Pastor YC "Psalm 80: Restoration"

Psalm 80 means a lot to me personally (as a pastor) and as a member of FCBC.

I remembered how God called me to become a pastor even when was in school. I entered the ministry full of hope and confidence that I was going to be victorious as a pastor and glory lay ahead of me. Surely if God calls, then He must have prepared the road for me!

That got all shaken up when I went through the setbacks in ministry. Many of the people I failed to shepherd were the very same ones that I spent the most time with, gave the most to. The very areas of ministry I believe the Lord gave to me, I could not even teach my own people.

PS 80:4 O LORD God Almighty, how long will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people?

It was the same for FCBC - in the 1990s we were the "hottest church in town" - 12k members in those days when the "competition" were not even close. Yet in the recent years, my beloved church went through such a difficult patch and negative sentiments saturated the scene, both in and out of the church. More members left the church and very few christians would even consider coming.

PS 80:12 Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

Yet today, by God's sovereign hand, miraculously I received closure about all of these. At the Week of Sanctification meeting that we had at church, God simply pin-pointed the crux of the issues.

I was led to pray against all the negative comments and curses, especially of those from those who left unhappily. I prayed that the "arrows of slander" would not harm us and that God will deal with these.

On a personal front, amazingly I realised that what I could not get over was NOT forgiveness of past issues, it was letting go of present day expectations. In my honest sincerity (in my wife's words "你满单纯的"), I still harboured hopes and expectations that one day, these individuals will finally respond to my sincerity and love. I just could not believe that rejection could be the response towards self-sacrificing sincerity.

Today I nailed all thsoe expectations to the cross. Jesus alone has met all those expectations. I can let them go.

revive us, and we will call on your name. Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

Psalm 80

For the director of music. To the tune of "The Lilies of the Covenant." Of Asaph. A psalm.

1 Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock;
you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth

2 before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
Awaken your might;
come and save us.

3 Restore us, O God;
make your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

4 O LORD God Almighty,
how long will your anger smolder
against the prayers of your people?

5 You have fed them with the bread of tears;
you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.

6 You have made us a source of contention to our neighbors,
and our enemies mock us.

7 Restore us, O God Almighty;
make your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.

9 You cleared the ground for it,
and it took root and filled the land.

10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.

11 It sent out its boughs to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.

12 Why have you broken down its walls
so that all who pass by pick its grapes?

13 Boars from the forest ravage it
and the creatures of the field feed on it.

14 Return to us, O God Almighty!
Look down from heaven and see!
Watch over this vine,

15 the root your right hand has planted,
the son you have raised up for yourself.

16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;
at your rebuke your people perish.

17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
the son of man you have raised up for yourself.

18 Then we will not turn away from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;
make your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

Again the psalmist and his people appear to be in deep trouble. Interestingly enough, Asaph made a similiar prayer three times in Psalm 80 - verses 3, 7 and 13.


"Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved"

I personally felt that this prayer spoke to me as FCBC goes through the Week of Sanctification (yeah, today is day 2!).

1. I really pray that the Lord restore me (and the church) to my first love with God. On the first day of Sanctification, Pastor Khong asked us "Do you want God or do you want His blessings?"
   


2. I really pray that truly the face and glory of God be reflected off me. That others will see me, and see God in me. I don't want to wear a veil and pretend to be spiritual. I want to be genuinely close to God.
   


3. I really pray that God will save me from myself! I know that without the grace of God, all I have is a selfish heart that only seeks to satisfy my desires. May God pour forth on me a greater hunger and thirst for God's presence in my life.
   
   

Things to ponder
1. Pray this prayer of restoration for yourself and your cell group as we all go for Sanctification.

Pastor YC "Psalm 79: How Deep is Our Faith?"

• Their place of worship is defiled, their unshakeable city is destroyed (v1)
• The scavengers are eating up the dead because there is no proper burial (v2)
• There is bloodshed and killing all over the city (v3)
• The neighbouring countries mock them (v4)

The psalmist's response reflected the depth of his faith. In all these times, he cries out not because of fear, but because of faith.

• "How long" (v5) - He says it with a certainty that God will respond, it's just a matter of "when"
• "Pour out..." (v6,7) - He cries out for God to hasten his response. It's not a question of whether God will respond, it was about when
• "Do not hold against us..." (v8) - He appeals to the mercy of God, assuming it is there

No everyone who prays to God does so in faith. In fact, even in my own life, many times I pray out of fear, or even faithlessness - being insecure about whether God will come true in difficult times.

