Forty Words

Lenten Reflections from the Psalms

  • Lift

    To the oppressed, the grief-stricken, the ashamed, and all whose heads are hung low, Jesus says, “Look up at me.”

  • Majestic

    The God of all creation, the One who spoke the heavens and earth into existence, gives me all the significance I need.

  • Why (part 1)

    As we mature, the “why” questions become more serious, touching topics of profundity in life, even probing the mysteries of God and divine will.

  • Abide

    Asking me to produce my own holiness would be kind of like asking darkness to light up a room. It’s not going to happen. If I want to light up a room, I go to a source of light.

  • Heritage

    Inheritance. Young people fancy the idea of getting a nice one. Many parents hope to leave a good one.

  • Meditation

    The connection between the mouth and the heart is undebatable. If the words of my mouth have any chance of being acceptable in the sight of God, I must see that the meditation of my heart is pleasing to Him.

  • Forsaken

    If it is possible to feel alone in the midst of a crowd, Jesus must have. His best friends had fled. Only a few friendly faces remained in proximity.

  • Leads

    Who knows better where the green pastures and quiet waters are: the shepherd or the sheep? Who holds the rod and staff that bring comfort in the dark valley: the shepherd or the sheep?

  • King

    If the king were coming to town, this would be the gate through which he should enter. It is large and majestic, conveying the grand welcome due a person of highest honor.

  • Desire

    “One thing I have desired of the Lord; that will I seek.” What is that one thing? It is to be in God’s presence, to behold God’s beauty, to seek God’s will.

  • Weeping

    We are not promised a life free of sorrow. However, we are offered perspective. Though we may find ourselves in the midst of a dark night, we can be assured that the dawn is coming.

  • Rock

    In a region laced with sharp, majestic geologic features, the image of the rock became a common way of expressing strength and refuge.

  • Eyes

    If the human eye is so remarkable, what does that suggest about the eye of God? God’s eye must be keen beyond our imagination, able to see all things with clarity.

  • Pit

    Thankfully the pit is not the end of the story for Jesus, nor for the psalmist, nor for us. God is a redeemer, One who reaches into the pits in order to rescue those who are His.

  • Why (part 2)

    Why are you cast down, O my soul? The writer knows perfectly well why his soul is cast down. Reality has burned it into his consciousness. It is not a question of curiosity; it is a question that reaches back into the memory of faith.

  • Contrite

    Psalm 51 is what happens with the mask is removed and all is laid bare. The writer’s conviction is not of being a sinner in just a general sense. He knew exactly what he had done, and felt the pain of having to face it.

  • Wings

    There is no pleasure in being assailed by anyone, stranger or known adversary. There is a particular sting in being assailed by one you have trusted…

  • Awe

    They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy.– Psalm 65:8 Awe. Such a weighty word for only three letters. Have you noticed that, with only rare exception, the posture associated with awe is standing? Seldom have I heard of anyone “sitting in awe” … Continue reading Awe

  • Ponder

    I will ponder all your work,and meditate on your mighty deeds.– Psalm 77:12 In the course of life, one of our ongoing challenges is to keep our thinking sound. Circumstances, particularly unpleasant ones, have a way of getting our minds out of whack (is there such a thing as “in whack?”). When this happens our … Continue reading Ponder

  • Testimony

    For He established a testimony in Jacob,And appointed a law in Israel,Which He commanded our fathers,That they should make them known to their children;– Psalm 78:5 As I began to reflect on the topic of testimony, something I quickly observed is a progression that connects the word for today and the words of my two most recent … Continue reading Testimony

  • Tabernacle

    A tent offers easy access. One only has to move the flap and step through the opening. No locks, no barriers, just access.

  • Number

    So teach us to number our days,That we may gain a heart of wisdom.– Psalm 90:12 Math was never my best subject in school. It wasn’t my worst, but I definitely wasn’t acing every test. Simple math was fine; statistics were fun. Geometry made perfect sense; algebra made none. Calculus made my brain melt, and I think … Continue reading Number

  • Fear

    The narratives of the Bible show us time after time that men and women of courage fall to their knees when in the Divine presence.

  • Precious

    Saints are not just special people who have earned elite status in the history of the church. They are the entirety of the Body of Christ, believers who are redeemed by the grace of God.

  • Cornerstone

    A true cornerstone is the primary reference point. The place of every other piece in the structure is defined by the cornerstone. This is why it must be the first stone laid.

  • Lamp

    We need the illumination that light provides. Light shows us what we need to know, where to put our feet when walking and what dangers might be lying in our path.

  • Slumber

    It would be sad to have a god whom you must awaken so he can heed your call.

  • Gates

    Being inside the gates of Jerusalem meant being in the premier location for worship. The city itself was a visual picture of being claimed and protected by God.

  • Streams

    When the rain comes, the wadi literally becomes a stream in the desert. All living things that have persevered through the dryness receive a long-awaited drink of life.

  • Build

    Any worker would hope that her work accomplishes something. Any builder is encouraged by the thought that the thing being built has some kind of significance.

  • Reader Input

    Thank you for being part of the journey through these writings. The Forty Words of Lent are coming to an end in the mid part of Holy Week. These blog posts were my discipline for Lent this year, and therefore were primarily done as a way for me to draw more near to God. The … Continue reading Reader Input

  • Wait

    In a culture of immediate gratification, “wait” is literally and categorically a four-letter word. Ask ten Christians which part of the Spirit’s fruit they feel most lacking, nine of them will say patience.

  • Unity

    …the fertile ground in which unity grows best is a Christ-like spirit of humility and service among his followers, something we like to call agape love.

  • Mercy

    …it is not difficult to see that there is a quality about God being celebrated. It is God’s undeserved kindness toward you and me. It is a kindness rooted in God’s love, expressed to us in a wide variety of ways, and perfectly reliable.

  • Wonderfully

    When Jesus told his hearers that the Father knows the number of hairs on their heads (Luke 12:7), he was only scratching the surface of God’s intimate knowledge. Indeed, you and I are made full of wonder.

  • Praise

    Consistently the psalm writers offer their attribution of God’s perfections. It is their word of praise, and we are invited to join in the chorus.

  • Sing

    Singing is an orchestrated, beautiful expression of our praise that seeps into the core of our memories and helps to enliven our faith.

  • Forgiven

    The psalmist is privy to a wonderful tidbit of information that can do wonders for a weighted conscience. God is abounding in mercy.

  • Chosen

    What Jesus saw in the disciples, we can only speculate. Praise God that Jesus can see what the world cannot.

  • Good

    The psalmist offers a simple statement that has endured for centuries. Its truth continues to draw the hearts of people to a position of thanksgiving and praise.

Subscribe

Enter your email below to receive updates.