Singing Scripture

 Singing Scripture 

July 27, 2026

Isaiah 51:11 (NKJV) 

So the ransomed of the LORD shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 52:7 (NKJV) 

How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace , Who brings glad tidings of good [things,] Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Psalm 92:1-2 (NKJV) 

1 A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath day.night, 

[It is] good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; 2 To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,

In today’s scripture reading, I came across three verses that we used to sing. I miss the singing of scripture. It was a good way to memorize the scripture and to encourage yourself in the Word. Once you get one of these choruses in your head it can stick with you all day. That can be a good thing, helping you meditate on the Word in the midst of daily activities. If you are like me and grew up with these songs, you’re probably singing them in your head right now. But if not, look them up on YouTube and learn a new way to experience scripture today.

Supplication and Rejoicing

 Supplication and Rejoicing

February 26, 2026

Psalm 28:1 (NKJV) [A Psalm] of David. 

To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You [are] silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.

Psalm 28:6-7 (NKJV) 

6 Blessed [be] the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! 7 The LORD [is] my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

2 Corinthians 7:9 (NKJV) 

Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing.

 All throughout scripture, we are urged to rejoice. But an aspect of rejoicing that we may overlook is its connection to repentance. Godly sorrow leads to repentance and that leads to joy. In Psalm 28, the first half is a cry to God to rescue him and help him. It is only after raising his voice with supplications to the Lord that he comes to a place of rejoicing and singing. King David was a demonstrative kind of guy, so I think that all those around him could tell when he was crying out to the Lord and when he was singing and rejoicing. I, on the other hand, am a pretty quiet and reserved fellow, so you might not be able to tell just by looking at me how I am feeling. I need to be reminded to show my feelings of rejoicing. Our worship leader puts it like this, “If there is the joy of the Lord in your heart, let your face know it.” And that is true, not only on the worship platform, but in daily life as well. So my prayer for myself is, “Lord, let me rejoice in your mercy and grace, and let it show to those around me.” 

But back to the initial point about supplication. In the verse in second Corinthians, Paul was rejoicing that that the people were sorrowful. But not just sad, but sorrowful over their sins so that they came to a place of repentance. True joy then is when you confess your sins and experience the grace of God to forgive. Supplication, or crying out in sorrow to the Lord, leads to a cleansing and a lifting of the darkness so that you can rejoice and sing to the Lord. So let this day be a day of rejoicing and a day of experiencing the mercy and grace of the Lord who is mighty to save and merciful to forgive.

Psalm 23

 Psalm 23

February 20, 2026

The scripture of the day in my reading plan is Psalm 23.

Psalm 23:1-6 (NKJV) 1 A Psalm of David. 

The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want. 

2 He makes me to lie down in greenpastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You [are] with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

This Psalm is familiar to all of us, but it’s sometimes good to go back and review the familiar things. We need to remember that the Lord is our shepherd and that we shall not want. We tend to forget and worry about daily needs, but when we remember that the Lord is in charge, He restores our soul and leads us in the paths of righteousness. So today, even if you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, take heart and fear no evil, for He is with us. He comforts us like a shepherd with his rod and staff to guide and protect us. Surely our cup runs over and goodness and mercy follows us all the days of our lives. His peace comes from dwelling in His house forever. So love and peace and rest in green pastures this day.

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=eIuLtOKD9ns&si=Zvh5XxfKDHOEbhk1

The Nation’s Rage

 The Nation’s Rage

January 28, 2026

Acts 4:24-26 (NKJV) 

24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You [are] God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 “who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 

‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of theearth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.’ (Psalm 2:1-2)

The nations raged against the Lord in King Davis’s time. They plotted against Jesus, and they still rebel against he creator of heaven and earth. So what can we do? Our answer should be the same as the apostles in Acts 4:

Acts 4:31 (NKJV) 

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

They prayed and worshipped God in the Holy Spirit and continued to preach the word. In the passage in Acts, Peter and John had just been released from prison for healing a lame man in the name of Jesus. They didn’t let that discourage them as they continued to proclaim all that they had seen and heard. We can do the same. The world can rage and plot, but they cannot deny when we testify to the things that we have seen and heard. The Holy Spirit is still moving in the land and the angels are still at war with the forces of darkness. So when things look dark and discouraging, remember that the Lord sits in heaven and laughs. And pray that the Lord opens your eyes so you can say, like Elisha, “Do not fear, for those with us are more than those who are with them”. (2 Kings 6:16]

Psalm 2:1-4 (NKJV) 

1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? 2 The kings of theearth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed, [saying,] 3 “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision.

