1 Hear me, LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
in this psalm, we see David bear his soul to God.. trusting that God knows his earnest heart. if God really knows us, then God would see our earnest desires and our faithfulness even though we might make weak attempts to be obedient, he sees our heart. even a mustard seed of faith is acknowledged by God. so David asks God to show him favor not because of all the good things he's done or all the ways he's been perfectly obedient or religious, but because God sees our heart of trust in Him. He can be simply pleased by our heart that trusts and depends on him, even if our life is in "shambles."
11 Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
as we were praying for Focus lifegroups, i was really convicted by this part of the passage. for myself and for the whole single-adult lifestage. mirae led us into prayer for everyone in this lifestage bc it's so easy for us to be selfish.. totally self-consumed, focused on our own dreams and goals and comforts, etc. do we really have an undivided heart for the Lord? do we really desire HIS glory above all our own goals and comforts? if we experienced His love to the full, like David says, would we not praise Him more? the way we can become less selfish is by experiencing the fullness of His love which compels us to worship. i notice that ive been becoming self-consumed very easily these days now that i have more "freedom" and time to myself.. everything is about me me me and what i wanna do. yikes! need God to give me a pure undivided heart.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
psm 85. song of songs 5.
"will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" God loves to revive His people- He does that for His own glory. He WANTS to restore us bc then we can praise and worship Him again, like we were meant to. my study bible says that this psalm may have been written during a drought. a time of distress.
"You showed favor to your land, O Lord; you restored the fortunes of Jacob...the Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest"
the psalmist remembers God as One who he has journeyed with. they share memories of the past together. he remembers what God has done for him in the past and what they experienced together throughout the years. he acknowledges God as the One who "restored" the land during the israelites' exile. that was time when the israelites were suffering from hopelessness while Jerusalem was in ruins. but God promised to restore the land and HE DID! it was hard to believe at the time of its ruin that Jerusalem would EVER be rebuilt. but they saw with their own eyes how God did rebuild the city again. God is testing that SAME faith again... asking the Israelites to trust again that God will restore the land and keep His promise in providing what is good for them.. even in the midst of hopelessness, do i believe that God will provide what is good for me? can i remember His faithfulness in the past, like this psalmist, and let that faith be strengthened to help me approach this new struggle? my struggle now is... having faith that God will provide what i need to make the next step of my future: grad school/teaching. God will you really provide what i need to get me into grad school? bc right now i doubt that a lot - especially after my gre. can i trust that God will provide? this is the same "area" that i always struggle with and i feel like God LOVES to test me in this area over and over.
"You showed favor to your land, O Lord; you restored the fortunes of Jacob...the Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest"
the psalmist remembers God as One who he has journeyed with. they share memories of the past together. he remembers what God has done for him in the past and what they experienced together throughout the years. he acknowledges God as the One who "restored" the land during the israelites' exile. that was time when the israelites were suffering from hopelessness while Jerusalem was in ruins. but God promised to restore the land and HE DID! it was hard to believe at the time of its ruin that Jerusalem would EVER be rebuilt. but they saw with their own eyes how God did rebuild the city again. God is testing that SAME faith again... asking the Israelites to trust again that God will restore the land and keep His promise in providing what is good for them.. even in the midst of hopelessness, do i believe that God will provide what is good for me? can i remember His faithfulness in the past, like this psalmist, and let that faith be strengthened to help me approach this new struggle? my struggle now is... having faith that God will provide what i need to make the next step of my future: grad school/teaching. God will you really provide what i need to get me into grad school? bc right now i doubt that a lot - especially after my gre. can i trust that God will provide? this is the same "area" that i always struggle with and i feel like God LOVES to test me in this area over and over.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
psm 84. song of songs 4.
How lovely is your dwelling place,
LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
so intense! the psalmist truly LOVES being in God's presence. the word choice is so extreme: yearns, faints, flesh cry out. not only does this display his affection but ALSO his sincere desperation for God.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
do i find myself in desperate times? where i am seeking the Lord wholeheartedly? to the point where i have no choice but to depend on God's strength to get by? it seems like the psalmist has experienced these types of circumstances.. came to a point of utter dependence on God where he had no choice but to seek God's strength. have i ever come to that point? i think it's easy to pray and ask God to teach me dependence, but i think i forget what that means for me... im pretty much asking God to put me in a situation where i HAVE to trust in Him alone. yikes. but can i trust that i will be "blessed" because of it?
