I am challenged by today’s reading to search my heart and be sure that I am not only teaching God’s Word to our children, but also living out what I am teaching. I pray that God will help me to lead by example and to live a life worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to me (Ephesians 4:1).
In Romans 1 Paul addressed the pagan society, here in chapter 2 he addresses Jews and pious Gentiles who have sufficient knowledge to judge others. His main point is that to those who much is given, in this case, knowledge of God and how He expects us to live, there is a higher expectation that they live according to this knowledge. Knowing what to do doesn’t mean anything if you do not do what you know is God’s will. As a matter of fact, if we do not do what we know is right, we dishonor God and “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Thinking ahead to Jesus’ time, this was the great sin of the Jewish rulers…they knew the law, they taught the law, but they themselves did not live the law. No wonder Jesus called them so many derogatory names! Jesus knew their hearts, and knew despite what they said or showed, they were in fact far from Him and His Father. For us today who claim to know the Lord and His Word, this chapter is a stern warning to us to examine ourselves—are we merely giving lip service to the Lord? We must first examine, and then guard our hearts that our love for Him is genuine and our walk is true. Lord, may I examine my heart daily to determine that I am circumcised by your Holy Spirit, and not just by the letter of the law.
Paul’s main point in Romans 2 is don’t be a hypocrite. If you are going to tell people how to live, then match your walk with your talk.
Romans 2:12 is a summary statement of the two points Paul has made in Romans. 1st, Romans 1:18-31 about the ungodly and unrighteous under God’s anger outside of God’s law and 2nd, Romans 2:1-11 – those living under God’s law, yet condemning those outside, but doing the same things as them.
Romans 2:12-24 is an illustrative explanation of Romans 1:18-31 on one hand and Romans 2:1-11 on the other. If you say you’re living a Christian life, but actually living like Romans 1:18-32, then God’s judgment is coming on you too, no matter many Bible verses you can quote or how much religious language you speak.
So, it’s prayerful, careful, self examination time for me. Lord Jesus, is there something I am blind to in my life? “Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit in me.” (Psalm 51:10) “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
Oh, Father. You call me into a holy heart and life. Help me to live in your holy Presence today and abide in you.
There’s not a more fitting way to begin Lent than to open the Book of Romans, for Paul begins this doctrinally rich book by describing the state of his society in 56 A.D. And sadly, could just as easily be writing it in 2026. Paul will spend the next 2 1/2 chapters describing the need for what the promise of the coming Easter will bring.
Even though God has made His presence obvious to us and He is clearly perceived, man has chosen not to honor Him and therefor has become fools. Paul describes the sexual perversion surrounding him because it dramatically illustrates that mankind “worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” God will not be second to anyone or anything. How people can read verses 24-27 and then believe sexual perversion should be accepted and even celebrated, not only in society but even in the church shows just how foolish we can become.
Paul then uses four frightening words, “God gave them up.” I cannot imagine anything scarier than to think God gave up on me. Talk about a sobering thought! But it vividly describes what life lived apart from God becomes—a society in chaos, and that is what we have. Paul is doing a great job justifying what is to come at Easter, God’s solution to the problem, His only begotten Son. Lent is our opportunity to prepare our hearts to receive this magnificent gift. Praise the Lord for His provision!
Romans 1 is so dense and rich. I couldn’t hardly get out of the first few verses without pondering anew the depths of meaning here. These first few verses are a summary of our call and task. It’s the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
As I look at the Greek text and elaborate some on it, here’s my deeper dive in putting it into a more common vernacular while not limiting the amount of words it takes to get more of the nuances out of the Greek text into modern English.
Romans 1:1-5
Paul, loyal servant of Anointed, King Jesus, apostle (one sent out) called and appointed, after being set apart to exclusively announce God’s good news. This He earlier promised through His prophets in the holy scriptures. So regarding His Son, there’s two streams from which King Jesus comes. First is that which comes down from the flesh – He was descended from the seed of David. Second He was appointed and declared son of God in power and ability from that which comes down from the Spirit of holiness as a result of the resurrection from the dead – Jesus, Anointed King, our Lord, through whom we have received and taken hold of delightful kindness (grace) and apostleship (sent outness) to bring about faithful, loyal, trusting obedience in all the nations for the honor and furtherance of His name.
So, as I meditate on this, I hear God calling and reminding me to be totally surrendered to Him. I’m reminded that I am set apart from ordinary work to tell other people about God’s eternal good news that He announced thousands of years before it came to fruition. This Jesus is one of a kind. Exclusive. Humanly speaking, He is in a realm of His own. Divinely speaking, He’s the Son of God, King of the Universe, full of power and glory. He started it all. He created it all. For His purpose and to increase His fame, we live.
