Divine Partnership

September 21, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

Having worked in and consulted with various businesses, I know there are a variety of configurations of businesses that people will choose for different reasons—there are S-corps and LLCs, and there are several types of partnerships. 

The two most basic partnership arrangements are a general partnership and a limited partnership. In a general partnership, all of the partners share equally in the risk and the reward, and all partners have a say in how the business is run. Typically, partners with more shares of stock have more “voting power” in making decisions, and they will usually benefit more if the company is successful. 

In a limited partnership, one general partner manages all the decisions, with the limited partners being merely passive investors. The limited partners can invest as much or as little as they feel comfortable doing, but they don’t have a say on how the business is run. If the general partner is a savvy operator, everyone will be rewarded handsomely; if the general partner isn’t quite as successful as others had hoped, the limited partners’ losses are limited to only as much as they invested. 

Although these types of business relationships didn’t have these names in the time Peter was writing, he used language that would be very familiar with today’s business attorneys when he wrote that we “may participate in the divine nature.” Participate literally means partnership—it’s the same word Peter knew for his partners in his fishing business (Luke 5:9-10).

(Check out all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

I believe Peter would call our partnership with Jesus a spiritual limited partnership, with Jesus as the General Partner. He is the One who makes the decisions and calls the shots. 

But what about us as “limited partners”? What investment can we make to this partnership? Only what Jesus has already given us. We saw this last week—HIS divine power has GIVEN US everything we need for life and godliness (see 2 Peter 1:3-4).

This is unheard of in today’s partnerships! The General Partner is giving the limited partners everything they need to invest in the partnership, and then He is allowing the limited partners to reap all of the rewards of His work (see Matthew 19:29)! 

Last week we said Jesus did the work so that we could do the work. We could modify this to say, Jesus gave us everything we need to reap the rewards of this partnership. 

The amazing benefit of this partnership is stated in the next verse: He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature (v. 4). 

Look at some blessings…  

  • recipients of the Holy Spirit—Galatians 3:14; Ephesians 1:13 
  • heirs of His Kingdom—Galatians 3:29 
  • eternal life—Titus 1:2; 1 John 2:25 
  • a perfect Mediator—Hebrews 9:15 AMPC 
  • power to access every single promise in His Word—2 Corinthians 1:20 

Peter says we are participating in His divine nature. Literally, Theios physis. The NLT says, “the promises that enable you to participate in the divine nature.” 

In his first letter, Peter quoted Leviticus, when God said, “Be holy, because I am holy” (see Leviticus 11:44-45; 1 Peter 1:15-16). Investing in this divine partnership releases to us the promises that empower us to participate—to be a partner in—God’s perfect holiness! 

Our participation in this divine partnership allows us to “escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (v. 4b). The word participate or partnership can be used negatively (1 Corinthians 10:18-21). But Peter uses it positively. Prior to salvation our desires aligned with demonic desires, but now a new and infinitely superior power is at work in us. This power changes our desires from temporal things to eternal things (Galatians 5:17 NLT). 

Jesus told a story of a master who gave money to his to invest. The ones called wise were also welcomed into the master’s presence forever. They realized that their best investment was to use what their master had given them in partnership with their master, so they went all in. They invested everything their master had given them. 

Peter tells us essentially the same thing: Be all in with the investment Jesus has given you! Don’t hold anything back—make every effort. Don’t let Jesus be merely your Savior, but let Him be your Lord. Trust Him as the General Partner to do what is best. Give Him complete control of all the great and precious promises He has given you, and then allow the Holy Spirit to make you holy inside and out! 

Check out all of the other messages in our series based on 2 Peter called Friends of the Faith. 

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The Power Cycle

September 14, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 

I worked for my friend’s Dad on his lawn service for a few summers. This was a side business for him, and we worked with normal push mowers. The first stop of the early morning was always a challenge to get the mower started. I’d pull on that ripcord and listen to the engine sputter and then stop. Then I’d give it another pull, and perhaps it would run just a bit longer. Eventually the flywheel would keep on spinning, the engine would roar to life, and I could get to work. 