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
again, the psalmist must have been through an experience that positions him to compare both the worldly, secular lifestyle and a life in God's Presence. now he's able to choose that being in God's presence is better than a thousand elsewhere - extreme wording again. i admit that sometimes i still wonder how life as a Christ follower really compares to enjoying temporary and worldly comforts and pleasures... is following Christ really that much better? is it really worth it? is it so much more fulfilling than what the world has to offer me? can God give me the same faith as this psalmist to believe and trust that TRUE blessings come when we live in His presence and there's no better place to be. even when i think of my future.. as God leads me to places and people that i had never imagined myself investing in.. can i believe that being in God's will is really so much better than being out in the world on my own and making my own choices. i'll have control of my own life, but is that really better than the life that God has for me?
LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.
so intense! the psalmist truly LOVES being in God's presence. the word choice is so extreme: yearns, faints, flesh cry out. not only does this display his affection but ALSO his sincere desperation for God.
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
do i find myself in desperate times? where i am seeking the Lord wholeheartedly? to the point where i have no choice but to depend on God's strength to get by? it seems like the psalmist has experienced these types of circumstances.. came to a point of utter dependence on God where he had no choice but to seek God's strength. have i ever come to that point? i think it's easy to pray and ask God to teach me dependence, but i think i forget what that means for me... im pretty much asking God to put me in a situation where i HAVE to trust in Him alone. yikes. but can i trust that i will be "blessed" because of it?
10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
again, the psalmist must have been through an experience that positions him to compare both the worldly, secular lifestyle and a life in God's Presence. now he's able to choose that being in God's presence is better than a thousand elsewhere - extreme wording again. i admit that sometimes i still wonder how life as a Christ follower really compares to enjoying temporary and worldly comforts and pleasures... is following Christ really that much better? is it really worth it? is it so much more fulfilling than what the world has to offer me? can God give me the same faith as this psalmist to believe and trust that TRUE blessings come when we live in His presence and there's no better place to be. even when i think of my future.. as God leads me to places and people that i had never imagined myself investing in.. can i believe that being in God's will is really so much better than being out in the world on my own and making my own choices. i'll have control of my own life, but is that really better than the life that God has for me?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
psm 83. proverbs 16.
psm 83. God loves His glory. He would do anything to preserve and advance His glory. in bringing judgment and severe destruction to the wicked AND in receiving glory through the lives of His chosen sons and daughters. this is encouraging because we know that as long as we are HIS, God would never let our lives be a humiliation, a failure, a disappointment.. because we are on His team- He is God and He WILL be exalted. He will never let His name be defamed.
proverbs 16. verses 1-4 provide a lot of encouragement now as i prepare to take my exam today. this gre prep for the past few weeks has incited anxiety and fear of failing to reach my goals and future plans.
(v.1) God works out and accomplishes the plans of my heart - God knows my heart's desires and dreams even without an explanation - He already knows and He'll be the one to work them out according to what He knows is best for me. (v.2) God sees through our actions and cares about the motives behind what we do. (v.3) if we commit everything we do, surrender all of our plans to Him, surrender it all for His glory and His purposes, THEN our plans will succeed. success is in His hands, not ours. He will accomplish His "good, pleasing, and perfect" will in me if i trust entrust all that i do into His hands. (v.4) The Lord is completely sovereign over ALL things, every life, and every detail. He works out EVERYTHING for "his own ends", His glory. He will even gain glory from the wicked. so how much more will he receive glory from His righteous chosen people? :)
Committing my gre, grad school, all my future plans, and every unspoken desire and ambition of my heart, into God's hands today.
proverbs 16. verses 1-4 provide a lot of encouragement now as i prepare to take my exam today. this gre prep for the past few weeks has incited anxiety and fear of failing to reach my goals and future plans.
(v.1) God works out and accomplishes the plans of my heart - God knows my heart's desires and dreams even without an explanation - He already knows and He'll be the one to work them out according to what He knows is best for me. (v.2) God sees through our actions and cares about the motives behind what we do. (v.3) if we commit everything we do, surrender all of our plans to Him, surrender it all for His glory and His purposes, THEN our plans will succeed. success is in His hands, not ours. He will accomplish His "good, pleasing, and perfect" will in me if i trust entrust all that i do into His hands. (v.4) The Lord is completely sovereign over ALL things, every life, and every detail. He works out EVERYTHING for "his own ends", His glory. He will even gain glory from the wicked. so how much more will he receive glory from His righteous chosen people? :)
Committing my gre, grad school, all my future plans, and every unspoken desire and ambition of my heart, into God's hands today.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
psm 82. song of songs 2.
