Psalm 43
1 Vindicate me, O God,
and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;
rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.
2 You are God my stronghold.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?
3 Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
4 Then will I go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Sunday 31 August 2008
Sunday 3 February 2008
-Song- What a Friend we have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus
What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.
Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.
-Words by Joseph M. Scriven, Music by Charles C. Converse
"Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God."
- Psalms 42:11
There are days, sometimes seemingly days on end that overwhelms us completely, but its ever more important then to trust in God, and wait upon Him. And you'll realise what trust really means, and who God really is.
It is love and prayer, a dependence on God, that allows one to live faithfully.
In His love,
Jon
Saturday 2 February 2008
-Thoughts- When have you last seen your heart?
"As water reflects a face,
so a man's heart reflects the man."
- Proverbs 27:19
So we can consider this verse, of when have you last looked at the condition of your heart - the core of your being? Have you been taking care of it, finding enough rest, and giving yourself enough time to find some meaning for your life? Have you begun that journey of seeking God to ask about really who He has made you to be, and who you are at this point in time?
If you extend beyond yourself, perhaps to someone else that you feel that you "know well", then similar questions apply. Do you know what this friend/family is thinking inside his or her heart? Have you known this person really - on a heart-to-heart level? Its my firm belief that such a beautiful thing can only arise from what will begin with the seed of truth. Is your relationship based on truth? Right now i see 2 aspects, that of honesty in the relationship, and the other of abiding by obedience to God's Word in both of your lives, first individually, then mutually.
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
- Ephesians 4:15
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."
- 1 Peter 1:22
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves."
- Romans 12:9-10
So what does the bible say about love? That it is important, very important in fact, in giving meaning to life. God's word says too about how we are to love, starting first with purifying our hearts through obedience to God, only then can our motives become pure, and can be truly understand and accede to God's desire for us to love in the manner of commitment, in the manner of sacrifice. And in all this truth must remain, both between us and God, and between us the other person. I realise that if we were to view it simply, then its because we want a functioning relationship to be present, and we want to really know the other party, and only then can we truly love the other party. So if we consider the main elements of what i mentioned about love, it is: Obedience to truth --> purification of heart --> loving as God guides our hearts --> keeping the truth in our lives.
"The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters,
but a man of understanding draws them out."
- Proverbs 20:5
"Buy the truth and do not sell it;
get wisdom, discipline and understanding."
- Proverbs 23:23
And if you've been keeping up with my blog, you'll know I do feel its good to begin to ponder about God's will. To ponder about how your life can be fulfilling, and how should it be. The book of Proverbs speaks a lot about understanding, about wisdom. And thats one of the elements we crucially need to make sense of what is happening around us. And yet this wisdom has to be godly wisdom, not human philosophies that may sound so attractive, yet on closer inspection you find it as an empty shell.
"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart."
- Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
Yet i realise that reflection seems the least of concern for many, both in generations that has passed, and our generation. It's confusing to know that someone can be satisfied living his life, not knowing where he came, why he is here, what he is doing, what his life is going to be all about - all these things. Surely, if you're part of Christian community that took up the book by Rick Warren, "The purpose driven life", you may have a straight argument to me, that you have reflected on your life. Surely that was good, but you've to realise too, that reflection has so much value in life, and it is not a phase in life, but it should be present constantly throughout.
"Be happy, young man, while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment."
- Ecclesiastes 11:9
And for good reasons too, as the book of Ecclesiastes points out, that as youth, it surely is good to follow the desires of your heart. But don't skip your eyes past what else the author says, that about remembering that every act(seen and unseen) will be known and judged by the Judge on the last day.
Thats it for today, in 3 weeks time I'll probably post up again, on 2 things, one of seeking God with all of our hearts and the other about our perceptions of time.
In His love,
Jon
so a man's heart reflects the man."
- Proverbs 27:19
So we can consider this verse, of when have you last looked at the condition of your heart - the core of your being? Have you been taking care of it, finding enough rest, and giving yourself enough time to find some meaning for your life? Have you begun that journey of seeking God to ask about really who He has made you to be, and who you are at this point in time?
