Parentsheart Africa Television

17/07/2021

HOW TO OVERCOME SATAN IN TWO EASY STEPS. ~July 14

1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.”

Knowing that whatever is valued by God will be hotly contested by Satan, the Bible alerts us (God’s children) to Satan’s evil intentions and subtle deceptions. How aware are we of his strategies and how empowered are we to combat him? Notice the meanings of the following words:

“Sober” implies mentally alert and self-controlled.
“Vigilant” means watchful, awake and alert.
“Walks about” conveys the idea of Satan’s constant state of activity.
“Steadfast.” This is translated from a Greek military term signifying standing firm without moving even under an attack from the enemy.
Even though God is all-powerful and cares for His children, we cannot afford to relax our guard spiritually. It is vital that we recognize that Satan is wholly dedicated to destroying us. We must be faithful in doing our part to thwart him, knowing that he will not back off.

We can resist and defeat Satan by employing two simple steps. The first step is, renewing our mind in the knowledge of God. Step two is to safeguard our mind against Satan’s attacks. The mind is the most critical part of spiritual warfare. Without the active engagement of the mind – learning, thinking, discerning, understanding, deciding, committing – we are doomed to spiritual defeat by Satan. That is why the Bible speaks of ‘the mind’ and ‘thinking’ nearly 150 times. Satan is hugely concerned about what we think and believe than anything else, and thus, his chief weapon is lies/deception. Jesus, indeed, called Satan “the father of lies” (John 8:44).

Step one: Renew your mind. Paul says in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind into the mind of Christ.” We renew our mind daily through the study and consideration of Scripture, and a prayerful discourse with God on everything we do. That is the only way to prove “what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Step two: Safeguard your mind. Protection begins with what Ephesians 6:17 calls the ‘helmet of salvation’. Strap it on to protect your mind from the invasion of ungodly information. We must have a biblical grid through which we process and evaluate everything we take in from every source. We must allow nothing to find a permanent place in our mind that does not square with God’s Word in terms of importance, purity, truth, and edification.

Let us not drop our guard and be bamboozled into sinfulness by Satan. May we resist unto death.

03/06/2021

TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER. ~ June 3

Phillipians 4:6-7 “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

1 Samuel chapter 1 tells the story of Hannah. Hannah had a problem. Though married, she was childless. Hannah’s problem was infertility. In her day and culture, the society frowned upon childless women, and deemed them accursed.

Added to this already heartbreaking dilemma was the fact that her rival in love (her husband’s other wife) ridiculed and taunted her ceaselessly. 1 Samuel 1:7 says, “So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, that her rival provoked her; therefore, Hannah wept and did not eat.”

Hannah could have understandably used this tormenting situation as an excuse to not go to this annual worship service. Instead, Hannah chose to be faithful and attended the services. She also could have chosen to believe that God didn’t exist, or that He didn’t care about her. She could have chosen to allow her pain and her misfortune to make her bitter and angry at God, but she didn’t. Instead, she chose to trust in God’s love and perfect judgment.

Hannah knew where to take her problems – straight to God in prayer. She wept before the Lord in anguish. Hannah spoke in her heart; her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Eli, the High Priest thought she was drunk and rebuked her. But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have not drunk intoxicating drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord.

Eli responded, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.” So, Hannah went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

You may wonder where God is in your struggles. God knows your pain, and He cares about it. Just because God does not answer your prayers doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. God has a plan for you just as He did for Hannah. What God wants you to do is to be like Hannah, to trust Him, worship Him, and stay humble and vigilant in prayer. When the time is right, God will bless you like He did Hannah.

If you are experiencing difficult circumstances or what appears to be an impossible situation right now in your life, leave it in God’s hands, as Hannah did, and be of good cheer. Those who leave everything in God’s hands, eventually see God’s hands in everything.

11/05/2021

WE MUST OVERCOME SIN. ~ May 9

Genesis 4:6-7 “Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."”

Now when God rejected Cain's offering, it is also worth noting that He was still incredibly gracious with Cain. He did not speak in thunderous tones saying, 'who are you to offer incorrectly?' He did not send lightning upon the earth where Cain is. No! The Lord encouraged Cain not to be downcast and assured him that if he does right, he will be accepted.