"defend the weak and the fatherless
uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed
rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked"
-asaph compares our God with the "gods" that (im assuming) refers to idolatry.
-our God is the only one who has the power to defend, uphold, and deliver whereas the other gods "know nothing, understand nothing" and will "fall like every other ruler."
-if i serve a God like this - "if he is for us, who can be against us?" (rom 8) - then i should have confidence in whatever purpose i'm fulfilling to serve the Lord... i.e. i want to pray bolder prayers for God's power to be manifested in the city of Detroit - do i believe that our God can save and rescue broken people? even in a place that can seem so neglected and hopeless? i want to experience the truth of this: "ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you" from john 15.
uphold the cause of the poor and oppressed
rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked"
-asaph compares our God with the "gods" that (im assuming) refers to idolatry.
-our God is the only one who has the power to defend, uphold, and deliver whereas the other gods "know nothing, understand nothing" and will "fall like every other ruler."
-if i serve a God like this - "if he is for us, who can be against us?" (rom 8) - then i should have confidence in whatever purpose i'm fulfilling to serve the Lord... i.e. i want to pray bolder prayers for God's power to be manifested in the city of Detroit - do i believe that our God can save and rescue broken people? even in a place that can seem so neglected and hopeless? i want to experience the truth of this: "ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you" from john 15.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
psm 81. song of songs 1.
i considered skipping over song of songs.. since it's not really elevant to me right now hahaha.. but i decided to read through it anyway bc i dont like skipping around. hahaha so not sure how much insight i'll have from song of songs but i can share about psalms!
psm 81.
Because the israelites were disobedient and resistant to God's will, that He finally "gave them over to their stubborn hearts" ... basically letting them follow their own devices and do whatever the heck they wanted. so they did. which is what led them into captivity and suffering under their enemies... BUT God said that if his ppl would just listen to God and turn their ear to him again, God would QUICKLY come to their rescue at the sound of their call (v.13). This shows us that God has a Father's heart.. he cant force us to do anything. he will counsel us and offer his guidance and his help when we ASK for it and when we WANT it ourselves. he lets us make our own mistakes at times so that we will finally turn to him and realize that he is the only one who satisfies and saves.
psm 81.
Because the israelites were disobedient and resistant to God's will, that He finally "gave them over to their stubborn hearts" ... basically letting them follow their own devices and do whatever the heck they wanted. so they did. which is what led them into captivity and suffering under their enemies... BUT God said that if his ppl would just listen to God and turn their ear to him again, God would QUICKLY come to their rescue at the sound of their call (v.13). This shows us that God has a Father's heart.. he cant force us to do anything. he will counsel us and offer his guidance and his help when we ASK for it and when we WANT it ourselves. he lets us make our own mistakes at times so that we will finally turn to him and realize that he is the only one who satisfies and saves.
Friday, July 15, 2011
psm 80 & ecc 12
eeks sorry for not updating! gre crunch time is no excuse for not blogging. here we go again... last chapter of ecc 12.
starts with:
"remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come.." because life is meaningless without Him.
ends with:
"now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
i think what sticks out to me about this whole passage is the idea that toiling and trying to create purpose/meaning for my life is meaningless... bc God is my creator who designed me with a purpose, so why should i waste all my time trying to create my own? just live day to day seeking enjoyment in everything God has put before me - because enjoying each day and finding satisfaction is a GIFT from God. not something that we can gain on our own. even if we were to gain the whole word and achieve every goal we sought after... at the end of it, we will not find true satisfaction because it is a GIFT that only God chooses to give.
starts with:
"remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come.." because life is meaningless without Him.
ends with:
"now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."
i think what sticks out to me about this whole passage is the idea that toiling and trying to create purpose/meaning for my life is meaningless... bc God is my creator who designed me with a purpose, so why should i waste all my time trying to create my own? just live day to day seeking enjoyment in everything God has put before me - because enjoying each day and finding satisfaction is a GIFT from God. not something that we can gain on our own. even if we were to gain the whole word and achieve every goal we sought after... at the end of it, we will not find true satisfaction because it is a GIFT that only God chooses to give.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
job 18, 19
i kind of finished the rest of the book of job already, but that was too long ago and i can't remember much from it, so i wanted to go back and start from chapter 18.
