Bible Truth Daily Devotion

July 31, 2010

The Life Pursuit

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 12:01 am

Psalm 49

 

 

How much is the price of eternal life?  What is the life pursuit?  The answers to these questions and more are in the psalm. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 49:1-2.  This is a psalm for all the people in the world.  It uses the merism device to emphasize the inclusiveness of everyone.   No matter if a person has a high or a low social status or if his possession is plenty or little, the psalm addresses every persons in the world.

Psalm 49:3-4. The psalm is a wisdom psalm, meant to teach people.  The psalmist is humble and says that he would attentively listen to wisdom at anytime himself.  He, being a minister of God, would also administer to others with what he received.

Psalm 49:5-6.  No doubt, we all would have days of uncertainty or trials.  At such time, the psalmist encourages us to stay focus on the main thing instead of the world.  The world uses the successes of the wicked as a poster boy; it entices and soothes us to follow the money and the prideful ways of the riches.

Psalm 49:7-10.  Realistically, no amount of money can buy the eternal life.  Heaven is a free gift; it cannot be earned nor is it deserved.  The Bible says that what good is it to a man if he earns the world but loses his life in the process (Matthew 16:26).  Whatever one makes and accumulates will be left behind for others.  Meanwhile, the person without the gift of eternal life will be suffering eternally.

Psalm 49:11-13.  Wisdom is not readily accepted by all though.  The rich and the prosperous would think of this world only.  Their idea of eternity is to leave their names on buildings, bridges, or some history books.  The psalmist reminds everyone that the life of even the strongest and the mightiest among us is a mere breath.  It does not last forever.

Psalm 49:14-15.  The life we know will soon past.  We will face eternity.  We either go to Sheol, a place of suffering, or are delivered by God in eternity.  There are only two consequences after this life. 

Psalm 49:16-20. With eternity firmly understood and planted in our mind, the psalmist encourages us that we should not focus on the riches of the world (v. 16) or the praises or kudos of this life (v. 18).  They are temporary and will pass away in a moment.

 

Meditation:

As the people of God read the psalmist’s words of wisdom, we should affirm our faith in Jesus Christ.  God did not save us from poverty of the world to become rich, although it happens to many Christians out from their new found work ethics from faith.  God did not save us from infamy to become rock stars of Christendom, although many Christians worship those leaders among us.  Instead God merely saves us from the eternal hell fire and gives us the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, His Son.

Let us, therefore, rededicate our vow in faith.  Firstly, we will switch from whatever we rely on for eternal life and depend only on Jesus and His work on the cross for salvation from the consequences of our sin.  Secondly, we avow anew that the resurrected Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of my life.  Thirdly, we let Jesus Christ reign in our life and let Him sit in the throne in our heart.  Lastly, we will repent and renounce sins in our life and follow God and His will. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder of what is most important in this life.  Let us focus on eternity while on earth.  Let us preach the good news of Jesus Christ to people around us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 30, 2010

The City of God

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 48

 

 

The City of God is a physical place.  It is also a futuristic city.  This psalm is about the city of God, how others react to it and what it provides. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 48:1. Jerusalem is the city of God.  Geographically, it sits on the hill.  The New Testament prophesizes a heavenly Jerusalem coming in the end.  The subject of praise in this psalm is likely the earthly city Jerusalem at the time of Solomon.  It should be Solomon’s time because it was the apex of Israel.  Moreover, at David’s time, although the military was equally strong, there was no huge palace in the city yet.  Solomon built the temple and the palaces. Since verse 13 mentions palaces, it was likely the Solomon’s time.

Psalm 48:2-3. The city has many positives.  Beautiful and great rulers are mentioned.  But the most important reason is that God is in her midst. 

Psalm 48:4-6.  Upon seeing the city, the foreign kings had a range of emotions.  Ranging from amazement to fear and from panic to pain, the kings knew that the city would be established forever. 

Psalm 48:8. Never had a nation been hated by so many different people.  Hitler wanted to extinguish Jews in WWII.  Now the Arabs and Persians desire to push Israel into the sea.  But God would establish the Jews forever.