Ps 79 reveals the state of the psalmist's heart, even in what seems like laments.

Today I realised that in the past 2 days, I've been a bit down, thinking about posssibly negative things in my life. I realise it's time to get out of operating in the flesh and returning to see in the Spirit.

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

1 O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple,
they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.

2 They have given the dead bodies of your servants
as food to the birds of the air,
the flesh of your saints to the beasts of the earth.

3 They have poured out blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and there is no one to bury the dead.

4 We are objects of reproach to our neighbors,
of scorn and derision to those around us.

5 How long, O LORD ? Will you be angry forever?
How long will your jealousy burn like fire?

6 Pour out your wrath on the nations
that do not acknowledge you,
on the kingdoms
that do not call on your name;

7 for they have devoured Jacob
and destroyed his homeland.

8 Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers;
may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
for we are in desperate need.

9 Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for your name's sake.

10 Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.

11 May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
by the strength of your arm
preserve those condemned to die.

12 Pay back into the laps of our neighbors seven times
the reproach they have hurled at you, O Lord.

13 Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will praise you forever;
from generation to generation
we will recount your praise.

I think that the circumstances surrounding the psalmist as he wrote the psalm were really hopeless. In today's context, verses 1-4 probably looked something like this: The HDB flats of Singapore levelled to the ground because of aerial bombardments. Animals and birds are feasting on the dead bodies of Singaporeans. Nations around us laugh and heap insults at us.

The nation of Israel (during the time of the psalmist) went through such hardships mainly because her people had been disobedient to God time and again. Despite witnessing the wonders and blessings of God, generations of Israelites chose to disregard Him and do their own things.

Today, as I read Psalm 79, I suddenly have this thought that Singapore can end up like the nation of Israel. Without a doubt, Singapore's economic success today is a miracle. In the 1960s, no one envisioned Singapore can make it. But we did. All thanks to God.

But right now, as a nation, we have become proud. Complacent. To sustain and improve our economy, we chose gambling (IR or casinos or whatever you call it). More and more broken marriages, resulting in fatherless or motherless children. Pre-martial sex is no longer an issue (just do it).


If Singapore continues on like this, I really believe that God will shake us up, the same way as He did to the nation of Israel. We Christians have to really cry out to God for mercy and grace for the nation. We have to pray that revival happens soon.


Things to ponder
1. Pray a prayer of repentence on behalf of Singapore.
2. Pray for the government of Singapore to make decisions that are pleasing to the Lord.
3. Pray for revival to happen in Singapore. And that verse 13 will happen to us: "Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise."

Pastor YC "Psalm 78: Behold the Faithful King"

Ok I knocked out before I could grasp the entire psalm adequately. It is LONG! :)

A picture of Mankind's FAITHLESSNESS and it's solution: God's FAITHFULNESS.

How did God deal with people who continually broke the covenant? A modern day parallel would be a husband / wife who continually commits adultery.

He did what most faithful husbands and wives would find it hardest to do: respond with faithfulness. Do not punish as a person deserves, but pouring out undeserved grace.

In the history of Israel, God sent another king, David, to come lead the people back to himself. That was how Ps 78 ended, but it was not to be the end of the love story between the FAITHFUL and the faithless.

King David (and this psalm) was to tell the nation of Israel (in a way that they could understand) that Christ was going to come. And God went on to unfold an even more shocking (and direct) chain of events to tell the world that the FAITHFUL is waiting for them.

Faithlessness and faithfulness, the cycle keeps repeating. From the human perspective, this is depressing. Yet from the heavenly perspective, all is settled and resolved.

Let's forsake all our idols and return to Him.

Psalm 78

A maskil of Asaph.

1 O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old-

3 what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.

5 He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,

6 so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.

7 Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds
but would keep his commands.

8 They would not be like their forefathers—
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
whose hearts were not loyal to God,
whose spirits were not faithful to him.

9 The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows,
turned back on the day of battle;

10 they did not keep God's covenant
and refused to live by his law.

11 They forgot what he had done,
the wonders he had shown them.

12 He did miracles in the sight of their fathers
in the land of Egypt, in the region of Zoan.

13 He divided the sea and led them through;
he made the water stand firm like a wall.

14 He guided them with the cloud by day
and with light from the fire all night.

15 He split the rocks in the desert
and gave them water as abundant as the seas;

16 he brought streams out of a rocky crag
and made water flow down like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin against him,
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18 They willfully put God to the test
by demanding the food they craved.

