His Eyes Are On Us!

 

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous …

—from Psalm 34:15

I always enjoy seeing the sign that reads:

“Warning! Neighborhood Watch!”

This sign reminds me that the people living in that particular neighborhood feel a responsibility to themselves and to each other to remain vigilant. They keep watch on what is going on in their surroundings. There is less chance of crime occurring whenever the people stay alert.

Not long ago, a “Neighborhood Watch” person reported to police that a moving van had pulled up to a house across the street. The neighbor knew that the people had experienced a death in the family and had traveled out of state for a funeral.

When the police arrived, they found criminals attempting to steal all of those people’s possessions. You see, the crooks had watched the obituaries to find someone that had died out of state. Then, they targeted the loved ones, who had gone to attend the far away funeral. Thanks to “Neighborhood Watch,” the criminals were arrested and their plot was foiled.

King David praises God for His ever-vigilant watchfulness in Psalm 34:15:

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry.

As we begin a new day, let’s remain thankful that God watches over us. His eyes never leave us. His ears listen for our cries asking for help. We can move confidently into this day knowing that the God who loves us with His everlasting love keeps us always in view. He remains attentive to our cries for help. He listens for our expressions to Him of our love.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Pursue Peace

 

Turn from evil and do good …

—from Psalm 34:14

“Peace!” This word refers to the “absence of conflict.” On the world scene, that’s in terms of nations. Within an individual, it’s an “undisturbed state of mind.”

“Peace!” Even the word sounds good, doesn’t it?

Notice the occurrence of the word “peace” in today’s passage of Scripture, found in Psalm 34:14:

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

When we point our web browsers to Facebook, or X, or Instagram, or SnapChat, or any of a number of social media websites, we must not focus on posts or photos that are cruel, or demeaning, or provocative, or salacious, or nasty. Instead, we should read posts that encourage, or uplift, or make us feel at peace.

It is so easy, especially in this time of supercharged political strife and disagreement, to be drawn into posts that tear down the people who think differently than we do. Yes, there are some issues about which we may have strong feelings. But, should our political or social feelings overwhelm the divine agape love that Christ has placed in our heartss?

“Peace belongs to those whose minds have been channeled properly.” That’s my key suggestion for today. Here’s where the battleground is staged: in our minds. And, to paraphrase an old-time comic strip character, “Li’l Abner”:

“… personal peace is a whole lot better than internal conflict or war, because believe me, it’s just a whole lot nicer.”

“Peace of mind”—the world for the most part has not listened to the Prince of Peace. Neighbor has not done for neighbor what he would like done for himself. Too often, even believers have fancied that the peace of Christ could be mixed with the turmoil and confusion and hostilities of Satan the deceiver. But, that’s not so. One can’t allow his or her mind to be channeled improperly without courting problems.

As a new day begins, let’s guard our minds, think on only those things that are worthy, and determine to seek peace and pursue it. We do well when we decide to do just that.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Keeping Our Tongues from Evil

 

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days …

—from Psalm 34:12

It is relatively easy to actively maintain what my friends from the United Kingdom call “keeping a sharp tongue.” In these days of unbelievable strife in our nation, we are a people deeply divided by a false narrative of politics, a false narrative of racial division, a false narrative of religious division, and a false narrative of income inequality.

Even in describing these points of division as “false narratives,” I will be deeply offending some individuals, who truly believe these matters divide us. I choose to sincerely believe these are all false narratives constructed by our enemy, Satan, to cause strife among us. Nevertheless my point remains: it is very easy to keep a sharp tongue.

On the other hand, King David lived at a time when deep division had afflicted the people of Israel, as well. He also realized that these divisions were largely created by false narratives. And, David pushes back against these narratives by writing these words found in Psalm 34:12-13:

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

How many times in the last days have we read something on Facebook, X, or some other social media, or taken note of an article in a blog post or on-line newspaper or magazine, and immediately repeated what the article said, without making any effort whatsoever to check out the so-called facts against the accuracy of first sources? I have watched entire churches divide over false narratives created by individuals who wanted to punish someone for a real or imagined hurt. A lie here, a stretching of the truth there, a bit of distorted information said enough times, and soon strife arises.

As we begin a new day, let’s determine to speak only verifiable truth—verified from first sources. Let’s be very slow to jump on any bandwagon these days. Instead, let’s look to God’s written Word as our source of truth. Let’s invite the Holy Spirit to help keep our minds and hearts pure and free from falsehoods. Let’s be very careful what we repeat on social medial. If we do this, God will be pleased to honor our embracing of the truth.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Come and Learn

 

Come, my children, listen to me …

—from Psalm 34:11

At some time in our lives, most of us find ourselves eager to learn. Perhaps it was the first time mom or dad allowed us to use our Learner’s Permit to take the car out for a drive under their close supervision. Maybe it was when mom allowed you to bake your first cake all by yourself. Perhaps it was the first time that dad allowed you to use his power tools.

