Author: Stephen Ricker

BDBD is Luke 11:9-10

I ask for what I wish, seek for what I miss, and knock for that from which I feel shut out. Jesus gives assurance that I will receive, find, and the door will be opened. The point in these two verses is confidence and faith in God. I have owned a coo-coo clock for many […]

BDBD is Luke 11:5-8

After Jesus taught his disciples topics to include in their conversations with God he told some parables. The first concerns a friend who comes asking at midnight for food to serve to an unexpected traveling friend. He is not asking for selfish things. He is asking so he can help another. “Yo, neighbor,” he calls […]

BDBD is Luke 11:4c

Jesus taught this prayer to his followers, those seeking to learn from and follow him. After Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist he was full of the Holy Spirit. Luke 4:11-12 states, “Jesus… was led by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing […]

BDBD is Luke 11:4b

Jesus taught his disciples what to pray, including asking God for the forgiveness of sins against him (4a). Then he taught them to tell God, “…for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” The original Greek reads, “…for we forgive everyone who is indebted to us,” which is like Matthew 6:12, “…as we also […]

BDBD is Luke 11:4a

“And forgive us our sin” is a direct word-for-word translation from the original Greek, “Kai aphiemi hemin hemon hamartia” (a transliteration). There are no extra words and no excluded words. To appreciate what is being asked of God, I need to understand and accept that I possess sin (hamartia). So, what is sin? What is […]

BDBD is Luke 11:3

Jesus continues teaching his disciples the topics that are important to pray about. He had mentioned these prayer topics including a few more during The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13). “Give us each day our daily bread,” is stated both times. God is the one who gives me food including physical bread. The Lord […]

BDBD is Luke 11:1-2

Conversations with God His Father were an essential and desired part of Jesus’ life. For three years, his disciples watched him pray in solitude. John the Baptist also prayed and taught his disciples to pray. Now Jesus’s disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Elsewhere, Jesus taught them when and where to pray. […]

BDBD is Luke 10:38-42

Martha and Mary both loved Jesus. Martha opened her house to him and his disciples. Martha wanted to be a good host, so she was busy with all the preparations that had to be made. Mary listened to Jesus while sitting at his feet. She was listening carefully to what Jesus said.Martha was upset with […]

BDBD is Luke 10:29-37

Jesus explained to a self-righteous religious leader, a Bible teacher what love for a neighbor is with a now well-known parable. It is known as “The Parable of the Good Samaritan”. Jesus and the Bible expert agreed that if a person loved God and neighbor they would inherit eternal life. Jesus told him if he […]

BDBD is Luke 10:25-28

When I am asked similar questions twice, I grow annoyed. When I am asked a third time, I grow tired of answering. However, Jesus finds new ways to articulate an answer when asked similar questions over and over again. Jesus was often asked, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? and, “Teacher, what […]

BDBD is Luke 10:21-24

What is hidden and what is exposed is the subject of Jesus’s joy through the Holy Spirit. God reveals the truth to whom he chooses when he chooses. The hidden thing that Jesus refers to is Satan falling from heaven as fast as lightning because Jesus gave authority to the laymen evangelists in his care […]

BDBD is Luke 10:17-20

The laymen evangelist teams were joyful when they returned because demons submitted to them in his name. Jesus acknowledged that Satan fell as fast as lightning from heaven because of their work that trampled on snakes and scorpions. Jesus described the evil spirits who rebel against God as the lowest and most dangerous of creatures […]

BDBD is Luke 10:8-16

Jesus is still instructing the seventy-two laymen evangelists before they enter the Samarian mission field. They are to be attentive to the people’s reaction to the good news. If the town welcomes them they are to eat what is given them, heal the sick, and preach, “The kingdom of God is near you.” They are […]

BDBD is Luke 2:1-20

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)3 And everyone went to his own town to register.4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee […]

BDBD is Luke 10:5-7

Jesus gives the thirty-six laymen evangeliic (i.e., missionaries to their region) pairs some instructions before they go to their mission field. I, like most Christians, am a layman evangelist; that is, I do not receive pay from my local congregation. I can learn some good advice from this on how to obtain a hundredfold crop. […]

