[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a reading update (reflection) from one chapter of the Bible a day]
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟞:𝟝-𝟟
"Gracious
is the LORD, and righteous;
Yes,
our God is compassionate.
The
LORD preserves the simple;
I
was brought low, and He saved me.
Return
to your rest, O my soul,
For
the LORD has dealt bountifully with you."
We
need to preach to our own heart, mind, and soul to be satisfied in God. We need
to exhort ourselves to return to God by choosing to reflect upon the goodness
of God. After all, we deserve nothing, but everlasting torment. Yet He saved
us. He gives sunshine and rain, the blessing of family and marriage, and the
joy of friendship. Do we deserve all these? He gave to everyone, including Pharaoh,
Hitler, Kim Jong Un, and you and me!
Every
mouth should utter praise to God. Everyone must thank God for He has dealt
bountifully with us. If you don't think so, you are in the league of the most
wicked, vilest, most stupid sinner.
"Gracious
Righteous
Compassionate
Is
He" v5.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟟
"Praise
the LORD, all nations;
Laud
Him, all peoples!
For
His lovingkindness is great toward us,
And
the truth of the LORD is everlasting.
Praise
the LORD!"
Shortest
Psalm, shortest chapter, in the entire Bible. And it's a call to Praise God. We
ought to praise God all the time. Especially when others are using the name of
God as a cuss word.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟠:𝟙𝟛
"You
pushed me down violently to make me fall,
But
Yahweh helped me."
This
Psalm is about the Lovingkindness of God, and how clearly it demonstrates and
explains so. And look at v13. A godly blessed man is not someone
whose life is quiet, smooth, and lively. It's a life that experiences the
Lovingkindness of God.
That
experience is magnified greatly in affliction. The psalmist wasn't pushed to
fall and be dead and rotten. And in that direst situation, Yahweh showed His
Lovingkindnes in preserving him. That's why he can say v6 as well "Yahweh
is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?"
Daniel
was pushed into the lion's pit. Yahweh protected him. The godly blessed man is
he who endures afflictions. He will be afflicted even because of his sins. Look
at v18 "Yahweh has disciplined me severely, But He has not given me
over to death."
If
you face no affliction or a discipline of the Lord, you are a miserable,
wretched man because God disciplines those He loves. Maybe, that's why some of
us are still unmarried. That some of us are struggling with family problems,
financial problems, emotional problems, careers, jobs, etc. Don't you see the
hand of God in all these? Blessed is he who recognizes the disciplining hand of
loving God in his life!
BTW,
Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the Bible (1189 chapters).
But
nobody knows the middle verse because nobody is sure how many verses are there
in the Bible. Some Bibles have 31,101, others 2,3 more or lesser. And of
course, who cares? Verse numbers aren't inspired.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟡:𝟙𝟘𝟘
"I
understand more than the aged,
Because
I have observed Your precepts."
Wisdom
is with the aged. Wisdom comes with age. But those who know the word of God
even though they may be young are wiser than the aged wisest man of the world.
Why?
Simple! Because wisdom comes with age! Is that a contradiction? Bible is older
than any man, older than even Job or Moses who first wrote the word of God
because the author is ultimately the Ancient One.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟘:𝟝-𝟞
"Woe
is me, for I sojourn in Meshech,
For
I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Too
long has my soul had its dwelling
With
those who hate peace."
The
psalmist laments that he has been living with the pagans for quite a long time;
he longs to live with the people of God and enjoy God.
The
Scripture says the natural man hates God. There's no peace between him and God.
No matter who and what man may be, natural man hates God, he doesn't want
peace, the war goes on. Yeah, even Gandhi!
Have
you been associating with only the non-christian people? It's time to proclaim
"woe" upon yourself, lament it, and long to associate with fellow
Christians. This is the heartbeat of this psalmist!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟙:𝟠
"The
LORD will guard your going out and your coming in
From
this time forth and forever."
If
you are planning to memorize some psalms or compose a melody, make sure to
include this. It's soothing and even short.
I
love the benediction and the assurance of v8. Imagine the imagery:
going out and coming in. That's the whole picture of life's activities. And
it's forever!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟚:𝟙
"I
was glad when they said to me,
‘Let
us go to the house of the LORD.’"
Many
would like to pull up a blanket over their head when people said to them,
"Wake up, let's go to church"
If
our affections are totally opposite to the saints of the Bible, surely our
actions will be contrary to them.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟛
"To
You I lift up my eyes,
O
You who are enthroned in the heavens!
Behold,
as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,
As
the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,
So
our eyes look to the LORD our God,
Until
He is gracious to us.
Be
gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us,
For
we are greatly filled with contempt.
Our
soul is greatly filled
With
the scoffing of those who are at ease
And
with the contempt of the proud."
Psalm
1-2-3 has 4 verses. That's my way to remember it. It's a Psalm of submission to
God.
If
you find yourself complaining too much about your troubles, you still aren't
having enough troubles, and you will get into it. Whether one likes it or not
when troubles are unbearable, one stops complaining and starts looking for
grace and deliverance. Even Hulk knew that when Thanos defeated him in
Avengers.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟜:𝟙
"Had
it not been the LORD who was on our side, ‘Let Israel now say,’"
Giving
credit to God. Seeing God's hand in everything. Learning to count God's
blessings. Contemplating the faithfulness of God. Trusting God for the present
and future because of the past evidence.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟝:𝟙
"Those
who trust in the LORD
Are
as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever."
Learn
to trust God in trouble, calamity, and affliction. Even our Lord Jesus said,
"Let not your heart be troubled."
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟞:𝟞
"He
who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed,
Shall
indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him."
This
is my grandpa’s favorite verse to instruct us. He was a hardworking man and desired
his grandchildren to be as well!
Indeed,
that's what this verse is saying, but much more. It is about the tear of
repentance and the joy of restoration.