All tagged promise

As a worship leader and musician, I know the difference between harmony and disharmony. When someone sings off key and when instruments are not in tune with each other, I notice and cringe.

Try as I may, it's hard for me to ignore disharmony. It distracts me and makes it hard for me to concentrate and focus on worshipping the Lord.

But when instruments and voices blend together in a harmonious way, the music carries me along in an uplifting flow of worship.

What do you treasure? What is it that you value and cherish most in life? Perhaps it's people who you're close with, which is good, or it may be status or riches.

Whatever we hold closest in our hearts reveals what governs our life. Jesus said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matt 6:21 NIV)

Psalm 119 is the longest of all the Psalms—176 verses! It's also laid out as an acrostic where each verse starts with the same letter in each stanza for all 22 characters of the Hebrew alphabet. The first 24 verses would be similar to the first three letters of the English alphabet—A, B, C—Aleph, Beth, Gimel.

King Solomon was a great king of Israel. He inherited a united kingdom that endured great struggles before he became king. His father, King David, was given a promise that looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah and an eternal kingdom (2 Sam 7:12-16).

God gave King Solomon great wisdom, along with great blessings. Solomon understood that the Kingdom of Israel was God's kingdom, not his own. This psalm reflects that insight.

Open your ears to my prayer, O God. Do not hide from my plea for mercy. Pay attention to me, and answer me.

My thoughts are restless, and I am confused because my enemy shouts at me and a wicked person persecutes me.

They bring misery crashing down on me, and they attack me out of anger.

My heart is in turmoil. The terrors of death have seized me. Fear and trembling have overcome me. Horror has overwhelmed me.