BDBD is Luke 10:1-4

Before Jesus went through Samaria, he sent 36 pairs (seventy-two lay persons) ahead of the group traveling with him. The twelve apostles were not sent with them. The laymen were instructed to go into every town and place where he was about to go. Luke did not use a Greek adjective that would designate them […]

BDBD is Luke 9:57-62

When people hear the good news, they either quickly reject it, accept it superficially, conditionally, or wholeheartedly and absolutely. Jesus’ parable of the soil types is meant to help those who follow him understand this and be prepared (Matthew 13, Mark 4). Luke 14:25-34 records that Jesus will tell the crowds who follow him to […]

BDBD is Luke 9:52-56

Samaria was a region sandwiched between Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. Perea was the eastern neighbor on the other side of the Jordan River and The Mediterranean Sea was its western shore. The people of Samaria and the Jews had dissension since the time of King Solomon (John 4). The Jewish […]

BDBD is Luke 9:51

Luke records in verse 51, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Luke marks time so the reader will relate to Jesus and the disciple’s mindset and heart. The two were very different. Jesus would leave and the disciples were not ready. For me […]

BDBD is Luke 9:49-50

Jesus’ teaching here is related to the former concerning the disciples’ pride. The Twelve were more exclusive than Jesus. Jesus’ disciples wanted to stop a man who they believed was practicing faith without Jesus’ official license and authority. He was not “one of them.” They were greater, and he was lesser, was the thought that […]

BDBD is Luke 9:46-48

The disciples were presumptuously proud. They argued about who was the greatest among them (46; Mark 9:33-35). The argument came from their pride and ambitions. Pride is an arrogant or disdainful conduct or treatment caused by a high opinion of oneself; our skills, accomplishments, state, possessions, or position. Pride is easier to recognize than define, […]

BDBD is Luke 9:42-45

Jesus rebuked the evil (unclean, unholy) spirit. Jesus has authority over unholy demons because he is the ultimate power. Evil spirits fear his power. They leave when he says, “Leave” (Zechariah 3:2; Mark 1:25; Luke 4:25, 39; Jude 1:9). Luke states that the boy was healed. Jesus gave the boy back to his father. The […]

BDBD is Luke 9:37-41

Jesus and three of his apostles came down the mountain after Jesus was transfigured to find a large crowd, confusion, and arguing. (Mark 9:14-15) The commotion centered around a father who wanted Jesus to drive an evil (unclean) spirit out of his boy. The signs of demon possession in the New Testament include: speechlessness (Matthew […]

BDBD is Luke 9:30-36

I, like Peter, when fatigued and stressed have spoken foolish and witless words only to regret having said them. Peter’s statement was so silly that in a rare instance, Luke inserted a comment into his historical account of Jesus’ transfiguration on Mont Herman. He adds, “He (meaning Peter) did not know what he was saying” […]

BDBD is Luke 9:28-29

Jesus prayed often, and often alone. Praying was one of Jesus’ habits. A habit is another word for routine, except prayer is not a mechanical procedure or activity. (Matthew 6:5-7) Prayer is personal communion with God. David’s Psalms are good examples of personal communion with God. Hence, this is the reason Jesus usually prayed alone. […]

BDBD is Luke 9:23-27

Jesus revealed to his disciples what it meant to be Christ, the Son of God. As the Christ, Jesus suffered many things, was rejected and killed, and on the third day was raised to life (22). Now, he said to them all what it meant to be one of his disciples. This is very important […]

BDBD is Luke 9:20-22

When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am? Peter said “The Christ (Messiah) of God.” Christ means anointed one. The anointed one implies that the Christ is the:1) Great Prophet. (Deuteronomy 18:15,18; Isaiah 55:4,; Luke 24:19; Acts 3:22, 7:37)2) Only High Priest. (Psalms 110:4; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 6:20, 7:24, 9:24)3) Eternal King […]

BDBD is Luke 9:18-22

Christ appears five hundred and one times in the New Testament, each time referring only to Jesus and his kingship. Today, many people believe that Jesus’s sir name is Christ. It is not. People having sir names only started a few hundred years ago. Before that, people had only one word for a name. However, […]

BDBD is Psalm 64:7-10

David’s account of God’s judgment is in the future tense: “God will shoot… suddenly they will be… He will turn… He will bring them… will shake their heads… All mankind will fear… They will proclaim… and ponder.” This is true for every psalm -9:8, 72:2, 96:10, 13, 98:9, 110:6 to name a few. Judgment is […]

BDBD is Psalm 64:5-6

David examines his enemies’ contemptuous self-confidence while he prays to God for deliverance. and in doing so he defines many who are against Jesus and many in my age. Verse 5, “They encourage each other in an evil plan; they talk about hiding traps and say, ‘Who will see them (and us)?’” (HCSB) In Psalm […]

BDBD is Psalm 64:1-4

With so many physical battles that David fought against enemy nations and enemies within Israel, I would think that David would have written Psalms about physical battles. Perhaps he would write about the fear of the battle or the fear of losing the battle. Perhaps he would write about his anger toward God for allowing […]

BDBD is Psalm 63:9-11

David states that those seeking his life will get what they deserve. He knows this because the Lord God is a just God. David quickly fled Jerusalem to the desert of Judah, and those who supported him fled, too. The wicked used their mouths to spread lies, while all who love and fear God used […]

BDBD is Psalm 63:6-8

David was in a desiccated barren land because his son was attempting to take not only the throne the Lord God set him on but also his life. (2 Samuel 15:23-28, 16:2,14, 17:16, 29) What thoughts consume as dusk chilled arid winds float desert beast’s howls? What inhabits a dusted desert mind? Self-pity, fear, and […]

BDBD is Psalm 63:1-5

The title of this short implicit prayer (like 62) states that King David (11) wrote this psalm in the Desert of Judah, a vast north-south desert east of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives, south of Jericho, and west of the Jordan River and the Salt Sea. After leaving Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives […]

BDBD is Psalm 62:9-12

How much does a breath weigh? If one were to exhale on a scale, would the needle move? In David’s day, scales were used to determine the value of precious metals by placing them on one side and common weights on the other. When the sides balanced, the metal’s value was determined. Whether of low […]

BDBD is Psalm 62:5-8

God is the focus of this middle stanza. Find rest in him. Hope and expectation come from him. He is one’s rock, salvation, refuge, and fortress. In God, I am not shaken when trouble comes. Salvation and honor depend on God. David’s counsel is to trust in him at all times and to pour out […]

BDBD is Psalm 62:1-4

What possesses a soul that wants to assault and topple another? Why delight in taking down someone weak and unhealthy? Why have so much more than others and crave for someone else’s crums? Why house ill thoughts in the heart? (3-4) Do you know that this person whom your heart curses finds rest in God? […]

BDBD is Psalm 61:5-8

David’s faith in God is his assurance that God listens, accepts vows, and gives those who fear God an inheritance. David believes in eternal life. David believes in the Messiah who will come and live for generations and dwell in God’s presence forever. Jesus said, “I and the Father are One.” (John 10:30) And, “No […]

BDBD is Psalm 61:1-4

The circumstances for this short psalm are not given though some scholars link it to Psalms 42 and 43 (one psalm split in two). Others point out that since a king’s long life is asked in verse 6 it may refer to David’s emotional and mental state when his son Absalom attempted to gain the […]

BDBD is Psalm 60:9-12

The fact that this psalm is a corporal lesson to be learned and used by future generations of God’s people is in the use of “us” and “your people” throughout the psalm. What is another lesson the people who have angered God and repented because they fear him are to learn? David and later future […]

BDBD is Psalm 60:5-8

David prayed (5) and then confidently spoke of the Lord his God and the God of Israel’s victories (6-8). He knew that God would deliver his people because the Lord purposely and precisely told him of the results of the coming victories against neighboring enemy nations. David was reassured by the word of the Lord […]

BDBD is Psalm 60:1-4

The psalm’s title states that this was written as a teaching tool. Israel was attacked and lost the battles. The eventual victories are recorded in the parallel historical accounts 2 Samuel 8:3-14 and 1 Chronicles 18:3-12 (perhaps also 2 Samuel 10). However, the victory is not how this teaching psalm begins. Actually, only the title […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:14-16

David wrote in verses 9-10a, “O my Strength, I watch for you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” Then in verse 17, “O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.” The only different words are “watch” and “sing”; “shamar” to “zamar” in Hebrew. […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:10-13

Can the evildoers and bloodthirsty be witnesses to the truth and Jesus? Anything is possible with God. Perhaps they will submit to the grace and truth of Jesus with a confession of faith, like Saul, who became Apostle Paul, or Peter who fell before Jesus after the great catch of fish. “Go away from me […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:6-10. Part Three.

