Psalm 57

1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.

2 I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me.

3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
Selah
God sends his love and his faithfulness.

4 I am in the midst of lions;
I lie among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

6 They spread a net for my feet—
I was bowed down in distress.
They dug a pit in my path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Selah

7 My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.

8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

In Psalm 57, David described himself as being trapped and surrounded by his enemies. Look at verse 4 "I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts — men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords".

Yet, in the midst of all the negative circumstances, David chose to 1) cry out to God and admit that he needed His help, and 2) praise God with all his heart to everyone around him.


Very often, when I'm trapped in a bad situation, I tend to complain to God. I even sometimes blame Him for what happened. I really need to follow the example of David - to cry out to God and praise Him even if the world comes crashing down!


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you cry out to God for mercy? Why did you do it?
2. When was the last time you gave your all in praising God? Why did you do it?
3. Pray and commit to God that in every situation, crying out to God is our first option, and not last resort.

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 56

12 I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

Thoughts: Though I reflected on the quality of my 1 hr spent with God last week and felt that my heart hasn't been broken enough to receive the Holy Spirit's wholeness, God brought me to the verses above. Despite how sinful and corrupted in nature our mind still are, how imperfect we are to enter his presence, God prompts us to put the worries and guilt aside. Give thanks for he has chosen us to be his children, delievering us from the darkness of the world and bringing us back to him, through Jesus Christ's crucification, into his light.

Application: To not give up in offering my best during my 1 hr of prayer to God, for he'll eventually deliver me from restlessness to peace when I pray.

Psalm 56

1 Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;
all day long they press their attack.

2 My slanderers pursue me all day long;
many are attacking me in their pride.

3 When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.

4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?

5 All day long they twist my words;
they are always plotting to harm me.

6 They conspire, they lurk,
they watch my steps,
eager to take my life.

7 On no account let them escape;
in your anger, O God, bring down the nations.

8 Record my lament;
list my tears on your scroll -
are they not in your record?

9 Then my enemies will turn back
when I call for help.
By this I will know that God is for me.

10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise-

11 in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows to you, O God;
I will present my thank offerings to you.

13 For you have delivered me from death
and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

David repeated a similar theme in 2 separate verses in this psalm.

Verse 4: "In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?"

Verses 10-11: "In God, whose word I praise,in the LORD, whose word I praise - in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

It really reminds me that "if God is for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31. When we learn to trust that God is in control of everything in our lives, we will stop worrying about pleasing people.

If we do what is good in the eyes of God, why should we fear any one?


My personal application is that I must remember to please God, and not please man. After all, what can man do to me, if I have found favour in the eyes of God?


Things to ponder
1. How much do you seek to please God? Rate 1 to 10 (10 means most!).
2. How much do you seek to please man (people, friends, etc)?
3. What is something that cause you to want to please man and not please God?
4. Pray and ask God to give you a heart to always please God.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 56

Psalm 55

1 Listen to my prayer, O God,
do not ignore my plea;

2 hear me and answer me.
My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught

3 at the voice of the enemy,
at the stares of the wicked;
for they bring down suffering upon me
and revile me in their anger.

4 My heart is in anguish within me;
the terrors of death assail me.

5 Fear and trembling have beset me;
horror has overwhelmed me.

6 I said, "Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest-

7 I would flee far away
and stay in the desert;
Selah

8 I would hurry to my place of shelter,
far from the tempest and storm."

9 Confuse the wicked, O Lord, confound their speech,
for I see violence and strife in the city.

10 Day and night they prowl about on its walls;
malice and abuse are within it.

11 Destructive forces are at work in the city;
threats and lies never leave its streets.

12 If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
if a foe were raising himself against me,
I could hide from him.

13 But it is you, a man like myself,
my companion, my close friend,

14 with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
as we walked with the throng at the house of God.

15 Let death take my enemies by surprise;
let them go down alive to the grave,
for evil finds lodging among them.

16 But I call to God,
and the LORD saves me.

17 Evening, morning and noon
I cry out in distress,
and he hears my voice.

18 He ransoms me unharmed
from the battle waged against me,
even though many oppose me.

19 God, who is enthroned forever,
will hear them and afflict them—
Selah
men who never change their ways
and have no fear of God.

20 My companion attacks his friends;
he violates his covenant.

21 His speech is smooth as butter,
yet war is in his heart;
his words are more soothing than oil,
yet they are drawn swords.

22 Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

23 But you, O God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of corruption;
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.

I really like verse 22 "Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

During this season of fasting and praying, one of the key things that we want to get out of it is TOTAL DEPENDENCE on God. Every single care and concern in our lives, we should bring them up before the Lord. Nothing is too trivial for God - simply because He loves us.


I used to have this idea that if it's something that I can handle using my own strength, I need not bother God. I have came to realize how shallow such a view is. God is never too busy or stretched to attend to us. He loves us so much that He is concerned about every details of our lives. The question is whether we allow Him to take control over our lives and be involved every moment.


