“I [Jesus] am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

Psalm 103

S hortly after I was diagnosed with leukemia, I was getting a blood profile drawn by my oncologist in Memphis. That particular day, I had a bad case of the blues. I was worried, afraid, and … well, I hate needles in my arms!

My nurse was an elderly, church-going woman who had grown up in the impoverished Deep South and embodied all the goodness one person could possess. Her mannerisms were gentle, joyful, and kind. As I sat down and extended my arm for yet one more blood draw, my emotions got the best of me.

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“For my days have been consumed in smoke, and my bones have been scorched like a hearth. My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away, indeed, I forget to eat my bread” (Psalm 102:3-4).

Psalm 102

I  had heard stories about heart attacks–how your chest tightens, how a sharp pain would seize the left side of your chest, how the underside of your arms would grow numb and tingle. But until it happens to you, you can’t fully understand the overarching mental and emotional drama that overtakes you. Death stares you in the face, and your life flashes before your eyes.

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“I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me” (Psalm 101:2-3).

Psalm 101

T he famous philosopher Yoda (yes, from Star Wars) said, “Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.” I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d want to quote a Star Wars character in a Bible study, but never say never! This is worth a second look, a bit of “Wisdom from the Empire.”

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“Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:3).

Psalm 100

T his entire book and all 150 psalms are wrapped up in this one giant three-letter word: “His!”

I’ve worked with adopted kids at Kanakuk Kamps for 50 summers, and I’ve found a most-curious thing about adopted children: Some are exceedingly grateful, some are oblivious, and some are naturally angry toward the parents who have risked the wellbeing of their own families’ lives to pull them out of the more-often-than-not dire circumstances from which they were rescued.

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“The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble; He is enthroned above the cherubim, let the earth shake! The Lord is great in Zion, and He is exalted above all the peoples. Let them praise Your great and awesome name; Holy is He” (Psalm 99:1-3).

Psalm 99

R .C. Sproul said, “If there is no delight in your soul for the holiness of God, you don’t know God. You don’t love God. You’re out of touch with God. You’re asleep to His character.”

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“Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth; He will judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with equity” (Psalm 98:8-9).

Psalm 98

O f he millions of movies, plays, dramas, television scripts, and books that have ever been produced throughout history, there has never been one that has captivated the minds and hearts of men and women like the biblical drama of the creation, fall, redemption, judgment, and eternal salvation of mankind. In this drama, we are the actors. The script is divinely inspired. The villain is seemingly unmatched in his power and effectiveness. But the Hero, the Savior, lives and dies in a story that has confounded thoughtful minds for centuries. No greater offer has ever been made. No greater love has ever been shown.

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“The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice” (Psalm 97:1a).

Psalm 97

E ternal dominion, unlimited power, and immeasurable strength. Words are not adequate to describe God’s omnipotent authority. NASA launched the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe satellite in June 2001 and discovered, through never-before-seen universal photographic imaging, with state-of-the-art computer mathematical retro calculations, that at the inception of the cosmos, 100 billion galaxies were thrust more than 1 billion light years in a trillionth of a second.

And yet, while possessing such unfathomable power, God placed Himself in a manger as a tiny baby boy.

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