in job 17, job talks about how grim things are for him. he says people are mocking him, and that all of his hopes are dead.
in job 18, his companion bildad the shuhite says a few things to job that really doesn't make him feel any better. it seems like he's telling job not to insult bildad and the other friends - like, don't take your anger out on us and call us beasts (v.3).
bildad then proceeds to tell job about all the terrible things that will happen to the "wicked" people that don't know God (v.21) - v.5-21
clearly bildad's intention is not to bring job out of his downcast state... he's just piling on more condemnations upon job.
job 19 - job calls bildad out for saying messed up things to him. job asks bildad & co. to take pity on him, because he's been cursed by God and is suffering from a lot of things.
but then in v. 25, he starts speaking with certainty about the existence of a redeemer that rules over the earth. he tells bildad to beware of God's judgment.
it's kind of interesting how job goes from complaining about his afflictions to declaring his faith for God.
also, in v. 5-6, i think job is telling bildad that when bildad insults job, it's not job that bildad is dealing with, but it's God, because God currently has full control over every aspect of job's life (through the means of putting a curse on him... so this "control" is certainly not a pleasant one for job... but anyway)
job is such a long book!
in job 17, job talks about how grim things are for him. he says people are mocking him, and that all of his hopes are dead.
in job 18, his companion bildad the shuhite says a few things to job that really doesn't make him feel any better. it seems like he's telling job not to insult bildad and the other friends - like, don't take your anger out on us and call us beasts (v.3).
bildad then proceeds to tell job about all the terrible things that will happen to the "wicked" people that don't know God (v.21) - v.5-21
clearly bildad's intention is not to bring job out of his downcast state... he's just piling on more condemnations upon job.
job 19 - job calls bildad out for saying messed up things to him. job asks bildad & co. to take pity on him, because he's been cursed by God and is suffering from a lot of things.
but then in v. 25, he starts speaking with certainty about the existence of a redeemer that rules over the earth. he tells bildad to beware of God's judgment.
it's kind of interesting how job goes from complaining about his afflictions to declaring his faith for God.
also, in v. 5-6, i think job is telling bildad that when bildad insults job, it's not job that bildad is dealing with, but it's God, because God currently has full control over every aspect of job's life (through the means of putting a curse on him... so this "control" is certainly not a pleasant one for job... but anyway)
job is such a long book!
Monday, July 11, 2011
psm 79. ecc 11.
rough day. thoughts of discouragement, defeat, and self-pity looming today. feel too weak to fight it. throughout the school day and after i got home.. started questioning where my life is going. and if what im doing now is significant, impacting, meaningful in any way. not just that, has anything i've been doing for the past two years have any worth/born any fruit? and are my future plans going to bear any fruit or am i being foolish in my hopeful ambitions? these are my young, single years post-college, the years where you either grow to exceed or utterly fail to meet your potential... and what am i doing with my life? i wonder if the choices i made the past few years were the right ones. hrm.. so i journaled and read this. and lo and behold, it was very fitting.
ecc 10.
(v.1) be adventurous and try out new things... cast out my time/energy/investment broadly because you will reap from it. don't always play it safe.
(v.2) don't put all your eggs in one basket and invest everything into a specific agenda or ambition because you dont know what will happen in the future - what if disaster comes upon your plans and you lose everything? diversify your efforts because you never know what your investment will result in. it is totally my personality to put all my eggs in one basket - that's so me! i love the idea going "all-in" and getting a perfect result, finding security and safety in that one thing that you put all your effort into. like my career.. i wanna go "all-in" to one career and just establish security for myself and stabilize my future... BUT God is not asking me to live that way. i think in this stage of my life, God may want me to start investing in different things, even if they seem disparate from one another... it's okay. bc God will connect the dots and there's a reason for everything he calls me to do. even if it doesnt all make sense right now. be bold, take some risk in trying new things, learning new things, and explore... you will reap from it bc if God called you to it, He will make it fruitful. so with me in teaching, detroit, design, lifegroup, etc.. invest in these different things bc it will reap something - you may not know what just yet - but it will.
(v.3-4) "if clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." hahaha this is SO for me. God definitely wanted me to read this. i am the person who is always over-thinking things.. that's my constant problem. i think too much and never take action. im a thinker, not a do-er. ppl like me mull over every detail and try to figure out the best plan of action without ever taking any action bc of the fear and anxieties that fill up our minds. anyway, that's me right now. especially as i think about the future and my next steps. my next step: gre, grad school apps, teaching certification? but i keep second-guessing myself these days and mulling over EVERY reason why i should or should not do it or why it could or could not work out or how it might succeed or how it might fail, etc etc. bc of all these questions i have, i often tkae a LONG time to decide on something and actually do something, take action, take steps forward. lisa, my accountability partner last year, would always rebuke me about that haha. and she was so right.
(v.5-6) i need to trust that no matter how much i think about these things, i have no control over what happens. God is God and He is master of the universe and controls every detail of life - can i trust in His control? for now, just DO what you can. sow your seed, work hard and be faithful with what you've been given, dont be lazy, and let God take care of the rest. i cant fully control or anticipate what will succeed and what will fail, so just DO IT and trust that God will lead me.
thanks God for the encouragement today - you know i needed it. like really. you know me so well. help me to surrender to and fully trust in your leadership.
ecc 10.
(v.1) be adventurous and try out new things... cast out my time/energy/investment broadly because you will reap from it. don't always play it safe.
(v.2) don't put all your eggs in one basket and invest everything into a specific agenda or ambition because you dont know what will happen in the future - what if disaster comes upon your plans and you lose everything? diversify your efforts because you never know what your investment will result in. it is totally my personality to put all my eggs in one basket - that's so me! i love the idea going "all-in" and getting a perfect result, finding security and safety in that one thing that you put all your effort into. like my career.. i wanna go "all-in" to one career and just establish security for myself and stabilize my future... BUT God is not asking me to live that way. i think in this stage of my life, God may want me to start investing in different things, even if they seem disparate from one another... it's okay. bc God will connect the dots and there's a reason for everything he calls me to do. even if it doesnt all make sense right now. be bold, take some risk in trying new things, learning new things, and explore... you will reap from it bc if God called you to it, He will make it fruitful. so with me in teaching, detroit, design, lifegroup, etc.. invest in these different things bc it will reap something - you may not know what just yet - but it will.
(v.3-4) "if clouds are full of water, they pour rain upon the earth. whether a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where it falls, there will it lie. whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap." hahaha this is SO for me. God definitely wanted me to read this. i am the person who is always over-thinking things.. that's my constant problem. i think too much and never take action. im a thinker, not a do-er. ppl like me mull over every detail and try to figure out the best plan of action without ever taking any action bc of the fear and anxieties that fill up our minds. anyway, that's me right now. especially as i think about the future and my next steps. my next step: gre, grad school apps, teaching certification? but i keep second-guessing myself these days and mulling over EVERY reason why i should or should not do it or why it could or could not work out or how it might succeed or how it might fail, etc etc. bc of all these questions i have, i often tkae a LONG time to decide on something and actually do something, take action, take steps forward. lisa, my accountability partner last year, would always rebuke me about that haha. and she was so right.
(v.5-6) i need to trust that no matter how much i think about these things, i have no control over what happens. God is God and He is master of the universe and controls every detail of life - can i trust in His control? for now, just DO what you can. sow your seed, work hard and be faithful with what you've been given, dont be lazy, and let God take care of the rest. i cant fully control or anticipate what will succeed and what will fail, so just DO IT and trust that God will lead me.
thanks God for the encouragement today - you know i needed it. like really. you know me so well. help me to surrender to and fully trust in your leadership.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
psm 78. ecc 10.
-psalmist recounts the rebellion and stubborn hearts of the israelites who turned away from God even after all the miracles and provisions God provided them.
-they would forget God's wonders and all the things He did for them, and instead complained and demanded God to give them their fleshly cravings.
-God held back his wrath so many times but eventually, as any good Father would, disciplines them by handing them over to their idols and letting them do what they wanted. which ended up getting them captured by their enemies and exiled into Babylon.
-but in His grace, God raises up new leaders to lead them back to the Promised Land.
-(ecc) solomon describes the many evils he has witnessed on earth, all the injustices, and it puts life into perspective for him. "fools in high positions while rich occupy the lowly positions." basically, life is unfair and doesn't make sense. you will never understand the complete purpose or meaning behind everything that happens bc you are human. let God be God, the One who is sovereign and appoints a time and reason for everything. instead of trying to figure why this or why that, focus on being faithful with what you've been given and seek joy in that. dont constantly compare your life to others, which is something i find myself doing a lot. seek joy and satisfaction in Him because it's truly a gift that only He can give.