To do right is to come to God in the way He has prescribed. So, God is gracious and wants Cain to know this. There is still a way for Cain, but he is warned about the serious nature of sin. The Lord pictures sin like a lion or a wild animal, crouching ready to strike. But there is a way, the Lord says, to overcome it. For 1 John 1:9 says, ‘If we confess, God is faithful to forgive,’ and Cain should have confessed his wrong and brought an offering as prescribed by God.

What does Cain do? Having heard directly from God Himself, he goes completely against what the Lord spoke and allowed his anger to become rage and his rage, murder - even the murder of his brother Abel. Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

James 1:14-15 says, “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

Brethren, we must overcome our sinful habits. Several times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, Jesus exhorts “to him who overcomes” “to him who overcomes.” We are not to wallow in sinfulness but rise to shame the devil by resisting the temptations to steal, to lie, to fornicate, to slander, to do anything that causes the name of The Lord to be brought into disrepute.

Master sin and receive the blessing, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

18/04/2021

30/03/2021

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT. ~ March 29

Acts 5:1-6 “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.”

Ananias and Sapphira his wife grieved the Holy Spirit and they were punished by death. What did they do to grieve the Holy Spirit? They lied to Him. Many Christians would regard this as a ‘simple lie’, but it was enough to grieve the Holy Spirit, and He struck them dead. Cooperating with a liar can also grieve the Holy Spirit as in the case of Sapphira, Ananias’ wife. It is dangerous to keep company with liars because the same punishment meted out to the original liar may be received by the accomplice.

Rebelling against the Lordship of the Holy Spirit over your life is another way through which He can be grieved. When you get to a point where you refuse to take instructions from the voice of the Holy Spirit within you, then you have rebelled against His Lordship. The Bible in Isaiah 63:10 says, “But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore, he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them.”

Beloved, let us heed the admonition of Paul and desist from grieving the Holy Spirit by all means. Let obedience be your hymn.

19/02/2021

01/02/2021

A WORD FOR THOSE WAITING TO EXHALE. ~ January 30

Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Are you feeling crushed? Like you can’t even breathe? In much of Christian content and chatter, it’s easy to believe that God is looking for the strong, the go-getters, the over-achievers in life. Many preachers assert that He is closer to those who are strong, to those who are achieving their goals and making things happen around them, the “Movers and the Shakers” of the faith. ‘God helps those who help themselves’ is a popular refrain. Perhaps you’ve believed it, too? At your lowest points, maybe you’ve determined God is far away; with more important or weightier things to do than lift your burden.

When sadness and depression settle into one’s mind, and soul, it is not easy to shuck the feelings off, break out of the rut, and move on as some may suggest or think. At times, inner despair remains regardless of the goodwill offered from those that care. If this sounds like you, realize you are not alone. Many others have or are currently battling with valleys of darkness too. Many God-dependent Bible stalwarts we admire experienced the pits too in various seasons.

· Moses asked God to take his life (Num 11:10-15)

· Job cursed the day of his birth (Job 3:1-26)

· Hanna grieved because her womb remained closed for many years (1 Samuel 1:1-16)

· Tamara, after her brother r***d her, lived a desolate life (2 Samuel 13:1-21))

· Naomi was filled with bitterness and pain after experiencing multiple hardships (Ruth 1)

· Hagar sobbed in the desert as her son was about to die (Genesis 21:15-16).

Yet in each of these situations God proved Himself a present and caring God, providing marvelously for each despairing soul.

Moroseness can enter one’s life after a loss, following a huge spiritual triumph, after committing sin, from someone else’s wrongdoings or poor choices, or even from a chemical imbalance. No matter what the problem or cause of people’s despair, God stands ready to help, and He will move mountains to restore that which is crushed in spirit. God’s Word guarantees;

“For I will satisfy the weary soul, and I will replenished every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25

Hang in there, soldier, and totally hope in The Lord. Our redeemer lives.

09/01/2021

NEW YEAR NEW HABITS: TRUST IN GOD NOT CHARIOTS. ~ January 7

Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”

Today the lyrics of the hymn “If you but trust in God to guide you” (by George Neumark) will be our food for meditation.

“If you but trust in God to guide you,
and place your confidence in Him,
You’ll find Him always there beside you,
To give you hope and strength within;
For those who trust God’s changeless love, Build on the Rock that will not move.