Like Dave, this psalm made me think of Pastor Rusty’s sermon from this past Sunday. I am reminded that God answers our prayers, though not always in our way or our timing. Psalm 41:3 says, “The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.” But what about those who pass away and aren’t “restored to full health?” Ah, but they are. They are restored to full health in the presence of our King, and they will never have to worry about sickness or pain again! Praise be to God!
God has proven time and time again that He sees the whole picture, and He is not interested in sacrificing His full plan for short term comfort. Just look at the Israelites and all that they went through before the arrival of the Messiah. Thank God that He sees the full picture—that He works patiently to see the entirety of His plans come to fruition. I admit that I can be a little short sighted and have sometimes struggled to trust in His timing in the past. I pray that His Spirit will help me have more faith in what I know to be true about my Father’s abilities than in what I see right in front of me. I may be short sighted, but He is everlasting! He is so good!
When I first saw Psalm 41 I thought, “Oh good, a shorter one today; probably not too much here.” WRONG. I am constantly amazed at how much the Lord can convey in a few words! I noticed the bookends of “blessed,” with the first blessing on the person who considers the poor, and the last on the Lord. In English it’s the same word, but in the Hebrew the first (‘esher) means “happy,” while the latter (barak) means “to kneel to or bless God in adoration.” The third verse reminded me of Rusty’s recent Sunday message, in that the Lord doesn’t promise us we won’t get sick, but does promise He will sustain us in our sickness. We have probably all been the victims of gossip or malice at some time in the past; it is sad that some people get gratification from speaking ill about others. I am sorry to admit that I have been guilty of this myself at less admirable times in my life. A lesson I have learned the hard way is that we should watch what we think, then it will make watching what we say much more effectively controlled. Jesus later referring to Judas’ betrayal by quoting verse nine once again allows us to see Christ in the Psalms. It is so comforting to know that Jesus read and knew the same words we read today. It makes getting to know Him even easier knowing we share this. Finishing by acknowledging that the Lord delights in us and has “set us in His presence forever” is an absolutely fantastic promise that makes me want to “barak” all the day long!
When I read things like Psalm 41, it brings back a lot of difficult times. The scars are still there, but I’m not aware of their power any longer, thanks be to God. I now know that you can forgive, but the pains that go deep, you don’t forget. (You don’t remember every paper cut. But you do remember the broken bones.) I am thankful now to be in a place where I am surrounded by faithful and genuine people who love Jesus. It makes me appreciate these present times so much more.
I half way jokingly, but truthfully as well, have said that I didn’t know people disliked me until I became a pastor. Again, this psalm reminds me of those times when someone backstabbed me or turned against me in an opportune time for them. I don’t have a desire to pay anyone back (Ps 41:10). I recognize my limitations in reasoning, location, and strength. God is gracious. I praise the Lord for His forgiveness, delightful knindness, and loyal love in my life. It’s Jesus that gets the glory. I am so thankful.
Psalm 41:13 (ESV)
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
This morning, Psalm 40:9-10 stuck out to me. In particular, the wording of the “have nots” in these verses drew my attention: have not restrained, have not hidden, have not concealed. It’s almost as though “the glad news of deliverance” is fighting to get out and we would have to actively hold it back to keep it from doing so. Isn’t that so true, though? When something good happens in our lives, we can’t wait to tell others about it. How much more, then, should we be aching to share about our salvation? God is so good, and our natural inclination should be to share His goodness with others. The world has trained us, though, to restrain our lips. It tells us to keep our faith to ourselves because it is a private thing. It tells us that if we share about what God has done in our lives, then we’re pushing our beliefs on other people. But God’s goodness is not meant to be hidden or concealed. It is made to be shared with everyone we see. Let’s not restrain, hide, or conceal the gospel. Let’s let it free and watch God transform the world around us. Let’s make Heaven crowded!
Sweet Lord, never let me be silent about all that You have done for me. I want to shout of Your goodness from the rooftops!
I connect with Psalm 40 on a couple of levels. First, “He…set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth…” is a wonderful description of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my life. Then next, “In sacrifice and offering You have not delighted…(but) I delight to do Your will, O my God.” This is echoed several times throughout scripture, and I believe Jesus summed it up best in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The Lord accepts our sacrifices and offerings, but we prove our love for Him when we keep His commandments; when we demonstrate that our wills are yielded to Him. David concludes by saying “…may those who love Your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” May this be my expression of gratitude to You everyday, my loving Savior!