Psalm 48:9-14.  The psalmist declares the lovingkindness of God.  The covenantal love is seen through the establishment of the city. It is the law of the city and the structures that shows how Great God is. 

 

Meditation:

The Jews could see the lovingkindness of God through the city that God has established.  They were prompted to examine the physical structures and markers of the city.  They were also reminded of the judgment and righteousness found in their midst. 

In the same way, we need to check out how God has blessed us.  We can look at some physical parameters.  Things like wealth, health, miracles, and deliverance.  They show us how much God has provided for us.  We can also look at the spiritual markers.  Things like maturity, emotional health, wisdom, and discernment.  They show us how much God has put into our lives.

In response to the establishment of our life, we should also give praises to God.  We should give great praises.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, you are the great King in the City of God.  We pray for Jerusalem and that the Jews can see how you have provided Jesus the Messiah for them.  We pray for its peace.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 29, 2010

E4C Friday Night Fellowship Study Guide: July 30, 2010

Filed under: Uncategorized — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 7:22 pm

July 28, 2010

Becoming  Immoveable

Psalm 46

1.       Biblical writers often used apocalyptic pictures to describe a national crisis.  What might be happening to Israel here (vv.2,3,6)?

2.       Could verses 2-3 and 5-6 portray any crisis in your life?

3.       What difference does it make to you to know Jesus is Lord over all those chaotic events?

July 27, 2010

The Fairest Lord Jesus and His Marriage

Psalm 45

  1. What was the most extravagant wedding you ever attended or witnessed?
  2. How does the New Testament make sense out of verses 6-7 (see Heb 1:8-9)?
  3. What is being said about Jesus and the Church (see Eph 5:25-27)?
  4. Taking verses 2-7 as applying to Jesus, which royal qualities about him mean the most to you now? Why?

July 26, 2010

The Maskil

Psalm  44

1.       What does it take to rouse you from sleep: (a) Noisy termite: (b) Noisy neighbors? (c) A train going through your living room?

2.       This might be the prayer of a Judean king.  What about God does he recall in verses 1-8?

3.       What problem is the king facing (vv.9-16)?

4.       Beyond the physical pain, the social stigma and the emotional turmoil lies the real problem bothering the psalmist (vv.17-22):  What is it?

5.       What is one “bad thing” that has happened to you recently that you didn’t deserve?

6.       This king felt like God was sleeping on the job, as did Jesus’ disciples (see Mk 4:35-38).  Have you felt like this?  What did you do to rouse God?

July 24 & 25, 2010

Overcoming Despair & Overcoming the Fear of Rejection

Psalm 42-43

1.       From 2Kings 14:11-14, we see hostages being taken captive from Judah: How might such a situation give birth to these psalms (42:1-3)?

2.       From the descriptive words and phrases, what diagnosis best fits this psalmist’s condition? (a) Thirsty? (b) Depressed? (c) Exiled? (d) Homesick? (e) Hopeful? (f) Plaqued by spiritual doubts?

3.       What prescription does the psalmist recommend (vv.5, 11)? Is this a realistic way to handle grief?

4.       What causes God to seem far away at times?  Who moved, God or you?  How might theses two psalms help you in times when you wonder where God is?

5.       In dealing with his depression, this man freely cried (42:3), talked to himself (42:5, 11; 43:5), reminded himself of God’s nature (42:6,8) and  prayed honestly (42:9; 43:2).  By comparison, how do you deal with depression?

The King of the Earth

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 47

 

 

Is clapping of hands appropriate during worship?  What about after the singing?  This psalm has that answer and more about worship.

 

Commentary:

Psalm 47:1. The psalmist calls all peoples to praise God with action.  The peoples are not any people but the people of God.  The action of praise and worship include shouting with the voice of joy and clapping of hands.  This shouting is to raise the voice.  In other words, sing or read loudly in worship.  The clapping of hands is done to drive the worship or to show triumph.  These meanings here should define how we raise our voices and clap our hands in our “contemporary” worship. 

Psalm 47:2. God is to be praised and to be feared by everyone on earth.  The word fear is yare in Hebrew.  In addition to fear, the word also means to revere.   

Psalm 47:3.  God would rule the earth through His people.  Although that did not occur in Israel time, God would absolutely rule in the Millennium kingdom.  

Psalm 47:6. The phrase “sing praises” is repeated four times.  Two of which is repeated.  When it is repeated, it means to sing praises strongly. 

Psalm 47:7.  God is the King of the earth. 

Psalm 47:8.  God reigns over the nations

Psalm 47:9.  God is the shields.  The word shield is “magen” in Hebrew.  It is more appropriate to translate the word as suzerains or benefactors in this verse.  This translation is consistent with the theme of the psalm.  In five other places, vv. 2, 3, 6, 7, and 9, God is sovereign over all the earth.    He is the suzerain, and we are the vessels. 

 

Meditation:

Certainly it is the right thing to ascribe God the honor and glory with clapping of hands.  In the same vein of thought, it is not alright to share that worship with fellow men.  Only God alone deserves our dedication.  So it is wrong to give each other appreciation for singing well or playing well during the course of worship. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, you are the great King in heaven, and you reign over the earth.   We pray that your kingdom will come and bring that everlasting peace.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 28, 2010

Becoming Immovable

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 46

 

 

I was teaching some kids the Frisbee game this afternoon.  There was a lot of bumping around.  In fact, some big sized kids just moved the small ones out of positions by their sheer weight.  Life can be like that some times, we can be moved out of our positions by the sheer size of the problems.  The positions can be our convictions, our goals, or even our faith.  How do we keep our “positions” in the midst of adverse circumstances?  Today’s psalm teaches us how not be moved by our problems. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 46:1-3.  Trouble is inevitable.  It is just how big the trouble is.  Some people get annoyed or become fearful by little trouble; others take a much bigger trouble before they crumble.  Here the psalmist describes the trouble as big as the mountain sliding into the sea, with the earth shaking.  Surly the sight is scary.  Yet God’s people who look to God for help will not be moved because they trust in an omnipotent God. 

Psalm 46:4-7. The city of God is Jerusalem.  True to the saying in this passage, when God dwelled in the city, Jerusalem did not fall.  But when the apostasy of the Jews reached its limit, God’s glory then literally left Jerusalem (Ezekiel 11:14-25).  Afterward, the city fell at the hand of Babylonians in 605 BC.  The earthly Jerusalem did not last forever. 

Nevertheless, there is an everlasting Jerusalem in the future.  It is not the present Jerusalem in the land of Israel on the map.  The book of Revelation describes a heavenly Jerusalem to descend on earth in the future.  That Jerusalem is the one that has the presence of our Lord and will last eternally.

Psalm 46:8-11.  The previous and the current portions of the psalm are in prophetic language.  When God rules in the heavenly Jerusalem, there will be no war on earth.  Although it is prophetic, the psalmist invites us to trust in the Lord and to live a life consistent with our faith.  In knowing that we will have a victorious future, we ought to give up strive in this life.   Giving up strive does not mean that we do not have struggles.  It means that we will not hold onto the world and the desire of it as if it is the only thing that matters.  We should have confidence that God will provide and should stop making sure that we got our fair share.  When God, who is  our stronghold, is with us, we will never be moved.

 

Meditation:

The psalmist said that Jerusalem will not be moved when God was in it.  Likewise, if God is in us, we too will never be moved.  Surely God did not dwell in Jerusalem forever because of sins; that is why it crumbled.  Similarly, when we sin by stopping to put God first in our life, we will be on shaky ground.  From our faith to our health and from our witness to our mind, none will prosper. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, following God whole-heartedly is a choice that we have to make and to keep.  The reward is tremendous despite the seemingly difficult steps ahead.  Keep trusting and doing the work of God and see how God becomes the stronghold in our life. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you will be the refuge and strength to those who trust you and follow your will.  We thank you that you will let us be in the heavenly Jerusalem when it comes.  Let us not be ashamed and let not our enemies triumph over us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 27, 2010

The Fairest Lord Jesus and His Marriage

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 45

 

 

When I was a kid, seemingly I got to go to a lot of wedding banquet.  I remember that the things I learned is to behave right.  I hope I did not disappoint my parents in that regard.  There is going to be a marriage feast, but the participation to the feast depends on our “manner” before the feast.  Let’s read the psalm and find out about it. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 45:1. The psalmist was inspired to write this psalm.  He compared his inspiration with a simile—a pen in the hand of a ready writer.  He went on to complete a picture of a blessed king, his reign, and his wedding.