19 They spoke against God, saying,
"Can God spread a table in the desert?

20 When he struck the rock, water gushed out,
and streams flowed abundantly.
But can he also give us food?
Can he supply meat for his people?"

21 When the LORD heard them, he was very angry;
his fire broke out against Jacob,
and his wrath rose against Israel,

22 for they did not believe in God
or trust in his deliverance.

23 Yet he gave a command to the skies above
and opened the doors of the heavens;

24 he rained down manna for the people to eat,
he gave them the grain of heaven.

25 Men ate the bread of angels;
he sent them all the food they could eat.

26 He let loose the east wind from the heavens
and led forth the south wind by his power.

27 He rained meat down on them like dust,
flying birds like sand on the seashore.

28 He made them come down inside their camp,
all around their tents.

29 They ate till they had more than enough,
for he had given them what they craved.

30 But before they turned from the food they craved,
even while it was still in their mouths,

31 God's anger rose against them;
he put to death the sturdiest among them,
cutting down the young men of Israel.

32 In spite of all this, they kept on sinning;
in spite of his wonders, they did not believe.

33 So he ended their days in futility
and their years in terror.

34 Whenever God slew them, they would seek him;
they eagerly turned to him again.

35 They remembered that God was their Rock,
that God Most High was their Redeemer.

36 But then they would flatter him with their mouths,
lying to him with their tongues;

37 their hearts were not loyal to him,
they were not faithful to his covenant.

38 Yet he was merciful;
he forgave their iniquities
and did not destroy them.
Time after time he restrained his anger
and did not stir up his full wrath.

39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
a passing breeze that does not return.

40 How often they rebelled against him in the desert
and grieved him in the wasteland!

41 Again and again they put God to the test;
they vexed the Holy One of Israel.

42 They did not remember his power—
the day he redeemed them from the oppressor,

43 the day he displayed his miraculous signs in Egypt,
his wonders in the region of Zoan.

44 He turned their rivers to blood;
they could not drink from their streams.

45 He sent swarms of flies that devoured them,
and frogs that devastated them.

46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper,
their produce to the locust.

47 He destroyed their vines with hail
and their sycamore-figs with sleet.

48 He gave over their cattle to the hail,
their livestock to bolts of lightning.

49 He unleashed against them his hot anger,
his wrath, indignation and hostility—
a band of destroying angels.

50 He prepared a path for his anger;
he did not spare them from death
but gave them over to the plague.

51 He struck down all the firstborn of Egypt,
the firstfruits of manhood in the tents of Ham.

52 But he brought his people out like a flock;
he led them like sheep through the desert.

53 He guided them safely, so they were unafraid;
but the sea engulfed their enemies.

54 Thus he brought them to the border of his holy land,
to the hill country his right hand had taken.

55 He drove out nations before them
and allotted their lands to them as an inheritance;
he settled the tribes of Israel in their homes.

56 But they put God to the test
and rebelled against the Most High;
they did not keep his statutes.

57 Like their fathers they were disloyal and faithless,
as unreliable as a faulty bow.

58 They angered him with their high places;
they aroused his jealousy with their idols.

59 When God heard them, he was very angry;
he rejected Israel completely.

60 He abandoned the tabernacle of Shiloh,
the tent he had set up among men.

61 He sent the ark of his might into captivity,
his splendor into the hands of the enemy.

62 He gave his people over to the sword;
he was very angry with his inheritance.

63 Fire consumed their young men,
and their maidens had no wedding songs;

64 their priests were put to the sword,
and their widows could not weep.

65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
as a man wakes from the stupor of wine.

66 He beat back his enemies;
he put them to everlasting shame.

67 Then he rejected the tents of Joseph,
he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;

68 but he chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount Zion, which he loved.

69 He built his sanctuary like the heights,
like the earth that he established forever.

70 He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;

71 from tending the sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.

72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
with skillful hands he led them.

It seems that the purpose of Psalm 78 was to warn the future generations of Israel to walk right with God. The psalmist talked about how their fore-fathers put the Lord to the test 3 times (verses 18, 41 and 56).

Each time, the Lord brought about His wrath against them to discipline them. Yet, their hearts weren't changed. They always went back to their old ways, as described in verses 34-37.

