01/01/2024|Psalm 1 – Three Progressions

I am catching up on the missing days.
I came across the explanation of the progression in the beginning of Psalm 1 many years ago and now I cannot read Psalm 1 without noticing it.

Let’s look the progression in terms of posture.

1. Walk – indicates passing by. You can slow down or pick up speed but you are passing by. If you keep walking, you will be out of it.
2. Stand – not moving, stationary, immobile. You are staying where you are. Still, you are standing.
3. Sit – now, not only you are staying, but you are also feeling at home. You are in no hurry in move away.

Next, let’s look at the progression in term of how deep you are into it.

1. The Wicked – mischief, roguish, and immoral. These people have evil thoughts. They tend to do bad things.
2. Sinners – these people not only think evil thoughts, but they also commit sins. They are doing things wrong in the eyes of the God.
3. Mockers – these people not only commit sins, but they also don’t try to hide. They openly mock God. They are the type that challenge God to strike them with fires and brimstones.

If we are not careful, we will get deeper and deeper in sin. One day, we may find it very hard to get out.

Allow me to suggest another progression.

1. Delight – you are fond of something, in this case, the law of the Lord. You want to know what God wants. You are inclined to learn it and obey it. You spend a bit of time on it.
2. Meditate – you spend “day and night” thinking about the law of God. It means so much to you that you spend the whole day long thinking about it, making it a part of your life.
3. Planted – you have developed a very intimate relationship with God and you are bearing fruit! You have life!

The choice is very clear. Follow God. Love God. Obey God.

10/01/2024|Psalm 96 – Do you have a new song for the Lord?

10/01/2024.

Psalm 96 is described as a crescendo of worship. When I read this psalm, I get vibrant music in my mind praising the King of kings and joyous chorus from my mouth worshipping the Lord of lords!

Verse 1 started by calling us to sing to the Lord a new song. Why a new song? What’s wrong with old songs? What’s wrong with hymns? How can we come up with new songs every day or every week? The psalmist was possibly suggesting two things here.

1. We do not want to make worship God a routine. We want to come before God with renewed passion everytime.
2. With our God, there is always something new to give thanks, to praise, to worship! Count his blessings. Great is his faithfulness. They are new every morning!

Verse 3 saw the focus shifted outward towards “the nations.” Of course, we can worship when we are alone. However, we also worship together. And we want to tell of God’s glory to the people around us. “.. for he is greatly to be praised!” We know why he is to be praised! Everywhere we go. Everything we do. Every breath we take. May it give glory to God!

The psalmist then continued with a call to declare God’s greatness (“say among the nations”). We are to declare his imminent return and the coming judgement. And we rejoice! Don’t keep it to ourselves. Go tell it to the mountains.

08/01/2024|Psalm 77 Look to God in the darkest night

Today, we read Psalm 77.

We read in Psalm 77 the psalmist crying out to God. It does not read like a feel-good Psalm. If makes one sad to read about the raw cry of anguish from someone drowning in despair. (see v2).

In vv 7 to 9, it seems the psalmist had descended from despair into doubt. Cannot. How can we we doubt God? Not really. His faith in God is not blind faith. He has his feelings. He has his questions in suffering. Don’t we sometimes do the same? Don’t we sometimes wonder “why God help others but not me”? Why doesn’t he hear my prayers? The questions do not invalidate his faith. Instead, it reveals his human struggle.

In v10, we see a shift of focus from his own pain and suffering to God’s faithfulness and greatness. He started to recount God’s faithfulness, his greatness, and his holiness. Despite all he was experiencing, he remembered who God is and what God does.

What can we learn from Psalm 77? I humbly submit the following for our considerations.

1. It’s okay to doubt.
   Don’t pretend your struggles are nonexistent. Be real. Be honest in what we are experiencing. Don’t subscribe to those “pretend it’s not there then you are ok” self-delusions. You can share your problems with your close friends but do not lash out to them. Do bring your questions and frustrations to God. Do not direct them to others in frustrations.
2. Remember God’s faithfulness.
   Recounting His past miracles can rekindle hope in the present. Be thankful. Count his blessings.
3. Focus on His character, not your circumstances.
   Things changed. Circumstances change. God does not. God’s love and power are constant and consistent, even when our lives feel chaotic.
4. Hold onto hope, even in the darkest night.
   The dawn will come, and God will be there.

“You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” v20.
This is how the psalmist concluded Psalm 77. He placed his trust on God.

What do we do when we are in distress? Do we lash out at the people around us? Do we have a default target to blame?
Psalm 77 reminds us to turn to God instead. We have many questions, but we can rest assured the answer lies with trusting God.