Psalm 45:2.  This king is said to be fairer than all men.  He is blessed by God; his blessings are evidenced by his graceful words.  The old hymn “Fairest Lord Jesus” echoed the essence of this verse. 

Psalm 45:3-5. The king would battle his enemies and triumph over them.  Because of him, the earth will have truth, meekness, and righteousness.  This imagery comes alive in the prophecy told by Apostle John in Rev 19:11-19.

Psalm 45:6-7.  He will rule forever and ever.  As in Rev. 19:20-21, no one would match his accomplishment on earth.  His rule would be marked by its justice.  

Psalm 45:8-10.  What follows is a description of a royal wedding.  This sequence is consistent with the sequence in the prophecy.  After the Christ rids the earth of wickedness, there is the marriage of the Lamb (Rev. 21:2). 

The chosen bride in here is told to forget, which means to stop loving, her root or the origin of a previous life.  Who is the bride?  The church is likened to be the wife of Christ in the NT (Eph. 5:23).  When our Lord saves us, we are a new creature.  The old has passed away; new things have come (2Cor 5:17).  Of course, if we keep loving the past, we will never enter into the new life that our Lord has prepared for us.  The Lord has saved us for heaven bounds, so we should stop living in our old miry clay.   Let stand on the rock, leave our past behind, and start our heavenly climb. 

Psalm 45:11.  The beauty of the bride is not evident to the king until she is loyal to him.  God desires not sacrifice but obedience (1Sam 15:22).  Whatever we have is from God.  That includes wealth, health, talents, and beauty.  None of them, therefore, is valuable to God, but God desires our love and devotion. 

Psalm 45:15.  The marriage takes place only when the bride is ready.  She is heart ready—willing to let go of her past.  She is costume ready—adorning herself with precious garments.  The garments can be likened to our new behavior in Christ.  We have to be Christ like in our behavior (Rom 13:14).

Psalm 45:16.  Echoing verse 10, the verse tells us that we can have a new heritage.  Only when we give up the old, the new things can come.  Likewise, in order to live the spiritual life, we have to stop loving the world.   

 

Meditation:

The marriage of the Lamb will come.  That is a certainty.  The uncertainty is who will be present.  All God’s people should have that concerns and live in a way that will ensure our presence at the marriage feast. 

We are the church and the wife of Christ.  Let’s start living like the bride in this psalm.  Get ourselves ready in heart, body, and soul.  Walk in a way that pleases our Lord inside out.  Be loyal to Him to win His praises. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you will bring on the marriage.  Let us trust in your will and make ourselves ready for the marriage.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 26, 2010

The Maskil

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm, Uncategorized — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 44

 

 

See the commentary made by James Smith in The Wisdom Literature and Psalms. 

 

Commentary by James Smith:

The author was one of the Levitical sons of Korah. The psalm was written after an occasion of great national deliverance. The reference may be to the deliverance from the Assyrian attack against Judah in the days of good King Hezekiah. This is one of thirteen psalms called “maskil,” which probably means a psalm intended to teach a lesson. The psalm has five main parts which can be summarized: (1) praise (vv. 1–3); (2) hope (vv. 4–8); (3) disappointment (vv. 9–16); (4) innocence (vv. 17–22); and (5) prayer (vv. 23–26).

44:1–2. Canaan was not captured through Israel’s heroics, but through God’s help. The “fathers” had passed down the reports of what God had done for his people “in the times of old,” i.e., the days of the conquest under Joshua. By God’s hand (power) the Canaanites were “cast out” and the Israelites were “planted” in the land. God made them “spread abroad” (NASB) in that land like a great tree which struck root and spread its branches in all directions.