But there is hope. The psalmist mentioned of a man that God truly approved of. He was a man after God's own heart. His heart and God's heart were aligned. He was King David. That was why God put him as the shepherd over Israel.



As Sanctification Weekend draws nearer, I realised that as a cell leader, I have a duty to my youths. I need to warn them about my past mistakes. I need to warn them about their rebellious hearts. I need to share with them God's victories in my life.

Just like the psalmist in verse 4. "We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, His power, and the wonders He has done."


Things to ponder
1. Check your heart. Are you always demanding things from God, just like the Israelites mentioned in Psalm 78? And if you don't receive these things, do you blame God?
2. What is one thing you intend to do differently this season of time so that your heart can be more aligned with God's heart (just like King David)?
3. Pray for yourself to have a heart just like David, a heart after God's own heart.

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 77

Thoughts
This is indeed a long Psalm but after reading it, I felt encouraged as the Psalmist has gone through what we are going through in our walk with God.. For me, I admit that my spirit does run dry at times. I try to seek God but like the Psalmist, my soul refuses to be comforted.

Hopelessness settle in me as if God has left me, but he hasn't and he will never. How can I be so sure? Because I have witnessed his miracles. He helped me through my studies even when it seemed initially that I was failing.

He helped me to grow spritually even when it seemed I was backsliding. All these are just like how he delievered the people of Israel which the Psalmist recognised and remembered.

Applications
As we prepare to go for the Santification Week and work our way to success in our last 2 weeks of 40 day fast and prayer, the devil will bound to tempt us. He'll deceive us by saying we are not worthy to seek God anymore once we have failed.

With this is mind, we need to remember that God helped us even when we have failed him. He has never given up on us, so why should we, especially in seeking him? :)

Psalm 77

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.

1 I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.

2 When I was in distress, I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remembered you, O God, and I groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah

4 You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.

5 I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;

6 I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit inquired:

7 "Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?

8 Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
Selah

10 Then I thought, "To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the Most High."

11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12 I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.

13 Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?

14 You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the peoples.

15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah

16 The waters saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and writhed;
the very depths were convulsed.

17 The clouds poured down water,
the skies resounded with thunder;
your arrows flashed back and forth.

18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind,
your lightning lit up the world;
the earth trembled and quaked.

19 Your path led through the sea,
your way through the mighty waters,
though your footprints were not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Once again, the psalmist (and his people) seems to be in some kind of trouble. He lamented in verses 7-9 and complained to God. He felt that the Lord had abandoned him.

The change of heart came when the psalmist began to remember the Lord. He remembered what the Lord had done for him and his people. He remembered the Lord's miracles. He gave one specific example on how the Lord helped Moses part the Red Sea (verses 16-20) and lead them out of Egypt into the Promised Land.

I do not know what kind of situation you may be in right now. Perhaps you're struggling in your studies. conflicts in the family, friendship problems, sins, faith to believe that God loves you, etc. I think the response is to come back and remember the Lord, just like the psalmist.


Good Friday is coming. It is the day whereby we remember our Lord Jesus going to the cross for each and every single one of us. If you cannot think of anything to remember the Lord for, at least remember that He went to the cross for you. And because of Him, you then have salvation.


Things to ponder
1. Santification Weekend and Good Friday is coming. What are you doing right now to prepare yourself?
2. Pen down a prayer to thank the Lord for going to the cross for you. Make it at least 50 words-long.

Pastor YC "Psalm 76: Judge and Warrior"

Psalm 76 portrays God as both Judge and Warrior.

PS 76:5 Valiant men lie plundered, they sleep their last sleep; not one of the warriors can lift his hands.
PS 76:6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both horse and chariot lie still.

Even valiant men lie plundered and strong warriors cannot raise their hands. The symbols of military power (the horse and the chariot) are also subdued. A modern day parallel would be a destroyed tank? :)

Yet such power is scary unless God is also just - this power being used to save the weak and those who need protection.

PS 76:8 From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet--
PS 76:9 when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land.

Surely God does more than speaking out and standing up for unjustice, He ACTS against it.