Question: which pull started the mower? I really needed all of the pulls, didn’t I? In other words, I had to put in some effort in order to get the mower to work. Then I could actually be productive in my work. 

Last week we talked about the dual blessings Peter says that God wants to send us—grace and peace. Notice that Peter longs for us to know these in abundance. Not just a small sampling, but overflowing blessings—sort of like my lawnmower that is running at full speed. 

2 Peter 1:3 tells us it is “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our KNOWLEDGE of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness.” 

(See all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.)

Remember that Greek word means our personal, intimate, experiential knowledge of Jesus. God allows us to know Him intimately (Jeremiah 29:13-14a). Notice it is “His divine power [that] has given us EVERYTHING we need for a godly life.” 

“Divine power” literally means God’s power—Theois dynamis. This is the power which Jesus promised in Acts 1:8. Then His followers were able to live like Jesus, as we see in Acts 3:12; 4:7, 33. 

But Jesus is the One Who got this started for us. HIS divine power has given us everything we need for A GODLY LIFE. 

“Godly life is two words in Greek: “life” and “godliness.” The word for life is zoe. This is everlasting life that is deeper and richer than biological or psychological life. And the word for godliness is eusebia, which is the reverence, respect, and holy fear that gives evidence of one’s assured relationship with God through Jesus. 

Check out two other translations of this verse.

The AMPC says: For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that are requisite and suited to life and godliness, through the full personal knowledge of Him…. 

And The Message paraphrase says: Everything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. 

Here’s the power cycle for saints of God. The more intimately I know Jesus, the more the Holy Spirit’s dynamis power is unleashed in my life. The more His power flows through me, the more godly I can live. The more godly I live, the more I grow in intimacy with Jesus! 

This is a flywheel that can really start spinning! Look at some of the blessings in the next few verses: 

  • Participating in Christ’s divine nature—becoming more and more Christlike (v. 4a). The Greek word is defined as a way of feeling and acting which by long habit has become more and more natural to me. 
  • Escaping the corruption in the world (v. 4b). 
  • Becoming increasingly effective and productive in your knowledge—that’s the word epignosis again—of Jesus (v. 8). 

I had to put the effort in to get the mower’s flywheel spinning so that I could actually do my job. 

Peter says, Jesus got this poem cycle started so that I could be productive for Him. Peter introduces a phrase that we are going to see three more times in this letter: Make every effort (v. 5). 

We are not saved by good works, but we are saved in order to do good works. 

Jesus was empowered to do good works (see Luke 4:18-19 and Acts 10:38), and Jesus calls us to live the same way with the same anointing (John 20:21-22; Acts 4:30-31). 

The cycle of power and godliness and greater intimacy is for you. Make every effort to keep it spinning so that you can bring more glory to God by increasing your capacity to be a blessing to those around you. 

Please check out the other messages in the Friends of the Faith series by clicking here. 

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Serving For Eternal Rewards

September 9, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

When Jesus was talking about the attitude and activities of His servants who were awaiting His return, He was talking directly to you and me—

     Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like servants waiting for their Master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when He comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for Him. It will be good for those servants whose Master finds them watching when He comes. (Luke 12:35-37) 

There are three important words for Christ’s servants here. 

(1) Ready. This adjective is describing the servant. This word’s etymology is from the noun that means “fitness for service.” As Christ’s servants… 

  • …we keep everything we need for serving close at hand and in good working order 
  • …we are prepared for opportunities to serve whenever they present themselves 
  • …we maintain a servant’s atitude 

(2) Waiting. This verb is in the present tense and active voice. “Waiting” doesn’t mean sitting around with nothing to do, but it is eagerly anticipating any opportunities to be hospitable to other servants of Jesus. 

(3) Watching. This verb is also in the present tense and active voice. “Watching” means giving our service our undivided attention—listening closely for the Master’s voice and being quick to respond. 

Christians need to keep themselves in a state where they are always prepared to do what their Master calls them to do—ready and willing to respond to any opportunity to put our love for Jesus into action. 

I want to be intensely occupied in heavenly service until the very moment Jesus returns to earth or calls me Home! 

No off days. No wasting time on frivolous matters. Only attending to things that matter for eternity. 

