Psalm 72

Of Solomon

1 Endow the king with your justice, O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.

2 He will judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.

3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.

4 He will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
he will crush the oppressor.

5 He will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.

6 He will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.

7 In his days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.

8 He will rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

9 The desert tribes will bow before him
and his enemies will lick the dust.

10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
will bring tribute to him;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
will present him gifts.

11 All kings will bow down to him
and all nations will serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.

13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.

14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!
May gold from Sheba be given him.
May people ever pray for him
and bless him all day long.

16 Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
let it thrive like the grass of the field.

17 May his name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through him,
and they will call him blessed.

18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.

19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

From Psalm 72, we can have a good idea of what is meant by a godly king (or leader).

Characteristics of a godly king / leader
1. He is righteous in judging his people (verse 2a).
2. He will bring justice to the poor (verse 2b).
3. He will defend and protect the poor and their children (verse 4a).
4. He will crush those that oppress the poor (verse 4b).
5. The righteous people under his rule will flourish (verse 7a).
6. The whole land will enjoy tremendous prosperity (verse 7b).
7. Even leaders of other nations seek to please him and come under his authority (verses 9-11).
8. He will deliver the poor and needy (verse 12).
9. He will have compassion on the poor and needy (verse 13).
10. He will rescue the poor and needy from oppression and violence (verse 14).


Even though at this point, many of us are not great leaders of nations or companies, but I do believe that we can start working on having some of the above-mentioned characteristics. Let's ask God to change us.


Things to ponder
1. Out of the 10 characteristics mentioned, which are the ones that you really want to have when you become a leader in the future? Why?
2. Pray and ask God to help you grow in the characteristics that you have mentioned in the previous question.
3. Pray for the key leaders of Singapore - PM Lee, MM Lee, SM Goh and President Nathan - that they will have all of the 10 characteristics.

Pastor YC "Psalm 71: God of my Youth, Rock of Ages"

PS 71:5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth.
PS 71:6 From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you.

It's been 27 years since I first became a christian. No I wasn't born a christian, but certainly I know God has been my help since the beginning of my days, carefully ordering my choldhood to prepare me for that day in secondary 1 when my eyes opened to the gospel.

All these 27 years it's been amazing how God held my hand and gave me confidence. I cannot imagine how my life would have developed if not for God. Today the psalm echoes the deep desire of my heart.

PS 71:9 Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

And the following verses certainly represent the best of what I can say to God, that to this day I am declaring his amazing work in all that I do.

PS 71:17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

PS 71:18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.

"God sustain me with your strength so that I can continue to shout it out!"

Psalm 71

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness;
turn your ear to me and save me.

3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.

6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother's womb.
I will ever praise you.

7 I have become like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.

9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

10 For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.

11 They say, "God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him."

12 Be not far from me, O God;
come quickly, O my God, to help me.

13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.

14 But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.

19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?

20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.

21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.

22 I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I, whom you have redeemed.

24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion.

This psalm was probably written as a prayer to God for help by someone in old age. The psalmist's enemies seeked to overcome him because they felt he was old and useless. And more importantly, perhaps they believed that God's presence has departed from him.

Is it true that when we grow old, God can't use us for His glory any more?

Apparently, the psalmist didn't believe in it. Throughout Psalm 71, he prayed with so much hope. Verse 14: "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Verse 21: "You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." He even promised to praise the Lord with all his strength (verses 22-23).


There is hope, even in our twilight years (old age). God will not belittle us. He loves the old just as much as He loves little children.

Every time I attend the Hokkien (now it's Hokkien / Cantonese) Service at TC, I'm always filled with so much awe. This is because I saw many old aunties and uncles dancing before the Lord, lifting their praises to Him! I was so touched by the sight of this. I can almost feel the delight of the Lord when He looks down upon them from heaven.


I truly believe that God has a purpose for those who are older. Their wisdom and experience is plentiful and valuable. If only we can humble ourselves and learn from them.. The psalmist summed it up nicely with verse 18 "Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come." My response now is to really treat those that are older with love and respect.


Things to ponder
1. Do you have this idea that the elderly are useless and can't contribute much to society? If so, confess and repent before the Lord.
2. What do you think you will be doing when you reach the age of 60?
3. What do you think you will be doing for God when you reach the age of 60?
4. Pray and commit your twilight years to God. May He use you all the way until He takes you back home.

Pastor YC "Psalm 70: Hide in the POWERFUL & PERSONAL"

PS 70:1 Hasten, O God, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.

PS 70:2 May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.
PS 70:3 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" turn back because of their shame.
PS 70:4 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"
PS 70:5 Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

In Ps 70, it's clear that:

1. God is powerful
2. God is approachable

God is powerful because blessing follows Him; and where He is, there is protection (similarly ruin is upon those who attacks those whom God protects). Yet the psalm also reveals that the writer is comfortable with approaching God.