I was struck and reminded about seeking, asking, and trusting in Jesus as I live today. In David’s struggle, it’s His prayer life and dependency on God that is shining through. God is not letting Him down, but is coming through, time and time again. Help me, Jesus, to live in this divine/human interaction today.
I notice the beatitude likeness of Psalm 40:4-5 (Matthew 5:1-12 –“Blessed …”) and take it to heart as I remember that God’s blessing – His benefits that put a smile on my face – comes from trusting Him. It’s remembering that blessing does not come from the popular people who try to live life without seeing their need for God (the proud). We’re blessed because God continues to do amazing things for us because we’re trusting Him. Amen and amen to that. I’m blown away when I think of God doing amazing things in my life, especially since coming to Helena. There’s that time, and that time, and that time, and …. God is good.
I was also struck by the application of Psalm 40:6-7 in Hebrews 10:5-7. As with most Messianic prophecies, they can have dual meaning at the same time. First, in the immediate context for David, and second, there is the prophetic context pointing to Christ, as applied in Hebrews 10. It’s my understanding that we see the double meaning here. There are some slight differences in the passages, but I hold them both being true.
I was struck also in Psalm 40:7 – “In the scroll of the book it is written of me.” It’s like when I open the pages of the Bible, God speaks to me. I find in those pages words that pertain to my life today. God, in His Word, reads me like a book. It is so applicable to my life now. Amazing!
On the Messianic prophecy understanding side – the dual meaning – it speaks of Christ and how all of Scripture points to Him.
I love these two scriptures side by side today. I have heard Christians in the past say things like “The Old Testament doesn’t count anymore” almost as if they’re saying we don’t need to listen to or focus on anything in the Old Testament. That’s simply not true. Christ dying on the cross for us saved us from our sins in a way that the legalism of the Old Testament couldn’t. Christ wants our us to believe He is the risen Sin of God and receive His grace and mercy, not to check items off a list and think that’s what gets us to heaven. Great scriptures today!
I am challenged by today’s reading to search my heart and be sure that I am not only teaching God’s Word to our children, but also living out what I am teaching. I pray that God will help me to lead by example and to live a life worthy of the calling He has graciously extended to me (Ephesians 4:1).
In Romans 1 Paul addressed the pagan society, here in chapter 2 he addresses Jews and pious Gentiles who have sufficient knowledge to judge others. His main point is that to those who much is given, in this case, knowledge of God and how He expects us to live, there is a higher expectation that they live according to this knowledge. Knowing what to do doesn’t mean anything if you do not do what you know is God’s will. As a matter of fact, if we do not do what we know is right, we dishonor God and “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Thinking ahead to Jesus’ time, this was the great sin of the Jewish rulers…they knew the law, they taught the law, but they themselves did not live the law. No wonder Jesus called them so many derogatory names! Jesus knew their hearts, and knew despite what they said or showed, they were in fact far from Him and His Father. For us today who claim to know the Lord and His Word, this chapter is a stern warning to us to examine ourselves—are we merely giving lip service to the Lord? We must first examine, and then guard our hearts that our love for Him is genuine and our walk is true. Lord, may I examine my heart daily to determine that I am circumcised by your Holy Spirit, and not just by the letter of the law.
Paul’s main point in Romans 2 is don’t be a hypocrite. If you are going to tell people how to live, then match your walk with your talk.
Romans 2:12 is a summary statement of the two points Paul has made in Romans. 1st, Romans 1:18-31 about the ungodly and unrighteous under God’s anger outside of God’s law and 2nd, Romans 2:1-11 – those living under God’s law, yet condemning those outside, but doing the same things as them.
Romans 2:12-24 is an illustrative explanation of Romans 1:18-31 on one hand and Romans 2:1-11 on the other. If you say you’re living a Christian life, but actually living like Romans 1:18-32, then God’s judgment is coming on you too, no matter many Bible verses you can quote or how much religious language you speak.
So, it’s prayerful, careful, self examination time for me. Lord Jesus, is there something I am blind to in my life? “Create in me a clean heart, O Lord, and renew a right spirit in me.” (Psalm 51:10) “A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
Oh, Father. You call me into a holy heart and life. Help me to live in your holy Presence today and abide in you.
