Psalm 33| Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him. For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth— he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

The earth is full of his unfailing love. -Psalm 33:5

I was taking yet another walk by myself on yet another day during the COVID-19 quarantine when words written on a driveway caught my attention.

Choose joy. Write down here what you’re thankful for. A container of sidewalk chalk sat nearby. Among others, these answers had been scribbled down by passersby: food, a home, my dad and mom, my dog, candy, and God’s love. The driveway was filled with words of gratitude. Filled with words of gratitude.

The unknown writer of Psalm 33 had a heart like that. In this psalm, he thanks God for His character and “unfailing love” (vv. 4–5), His majesty in creation (vv. 6–7), and His blessing on His people (v. 12). He praises God for His knowledge, His care, and His power (vv. 13–19). The psalmist saw that the earth was full of God’s goodness, and he reminded his fellow Israelites: “He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name” (vv. 20–21).

Charles Spurgeon wrote about these verses: “Our soul, our life, must hang upon God; we are to trust him . . . with all we have and are.” God gives us many reasons to have a heart like the psalmist’s that’s filled with gratitude. May we trust Him, give Him the praise He deserves, and “shout for joy” (v. 3).

Anne Cetas

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
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Psalm 78:40-55 | How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland! Again and again they put God to the test; they vexed the Holy One of Israel. They did not remember his power— the day he redeemed them from the oppressor, the day he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan. He turned their river into blood; they could not drink from their streams. He sent swarms of flies that devoured them, and frogs that devastated them. He gave their crops to the grasshopper, their produce to the locust. He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamore-figs with sleet. He gave over their cattle to the hail, their livestock to bolts of lightning. He unleashed against them his hot anger, his wrath, indignation and hostility— a band of destroying angels. He prepared a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death but gave them over to the plague. He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham. But he brought his people out like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness. He guided them safely, so they were unafraid; but the sea engulfed their enemies. And so he brought them to the border of his holy land, to the hill country his right hand had taken. He drove out nations before them and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance; he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes. -Psalm 78:55

In strange days of “shelter in place,” nationwide quarantines and vaccinations, people are finding creative ways to build community. Now more than ever, online chat sessions have become a place where people can share their hearts. Some are making the helpful suggestion to remember God’s goodness and thank Him for it. Others, however, tend to say, “Yes, but . . .”

Which approach is right? Should we count our blessings? Or recount worst-case scenarios?

God’s songbook, the Psalms, employs both approaches. Many of the psalms are laments. They tell God exactly what is going wrong, often in angry, desperate terms. Other psalms recall the good things God has done without saying “yes, but.”

Psalm 78 occurs in the same section as many of the “lament” psalms, yet it pointedly remembers the great things God has done. Despite Israel’s disobedience, “He brought his people out [of slavery in Egypt] like a flock; he led them like sheep through the wilderness” (v. 52). The psalm recalls how “He guided them safely, so they were unafraid” (v. 53)—even as the sea literally swallowed their enemies. Ultimately, “He settled the tribes of Israel in their homes” (v. 55).

This life remains uncertain. The one constant is God, who promises one day to settle us at home with Him. Accepting this great truth will help us become agents of God’s peace, instead of purveyors of panic.

Tim Gustafson

How do you tend to respond in a crisis, and what effect do you think your response has on others? What laments might you need to share with God today? What can you praise Him for?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
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Isaiah 35:1-4 | The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. -Isaiah 35:1

In the city of Philadelphia, when weedy vacant lots were cleaned up and brightened with beautiful flowers and trees, nearby residents also brightened in overall mental health. This proved especially true for those who struggled economically.

“There’s a growing body of evidence that green space can have an impact on mental health,” said Dr. Eugenia South, “and that’s particularly important for people living in poorer neighborhoods.” South, a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, is coauthor of a study on the subject.

The downtrodden people of Israel and Judah found fresh hope in the prophet Isaiah’s vision of their beautiful restoration by God. Amid all the doom and judgment Isaiah foretold, this bright promise took root: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:1–2).

No matter our situation today, we too can rejoice in the beautiful ways our heavenly Father restores us with fresh hope, including through His creation. When we feel down, reflecting on His glory and splendor will bolster us. “Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way,” Isaiah encouraged (v. 3). Can a few flowers rekindle our hope? A prophet said yes. So does our hope-giving God.

Patricia Raybon

What is your hope in God today?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
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John 10:22-30 | Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”

I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my Hand. -John 10:28

Julio was biking across the George Washington Bridge—a busy, double-decked thoroughfare connecting New York City and New Jersey—when he encountered a life-or-death situation. A man was standing on a ledge over the Hudson River preparing to jump.

Knowing that the police wouldn’t arrive in time, Julio acted quickly. He recalls getting off his bike and spreading out his arms, saying something like: “Don’t do it. We love you.” Then, like a shepherd with a crook, he grabbed the distraught man, and with the help of another passerby, brought him to safety. According to reports, Julio wouldn’t let go of the man, even after he was safe.

Two millennia earlier, in a life-or-death situation, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, said He would lay down His life to save and never let go of those who believed in Him. He summarized how He would bless His sheep: they would know Him personally, have the gift of eternal life, would never perish, and would be secure in His care.

This security didn’t depend on the ability of the frail and feeble sheep—or depend on people—but on the sufficiency of the Shepherd who’ll never let one be snatched “out of [His] hand” (John 10:28–29).

When we were distraught and feeling hopeless, Jesus rescued us; now we can feel safe and secure in relationship with Him. He loves us, pursues us, finds us, saves us, and promises to never let us go.

Marvin Williams

How are you experiencing the security found in your Savior?

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
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Psalm 63:1-8 | You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me.

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. -Psalm 63:3

Her name was Mary—and life was hard, real hard. Two sons preceded her in death as did two grandsons, both victims of shootings. And Mary herself suffered a crippling stroke that left her paralyzed on one side.

Yet she loved Jesus. As soon as she was able, she made her way to church services where it wasn’t uncommon for her—with fractured speech—to express praise to the Lord with words like, “My soul loves Jesus; bless His name!”

Long before Mary expressed her praise to God, David penned the words of Psalm 63. The heading of the psalm notes that David wrote it “when he was in the Desert of Judah.” Though in a less than desirable—even desperate—situation, he didn’t despair, because he hoped in God. “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you . . . in a dry and parched land where there is no water” (v. 1).

Perhaps you’ve found yourself in a place of difficulty, without clear direction or adequate resources. Uncomfortable situations can confuse us, but they need not derail us when we cling to the One who loves us (v. 3), satisfies us (v. 5), helps us (v. 7), and whose right hand upholds us (v. 8). Because God’s love is better than life, like Mary and David, we can express our satisfaction with lips that praise and honor God (vv. 3–5).

Devotional from YouVersion Bible App – Our Daily Bread: Light in a Pandemic
Contact Pastor Rod Lindemann at RodL@TimothyLutheran.com on how to use the Bible App for additional readings and topics.
We would like to thank Our Daily Bread for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://odb.org/