• God fights for us
• God protects us

Let's draw near to Him

Pastor YC "Psalm 75: When the Earh Shakes"

This news article caught my eye a few days ago

Top international scientists to lead research in Singapore10.03.08 05:11
( dpa ) - Two international scientists will lead cancer and earthquake research at facilities in Singapore, news reports said on Monday.
The cancer facility at the National University of Singapore (NUS) will be headed by Professor Daniel Tenen of Harvard Medical School.
The earthquake centre at Nanyang Technological University will be helmed by California Institute of Technology geologist Kerry Sieh, The Straits Times reported.
The centres could each receive more than 100 million Singapore dollars (72 million US dollars) in funding under a scheme to set up a number of world-class research facilities at universities in the city-state.
Tenen was in a team which identified a mutation in the gene associated with lung cancer, the report said.
Seah will work on a proposal to create an earth observatory focusing on earthquake, coastal and climate hazards.

Singapore has always been said to be safe from earthquakes, but even in recent years, we detect signs that all is not totally safe.

PS 75:2 You say, "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly.
PS 75:3 When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.

God says in Ps 75:3 that when everything is shaken, God is still in control. Using the example of the scariest of all uncertainties (the earthquake), the Bible speaks of the reliability of God.

It is with this same confidence that we know God will judge righteously. Absolute justice is in His hands. Sin will be dealt with and those who hope in God will be vindicated.

PS 75:7 But it is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.

Today I pause and think of all the injustices that happen everyday to our lives. We cannot go on accumulating frustrations and bitterness. Indeed there is no true rest apart from knowing that God is in control and surrendering to Him.

Psalm 76

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1 In Judah God is known;
his name is great in Israel.

2 His tent is in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.

3 There he broke the flashing arrows,
the shields and the swords, the weapons of war.
Selah

4 You are resplendent with light,
more majestic than mountains rich with game.

5 Valiant men lie plundered,
they sleep their last sleep;
not one of the warriors
can lift his hands.

6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
both horse and chariot lie still.

7 You alone are to be feared.
Who can stand before you when you are angry?

8 From heaven you pronounced judgment,
and the land feared and was quiet-

9 when you, O God, rose up to judge,
to save all the afflicted of the land.
Selah

10 Surely your wrath against men brings you praise,
and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.

11 Make vows to the LORD your God and fulfill them;
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts to the One to be feared.

12 He breaks the spirit of rulers;
he is feared by the kings of the earth.

I did some research on Psalm 76. Many believed that this psalm was written to celebrate God's divine power when He protected Jerusalem against Sennacherib's army. Read 2 Kings 19.

The psalmist actually remembered the Lord and wrote a psalm to celebrate Him.

How many times have we forgotten to thank God for moving in a divine manner in our lives?


I must confess that I often forget. I will start to pen down some personal victories for the year 2007. I want to learn to remember the Lord.


Things to ponder
1. What is one victory that you have enjoyed in 2007 and you know that it wouldn't be possible at all unless God helped you? Elaborate.
2. Pray a prayer to thank God and remember Him for His loving kindness.

Psalm 75

For the director of music. To the tune of "Do Not Destroy." A psalm of Asaph. A song.

1 We give thanks to you, O God,
we give thanks, for your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds.

2 You say, "I choose the appointed time;
it is I who judge uprightly.

3 When the earth and all its people quake,
it is I who hold its pillars firm.
Selah

4 To the arrogant I say, 'Boast no more,'
and to the wicked, 'Do not lift up your horns.

5 Do not lift your horns against heaven;
do not speak with outstretched neck.' "

6 No one from the east or the west
or from the desert can exalt a man.

7 But it is God who judges:
He brings one down, he exalts another.

8 In the hand of the LORD is a cup
full of foaming wine mixed with spices;
he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth
drink it down to its very dregs.

9 As for me, I will declare this forever;
I will sing praise to the God of Jacob.

10 I will cut off the horns of all the wicked,
but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up.

As I grow older in age and begin to see more things in life, I have no choice but to come to a sad conclusion: some people in this world are just NOT nice.

Though I've not experienced any major betrayals, backstabbings, etc, I've seen people abusing their authority; cutting you down with words at every opportunity; flaunting their ranks; hurling vulgarities every few seconds; manipulating your feelings and actions deliberately.

But does that mean we, Christians, hit back at them somehow?

No. I think the correct response is to trust that God is in control. God will bring about His judgement upon all of our deeds in His appointed time, just like what the psalmist described in Psalm 75:2. "I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly."


My personal response is to learn to love the people who have done wrong against me. Easier said than done. But at least if I can't bring myself to love them, I must choose to forgive them and not hold any grudges. Secondly, I need to always seek the Holy Spirit and check if my thoughts and actions are acceptable before Him. My deeds too, are subjected to God's judgement.