If you extend beyond yourself, perhaps to someone else that you feel that you "know well", then similar questions apply. Do you know what this friend/family is thinking inside his or her heart? Have you known this person really - on a heart-to-heart level? Its my firm belief that such a beautiful thing can only arise from what will begin with the seed of truth. Is your relationship based on truth? Right now i see 2 aspects, that of honesty in the relationship, and the other of abiding by obedience to God's Word in both of your lives, first individually, then mutually.
"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ."
- Ephesians 4:15
"Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart."
- 1 Peter 1:22
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.
Honor one another above yourselves."
- Romans 12:9-10
So what does the bible say about love? That it is important, very important in fact, in giving meaning to life. God's word says too about how we are to love, starting first with purifying our hearts through obedience to God, only then can our motives become pure, and can be truly understand and accede to God's desire for us to love in the manner of commitment, in the manner of sacrifice. And in all this truth must remain, both between us and God, and between us the other person. I realise that if we were to view it simply, then its because we want a functioning relationship to be present, and we want to really know the other party, and only then can we truly love the other party. So if we consider the main elements of what i mentioned about love, it is: Obedience to truth --> purification of heart --> loving as God guides our hearts --> keeping the truth in our lives.
"The purposes of a man's heart are deep waters,
but a man of understanding draws them out."
- Proverbs 20:5
"Buy the truth and do not sell it;
get wisdom, discipline and understanding."
- Proverbs 23:23
And if you've been keeping up with my blog, you'll know I do feel its good to begin to ponder about God's will. To ponder about how your life can be fulfilling, and how should it be. The book of Proverbs speaks a lot about understanding, about wisdom. And thats one of the elements we crucially need to make sense of what is happening around us. And yet this wisdom has to be godly wisdom, not human philosophies that may sound so attractive, yet on closer inspection you find it as an empty shell.
"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work—this is a gift of God. 20 He seldom reflects on the days of his life, because God keeps him occupied with gladness of heart."
- Ecclesiastes 5:19-20
Yet i realise that reflection seems the least of concern for many, both in generations that has passed, and our generation. It's confusing to know that someone can be satisfied living his life, not knowing where he came, why he is here, what he is doing, what his life is going to be all about - all these things. Surely, if you're part of Christian community that took up the book by Rick Warren, "The purpose driven life", you may have a straight argument to me, that you have reflected on your life. Surely that was good, but you've to realise too, that reflection has so much value in life, and it is not a phase in life, but it should be present constantly throughout.
"Be happy, young man, while you are young,
and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
God will bring you to judgment."
- Ecclesiastes 11:9
And for good reasons too, as the book of Ecclesiastes points out, that as youth, it surely is good to follow the desires of your heart. But don't skip your eyes past what else the author says, that about remembering that every act(seen and unseen) will be known and judged by the Judge on the last day.
Thats it for today, in 3 weeks time I'll probably post up again, on 2 things, one of seeking God with all of our hearts and the other about our perceptions of time.
In His love,
Jon
Tuesday 8 January 2008
A quiet trust
A quiet trust
Do you know of a quiet trust, one that some has learnt to have with our God?
When life becomes so much of a struggle that your will is broken beyond redemption and you say, "LORD, save me, for I am nothing." From then, you silently remain in the same struggle and see from the limitations of your mind hte vastness of God Almighty, as He gently guides you out of the darkness bt the hand.
When you have truly known the LORD God enough to know your place in His presence. And how much of a privilege it is to be a child of the Most High God! Thus overflowing from our hearts, through an attitude of reverence and awe in knowing Him, this intense quietness of our lips and deep longing from our hearts to listen to Him comes.
Do you know of a quiet trust, one that some has learnt to have with our God?
A Prayer:
LORD, teach us to learn to submit to You in the many areas of our lives we have always struggled with, and teach us what it truly means to have reverence for You our God and King.
Scriptural References:
"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 4:5-6
"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water."