What gain is there in futile weeping,
in helpless anger or distress
If you are in His care and keeping,
in sorrow will He love you less
For He who took for you a cross,
Will bring you safe through every loss

Only be still and wait His pleasure, in cheerful hope, with heart content:
He fills your needs to fullest measure, with what discerning love has sent;
Doubt not our inmost wants are known, To Him who chose us for His own.

Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, offer your service faithfully,
And trust His word; though undeserving, you’ll find His promise true to be;
God never will forsake in need, The soul that trusts in Him indeed.”

Chariots and horses were formidable symbols of invincibility and prosperity in Old Testament times, yet the discerning eye of faith sees more in an invisible God than in all these. Those who put their trust in chariots are, in essence, placing their confidence in the ingenuity of man, accumulated wealth, career success etc. Many people believe God exists, but they do not place their trust in God. Do not be one of those.

In Isaiah 31:1 God gave a stern warning to those who prefer to trust in anything but God. He said, “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the Lord!”

Opt for a totally God-dependent life and you will have no cause for regrets. You will find God dependable, wise and praiseworthy. God will never forsake in need, the hand that trusts in Him indeed.

05/01/2021

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR THE CHRISTIAN. ~ January 3

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed”

Happy New Year! There is just something about the start of a new year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing supernatural occurs at midnight on December 31. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

Prayerfully seek God’s indulgence, before even starting to think up a list of resolutions, to prevent needless brain-wracking and goal-setting that strays outside His will. His will is always in our best interest. Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that He promises to do more than we can ask or imagine in our lives. He can not only help us with our resolutions, but holds the key to the best progress that we will make.

In this season of setting resolutions may I suggest what ought to occupy the Christian mind?

1. Cultivating consistent thankfulness. For a living dog is better than a dead lion (Ecclesiastes 9:4). Whatever the state of our being and circumstances, God says we should count it a blessing to be alive. Why? Because Christ lives to intercede for us, we have strong assurance that in connecting with Him we can have a more fruitful year than we did in 2020.

2. Living peaceably with all men. Seek strength not to offend fellow humans, but rather have their wellbeing in mind, and grace to offer forgiveness when we are sinned against.

3. Aspire towards a full knowledge of God. Knowing God is life’s greatest pursuit and if a man must be boastful of attaining anything it is that “he understands and knows the Lord” (Jeremiah 9:24). Therefore, deep Bible study and obedience to its revelations must be a staple of every New Year resolution list.

4. Aspire to be acknowledged as a servant of God. As Joshua did, so you too should be able to declare ….. ”as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”

5. Cultivating a life of prayerfulness to meet the standard set by Paul, “pray always” for it is the assured path to keeping God’s strength and will intertwined in our steps.

Be careful not to disqualify stirrings and nudges due to feelings of unqualified or unpreparedness, for He will equip and prepare us for the achievements that await us.

Be Open to Adjustments. God permeates life in an incomprehensible way that reflects His love and goodness. When we run into a frustrating bump in a goal we’ve been striving for, it’s ok to adjust the path of our progress rather than quit and run.

I look forward to hearing from you this time next year with tales of triumph to share of a God-driven successful twelve months.

04/01/2021

FINISH THE RACE. January 4

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

It matters little if you had a great start in the Christian race, or a rough one. It matters little if you have stumbled time and again, or even fallen flat on your face several times. What matters most in this race of life is that you finish.

The book of 2 Timothy was Paul’s last epistle before his martyrdom. In his previous letters, he expresses hope and confidence that he will be released and will be able to continue his service to the Lord. But this letter takes on an entirely different tone. While still teaching and encouraging his young charge, he has accepted the reality that the curtain may be drawn over his life soon. His life testimonial featured victorious evangelism, fruitfulness in planting churches and, bringing freedom and God’s love to many previously held captive by sin, sickness and oppression. But he had also endured years of hardship, imprisonment, and frustration without wavering.

Paul proclaims to Timothy at this point in his life: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” The Greek word ‘agonizomai’ translated “fought” means literally to engage in conflict. It is a stark reminder that the Christian life can be a grinding race with battles against elements without and within seeking to derail our progress. Often are we tempted to give up. I urge you to stay the course, keeping the faith to finish the race just as Paul reminded Timothy to “endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3).

