Posts

Front Office Apr 4, 2025

Pleasant Places

Contentment is a struggle, right? We look for it in all the wrong places. Money, status, relationships, our favorite coping mechanisms. In Psalm 16, David reveals where he found contentment in life. Psalm 16:5-6 NIVLORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;you make my lot secure.The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;surely I have a delightful inheritance. First, he declares his focus in life is on the Lord alone. This is written as a superlative!  The Lord is my filet mignon, the very best of the best. God himself is the focus, not just the gifts…

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Rick John Feb 6, 2025

A Human Response

Psalm 2:1-3 NIVWhy do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band togetheragainst the LORD and against his anointed, saying,“Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” This song begins with a perplexing question. Why do nations conspire against the Lord? The simple answer is sin. We seek our own will and freedom. We imagine that God’s commands are a burden we wish not to bear. However, His commands give us true and lasting freedom and joy. Any and all nations are in a dangerous place when…

Rick John Feb 1, 2025

A Call

Dear Brothers and Sisters, This month of February, we will be memorizing Psalm 2. It is a fitting compliment to Psalm 1.  Both songs, which open this book of worship, call us to trust in the Lord. Psalm 1 pronounces blessings on all who trust in the Lord. Trusting in the Lord reveals true prosperity. Psalm 2 ends with a call to take refuge in the Lord. When we seek God’s love and protection, we are trusting in His power and care for us. He does not just protect us but He, Himself, is our refuge! As you read Psalm…

Rick John Jan 30, 2025

Compass for Life

Psalm 1:6 NIVFor the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. Certainly, God sees the way of the wicked but he watches over the way of the righteous. He protects and guides. The righteous are eager to follow His instructions and He is pleased to guide them. Proverbs 3:5-6 NIVTrust in the LORD with all your heartand lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him,and he will make your paths straight. As we close our simple study of Psalm 1, it is my prayer that it will…

Rick John Jan 24, 2025

Security and Stability

Psalm 1:4-5 NIVNot so the wicked!They are like chaff that the wind blows away.Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. The greatest contrast in Psalm 1 is revealed in these verses. The wicked were introduced back in verse 1. Choosing to disobey the Law of the Lord, they will face His judgment. This pattern of rebellion will not see blessedness. The picture used is one of instability and fruitlessness. It is chaff blowing in the wind! There is no security no matter what fame or fortune they experience on the earth….

Rick John Jan 16, 2025

A Healthy, Fruitful Tree

Beloved friends and family— Psalm 1:1-3 NIVThat person is like a tree planted by streams of water,which yields its fruit in seasonand whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers. The process of living a blessed life began in the heart of delight, continues in the mind of meditation, and results in a transformed will to obey. God gives us a promise of true success! The prosperity here is a spiritual reality which God will honor here on earth and in eternity. It cannot be measured by earthly fame or fortune alone. Joshua makes a similar observation in Joshua 1:8-9…

Rick John Jan 11, 2025

Every Day Pursuit

Psalm 1:1 NIVBlessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners takeor sit in the company of mockers, The blessed life is disciplined life lived in the freedom of wise choices. There are boundaries that will not be crossed because they steal joy and blessings from us. So, we have examined what a blessed one avoids. What does a blessed one prioritize? Psalm 1:2 NIVbut whose delight is in the law of the LORD,and who meditates on his law day and night. To delight in the law of the…

Rick John Jan 9, 2025

Review of the Blessed Person

Today, we take a very brief review of the blessed person as revealed in the book of Psalms. We begin by noting that the book of Psalms was the worship book for worship. These songs are written to be used in corporate worship! Yesterday we introduced the term “blessed,” which means “to be happy many times because of the favor of God.” It is found 26 times in the Psalms. Most times it introduces a song as it does in Psalm 1. Psalm 2:12 NIV Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your…

Rick John Jan 8, 2025

Blessed is the One

Dear Friends, The very first Song in the Psalms celebrates the blessings of God on us! We are memorizing this psalm during this month. It will be a blessing to meditate on a bless-able person. Psalm 1:1a “Blessed is the one” This Hebrew word “blessed” appears twenty-six times in the book of Psalms. It could be translated “happy.” But I think there is more promised here than simple temporal happiness. The word suggests that this person has been successful at the deepest level in life!  We might say, “They have it together.”  They are living a wise life the way…

Rick John Dec 4, 2024

Time: A Gift from God

Yesterday I received a gift – a day timer!  This annual gift has help me plan and schedule my days. It has also been a valuable tool to keep me accountable as I record how I invested time each day.  Time is an interesting gift from God, isn’t it?  We know that God is eternal, yet He Sovereignly watches over us. We want Him to direct our steps.   I met a dear woman many years ago in a nursing home who reminded me that “God is never late and never early! He is always right on time!” This is sound…

Rick John Feb 6, 2023

Feb. 6 EncourageOgram

Dear Brothers and Sisters; In preparation for Easter this year, I have been reading a very insightful book by Michael Card.  It is entitled, “A Violent Grace.”  It contains meditations on the cross and its application to our lives today!  I highly recommend this book to minister to your heart and life!  At the conclusion of each chapter, Card includes a written prayer.  The prayers are worth the cost of the book.  Here is one example from the chapter entitled: “He was nailed to the cross so I might escape judgment.” O Lord, you suffered the judgment of death on…