- Psalms 63:1
"Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me."
- Psalms 23:4
"You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?"
- Isaiah 29:16
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
- 1 John 3:1a
"3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor."
- Psalms 8:3-5
"2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."
- Psalms 1:2-3
Do you know of a quiet trust, one that some has learnt to have with our God?
When life becomes so much of a struggle that your will is broken beyond redemption and you say, "LORD, save me, for I am nothing." From then, you silently remain in the same struggle and see from the limitations of your mind hte vastness of God Almighty, as He gently guides you out of the darkness bt the hand.
When you have truly known the LORD God enough to know your place in His presence. And how much of a privilege it is to be a child of the Most High God! Thus overflowing from our hearts, through an attitude of reverence and awe in knowing Him, this intense quietness of our lips and deep longing from our hearts to listen to Him comes.
Do you know of a quiet trust, one that some has learnt to have with our God?
A Prayer:
LORD, teach us to learn to submit to You in the many areas of our lives we have always struggled with, and teach us what it truly means to have reverence for You our God and King.
Scriptural References:
"5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight."
- Proverbs 4:5-6
"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water."
- Psalms 63:1
"Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me."
- Psalms 23:4
"You turn things upside down,
as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to him who formed it,
"He did not make me"?
Can the pot say of the potter,
"He knows nothing"?"
- Isaiah 29:16
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!"
- 1 John 3:1a
"3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor."
- Psalms 8:3-5
"2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."
- Psalms 1:2-3
Thursday 13 December 2007
-Thoughts- On Living...
"1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers."
- Psalms 1:1-3
Its just been on my mind once in a while, in considering many ways of living, and making choices personally to what should be appropriate in my life. I do realise one thing, which may not be a "universal truth", but I do think its worth pondering for awhile sometimes. That is it is really much easier to live out a lie, than to struggle to live out what you know is true. But yet in living out the truth, even though it is much of a struggle, it is the only way one can grow. If lives out more truth, and in doing so face up to more weaknesses and failures, then one will grow more.
What do I mean by this? I guess I have 3 examples that come to my mind quite immediately, which I will explain a little further.
I do know of several friends who do harbor much hatred and bitterness on their hearts, due to hurts that were caused by another(somebody trusted), or by a circumstance of disappointment, and I do see how it can affect them. On the inside they develop a kind of self-defensive personality, one of constant fear of even more hurt, and hide deep in a shell that they have designated for themselves. On the surface? Actually bitterness, hatred, anger can give people much willpower to do tremendous things, like that of human's esteemed achievements. But in each achievement, is there truly a gain? Not so much in that person's eyes or for a Christian, in God's eyes. For in each achievement and all that work towards it, because of the motive of the heart being towards hate, you in fact end up feeling more empty, feeling more hurt that you've caused upon yourself.
The second example goes along this, like that of ignorance of the problem. But as we know, if the problem was a genuine problem, ignoring it only causes it to come back at you in time, a time that you never can truly determine when. And not being able to determine when can be detrimental, because it could come at a time that you are already down, and break you down even further, and at that point you won't be able to ignore it any longer. I think that will be even more difficult to bear than if it were to be handled earlier.
The third example is this, that some just live their lives not too bothered about the lives of others. That definitely cuts off a lot of "troubles", because most problems come in once human relationships come into the picture, because of our fallen nature. So in cutting that down, you will directly lessen the problems that one will encounter quite abit. But this will be towards a more anti-social behaviour at the extreme end, which is not what the bible teaches us to do. For in learning to love God, in learning to love another, all this being the essence of the law, it always requires a second party. And being involved in another person's life, taking the trouble to look out for another person's need and to help meet it as much as you have been given by God, I think this is good, and when one truly live in this manner a few things result. Mutual encouragement, as God's love which in in your heart is seen more clearly through a human connection. You also learn more about yourself, your selfish ambitions and many other motives that somehow lie upon your heart and you will struggle with, and when you learn to struggle with them with the strength that God grants by His Holy Spirit, then one will truly grown up in the process.