I pray that I will be able to honestly say what Paul said, not as a testament of my own accomplishments, but of the grace and mercy of God to me on display for others who may come behind me from which to draw courage.

I challenge you to make this your goal as well. Whatever billows roll, we are more than conquerors. We can have no greater sense of fulfillment, when assessed, than to know as Paul did, that we have “kept the faith”.

22/05/2020

04/05/2020

02/04/2020

GOD SHALL HAVE MERCY. ~ April 1

2 Samuel 24:16 “And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.”

The epidemic recorded in 2 Samuel 24, was the most deadly ever to hit the Israelites.

Scripture says “Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number the men of Israel (1 Chronicles 21:1). So, King David commanded Joab his Army Commander to take a census of Israel. Afterwards, David felt guilty about his actions, as he recognized it implied a lack of trust in God. He sought the Lord’s forgiveness. In response God sent His prophet Gad, to David with this message; ‘Thus says the Lord: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.

“Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” So, the Lord sent the afore-mentioned plague upon Israel, from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died.

Then something touched the Lord’s heart; Despite the weight of David’s sin, and need to punish, mercy and compassion rose supreme, and God bid the angel of affliction, ‘Enough! Withdraw your hand’”.

We know the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end. For this reason, we have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. God had mercy and halted the judgment plague: Even now as we face our pestilence, we too can touch God’s heart to halt the pandemic. If only like David, we will humble ourselves, repent our wicked ways and pray.

31/03/2020

RE-INTRODUCING YAHWEH AS “THE GOD WHO MAKES A WAY” ~ March 29

Isaiah 43:16 “Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea and a path through the mighty waters”

God introduces himself as ‘the God who makes a way’. This is a very special verse for me because God gave it to me during a very difficult time. The Lord emphasized to me during that time, that despite the difficulty of a situation, and despite the options that look limited in the natural, God is a God who makes a way. If you leave this devotion stronger in your faith that God ‘makes a way’, and can do it for you, then I’ll be content; for that is all you really need to know.

In many prophetic passages in Isaiah, the prophet foresaw a time of great difficulty for the Israelites, a time when they would be captives to their bitter enemies; A time when they were taken from their homeland and exiled in foreign lands. Historically we see the fulfillment of such passages in the Babylonian exile in 586 BC. With their home and temple destroyed, and as the years in exile became many decades, the great question that burned in the hearts of the Israelites was ‘Is there a way out of this impossible and difficult exile?’ ‘Is there a way home?’ It was to a people feeling completely hopeless, whose faith was reaching breaking point that God stepped in and spoke.

He begins by reminding them that He is YAHWEH, the great I AM! The self existent, active, ever present God. Maybe you have been feeling like the Israelites were? Maybe you have taken your eyes off the Lord and onto your situation? Maybe the difficulty of what you face has clouded out the thought and presence of He who is for you? Maybe you have forgotten that the one who is on your side is the eternal, all-powerful God ‘who makes a way’? Israel sure had. And I, too, had when God reminded me of this scripture. So, maybe you have as well. As our nature finds all too easy to do.

The trials and difficulties of this life may be coming against you in way that seems like there is no way out. If that is so, then please remember that God is One who ‘makes a way’.

May you too triumph to proclaim His praise as you trust Him once again.

28/03/2020

Happy Blessed Sabbath

28/03/2020

WEAPONIZED FASTING DOES NOT PLEASE GOD. ~ March 26

Isaiah 58:3 “Why have we fasted … and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?”

What does God look for when we fast? What are the deeper spiritual purposes and benefits?

There were no knife cuts or gunshot wounds on his body, nor had he been suffering from disease. Yet only days before, he had slipped into a coma from which he would never recover. It was May 5, 1981, when the 27-year-old prisoner breathed his last. Malnutrition is what killed Bobby Sands! He had not eaten for 66 days. Why?

Bobby Sands had been a member of the Irish Republican Army, viewed by the British as terrorists, but by many Irish Catholics as freedom fighters. He had organized a group of fellow IRA prisoners to fast, hoping to force the British government to label IRA inmates as political prisoners. For Bobby Sands, what is supposed to be a tool for spiritual growth was turned into a religious farce and political weapon!

