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As we dive into Psalm 107, I want you to imagine that you are in a gathering, perhaps church, perhaps a smaller group, and you are sharing stories,. At Calvary we call them God-stories, stories of God at work in and through us and all around us. Psalm 107 is a call for God-stories. In the first two verses, you will hear these words, "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good. He love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story. Their stories like our stories are good and hard, a mixture of joy and struggle, desperation and redemption. But every story has a transition, it happens when someone cries out and God responds! What is your God-story? Who will you share it with this week?

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Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise and thanksgiving that celebrates the unfailing love and mercy of God. It invites us to saturate our souls in the goodness of God and pause for a few moments to remember his blessings…all the blessings he pours out on His people, His family.  As I read the Psalm, don’t miss how the Psalmist paints His picture of God, the attributes of God—His compassion, patience, and steadfast love. 

In the permanent record of his words, God has told us time and time again that he loves us... and he has used a variety of illustrations in the hopes that one of those stories would resonate with the deepest chords of your heart.  But every story, every illustration, every metaphor was simply a pre-view of the real deal...the cross.  The crossed changed everything, redefined love, set our eyes on the reality and depth of the love of God. Courageous, passionate, relentless, steadfast, never-ending, unfailing love. Isn't that a love that you need to know today?  

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Psalm 100 calls us to a deeper understanding of worship and gratitude. It reminds us that our relationship with God goes beyond religion, beyond rituals, tradition and where we meet on Sundays. Instead at the heart of this relationship with God is an invitation to come into His presence and experience the soul-satisfying goodness of God. But in this episode we will focus on vs1. This short 5 verse Psalm begins with an amazing invitation...amazing because of it's breadth. "All the earth, make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth." It is a short psalm with a huge audience! That's why I love it!

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Is God a god of grace or a God of justice? Or is He both? Psalm 94 is a passionate, travailing cry for justice in the face of oppression and wickedness. It resonates with the struggles so many encounter in a world filled with injustice. But perhaps even more importantly, Psalm 94 reminds us that we can turn to God; we can trust God as a source of hope and justice. I was most convicted by two questions the psalmist asks, "Who will rise up for us in this injustice?" and "Who will take a stand for me in this injustice?" 

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Psalm 90 is unique in that it's the only Psalm out of 150 that is attributed to Moses, not David, not the sons of Korah, but Moses. In some ways, I see this as a companion to Psalm 84, the focus of our last episode. They are tied by the concept of time. Remember in Psalm 84, there was this amazing assessment of time, that one day in the house of God, one day in his presence is worth a thousand anywhere else. One day with God is worth almost 3 years anywhere else. In Psalm 90 we find that a thousands years is like a day to God! It's like time gets all messed up in God's presence. But in the midst of that is the challenge to number our days so that we can live with wisdom. What does it mean to number our days, listen to the podcast and find out! 

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If I asked you to describe your best day ever, for me, what words would come from your mouth? I could tell you about some amazing family days, amazing days with my wife. I could tell you about some top ten ministry days, times when I have seen God at work in awesome ways. But for David in Psalm 84:10, one day in God's presence is worth 1000 of our best days anywhere else. David says, "I would trade a lifetime elsewhere for a month of days in your courts, O God." If that's true, no matter what you are going through right now... the best is yet to come!

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I wasn't going to do Psalm 78, but  when I read it, I couldn’t get away from it. Why? Because it's a charge, a challenge to care about the next generation. It’s a calling to pass our faith on to the next generation. And let's be honest, the church in America isn't  hitting the ball out of the park when it comes to that. Every generation is less connected to the church than the generation before. According to one study, there's about a 4% chance that a 10 yr old will end up a fully surrendered follower of Christ in their 20's. Psalm 78 is a challenge to invest in the next generation, and that matters deeply because they are not the church of tomorrow, they are the church today!

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Psalm 77 is a unique psalm. What makes it interesting is the deeply profound shift in perspective and emotion as we journey through the psalm. At the beginning it’s anxiety and anguish. The psalmist cries out to God, pouring out his soul, but finding no relief, no comfort, no peace. His heart is overwhelmed. He feels forgotten, unseen and ignored by God; wrestling with doubt, unable to find hope.  But as you read on, a transformation takes place; a shift of focus from present troubles to God's faithfulness in the past. He begins to reflect on God's goodness, God’s wonderous faithfulness. And as he remembers God’s goodness, doubt and despair drift into hope and trust. 

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There was a time in his life where he really had lost everything that we would say was necessary for the good life. He was living in caves on the run from a King who wanted to kill him.  Lost his family.  Lost his home.    Lost his reputation.  Lost his freedom. And it was during those days that he would would sit and create this song of worship found in Psalm 63.  A Psalm of David written in the desert...in the wilderness.  

"O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you.  My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.  I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life..."

It's kind of like when he had nothing, he knew that God was his everything.  God was his life.

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In Psalm 51, David wants more than forgiveness.  Way more.  I hope you do too.  The grace of God is not just a forgiving  grace.  The grace of God is a healing grace.  The grace  of God is a joy-restoring grace.  The grace of God is a renewing, sustaining, strengthening grace.  The grace of God brings an unstoppable tsunami of transformation.  And it's available for you!