I guess its also good to elaborate a little bit on learning to be "bothered" about another person's life. Its not so much as to be a "busy-body" or a "kaypoh" in Singaporean terms, but more so because in learning to dwell upon the word of God and learning to obey, you are compelled to act in love, to want to help another benefit and grow in his or her life. The growth hopefully towards having a deeper and closer relationship with God, one that helps them recognise who God is, which becomes ever more important when the more difficult circumstances come in life.
Yeah I guess thats about it for my entry today. I guess its not exactly comprehensive, or a formula that helps organise one's life, but I'm just here to talk about a way of life that I have chosen, to act in responsibility, in love, in discernment - all this coexisting with each other. Sometimes it does get rather difficult i guess, especially when you yourself are suffering much in your life.
In His love,
Jon
Some Scriptural references:
"14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."
- Romans 7:14-25
"38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- Romans 8:38-39
Sunday 30 September 2007
Those simple things...
I think one thing is true, that when we go through life we learn more about how to treasure the simpler things, to find joy in them. The very reason that it is usually the simpler things that truly is essential and necessary - like water!
Yeah how have you been in your life lately? May God continue to bless your week ahead, as you live life encouraging another and being encouraged as well by a fellow brother or sister in Christ.
I just want to thank those who have know me personally and have prayed for me over the past few weeks. It has been a real trying time for me, although things have not improved much, I am clearer about certain things even as i continue to seek God in this journey of my life. As much as "love" has been a lesson for the previous 6 years of my life, and something I'm still continuing to learn, it seems as though "faith", "trust" and "prayer" is what's in season for me in this period.
Thanks for those who have done the "simplest of acts" in my life the past few weeks, that of an sms, that of an email, that of a phone call, that of a pat on the back, that of a smile. Thanks. =) It's amazing how its God works through the most simplest of acts in our life, that it can really be something that helps so much in another person's life.
Something I learnt as I seeked God yesterday, that it is difficult to let go of certain hurts and disappointments, but until you truly learn to do so and surrender them to God, your hands will always be occupied, and your heart and mind will always be somewhere else - meaning you will live in your past, that of memories of failures, even though your life consists of far more than that. At least that rings true in my life, so true to the point that a statement came to my mind that I found difficult to mutter. That of "I choose to forgive myself."
So yeah in my life I've begun to learn to let go, to realise that truly there are many things in life I do not understand, and circumstances that strike that I have totally no control over. I will not live in blaming myself, or setting myself down for those moments of folly as in the past, but will pick up lessons from those experiences, learn to work within my current limitations, and be faithful to God my LORD, King and Heavenly Father.
So let me go about this in my life once again, "Try and try again.", and "Live life in encouragement and building another person up to truly knowing himself or herself, through a better understanding of who God is.". May the LORD continue to bless and keep each one of you ever in His presence, where you will find peace, hope and joy, Amen.
In His love,
Jon
Scriptural references:
"12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained."
-Philippians 3:12-16
"18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."
- 1 John 3:18-24
Yeah how have you been in your life lately? May God continue to bless your week ahead, as you live life encouraging another and being encouraged as well by a fellow brother or sister in Christ.
I just want to thank those who have know me personally and have prayed for me over the past few weeks. It has been a real trying time for me, although things have not improved much, I am clearer about certain things even as i continue to seek God in this journey of my life. As much as "love" has been a lesson for the previous 6 years of my life, and something I'm still continuing to learn, it seems as though "faith", "trust" and "prayer" is what's in season for me in this period.
Thanks for those who have done the "simplest of acts" in my life the past few weeks, that of an sms, that of an email, that of a phone call, that of a pat on the back, that of a smile. Thanks. =) It's amazing how its God works through the most simplest of acts in our life, that it can really be something that helps so much in another person's life.
Something I learnt as I seeked God yesterday, that it is difficult to let go of certain hurts and disappointments, but until you truly learn to do so and surrender them to God, your hands will always be occupied, and your heart and mind will always be somewhere else - meaning you will live in your past, that of memories of failures, even though your life consists of far more than that. At least that rings true in my life, so true to the point that a statement came to my mind that I found difficult to mutter. That of "I choose to forgive myself."
