Orchard Hill Church Blog
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Why is My Soul Downcast? (Psalm 42 Devotional)
All of us go through times of sadness, sorrow, or even depression. Scripture makes it clear that we live in a fallen world, and that because of sin, we will experience pain in this life. But the purpose of suffering is not to make us let go of life; rather its purpose is to mature us.
Heal My Soul, O Lord (Psalm 41 Devotional)
Part of what happens as we come into the presence of the Lord is the healing of our souls. He desires a type of redemption that restores our very souls.
Music’s Power to Engage the Heart of God (Psalm 40 Devotional)
Music is powerful. It may not tame the savage beast as they say, but it can have a profound impact on our emotions. Every week we come together to experience the presence of God through worship.
The Battlefronts of Our Souls (Psalm 39 Devotional)
The reality is since the fall of mankind, sin has been crouching at all our doors. Sin wants to destroy us. There are 3 primary battlefronts of our souls: the devil, the world system, and the flesh. So how do we fight on these three fronts?
Confession, Forgiveness, and Worship (Psalm 38 Devotional)
Guilt can be powerful in our lives. It is good in that it should lead us to recognize our sin, acknowledge it before God, confess it to Him, and receive forgiveness that was paid for on Calvary. But once we confess, God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
Man’s Steps are Established by the Lord (Psalm 37 Devotional)
When I was a young musician, I’d decided that I was going to move to Nashville. It was the hub of Christian music. But just before I made the move, I got a job offer from a church that I’m still serving at today. Though I had a plan, God led me in a different direction.
Walk in the Light (Psalm 36 Devotional)
Have you ever been in complete darkness? The type where you can’t even see your hand in front of your face? Many of us have been in situations where we felt the darkness closing in, and we were not sure how to get out. But remember the light of the Lord.
Rescue Me from these Lions (Psalm 35 Devotional)
The house of the Lord is a wonderful place of refuge in a world gone crazy. But what happens when the sanctuary becomes like this crazy world? The church is full of broken people; it is not a museum for saints but a hospital for sinners. So, how do we respond?
Why Worship is Better in Community (Psalm 34 Devotional)
Have you ever tasted something so wonderful and delicious that you had to share it with someone else? Worship is like that. Worship seems to elevate when there are others around to experience it with us. It’s as if God wired us to experience certain things more deeply in community.
Creativity and Innovation in Worship (Psalm 33 Devotional)
Throughout the ages, the church has been on the cutting edge of creativity in music and the arts. From Jubal, the first musician mentioned in the Bible, through David and Solomon, to the extraordinary music of Bach and the High Church age, followers of God have consistently innovated in music and the arts.
How God Teaches Us to be More Christ-like (Psalm 32 Devotional)
There is one trait that is perhaps the most important for a teacher. That they care about the student so much that they’ll do just about anything to get them to understand the material. The same is true of God.
Badness is Only Spoiled Goodness (Psalm 31 Devotional)
Sin, in and of itself, has no creative power. It must take what God has created for good and twist it into something ugly. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Goodness is, so to speak, itself: badness is only spoiled goodness. And there must be something good first before it can be spoiled.”
Restored Relationships Through Jesus (Psalm 30 Devotional)
When an important relationship is strained, it is as if we are carrying around a heavyweight. Darkness looms and nothing in our life seems quite right. Our relationship with God is just like that. And He pursues us. He stands at the door and knocks. He seeks us even in our fallenness.
The Lord Gives Strength and Blesses His People (Psalm 29 Devotional)
We live in the reality of a truly broken world. And we as humans are the biggest perpetrators of that brokenness. But listen to the words of the scriptures. As you read these, open your heart, put your faith in them. They are breathed from the very breath of God.
Trusting the Lord in Difficult Times (Psalm 28 Devotional)
There are times when we grow weary and weak at the fiery darts that are shot at us. We feel attacked, taken advantage of, just worn - like we can’t go on. The Bible says that our battle is against powers and principalities in heavenly places - we fight spiritual battles masking themselves as worldly battles.
What Does it Mean to Wait for the Lord? (Psalm 27 Devotional)
I’ve heard it said that God has 3 answers to our prayers - yes, no, and wait. Almost certainly, the third is the most difficult. Sometimes we sense in our Spirit a clear yes or no from God. But often in decisions, we cannot seem to hear His voice clearly. It is as if He has gone quiet.
Declare All the Wonders of God (Psalm 26 Devotional)
Words do have power. The Bible says that life and death are in the power of the tongue. We as believers are called not just to believe certain things or think certain things or notice certain things; we are called to speak - to declare.
God Will Instruct the Sinner’s Way (Psalm 25 Devotional)
Cicero once said that thankfulness was the mother of all virtues. As important as thankfulness is though, I believe that it is actually humility that lies at the core of all virtues. Our realization that there is a God is the beginning of humility.
Who is the King of Glory? (Psalm 24 Devotional)
We often think of Jesus in light of His unglorified humanity. And we should. He was, after all fully human. But part of Him was veiled to us. During His time here on Earth we only caught short glimpses of who He really was.
Dwelling in the House of the Lord Forever (Psalm 23 Devotional)
The promise of an afterlife and knowing we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever is one of the single most clarifying concepts a person can have. It puts most everything in perspective. Knowing our destination gives our journey direction. Without a known destination, our journey is merely wandering in the fog.