-they would forget God's wonders and all the things He did for them, and instead complained and demanded God to give them their fleshly cravings.
-God held back his wrath so many times but eventually, as any good Father would, disciplines them by handing them over to their idols and letting them do what they wanted. which ended up getting them captured by their enemies and exiled into Babylon.
-but in His grace, God raises up new leaders to lead them back to the Promised Land.
-(ecc) solomon describes the many evils he has witnessed on earth, all the injustices, and it puts life into perspective for him. "fools in high positions while rich occupy the lowly positions." basically, life is unfair and doesn't make sense. you will never understand the complete purpose or meaning behind everything that happens bc you are human. let God be God, the One who is sovereign and appoints a time and reason for everything. instead of trying to figure why this or why that, focus on being faithful with what you've been given and seek joy in that. dont constantly compare your life to others, which is something i find myself doing a lot. seek joy and satisfaction in Him because it's truly a gift that only He can give.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
psm 77 & ecc 9
psm of asaph.
-he starts the psalm in deep distress, calling out to God but not being comforted. why not? where is God? isn't He supposed to respond?
-he doesn't "hear" from God so he continues to be in distress, groans, muses, cannot close his eyes, and struggles with this internal conflict... this causes him to think deeply, meditate, and confront certain thoughts and doubts on his mind and heart. maybe he wouldnt have confronted them if it wasnt for that "wrestling" period he had to go through while God was being "silent."
-he ends up being very honest and blunt about his doubts and questions about God's character. "will the Lord reject forever? will he never show his favor? has his unfailing love vanished forever? has his promise failed for all time? has God forgotten to be merciful? has he in anger withheld his compassion?" "what the heck is going on God?!" is my interpretation of how he feels. frustrated, alone, confused about who God is bc his circumstances imply that God is not good to him.
-THEN there is a break, a pause in the psalm. "Selah". it is known that "selah" happens during a psalm when the person pauses to think, meditate.
-right after the selah, the psalmist's attitude completely changes! and how does it change? not just magically... but the psalmist makes a DECISION. and ACTIVE CHOICE. he decided to "remember." remember God's goodness and faithfulness of the past and all of His demonstrations of power. he CHOOSES to reflect and remember and BELIEVE in how good God is.
-THEN he decides to PROCLAIM who God is in full-out faith now. He proclaims the character of God, in all his power and glory and goodness.
it's crazy how many psalmists change their attitude and thoughts throughout the psalm. i've read this pattern before where when you are compeltely honest and blunt with God.. confronting your doubts and questions and earnestly seeking His answers.. He will change your heart and give you the faith you need. but you need to trust Him enough to turn to him and actually GIVE him your doubts and questions.
something else that sticks out to me is that in the beginning, the psalmist is upset bc God is not "answering" him. dont we feel like that a lot? where God seems "silent"? especially when we're confused or stressed or questioning... he seems so quiet. and then we think, God where the heck are you??? BUT it's so funny how God perhaps wants us to WAIT for his response sometimes. He definitely will respond, but soemtimes we need to wait for it. why does He not respond right away? because he wants our hearts to be in the right place first.. like with this psalmist, he was upset and when he didnt get teh quick easy "comfort" fix from God.. it made him actually THINK deeply and meditate. how rarely do we do that? sometimes we never really think and never confront our heart issues unless God forces us to. so here is the psalmist, forced to start confronting his deep doubts about God.. so taht God could respond when the psalmist has revealed his true heart condition. what a perfect time for God to intervene! God's timing is perfect. He will always answer in HIS perfect timing.
-he starts the psalm in deep distress, calling out to God but not being comforted. why not? where is God? isn't He supposed to respond?
-he doesn't "hear" from God so he continues to be in distress, groans, muses, cannot close his eyes, and struggles with this internal conflict... this causes him to think deeply, meditate, and confront certain thoughts and doubts on his mind and heart. maybe he wouldnt have confronted them if it wasnt for that "wrestling" period he had to go through while God was being "silent."