So yeah in my life I've begun to learn to let go, to realise that truly there are many things in life I do not understand, and circumstances that strike that I have totally no control over. I will not live in blaming myself, or setting myself down for those moments of folly as in the past, but will pick up lessons from those experiences, learn to work within my current limitations, and be faithful to God my LORD, King and Heavenly Father.
So let me go about this in my life once again, "Try and try again.", and "Live life in encouragement and building another person up to truly knowing himself or herself, through a better understanding of who God is.". May the LORD continue to bless and keep each one of you ever in His presence, where you will find peace, hope and joy, Amen.
In His love,
Jon
Scriptural references:
"12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained."
-Philippians 3:12-16
"18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us."
- 1 John 3:18-24
Tuesday 4 September 2007
Reflections, Day 20.
Reflections, Day 20.
Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
Why does a man remain silent? Or why become increasingly so? It's possible to see that he realises his speech means for nothing, which means either he knows that those who are there are not listening, else it means the words of his tongue have become far too weak to represent the realities of his life. Do you really understand people of whom you have been spending time with? Try listening a little harder. If you are a Christian, ask the LORD to guide you each time you do, and perhaps you'll realise that it is true, each man is uniquely different, and until you do, you cannot love each man as the LORD desires you to.
And yet if you are in a period of you life of that of difficulties, I pray that this psalm will be one of which you will read and ask the LORD to allow the cries of your heart to be represented through it. May we by the grace of God learn that earnest cry of which our Lord Jesus had on the day of his cruxifiction, the day he took upon the sin of the word, the day he redeemed us, the day he by the strength of whom he possessed as God-in-man, choose a path of weakness to provide for our salvation, a path that shames the ways of this world, shames what we esteem as wise, shames what we esteem as strong, shames what we esteem as beautiful.
May we cry out if we ever are in our brokenness, through the overflow of our sorrow, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the same cry that identifies us as God's children. "Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth." And may this cry truly be that which allows we to learn to trust in the LORD our God increasingly, in our lives.
In His love,
Jon
Psalm 31
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Free me from the trap that is set for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.
6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not handed me over to the enemy
but have set my feet in a spacious place.
9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
my soul and my body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,
and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
I am the utter contempt of my neighbors;
I am a dread to my friends—
those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten by them as though I were dead;
I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear the slander of many;
there is terror on every side;
they conspire against me
and plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my God."
15 My times are in your hands;
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, O LORD,
for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
and lie silent in the grave.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
for with pride and contempt
they speak arrogantly against the righteous.
19 How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.
21 Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 In my alarm I said,
"I am cut off from your sight!"
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.
23 Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.
Why does a man remain silent? Or why become increasingly so? It's possible to see that he realises his speech means for nothing, which means either he knows that those who are there are not listening, else it means the words of his tongue have become far too weak to represent the realities of his life. Do you really understand people of whom you have been spending time with? Try listening a little harder. If you are a Christian, ask the LORD to guide you each time you do, and perhaps you'll realise that it is true, each man is uniquely different, and until you do, you cannot love each man as the LORD desires you to.
And yet if you are in a period of you life of that of difficulties, I pray that this psalm will be one of which you will read and ask the LORD to allow the cries of your heart to be represented through it. May we by the grace of God learn that earnest cry of which our Lord Jesus had on the day of his cruxifiction, the day he took upon the sin of the word, the day he redeemed us, the day he by the strength of whom he possessed as God-in-man, choose a path of weakness to provide for our salvation, a path that shames the ways of this world, shames what we esteem as wise, shames what we esteem as strong, shames what we esteem as beautiful.
May we cry out if we ever are in our brokenness, through the overflow of our sorrow, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the same cry that identifies us as God's children. "Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth." And may this cry truly be that which allows we to learn to trust in the LORD our God increasingly, in our lives.
In His love,
Jon
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