Psalm 103:11

Verse of the Day: Psalm 103:11

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.” – Psalm 103:11 

This, to me, is a beautiful passage.

If we think about it, the height of the heavens is so great we cannot even begin to imagine it.  There are no boundaries.  It goes beyond stars, galaxies, and all things within this universe.  If we were to set out to go to the end of everything, we would never reach it.  First, we would get to the end of the universe God created and we reside in, however, after that is the realm of eternity where God resides.

What the psalmist is basically saying is that God’s lovingkindness is infinite.  There is no end to the love God has for us who fear him.  We can never conceive of anything greater than His love.  Isaiah uses the same picture describing God’s ways.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9.

Finally, Jesus stated it best when He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13 And who are His friends?  “You are My friends if you do what I command you.”  John 15:14

We who are totally devoted to Him and do what He commands us, His love for us is beyond measure.  It is so great, He Himself died for us, one who never had to die, but He took on the form of man so that He could pay for our sins by His death.  I reiterate, what a beautiful passage this is.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Verse of the Day Devotion: 1 Chronicles 16:34

“O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” 1 Chronicles 16:34

We have so much to be thankful for.  God has provided so much that we cannot even begin to list them.  He guides every part of our lives, protects us and keeps us safe from the enemy.  He provides all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  He has forgiven us our sins and justified us through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  And He has promised us an eternal life with Him in heaven.  There will be no more tears, sorrow, pain or death.

A good thing to do is to look back on our lives, both the good times and the difficult ones.  Realize that God has provided everything we have and every experience we have had.  Take some time to sit quietly and just give Him the praise He so richly deserves.  And remember, when a difficult time comes to mind, remember what Paul said.  “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28. Everything God has allowed in our lives is meant for our good, and possibly the good of another.

So, here are some verses to focus on and I pray your Thanksgiving is a wonderful time with friends and family, and also with God whom we have everything to be thankful for.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Colossians 2:6-7

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14

“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” Ephesians 5:21

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for His lovingkindness, And for His wonders to the sons of men! For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.” Psalm 107:8-9

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5

I know you have many verses you know to ponder on as well.  Read those also and remember that He is our everything and because of Him, we have life everlasting since we have accepted the great gift of His son who died to take our sins from us.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries, Inc.

Psalm 136:1

Verse of the Day Devotion Psalm 136:1 

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” – Psalm 136:1  

Through this week we will be looking at verses in the scriptures that speak of thankfulness to our God that is due to Him.  And our focus verse today is, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136:1. 

Psalm 136 is an interesting and unique chapter in that all twenty-six verses end with the same phrase: ‘For His Lovingkindness is Everlasting’.  To give thanks because God’s steadfast love endures forever is to render joyous praise to God because we are forever supported and held by arms that are both loving and faithful, because in what matters most, our future is not at all unknown. We are kept by God’s goodness tor us, by God’s enduring, unfailing love, and that can be counted upon. 

Then in the next two verses we see statements of the greatness of this God we are to give thanks to.  He is the ‘God of Gods’, meaning the supreme God; the God superior to all that is called God, or that is adored by the nations of the earth; above all to whom the name God is ever applied.  And He is the ‘Lord of Lords’, The Lord or Ruler of all in authority – all kings, princes, and rulers. He is supreme overall. This is an attribute of Divinity, which is also ascribed to the Lord Jesus, thus proving that he is divine. Jesus is referred to as Lord of Lords.  “And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war.” + “And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”  Revelation 19:11, 16.

Now, the cause for praise begins by extolling the acts of the Lord in creation.  Remember, at the end of each verse David says, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.”

  • “To Him who alone does great wonders,” Psalm 136:4.
  • “To Him who made the heavens with skill,” Psalm 136:5.
  • “To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,” Psalm 136:6.
  • “To Him who made the great lights,” Psalm 136:7.
  • “The sun to rule by day,” Psalm 136:8.
  • “The moon and stars to rule by night,” Psalm 136:9.

Then David moves to God’s acts in History.

