Meditation, Psalm 8

Posted on April 16, 2020 by Steve Husting

1 O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory
above the heavens.

I don’t know how old David was when he wrote this. He lived long enough to know that nobody he’s met matches up to the Lord. David made an idol of no one. God’s name is above all.

Notice there are two different words for Lord here. The first is in all caps. This is the name of God, Yahweh, or Jehovah if you prefer. The other is translated into Greek as Adonai, master. If you look at Genesis 1, you won’t find these terms used, but God. God there is Elohim, the creator God.

With Yahweh, David is using the covenant-making name of God. Through God, he conquered all these kings. He did what God commanded Joshua and the Israelites, to take possession of Israel, and God did His part of the bargain and supplied strength and wisdom to conquer.

Our God is a covenant-making God. He binds Himself to little ole us. Some companies feel over the moon if they enter into a contract to supply Google or Microsoft or the Queen with goods. God enters a contract … with us. Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. So it was with David. So it is with us.

He set His glory above the heavens, David wrote. His name is unsullied by the sin that perverts this world. Hallowed be Thy name, the prayer says. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, the third commandment says. The Lord remains a pure light. His name is exalted above all other names in our Halls of Fame, above all we have ever given recognition to, in entertainment, sports, military, anything.

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Open my eyes that I may see (Psalm 5)

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Steve Husting


Psalm 5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

This word meditation is better translated as groaning. David is groaning in his praying. Something is weighing on him. Sometimes we can groan without being able to put a finger on what’s wrong. It seems to be the case in this psalm. It’s not clear to me what he’s groaning about here.

When we ask the Lord God to hear us as David did here, we have an excellent chance of being heard. Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, was buried, and rose again. He took care of that one issue that separated us from God: sin. When we are convicted of sin, we may come boldly to the throne of God for deliverance.

There is another person in scripture who groaned in His prayers, isn’t there? Jesus groaned in Gethsemane when faced with the weight of the cross before Him. He went forward with His mind and will strengthened to go through with it.

If you wonder whether God hears your prayers, come to Him through Jesus. Honor Jesus. Worship Him. Be thankful for Jesus. Welcome Him into your life again. King Jesus will hold out the scepter for you to advance.

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Mary, did you know

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Steve Husting

Reflections on the Christmas story

Luke 1:26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

The angel Gabriel visited Mary. 500+ years earlier this same Gabriel visited Daniel to explain a vision given to him of upcoming warfare (in Daniel 8).

Six months ago, the angel Gabriel went and visited Zechariah in the temple, telling him that Elizabeth will have a son and to call him John, meaning Gift of God. Now Gabriel comes to visit Mary.

Later, Joseph will be visited by angels a couple of times in his dreams, to flee Herod’s massacre and to return when the danger was past. We don’t know for sure, but want to bet who those angels were?

Hebrews 13:2 tells us that God is still sending angelic messengers, but they have a human appearance. Angel means messenger. We see in the OT with the prophets and in the NT with the disciples that God has human messengers too. Any time you have personal devotions you have a message to share.

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Every Spiritual Blessing

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Steve Husting

God has blessed His people with every spiritual blessing in Christ. To get a handle on how great this is, let’s briefly backtrack to the Old Testament laws and the Kingdom of God in the Sermon on the Mount.

The OT laws were pretty straightforward. They were not impossible to keep. You did not have to be spiritual to keep them. Do not murder. When you build a rooftop, put a fence around it so people don’t fall off. No kidnapping. When you sin, bring the best from the flock to the priests and sacrifice it and your sin will be covered. Keep this feast on this day of this month. The laws are straightforward and mostly about what to do and not to do.

But then Jesus comes along and upsets the applecart (and the moneychangers’ tables). The Jews were pretty situated around their laws and doing their best with them and the many extra traditions added by the scribes and Pharisees.

