From: May 2, 2026
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” (Psalm 103:1 ESV).
David, the psalmist and king of Israel, called upon his own soul to worship the LORD with wholehearted devotion. Writing in a context of personal reflection, he did not begin by addressing others but by speaking directly to himself, stirring his inner being toward praise. He summoned “all that is within” him, calling for worship that engaged his mind, heart, will, and affections. David understood that to bless the LORD was not to add anything to God, who lacks nothing, but to speak well of Him, to honor His holy name, and to respond with gratitude for who He is. This opening command revealed that praise is a deliberate act of the will before it is an emotional response. David chose to lead his soul into worship, setting the stage for the reasons for praise that followed.
We often wait until we feel like praising God, but David shows us a better way. We can speak to our own souls and call them to worship, even when our emotions lag behind. Instead of allowing spiritual dullness to take hold, we can actively engage every part of our being in honoring the Lord. We remind ourselves that worship is not about adding to God but about rightly responding to His greatness. When we choose to bless His holy name, our hearts begin to follow. In seasons of joy or struggle, we can stir our souls to fix our attention on His character. This is how we persevere in worship. We look in the mirror and say, “Soul, bless the Lord!”
PRAYER: Dear Father, we confess that our hearts are often slow to praise You. Stir our souls to worship You with all that is within us. Teach us to choose praise even before we feel it, and to honor Your holy name with undivided devotion. Guard us from spiritual dullness and fill us with gratitude for who You are. Set our souls afire to continually bless You in every season. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: May 2, 2025
“And he awoke from his sleep and said, ‘I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.’ But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” (Judges 16:20 ESV).
Samson had grown so used to God’s blessing and power that he took it for granted. Time after time, he had defeated his enemies and escaped danger. But his strength was not his own. It came from the Lord, who had set him apart for a holy purpose. By continuing in disobedience and giving himself over to Delilah, Samson finally broke the last visible sign of his vow to God. His hair was shaved, and the Lord departed from him.
The most tragic part of this story is not just that Samson lost his strength. It is that he did not even know the Lord had left him. He assumed God was still with him simply because God had always been with him before. He mistook God’s past faithfulness as a guarantee of His present power. That is a dangerous place for anyone to be.
Samson’s story serves as a warning for us. We too can drift from God gradually and not even realize how far we have gone. We can get so comfortable with outward success that we forget to look to God as the source of our blessing. We stop praying as we should. We stop listening for His voice. We begin to trust in our own wisdom and effort. Then when the pressure hits, we find ourselves weak, wondering where God has gone.
The good news is that even when we forget God, He is still near to all who call on Him. As Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” We don’t have to wait until everything falls apart to seek the Lord. We can return to Him now. For the Lord says He will never leave nor forsake us, but sometimes He lets us experience life on our own to remind us to come running back to Him.
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us for the times we have moved forward without seeking You first. We confess that we have often relied on ourselves and forgotten how much we need You. Thank You for Your mercy and Your patience with us. Help us to remain close to You, to listen for Your voice, and to walk in step with Your Spirit. Keep us from drifting. Teach us to live each day in full dependence on You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
From: May 2, 2024
“Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man” (John 2:23-25 ESV).
In John’s gospel, the miracles performed by Jesus are called “signs.” For John understood the miracles of Jesus to be confirming signs that pointed to Him as the Son of God. This is an important distinction. For men often seek God’s miracles but fail to believe His message.
After witnessing many signs in Jerusalem, many claimed to believe in Jesus, but He did not “entrust” Himself to them. Why? He knew what was in their hearts. They sought more signs, but not the Savior. Therefore, He did not commit His gospel and His true identity to them.
At another time, after Jesus had fed over 5,000 with five loaves and two fishes, many followed Him. Yet, He knew their hearts, saying, “You only seek Me because you ate of the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26). The crowd sought more bread, but failed to recognize Jesus as the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35).
What’s in your heart? Do you seek a sign or the Savior? Are you always looking for more evidence, never fully committing yourself to Jesus? For if you will commit yourself to Him, He will surely entrust Himself to you.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we do not seek miracles, but the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ. We seek His face, not His hands. For we want Him to know that we believe in Him and are committed to Him. For He has committed Himself to us. Having Jesus, we need nothing else. For He is our all in all. Help us to see Him today, so that we might follow Him in all things. In His name, we pray, amen.
From: May 2, 2023
‘When he woke up, he thought, “I will do as before and shake myself free.” But he didn’t realize the Lord had left him’ (Judges 16:20 NLT).
Samson took God’s presence and power for granted, but when Delilah shaved off his seven locks, the power of the LORD left him. Samson didn’t even notice, until it was too late.
We shouldn’t wonder at Samson’s shortcomings. We can be just like him. When we step on the slippery slope of sin, we slowly slide away from God so gradually that we barely notice. We become so accustomed to God’s blessings that we forget their source. We get so busy with doing that we stop praying and asking God for power and direction. Then one day, we wake up and find ourselves in trouble, asking God where He’s gone!
He hasn’t really left us. We’ve left Him. We’ve forgotten Him. Yet, God is only a prayer away. As the apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
PRAYER: Dear Father, forgive us when we attempt to move without You. We want to learn to wait on You and depend on You for all things. We know that You will never leave nor forsake us, but You will let us experience the pain of trying to live on our own. When we do, we realize our deep need for Your presence. Lead us this day and strengthen us by Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, amen.