Posts by Josh Moody

Judges 1-3, Psalm 82, Mark 5:1-20, 1 Corinthians 9:1-12 Psalm 82: Have you ever wondered why it is that religion can seem so corrupt? Hardly a day goes by, it seems, that we do not hear of some crisis or other in the world of religion. And then we are told that religion is the cause of all…

Joshua 24, Psalm 81, Mark 4:21-41, 1 Corinthians 8 Psalm 81: The psalm begins with praise and ends with appeal. This morning, begin your day with praise, and then listen to the appeal that this psalm makes. The praise is loud! “Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!” (81:1). No moderate,…

Joshua 22-23, Psalm 80, Mark 4:1-2, 1 Corinthians 7:17-40 Psalm 80: When you are faced with a situation that is apparently beyond your ability to influence, what do you do? In this psalm we find a man calling out to God to ask God to “restore”; God is the only one who can do it, and so it…

Joshua 20-21, Psalm 79, Mark 3:20-35, 1 Corinthians 7:1-16 Psalm 79: Calamity breeds its own kind of despair. It is difficult to know how to respond when something tragic and terrible occurs. How can we answer the cries of those who are brought low? How can we find strength to help those trod down under foot? How can…

Joshua 18-19, Psalm 78:40-72, Mark 3:1-19, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Psalm 78:40-72: The psalm continues with a description of the capitulation of God’s people to sin and rebellion against God. It is a sad lament. Why does the psalmist spend so much time telling us of these things? The answer is that he writes these things to warn us.…

Joshua 15-17, Psalm 78:1-39, Mark 2:18-28, 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Psalm 78:1-39: Family histories are normally replete with messages affirming the preeminence of that family’s particular genetic heritage. Sure, there are a few nuts in every family, but by and large it is natural for us to prefer the testimony of our family—with all its foibles—over that of any…

Joshua 13-14, Psalm 77, Mark 2:13-17, 1 Corinthians 5 Psalm 77: In this psalm is a great principle that any disciple of God can use for their own suffering or perplexing situation still today. The psalmist is in difficulties. It is “the day of my trouble” (77:2). We are not told exactly what this “trouble” was, but that…

Joshua 10-12, Psalm 76, Mark 2:1-12, 1 Corinthians 4 Psalm 76:   What is the least mentioned characteristic of God in the contemporary church? I suppose different answers could be given to that question, but to my mind the answer is given in this psalm: fear. We are quick to exult in God’s love (as we should), but…

Joshua 8-9, Psalm 75, Mark 1:35-45, 1 Corinthians 3 Psalm 75: Why give thanks to God? There are many answers to that question, not least because of his saving grace wrought at the cross. But here the psalm has a particular and perhaps slightly enigmatic reason in its focus: “for your name is near” (75:1). The reason why,…

Joshua 6-7, Psalm 74, Mark 1:21-34, 1 Corinthians 2 Psalm 74: Why do bad things happen to good people? Most of us have asked that question from time to time, and a species of that sort of question frames this psalm. “O God, why do you cast us off forever?” (74:1). The question of this psalm is not…