Things to ponder
1. What are two things that you feel very comfortable with and believe that you can do them without the help of God?
2. After reading Psalm 55:22, how do you think you should change your attitude with respect to the two things mentioned?
3. Pray and cast every care to the Lord. Believe that He will sustain you. Pray that you will have TOTAL DEPENDENCE on God.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 55

Psalm 54

1 Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.

2 Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

3 Strangers are attacking me;
ruthless men seek my life—
men without regard for God.
Selah

4 Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.

5 Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.

6 I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, O LORD,
for it is good.

7 For he has delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

In the context of Psalm 54, David's hiding position was revealed to Saul by the Ziphites (read 1 Samuel 23:7-26).

Do you sometimes feel like the world (or at least the people around you) suddenly seems to be against you? I think that was how David felt when he was trying to hide away from Saul. David's reaction was to turn to God, and recognize Him as his help and the One who sustains him (Psalm 54:4).

The Bible teaches us not just to turn to God when people backstab / hate / point fingers / scold / do us wrong, but also to bless them. Love our enemies - Jesus taught that - Matthew 5:43-48.


Things to ponder
1. Are there people whom you feel have done you wrong? List down a few names and why.
2. Pray a prayer to forgive them and even bless them.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 54

Psalm 53

1 The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.

2 God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.

3 Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

4 Will the evildoers never learn—
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on God?

5 There they were, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.

6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Psalm 53:1-3 reminds me of the word SIN. Many of us associate sin with murder, anger, lust, stealing, etc. Yes, sin encompasses all of the above-mentioned.

But it doesn't end there. The word SIN has the letter 'I' in the middle. Basically, when each of us enthrone the letter 'I' (which mean myself) in our hearts, we will want to do things our own ways. We don't want God to interfere in our lives.


Before I was a Christian, I was always doing things to satisfy my own desires. For instance, when I was in university year 1, I told myself that there are only five things that I want to focus on: 1. Girl; 2. Studies; 3. Basketball; 4. Friends; 5. Family. In a nutshell, I just want to feel happy myself. My main focus wasn't to make others happy.

Now that I'm a Christian, I learn to put God first in my life (at least I try). Hence, to be a blessing to others is a higher focus now than satisfying my own desires. I pray that the letter 'I' will be taken away from me more each day.


Things to ponder
1. How self-centred do you think you are? Rate yourself 1 to 10 (10 means most self-centred).
2. What are two things that you do that put the letter 'I' right in the centre of your life (means want to do things your own way, and not God's way)?
3. Pray and commit to God to press on in putting away the letter 'I' in your life.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 53

Psalm 52

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?

2 Your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor,
you who practice deceit.

3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
Selah

4 You love every harmful word,
O you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah

6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at him, saying,

7 "Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!"

8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love
for ever and ever.

9 I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

What happened was this: Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd told Saul about how David stayed at the house of the priest, Ahimelech. Saul was so furious at the priest that he ordered his guards to kill all the priests of Nob. His guards refused because they were unwilling to lift their hands against the priests of God. But Doeg did. He killed 85 priests and the whole town, Nob. Read 1 Samuel 21:1-9 and 22:6-23.

Imagine you're David. And you know of someone who just did something terrible. What would your first reaction? Would you take things into your own hands and strike back? Or would you trust that God will take care of everything?


Today, there were so many bad referee decisions during RI's basketball match against Peirce Sec. At one point, I kind of lashed out at the referees (but it didn't change things at all). Upon reflection, I really just need to pray and commit all these things to the Lord. And trust that He is in control, just like David did.


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you saw some 'injustice' happen? Elaborate.
2. What was your response then?
3. How do you think God wants you to respond?
4. Pray and commit all the past, present and future injustices that you encounter.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 52

Psalm 51

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Imagine you have just committed a terrible sin. Then someone (like your cell leader) came up to you and pointed out your sin. Would your reaction be one of denial or would it be one of repentence & humility? I suspect many of us will deny.

The context of this psalm is that David had just sinned against the Lord by committng adultery & murder (read 2 Samuel 11-12). Prophet Nathan rebuked David sharply. Despite being the king of Israel, David didn't give any excuse for his sin. Neither did he blame anyone else but himself.

Looking at Psalm 51, we could see David's acknowledgement of his sin & his desperate plea for God's forgiveness. He came before the Lord, utterly broken.


I remembered the times that when my cell leader pointed out the sins in my life. There were a few occassions whereby I was pretty defensive and tried to deny them. My prayer is that when I do sin against the Lord, my heart will always be tender and I will cry out to Him just like David did in Psalm 51.


Things to ponder
1. What is your usual reaction when your cell leader points out the sins and mistakes in your life?
2. Why do you think you reacted that way?
3. Pray for yourself to have a heart just like David's - a heart after God's own heart.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 51

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 50

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."

As I read this Psalm and as we enter the 2nd day of the 40 day fast, God reminded that He does acknowledge our dicipline in sacrificing our meal a day, tv, games and time to spend with him, but are we doing this as a task? Are we going to get over this after 40 days and return to our busy lives, neglecting God once more.

