Psalm 115 - Trust in the Lord

Mom looked out the window and said, “There’s a red-headed woodpecker pecking a hole in our tree!” I grabbed the camera and began taking pictures. Mr. and Mrs. Woodpecker have now built a secure home in which to hatch their eggs. They’ve spent much time and effort preparing this hole for nesting. If God gives the birds instinct to prepare a secure home for their children, I can be certain the home Jesus is preparing for me is going to be perfect!

“O house of Israel, trust in the Lord –
he is their help and shield.
O 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.

The Lord remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless the house of Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
he will bless those who fear the Lord – small and great alike.

Psalm 115:9-13

I run to You for refuge.
You are my help and shield.
I trust in you with confidence;
and to Your will, I yield.

I fear You, and I trust You.

You will make my path sure.

I can be completely confident;

for in You, I am secure.

Psalm 115 - God Does Whatever Pleases Him

I’ve never understood how people could worship idols of metal, wood, or stone that obviously had no power to create or rule.
Our God, Creator of everything, is so amazing! Look at the beauty of this woodpecker beginning its nest hole in my tree! How can anyone think the endless variety in nature just happened? All glory goes to God!

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.

Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.
They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes,
but they cannot see;
they have ears, but cannot hear, noses,
but they cannot smell;
they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them."

Psalm 115:1-8 (NIV)

Lord, you are glorified in heaven,

and whatever pleases you is done.
We need not fear your sovereignty,

Father God, omniscient One.
Your love and faithfulness to us

extends through the generations.
The way you use adversity to mold us

is not obvious to the nations.
We glorify your name, O Lord,

for you’re the only omnipotent Lord.
We trust when we cannot understand.

We have your promises in your word.

Psalm 114 - Tremble at the Presence of the Lord

I prayed that since I am unable to go for walks in the park right now

that God would bring nature to my own backyard.

I had in mind birds, turtles, and things.

Our sovereign Lord outdid my expectations

with this fox standing in my yard before breakfast one morning!

Praise the Lord!

"When Israel came out of Egypt,
the house of Jacob
from a people of foreign tongue,
Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
the mountains skipped like rams,
the hills like lambs.

Why was it, O sea, that you fled,
O Jordan, that you turned back,
you mountains, that you skipped like rams,
you hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth,
at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the god of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water."

Psalm 114:1-8 (NIV)

Amazing the mighty works of our Lord…

Creator, Sustainer of all that we see!
He brought Israel out of Egypt, controlling the earth;

and now he takes care of me.
The God that parted the Red Sea for Moses

and for Joshua made the Jordan turn back;
is my Master and Owner, Controller of my life,

and provides everything that I lack.
The earth trembles at the presence of Almighty Creator

who turned the rock into a spring.
I bow before him, and worship in awe;

for he’s my Father, my Savior, my Everything.

Psalm 113 - The Lord Raises Us Up

When I came across this tiny turtle
while cleaning out my flower bed,
I thought,

“Wouldn’t my granddaughters love to see him!” God keeps bringing nature’s beauty
to my own backyard!



"He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.
He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord."

Psalm 113:7-9 (NIV)

Lord, you raise the poor from the dust

and lift the needy from the ash heap.
Once we have given our lives to you,

your promises to us you will keep.
We are lowly and wretched beings, b

ut one day with you we will reign.
You will lift up each humble person

in front of those who looked on us with disdain.
You have already taken this barren woman

lifting me to be a merry-hearted mother.
I will never cease to give you praise.

Glory belongs to you and no other.

Psalm 113 - The One Who Stoops Down

“The Lord is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?”

Psalm 113:4-6 (NIV)

When talking to a little child, I try to get down on their level.
I like to be able to talk face to face and eye to eye.
Oh, Lord, to speak to me required that you stoop down,
and humbled yourself to leave your throne on high.
Jesus, you brought the love of Almighty God to me.
You left your throne in heaven to dwell on earth.
You stooped down to the level of this little child
through your incarnation, your lowly birth.

Psalm 113 - Praise God Sunrise to Sunset

Sunrise from my kitchen window.

Sunset from my front porch.

“Praise the Lord.
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,
both now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun
to the place where it sets,
the name of the Lord is to be praised."

Psalm 113:1-3 (NIV)

Let me not be afraid to appear foolish in my praise.
May I create a scene as I clamorously raise
my voice in celebration of Your compassion and might.
May I sing of Your goodness from morning to night.

Psalm 112 - True Security

The leafy, round plants directly behind the red Crown of Thorns,

are hostas that bloom later in the summer.

These particular hostas have been established in my garden for years.

Each fall I cut back the dead foliage;

and each spring the plants come up with renewed vigor.

The ferns with the tall white flowers

that grow around the tree are perennials, aslo.

Perennials remind me that God always sends spring after winter.

“Good will come to him
who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.

The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longing of the wicked will come to nothing.”

Psalm 112:5-10 (NIV)

Lord, may I always be generous and just,
my heart steadfast on Him I trust.
Leaning on Jesus my heart is secure,
With confidence I can endure
all the enemy may place in my way;
for I know Christ will triumph on that day.

Lord, may my children live uprightly.
Draw them to You daily and nightly.
May they also never be shaken.
To your true security may they awaken.
May their hearts remain steadfast,
trusting in You and standing fast.

Psalm 112 - Delight in His Commands

My garage is very dark, but in the side mirror of my car I catch a glimpse of my garden bathed in the morning light. The ground hugging fern between the trees shoots up tall flowers to spread its offspring into the wind as the blooms die.

"PRAISE the Lord.
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who finds great delight in his commands.
His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
Even in the darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate
and righteous man."

Psalm 112:1-4 (NIV)

Father I fear and am in awe of you.

Help me to abide in your word.
I will take pleasure in following your commands,

remembering that you are Lord.
I pray that my children will follow this example

that they may be truly blessed.
Help them to remember they can be upright

as in Christ’s righteousness they’re dressed.
May your light shine brightly in their darkest hours.

May they derive strength from you.
May they be gracious and compassionate in your name

and to your commands be true.
May the legacy I leave to my children’s children

be one of obedience to Christ.
I pray that your grace, love, and peace

will be evident throughout my life.

Psalm 111 - The Beginning of Wisdom

This vibrant vermillion rose
stands out in the midst
of my garden.


The Lord God stands way above
anything else people claim as god.
He is holy and awesome!




“He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever –
holy and awesome is his name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts
have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.”

Psalm 11:6-10

God’s beautiful and majestic works, the grandeur of all creation
cause me to show reverence to the One in whom I trust.
His mighty and powerful deeds, conquering the nations
cause me to bow in fear of the One who is faithful and just.
Realizing God is holy and awesome is the beginning of understanding
my need of eternal salvation through Jesus who died in my place.
His precepts are trustworthy though they may seem demanding,
but His Holy spirit gives wisdom and strength for the race.