  • “To Him who smote the Egyptians in their first-born” Psalm 136:10. 
  • “And brought Israel out from their midst” Psalm 136:11.
  • “With a strong hand and an outstretched arm” Psalm 136:12. 
  • “To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder” Psalm 136:13. 
  • “And made Israel pass through the midst of it” Psalm 136:14. 
  • “But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea” Psalm 136:15. 
  • “To Him who led His people through the wilderness” Psalm 136:16. 
  • “To Him who smote great kings” Psalm 136:17. 
  • “And slew mighty kings” Psalm 136:18. 
  • “Sihon, king of the Amorites” Psalm 136:19. 
  • “And Og, king of Bashan” Psalm 136:20. 
  • “And gave their land as a heritage” Psalm 136:21.
  • “Even a heritage to Israel His servant” Psalm 136:22.

And finally, David moves to God’s acts in in recent experiences.

  • “Who remembered us in our low estate,” Psalm 136:23.
  • “And has rescued us from our adversaries,” Psalm 136:24.
  • “Who gives food to all flesh,” Psalm 136:25.

Let us read through these incredible works God did for His people.  But also make a list of what God has done for people today, and more specifically what God has done for us.  Give thanks to Him for everything, including those things He has not done, for He knows what is best for us all, which means what we desire may not be what is best for us.  And always remember the last verse in this chapter.  “Give thanks to the God of heaven, For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Psalm 136:26.

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.

Psalm 23:6

Verse of the Day Devotion:  Psalm 23:6   

“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” – Psalm 23:6

This is the last verse in Psalm 23, where he wraps up these thoughts on God’s goodness to Him.  David declares all the good things God provides for him.  He says that whatever His needs are, God provide them for him.   He take him to green pastures to rest in, and to quiet waters to quench his thirst.  When he was weary or sinned against the Lord, God will forgive him and strengthen him.  No matter where Gid leads him, he does not fear, for the Lord is with him all the time.  The Lord blesses him in the presence of his enemies because God’s rod and staff comforts him because He is protected. 

Now, in verse six we read, “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life” Psalm 26:6a.  God has promised those who live their lives for God, just as David did, goodness and lovingkindness.  And this will be his life all the days of his life.  Another verse says something very similar.  “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”  Psalm 27:4.  What he is asking for is that he can spend time in God’s house in worship and devotion to Him.  This was very important to him, for worship and praise was an essential part of his life.  He loved being in the temple, meditating on God. 

David trusted that for the rest of his life goodness and lovingkindness would be a part of his experience.  We read in Lamentations the following, “ Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me. The LORD’S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:19-23.  His lovingkindness and His compassion never fails.  In fact, they are new every morning.  The beauty of this is that His love is always with us, and we can trust this with no questioning.

Now, the last past of our focus verse says, “And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6b.  In my research, many have stated that this does not mean eternal, but the rest of life.  However, I tend to disagree with this.  Here is the focus verse again.  “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6.  There are two time periods mentioned.  “all the days of my life” and ‘I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever”.  All the days of my life, and forever.  These must be two different periods of time because of the distinction.  So, in this last part of the verse, it is saying that forever, I will spend in His house.  If this was a temporal idea, then we would be living forever here.  We know that is not the case.  Also, look at what is said in the book of Revelation.  “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,” Revelation 21:3.  You may be asking, how would David know of this?.  There are many verses where God reveals the future to David, so this is not necessarily out of the norm. 

And what David was promised in this verse, is ours, as Christians, as well.  Think about this verse in relation to you.  “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:6.  And I must say I look forward to these days.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 86:5

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 86:5 

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.” – Psalm 86:5  

David in this Psalm is crying out to God for help.  He starts by asking God to listen to his plea. “Incline Your ear, O LORD, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy.” Psalm 86:1.   It is very apparent that he is struggling and in need of God’s help.  He then asks that God would be gracious to him.  “Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long. Make glad the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.”  Psalm 86:3-4. In whatever was going on in his life, he was asking God to take away his sorrow and give him joy once again.  He ends this verse by declaring that only to Him does he lift up his soul.  Only to Him does he go for help.  He lifts himself up to God in prayer to help him in this time of trial.