One final mighty thrust and the First came through the door. The increased moonlight entering the cabin illuminated splinters flying in the air. The rush of fresh oxygen made the coals in the fireplace flash bright enough to make it hard for the First to see. He paused at the threshold to allow his eyes […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:6-10. Part Two

Time was unimportant until the wolves came. They made themselves a clock. They told me it was time to fear, time to fight, and time to stay awake. They disrupted my night and my day. They made havoc on my schedule – what little of one I had before they came. The wolves made it […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:6-10. Part One.

I sat on a cold floor with my right shoulder against one wall and my back against another. I surveyed the surroundings. I was in a long one room log cabin. I noticed how it portrayed my circumstances. The cabin was lit by eerie moonlight. The window to my right and in front of me […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:3-5

What wrong did David do to King Saul? David did all the monarch asked and more. He was diligent at his army post. He played music for the king when asked. He kept the king’s honor and daughter in high regard. Yet, the king wanted him dead. What did David do besides what the king […]

BDBD is Psalm 59:1-2

How many enemies around me, I do not know. How many walk beside me, with hands about to blow. Some smile, others jeer. They conspire against me, so I hear. A ruler who hates drives them on. Though left on their own, evil would not have been sown. David wrote this psalm when Saul sent […]

BDBD is Psalm 58:10-11

People who are in the right and yet are wronged by the rulers (1) in this world have a promise that they will be to rulers in the age to come. Jesus used several parables to portray the meaning of these verses; The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-52) and The Parable of the Sheep […]

BDBD is Psalm 58:6-9

David looked forward to the day he would be avenged for the injustices perpetrated by the rulers of his day. Their lies which were like the sharp fangs of a lion, were asked to be broken and pulled out. Rather than taking justice into his own hands, David asks God that the wicked rulers and […]

BDBD is Psalm 58:1-5

David wrote this as a fugitive from King Saul’s injustice and abusive courts of law. Even the cities of refuge set up by the Lord through Moses in the covenant were no longer sanctuaries (Numbers 35:6-34). The rulers utilizing the power embedded in courts of law were the mouths, hands, and hearts of unrighteousness, violence, […]

BDBD is Psalm 57:9-11

David began to praise God in song with accompanying musical instruments. His praise was rooted in God’s personal love for him. His praise will not be in a closet or amongst family and friends. He will praise the Lord his God amongst the nations, the world’s people. Strangers, friends, and foes will hear of God’s […]

BDBD is Psalm 57:7-8

Praising God after praying when the soul and life circumstances are still dark pits is common in the Psalter. Here, the praise is accompanied by common musical instruments in David’s day, the harp and lyre. Miracles happen when danger and destruction loom at every corner and yet I decide to praise God in song. A […]

BDBD is Psalm 57:4-6

Verse 4 uses poetry to describe the enemy. They are not wimps. They are like strong and fast lions. They are like extremely hungry beasts chasing their prey. They are a serious threat. Verse 6 poetically describes the enemies’ plot. David and his small band of refugees were hunkered down in a low cave. With […]

BDBD is Psalm 57:1-3

The title, also known as an ascription, states that David wrote this psalm when he had fled from King Saul into the cave (1 Samuel 24). King Saul had convinced himself and others that David wanted to “…cut off his descendants or wipe out his name from his father’s family” (1 Samuel 24:21), so he […]

BDBD is Psalm 56:12-13

David is so sure the Lord God will not only hear him but also grant what he is asking. So now, he considers himself in debt to pay his vow to the Lord God regarding what he would do once he is granted his request. Do I owe the Lord Jesus a debt for delivering […]