There’s not a more fitting way to begin Lent than to open the Book of Romans, for Paul begins this doctrinally rich book by describing the state of his society in 56 A.D. And sadly, could just as easily be writing it in 2026. Paul will spend the next 2 1/2 chapters describing the need for what the promise of the coming Easter will bring.
Even though God has made His presence obvious to us and He is clearly perceived, man has chosen not to honor Him and therefor has become fools. Paul describes the sexual perversion surrounding him because it dramatically illustrates that mankind “worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator.” God will not be second to anyone or anything. How people can read verses 24-27 and then believe sexual perversion should be accepted and even celebrated, not only in society but even in the church shows just how foolish we can become.
Paul then uses four frightening words, “God gave them up.” I cannot imagine anything scarier than to think God gave up on me. Talk about a sobering thought! But it vividly describes what life lived apart from God becomes—a society in chaos, and that is what we have. Paul is doing a great job justifying what is to come at Easter, God’s solution to the problem, His only begotten Son. Lent is our opportunity to prepare our hearts to receive this magnificent gift. Praise the Lord for His provision!
Romans 1 is so dense and rich. I couldn’t hardly get out of the first few verses without pondering anew the depths of meaning here. These first few verses are a summary of our call and task. It’s the old, old story of Jesus and His love.
As I look at the Greek text and elaborate some on it, here’s my deeper dive in putting it into a more common vernacular while not limiting the amount of words it takes to get more of the nuances out of the Greek text into modern English.
Romans 1:1-5
Paul, loyal servant of Anointed, King Jesus, apostle (one sent out) called and appointed, after being set apart to exclusively announce God’s good news. This He earlier promised through His prophets in the holy scriptures. So regarding His Son, there’s two streams from which King Jesus comes. First is that which comes down from the flesh – He was descended from the seed of David. Second He was appointed and declared son of God in power and ability from that which comes down from the Spirit of holiness as a result of the resurrection from the dead – Jesus, Anointed King, our Lord, through whom we have received and taken hold of delightful kindness (grace) and apostleship (sent outness) to bring about faithful, loyal, trusting obedience in all the nations for the honor and furtherance of His name.
So, as I meditate on this, I hear God calling and reminding me to be totally surrendered to Him. I’m reminded that I am set apart from ordinary work to tell other people about God’s eternal good news that He announced thousands of years before it came to fruition. This Jesus is one of a kind. Exclusive. Humanly speaking, He is in a realm of His own. Divinely speaking, He’s the Son of God, King of the Universe, full of power and glory. He started it all. He created it all. For His purpose and to increase His fame, we live.
Like Dave, this psalm made me think of Pastor Rusty’s sermon from this past Sunday. I am reminded that God answers our prayers, though not always in our way or our timing. Psalm 41:3 says, “The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health.” But what about those who pass away and aren’t “restored to full health?” Ah, but they are. They are restored to full health in the presence of our King, and they will never have to worry about sickness or pain again! Praise be to God!
God has proven time and time again that He sees the whole picture, and He is not interested in sacrificing His full plan for short term comfort. Just look at the Israelites and all that they went through before the arrival of the Messiah. Thank God that He sees the full picture—that He works patiently to see the entirety of His plans come to fruition. I admit that I can be a little short sighted and have sometimes struggled to trust in His timing in the past. I pray that His Spirit will help me have more faith in what I know to be true about my Father’s abilities than in what I see right in front of me. I may be short sighted, but He is everlasting! He is so good!
When I first saw Psalm 41 I thought, “Oh good, a shorter one today; probably not too much here.” WRONG. I am constantly amazed at how much the Lord can convey in a few words! I noticed the bookends of “blessed,” with the first blessing on the person who considers the poor, and the last on the Lord. In English it’s the same word, but in the Hebrew the first (‘esher) means “happy,” while the latter (barak) means “to kneel to or bless God in adoration.” The third verse reminded me of Rusty’s recent Sunday message, in that the Lord doesn’t promise us we won’t get sick, but does promise He will sustain us in our sickness. We have probably all been the victims of gossip or malice at some time in the past; it is sad that some people get gratification from speaking ill about others. I am sorry to admit that I have been guilty of this myself at less admirable times in my life. A lesson I have learned the hard way is that we should watch what we think, then it will make watching what we say much more effectively controlled. Jesus later referring to Judas’ betrayal by quoting verse nine once again allows us to see Christ in the Psalms. It is so comforting to know that Jesus read and knew the same words we read today. It makes getting to know Him even easier knowing we share this. Finishing by acknowledging that the Lord delights in us and has “set us in His presence forever” is an absolutely fantastic promise that makes me want to “barak” all the day long!
When I read things like Psalm 41, it brings back a lot of difficult times. The scars are still there, but I’m not aware of their power any longer, thanks be to God. I now know that you can forgive, but the pains that go deep, you don’t forget. (You don’t remember every paper cut. But you do remember the broken bones.) I am thankful now to be in a place where I am surrounded by faithful and genuine people who love Jesus. It makes me appreciate these present times so much more.
I half way jokingly, but truthfully as well, have said that I didn’t know people disliked me until I became a pastor. Again, this psalm reminds me of those times when someone backstabbed me or turned against me in an opportune time for them. I don’t have a desire to pay anyone back (Ps 41:10). I recognize my limitations in reasoning, location, and strength. God is gracious. I praise the Lord for His forgiveness, delightful knindness, and loyal love in my life. It’s Jesus that gets the glory. I am so thankful.
Psalm 41:13 (ESV)
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
This morning, Psalm 40:9-10 stuck out to me. In particular, the wording of the “have nots” in these verses drew my attention: have not restrained, have not hidden, have not concealed. It’s almost as though “the glad news of deliverance” is fighting to get out and we would have to actively hold it back to keep it from doing so. Isn’t that so true, though? When something good happens in our lives, we can’t wait to tell others about it. How much more, then, should we be aching to share about our salvation? God is so good, and our natural inclination should be to share His goodness with others. The world has trained us, though, to restrain our lips. It tells us to keep our faith to ourselves because it is a private thing. It tells us that if we share about what God has done in our lives, then we’re pushing our beliefs on other people. But God’s goodness is not meant to be hidden or concealed. It is made to be shared with everyone we see. Let’s not restrain, hide, or conceal the gospel. Let’s let it free and watch God transform the world around us. Let’s make Heaven crowded!
Sweet Lord, never let me be silent about all that You have done for me. I want to shout of Your goodness from the rooftops!
I connect with Psalm 40 on a couple of levels. First, “He…set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth…” is a wonderful description of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in my life. Then next, “In sacrifice and offering You have not delighted…(but) I delight to do Your will, O my God.” This is echoed several times throughout scripture, and I believe Jesus summed it up best in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” The Lord accepts our sacrifices and offerings, but we prove our love for Him when we keep His commandments; when we demonstrate that our wills are yielded to Him. David concludes by saying “…may those who love Your salvation say continually, “Great is the Lord!” May this be my expression of gratitude to You everyday, my loving Savior!
I was struck and reminded about seeking, asking, and trusting in Jesus as I live today. In David’s struggle, it’s His prayer life and dependency on God that is shining through. God is not letting Him down, but is coming through, time and time again. Help me, Jesus, to live in this divine/human interaction today.
I notice the beatitude likeness of Psalm 40:4-5 (Matthew 5:1-12 –“Blessed …”) and take it to heart as I remember that God’s blessing – His benefits that put a smile on my face – comes from trusting Him. It’s remembering that blessing does not come from the popular people who try to live life without seeing their need for God (the proud). We’re blessed because God continues to do amazing things for us because we’re trusting Him. Amen and amen to that. I’m blown away when I think of God doing amazing things in my life, especially since coming to Helena. There’s that time, and that time, and that time, and …. God is good.
I was also struck by the application of Psalm 40:6-7 in Hebrews 10:5-7. As with most Messianic prophecies, they can have dual meaning at the same time. First, in the immediate context for David, and second, there is the prophetic context pointing to Christ, as applied in Hebrews 10. It’s my understanding that we see the double meaning here. There are some slight differences in the passages, but I hold them both being true.
I was struck also in Psalm 40:7 – “In the scroll of the book it is written of me.” It’s like when I open the pages of the Bible, God speaks to me. I find in those pages words that pertain to my life today. God, in His Word, reads me like a book. It is so applicable to my life now. Amazing!
On the Messianic prophecy understanding side – the dual meaning – it speaks of Christ and how all of Scripture points to Him.
I love these two scriptures side by side today. I have heard Christians in the past say things like “The Old Testament doesn’t count anymore” almost as if they’re saying we don’t need to listen to or focus on anything in the Old Testament. That’s simply not true. Christ dying on the cross for us saved us from our sins in a way that the legalism of the Old Testament couldn’t. Christ wants our us to believe He is the risen Sin of God and receive His grace and mercy, not to check items off a list and think that’s what gets us to heaven. Great scriptures today!
You’re spot on, Katie. Thanks for sharing.