O Lord, In The Morning…

 O Lord, In The Morning…

January 17, 2026

Psalm 5:1-12 (NKJV) 

1To the Chief Musician. With flutes. A Psalm of David. 

Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation. 2 Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. 3 My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct [it] to You, And I will look up. 

4 For You [are] not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, Nor shall evil dwell with You. 5 The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man. 7 But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy; In fear of You I will worship toward Your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; Make Your way straight before my face. 9 For [there is] no faithfulness in their mouth; Their inward part [is] destruction; Their throat [is] an open tomb; They flatter with their tongue. 10 Pronounce them guilty, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels; Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, For they have rebelled against You. 

11 But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. 12 For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as [with] a shield.

My Glory and the Lifter of My Head

 My Glory and the Lifter of my Head

 November 3,2025

Psalm 3:1-8 (NASB95) 1 A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. 

O LORD, how my adversaries have increased! Many are rising up against me. 2 Many are saying of my soul, “There is no deliverance for him in God.” Selah. 

3 But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head. 

4 I was crying to the LORD with my voice, And He answered me from His holy mountain. Selah. 

5 I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustains me. 6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about. 7 Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God! For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek; You have shattered the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.

We have been talking about our weapons of spiritual warfare. One of them is praise. We see a good example of that in Psalm 3 where King David was being chased from Jerusalem by the rebel army of his son, Absolom. Now David was a warrior, skilled in the use of sword and shield, but in this case, he didn’t want to harm his son, but he did need to resist the spirit of rebellion, so he chose praise as his weapon. In the early days in our church in Pittsburgh, we used to sing this as a chorus (in the King James):

Psalm 3:3-4 (KJV) 

3 But thou, O LORD, [art] a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. 

4 I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

When you cry unto the Lord with a voice of Praise, He will hear and answer! I have seen this work many times. The demons of gloom, despair and agony can’t stand the sound of praise and quickly flee. Praise opens the gates of heaven for blessings to flow. Angels love to praise the Lord and will join with you in the battle. So raise a song of triumph and praise the Lord.

Salvationbelongs to the LORD; Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.

All Saints Day

 All Saints Day

November 1, 2025

 Psalm 1:1-6 (NASB95) 

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law ofthe LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.

In some Christian traditions, today is celebrated as All Saints Day. Personally, I come from a church tradition that says that we are all saints and we can celebrate that every day. But, that being as it is, Psalm 1 seems appropriate for today. A blessed saint is one who lives like the man in Psalm 1, who does not walk in he counsel of the wicked, not stand in the path of sinners, not sit in the seat of scoffers. Such a man (or woman) is indeed blessed and will be like the tree planted by the water that yields it’s fruit in season. This is living in the way of the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22:1-2 - The River and the Tree of Life

1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throneof God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

We certainly live in an age when there are wicked all around and scoffers on all the airwaves. We need men who will stand alone, apart from the crowd, proclaiming the way of life. This is the way to bless the nations and heal our land. So today is a good day to be a saint and meditate on the Word and the tree of life.

How Majestic

 Psalm 8- How Majestic

September 8, 2025

Psalms 8:1-9 (NASB95) 1 For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David. 

O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth, Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens! 2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To make the enemy and the revengeful cease. 3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained; 4 What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him? 5 Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty! 6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 7 All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field, 8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Poor and Needy- Psalm 40

 Poor and Needy- Psalm 40

May 15, 2025

Our pastor was teaching on Psalm 40 last night. This has always been one of my favorite psalms but he was able to bring out some new thoughts on it. One is the difficulty in translating the original languages into modern English. He was using the New Living Translation, which flows more smoothly with contemporary language, but which can miss some of the subtle meaning of the original Hebrew. A case in point is found in the final verses of the psalm.

Psalm 40:16-17 NLT

16 But may all who search for you

be filled with joy and gladness in you.

May those who love your salvation repeatedly shout, “The LORD is great!”

17 As for me, since I am poor ^h6041 and needy ^h0034 , let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.

You are my helper and my savior.

O my God, do not delay.

A comparison with the New American Standard Bible is helpful:

Psalms 40:16-17 NASB

16 Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

Let those who love Your salvation say continually,

“The LORD be magnified!”