44:3. The thought of the two previous verses is emphasized. It was not Israel’s sword hand, but God’s right hand which gave the victory. The “light” of God’s countenance is his manifestation in human affairs. This God did for Israel as a favor, not as a reward for their national merit.

44:4. The recollection of the past gives fresh confidence in the present. God is Israel’s king. It is his duty to defend his people. He has but to “command” and “Jacob” (the nation) would experience “deliverances,” i.e., a full and complete deliverance.

44:5–8. Relying upon all that God had revealed about himself (“his name”), Israel would trample enemies as an ox might trample grain under its feet. Israel repudiates reliance upon deliverance by military prowess. Past experience justifies this confidence in the Lord. God has been the object of their praises in the past, and to him they are resolved to give thanks continually. “Selah” indicates a musical interlude which gives time for reflection.

44:9–11. Present circumstances seem to contradict the expressions of faith based on past experience. God had cast them off. He no longer went before the armies of Israel. (In ancient times the ark was carried into battle as the symbol of Yahweh’s presence with the troops.) As a result, Israel had fled from the enemies, who had plundered the land at their will. Some of God’s people had been butchered like sheep; others had been captured and sold as slaves.

44:12–14. God “sells” (delivers over) his people as though they were worthless. By so doing, God had gained nothing for himself. He had made his people an object of ridicule to neighboring nations. They shake their heads at Israel in derision. Among the heathen, Israel had become a “byword,” i.e., they pointed to Israel’s fate as a proverbial instance of a people abandoned by its God.

44:15–16. Disgrace stares the psalmist in the face all day long. Shame covers his face like a garment, inasmuch as the sense of shame betrays itself in one’s countenance. The enemy “reproaches” Israel’s impotence and “blasphemes” Yahweh by suggesting that he too is impotent. These two words are found in combination only in reference to Sennacherib’s attitude during the Assyrian attack of 701 b.c. (cf. 2 Kgs 19:6, 22). The enemy is called “the avenger” because he is acting arrogantly in taking a role which belongs only to God (cf. Deut 32:35).

44:17–18. The calamity is unmerited. Israel had not “forgotten” Yahweh as their fathers often had done. They had not been unfaithful to God’s covenant made at Sinai. They had not turned back from the Lord, neither inwardly nor outwardly (their “steps”).

44:19. A “place of jackals” is a proverbial expression for a scene of ruin and desolation. The thought may be that God has reduced their land to a desert. God had covered them with “the shadow of death,” i.e., the deep gloom which surrounds the time of death.

44:20–21. No apostasy could be concealed from the God who searches hearts. To “stretch out the hands” was a gesture of prayer in which the open palms symbolized the reception of blessing from the deity.

44:22. The claim here is that Israel was actually suffering as martyrs for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. Paul quoted this verse in Rom 8:36 to fortify Christians against the possibility that they too might have to face death for their faith.

44:23–24. God seemed to be asleep, though the psalmists knew that Yahweh never got weary as men do (121:3f.). He is urged to awake, i.e., to get involved in their plight, and not to leave them in a state of being “cast off.”

44:25–26. To “hide the face” is the opposite of showing the light of his countenance. One might hide his face in anger or indifference. The psalmist asks that God no longer ignore the plight of his people since they lie crushed to the earth and helpless. The grounds of appeal is Yahweh’s lovingkindness. The psalmist entreats God to be true to this central attribute of his character.[1]

 

Meditation:

What do we do when God does not seem to care?  The psalmist shows us that we first check ourselves to ensure that we are faithful in our walk with the Lord.  If we check out ourselves alright, then we can go to God.

In going to God, we can give God the credit that He deserved.  Then we petition to hear our plea because we have been obedient to His precept.  We also recognize that God takes action because He has lovingkindness toward us.  