For those servants who are ready, waiting, and watching when Jesus returns, there is an amazing reward that is promised by Jesus Himself—

     It will be good for those servants whose Master finds them watching when He comes. Truly I tell you, He will dress Himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. It will be good for those servants whose Master finds them ready, even if He comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. (vv. 37-38) 

What an amazing reward! 

We are servant leaders by serving Jesus and by serving those Jesus puts in our lives. Let’s remain ready, waiting, and watching to serve until the very end. 

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Jesus Is THE One And Only

September 2, 2026 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 

When the angelic messengers bring the news of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds, they announce—

The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! (Luke 2:11 NLT) 

(See all of the Scriptures in this post by clicking here.) 

Many people claiming to be a savior of the Jewish people had come on the scene earlier. 

We see the Jewish leadership asking John the Baptizer if he was “the one” they had been expecting (John 1:19-23). In the Book of Acts, Gamaliel reminds the Sanhedrin of all of the previous men who had claimed to be the deliverer and had utterly failed in their attempts (see Acts 5:34-37). 

Undoubtedly, the shepherds had heard many stories as they sat around their campfires at night. So notice that the angel clarifies that this is not just another story, but the fulfillment of the promises of the advent of THE Messiah. Jesus wasn’t just another so-called savior, but He was “THE Messiah, THE Lord.” 

Jesus Himself would say of Himself, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life” (John 14:6).

He is THE ONE AND ONLY! 

Only Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8).
Only Jesus holds the keys of death and Hell (Revelation 1:18).
Only Jesus fulfills every prophetic promise (Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:19-20).


All confusion is removed when we look to Jesus.


All doubts are satisfied in Him.


All uncertainty is made certain by Who He is, what He did, what He is still doing, and what He will soon complete!


No other name but the name of Jesus! 


You may also want to check out: 



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Faith Unleashed

August 26, 2026 — Craig T. Owens 




Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 



Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at His feet. He pleaded earnestly with Him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put Your hands on her so that she will be healed.” (Mark 5:22-23) 


The fact that we know Jairus’ name leads me to believe that he became both a follower of Jesus as Messiah and a part of the Church after Christ’s ascension. 


Some might say, “Of course he was a ‘believer’—Jesus raised his little girl from the dead!” 


True. But let’s not overlook some the events leading up to this miracle, including the role of an unnamed woman whose apparent interruption may have led to Jairus’ little girl’s death in the first place. 


This woman “had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse” (vv. 25-26). Luke, a trained physician himself, adds that she had tried many remedies in her desperation “but no one could heal her” (Luke 8:43). 


This desperate woman’s goal was just to touch the fringe of Jesus’ robe. She had no hopes of talking directly to Jesus because in her unclean status, her touch could make Jesus unclean too (Leviticus 15:25-27). This almost assuredly made people treat her as an untouchable leper. 


Her touch did indeed provide a miracle for her! The words “immediately” and “at once” (Mark 5:29, 30) are the same Greek word. Jesus and the woman felt it simultaneously—she was healed! 


Jesus—who was on His way to heal a dying little girl—stopped in His tracks.


The woman probably tried to melt into the crowd. “But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it” (v. 32). Fearfully, probably still kneeling on the ground, this healed woman told Jesus her full story. Jesus spoke lovingly to her, calling her “daughter” to assure her that it was her faith, and not His clothing, that had healed her. 


Meanwhile, as Jairus waited (im)patiently, the news arrives: “There is no need to bother Jesus any longer. Your daughter has died. It’s hopeless. Please come back home.” 


Jesus, knowing what the messengers had just shared with Jairus, looked at him and said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.” 


Maybe the words of Jesus were even something like, “Don’t be afraid, but just like this healed woman did, believe. Your faith can bring about the same kind of miracle for your daughter.” 


As a synagogue leader, perhaps Jairus knew this woman. She would have come to a priest after every treatment and every doctor’s visit to see if she could be pronounced clean. Time after time the verdict was, “Unclean.” It seemed hopeless. And yet just a single faith-filled touch—right before the eyes of Jairus—had brought about a miracle that no one else could accomplish. 