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Enter Christmas Prepared

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Steve Husting

As we enter this Christmas season, let’s do it from the solid foundation of scripture. (But then that’s how we’re to approach all of life, isn’t it?) So, what does the Bible say about the Christ Child? We already know that the season is primarily a commercial enterprise. Everybody gets stressed as they ponder what to buy, they’ll stress over the crowds at the malls and over Black Friday sales and their dwindling checking accounts, stress over being alone during the holidays. The tinsel and merry-making are masking a lot of sleepless nights.

But we have an advantage. We have a God who loved us and came in the flesh to save us. Before we approach this season based on warm feelings, memories of family traditions, home for the holidays, putting up decorations, fresh baking smells, sentimental songs, beautiful decorations, and gift-giving — before all this, let’s start with the facts of the Savior’s birth and what the implications are for us.

There’s a way to go through this season and give God the glory. I separated my observations into two groups: 1) Jesus’ birth fulfilled prophecy, and 2) Jesus’ birth is God becoming man. Continue reading →

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Musing on recent news as it relates to end-times prophecy

Posted on November 16, 2019 by Steve Husting

Thousands of northern Europeans are conducting cashless and cardless transactions by using an implanted device the size of a grain of rice. These recipients are the testing ground for the technology the antichrist figure will possibly use to flush out certain Christians, those faithful to the Lord who will not take the mark. This cashless system will also be a means for the Lord to test His saints — will they choose this present world or the kingdom of God?

An increasing number of grocery stores are incorporating checkout self-serve scanning devices to replace human cashiers. Next up will be various means of scanning without cash or cards. All retail businesses will be herded into a cashless state, and these grocers are a visible reminder of that. No one will be able to buy or sell unless the person had the mark in the right hand or forehead. How do we get ready for supporting ourselves in this system? Continue reading →

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The Way, the Truth, and the Life

Posted on November 9, 2019 by Steve Husting

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).

How can we understand this verse, these three aspects of Jesus? This passage takes place while Jesus is with His disciples in the upper room, just shortly before they leave for Gethsemane to be betrayed by Judas. Jesus told them several minutes earlier that He was leaving. That saddened them. That’s when this chapter starts and Jesus tells them not to be troubled. As part of His encouragement to them, He reveals this phrase about Himself.  Continue reading →

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The Stories Continue

Posted on October 21, 2019 by Steve Husting

Some atheists attack the bible, saying it is full of fiction. The stories of God working in people’s lives are not true, they say. But the stories did not stop with the book of Acts. The biblical canon stopped with the book of Revelation, but the stories of God moving continue on today.

The missionary reports tell of a God who is still at work. Our home bible meetings divulge personal experiences of God moving still. Our own lives are testimonies that Jesus has risen. Continue reading →

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Mindfulness

Posted on October 14, 2019 by Steve Husting

Sit comfortably in a quiet place. Breathe in deeply, count 1, then release. Repeat until all stress is gone and you are refreshed.

Is mindfulness pop psychology? My medical (IPO) sent me a slickly designed card with a handy card containing a mindfulness prompt to relieve stress.

There are countless coloring books for adults (in paper and app) with intricate designs where we can color between the lines, and take our minds off our daily problems. Their repetitiveness and simplicity are soothing and calming. Continue reading →

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Life in the Kingdom, book 2 — Excerpt from Steve’s latest book

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Steve Husting

This is an excerpt from my latest book, Life in the Kingdom, book 2. Learn more about it here.

A Father’s Fury

18:5–6 “Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depths of the sea.”

God has invested so much time and effort in creating a person to be like His Son that He pronounces dire judgment upon those who undo His work of salvation. It will be better that the stumblers be drowned deep in the sea than face what they will experience at the Judgment Seat. God so appreciates and loves all the work we expend to trust and obey Him, to fight the battles we fight to stand for Him, to cut off all those elements of sin to honor Him above all, that He will be furious at those who unravel all of our and His hard work. Continue reading →

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