Book Recommendation from a Pastor
“The Songs of Jesus” by Timothy Keller
Recommendation by Pastor Gavin Kajikawa
The Psalms speak to the heart when we endure the hard times and when we bask in the joyful times. The Psalms unite our head and heart towards God. The Psalms are important in reminding us of the priority of worshiping God.
My Bible reading plan starts with reading a psalm or a portion of a psalm, so each morning I wake up and let God speak to me. I follow Timothy Keller’s plan from his book, “The Songs of Jesus.” This daily devotional can provide context, other days insights, and some days thoughts to meditate on and each day the devotional ends with a short prayer.
August 10 covers Psalm 90:1-4. Keller writes this about these four verses, “Verse 4 is one of the most widely quoted verses in the psalms because it comforts us when we are frustrated with God’s timing. Time moves slowly for us, as we crawl from moment to moment. God, who inhabits eternity, sees all of history in a single moment, so his timetable is unlikely to match our own.”
This sets the direction of my thoughts as I personalize these verses. I think about being discouraged in God’s timing for a particular topic. It could be looking back and praising God for His timing in contrast to my time and plans. I may think about what I’m waiting for and how’s my heart in the waiting.
Whether you use this devotional or not, I hope that you’ll take time to journey through the psalms.
Articles
How 2020 Is Taking a Toll on Your Soul
A beneficial read to teach us our finitude is for our good and to examine the effect of technology on our hearts. It goes well with our church’s sermon on Zoom fatigue from a couple weeks ago.
Brave Words with a Broken Heart
I love this biblical juxtaposition of bravery and brokenness. When we are people marked by humility, we will be courageous in how we love others, even with hard truths. I want to be more like Jesus, the Lion and the Lamb.
How Can I Be a Workplace Servant But Not a Doormat?
We must remember our call to serve is one that is modeled by Christ who is a servant-leader. This article provides some clarity on what this might look like in the workplace as well as other arenas we are called to follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Savior.
Raising Children in a Success Obsessed World
To reinforce Pastor Kim’s Sunday sermon, Christina Fox helps us discern what true success in parenting looks like. It begins with parents who seek to worship God so that what is taught is also caught.
Here are obstacles we can remove so we might present Christ in our household. Some of these principles can be applied across the board to other relationships in our lives: coworkers, friends, neighbors.
Where Will Your Twenties Take You?
Regardless of age or station in life, these are good ways to build a solid foundation for life in Christ and in the church. In our lives, may we continually endeavor to grow in our faithfulness.
Sometimes “Love Your Enemy” Means “Love Your Spouse”
Perhaps a clickbait title, but Challies offers good incentive for considering how we should love our spouses selflessly. Surely if Christ calls us to love our enemies in sacrificial ways, the love we demonstrate towards our spouse should go above and beyond.
Music
A recently released and slightly revised rendition of this song. During these troubling times, how precious it is to look to Christ in all His beauty.
Here’s something different. Psallos puts entire epistles to songs. They’ve also done Romans and Hebrews in the past. A helpful way to commit Scripture to memory.
Miscellaneous
Podcast: Hymns and the Joy of Singing (Kristyn Getty)
In this interview, Kristyn Getty talks about a wide range of topics related to musical praise. A transcript is also provided for your perusal.
CCEF came out with a new podcast where they aim to discuss the intersect between Scripture and life. A worthwhile subscribe and listen.
Paul Tripp | How Do I Find Hope in Suffering? | TGC Q&A
Paul Tripp discusses how we can approach and respond to our suffering by placing our hope in Christ and the unbreakable promises of God.
Here’s a simple prayer we can raise to God throughout the week.
