1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my consecrated ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.
Selah
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.
8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,
10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
16 But to the wicked, God says:
"What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?
17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.
18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.
20 You speak continually against your brother
and slander your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether like you.
But I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.
22 "Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:
23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show him the salvation of God."
I found this from a NIV Study Bible. Psalm 50 has essentially 3 parts - verse 1-6: the announcement of the "coming" of Israel's covenant Lord to call His people to account; verse 7-15: the Lord's words of correction for those of honest intent; verse 16-23: his sharp rebuke of "the wicked" among them.
I would like to focus on the 2nd part. Many of the people of God at that time had this misconception that God was almost dependent on the sacrifices that they gave to Him. How can the Lord, our God who owns everything in this world, be dependent on our sacrifices?
Put into today's context. FCBC is in the midst of 40 days' fast and pray. Do you think that God needs us to fast and pray so that He can survive? Of course not.
God doesn't depend on our fasting and praying. But I do believe that He is pleased with us when we, as a church. fast and pray and rely on Him to go on with life. Seriously, how can a modern Singapore survive without TV, electronic games and 1 less meal a day for a period of 40 days?
We probably can't if we rely on our own strength. But with God, nothing is impossible. My prayer this season is to rely on Him, seek His presence and take delight in my time with Him.
Things to ponder
1. What is the greatest sacrifice that you have ever offered to God in your entire life?
2. How ready are you in entering this 40 days' fast & pray? Rate from 1 to 10.
3. What are two obstacles that hinders you from entering 40 days' fast & pray?
4. Pray and commit to the Lord!
Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 50
1 comment:
1. I think this is the first time I'm making a big sacrifice to God. I've never really had much of a chance in the past, until I began to accept Jesus into my life. I think this is a major chance for me to get closer to God.
2. I'd give myself a 4. As much as I'd want to be able to get ready for the 40-day fast, I still have to admit that it's hard for a guy to skip a meal a day. I'm always tempted to eat like crazy when I'm supposed to be fasting. But I'll still give it my best shot! =D.
3. One obstacle is the painful hunger that I feel whenever my stomach tells me to go eat something, and my huge appetite. I always have to struggle with temptation, and pray that I will not fall victim to it.
Another obstacle that I face is the influence of the people around me. I've always joined them during recess and lunch, and now, I have to constantly turn them down whenever they ask me out for food. Peer pressure constantly makes me want to give up and indulge in temptation. Therefore, I hope that this period of fasting will mold me into a stronger person, and draw me closer to God and let me stand strong as an ambassador of Christ. To God be the glory! =D.
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