I became fascinated with radio broadcasting as a ten-year-old in fifth grade. I had been given a small radio of my own. I spent many hours in the evening, tuning across the dial trying to pick up some distant powerful station. Then, I discovered the Dewey Decimal System’s section in the public library labeled “621.384.” This section covered radio broadcasting. I checked out every book on this subject, and read each one voraciously. I was very eager to learn all I could about radio broadcasting.

King David developed a similar zeal to learn all he could about God. David wanted to know as much as he possibly could about this One who had chosen him to rule as King over Israel. Notice what David writes in Psalm 34:11:

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

As with previous uses of the word “fear” in this Psalm, David uses the word to mean “supreme reverence.” So, David is inviting the children to come and learn about the “supreme reverence” that is due to the God who loves them.

As we begin another new day, we do well to gather around a trusted teacher and learn all we can about the God who has chosen us to belong to Himself. We can spend time studying God’s written Word, the Bible, wherein we will find out what He has revealed to us about Himself. We can learn about the “supreme reverence” that is due our wonderful God. And, we can learn more and more about the depth of His love for us.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Better Than the Lions

 

The lions may grow weak and hungry …

—from Psalm 34:10

No, this blog post isn’t about preferring one sports team above another. The title is based on these words of King David found in Psalm 34:10:

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

In David’s day, the lion was the most powerful and most feared animal. No mere human could ever hope to stand up to a lion. Although, we do know from Scripture that teenage David had certainly faced lions when he was protecting his sheep out in the Galilean hills. And, we also know that God closed the mouths of the lions that inhabited the den into which Daniel was thrown. Nevertheless, lions represent a force of nature with which humans dare not trifle.

No matter how powerful lions may be, they still needed to eat. If they didn’t eat, these powerful lions would grow weak and lose their strength. But, David contrasts this status of the lions with those who seek the Lord. David asserts that God-seekers lack no good thing. Why? The answer is because God supplies all they need.

As we begin another new day, let’s count ourselves among those who seek the Lord. As genuine “God-seekers,” we will surely experience the reality that we will lack nothing in our lives. God will truly supply all our needs and make us better than the lions.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Fear the Lord

 

Fear the Lord, you his saints …

—from Psalm 34:9

We generally think of the word “fear” as meaning “afraid.” But, in actual fact, the word “fear” has a much broader set of definitions.

As a transitive verb, the word “fear” means to frighten, to feel fear in oneself, to have reverential awe, to be afraid of, or expect alarm. As an intransitive verb, the word “fear” means to be afraid of, or be apprehensive of. Okay. I get it. You want to know what a transitive verb and intransitive verb is. Right?

A transitive verb is one that is used with an object: a noun, phrase, or pronoun and refers to the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb. An intransitive verb does not have a direct object.

Notice what King David wrote in Psalm 34:9:

Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

In this sentence, the word “fear” takes a direct object “the Lord.” So, the word “fear” is a transitive verb. And, instead of evoking a sense of apprehension, the word intends to capture a sense of great reverence—to have reverential awe. That reverence is borne out of the fact that God is the all-powerful creator of the universe. His power is beyond our comprehension. In fact, every one of His qualities is beyond our comprehension.

Just as His power and might fills us with reverential awe, so does His great love for us. He truly is to be perceived with great reverence. So, David indicates that those who possess great reverence for the Lord are the ones who lack nothing.

As we begin another new day, let’s recognize that our reverence for the God, who loved us enough to sacrifice His one and only Son in our behalf, is a worthy response to who He is. And, as a result, He gives us everything we need, so that we lack nothing.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}

 

Come! Taste and See!

 

Taste and see that the Lord is good …

—from Psalm 34:8

Has anyone ever invited you to come to his or her home at a particular time, so that he or she could share a tasty meal with you? Most likely you have had just such an experience. The hospitality of good food and good conversation really can’t be beat.

King David clearly recognized that the relationship he had with the God who had chosen David to be king was one that mirrored an experience of rich hospitality. Notice what David wrote in Psalm 34:8:

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

It is not beyond reason to say that God is our banquet. He has set a table before us and invites us to come to Him for rest, refreshment, and the very best hospitality available in all of the universe. He, who has created all things, invites us to come to His table and enjoy fellowship, along with protection and refuge.

As we begin each new day, we can do so knowing that we always have a place at God’s table. He waits to welcome us to come and sit with Him for a while. He gladly provides what we need and offers us the very best sustenance available.

 

_{Copyright © 2026 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.}

_{More info at www.DeanKWilson.com}