Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 58-72

[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (MPG) as a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟝𝟠:𝟞-𝟟

"O God, break the teeth in their mouths;

tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!

Let them vanish like water that runs away;

when he aims his arrows, let them be blunted."

David prayed that the wicked will be destroyed. What happened to "Love your enemies"? God loves the world, but He is going to destroy the world. Do we question God's love, then?

If you love light, you will hate darkness. If you want silence, you will hate noises.

A man is not only known by what he loves but also by what he hates; not only by what he does but also by what he doesn't; not only by where he is but also by where he is not.

Righteous people hate wicked people. God the righteous God has a perfect hatred for the wicked! Well, we won't go and kill them, so it's most right to ask God to do so. David won't kill the bloodthirsty Saul. He just asked God to watch over the situation.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟝𝟡:𝟙𝟛

"Destroy them in wrath, destroy them that they may be no more;

That men may know that God rules in Jacob

To the ends of the earth. Selah"

From the title we see the enemies of David were the men of Saul, and Saul himself. Look at David’s prayer and desire. And compare that with his action and life! He had the opportunity to kill Saul and his men at least two times. He didn't kill. But the Philistines killed him [Saul].

Those who are critical of David's prayer do not know anything. They are those who pretend to be nice, kind, cool, but serpents in real life. Maybe you should start praying that God would destroy some people, and live a life like David who won't take that opportunity by your doings! 🙂

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟘:𝟙, 𝟙𝟚

"O God, You have rejected us.

You have broken us;

You have been angry;

O, restore us."

"Through God we shall do valiantly,

And it is He who will tread down our adversaries."

Look at the way how it began and ended. He felt the rejection of God but still committed himself to trusting God. That's what genuine faith does. Like Job, saying, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." So, let that be our motto in everything we are praying for, hoping for, targeting for, desiring for.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟙:𝟜

"Let me dwell in your tent forever!

Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah!"

I love David's desire for godliness. He wants to always walk with God. He knows how weak he is. He often disqualifies himself, failing, falling, going astray, transgressing. He sometimes sins deliberately, sometimes unintentionally. However, he longs to be back home. His home is God, his dwelling place, his tent, his refuge, is under the shelter of God!

David is addicted to God's love. Be addicted, not to drugs, not to social media, not to mobile games, but to the joy of God!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟚:𝟝

"For God alone,

O my soul,

wait in silence,

for my hope

is from him."

·        God alone.

·        Wait.

·        In silence.

·        Hope.

·        What a confession of trust!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟛:𝟙         

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;

My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,

In a dry and weary land without water."

Have you ever been on a long journey where you got dehydrated and longed after nothing but water? Have you ever thirsted after God like that?

What's the most dominant desire in your life? And have you ever desired God like that?

He who desires after God will be satisfied. Because that's the only quenchable thirst God has put into our longing hearts!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟜:𝟙𝟘

"The righteous man will be glad in the LORD and will take refuge in Him;

And all the upright in heart will glory."

If you are not glad in the LORD, well you aren’t a righteous person. If you're disappointed with God, you aren't glad in Him. If you are angry with God, you aren't disappointed with Him. If you aren't walking with God daily, you aren't glad in Him. If you aren't glad in reading His word and praying regularly, you aren't glad in Him.

Because when you are happy with someone, you know what you would like to do with that person.

The righteous person is glad in the Lord.

And if you're not a righteous man, you are a wicked man according to the theology of Psalter.

Sing that hymn

🎵 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice🎶

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟝:𝟚

"O You who hear prayer,

To You all flesh comes."

Is it not wonderful that God is described as one who hears prayers? That's why anyone can and will come to God.

Interestingly, it doesn't use the word, "answer" or "grant" but it implies those meaning as well!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟞:𝟝

"Come and see the works of God,

Who is fearsome in His deeds toward the sons of men."

One of the repeated words and ideas in this Psalm is "Come", a call to worship. The psalmist is calling people to know God and worship Him. He made a universal call and a specific call to those who fear God (v16).

Do we call people to know God and worship Him? Do we invite people to come to church?

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟟:𝟙

"God be gracious to us and bless us,

And cause His face to shine upon us— Selah."

A good Psalm to read today, as you wait for your exam tomorrow🙂

Maybe good to read tomorrow as well! 😉

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟠:𝟛-𝟜

"But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God;

And let them rejoice with gladness.

Sing to God, sing praises to His name;

Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts,

Whose name is Yah, and exult before Him."

What the believers must be doing:

1. Be glad

2. Exult before God

3. Rejoice

4. Sing praises

5. Sing songs

6. Again rejoice.

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟞𝟡:𝟚-𝟛

"I have sunk in deep clay, and there is no foothold;

I have come into deep waters, and a flood overflows me.

I am weary with my calling out; my throat is parched;

My eyes fail while I wait for my God."

If there's one thing that most of us need in our Christian walk, it's perseverance. Persevering in faith. Never giving up. Exercising patience. Consistency.

David wouldn't have sunk just like that. It must have taken a lot of time. It was a journey of affliction and he wrote this when he was or almost in its climax. He had been praying, crying, needing God's help. It hadn't come yet. But he would keep trusting in God.

And we give up so easily on praying. We give up so easily on others. We want everything quick and available, making it a perfect environment for all miseries in our life!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟘:𝟜

"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;

And let those who love Your salvation say continually, ‘Let God be magnified.’"

One of my chief aims in life is to live for the fame of God's name, especially among the people of God because praise from the upright is comely.

David had this desire too!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟙:𝟚𝟙

"May You increase my greatness

And turn to comfort me."

Is a desire to be great bad, sinful, and selfish? No.

The psalmist is praying for that. Most probably written by David. And if it's not written by David, it's better, to take it as a positive example.

So, I better pray: "Lord make me be a great person. And increase my greatness. And comfort my present disappointments. Amen!"

PS: But remember the confession of John the Baptist as well!

 

ℙ𝕊𝔸𝕃𝕄 𝟟𝟚:𝟟

"In his days may the righteous flourish,

And abundance of peace till the moon is no more."

A great Psalm to be used when one of us becomes a public leader. It was a coronation Psalm when Solomon became king—asking God to bless the king, the administration, the people, everything in his reign.

Read this Psalm for your MLA next year when they are elected. For someone who has newly joined the administration as DC or SDO.

[11:37, 15/10/2021] 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝟚𝕟𝕕 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕠𝕗 ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝕚𝕤 𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣!