[Originally posted in a WhatsApp group (AG) as a daily reading update (reflection) from each chapter of the Bible]
[1:43 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: I shall
be updating a line of reflection or two from the books of Psalms each day, one
psalm a day! Not only push-ups (physical discipline) but psalms (spiritual
discipline) also, nah? 😎🙏
[1:48 pm, 01/01/2022] S.R: ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙:𝟞
"For Yahweh knows the way of
the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish."
We love to say, "God
knows," well, be righteous, or else, it's not comforting. Every Christian
is righteous positionally by the propitiation of Christ. But to be righteous
practically, we must practice like this blessed man of Psalm 1.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟚:𝟜
"He who sits in the heavens
laughs, The Lord mocks them."
Psalm 2 can be summarized in this
way: God shall have the last laugh!
The world says, acts, and campaigns
to defy God and His righteous ways. Well, God is laughing at them because He
has already planned for their destruction!
Rejoice that we shall have the last
laugh with God. Those who are laughing at us are actually laughingstocks in the
divine scheme of God!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟛:𝟠
"Salvation belongs to
Yahweh;"
Psalm 3 was written when David was
in great trouble. Everyone remembered David's sin, and his adversaries thought
that David couldn't possibly be saved. They thought everyone including his
family members and friends, and God has forsaken David.
Yet David slept in peace (v5)
because he knew Salvation does not depend on man's praise or self-righteousness!
Salvation is entirely on God! David knew earthly salvation and eternal
salvation, any kinds of deliverance from any troubles are in the hands of God!
Right view of God helps us to sleep
in peace and live in peace, and also rest in peace!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟜:𝟝
"Offer the sacrifices of
righteousness, And trust in Yahweh."
You may not have much money to
offer: Christmas collection, giving, offering collection, church building,
jubilee, etc. Anyway, money is not the best offering.
The best offering to God is a righteous
lifestyle. On top of this is Trusting God. God loves those who put their trust
in Him. God is pleased when we trust Him. Even we, mere people are glad when
people trust us.
Anybody, even class 10 failed, the
poorest can make this greatest offering. Cheers! 👏😇
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟝:𝟙𝟙
"But let all who take refuge
in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That
those who love Your name may exult in You."
Let's learn to pray like this when
we pray for others! 👌👍
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟞:𝟙-𝟛
"O Yahweh, do not
reprove me in Your anger, Nor discipline me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, O
Yahweh, for I am pining away; Heal me, O Yahweh, for my bones are dismayed. And
my soul is greatly dismayed; But You, O Yahweh—how long?"
God disciplines whom He loves. Yet,
we can still ask for His grace like David. Indeed, who can bear the wrath of
God!?
Actually, our strength is our
prayer, our confession, and our trust in Him!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟟:𝟙𝟚
'If a man does not repent, He will
sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and prepared it."
David asked to be punished severely
if he had any known unrepentant sin in his life. Wow!
Then, He gave the theology behind
his piety, that God shall not tolerate any unrepentant sin! Indeed, God cursed
the whole human race and the world because of just eating a fruit. He hates any
and every sin!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟠:𝟚
"From the mouth of infants and
nursing babies You have established strength Because of Your adversaries, To
make the enemy and the revengeful cease."
God shall humble the mighty
intellectuals, who are ignorant of His power, by the little children! Indeed,
the greatest of this world is still smaller than the least of the kingdom!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟡:𝟙𝟡-𝟚𝟘
"Arise, O Yahweh, do not let
man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. Put them in fear, O Yahweh;
Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah."
Looking at the world, a need for
prayer like this has increased day after day!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟘:𝟙𝟚-𝟙𝟝
"Arise, O Yahweh; O God, lift
up Your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. Why has the wicked spurned God? He
has said in his heart, “You will not require it.” You have seen it, for You
have beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Your hand. The unfortunate
commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm
of the wicked and the evildoer, Seek out his wickedness until You find
none."
It's right to pray for the
persecutors as well as to pray for the persecuted.
It's right to pray that God will
forgive the persecutors and grant them salvation. It's also right to pray that
God will remove the persecutors and strike them dead!
There's indeed a time for
everything!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟙:𝟜
"Yahweh is in His holy temple;
Yahweh’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of
men."
God is alive, active, and all-seeing!
Let's not fret.
[9:46 am, 12/01/2022] S.R: ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟚:𝟙
"Save, O Yahweh, for the holy
man ceases to be, For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men."
David is lamenting that there are
no longer godly people and faithful men as it used to be. They have disappeared
and society is getting worse. We need God more than before.
Well, I also have decided to no
longer put up a daily reflection in this group anymore! I hope, I have
demonstrated enough last year and this year so far that daily reading and
meditation from the Bible are doable for all!
Btw, I have a lot of groups where I
shall continue with them. You still can join any of those groups if you like!
8 months later – [9:12 pm,
12/08/2022] S.R: ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟛:𝟙
"How long, O LORD? Will You
forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?"
I am on my way home after visiting
a young woman who has been bedridden for 2 years spending all the money they
had, in Imphal and Guwahati for her Spine Bone TB treatment.
She asked in tears, "I want to
get healed from the Lord. How long do I need to sleep more?"
I couldn't answer her question. I
couldn't even comfort her. The worst is I didn't even remember which Bible
verse to quote. I reassured her that God warrants us to pray and that He hears
prayer.
It would have been good had I
remembered and read this short Psalm of David: David, longing for the
deliverance of God.
[Updating inside Delhi Metro...]
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟜:𝟚
"The LORD has looked down from
heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek
after God."
The just/fair news of the Gospel is
that there's no partiality in God in condemning anyone. Because no one is
righteous. No one is interested in God.
Definitely, no one wants the
fairness/justice of God. We want His grace and mercy which is demonstrated in
Christ.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟝:𝟝
"He does not put out his money
at interest, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these
things will never be shaken."
This person shall dwell with God
v1. Friends, don't be a miser; be generous. Don't love money; love people.
Don't accumulate treasures on earth but accumulate friends in heaven by the
wealth you have on earth.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟞:𝟚
"I said to the LORD, 'You are
my Lord; I have no good besides You.'"
If you have no God in your life,
nothing you have can substitute God. Everything you have is vanity without God.
But if you have the presence of God in your life, world, and this earth, you
can rest assured that God shall protect, provide, and prosper you v9-11.
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟟:𝟙𝟝
"As for me, I shall behold
Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I
awake."
By beholding God, we shall be like
Him. And that's the greatest that can ever happen to a mortal man. Behold our
God!
ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞
𝟙𝟠:𝟙
"I love You, O LORD, my
strength."
Do you use to say like this when
you pray alone in your room? Hmm! I hardly said like this. Maybe, I have got to
do.
[9:58
am, 19/01/2022] S.R: ℙ𝕤𝕒𝕝𝕞 𝟙𝟡:𝟙𝟙
"Moreover,
by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward."
Negatively,
a child of God is warned of anything that God hates.
Positively,
a child of God is motivated to do all things that please God, thus reaping
blessings, rewards from the Lord.
All
through His word!