-he ends up being very honest and blunt about his doubts and questions about God's character. "will the Lord reject forever? will he never show his favor? has his unfailing love vanished forever? has his promise failed for all time? has God forgotten to be merciful? has he in anger withheld his compassion?" "what the heck is going on God?!" is my interpretation of how he feels. frustrated, alone, confused about who God is bc his circumstances imply that God is not good to him.
-THEN there is a break, a pause in the psalm. "Selah". it is known that "selah" happens during a psalm when the person pauses to think, meditate.
-right after the selah, the psalmist's attitude completely changes! and how does it change? not just magically... but the psalmist makes a DECISION. and ACTIVE CHOICE. he decided to "remember." remember God's goodness and faithfulness of the past and all of His demonstrations of power. he CHOOSES to reflect and remember and BELIEVE in how good God is.
-THEN he decides to PROCLAIM who God is in full-out faith now. He proclaims the character of God, in all his power and glory and goodness.
it's crazy how many psalmists change their attitude and thoughts throughout the psalm. i've read this pattern before where when you are compeltely honest and blunt with God.. confronting your doubts and questions and earnestly seeking His answers.. He will change your heart and give you the faith you need. but you need to trust Him enough to turn to him and actually GIVE him your doubts and questions.
something else that sticks out to me is that in the beginning, the psalmist is upset bc God is not "answering" him. dont we feel like that a lot? where God seems "silent"? especially when we're confused or stressed or questioning... he seems so quiet. and then we think, God where the heck are you??? BUT it's so funny how God perhaps wants us to WAIT for his response sometimes. He definitely will respond, but soemtimes we need to wait for it. why does He not respond right away? because he wants our hearts to be in the right place first.. like with this psalmist, he was upset and when he didnt get teh quick easy "comfort" fix from God.. it made him actually THINK deeply and meditate. how rarely do we do that? sometimes we never really think and never confront our heart issues unless God forces us to. so here is the psalmist, forced to start confronting his deep doubts about God.. so taht God could respond when the psalmist has revealed his true heart condition. what a perfect time for God to intervene! God's timing is perfect. He will always answer in HIS perfect timing.
Friday, July 8, 2011
HOORAY
"Blessed is the one......whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers." (psm 1:1-3) what a great image of security and stability in Christ as we are constantly depending on His Word as our life source. hooray for new beginnings! :)
here are a few insights from my qt today.
psm 76
-fear of the Lord. be fearful of Him and not other people because He is the ultimate judge - do i live in reverence of Him or live anxiously fearing what others think of my words/actions?
ecc 8
- often times, my life feels aimless and purposeless ESPecially compared to worldly gains and pursuits... which snowballs into a lot of discouragement and defeat. BUT solomon says to obey the king bc He is "supreme." if i'm obeying God's commands and doing His will then how could anyone doubt my cause/purpose in asking "what are you doing?" (v.4) i have to learn to have a more steadfast spirit and not be so easily doubtful of God's sovereignty in my life.
-we, as humans, have no control of power in knowing what the future holds so instead of toiling over figuring it out.. the best we can do is to focus on finding joy and satisfaction from the portion God has already given to me. all throughout ecclesiastes, solomon continues to emphasize that the best thing for a man to do is find fulfillment in what he eats, drinks, and labors over (the portion God gave us). enjoying our lives is a gift from God bc many men can live long and strive for prosperity and even gain the whole word and all its riches, but only God can grant the enjoyment of the things he gains.
here are a few insights from my qt today.
psm 76
-fear of the Lord. be fearful of Him and not other people because He is the ultimate judge - do i live in reverence of Him or live anxiously fearing what others think of my words/actions?
ecc 8
- often times, my life feels aimless and purposeless ESPecially compared to worldly gains and pursuits... which snowballs into a lot of discouragement and defeat. BUT solomon says to obey the king bc He is "supreme." if i'm obeying God's commands and doing His will then how could anyone doubt my cause/purpose in asking "what are you doing?" (v.4) i have to learn to have a more steadfast spirit and not be so easily doubtful of God's sovereignty in my life.
-we, as humans, have no control of power in knowing what the future holds so instead of toiling over figuring it out.. the best we can do is to focus on finding joy and satisfaction from the portion God has already given to me. all throughout ecclesiastes, solomon continues to emphasize that the best thing for a man to do is find fulfillment in what he eats, drinks, and labors over (the portion God gave us). enjoying our lives is a gift from God bc many men can live long and strive for prosperity and even gain the whole word and all its riches, but only God can grant the enjoyment of the things he gains.
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