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given your Son Jesus for the forgiveness of sins.  We thank you that the work of salvation is complete on the cross.  We pray that we will follow Jesus in truth and in His manner.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

[1] Smith, James E.: The Wisdom Literature and Psalms. Joplin, Mo. : College Press Pub. Co., 1996, S. Ps 44

July 25, 2010

Overcoming the Fear of Rejection

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 43

 

 

This psalm is a continuation of the previous psalm.  Some Hebrew manuscript has the two psalms combined as one.  But this psalm is certainly an independent psalm.

 

Commentary:

Psalm 43:1. David had different types of enemies.  We learned from Psalm 41 that his trusted friends turned against him. This time, his enemies were from a foreign country.  David probably had some dealing with them because he called them deceitful and unjust. 

Psalm 43:2. Based on the parallelism in Hebrew literary structure, David equated the oppression of the enemy to the rejection of God.  When we experience setback, the feeling that God does not care is certainly not unique.  The next few verses are important for administering to that feeling.

Psalm 43:3. The psalmist asks God to send out to him the light and the truth.  The light signifies the wisdom and discernment.  The wisdom ranges the technical skill of artisan to the art of government.  It also includes the balances of pleasing God and enjoying what God offers in this life.  The light can bring out the subtlety that otherwise is lost. 

The truth is the word of God.  It makes known of the precepts of God.  It points out the way to life and to destruction. In abiding to the truth, we will have life.  In asking the light and the truth, the psalmist makes clear his purpose is to return to God. 

Psalm 43:4. The psalmist then looks forward to the coming celebration.  In the presence of God, he will have exceeding joy.  He will burst out praises and worship.

Psalm 43:5. With the certainty that God will provide, David once again drives away his despair and finds hope again. His desire is to give praise to God. 

 

Meditation:

No one likes rejection.  In the fear of rejection, we can do things that are neither truthful nor wise.  For example, peer pressure is rooted in the fear of rejection.  Another example is making apology or receiving apology.  When we perceive that someone is mad at us, we quickly apologize for making the other upset without thinking through what we have done wrong.  The apology is lack of substantial change of heart, which will repeat the offense in the future.  Likewise, we may accept apology for fear of being rejected without resolving the real conflict.  Again, the problem will resurface at a later time. 

The fear of rejection is powerfully used by Satan.  David called his enemy the foreigner, who is deceitful and unjust.  It is the perfect description of Satan.  He is the archenemy of all believers.  He uses deception and then unjust accusation against the elect.  The sad thing is that we can buy into the lie and become fearful of the rejection of men. 

The fear of rejection by men should be preceded by the fear of rejection by God.  Like David, we should ask God to send us the light and the truth.  With the word of God and the Holy Spirit, guided by the wisdom of spiritual elders, we should find the root cause of conflicts or struggles.  Instead of having a quick resolution that does not fixes the real problem or further leads us to the wrong, let’s go to God and resolve the real problem—the sinful nature of men. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Father of Light and Truth, we humbly come before you to seek your face.  Let your spirit of truth and light be strong in us.  Stop the deceiving scheme of Satan.  In Jesus’ name we ask.  Amen.

July 24, 2010

Overcoming Despair

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 42

 

 

Despair can be debilitating.  When people have no hope in a relationship or a situation, they would stop working at it.  What should the people of God do to overcome despair?  This psalm gives us some guideline in going about it. 

 

Commentary:

Psalm 42:1. David was prompted to write this psalm by his circumstance and surrounding.  David was probably in Mount Hermon fighting a war.  Mount Hermon is located north of Jerusalem; the mountain had river stream. 

Verse 1 was a picture of a deer drinking from river.  David was moved to write the psalm because he saw how the deer was attracted by the water and was not deterred even by his presence.  There at that moment, David realized that he too longed for God just as much as the deer thirsted for the water.

Psalm 42:2. David wanted to be before God.  In the context of his days, he was not thinking about having a quiet devotion time, but he was longing to worship God in the temple in Jerusalem (v. 4). 

Psalm 42:3.  Why did David cry?  It was unlikely to be caused the enemies’ taunting.  Rather David was feeling despair because of the lack of the evidence of God’s presence in his current situation.   

