One Verse at a Time

This episode looks at Psalm 10:7, “His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.” Like the serpent, wicked people use their speech to oppress and deceive. May we be purified in our speech, and may we be given ears to discern when someone is speaking this way.

This episode looks at Psalm 10:6, “He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved; throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.” The wicked and the righteous both think they will not be shaken. The main difference is where the place their trust—the wicked in himself and the righteous in God alone.

This episode looks at Psalm 10:5, “His ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of his sight; as for all his foes, he puffs at them.” Because the wicked does not face immediate judgment, they scoff at God’s law and at God’s people. May God bring the wicked in our lives to repentance.

This episode looks at Psalm 10:4, “In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.” The wicked ignore God and end up denying his very existence. May God keep us from such horrid self-sufficiency, and may he help us to call others to repent of it as well.

This episode looks at Psalm 10:3, “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the LORD.” We need God’s help to avoid the fate of the wicked. May we not be those who boast in evil things that we haven’t even accomplished. Instead may we boast in and honor Yahweh.

This episode looks at Psalm 10:2, “In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor; let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.” Only people who think too highly of themselves would take advantage of the poor when we all stand on the same playing field in common humanity. May God keep us humble and help us to protect the vulnerable.

This episode looks at Psalm 10:1, “Why, O LORD, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” When we face difficulty or trial it seems as though God has left us. May we be reminded that he only brings us through what is necessary for our good and his glory.

This episode looks at Haggai 1:15, “on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.” The people take about 23 days to begin building after they receive the message. That is a really quick turnaround. May we set to work quickly with the right priorities rather than always waiting for a “more convenient” time.

This episode looks at Haggai 1:14, “And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God.” Sometimes we need God to wake us up from our slumber. May it be so in our lives so that we live for him in all that we do.

This episode looks at Haggai 1:13, “Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD’s message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” God is with us. When we have the right kind of fear, we no longer have to have the wrong kind of fear. This presence in Haggai is amplified in the dwelling of Jesus in the flesh with humans and will find ultimate fruition in the new heavens and new earth.