Then we come to our focus verse, and in this he declares why.  “For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive.” Psalm 86:5a.   David here is saying that God is a good God, one who is completely good in every way, from whom every good gift comes from.  He is in all ways good, and there is nothing in or about Him that is not good.  And when we sin, He is ready to forgive us because of His goodness, and also the love He has for us.  And this forgiveness is abundant in loving kindness, to all as the last phrase of this verse states, who call upon Him.

God is always ready to forgive us of the sins we commit. However, we must admit to ourselves that we have sinned, and then we must go to Him and confess what we have done.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.  If we do not admit to ourselves that we have sinned against God, than we will not be serious in confessing our sins, or we may not even go to Him at all.  And according to John, we must confess the sins we commit.  Our relationship will be damaged if we do not confess a sin we know we have committed and ask Him to forgive us.  And we, as Christians, are forgiven because He is our advocate before the Father. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” 1 John 2:1.  Forgiveness is ours because of the work of Christ. By keeping His commands, we show our love to Him. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” John 14:15.  And additionally, He and the Father will abide with us.  “Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” John 14:23. 

Our love for God will be apparent because of the relationship we have with Him.  Do we go to Him only when we need something, or do we strive for continuous fellowship?  Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing;” 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  We are dependent on Him in all things, therefore we should always be ready to hear from Him, as well as speak to Him.  He is always there for us when we call on Him.  Let us always be there for Him when He reaches out to us.   

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 103:8

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 103:8

“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” – Psalm 103:8.   

This is a psalm of David where he is praising the Lord for His many mercies.  In this particular psalm, David is encouraging himself by using the technique of speaking to himself.  He starts by telling himself to bless God for all the blessings God has bestowed on him.  “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;” Psalm 108:1-2. He then proceeds to list several of these blessings. “Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.” Psalm 103:3-5.

In the next verse, he speaks of how He has compassion on those oppressed.  “The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6.  God is on the side of the oppressed, He has their true interests at heart.  The ‘oppressed’ refers to those harmed by unjust judgements, in slavery or wronged by the pride and power of the wicked. 

And then we come to our focus verse.  “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” Psalm 103:8.  These words were originally spoken by God Himself to Moses stating who He is, after Moses chiseled out two more stone tablets to put the ten commandments on.  “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” Exodus 34:6-7. 

This is a beautiful picture of the God we serve.  In looking at our verse of the day, we see the following.  First, the Lord is compassionate and gracious.  He is a loving God who has shown this compassion to us by providing salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of His only begotten Son.  He knows we are not perfect; however, He did not neglect us and leave us on our own but did what was necessary to provide the means by which our sins can be forgiven.  And He is slow to anger.  David also declared this of God in a prior psalm.  “But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.” Psalm 86:15.  This speaks of one who is not quick to take vengeance but puts up with us patiently. 

I want to encourage us all to spend time looking at who our God truly is.  That He loves us and did all that was necessary to provide our salvation and eventual eternal life with Him.  He will not leave us or forsake us.  He is compassionate and gracious toward us.  Going forward, “He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:9-12.  He has each one of our bests at heart.  And because of all this, we should remember how much He cares for us, and is always watching over us.  Therefore, as King David declared, we should as well. “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.” 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

Psalm 118:1

Verse of the Day Devotion: Psalm 118:1  

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” –  Psalm 118:1 

This is one of the more well-known verses in the psalms.  It is a call for us to think of all the blessings He has provided for us and to acknowledge that He has given them freely and to praise Him in all thankfulness.  When I think back on my life, many wonderful blessings come to mind.  How I grew up in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and remember being able to look out and see Mt. Rainier filling the sky.  How in some of the most difficult times in my childhood, I came out ok.  I knew of God but did not truly know Him, but now I realize that God was there all the time.

