We stand forever grateful

To run with God in this race

Psalms For Psalms- Day 32

Psalms For Psalms- Day 32

So often my hard heart doesn't want to go to God and ask for forgiveness when I have sinned and missed the mark. But God is waiting there patiently for us, like the good Father He is. 

I know He is good because of His mercy and forgiveness. When I look at my own life and sin, knowing that God went before me and gave His only son Jesus, it becomes even more wonderful. How could He love a sinner like me?

Yet Yahweh does, every single day. Reminds me of the old hymn that we need to sing to ourselves daily. 

"Twas Grace that taught my heart to fear

and grace my fears relieved

how precious did that grace appear

the hour I first believed"

God, remind of how good your grace is. Give us a sweetness that cannot be surpassed by anything else in the world. Lead us every day and may we run the Straight Race after You.

Psalms 32- Every Day (God Forgives)

Like a child getting into trouble

How quickly we fall away

But we can go to Jesus

Who forgives us every day

That child runs to his father

Straight into his arms

Knowing that no matter what

He is safe from harm

That's how it is with God

When we are prone to sin

He cleanses our iniquities

When we run to Him

To anyone who seeks Him

Come to God in prayer

He is merciful and forgives

Our sins He does bear

Show me where to run Father

God, I need You today

Draw my heart close to You

Would You guide me along the way

Psalms For Psalms- Day 31

Have you ever seen a battleship be built? It takes 3-4 years to be built. Every single part has to be made perfect and ready for battle; a single mistake could be catastrophic to the ships men. 

After the ship is built, the ship must be steered correctly and focused on its mission. What happens if the rudder is off keel? The ship slowly and surely drifts off course. But not immediately, it’s a process that happens by a single degree being miscalculated. 

And such is the case with our lives. We are fashioned perfectly by God as Psalms 139 talks about. But our own selfish desires can steer off course by a degree and lead us into shipwrecks.

I pray that God would guide our course, turn the rudders of our hearts back to Him, and we could rely on the Lord in all things!

Psalms 31- Turn Our Rudders God

Turn your ear to me Father

Rescue me with haste

That I might draw near to you

To get a glimpse, a small taste

You have redeemed me

Brought me from nothing

Fashioned my dying heart

Turned me into something

Be gracious to me God

For I am like a ship

Whose rudder is pointed the wrong way

And bow is about to tip 

Only You can calm the waters

Easing the stormy sea

You take broken vessels like myself 

Fixing the innermost of me

Your goodness is stored up abundantly

Like a farmhouse full of grain

In the middle of the summer heat

Your love pours out like rain 

Love the Lord your God 

All you who call Him friend

It is Him who preserves the faithful

Steadfast through the end

Psalms For Psalms- Day 30

It’s hard to believe it’s been a month of writing short, simple praises to God. Grateful to get to do so. 

As I read Psalms 30, I continue to be reminded of what God has done and what He will continue to do.

Before Christ, I was a porn addict, addicted to myself, put all my identity in who I was as an athlete, selfish, prideful, among a handful of other things. 

While I still struggle with some of these sins, Christ has transformed my life. I spent 15 years running, training, racing, yet never found full satisfaction in what I did. I loved it, but it wasn’t the end. Walking with Christ, I realize that deep satisfaction can only come from Him. And when we realize that, it changes everything. 

I pray we would be reminded of how God has brought us from the low of lows to the highest of highs. That we get to walk with God and run the race of life with Him. What a joy it is to run with God! 

Psalms 30- Christ Drew Us From Death

I will praise You forever and ever

For God has pulled me out of trouble

Like a fisherman drawing up his net

Keeping me in His bubble 

My soul was set on Sheol

Until You set me free

You restored my life from the pit

You Father have healed me

Sing praises to God this joyful day!

Our songs ever adorning

Weeping may tarry for the night

But joy comes in the morning

I was once sad and in despair

Not knowing what to do

Your love has made me dance

Your Glory always shines through

Psalms For Psalms- Day 29

The very first word in Psalms 29 is ascribe. Throughout the history of the earth, scribes have existed to document various events and happenings. They have told the story of man, and we get a front row seat to learn from these men who carefully documented stories of old.

In a similar fashion, the Bible serves as a storybook of old, following God’s great providence in the lives of His people. It testifies to God’s kindness, mercy, grace, strength, and all the facets of who God is.

Psalms 29 urges us to do the same. Ascribe to God the glory and work He has done in our lives. Remind others of God’s faithfulness. 

When Catherine and I lost our daughter Grace at 20 weeks and had to deliver her as a stillborn, it was considered a great tragedy and we rightly grieved and mourned her loss. We had a funeral for her in our backyard on May 14th, 2023. 

But our good God had great plans for us. By His faithfulness our daughter Merritt was born on May 14th, 2024, one year to the date of our loss of Grace. Only God could write a story like that. Only God could turn our tragedy into joy. 

We named Merritt after a Shane and Shane hymn, “All Sufficient Merit” to remind of us God’s continued faithfulness in our lives, that Christ is our “all sufficient merit” everyday. 

I pray we would ascribe the wonder, the beauty, and the faithfulness of God to the ends of the earth, proclaiming His name that all may hear and see how good God is. 

Psalms 29- Ascribe

Ascribe to God all He has done 

Don’t leave out a single bit

He deserves all the glory

That we will never forget 

Sing from the mountaintops 

Declare it from the waters wide

Worship God in the splendor of His Holiness

Draw near to His side 

Who is God and what has He done?

The One over the sea

His mighty voice Thunders

He is full of majesty 

He can flash full of fire

Or care for the deer

He is King Forever

Oh come all to hear

He cared for us at our lowest 

When life seemed very grim 

From ashes He made beauty

Springing joy in our hymns