God does not want us to spend time 40 days being close to him just because he is a lonely God. He initiated this because He loved us and wants us to draw closer to him and be refreshed in his presence for eternity.

Though I myself struggle at the beginning, I believe after this 40 days of fast and prayer, if we really put our heart into this, we will be so close to God that it'll be easier to give thanks for whatever situations we are in, obey him and seek him even when we are really troubled. Just like a close relationship between a father and a son. :)

Psalm 50

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

Psalm 49

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,

2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me-

6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

7 No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him-

8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough-

9 that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

10 For all can see that wise men die;
the foolish and the senseless alike perish
and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their tombs will remain their houses forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had named lands after themselves.

12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah

14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave,
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.

15 But God will redeem my life from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself.
Selah

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;

17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—
and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .

20 A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, the whole world fell into sin. And because of that, man and God are separated. There was no way that God, being 100% holy and righteous could stand the sight of a sinful man.

As described by the psalmist throughout the psalm, whether you are high or low, rich or poor, wise or foolish, when you die physically, you will also die spiritually. You will be eternally separated from God.

Unless someone redeems from your sins.

The psalmist said that no man can redeem the life of another and pay for his sins (verse 7-9). No man. But God had a plan. His plan was to send His only son, Jesus down to the earth to redeem us of our sins (verse 15). Then we can spend the rest of eternity in God's presence and live forever.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."


Personally, knowing that God really really loves me so much that He sent His son to be tortured and crucified at the cross, I really need to respond to Him. I want to spend the next 40 days fasting and praying and get busy romancing God! May the Lord help me!!


Things to ponder
1. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 means a lot!), how much time do you spend accumulating the riches of the world - academic grades, money, going outings with other people, etc?
2. When was the last time you had a deep conversation with God?
3. Pray and receive God's love for you, as described in John 3:16. Commit to also the 40 days of fasting and praying.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 49

Psalm 48

`1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

2 It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon is Mount Zion,
the city of the Great King.

3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.

4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,

5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.

6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.

7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.

8 As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever.
Selah

9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.

10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,

13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.

Psalm 48 describes to us the City of God. Mount Zion, mentioned a few times as well, seems to be referring to the same thing.


It is a place where God is enthroned as the Great King. He protects them from harm. He protects them from people with ill-intents. Every day and night, the people in this city meditate and remember His unfailing love. They enjoy life in the city.

Does the above paragraph speak of our souls?

I felt that we Christians should be the Cities of God. Each of us carry the presence of the Lord with us. If we enthrone Him as the King of our lives, we will have the blessings and characteristics described by the psalmist. Others will know that God is real.

Finally, verse 13 reminds us to actively share His love with others. We're not to be passive but proactive in sharing the gospels, so that the next generation will know Him.


Personally, I think that some of my colleagues and students found me different from others. Most of their opinions seems to be positive. But I'm really not sure if they can see Christ in me. Perhaps I need to interact with them at a deeper level to find out.


Things to ponder
1. How bright are you shining for Jesus when you attend school? Rate yourself 1 to 10.
2. What are two areas that stop you from shining for Jesus in school?
3. How can you overcome these obstacles?
4. Pray and commit to the Lord. Praise Him and enthrone Him in your heart.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 48

Psalm 47

1 Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy.

2 How awesome is the LORD Most High,
the great King over all the earth!

3 He subdued nations under us,
peoples under our feet.

4 He chose our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
Selah

5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy,
the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.

7 For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne.

9 The nobles of the nations assemble
as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings of the earth belong to God;
he is greatly exalted.

Psalm 47 is really like a praise psalm. Every verse either 1) reminds us to give praise to God through clapping, shouting and singing, or 2) describes to us the greatness and soverignity of God.

God is the King of ALL the earth.

As the people of God, let's praise God for who He is. His greatness. His power. His love for us. His soverignity. Don't just praise God when things go well. Praise God in ALL situations.


Personally, this week, I had just learnt a lesson about praising God and being thankful in the midst of a bad situation. I surrendered the situation to the Lord, praised Him, and trusted Him that something miraculous would happen.


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you really praise God with all of your heart, soul and spirit?
2. What is one thing that stops you from praising God?
3. How do you intend to overcome it?
4. Pray and praise God for who He is. And commit to Him the thing that you want to do.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 47

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

There are bound to be storms in our lives. The question is how do we go through them?

I believe that the answer is found in Psalm 46:10, when God says "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

When we are experiencing storms in our lives, we need to be still and acknowledge that our God is in control of everything. Then we can experience the peace as if we are in the eye of the storm.



One of the biggest storm happened to me last year whereby my grandfather passed away. But because I knew that He was saved, and I knew that God cares, I felt so much peace. I was sad that he wasn't around, but I was also consoled that God has taken him to a better place - heaven. I really want to commit all my future storms into God's hands. In Him, I will seek refuge and rise above the storms.


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you had a big storm in your life? What did you do in response?
2. If you had trusted in God more, and be still before Him, what would you have done differently?
3. Pray and commit future storms into His hands.

Click here for Pastor YC's reflection on Psalm 46