Posts by Josh Moody
Psalm 79: How Long, O Lord?
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…
Read MorePsalm 78:40-72: Remember
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.…
Read MorePsalm 78:1-39: Ephraim
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…
Read MorePsalm 77: I Will Appeal to This
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…
Read MorePsalm 76: Fear God
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…
Read MorePsalm 75: His Name Is Near
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,…
Read MorePsalm 74: Arise, O God!
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…
Read MoreHow Easter Can Change Your Life
If I were to ask you whether going through this Easter weekend will change your life, what would you say? For many of us, we are so familiar with the stories and have been through the Good Friday to Easter Sunday routine so often that it becomes hard to believe that it will have any…
Read MorePsalm 73: All Are Yours
Joshua 3-5, Psalm 73, Mark 1:9-20, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Psalm 73: Have you ever felt as if the people who really have all the fun are those who are not following God? That is the feeling that this psalmist was wrestling with. He starts out by stating the pious truth that he knows he should believe: “Truly God…
Read MorePsalm 72: The Whole Earth Filled with His Glory!
Joshua 1-2, Psalm 72, Mark 1:1-8, 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 Psalm 72: This is apparently a prayer “of David” (72:20) about his Solomon (“the royal son,” 72:1). There are three themes of this prayer: justice, blessing, and kingdom expansion globally. The first central theme of this prayer is “justice”: “Give the king your justice, O God” (72:1) “May he judge your people with righteousness, and…
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