I think Jairus could turn his fear into faith because of what he had just witnessed. Without that miracle happening right before his eyes, perhaps his fear would have overwhelmed his faith, just like those who were mourning at Jairus’ house would later laugh at Jesus when He said, “The little girl is not dead but only sleeping” (vv. 39-40). 


The faith and boldness of this woman unleashed faith in Jairus! 


We can see Jarius’ fear turn to faith in the simple act of allowing Jesus to continue walking with him back to his home. As they approached his home, perhaps Jairus’ wife was angry and distraught that Jairus and Jesus had been so delayed in arriving. But as Jairus took his wife by the hand and said, “I believe Jesus can do something miraculous for our daughter,” his faith also unleashed her faith. 


They walked into that bedroom with Jesus and saw their faith rewarded as they received their daughter back from the dead! 


Are you facing a situation that seems impossible? Perhaps you have been to doctors and experts but no one can find an answer for you. Maybe you started to approach Jesus, only to be confronted by the cruel facts that what you had hoped for was dead. Or maybe it seems that the arrival of Jesus has been delayed for so long that there is no longer any need to seek His help. 


If your fear is greater than your faith at this time, you can look to these examples recorded for us in the Scripture. Perhaps you can even look back in your own history, or the history of your family, to see a miraculous example. 


Jesus is the same today as He was then. His power hasn’t been diminished one iota. Let that realization cause your faith to overwhelm your fear! 


There’s another great reason for you to continue to trust in Jesus. Just as the unclean woman sought an answer for years, the moment of her miracle was the moment faith was renewed in those who saw her healing. As you continue to seek your miracle, know that God’s timing is perfect. Your answer will come at the perfect moment to unleash faith in another wavering heart. 


Keep believing in faith. Keep trusting in Jesus. Keep expecting your miracle. 


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No Fear Of God’s Holy Mountain

August 24, 2026 — Craig T. Owens 




Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 



Looking at King David, we can see an imperfect picture of our perfect King Jesus. 


Let’s be honest: Coming into the king’s presence can be a fearful activity. Does he know something about you that you don’t know? Is he in a good mood? For the law-abiding citizen of Israel, coming before King David was without fear or punishment, but with a healthy respect of who he was. But with King David, we see a healthy, loving attitude that the people had. 


    

  • David and all Israel celebrated when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6:5). 
    • 

  • And the way David blessed all the people following this would have raised the level of esteem they had for him. 
    • 

  • God was pleased with David too: The Lord gave David victory wherever he went (8:6). 
    • 

  • David continued to do the right thing (8:15). 
    • 

  • At the end of David’s life the eyes of all Israel were on David to see who he would select to sit on his throne after him. 
    • 



(All of the Scriptures in this post may be viewed by clicking here.)


Psalm 99 appears to be one that was written during the reign of King David. This royal psalm looks at the limited reign of David to see a better picture of the throne room of King Jesus. 


The opening words tell us “the LORD reigns” (v. 1a). The word tremble can have two definitions. The first is to be perturbed or disquieted. This is addressed to the nations who don’t bow their knee to Yahweh, as a result they shake in fear. Second, this word tremble can also mean to be excited about coming before the King. 


King Jesus is called “great, exalted over all the nations” (not just Israel), and He is said to have a “great and awesome name.” 


“He IS holy,” which means He is the undisputed standard of all that is right and wrong, and no one can question His ruling. The nations that don’t know the King as their King tremble and shake, but those who do know Him as their King praise His awesome name (Revelation 5:13). 


In many translations the word King is capitalized in v. 4, but we don’t know if this is referring to God or David. Since v. 2 refers to the “LORD in Zion,” that would appear to be a capital “K” King. But v. 4 mentions Jacob (not Zion), so I believe this is a lower case “k” referring to David. Let me restate verse 4 this way: “David is mighty, David loves justice—David has established equity; in Jacob David has done what is just and right.” 


David’s own prayers also bear out this interpretation (see Psalm 20:6-9; 21:1-7). This is what the royal psalms do: Point us to David to show us a better picture in Jesus. 


This is the end of stanza 1 which ends with this call to worship (v. 5). 


Verses 6-7 give us another example (prior to the era of the kings) of Moses, Aaron, and Samuel. These priests could call on God’s name and expect to receive an answer from Him. They lived obediently to all God spoke to them (v. 7b). Then v. 8 reminds us that God still speaks and forgives, but He is also the final Judge who will punish “misdeeds.” These verses clearly speak to Jesus who is both King and Priest before God’s throne. 


This is the end of stanza 2, which has a similar call to worship as stanza 1 (v. 9). 


I want you to also notice some places of worship: 


    

  • between the cherubim (v. 1)—God’s mercyseat. This is where sin was atoned every year under the old system of David’s era, but where Jesus has has presented the once-for-all atonement for all who will believe on Him. 
    • 

  • His footstool (v. 5)—another name for the ark of the covenant of the LORD (1 Chronicles 28:2). 
    • 

  • the pillar of cloud (v. 7)—the covering of God’s presence and the reminder of His protection. 
    • 

  • His holy mountain (v. 9)—see Hebrews 12:18-29. 
    • 



Remember Psalm 99:4 in the AMPC—The strength of the king who loves righteousness and equity You establish in uprightness; You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob (Israel). 


King Jesus is the perfect King of justice and righteousness (Isaiah 9:7; Revelation 5:12). 


One day every knee will bow at the footstool of God’s holy mountain. They will either bow in despair and shaking because they did not put their faith in Jesus, or they will bow in humble adoration for the atonement that King Jesus made for them. 


For those who don’t know Jesus—Away from Me, all you evildoers! There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. (Luke 13:27-28) 


For those who know King Jesus, there is no fear (Luke 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57)! 


Christians must live every day exalting and worship God, bowing gratefully at His footstool. This lifestyle of adoration of the great and awesome King is our testimony to a skeptical and searching world. 


If you’ve missed any of the other Royal Psalms we’ve discussed in this series, you can check them all out here. 


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Let Your Silence Do The Talking

August 19, 2026 — Craig T. Owens 




Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 



…When He was reviled, did not revile (1 Peter 2:23 NKJV). 


In the Greek language, this phrase is loidoreo antiloidoreo ou antiloidoreo.  


		
		


Loidoreo means to insult, reproach, and revile. 


Antiloidoreo means not to do those things. 


Reviling others—especially those who have already reviled us—is a natural response. But not reviling or responding to revilers with reviling of our own is a supernatural response. 


Anyone can speak or act unkindly, and it’s sort of expected when someone else has reviled you first. But to bless someone that has revealed first or to remain silent as Jesus did, requires Spirit-empowered self-control (see 1 Corinthians 4:12 and 1 Peter 3:9).


Our silence in these situations speaks volumes! 


Was Jesus really silent? Peter says Jesus “entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” I think Jesus had an internal dialogue with His Father, something like, “Father, You hear the hurtful reviling they are heaping on Me. I trust You to handle this so that I don’t have to.” 


The only words Jesus spoke aloud to those who were reviling Him were still words spoken to His Father: “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34). 


Jesus responded with supernatural antiloidoreo, which spoke louder than their natural loidoreo! 


So this has me thinking: When loidoreo is hurled at me, will I respond naturally with more loidoreo? Or will I allow the Holy Spirit to help me respond supernaturally with antiloidoreo? 


My book When Sheep Bite is all about seeking to respond supernaturally when we have been treated unfairly and unkindly. This book is especially for pastors, but I also shared several posts and videos for all Christians in a series called When Sheep Bite Sheep. 


You may also want to check out these related blog posts:



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God’s Vision, Not Mine

August 12, 2026 — Craig T. Owens 




Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. 



My podcast cohost, Greg Heeres, and I just finished our first co-authored book in our series Business by the Book. This book is both biblical wisdom and practical insight into how a CEO casts vision for themselves and the organization they lead. 