17 Since I am afflicted and needy,

Let the Lord be mindful of me.

You are my help and my deliverer;

Do not delay, O my God.

The difficulty is the use of “poor and needy” in verse 17. King David was never financially poor. Even as a child, he was a shepherd, but the flocks belonged to his father, then as an adult he became king. So in what respects was he “poor and needy”? The NASB is a bit better as it translates this as “afflicted and needy”. The Hebrew words are “ani”and “ebyon”:

h6041. עָנִי ani; from 6031a; poor, afflicted, humble:--

h0034. אֶבְיוֹן ebyon; from 14; in want, needy, poor:--

This is similar to “poor in spirit” used in the beatitudes:

Mt 5:3- blessed are the poor g4434 in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

g4434. πτωχός ptōchos ; adj. from πτώσσω ptōssō (to crouch, cower); (of one who crouches and cowers, hence) beggarly, poor:--

The sense here is that even in the midst of trials and tribulations, be should have a humble attitude and rejoice in the Lord who will deliver you. No matter the problem, our Lord is able to save. We need to say continually “The Lord be magnified”, regardless of the circumstances of life. An attitude of gratitude will help raise us up out of that pit of miry clay (verse 2) and set our feet on the Rock where we can proclaim the Lord’s goodness to all who will hear. Like Paul and Silas singing hymns while in prison, praise and thanksgiving will lift up our spirit and break the chains that bind us. Who knows what that can mean to those around us who hear us praising God in dire circumstances. In the case of Paul and Silas the jailer and all his family got saved. So don’t look down at your circumstances, but look up to the Lord and praise the One who is your help and your deliverer.

God Knows You

 God Knows You

May 13, 2025

Psalms 139:1-24 (NASB95) 1 For the choir director. A Psalm of David. 

O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high, I cannot attain to it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. 19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God; Depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. 20 For they speak against You wickedly, And Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; They have become my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.

Yesterday we talked about knowing God so today we will look at how God knows you. Psalm 139 opens with the statement, “You have searched me and known me.” And goes in to list all the ways the pat the Lord knows you. In verse 13 and 14 it even describes how the Lord knows you before you were even born. Truly, the Lord knows you more than anyone else, and indeed knows you better than you know yourself. Therefore, in our quest to know God, we need to allow Him to search our hearts to clean out anything that gets in the way of serving the Lord.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me inthe everlasting way.

Apple of My Eye

 Apple of My Eye

May 7, 2025

Proverbs 7:1-4 (NASB95) 

1 My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you. 2 Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. 3 Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend;

Psalms 17:8-9 (NASB95) 

8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings 9 From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me.

Zechariah 2:8 (KJV)

Forthus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.

Lamentations 2:18 (KJV)

Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease.

I ran across an interesting phrase in this morning’s proverb, “Keep… my teaching as the apple of your eye.” So what is the apple of your eye? The translation notes on this verse explain that this means the pupil of your eye. But why is it so important that this phrase is used four times in the Bible? Perhaps it relates to the importance of the eye. Jesus taught on this in Matthew 6:

Matthew 6:22-23 (NASB95) 22 

“The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your wholebody will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

If the eye is the lamp of the body, then the apple of your eye is the central feature that lets the light in. A few years ago, I developed cataracts. This is a condition where the lens of the eye grows cloudy and doesn’t let the light in. Everything starts to become dim and blurry. When you can’t see, your don’t know where to go. “When your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness”, to quote Jesus.

Thus you can see why the writers of the Bible would place great importance on protecting the apple of the eye. The psalmist cries, “Keep me as the apple of the eye…” There are enemies all around and I need to see clearly. As the writer of Proverb says, I need to keep the Lord’s teachings as the apple of my eye; keep my focus on what the Spirit is saying to me. I need to see clearly the direction that the Lord has for my life; His direction for today.

Therefore, Lord, keep me as the apple of your eye. Let me see clearly your will for my life today. Let me see and comprehend the schemes of the enemy so that I may not be led astray. Let me see clearly the path around the evil plans of the evil one that I may walk in your ways. In these days we need to see clearly because deception, “fake news”, is all around. We need to discern the truth and teach those around us the truth as well. So, keep me as the apple of Your eye and hide me in the shadow of Your wings.

The Sons of Koran have set Psalm 17 to music, which is quite interesting:

https://youtu.be/MjazfFvqsig?si=GOB7DsIYzgFnWPH5