A powerful man who is approachable is a rare combination (even if he were approachable, he would likely be too busy for me). Yet the Lord is the perfect model of that combination.

I tried to find a good picture from the search engines that depicts these 2 qualities. I could not find any human! Replacing approachable witgh personal, all I could find was this gadget! :)

Think of the most powerful people you know personally. Frankly I can say there are very few in my life. Let's draw near to our powerful and approachable God.

Psalm 70

For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

2 May those who seek my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

3 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
turn back because of their shame.

4 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"Let God be exalted!"

5 Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.

All of the verses of Psalm 70 are almost identical to the last 5 verses of Psalm 40. As I've shared before, any thing that has been repeated in the Bible must be important.

The sense of urgency within the psalmist was clear. He was probably in some kind of trouble and was desperate for immediate help (verses 1 and 5). And all this was done in humility. The psalmist admitted that he was weak (poor and needy, mentioned in verse 5) before the Lord.

It wasn't a demand at all. It was a plea. It was a sincere prayer from the psalmist.

Often, we Christians can be like some spoilt brats. We actually demand from God things that we want, as if God really owes us things. The pride and self-centeredness in us is incredible. And when we don't get what we want, we blame God.


Personally, today so many things went wrong and I was pretty resentful towards God. But at the end of the day, thankfully, I began to pray in humility to God and trust that He is in control. I really have to watch my attitude. God, help me change.


Things to ponder
1. What is your usual attitude when you come before God? Is it one of humility? Or one of pride (demanding from God)?
2. When things don't turn out the way you want, or when God doesn't answer your prayers straight away, how do you normally react?
3. Pray and ask God to help you change your attitude to a humble one, just like David.

Pastor YC "Psalm 69: The Narrow Path"

The leader's primary concern is many times not with his own suffering, but rather how his situation affects the people that seek God.

PS 69:6 May those who hope in you not be disgraced because of me, O Lord, the LORD Almighty; may those who seek you not be put to shame because of me, O God of Israel.

In Ps 69, King David dscribes a situation of extreme distress: people hating him without reason, multiple enemies seeking to destroy him, wrongly accused of stealing and forced to restore what he did not steal. Yet in these times, the true leader's heart lies with people who may be discouraged from following God because of his trying situation.

And King David goes on to respond in a true leader's way - to continue to do what is right, to praise God and glorify him. His cry is that the God-seekers' hearts will live.

PS 69:30 I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.
PS 69:31 This will please the LORD more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.
PS 69:32 The poor will see and be glad--you who seek God, may your hearts live!

What an example for the leader! A willingness to walk a narrower path than all others, so that others may live. Much as leaders wish that they will always ride on the heights so that others may be inspired, the true leaders are able to lead even when they are down and/or under a time of testing.

In real life I know how difficult that is, having seen how my Senior Pastor bear up so admirably in times of difficulty. I've also experienced the same situations as a leader. But of course, all these lead to memories of how Jesus our Saviour walked in all these times.

Pastor YC "Psalm 68: God Our Divine Warrior"

This is a long Psalm, and I found the outline from Expositor's Bible Commentary useful:

A. Prayer for God's Coming as the Divine Warrior (vv. 1-3)
-----B. In Praise of Divine Vindication (vv. 4-6)
---------C. A Reflection of the Divine Warrior (vv. 7-18)
-----B'. In Praise of Divine Vindication (vv. 19-20)
---------C'. An Oracle From the Divine Warrior (vv. 21-23)
A'. Joyful Anticipation of God's Coming as the Divine Warrior (vv. 24-35)



I've put down the heading with the verses, today let's just take time to dwell in this beautiful psalm and simply sing it out to the Lord. One good way to appreciate it is allow the Holy Spirit to bring pictures of God as our Divine Warrior!



Prayer for God's Coming as the Divine Warrior
PS 68:1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered; may his foes flee before him.
PS 68:2 As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away;
as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.
PS 68:3 But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful.

In Praise of Divine Vindication
PS 68:4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds-- his name is the LORD-- and rejoice before him.
PS 68:5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
PS 68:6 God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

A Reflection of the Divine Warrior
PS 68:7 When you went out before your people, O God, when you marched through the wasteland, Selah
PS 68:8 the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain, before God, the One of Sinai, before God, the God of Israel.
PS 68:9 You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.
PS 68:10 Your people settled in it, and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.
PS 68:11 The Lord announced the word, and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
PS 68:12 "Kings and armies flee in haste; in the camps men divide the plunder.
PS 68:13 Even while you sleep among the campfires, the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver, its feathers with shining gold."
PS 68:14 When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land, it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.
PS 68:15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains; rugged are the mountains of Bashan.
PS 68:16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God chooses to reign, where the LORD himself will dwell forever?
PS 68:17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands and thousands of thousands; the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.
PS 68:18 When you ascended on high, you led captives in your train; you received gifts from men, even from the rebellious--that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.