We write about the God-honoring way to cast vision, but there is another way—the human way. In their book Spiritual Leadership, Henry and Richard Blackaby describe it like this:


     “The Gospel of Luke provides a graphic contrast between peoples’ agendas and God’s [Luke 9:28-36]. Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up a mountain to experience a divine encounter. God the Father was unfolding His specific will for His Son. The Father brought Moses and Elijah to encourage Jesus for the enormous work of redemption He was about to accomplish. So sacred was that moment that Jesus radiated the glory of His divinity. Peter and his companions, however, had been sleeping. When they awoke and saw the magnificent scene unfolding, Peter spoke up: ‘Master, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’ (v. 33). Peter’s first thought was to build something tangible to institutionalize the divine encounter. Peter, a natural leader, could already envision the ongoing ministry he and his friends would administer as a result of that encounter. However, the instant Peter began talking, the vision was removed, and only Jesus remained visible. Clearly Peter’s plan was not God’s agenda. The heavenly Father immediately rebuked Peter, saying, ‘This is My Son, the Chosen One; listen to Him!’ (v. 35). Peter, because he was human, instinctively thought in temporal terms. He envisioned something he could control and manage. He wanted to move Jesus, Moses, Elijah, James, and John on to his agenda instead of seeking to understand God’s will and adjusting his own life accordingly. Peter’s ignorance of spiritual ways is all too prevalent among today’s spiritual leaders. Too often people assume that along with their role of leader comes the responsibility of determining what should be done. They develop aggressive goals. They imagine grandiose dreams. They cast grand visions. Then they pray and ask God to join them in their agenda and bless their efforts. That’s not the spiritual leader’s role. Spiritual leaders seek God’s will, whether it is for their church, family, or corporation, and then they mobilize their people to pursue God’s plan. …  


     “We must emphasize that planning or goal setting is not wrong. Organizations must have direction and order. The key is the source of those plans. Spiritual leaders seek God’s guidance in discerning God’s purposes for their organization. Then they mobilize their organizations to effectively accomplish what God assigns.” 


God’s desire has always been to give vision to leaders who will lead in a God-honoring way. If you are the point leader for your organization, by all means seek to cast a compelling vision for your team, but use the wisdom in God’s Word to ensure your vision is something that makes an eternal difference. 


One final thought from the Blackabys: “God has the vision of what He wants to do. God does not ask leaders to dream big dreams for Him or to solve the problems confronting them with their own best thinking. He asks leaders to walk with Him so intimately that when He reveals His agenda they immediately adjust their lives and their organizations to His will and the results bring glory to God.”  


Please pick up a copy of Business by the Book: What the Bible says about a CEO’s Vision-casting today.  


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Your King Is The Perfect Judge

August 10, 2026 — Craig T. Owens 




Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible. Check out the video content in this post by clicking here. 



There’s a scene in The Princess Bride that rings true for us. As the grandfather is reading the story to his sick grandson, he has just revealed that the hero in the story has died. The grandson stops his grandfather, “Wait, grandpa, you’re reading that wrong.” This young man wants what all of us want: For the good guys to be vindicated and for the bad guys to get what’s coming to them. 


The next Royal Psalm assures us that our Judge will perfectly balance His scales of justice. King David (sort of) gives us a picture of this. 


King David’s son Absalom had usurped the throne, and David is fleeing the city with his trusted inner circle. Along the way he is confronted by a man named Shimei, who was from the same family as King Saul (2 Samuel 16:5-12). David gives us a good foretaste of King Jesus in the way he initially responds to this attack (19:18b-23). Sadly, David apparently hung on to these slights and asked his son Solomon to keep an eye on Shimei (1 Kings 2:8-9). So I’m going to guess that our Royal Psalm was written between these two incidents. 


(Check out all of the biblical passages in this post by clicking here.)


Psalm 98 is a call to sing our praise to our King and Judge. First, we are to sing to Him and about Him because of what He has already done: 


    

  • He has done marvelous things (v. 1) 
    • 

  • He has provided salvation (v. 1) 
    • 

  • He has made His salvation known (v. 2) 
    • 

  • He has revealed His righteousness (v. 2) 
    • 

  • He has remembered His love for us (v. 3) 
    • 

  • He has remembered His faithfulness toward us (v. 3) 
    • 

  • the earth has seen His salvation (v. 3) 
    • 



Then we are called to keep on singing in anticipation of what He is going to do: we shout for joy and burst into jubilant song (v. 4), make music (vv. 5-6a), shout for joy (v. 6b), and see creation praising all around us (vv. 7-9a). 


