Author: Rick Henderson

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 93:1-5 (day seven)

As we wrap up this series in Psalms today, we also wrap up another year in school bringing us to Senior Sunday. Pray Psalm 93:5 over these students with me today:

Your testimonies are fully confirmed;
Holiness befits Your house,
O Lord, forevermore. Psalm 93:5

In a world that feels like rising floodwaters, we may not  control the waves nor the storm that surrounds us, but we can cling to a Word that will not move. The Word of God is our anchor. We stand on His testimony knowing His promises always come true.

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

Holiness is found in the House of the Lord. God has chosen us to be a part of His Household in heaven and on this earth. Holiness is made easier when we begin to see heaven here on earth, and that starts with His Church.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:25 NLT

God is reigning on His Throne now and forever! The quicker we recognize this, the quicker we are to get our priorities in order. With Him on the Throne, we can trust His plan and His will over our ways completely.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 46:1-11 (day seven)

Come, behold the works of the Lord. Psalm 46:8

What makes today more special than any other day? Nothing… yet, everything. Today we celebrate Pentecost: the day the Church received the Holy Spirit. The day when Spirit of God manifested Himself in the heart’s of all believers, allowing us to become adopted as sons and daughters of the King, giving us direct access to Him. The same Spirit that was given on that day dwells with us every day. In light of that, today is as special as any other day. Do we treat each day this special? Do we expect the Spirit to move in a mighty way every Sunday that we gather? We should!

However, today is special! Today is an opportunity for us to celebrate what the Holy Spirit is doing in the life of our church locally and the Church globally. Come, behold the works of the Lord. Come, behold what the Lord is doing here at FBCSA. Come, behold the miracle of baptism. Come, behold the power of unity in the body. Come, behold the importance of diversity in the congregation. Come, behold what God is going to do in you. May we gather in anticipation and expectation that the Spirit will move amongst us today!

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 77:1-20 (day seven)

Your way was in the sea
And Your paths in the mighty waters,
And Your footprints may not be known. Psalm 77:19

Following God’s plan is not always easy to see. To illustrate that point, the psalmist Asaph personifies the Red Sea and invites us to view the parting of the waters from the sea’s perspective.

What we see here is that creation itself will always recognize God, even when we do not. Even in the midst of doubt and fear, creation knew who held authority and immediately responded. The sea represented an uncrossable barrier for Israel: the water before them and the army behind them, closing in. God could have consumed the army with the pillar of fire, but instead He wanted to teach a lesson. He made a way where there was no way.

God used creation to showcase His authority and will. He had a plan and a path forward for the Israelites, but they couldn’t see it. So what does He do? He pulls back the sea to show the Israelites that His footsteps were there the whole time.

The next time you find yourself doubting and wrestling with God’s plan, put one foot in front of the other. Walk in His footsteps, and watch Him make a way for you in places you never thought He could take you.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 113:1-9 (day seven)

He makes the barren woman abide in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord! vs 9

Today we celebrate Motherhood. I’m not going to pretend like this day is an easy day for every woman out there. This can be a day that causes pain, resentment, and doubt for many whose earliest memories include dreams of being a mom. Women, moms, men, dads, whatever your role, whatever your plight, let this passage bring you hope: God sees you, God hears you, and God brings you life.

Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth and other women found in Scripture resonate deeply with this verse. It’s not just a miracle; it’s a validation. God saw their plight, God heard their cry, and God met them with compassion. He brought them life.

Jesus does the same for every single one of us! Did you know He sang this Psalm the night before He was crucified? (See the Hallel) How sweet and poetic that Jesus brought to life the Psalm that he sang while surrounded by friends in the upper room through his death on the cross and an empty tomb. We are all the barren woman, desperate for a home. Jesus sees our plight, Jesus hears our cry, and Jesus meets us with compassion! Jesus brings us new life!

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone!

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 96:1-13 (day seven)

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Psalm 96:5-6

Sometimes the English language doesn’t fully capture the richness found in Scripture. Especially as we read poetry. The word for idols (elilim) is a play on the word for gods (elohim). Elilim actually translates most closely to “nothing.” What people call “gods” are, in reality, nothing at all. You can try to compare them to God, but they pale in comparison to the splendor and majesty of the Creator of the Universe!

We might not think that we create idols because we don’t have graven images in our households, but the gods of the peoples of today are just as prevalent and dangerous. We worship with our time, energy, and money. If we were to follow the trail of those things in your life, would it lead us to God or would it lead us to something else? Work, family, hobbies, comfort, success, possessions? These are the idols of today. Wait, those can be good things, can’t they?

Strength and beauty are the characteristics of the things found in the presence of God. When God is the center of our worship, we find strength and beauty in those good things, but when those “good” things become the center of our worship, we become drained and burnt out because our energy has been spent doing nothing.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 62:1-12 (day seven)

My soul waits in silence for God only;
From Him is my salvation. Psalm 62:1

We live in a loud world. It seems as if there is almost always some sort of noise happening in the background. People walk around with headphones on like it’s an accessory. We have TVs in every room of the house. Not to mention smart speakers that will play anything we tell them to. Our cars have turned into giant cell phones used to communicate on our commute. All of this means that we rarely find ourself in silence, but isn’t that what  your soul craves? We need silence.

That is obviously very difficult, because even when we get noises around us to be quieted, our mind struggles to be silent. We fill the void with our thoughts, our supplications, our plans that we are bringing before the Lord. Yet, this waiting that God asks from us is a state of complete trust. It is surrendered silence. A place where we are not only quieting the background noise, but even quieting our own mind so that we can wait and listen for the Lord in silence. It is in that silence that He begins to speak to us, to encourage us, to guide us, and even to fight for us.

The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Exodus 14:14

When was the last time you sat with the Lord in surrendered silence?

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 37:1-40 (day six)

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. vs 8b

Three times in the first eight verses we see the psalmist uses the phrase, “Do not fret.” Anytime repetition is found in scripture, it is an indicator of importance, so what was David trying to highlight? We often attribute fretting to anxiety and worry. However, the word used here for fret is more often translated as anger or burning (Strong’s H2734).

David is telling us not to become angry by the success of evildoers. It is frustrating when it appears like God allows immoral people to avoid punishment. It is frustrating when it seems like bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people. It is frustrating when we do everything right, but others who don’t live for God get the reward. This is the feeling David is trying to invoke. Have you felt this before? If we are honest, we all have, and maybe even pretty recently.

David encourages us not to fret or get worked up by this because God is in control. When we take matters into our own hands, it leads to us becoming the evil we are trying to expose. We cause more harm than good when we get flustered by other’s success. Trust God’s plan and God’s timing. It will be better than anything this world can offer!

Bonus thought: Why does God allow the wicked to prosper? I would say he doesn’t. I’d argue the success of the wicked keeps them in a place where they believe they don’t need God. That’s what the enemy wants. Victory in Jesus is better than any victory the world can offer.

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 16:1-11 (day seven)

Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Psalm 16:9-10

This Easter Sunday, I too echo the psalmist: my heart is glad! We have not been abandoned, though we deserved to have been. Our eternity is secure, though we did nothing to earn it. Our ransom has been paid, though we could never repay it. Yet, it was Jesus who was abandoned. It was Jesus who took on Hell. It was Jesus was crucified for my sin.

O Death, where are your thorns? O Sheol, where is your sting? Hosea 13:14

My heart is glad because Jesus claimed the victory. My heart is glad because He won my soul for eternity. My heart is glad because the grave is empty. He is Risen! Say it with me: He is Risen Indeed!