In Praise of Divine Vindication
PS 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah
PS 68:20 Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

An Oracle From the Divine Warrior
PS 68:21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.
PS 68:22 The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea,
PS 68:23 that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share."

Joyful Anticipation of God's Coming as the Divine Warrior
PS 68:24 Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.
PS 68:25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines.
PS 68:26 Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.
PS 68:27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.
PS 68:28 Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.
PS 68:29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts.
PS 68:30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.
PS 68:31 Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God.
PS 68:32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah
PS 68:33 to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.
PS 68:34 Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.
PS 68:35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God!

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 69

1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.
3 I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.
4 Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.
5 You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

Thoughts: I was really troubled by issues and stress by so many things that is planned. As I mediated on these verses, I realised what I'm feeling now is exactly what the pslamist felt in verse 3. He's worn out from calling from help and his eyes fail looking for God, but God knows our thoughts, as in verse 5 it mentions that our guilt is not hidden from him and he knows our folly.

Application: Not only should I pray to God for usual things like (e.g. Family, marketplace etc.), I should learn to pray for the extra strength to fight the weariness and continue to ask God for his help. Cause though God knows our troubles, only when we ask for his help, then he'll give. This is where we learn to seek him earnestly and not take for granted.

Psalm 69

1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.

3 I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.

4 Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

5 You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

6 May those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me,
O God of Israel.

7 For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face.

8 I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;

9 for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10 When I weep and fast,
I must endure scorn;

11 when I put on sackcloth,
people make sport of me.

12 Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But I pray to you, O LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.

14 Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.

15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.

17 Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

18 Come near and rescue me;
redeem me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.

20 Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.

21 They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

22 May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and a trap.

23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.

24 Pour out your wrath on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.

25 May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

27 Charge them with crime upon crime;
do not let them share in your salvation.

28 May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.

29 I am in pain and distress;
may your salvation, O God, protect me.

30 I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

32 The poor will see and be glad—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33 The LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and all that move in them,

35 for God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will dwell there.

It seems that as the pslamist was writing this psalm, he was actually being disciplined by the Lord for committing some sins. Verse 5 "You know my folly, O God; my guilt is not hidden from you" clearly shows this.

And at the same time, the people around were actually laughing at him and mocking him (verses 9-12). Some even tried to make things even more miserable than they already were (verse 26).
落井下石 seems to be most apt description.

The psalmist pleaded with the Lord to redress his greivances (verses 22-29) and finally gave praises to Him believing that He will answer him (verses 30-36).


Personally, I've not really encountered any situation that the people around me mock me when the Lord disciplined me (phew, thank God for it). But I've had times whereby the people around me (especially my family) thought that I'm crazy to give God so much of my time.

I think the right attitude to adopt is to do what is right in the Lord's eyes, and ignore the passing remarks. After all, "the mouths of liars will be silenced" (Psalm 63:11c).


Things to ponder
1. Has there been any situations whereby you endured scorn and sarcastic remarks because you love God? Give 1 example at least.
2. What was your response to the above situation? In what way do you think God wants you to respond?
3. Pray and commit to the Lord every scorn and sarcastic remarks that you may get for serving the Lord and loving Him.

Psalm 68

1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.

2 As smoke is blown away by the wind,
may you blow them away;
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds —
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

6 God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7 When you went out before your people, O God,
when you marched through the wasteland,
Selah

8 the earth shook,
the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.

9 You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.

10 Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

11 The Lord announced the word,
and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

12 "Kings and armies flee in haste;
in the camps men divide the plunder.

13 Even while you sleep among the campfires,
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold."

14 When the Almighty scattered the kings in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains;
rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains,
at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
where the LORD himself will dwell forever?

17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

18 When you ascended on high,
you led captives in your train;
you received gifts from men,
even from the rebellious—
that you, O LORD God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Selah

20 Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

22 The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

23 that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes,
while the tongues of your dogs have their share."

24 Your procession has come into view, O God,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
with them are the maidens playing tambourines.

26 Praise God in the great congregation;
praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.

27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
there the great throng of Judah's princes,
and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

28 Summon your power, O God;
show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.

29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.

30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may it bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.

31 Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cush will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
Selah

33 to him who rides the ancient skies above,
who thunders with mighty voice.

34 Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the skies.

35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!

As I read Psalm 68, the Lord impressed upon me a few things.

The Lord spoke to me about His enemies. Now, who are the Lord's enemies? From what I understand, Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23 provide some insights into this question. Jesus said "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters." The Lord's enemies probably refer to people who don't believe in Him.

The Lord's enemies will not enjoy long-lasting success. Eventually, whatever they have achieved will fade away (Psalm 68:1-2, 12, 14, 21, 30). If they persist in their rebellious ways against God, they will soon find themselves living in hostile environments (Psalm 68:6c).