All of this singing because He comes to judge? Does that sound right? 


It sounds right when judgment is in the hand of the Perfect Judge. The Bible describes judges who are looking for bribes, or who are swayed by personal feelings (like King David), or Jesus even identified a judge who didn’t fear God or care about people.  


But God on His throne isn’t any of these things! Isaiah prophesies Christ’s first Advent as one of peace (Isaiah 42:1-4). Even when Jesus was maligned and mistreated even more hatefully—and without having done anything wrong—than David, He still didn’t retaliate (1 Peter 2:21-23). 


Jesus entrusted Himself to Him Who judges justly, which is what Psalm 98 calls us to do. 


    

  • He comes to judge [vindicate] the earth [creation], which has been groaning for this (Romans 8:21-22). 
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  • He will judge [acquit or declare guilty] the world and its peoples (Matthew 25:31-32; Revelation 20:12). 
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His judgement will be with righteousness and equity—


    

  • righteousness = the perfect standard 
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  • equity = the perfect consequence (see also Isaiah 42:10-13) 
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In light of the perfect judgment from the perfect King that is coming, how should we live today? 


    

  • He will handle retribution then—so don’t retaliate today (Isaiah 11:1-5). 
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  • He will handle vindication then—so forgive today (1 Peter 2:23; Luke 23:34). 
    • 

  • He will call you to give an account then—so change your words and actions today (Matthew 12:36). 
    • 

  • He will forgive blood-washed saints then—so forgive today (Matthew 6:14-15). 
    • 

  • He will judge perfectly then—so don’t be judgmental today (James 5:9; Romans 2:1-3). 
    • 

  • He will reward perfectly then—so don’t look for applause from the world today (2 Timothy 4:7-8; Matthew 25:34). 
    • 



Our King has won our salvation, and He is going to balance the scales perfectly when He returns, so we should be singing His praise every day until His return! 


If you’ve missed and of the other messages on these Royal Psalms, you can find them all here. 


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Links & Quotes

August 1, 2026 — Craig T. Owens 




Obviously blessing someone is not just saying, “God bless you” after they sneeze! So what does it mean to bless?




I have a lot of new video content on my YouTube channel every week. Please check it out and subscribe so you don’t miss anything.


The biblical historian Luke mentions the Roman Caesar Tiberius. “Tiberius is only named directly once in the Bible (Luke 3:1), where the fifteenth year of his reign is a chronological marker, signalling the beginning of the ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus.” Although only named once, Tiberius’ influence is seen throughout the historical events recorded in the New Testament. Check out the archeological biography of this interesting Roman leader.


“Oh! what prophets and kings longed for, do not let us despise, and we shall despise these mercies if we do not make the most of them by entering into the fullness of the joy which they are meant to bring to us.” —Charles Spurgeon, commenting on 1 Peter 1:11 


Conventional scientists, looking for a way to explain the origin of life, have proposed nanozymes which served as catalysts to speed up chemical processes. But as ICR notes, “What can be done in a laboratory is not always what happens outside of it. Laboratory tests depend on selected chemicals, planned procedures, and controlled conditions. Such experiments show what skilled researchers can make chemicals do, but they don’t indicate that an unguided environment built the first living cell. … Life displays ordered parts, stored instructions, and linked systems. These observable traits are consistent with the workmanship of a wise creator. As Scripture says, ‘O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all’ (Psalm 104:24).”


“Spiritual warfare against lust is enlistment for a lifetime career. … But do not be afraid because your enemies are mighty and many; your victory will be so much greater. And do not worry, either, when you see Caesars stripped of their insignias and forced to die in chains of lust. Remember, it is only the unbelieving world—without spiritual arms and abandoned by God—that is left to become the prey of satan.” —William Gurnall, The Christian In Complete Armor 


“It is manly to be tender toward your wife. … A Christian husband should be intimately aware of his wife’s needs, her strengths and weaknesses, and her goals and desires. He should know as much about her as possible, in order to respond in the best way to her.” —Dr. Henry Halley 






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