Archive for April 2022

Ruth 4, Psalm 94, Mark 9:14-32, 1 Corinthians 16 Psalm 94: I remember a song that was often sung when I was growing up called “Shine Jesus Shine.” It’s a good song in many ways, but I suspect this psalm is not usually what we have in mind when we think of God “shining.” When we think of…

Ruth 2-3, Psalm 93, Mark 9:1-13, 1 Corinthians 15:29-58 Psalm 93: We live in times when floods rage and roar. There are wars and rumors of wars. There are difficulties in our own lives, and we read of race tension and struggles around the world. Such things are not unique to our age: perhaps every age has thought…

Ruth 1, Psalm 92, Mark 8:31-38, 1 Corinthians 15:1-28 Psalm 92: Giving thanks to God can seem like a chore for some people. They look down when they are singing to God and rarely will offer any praise interspersed with their intercessions. But, says the psalmist, “It is good” to give thanks to God (92:1). Praising God is…

Judges 20-21, Psalm 91, Mark 8:22-30, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 Psalm 91: There is a secret to safety even in the midst of danger. “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty” (91:1). Whatever may befall us, whatever dangers we may face, those who make God their “dwelling” will…

Judges 19, Psalm 90, Mark 8:14-21, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 Psalm 90: This, surely one of the greatest psalms, if not one of the greatest chapters in the whole Bible, resonates with the God-given wisdom of that man of God, Moses. And the essence of its wisdom? “You return man to dust,” and therefore “teach us to number our…

Judges 17-18, Psalm 89:19-52, Mark 8:1-13, 1 Corinthians 13  Psalm 89:19-52: The vision and the promise are clear. But where are the results? This is a confusing disjunction with which to be faced at the best of times, but especially when the vision belongs to God (verse 19), and the promise is guaranteed also by God (verse 35).…

Judges 16, Psalm 89:1-18, Mark 7:24-37, 1 Corinthians 12:14-31 Psalm 89:1-18: Do you want to give your life something that lasts forever? So many people down through the years have attempted to make a name for themselves that lasts beyond the merely temporal and immediate. Great works of art. Military conquest. The list goes on. And yet the…

Judges 13-15, Psalm 88, Mark 7:1-23, 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 Psalm 88: “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never harm me.” This and other similar “old saws” suggest that we are most at threat from physical danger. Certainly, physical danger is not to be eschewed or ignored as if it were nothing. Only those who…

Judges 10-12, Psalm 87, Mark 6:45-56, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Psalm 87: This psalm gave inspiration to one of the great hymns of the Christian faith. Written by John Newton in 1779, the hymn well expresses the essence of this psalm: Glorious things of thee are spoken Zion, city of our God… Savior, since of Zion’s city I through…