God does not heed weaponized fasting. In reproaching Israel for their hollow worship, devoid of morality but full of ritual and pretense, God addressed this issue.

Israel had asked, “Why are we fasting and getting no results from God?” God explained that He does want His people to fast, but that it must be “the fast that I have chosen” …..: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that we break every yoke” (Isaiah 58:6-7); To share our bread with the hungry, to bring to our houses the poor who are cast out; “When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

God ended His message on fasting in Isaiah 58, with a promise. If we fast to seek God’s will rather than our own, choosing to “loose the bonds of wickedness” beginning with repentance in our own hearts, we can be confident that when we pray, “the Lord will answer,” and when we cry, “He will say, ‘Here I am’”

28/03/2020

THE FAST THAT GOD HAS PRESCRIBED. ~ March 27

John 4:23-24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth”

So, what makes for a meaningful fast? The Gospel of John provides a fascinating way of looking at this topic by showing how Jesus viewed the contrast between physical and spiritual food and with it we find some profound insights that underlie fasting.

Jesus and His disciples traveling from Judea, went through Samaria, a region inhabited by an ethnically mixed population. The Samaritans, rejected by the Jews as religious imposters, worshipped God at a temple on Mount Gerazim rather than at God’s temple in Jerusalem.

Jesus wearied by the journey, sat by a well to rest, while the disciples continued into town to purchase food. A Samaritan woman came to draw water and Jesus engaged her in conversation. He told the woman things about herself no stranger could know, and she acknowledged Jesus as a Prophet. Then she spoke of the Jewish and Samaritan temples, pointing out that the Jews claimed God was to be worshipped only in Jerusalem. She wanted to know the thoughts of this unusual Rabbi about where God could be worshipped. She was focused on the physical.

Jesus replied with a surprising declaration: “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:21).


After repeating this shocking statement, Jesus added another thought: “Those who worship [God] must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Christ focused on the spiritual, telling this woman not where, but how God is to be worshipped.

After Jesus had concluded His conversation with the woman, the disciples urged Him to eat. Jesus confused His disciples by responding, “I have food to eat of which you do not know” (John 4:32). They wondered who had given Him food. They, too, were focused on the physical.

The next statement He uttered, however, is the one that seems strange to our way of thinking: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work” (John 4:34).

Jesus used the incident as an object lesson on worshipping God in truth. To just give up the food, and not take in spiritual nourishment is simply a waste of time. The fast God has prescribed is one that is singularly focused on God’s will.

25/03/2020

25/03/2020

We are in a season of great crisis in our community, our country, and around the world. Let the Lord be ‘your chosen portion and your cup.’ Let Psalm 16:1 be your prayer.🙏

IN TIMES OF CRISIS (PSALM 16). ~ March 25

Psalm 16:1 "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust"


What a wonderful prayer and statement of faith. This compelling faith is made up of knowing who God is, understanding God’s power and authority, and truly trusting in both God’s power and authority – His sovereignty.


The Hebrew word that David uses for "preserve" in this verse is packed with meaning. It says, in essence, "Put a hedge around me, a wall of protective thorns. Guard me and keep me in all my comings and goings." David fully believed that God preserves the righteous. And Scripture says David was helped and preserved in all his ways. From that lifetime experience of God’s preservation, he wrote "He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is thy keeper...thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul" (Psalm 121:4-7).



David’s prayer could be represented as, “I declare that you are a refuge for me; therefore, preserve me!” David is declaring what God is for him as the ground, or the reason, that he hopes that God will preserve him. So, let’s follow him and see what God is for him, and where this leads.

In verse 2, he says of God, “You are my Adonai.” He exults in God’s sovereign rule over his life. He continues, “I have no good apart from you.” God is his supreme treasure. His highest treasure.

Then in verse 3, he underlines and emphasizes God’s supreme value to him by saying what delights him about people is how they treasure God and exalt God. Godly people give him pleasure.

Then, in verse 4, he underlines his radical preference for God by putting it negatively. He values God so highly, he will not dare to run after other gods. “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names on my lips.”

We are in a season of great crisis in our community, our country, and around the world. Let the Lord be ‘your chosen portion and your cup.’ Let Psalm 16:1 be your prayer.