BDBD is Psalm 56:10-11

When someone in the Bible says “Word of God” what did they mean? When someone in a congregation says “Word of God” what do they mean? What is God’s Word for God? What is God’s Word for mankind? What do I think and imagine is God’s Word? David praises the Word of God. The Bible […]

BDBD is Psalm 56:8-9

A good monarch in David’s time would have a scribe write a note on a scroll or wineskin to remind him of someone he must reward, help, or punish. It was a royal sticky note reminder in ancient times. David asks the Lord God to record his lament, misery, and wanderings, and allow his tears […]

BDBD is Psalm 56:5-7

David was not the only person who experienced what he wrote in these verses. Jesus, the apostles, and the prophets were also the victims of people twisting their words all day long, sinister plots, conspiracy, and blood hunger. David calls upon the Lord for redress, something he has done before. Is gossip included in the […]

BDBD is Psalm 56:3-4

David trusted in God when he was afraid. Fear is a strong base emotion. David’s fear was not vague; it had tangible facts that awakened the feeling. Saul had tried to pin him to the wall with a spear more than once (1 Samuel 18:11, 19:10). Now King Saul sent out groups of men throughout […]

BDBD is Psalm 56:1-2

The psalm was written by David when the Philistines had seized him in Gath. Although the time and related passage (chapter and verses were added centuries later) are not listed in the title, it can be assumed to be between when David fleed King Saul and eventually became king of Judah and later all of […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:22-23

David has confidence that God will hear his cry for justice. He wrote, “Cast your cares (burden) on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” Apostle Peter does too. He wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) The concept of […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:20-21

Words spoken can build up or they can tear down. David’s friend violated their covenant. Now as a crafty tongue slinger, he is using his smooth speech to wage war against David. He intends to humiliate David into exile and take the throne as his own. However, the covenant he breaks will be his destruction, […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:16-19

David was being harassed and undermined. Someone he considered a close friend was trying to overthrow him. A person who said nice things to him and then spoke lies about him to others. A traitor hated him for no good reason. One by one more and more people believed the betrayer’s lies till there were […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:15

The normal lifespan ends when the body can no longer keep itself in working condition (Numbers 16:29). If I eat healthy, keep my environment clean, and keep my body active, I may live a normal lifespan of seventy or eighty years. David did not want the conspirators to live a normal lifespan. He asked the […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:12-14

The scheme and betrayal of an enemy can be endured, but those of a friend, son, or daughter will trouble the soul and bring illness to the body. One of David’s own, perhaps Absalom’s conspiracy to take the throne is such an occasion. (2 Samuel 15-17) I have had friends, coworkers, and managers turn against […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:9-11

David examines the acts of Jerusalem’s citizens. He does not like what he sees. He wants the people to stop their violence, strife, malice, abuse, threats, and lies, but he knows he cannot change the people’s hearts. Prayer is his only resolve. The Lord can confound their speech and confuse the wicked. God can put […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:4-8

When my heart is in anguish and the terrors within grip me, the compulsion to escape, suddenly fly away like a morning dove sits in my heart. David feared a sudden death. Fear and trembling hemmed in. Horror overwhelmed as when the automobile I am driving is about to crash with my children in the […]

BDBD is Psalm 55:1-3

Times existed when I asked God for something, and it seemed like he ignored my plea, just like David here. Even now, I am asking him to hear me and answer me. By wanting an answer, David and I are saying we want him to grant us what we are asking for. Sure, I know […]

BDBD is Psalm 54:5-7

David is not invoking a curse on the Ziphites. Actually, the imprecation in verse 5 is not that at all. Rather, it is an appeal to God to redress wrongs perpetrated against the psalmist by imposing penalties commensurate with the violence in accordance with the normal judicial procedure in human court. He wanted justice done […]

BDBD is Psalm 54:4

Verse 4 is the pin on which the refrains on each side spin. It pegs the hour and minute hands to the face of the clock as they spin. Verse 4 is the meat of the three-course meal. The center is the confession of hope. The center is the confession of confidence in the Most […]

BDBD is Psalm 54:1-3

David was a wanted fugitive for no crime other than having more success than the king. David hid in the vicinity of Ziph, a small city in Judah. (Joshua 15:24; 1 Chronicles 2:42, 4:16, 23:14-15, 26:2) “The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, ‘Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds […]