Pastor YC "Psalm 112: Fear God Shun Evil"

PS 112:1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.

PS 112:2 His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
PS 112:3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
PS 112:4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. PS 112:5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
PS 112:6 Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
PS 112:7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
PS 112:8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
PS 112:9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

PS 112:10 The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

A contrast of fortunes for the man "who fears God and delights in His commands" vs the "wicked" man. Not a lot written to define the "wicked" but a lot more written to define the other.
i.e. Teach (more) what is RIGHT as opposed to focusing (less) on what is WRONG.

1. Fear the Lord
2. Delight in His commands (don't complain about doing right)
3. Be gracious, compassionate and upright
4. Be generous and lend freely
5. Conduct affairs with justice

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 112

6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

Thoughts:
How do we define a righteous man? Morally justifiable as the dictionary defines, but I feel God has an easier explaination to that. As I pondered after reading the verses, God explain that a righteous man in his sight is one who obeys his every commands and keeps himself far from sins all the days of his life. But to know what God's command is for us, we need to have that close intimacy with him.

Application:
When we have established the close intimacy with God, he can easily comfort us even when we are constantly bombarded by bad news in our lives. Ensuring that our heart is still steadfast without fear and not being rash, but knowing what to do as God gives us the word.


The application for me is to start speaking to God in the high and even the low points of my life. To seek rufuge in him even when I'm not in the mood because as God sees the heart, he can miraculously turn our perspective towards any situation around and keep us strong and going.

Psalm 112

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who finds great delight in his commands.

2 His children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.

3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.

5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely,
who conducts his affairs with justice.

6 Surely he will never be shaken;
a righteous man will be remembered forever.

7 He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear;
in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.

9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor,
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn will be lifted high in honor.

10 The wicked man will see and be vexed,
he will gnash his teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Why do you want to be a Christian? Why do you want to forsake all the fun in this world? Why do you want to be a doorkeeper in the house of God? Why not dwell in the tents of the wicked every day and make merry?

I don't know about you. But sometimes those questions do bother me.

But it seems that Psalm 112 has the answers to all of the above questions. Blessed is the man fears the Lord! There are so many practical blessings that God give to those who fear Him.

1. His children and offspring will be blessed (v2).
2. He will enjoy wealth and riches (v3).
3. Even in difficult circumstances, he will have hope (v4).
4. He will be blessed when he gives generously (v5).
5. He will not be shaken by bad news. He is steadfast and trusts the Lord (v6-7).
6. He is secure and fears nothing (except God) (v8).
7. He will have a good reputation (v9).
   

Looking at the list above, there's every reason for us to be a Christian and be a doorkeeper in the house of God. Don't trade all this for a bowl of stew (short-term gains) like Esau.


A year ago, I was faced with devastating news. My grandpa was in critical condition. It was when God revealed Psalm 112:6-7 to me. "Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD" I was deeply consoled and began to pray for my grandpa. And praise God, he received Christ. Then he was called home by the Lord.


Things to ponder
1. Which of the 7 things mentioned above do you want the most? Why?
2. Pray for yourself to walk towards becoming a person who fears the Lord.

Psalm 111

1 Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

2 Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.

3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.

4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.

5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.

7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.

8 They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.

9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Psalm 111 reminds us of two things that we can praise the Lord for. Firstly, God's character - which is gracious and compassionate (v4b). Secondly, the works of God are great, just and faithful (v2-9).


Isn't it wonderful? Our God is not some invisible air-fairy God. But our God deliberately makes known His love for us.

For instance,

1. God provides food for those who fear Him (v5a).


2. God gave His people the lands of other nations (v6b).


3. God provided redemption for His people through His son, Jesus (v9a).
   

And not to forget, when we learn to fear the Lord, we will begin to have wisdom in every aspect of our lives - v10a. I think the principle is to commit everything we do or think into the hands of the Lord and submit to Him whatever He says.


When we consciously do things that would please God, that is the fear of the Lord at work. Lord, help me to remember to please You above all, and not to please man, in all that I do.


Things to ponder
1. Rate yourself 1 to 10 how often you do things or make decisions that pleases the Lord? (10 means very often)
2. Name at least 1 genuine difficulty in trying to do things that please the Lord.
3. Pray for yourself to have the fear of the Lord, and that you'll always seek to please Him above all.

Psalm 110

Of David. A psalm.

1 The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."

2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion;
you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

3 Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy majesty,
from the womb of the dawn
you will receive the dew of your youth.

4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."

5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.

6 He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.

7 He will drink from a brook beside the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David wrote Psalm 110, which prophesies about the coming of the Messiah - our Lord Jesus Christ.

Some of the key things that David revealed about Him:
1. Lord Jesus carries with Him the authority of His heavenly Father. (v2, v5)
2. Lord Jesus will overcome all of His enemies. (v1)
3. Lord Jesus will forever be the chief priest of God the Father. (v4)
4. Lord Jesus will judge the nations. (v6)

And yet, despite all His divine nature, our Lord Jesus was willing to come to earth as a man. He gave up all that He had so that man can be reconciled to God.

Isn't this amazing grace? I can't think of a better phrase.


Things to ponder
1. What is one thing that you can praise Lord Jesus for after reading this psalm?
2. Pray for youself to always remember that Lord Jesus went to the cross for all of us, despite His divine nature.

Psalm 109

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

1 O God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,

2 for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3 With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.

4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.

5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.

6 Appoint an evil man to oppose him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.

8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.

9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.

10 May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.

11 May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12 May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.

13 May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.

14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

15 May their sins always remain before the LORD,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the brokenhearted.

17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come on him;
he found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.

18 He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.

19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.

20 May this be the LORD's payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.

21 But you, O Sovereign LORD,
deal well with me for your name's sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.

24 My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.

25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O LORD my God;
save me in accordance with your love.

27 Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O LORD, have done it.

28 They may curse, but you will bless;
when they attack they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.

29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
in the great throng I will praise him.

31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save his life from those who condemn him.

The psalmist must have been grossly mistreated. He called upon the Lord's judgement on those who accused Him in Psalm 109.

Today I had a little taste of what it means to be treated unpleasantly at the workplace. It's not really that serious, but I felt that the other party was not talking in a nice tone (coupled with sarcastic remarks). I felt really irritated at that point, but thank God I managed to held on to my temper and walked away.

There's always this tendency for us to hit back at those who hurt us. But I think the psalmist's response is something we should learn. The principle is to commit the matter to God, and let Him take charge. It wasn't easy, but I kind of succeeded today.


Upon walking away, I prayed and found peace in the Lord. I think that's the best thing that could have happened in this situation. Lord, I pray that I would always choose to react the way I did today. To trust You with every unfair situation. Psalm 109:31 "For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save his life from those who condemn him."


Things to ponder
1. What is 1 thing that God impressed upon you today, with regards to the way you handle conflicts?
2. How can you apply it into your daily life?
3. Pray and ask God to make it possible. It's only by His grace.

Pastor YC "Psalm 108: Morning Worship"

PS 108:1 My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul.
PS 108:2 Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.

For me, morning worship is surely something I have to learn to do better.

I'm a night person - which means that I yearn to extend my time on the bed by just another minute. Again. In fact, when I went to University, I continued my sleep usually for the 1st 2 hours of lecture from 0900hrs to 1100hrs.

1. Make music with "ALL MY SOUL" - that's hard in the morning.


2. "AWAKE", harp and lyre - Bring out the instruments and jam the morning blues away.


3. "AWAKEN THE DAWN" - that seems to mean that the psalmist "wakes up" the dawn - to do that you have to get up before dawn.

Why? How can I (or you) celebrate in the morning? :)

I believe the following verse tells us why we can be so alive in the morning:

PS 108:4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

The greatness of God's love towards me and all, the extent of His faithfulness - that's reason why we celebrate with ALL OUR SOULS in the morning. Praise waiting to burst forth from the moment we open our eyes, driven by anticipation of the wonderful new day ahead.

Tomorrow morning I put this into practice. I'm leading worship for our group meeting. :)

May dream about his love and overflow with gratefulness for his faithfulness towards us.

Psalm 108

A song. A psalm of David.

1 My heart is steadfast, O God;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.

2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.

3 I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.

4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

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

6 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.

7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
"In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.

9 Moab is my washbasin,
upon Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph."

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?

11 Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?

12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for the help of man is worthless.

13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.

The last two verses of this psalm (v12-13) remind us of God's love and faithfulness that is higher than the heavens (v4).

We have this tendency in us, that when we encounter problems or obstacles, our first response is either to think of solutions on our own, or we consult our friends and those that we trust. Very seldom, we consult God immediately.

It's only when things become utterly hopeless or super-hard to solve, then we contemplate about approaching God. He becomes our last resort.

God doesn't keep track of the number of times that He grants us favor. He loves us so much that He just want to bless us. If only you would ask of Him.


Remember, God's aid is way much better than man's. Make God your first resort, not your last. He will give you the victory. Lord, help me to seek You first whenever I have problems. And even if I don't see any improvement in the situation, I know that I have the peace that is from You. That's better than any other thing.


Things to ponder
1. How often do you approach God whenever you have problems (even small ones)? Rate yourself from 1 to 10 (10 means very often).
2. What are some possible reasons why you do not approach God?
3. Pray for yourself to always trust and rely on God, rather than on man, whenever you encounter a problem.

Pastor YC "Psalm 107: Give Thanks to the Lord"

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men"

This is the repeated verse from Ps 107 as the author considers what God has done for the nation of Israel.

Today I meditated on the "unfailing love" of God in my life.

1. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to reach out to me even when I cursed Him in my young days (as a small boy). He reached me before I became too proud to acknowledge Him.
2. God touched my heart even when I made up my mind not to yield to Him (My conversion is a a miracle).
3. God gave me a wonderful wife and marriage even though I've sinned so many times against Him.
4. God healed and restored my marriage even when I was so insensitive and hurtful (though unintentional) towards my wife especially in the earlier years of marriage.
5. God preserved Elsie's life even though she was born with a hole in her bile duct (she survived 2 operations in the 1st year of her life)
6. God grant us grace to bring up our children even though we were so hard pressed in serving Him when our children were growing up (today I know that even if I spent all my time, I would not be able to produce what is in Elsie and Anna now).
7. God redeemed my life from the pit when I was so depressed and hopeless after some setbacks and disappointments in my army days (I regained a hope for life).
8. God grant me the grace to forgive and move on from self pity when I felt hurt and let down by many people.
9. God gave me an influence that I never bargained for in my work and put me in places where I can be the best "for the world".
10. God always sent the right people to give me a hand in the darkest moments of my life.

Thank you Lord!

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say this—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,

3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.

4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.

5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.

6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.

7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.

8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,

9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.

10 Some sat in darkness and the deepest gloom,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,

11 for they had rebelled against the words of God
and despised the counsel of the Most High.

12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.

13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.

14 He brought them out of darkness and the deepest gloom
and broke away their chains.

15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,

16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.

17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.

18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.

19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.

20 He sent forth his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.

21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.

22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.

23 Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.

24 They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.

25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.

26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.

27 They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits' end.

28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.

29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.

30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.

31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.

32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.

33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,

34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.

35 He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;

36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.

37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;

38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.

39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;

40 he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.

41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.

42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.

43 Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.

In Psalm 107, there are 4 examples that demostrated the great love of God (v43).

1. v4-9
People who have lost their directions and become purposeless. They cried out to God, and He answered them and led them in a clear manner.

2. v10-16
People who have rebelled against the Lord and found themselves trapped in bondages and sins. They cried out to to God, and He broke the chains and freed them.

3. v17-22
People who have rebelled against the Lord and found themsevles down with diseases. They cried out to God, and He healed them and rescued them from the grave.

4. v23-32
People who seems to have done nothing wrong, and yet found themselves facing the great obstacles. They were driven to the wall, and finally cried out to God. He stilled the storms and removed the obstacles.


God will sometimes subject us to difficult circumstances - no doubt. I really think that the main reason behind is that He wants us to learn to draw near to Him, and trust Him. He loves us.


Even as I look at my injured mallet finger (last finger), I can't help but cry out to God to have mercy on me. O Lord, heal me! I need You!


Things to ponder
1. Did any of the 4 examples happen to you? If so, when and what happened?
2. Pray for yourself to see things (even negative circumstances) from God's perspective. Remember His great love for you.

Pastor YC "Psalm 106: Save Us & Set Us Apart"

From where I got this picture, it said that this represents "repeated sin".

PS 106:6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
PS 106:7 When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.
PS 106:13 But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.
PS 106:14 In the desert they gave in to their craving; in the wasteland they put God to the test.
PS 106:16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
PS 106:19 At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
PS 106:20 They exchanged their Glory for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
PS 106:21-22 They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
PS 106:24 Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise.
PS 106:25 They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the LORD.
PS 106:28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
PS 106:32-33 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips.
PS 106:35 but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.
PS 106:36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
PS 106:37 They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
PS 106:38 They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was desecrated by their blood.
PS 106:39 They defiled themselves by what they did; by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

It's a pretty long list of sins! In particular the bold ones sounded really terrible.
(Now of course we are not so concerned better/worse sins, there is none righteous amongst us)

The response of the Psalmist summarises it all:

PS 106:47 Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise.

It's a cry first to "save", then to "set apart" - exactly what the Lord wants of us.

I was first saved in 1981 and ever since then, the process of sanctification has never stopped. Praise God, He is still working that in me today. :)

Darren's Reflection on Psalm 106

Thoughts:
Psalm 106 is another long Psalm which requires lots of focus to be able to grasp what is it about. After reading a couple of long Psalms this season, I realised that we do not need to understand everything it says, though u may research by referring to commentaries on the internet, but as long we know 1 thing about God's character, we have grown to understand him better.

Verse 36-45 reminds us again of how forgiving God is by nature. As the verses mentioned of how God's people sinned against him terribly time after time, despite the punishments he placed upon them, he was still willing to fogive them when they cried out to him. This showed how everlasting his love for his children were and still is.

Application:
Knowing more about God's character is 1 thing, but not sufficient in helping us grow as a Christian. When we learn to inculcate his character in ourselves, that's where we will see growth in our character and spiritual maturity and learn to appreciate him as our God.

From Psalm 106: 36-45, I want to take after God's character, to be a more forgiving person to others even when they have hurt me and be a blessing to them!

Psalm 106

1 Praise the LORD.
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?

3 Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.

4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,

5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.

6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

7 When our fathers were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.

8 Yet he saved them for his name's sake,
to make his mighty power known.

9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.

10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.

11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.

12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.

13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his counsel.

14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wasteland they put God to the test.

15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease upon them.

16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.

17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.

18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.

19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.

20 They exchanged their Glory
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.

21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,

22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.

24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.

25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.

26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the desert,

27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.

28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;

29 they provoked the LORD to anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.

30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.

31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.

32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;

33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses' lips.

34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,

35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.

36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.

37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to demons.

38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.

39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.

40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.

41 He handed them over to the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.

42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.

43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.

44 But he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;

45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.

46 He caused them to be pitied
by all who held them captive.

47 Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
Praise the LORD.

As I read Psalm 106, I can't help but feel sad that the people of Israel would disobey the Lord so many times.

The cycle was something like this:
1. The Israelites cried out to God for mercy when they were oppressed.
2. God answered and delivered them.
3. They sang praises to the Lord.
4. Very soon, they forgot all about His goodness, and started worshipping idols. They disobeyed the Lord.

This cycle was repeated so many times. The Israelites were really a stiff-necked people (God used this unflattering description numerous times in the Bible).

Yet, I believed that this cycle can also happen to modern day Christians like you and I. We forgot the Lord. We only remembered His blessings. And we become lukewarm Christians.

God said this to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:15-16 "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."


Lord! I confess that I have been lukewarm. Help me not to be lukewarm. Help me to be passionate for You and Your kingdom.


Things to ponder
1. Pray a prayer of confession if the Holy Spirit convicts you. Confess that you've been lukewarm. Ask God to give you a new heart.

Psalm 105

1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

2 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

3 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

4 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

5 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

6 O descendants of Abraham his servant,
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

7 He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.

8 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

9 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.

10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

11 "To you I will give the land of Canaan
as the portion you will inherit."

12 When they were but few in number,
few indeed, and strangers in it,

13 they wandered from nation to nation,
from one kingdom to another.

14 He allowed no one to oppress them;
for their sake he rebuked kings:

15 "Do not touch my anointed ones;
do my prophets no harm."

16 He called down famine on the land
and destroyed all their supplies of food;

17 and he sent a man before them—
Joseph, sold as a slave.

18 They bruised his feet with shackles,
his neck was put in irons,

19 till what he foretold came to pass,
till the word of the LORD proved him true.

20 The king sent and released him,
the ruler of peoples set him free.

21 He made him master of his household,
ruler over all he possessed,

22 to instruct his princes as he pleased
and teach his elders wisdom.

23 Then Israel entered Egypt;
Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

24 The LORD made his people very fruitful;
he made them too numerous for their foes,

25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people,
to conspire against his servants.

26 He sent Moses his servant,
and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

27 They performed his miraculous signs among them,
his wonders in the land of Ham.

28 He sent darkness and made the land dark—
for had they not rebelled against his words?

29 He turned their waters into blood,
causing their fish to die.

30 Their land teemed with frogs,
which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
and gnats throughout their country.

32 He turned their rain into hail,
with lightning throughout their land;

33 he struck down their vines and fig trees
and shattered the trees of their country.

34 He spoke, and the locusts came,
grasshoppers without number;

35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
ate up the produce of their soil.

36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land,
the firstfruits of all their manhood.

37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,
and from among their tribes no one faltered.

38 Egypt was glad when they left,
because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

39 He spread out a cloud as a covering,
and a fire to give light at night.

40 They asked, and he brought them quail
and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
like a river it flowed in the desert.

42 For he remembered his holy promise
given to his servant Abraham.

43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,
his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

44 he gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-

45 that they might keep his precepts
and observe his laws.
Praise the LORD.

Our God is a Covenant-keeping God. He is loyal, and will keep His covenant with His people forever. That's clearly stated in v8a "He remembers his covenant forever".

Psalm 105 has the story of how God was loyal to Joseph, and eventually grant him favors upon favors. And Psalm 105 also describes the miracles of God during the time of Moses.

One similarity that I can draw between the two examples in Psalm 105 is that initially, both faced tremendous hardship. Joseph, betrayed by his brother, sold as a slave, framed by a crazy woman. Moses, committed murder, pursued by the Pharaoh, fled to Midian, his people were oppressed terrible by the Egyptians.

Yet, God is faithful! He remembers His covenant with His people. Joseph and Moses went on to become great leaders and were used by God mightily.

Do you have a story to tell about God's faithfulness?


Personally, I'm currently facing some kind of setback. My little finger's ligament is torn. I can't straighten it at all. Thankfully, there's no pain. I felt kind of miserable just now. But thankfully, Psalm 105 reminds me of God's faithfulnesses. I trust Him that He will give me a way out of this.


Things to ponder
1. Was there a time when you really experience the faithfulness of God (just like Moses and Joseph)? Share your testimony here to encourage others - it can be just a simple testimony.
2. Pray for yourself to always remember that God is a convenant-keeping God. And make it a point to share His faithfulness with a friend.