Things to ponder
1. Can you elaborate on one or two incidents whereby you really felt that the other party did something wrong against you?
2. What was your response towards them at that time?
3. Pray a prayer to forgive the parties involved. Speak words of blessings.
4. Pray also for yourself to have the desire to have thoughts and actions that are acceptable before the Lord.

Psalm 74

A maskil of Asaph.

1 Why have you rejected us forever, O God?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?

2 Remember the people you purchased of old,
the tribe of your inheritance, whom you redeemed—
Mount Zion, where you dwelt.

3 Turn your steps toward these everlasting ruins,
all this destruction the enemy has brought on the sanctuary.

4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;
they set up their standards as signs.

5 They behaved like men wielding axes
to cut through a thicket of trees.

6 They smashed all the carved paneling
with their axes and hatchets.

7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.

8 They said in their hearts, "We will crush them completely!"
They burned every place where God was worshiped in the land.

9 We are given no miraculous signs;
no prophets are left,
and none of us knows how long this will be.

10 How long will the enemy mock you, O God?
Will the foe revile your name forever?

11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!

12 But you, O God, are my king from of old;
you bring salvation upon the earth.

13 It was you who split open the sea by your power;
you broke the heads of the monster in the waters.

14 It was you who crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave him as food to the creatures of the desert.

15 It was you who opened up springs and streams;
you dried up the ever flowing rivers.

16 The day is yours, and yours also the night;
you established the sun and moon.

17 It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth;
you made both summer and winter.

18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O LORD,
how foolish people have reviled your name.

19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.

20 Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.

21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.

23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.

Every time when we gather together as a cell group, one of the things that we should do is to give thanks to God. It will be even better if we can regularly record down our thanksgivings.

As we read Psalm 74:2-9, we know the psalmist and his people (presumably the Israelites) were in terrible circumstances. The Babylonians invaded the Promised Land, destroyed the Temple of God and exiled almost the entire nation of Israel. No signs of miracles, no prophets.

How much worse can things get?

Yet, after all the complaints, the psalmist proclaimed (in verse 12) that God was still his King, and He will save his people. I believe that the psalmist was able to do it because he remembered the things that the Lord has done in the past. Psalm 74:13-17 recounts the mighty acts of God.

That is why right we need to record our thanksgiving regularly. When things start to fall apart in our lives, we can always go back and reflect on the thanksgivings. Then we will have the confidence to believe that God whom has brought us through before WILL bring us through again.


Admittedly, I have not been recording down my thanksgivings properly this year. I was supposed to update them regularly on my blog, but I kept forgetting. Today's pslam really reminds me of the importance of writing down thanksgivings.


Things to ponder
1. When was the last time you recorded down a thanksgiving?
2. How thankful to God are you (in terms of your present circumstances)? Rate 1 to 10 (10 means most thankful!).
3. Write down at least 3 thanksgivings for the year 2008. Start with "I thank God for ...".
4. Pray for yourself to have a thankful heart always.

Psalm 73

1 A psalm of Asaph.
Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.

2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.

3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.

5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.

6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.

7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.

8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.

9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.

10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.

11 They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"

12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.

13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.

14 All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.

15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.

16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me

17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.

19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!

20 As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.

21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,

22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.

28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.

The Year of Sabbath has been a challenging year for me so far. This is especially so in the area of ministry. After putting in much time and effort, be it sweat or tears, there just weren't much results. In fact, I had people either leaving me or not responding to me much.

Honestly speaking, there were times when I felt like the psalmist when he wrote verses 3-14. To put it simply, I looked at the friends around me (those not in church), and questioned myself why am I giving so much time to serving God and getting disappointed whereas they seemed to be having the time of their lives (some earning lots of money, some got married, some working in big firms).

But in the end, I always come back to the same conclusion. What my friends are doing or enjoying now is temporal. Those things won't last. The psalmist said it all in verses 18-20.

As for us Christians, the most important result in serving God is NOT having many cell members (though I believe God will give). It is to be able to draw near to God and depend on Him 100%, just like what is described in verses 21-28.


"But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." (verse 28) - this is my prayer today.


Things to ponder
1. Which of the following has a greater influence on you: your friends in school or your church people (including cell leader, cell brothers, etc)?
2. Do a heart-check. In what areas do you love the world more than you love following God? Elaborate on at least two areas.
3. Pray a prayer for yourself to have a desire to be near God and depend on him 100%. You can use any of the verses in Psalm 73.