[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (LRAU), a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟟:𝟙-𝟚
"Unless
the LORD builds the house,
They
labor in vain who build it;
Unless
the LORD guards the city,
The
watchman keeps awake in vain.
It
is vain for you to rise up early,
To
retire late,
To
eat the bread of painful labors;
For
He gives to His beloved even in his sleep."
This
is one of the most well-known Bible passages as I grew up. And indeed, it
should be.
It's
God who raises up people. It's God who pulls down. Promotion, Demotion, Firing,
Transfer, Suspense, Salary delay, whatever, everything is under God's
supervision. God is our great Supervisor. Call Him up to report, to inquire, to
whatever necessary!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟠:𝟜
"Behold,
for thus shall the man be blessed
Who
fears the LORD."
There's
written in the Scriptures how God will bless those who walk with Him v1-3.
The
one who fears God is then one who walks with Him, v1, v4. That person is the
one whose delight is found in God.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟚𝟡:𝟙-𝟚
"Many
times they have persecuted me from my youth up,"
Let
Israel now say,
‘Many
times they have persecuted me from my youth up;
Yet
they have not prevailed against me.’"
We
often hear “forgive and forget.” Uh..oh. Nah.
The
Psalmist encourages us to remember the past persecution. Of course, not to take
revenge, but to recall the power of God.
Troubles and Sufferings are fertile ground to grow and
reap God's grace. May it be so for us too!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟘:𝟛-𝟜
"If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared."
Who does not like this Psalm? That's the reason why
God forgives—to fear Him.
People usually don't like unforgiving strict people.
They respect, honor and love forgiving and gracious people!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟙:𝟙
"O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes
haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me."
This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible, not
because this is me, nor because this is what defines me, nay, not even am I
progressively growing toward it, I am afraid.
But because I want to be like this always. It's tough,
painful, and won't be that pleasant, but such life is what everyone will like when
we look back over a lived life!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟚:𝟠-𝟡
"Arise, O LORD, to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your strength.
Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,
And let Your godly ones sing for joy."
Sometimes, we need godly people to pray like this. May
people look at your faithfulness to motivate them to be more holy!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟛:𝟙
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!"
There are some psalms that most Christians just
remember at least part of it. This, I am sure, is one of them. It talks about
the beauty of unity: getting along with one another!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟜:𝟙-𝟛
"Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the
LORD,
Who serve by night in the house of the LORD!
Lift up your hands to the sanctuary
And bless the LORD.
May the LORD bless you from Zion,
He who made heaven and earth."
This psalm calls us to bless God and ends with
invoking God to bless us.
We bless God by speaking well of God. Instead of
complaining, we do well to count God's blessings and be grateful to God, and
declare His faithfulness.
If we bless God, God shall bless us more!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟝:𝟝-𝟞
"For I know that the LORD is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all
deeps."
What makes you say something or someone is great? In
fact, some people have casually said to me that I am great. And I have said the
same to some people casually.
I observed when you have the ability to do whatever you
want in a good way, people will just say, you are great.
Now, God is great, and He does whatever He pleases,
and whatever he does is good, best, and right!
Only people like Christopher Hitchens will write a
book “God is not great,” because they are worldly-wise, but actually, eternally
foolish!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟞:𝟙
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting."
All the 26 verses of this Psalm have this refrain
"For His Lovingkindness is everlasting"
The psalmist wants to instill the Lovingkindness of
God into the mind of the people! And this (Lovingkindness) is forever!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟟:𝟜
"How can we sing the LORD'S song
In a foreign land?"
Oh! How they loved and missed the worship of God!
My village church has over 600 church attendants, and
when I go to my church in Goa, Punjab, or in Delhi with only a few people and
singing contemporary songs, oh, how I miss the songs I have grown up singing in
big churches!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟛𝟠:𝟞
"For though
the LORD is exalted,
Yet He regards
the lowly,
But the haughty
He knows from afar."
If the one in
the highest regards the lowly, who are we to look down on anybody? That's why
God hates the haughty!