John Stanko

"In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, Lord,
    make me dwell in safety" - Psalm 4:8.

There is one sure sign that you trust the Lord and have put all of life's circumstances in His hands, and that is you are able to sleep. You do not lie in bed and reflect on all your problems, frantically trying to figure out what you are going to do. When you realize that everything is up to God, you go to bed for one reason, and that is to get some rest. It can be a difficult thing to achieve this kind of release, for no one enjoys not being in control at first. Once you have reached that point, however, it brings great peace, just like Jesus: "One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let us go over to the other side of the lake.' So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we’re going to drown!' He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm" (Luke 8:22-24). Notice that Jesus was the One who initiated their trip, so He knew the storm was coming. He knows your imminent storms, too, but He has everything under control. He wants you to learn to put your trust in Him and not your own strength. Can you go to bed and sleep when your storms are raging? If not, then you have some work to do to shore up your trust in the Lord.

Today's reading - Psalms 1-5

"Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens. Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness" - Psalm 150:1-2.

The Book of Psalms ends with the simple admonition to praise the Lord, not just for what He does, His 'acts of power,' but for who He is, His 'surpassing greatness.' Where is the appropriate place to praise? It is in church or 'his sanctuary,' but also anyplace in His creation, His 'mighty heavens.' If you are going to praise the Lord in and out of church, you are going to need a language of praise, which can only be developed as you practice. What do you say to the Lord when you praise Him? Are you specific? Do you have your own language of praise that you use regularly? Do you praise the Lord and tell Him why you are praising Him? This is not for God's benefit, for He knows who He is. It is for your benefit, so you can be clear in your own mind and heart as to who God is compared to the other relationships and priorities in your life. The end of Jude's epistle is a good example of a language of praise, which you would do well to imitate: "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen" (Jude 24-25).

Today's reading - Psalms 146-150

"The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land" - Psalm 143:3-6.

You're probably surprised (not) that David was in trouble again, so he penned this psalm telling God of his troubles and his desperate need for the Lord's presence and help. David was fighting battles against his enemies, but notice that he was also battling an internal one, and that was his mind and thoughts. He forced himself to focus his thoughts on God's work of old, including what God had done for David in the past. David also confessed that his greatest need was not for deliverance but for God Himself! Your mind can be your greatest ally in times of trouble or your greatest enemy, for that is where you assess the threat, risk, or opportunity of your current situation. You can either give in to your fears or combat them with massive doses of God's word, along with flashbacks and reruns of your past testimonies and victories. Don't be surprised at how long and difficult the process is to keep or return your mind to peace. Just fight the fight and don't give in to despair, anxiety, fear, or worry.

Today's reading - Psalms 141-145

"Who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever. Who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. Who made the great lights—His love endures forever" - Psalm 136:5-7.

The Book of Psalms contains many references to the creation story of Genesis 1 and 2. Why is that? Keep in mind that many of the psalms were written when the authors were in some kind of trouble. Then the psalms were edited and given their final order and format during the Babylonian Exile, when Israel was far from home, wondering when God was going to restore their Land, Temple, and identity. In the midst of personal and national trouble, the community of faith encouraged itself with the reminder of God's great power as evidenced by His creative acts to establish the universe. They correctly concluded that if God could make all they could see around them, then He was capable of moving on their behalf to change things for the better. Perhaps you need a similar dose of their thinking. Look around you today, and consider all the works of nature and creation. They were all made by the God you serve, the same God who loves you and has made wonderful promises to you, some of which seem light years away at this point in your life. Can you encourage yourself today like the psalmist did? Can you make the transition from knowing that God can do anything to the confidence that God can do—and will do—anything for you?

Today's reading - Psalms 136-140

"But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content" - Psalm 131:2.

If you have ever been around an older children who are still feeding on breast milk, you know it can be an awkward scenario when those children are hungry. When they are hungry, the child doesn't care where he or she is or who their mother is with, they will find their mother and look for lunch. David wrote that he was like a weaned child in God's presence, not straining or grasping to get something, but simply there to enjoy God's presence and His person. In other words, David did not pursue God for what God could give or what David needed. Jesus warned against seeking God only out of your need when after He had fed the 5,000, the people eagerly sought Him out: "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval" (John 6:26-27). Are you like a weaned or un-weaned child with the Lord? Do you spend time with Him to enjoy His presence, or to make your list of demands and requests, only to move on after that? Why not take a few minutes today and simply read His word, talk to God, or listen for His voice not because you need anything, except to be close to your Lord, Friend, and Master?

Today's reading - Psalms 131-135

"Restore our fortunes, Lord,
    like streams in the Negev" - Psalm 126:4.

It is common to experience loss in life due to its uncertainty. The good news is that God is with you in those times of loss, and He is able to restore what was lost in His own way that is also meaningful to you. For example, you can lose a business but start another one consulting with people about how not to lose a business! You can lose a relationship only to have the Lord replace that loss by giving you other relationships to take its place. God is a God of restoration, replacing what was lost as He promised His people: "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed" (Joel 2:25-26). Have you experienced some loss recently or in the past? Have you allowed yourself to mourn that loss? Is it time to stop mourning, and begin praying that God will "restore your fortunes"? Can you have faith and hope that God will replace what was lost, and perhaps even increase today what was lost yesterday?

Today's reading - Psalms 126-130

"I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation" - Psalm 118:13-14.

David was not simply a defensive warrior, but he often went on the offensive and was met with stiff resistance. Then there were times when his enemies tried to push him back, but he refused to yield any ground, and called on the Lord for help. The Apostle Paul was also a warrior, and he encountered the same opposition from both external forces as well as internal forces like fear. How did Paul not retreat or fall back? He set goals and those kept him on the advance as he reported in one of his letters: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:12-14). Are you advancing in life, or are you stagnant or even losing ground? Do you have goals? Are they enough to press against what's resisting your progress so that you can move forward and grow? Write out two or three goals that will help you regain the momentum that the Lord would want you to experience.

Today's reading - Psalms 116-120

"All you Israelites, trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield. House of Aaron, trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield. You who fear him, trust in the Lord—he is their help and shield" - Psalm 115:9-11.

These verses are in the midst of a series of psalms encouraging readers to trust in the Lord, no matter what people say to discourage such thinking or what the circumstances look like. It is noteworthy how often the theme of trusting the Lord comes up in the psalms. Of course, that means we need to be reminded again and  again of our need to trust in the Lord and not in ourselves or others. In fact, even when God has proved Himself to us, we tend to stray and put our faith in other things, as did Israel: ". . . in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place. In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go" (Deuteronomy 1:31-33). Are you in a panic right now, even though God has repeatedly shown Himself strong on your behalf? Are you living in the worries of tomorrow, instead of the joy of today? Are you fretting over what might not happen next year, instead of thanking God for what you have today?

Today's reading - Psalms 111-115

"He turned the desert into pools of water
    and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he brought the hungry to live,
    and they founded a city where they could settle" - Psalm 107:35-36.

If you visit Israel today, you visit the Jordan Valley, where the desert has been transformed into a lush agricultural area, the fruit of which is exported all over Europe! That is exactly what the psalmist said God is able to do - take that which others say is useless and make it useful and productive. He can do the same in your life, business and ministry so that your focus will not be on your own talent, intelligence or resources, but on Him and His goodness. This theme is found throughout the Bible and is summarized in Ezekiel 21:26: "This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.'" What opportunity have you passed up because it did not 'look' good? What vision did God give you of prosperity, but you are ignoring it because right now it looks like poverty? Where is there a desert where God wants to do the unexpected and convert it to a garden and make you the beneficiary?

Today's reading - Psalms 106-110

"He made the moon to mark the seasons,
    and the sun knows when to go down.
You bring darkness, it becomes night,
    and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
The lions roar for their prey
    and seek their food from God.
The sun rises, and they steal away;
    they return and lie down in their dens.
Then people go out to their work,
    to their labor until evening" - Psalm 104:19-23.

There is a rhythm of life, and it is God's doing, created through His wisdom and creativity. Psalm 104 focuses on God's creation, which includes not only the objects you see, but the patterns that men, animals and planets follow. The psalmist is reminding the reader that if God is in control of all that, then He has no problem being in control of your life as well. Jesus repeated this lesson when He taught, "Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows" (Luke 12:5-6). Are you fretting over your financial or professional situation? Do you see the lesson in today's verses, and are you ready to apply them to your life where you are right now? Can you also see how silly it is to worry over whether or not God will provide for you?

Today's reading - Psalms 101-105