The next question is why would our God (of grace and mercy) want to bring ruins to these people? I believe the answer lies in Psalm 68: 29-31. God's heart is that His enemies will turn their hearts towards Him and submit to Him in humility.

Isn't Apostle Paul one such person? Before his conversion, he was a blasphemer (someone who curses God), persecutor and a violent man (1 Timothy 1:13). He was most qualified to be an enemy of the Lord at that time. However, after a supernatural encounter with Jesus, he gave His life to Him (Acts 9:1-19). From then on, Apostle Paul devoted his time into planting churches all around Asia Minor.

Those who loves the Lord knows Him as a Father to the fatherless and a Defender to the widows. He provides for the poor. He daily bears our burdens and worries. All of these are mentioned in Psalm 68:5, 10, 19.


Our only appropriate response is to praise Him, just like what is being described in Psalm 68:32-35.


Things to ponder
1. Are there people around you who seems really against Christians? Name a few of them.
2. Which characteristic of God (Father to the fatherless, etc.), mentioned in Psalm 68 speaks to you the most? Why?
3. Pray for those anti-Christians that you've listed down. And pen down a prayer of praise to God for the characteristic mentioned in previous question.

Pastor YC "Psalm 67: Praising God and Experiencing His Blessings"

God bless us SO THAT your glory will go to the nations
PS 67:1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
PS 67:2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.






We praise God because of his justic and guidance
PS 67:3 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
PS 67:4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth. Selah

We praise God and that yields God's blessing on us
PS 67:5 May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you.
PS 67:6 Then the land will yield its harvest, and God, our God, will bless us.

God bless us so that the world will know Him
PS 67:7 God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

1. God is just, therefore we praise Him (v4)
2. When we praise Him, we are blessed (v6)
3. God blesses us so that the world will see His glory (v2,7)

Outlining the psalm according to it's poetic structure is very helpful to interpreting it accurately!

Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
Selah

2 that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
Selah

5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

6 Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Throughout Psalm 67, the psalmist seems to be emphasizing on two things.

1. We are to praise God (verses 3-5).
We have to praise God and give Him credit in every situation. Sometimes, we feel that it's awkward to praise God in front of our pre-believer friends and family members. But if we don't praise God out loud, how would they see that God is relevant to us in our daily life?

We have to praise God - there's really no excuse not to.


2. God will bless us (verses 1-2, 6-7).
Psalm 67 mentioned that "God will bless us" twice. It is like a promise from God. As long as we walk in the fear of the Lord, He will bless us. And one reason why He blesses us is because He wants pre-believers around us to see His goodness in our lives. Then they can come to know Jesus.


In conclusion, we have to attribute every success and blessing to God, and let our pre-believer friends and family know about it. I do sometimes thank God in front of my students and family. I need to be more conscious of it and do it more often.


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you praised God in front of your friends or family who are pre-believers?
2. What are two blessings that you have received from God recently?
3. Pray and praise God for what He has blessed you with. Commit also to share how He has blessed you with at least one friend.

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 64

9 All mankind will fear;
they will proclaim the works of God
and ponder what he has done.

10 Let the righteous rejoice in the LORD
and take refuge in him;
let all the upright in heart praise him!

Thoughts: Only when there's fear in God, will we be mighty warriors in his army. Many a times we fail as we have lost the fear in Him. Just because he is a merciful God, we think it's fine to take his grace for granted.

Applications: I myself have taken God's grace for granted, trusting that He'll always forgive and let me off. After reading this chap, God reminded me that though He forgives, He will punish when He needs to, especially for our own good, to instill His fear in us. What I can apply in my life is learning to accept God's punishment for the things I did wrong and looking at it positively instead of crying over spilled milk. Recognising that there'll be more of his fear in me and thus, praise and rejoice more in him.

Psalm 66

As I read the psalm, I just felt so excited. Repeatedly, the psalmist praised the Lord. This really sounds like a "praise" psalm. After all, the word "praise" was repeated 7 times in the NIV Bible.

One of the things that the psalmist praised God for really caught my attention. Look at verses 10-12.

10 For you, O God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.

11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.

12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.

God has never guaranteed us a smooth and easy life when we become Christians. As mentioned in the above verses, He will test us. He will allow us to go through trials. He will refine us like silver. Then He will bring us to a place of abundance. It's a cycle actually.


None of us like the idea of being refined. When I'm in a difficult circumstance, I often find myself become resentful & blame God. However, I always come to a point and ask God to show me why He allows me to go through trials. Even if I don't have an answer, I just trust God and allow Him to take control. When God breaks me, then He will use me.


Things to ponder
1. Do you tend to blame God or praise God when you go through difficult circumstances?
2. Pen down a 50-word prayer to God & praise Him extensively.