There are so many things to be thankful for, I never am able to list them all.  However, the greatest thing I have to be thankful for was when He revealed Himself to me during one of the hardest times  of my life.  I was in the Air Force in Homestead, FL and had put myself in a very difficult situation.  I had no idea what I was going to do.  I finally just cried out to God telling Him I needed proof He actually existed, for I was starting to seriously doubt it.  And at that moment, He made Himself known in a powerful way.  Soon after, He delivered me from these trials and brought me to a good place.  “From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place.  The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? The LORD is for me among those who help me; Therefore, I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.” Psalm 118:5-7.  When I look back, I found these verses became real to me.  He delivered me from the distresses I was going through and I realized that I need to trust in Him and not in men, for many times they had let me down.  Not to say that I do not trust people, but as verse eight says, “It is better to take refuge in the LORD Than to trust in man.” Psalm 118:8.  I came to learn that if I trust Him, He will provide what I need, and people I can truly trust.

I know that I am not the only one who has experienced something like this, and I can assure you I have had more than this one.  Each one of us, as children of God, can look back and see times when we find ourselves in difficult situations and had no idea what to do.  As stated above, I can look back and see many times where God brought me through trials, I found myself in.  And I know you all who are reading this can do the same.  Take the time to see all the wonderful things God has done for you when you struggled to know what to do.  And along with this, remember how He sent His only begotten Son to pay the penalty for our sins when there was nothing, we could do to pay it ourselves. 

In my life, and I am sure you can say the same, there is more that I have to thank Him for than I can recall. And I am so thankful that He is always near me, guiding me through all situations as only He can.  And as the writer of this psalm says, I also can testify, “You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You.” Psalm 118:28. And let us always remember our focus verse, which the writer made the first and last verse in this chapter, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting” Psalm 118:29  

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries. 

 

Lamentations 3:32

Verse of the Day Devotion: Lamentations 3:32 

“For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness.” – Lamentations 3:32         

Have you ever felt like God has abandoned you?  Have you ever felt that the correction of the Lord is difficult?  There are times when it feels like He is far away.  Especially when we do something against what God allows or has commanded.  The writer of Lamentations, which traditionally is attributed to Jeremiah, had experienced this.  He has understood the correction of God.  “I am the man who has seen affliction because of the rod of His wrath.”  Lamentations 3:1.  By reading this, it is apparent he is a troubled man.  He is going through a very difficult time.  He feels that God is angry, and he is experiencing the repercussions of His anger.  This is many times what happens when we are corrected.

He does not understand and is perplexed.  “He has driven me and made me walk In darkness and not in light.” Lamentations 3:2.  The idea of darkness points to great trouble and perplexity.  He desired to walk in the light again where there is both comfort and direction, but it is not the case at that time.  Lets look at a few additional verses that describe how he is feeling.  “Surely against me He has turned His hand rrepeatedly all the day.” Lamentations 3:3.   “My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness. So I say, “My strength has perished, And so has my hope from the LORD.” Lamentations 3:17-18.

But as we read further, he remembers the loving kindness of the Lord.  “This I recall to my mind; Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S loving kindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:21-23.  And then finally, the last part being our focus verse, “For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.”  Lamentations 3:31-32.

We must understand that we will go through trials, some of which will be to correct us, some in order to do a particular work of God.  We must always understand that God has a purpose for all He does.  In the area of correction, it is because He loves us and wants us to change the path we are currently on and go back to following Him as He desires us to.  The writer of proverbs puts it this way.  “My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD or loathe His reproof, For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.”  Proverbs 3:11-12.  A father who loves his children corrects and reproves them because he loves them and wants them to grow up to be Godly adults.  This is the same with God.  He loves us and wants us to follow Him and be with Him forever, therefore He will do what is necessary to make this happen. 

But His correction will not last forever and therefore His rejection will not last forever, but only for a season in order to help us be who He desires us to be; a person who loves God in all ways and does His will.  So, when we find ourselves in difficult times because He is correcting us, or any other reason, give Him thanks.  He is doing and allowing these things because He loves us.  It is temporary, and it puts us back on the path to eternal happiness with Him. 

William Funkhouser MDiv, ThD, Founder and President of True Devotion Ministries.