Bible Reading Reflection Psalms 127-138

[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!

Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 116-126

 [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.

Bible Reading Reflection from Psalms 107-115

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

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟘𝟟:𝟜𝟛

"Who is wise? Let him keep these things,

And carefully consider the lovingkindnesses of Yahweh."

This Psalm begins and ends with the theme of Lovingkindness, the faithful covenant-keeping love of God.

Those who increase their understanding of the love of God will increase in wisdom. Do you want to be wise? Meditate on the covenant-keeping love of God! He remains God, even when we fail to be godly.

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟘𝟠:𝟙

"My heart is 𝕤𝕖𝕥, O God;

I will sing, I will sing praises, even with my glory."

Very indecisive are we. Getting distracted easily. Procrastinating. Well, David was not, his heart was set. He knew what he should do and he did it. He was not moveable. He was firm.

May we be like David! David probably wrote this psalm while he was younger than us. We are too old to act like kids! Be firm, steadfast. Let your heart be set upon certain things!

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟘𝟡:𝟚𝟜

"My knees are feeble from fasting,

And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness."

Shame on us for a lack of prayer. Shame on us for a lack of fasting!  David couldn't stand up because of his feeble knees due to fasting. He had no fats in his body.

Many of us aren’t able to do push-ups 20 times because we are overweight. Perfect time to lose weight by having fasting prayer yet we would plan to go to the gym and lift those dumb dumbbells, walk, jog, or run in the morning.

Do we have any scar, any mark, or any sign of prayer in our body? Apostle John is said to have a camel's knee because of too much kneeling. John MacArthur said of one guy who knelt and prayed for too long over the years that his wood floor got two holes! 😂

Have you ever prayed for 1 hour? Have you ever done fasting alone? Church fasting and Family fasting program do not count, we must have private spiritual discipline also. Read the whole Psalm 109.

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟘:𝟙

"The LORD says to my Lord:

‘Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’"

"Until" that's the word. Till then, we, His people also have to wait.

The world will submit to Christ. And we shall reign with Him. Let's not fret. Let's be still.

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟙:𝟚

"Great are the works of Yahweh;

They are sought by all who delight in them."

This verse was inscribed in Latin by James Clark Maxwell on one of the doors of the Physics Department at Cambridge University.

Dr. Briggs, later on, inscribed it in English upon the main entrance of the Physics Department (Cambridge University).

Indeed, only the fools will not see the glory of God in the great works of God!

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟚:𝟙-𝟚

"Praise Yah!

How blessed is the man who fears Yahweh,

Who greatly delights in His commandments.

His seed will be mighty on earth;

The generation of the upright will be blessed."

Our lives affect the coming generation for good or bad. Manasseh was so bad that even his righteous grandson Josiah couldn't appease the wrath of God.

Maybe our children will be greater than us in every good thing if we strive to live a God-pleasing life.

But John Piper had Abraham Piper, Francis Schaffer has a wayward son, so, remember that too.

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟛:𝟚-𝟛

"May the name of Yahweh be blessed

From now until forever.

From the rising of the sun to its setting

The name of Yahweh is to be praised."

It's always true, but it shall be more someday; we must be diligent to make it happen. When we like something, we make a campaign for it; those whose habit is to bless God seek everyone to bless God.

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟜:𝟟

"Tremble, O earth, before the Lord,

Before the God of Jacob"

A short Psalm. This verse is the only commandment of it. It's to tremble before God, all the earth, no exception. You may talk this and that, do this and that, act such and such, but before God be fearful! Unfortunately, many people do the very opposite!

 

ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟙𝟝:𝟙

"Not to us, O LORD, not to us,

But to Your name give glory

Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth."

I learned a song in Goa that is taken out from this Psalm, “Not to us”.

We love glory. But we must give glory to God. Sure, like Moses whose face shone because he spent time with God on Mount Sinai, those who live for God will have the reflection of God's glory in themselves.

And we, even as redeemed saints, will still crave for glory, but we better confess and pray this Psalm. BTW, are you aware that some will receive greater rewards than others in heaven, but everyone will lay down one's crown before the Lord again? There we shall give all the Glory to God perfectly!

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