Archive for January 2026

Genesis 39-40, Psalm 18:1-24, Matthew 7:15-29, Acts 10:24-48 Psalm 18:1-24: Looking back when the dark night of the soul is over, or when the very real battle is finished, it is easy to forget just how hard it was. This psalm recalls the experience of God rescuing David from his enemies, even from the hand of Saul, and…

Genesis 37-38, Psalm 17, Matthew 7:1-14, Acts 10:1-23 Psalm 17: Oh, what a beautiful psalm! And how hard was the time that caused this psalm to be written! “Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry!” He is surrounded by enemies seeking him harm, and this consideration may be causing him a sleepless night (verse 3:…

Genesis 36, Psalm 16, Matthew 6:25-34, Acts 9:20-43 Psalm 16: David is asking to be saved, or for his life to be “preserved.” He senses the need of rescue. Perhaps he is in some dire situation or other. Perhaps he is overwhelmed with responsibility and feels as if the burden is about to kill him. Perhaps there are…

Genesis 34-35, Psalm 15, Matthew 6:16-24, Acts 9:1-19 Psalm 15: The question of Psalm 15 relates to the experience of being in the presence of the holy God. “Who shall dwell on your holy hill?” (Psalm 15:1). In other words, who, as a sinner, can possibly relate to the holy God in intimate fellowship? We know from the…

Genesis 32-33, Psalm 14, Matthew 6:1-15, Acts 8:26-40 Psalm 14: This psalm is paralleled in Psalm 53 and is memorably called “a hymn to the atheist” by the preacher Dick Lucas. It is in three parts: what the fool says, what the LORD sees, and what the Lord does. First, what the fool says, verse 1. “The fool…

Genesis 31, Psalm 13, Matthew 5:33-46, Acts 8:1-25 Psalm 13: David felt as if God had forgotten him. It seemed to be a condition that was going on forever: “How long, O LORD?” It had left him depressed: “sorrow in my heart all day long.” He turns to God for help. “Consider and answer me, O LORD my…

Genesis 29-30, Psalm 12, Matthew 5:21-32, Acts 7:39-60  Psalm 12: David is again surrounded by problems. It is easy to think that a king or national leader has few problems. But the reality is that the more authority you have, the more responsibility—and with increased responsibility comes increased pressure. David knew all about this. But while few reading…

Genesis 27-28, Psalm 11, Matthew 5:13-20, Acts 7:1-38 Psalm 11: Taking refuge in God, verse 1, is that which the righteous do, verse 7. The upright shall behold his face. But in the meantime, there is much that troubles David. He will not give in to pious platitudes and pretend that the situation he is facing is simple.…

Genesis 25-26, Psalm 10, Matthew 5:1-12, Acts 6 Psalm 10: It is the constant experience of God’s people that God sometimes seems to go quiet when things get tough. Where is God? That is the cry of many a beleaguered soul, even a devout and pious soul. Such feelings are the ones that give rise to this psalm.…

Genesis 24, Psalm 9, Matthew 4:18-25, Acts 5:17-42 Psalm 9: Psalm 9 begins conventionally enough. It starts with giving thanks to God. And the reasons for the thanksgiving are well known: gratitude for what God has done (his “wonderful deeds”) and ultimately for who God is in himself (“I will be glad and exult in you”). But having…