July 2, 2019 
The word Sabbath means to cease.  So as Dr. Brooks is away on sabbatical, we will be using his original devotionals from 2009 on the book of Psalms.  He will resume The Bible Project devotionals upon his return.  Thank you for reading with us and praying for him as he replenishes his soul for the next seven years of ministry.
Psalm 28
To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
    toward your Most Holy Place.
Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.
Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
    and bring back on them what they deserve.
Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.
Praise be to the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
    and with my song I praise him.
The Lord is the strength of his people,
    a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
Save your people and bless your inheritance;
    be their shepherd and carry them forever.

New International Version (NIV)
Do you remember the pet rocks?  This must have been the all-time greatest marketing job.  People bought rocks and kept them as pets.  They didn't do much, but neither did they ask for much.  Have you ever wondered why David called God his Rock?  A rock provided refuge and safety for the person running from his enemies.  The Rock of David's salvation could hear and speak.  David calls upon him to judge sin.  The Lord is a rock of reckoning.  For those who reject him he becomes a stumbling stone.  Remember that David took five smooth stones into battle with Goliath.  

Once when I was a boy, growing up in Germany, I was playing with friends near a stream that trickled through our village.  One day we saw something white that looked like styrofoam floating in the brook.  Fishing it out we found that it was a rock.  To this day, I'm not sure why that rock floated.  Perhaps it was a pumice or volcanic rock with air pockets in it.  After we had finished playing with it, I took it home and put it on a shelf.  Whenever we wanted to play with it, we pulled it out, but then carefully returned it to its spot.  Some treat God that way.  When they need him they go to him, but most of the time they just leave him on the shelf.  Our God is not to be trifled with.  We do not set the terms to come to him.  He doesn't need us to carry him around.  God our Rock is the Lord our Shepherd, and he carries his people forever.

This morning offer thanks to God, our living Stone, our strength and shield, a fortress of salvation, a tender Shepherd.  But best of all, he is God our Savior! 

This year our Every Day with Jesus readings will follow The Bible Project Read Scripture Plan.  Copies of this reading plan are available at Tallowood Baptist Church, or download 
the app at readscripture.org.  Read through the Bible with us in 2019!
Joyfully, 
Duane 

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