Psalm 42:4-6. What did the psalmist do with his despair?  There are three things here that we ought to take notes.  Firstly, he said he called out to God in his situation (v. 6).   Secondly, he remembered the good time that he had in serving God (v. 4).  Lastly, he relied on his faith in God to administer to his soul.  In verse 5, David’s spiritual mind spoke to his emotional soul.  He was determined to trust in God not based on the current circumstances but based on his faith.  God’s provision in the past was the strong indication that God cared about him. 

Psalm 42:10-11. Circumstance might not have changed, but David was determined to hope in the Lord.  He just wanted to give praise to God, for the Lord was his help.

 

Meditation:

Life is a roller coaster.  It has ups and downs.  When we are going down, we can feel like we are never going to go up again.  In times like that, people need to do the three things that David did. 

People need to turn to God.  He is the unfailing strength.  Others may fail, but the Lord can come through.

People need to start counting on the service that they have given in God’s name.  This is not just about performance, but about God remembers what we give in Jesus’ name.  God never forgets our dedication to him.  Our labor in God is never in vain. 

People need to recall the good times God has provided.  Faith is not blind but is built through the encounters of God over the years.  Faith starts when we put our trust in Jesus Christ for our eternal life.  Knowledge that we did not work for our salvation but that we are saved through God’s grace is our assurance that God loves us.  When the Heavenly Father can love us with the life of His Son, there is nothing else that He would withhold for our good.  Faith is then built through the provision that God has given over the year.  Every provision, miracle, and encounter affirm that God cares for us.  With that faith, we can assuredly tell our soul that God will provide.

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given your Son Jesus for our greatest need.  We thank you that you have continually provided for us.  Forgive us for our lack of faith when we become despair.  We pray that we seek after the Holy Spirit and follow the prompting.  In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

July 23, 2010

The Trusted Friend

Filed under: Devotion in Psalm — Tags: , , , — Pastor Brian Cheung @ 8:00 am

Psalm 41

 

 

Friends are important to everyone.  Some even treasure them more than family.  Indeed, friends can sometimes be better than family.  But friends are not always dependable.  When friends become untrustworthy and turn against you, the experience can be very painful.  Today’s psalm touches on this issue of shaky friends.

 

Commentary:

Psalm 41:1-3.  These verses describe how much God loves a cheerful giver (2Cor 9:7).  Nothing will knock him down.  Though he may have troubles, enemies, illnesses, God will deliver him from all.  

Psalm 41:4.  In consideration of the previous verses and the following verses, we can inference that David considered himself a cheerful giver.  On that basis, he petitioned God to forgive his sins and rescue him.  

Psalm 41:5-9.  What is the most painful experience?   Perhaps one of the most painful ones is to be sold out by someone that you have trusted.  They sold you out when you least expected them to.  They sold you out when you needed them the most.  This would be breaking your heart, let alone killing you.    This is what the psalmist experienced.

Psalm 41:10. When all hopes are lost, where do people turn for help?  Others may be discouraged, but the people can count on God to the rescue.

 

Meditation:

Who is a “real” trusted friend?  A trusted friend is someone who will not depart amid our sorrow and pain and who will help when we are down and out.  The one true friend, as David found out, is God Himself.  God is faithful and does not change his covenantal love.  Though we are faithless, the Lord remains faithful.

This character of God is much emphasized today.  We have songs like “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” to remind us that Jesus is the true friend.  He will lift our load while we have burden to heavy to carry and will care for us when we are sick and hurt.  Songs like “Great is Thy Faithfulness” speaks of the unchanging character of God.  The Lord is a friend that does not change His love regardless of the circumstance. 

Have you come to know Jesus as the trusted friend?  He is trustworthy because he came to die for us on the cross.  There is no greater love than this. 

 

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have provided Jesus for us in times of our greatest need.  We can never get out of the eternal punishment of sins on our own.  Thank you for the blood of Jesus and the salvation freely given to us who received Him.  Let’s who know Jesus as our trusted friend and savior tell others of your great love. In Jesus’ name we pray.  Amen.

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