Scripture Read:  Psalm 105, 106

Key Verse:  Psalm 106:44-45

“Nevertheless, he looked upon their distress, when he heard their cry. For their sake he remembered his covenant, and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love…”

Observation:

There’s a cycle in Psalms, through the Bible and in present life. It’s a pattern of God’s love, His people praising Him, His people doubting Him, God disciplining them, His people trusting Him, and God remaining steadfast. David is repeatedly in this cycle throughout Psalms. The Israelites go through this from the Old Testament into the New, and it continues through today with individual battles we face. The most important aspect of the cycle is that His love has remained steadfast & He will not break His covenant!

Application:

How many times a day do you make a promise to someone? How many times do you actually keep the promise that you made? People make promises on a daily basis and some of the time break them. God has made covenants since the beginning of the Old Testament that have still remained true. “I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.” Genesis 9:11 To this day, this covenant still stands. God is amazing! His promises reign true!  There’s nothing we can go through that hasn’t been gone through and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to break the cycle of sin and broken promises. The next time you make a promise, remember a promise is a deep commitment. Remember God’s covenant promise to you is to be a giver: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for hearing our cries! You have saved us from distress time & time again for you are mighty in all your ways. Your covenant reigns true! Remind us of them & keep us from continuing the sin cycle. Help us with our individual battles in honoring You. Your steadfast love cannot be duplicated by any other living thing. Thank you for grace & for the ability to know true love!

By Sandy 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 103, 104

Key Verse:  Psalm 103:11-12

“For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Observation:

“As high as the Heavens, As far as the East is from the West”, I love when the writer uses such analogies and talks about things I can’t comprehend no matter how long I think about them. It brings real depth to how much God loves me and how completely he forgives me.

Application:

God’s love is vast and perfect, and his forgiveness is absolute. These are things I struggle with at times. I try to put human attributes on God’s love and human feelings on his forgiveness. But when I do that I put limitations on God and how much he cares for and wants the best for me. I can’t understand God with my mind, I have to seek him with my heart and soul. My mind sees what I deserve, my heart tells me God loves me anyway. My mind sees guilt from the past, my heart sees God’s grace and mercy. For me, to grow in the knowledge of God is to seek him with my heart and soul FIRST.

Prayer:

God, I pray that you would continually remind me that I need to lead with my heart in following you. I ask that my heart and the spirit you gave me would be strengthened so that it can quiet my head in order to hear your voice.  Let my heart be broken for what breaks yours, let my eyes be opened to see people as you see them and THEN let my hands be strong to do the work you have for me.

By Dan 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 101, 102

Key Verse:  Psalm 101:2-3

“I will sing of steadfast love and justice to you, O Lord, I will make music. I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house: I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.”

Observation:

In John 14:23 Jesus says, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  Because David greatly desires this relationship with God, he’s cleaning house in Psalm 101. Declaring his intention to live with integrity in his home and community, he sets the mark for his own behavior – nothing but steadfast love and justice. He draws a line in the sand regarding those he hangs out with, his employees and those he will do business with. He is ready to call it like he sees it and he doesn’t want to see anything that is worthless. He will not put up with deceit, slander, gossip, liars, arrogance, or unfaithfulness. He knows that those who do are missing a great opportunity – the promise of a relationship with the same God David has prepared himself for.

Application:

Is there room for steadfast love and justice in my life? Can I weigh all my relationships in light of God’s desires and when they don’t measure up can I clean house with the confidence of David? Am I confident that my relationship with my God, my obedience to his word, and his promise to me are the source of that steadfast love and justice?  If I do not call out worthless behavior I am enabling those around me to live outside of the abundance of his love. Notice the word “steadfast” right there with “love.” A love of this kind requires stick-to-it-ness. No waffling. When I am courageous enough to love someone in this way I have to stick to it or they just won’t get it. Love and enabling cannot co-exist.

Prayer:

Thank you for your steadfast love for me, God. You stuck to it until you won my heart and you will not relent. Give me courage to call it like it is and not to enable those I love to live in ways that do not honor you. Help me stick to it because you love them more than I.

By Bonnie 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 99, 100

Key Verse:  Psalm 99:4

“The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.”

Observation:

The King LOVES justice! That’s worth repeating. Proverbs 21:3 says, “To do righteousness and justice is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice.” Lamentations 3:35-36 says, “To deprive a man of justice…the LORD does not approve.” Psalms 82:3 says, “Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.” The King loves justice.

Application:

What is justice? My handy-dandy dictionary app says that to bring justice is to receive punishment for one’s misdeeds, usually in a court trial. I don’t think this is the type of justice the Psalmist is talking about. (However, I can’t WAIT to see Satan come before God’s judgment court.) In view of our vengeful, litigious society, this scripture could be easily misunderstood to mean that God is going to strike those who are mean to us with a lightning bolt. The other, more appropriate definition is “the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness.” In other words, justice is fair. Justice purifies. Justice equals redemption. Jesus redeemed us when He died up on that cross. He shed His innocent blood, so that we could receive God’s favor. We no longer have to pay for our sins. The LORD loves justice!

This morning, Pastor Jonathan shared the redemption story of his parents, breaking the generational burden that was placed on their family because of sin. Jesus paid for that sin breaking the curse on his family.  Now, Jonathan gets to carry on a godly legacy.  The sin has been paid for. The King loves justice. What’s your redemption story? Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for your promises. Thank you for your redemption. Help me to walk in righteousness daily and to live a life worthy of the calling You have placed on my life. I am redeemed. I am forever grateful.

By Summer 217leadership team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 97, 98

Key Verse:  Psalm 98:4

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!”

Observation:

The 98th Psalm lifts my spirit.  He is the reigning King. He has saved his people, and will rule not only Judah, but the entire world. Get excited. Rejoice!!!  This Psalm gives us a taste of what it will be like with Jesus in heaven; there will be no way for us to contain ourselves in our own bodies.  The joy, excitement and praise will be super-massive!!!!

Application:

It’s times like these when I study God’s word and read these verses that make the journey so exciting!!  It’s a reminder that nothing anyone says or does can take away this joy. It’s a reminder to press forward through every circumstance, offering up the sacrifice of praise!!! A rich inheritance is available to me now and forevermore.  Everyone and anyone can praise the Lord. We must ask God to forgive us, and to take away the bad things we have done by omission and commission. He will give us the help that we need to love and obey him.

Prayer:

Lord, please fill me with the joy that only you can give.  I pray that it spills over onto others and excites them so that they see a reflection of you!  Lord, help me to enter others’ spaces and make them better than I’ve found them — I want to be a giver of peace and joy.  Help me, Lord, to be transparent, and may my journey be a blessing to others.

By Debbee 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 95, 96

Key Verse:  Psalm 95:7

“For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.”

Observation:

The title of this Psalm is “Let us sing Songs of Praise”, and that is evident throughout this whole Psalm.  The beginning talks about giving God the glory and singing praises to Him.  When we sing unto Him and give praises, it writes to do those things with thanksgiving and with a joyful noise.  Then, it writes WHY we do what we do, because He is God, the creator of all things, and THAT is why we worship God. The next section breaks it down such as what to do, saying that we should bow down and kneel before God, again stating why we do it, and what happens if you don’t.  Towards the end, it takes a critic kind of tone. If there is a blind eye and they stray away from giving glory to God and not making known His ways, they aren’t going to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Application:

The Key idea here is giving God the glory and making joyful noises to Him.  The key verse makes it stand out for me event more, and what pops into my head is this, To whom do you give the glory?  Everything that you do that isn’t for the glory of God, is pretty much useless.  And for me, that’s a hard idea to overcome.  A verse that pops up is 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Are you serious?  Whatever I do?  Whatever I eat or drink?  That is something serious.  It’s hard for my mind to overcome an idea like that, but it can’t be more true in my eyes. I tend to think that I’m the most important person out there in MY story.  But I keep forgetting.  I’m not the main character in the story of my life.  NO, God is the most important character.  I am merely just a sheep in his care.  He is OUR God, and we are the sheep.  In the history of the world, am I the main character? No, Jesus is, so why do I walk around like I’m the man, and it’s all about me, when it isn’t?  And it’s not just the things that we tend to think of, but everything else.  From every interaction that we have with people, to what we say while we’re on the phone, or just in passing conversations.  But because life can be so short, and we don’t know when we’re going to be taken away, have to make sure that we give God the glory. Matthew 10:32-33, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” So my question to myself and to you, the reader, is, to whom do you give the glory?  To yourself?  To God?  Be honest, because sometimes, I do it for me, and only for me.  Do you? And if that’s true, what’s must change?

Prayer:

Lord, You are the creator of all things, You reign upon high, You are the king.  I pray that as we continue to live out our lives, that every single thing that we do would be for Your glory, and of what You have done.  Let us not take for granted what You have provided for us, and constantly remind us of who You are. As we continue to live out each day, let us be examples of Your love, and of the ultimate sacrifice that Your son made.  Keep our hearts and our minds sharp, and focused, on what You have for us.  Amen.

By Tim 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 93, 94

Key Verse:  Psalm 93:3-4

“The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 
Mightier than the thunders of many waters,
 mightier than the waves of the sea,
 the Lord on high is mighty!”

Observation:

The Lord reigns! That is the title of this Psalm given in this translation. Notice it didn’t say I reign or the king reigns or the world reigns but the LORD reigns. This psalm brings us back to a place of assurance to know that at the end of all things God reigns over everything. He always was, He is, and He is to come.

Application:

GLOBAL MELTDOWN! That was the headline of the local newspaper yesterday.  Really? We need to remember that God ultimately reigns and is in control over everything that happens here on earth. If you turn on the news right now, most likely you will hear about chaos and decline in our economy, talk of a 2nd recession, and how the stock market and dollar are plummeting. In all honesty I sometimes watch the news and wonder what God thinks or if He even thinks about what makes us go in panic mode these days. I think of verse 3 in this psalm…(paraphrased)  “The floods have lifted up…they have lifted up their voice…lifted up their roaring.. but even mightier than the thunders of many waters and of the sea is our LORD who is high and mighty!” Almost to say no matter how much the most powerful force from earth may make noise and get loud…God is even mightier.  Don’t panic.  I think of this Psalm for our world today. It feels like things have escalated a bit. More riots, some wars, financial unrest, natural disasters or whatever it is that is being blown out of proportion … it seems like “floods are rising.” But we must remember that the LORD is higher and mightier than all these things. His purpose for this world and for those who don’t know Him stands more significant than ever. I love leading in, hearing from and following churches who are growing and flourishing although the floods have risen. It is so encouraging to see the body of Christ staying on mission and knowing our LORD is mightier than all we hear that’s going on. This Psalm stands as a reminder for us that no matter how loud our world can get, our calling to reach those for Jesus and to worship our LORD is greater.  We must not be defined as Christ followers by the condition of the economy, if we are, we are greedy idolaters.

Prayer:

Lord, you hold all things in your hands. You give and you take away. I pray that you in being in control of everything have us remember what is most important. Let us not be shaken by the things of this world or by the floods that may be rising. But let us stay grounded in the truth that you are higher and mightier than all these things. Lord keep us focused on our purpose here. And make us better at it every day. Amen.

By Kevin 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 91, 92

Key Verse:  Psalm 92:15

“To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

Observation:

A Psalm of praise, love & worship! This psalm is a simple prayer beginning with praise & thanks, retelling the truths of what God has done. It ends with gratitude for having such a righteous and wonderful God. This Psalm is hidden with stories of hardships & victories. We
can only imagine what the person has been through to write such a confident & powerful prayer.

Application:

I love the confidence of this Psalm. I love the poetry of this Psalm. I can relate to this Psalm in the sense that I’ve
prayed this prayer many times before. I have times where I felt scared, nervous, worried or out of answers and God steps in to remind
me that it is through Him I can do all things. His power & grace are so immense and yet it’s crazy how we forget that. Myself included.

To think that we live each day with a Father who is so perfect, so loving, so forthright & has our best interest in mind at ALL TIMES is mind blowing.  Even when we fail Him, hurt Him, or ignore Him…. He’s there.  This Psalm is so simple, direct & beautiful because there’s an understanding.

Being a parent, one of the most pleasing, humbling moments is when your child does something you’ve been warning them
against. When you show your child tough love so they can find it on their own it is rewarding. They
fully understand what it is that you were trying to do and they respect it, learned from it and became a better person because of it. When they come to you & say, “thanks,” there’s a bond that happens and you know you did your job well.

Prayer:

Lord thank you for the love you have for us. Thank you for being a righteous God who gives us what we need. Thanks for being
our rock and showing us the way. You help correct us when we are wrong & straighten us when we go awry. You are our
Father, disciplinarian, caregiver and strength and for that we are blessed. Thank you for all that you do each & every day.
We love you & it is by your grace, we are saved. I pray for continued guidance & wisdom through our days. For understanding
 & forgiveness as we walk through our days. Amen

By Sandy 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 89, 90

Key Verse:  Psalm 90:12

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom”

Observation:

This verse jumped out at me when I was reading Psalm 90.  It’s a call for both patience and urgency. Wisdom is often demonstrated in the bible as patience, being slow to speak, taking the time to listen, understanding and hearing before speaking or acting. The urgency comes from numbering our days. We only have so many breaths so many heartbeats to make a difference in this life. When you number your days you know you are on a time line to finish the race that was set before you (Heb 12:1).

Application:

One of my favorite passages is Ecc 3: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”. It reminds me that everything I do is for a season and I need to make the most of each of those seasons. At 48 (yup I’m that OLD), I have had a lot of seasons in my life and some have been easier than others. When I look back I see that the toughest seasons were the ones that I didn’t number my days.  I didn’t pursue God’s will with intentionality, focus and purpose, which for me equates to carrying it out with passion. I believe everything we do is for a season and God, not me, gets to decide when that season is up. My task is to be a good steward of the gifts, responsibility and people He has entrusted to me for the season I am in. My role is to do so with passion and purpose. Always keeping in mind there will be an end and I need to leave it better than when I received it. I don’t believe there are many lifetime appointments, so we always need to be asking God two questions

1.     In this season of ministry, who do you want me to build into and raise up?

2.     Am I still to continue in this season or are you calling me to something new?

If we are not asking God those questions then we may miss the next season he has for us. One thing I have learned is the hardest season IN Gods will is infinitely better than the most comfortable season OUTSIDE of it.

Prayer:

Lord, keep me humble and striving to do your will in your season for your purposes. Help me to give you all my talents and gifts that you would use them in your time and in your way. Help me to ask the tough questions when it is a season of change so that I can hear your voice. Help me to remember to number my days and run the race YOU set before me with passion, purpose and humility. Thank you for your love, your grace and your mercy.

By Dan 217staff team

Scripture Read:  Psalm 87, 88

Key Verse:  Psalm 87:6

“The LORD records as he registers the peoples “This one was born there.”

Observation:

Psalm 87 has a dual purpose. The people of God could sing it wherever they went. Outside of the temple walls it was much like a national anthem praising the city of Jerusalem, it’s protective gates, and the privileged who were affiliated with it. But it held special meaning for the children of God as they relate it to the eternal kingdom of God; the kingdom where God records the names of each citizen.

Application:

My mom has done extensive research into the ancestry of her family as well as my father’s. Her father, like those lost this weekend in war, died in battle. She was just a toddler – too young to remember him. But there are records of birth, certificates of death, census of towns and church records the date back years and years tracing the lineage of our people. Pause here: church records – they tell us who’s in, who the owners of God’s vision were for that local church. Do you own the vision for what God wants to do through 217church? Own it! Come to the next ownership class. (That was a freebie.) All of these records helped piece together the legacy of my family. As she discovered the names of those who belonged to the family, she wrote them in a book for each of her children and that book is important to me and to her grandchildren. But there is another book so much more precious. God wrote my name in a book that he keeps in his eternal kingdom of which I am part.

Prayer:

God, you cared enough for me to die. You were buried and returned to life so that I could be forgiven. When I accepted your precious gift of grace you wrote my name in your book. Thank you for keeping track of the family of believers. Thank you for keeping track of “this one” today.

By Bonnie 217staff team