Psalm 19

Psalm 19:7-9 read:

"The law of the Lord is perfect,

reviving the soul.

The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The precepts of the Lord are right,

giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the Lord are radiant,

giving light to the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is pure,

enduring for ever.

The ordinances of the Lord are sure

and altogether righteous."

David spoke of the Lord's law, statutes, precepts, commands and, the fear and ordinances of the Lord. Many times we wonder why God has instituted His laws and decrees for us. They are not meant to bind us from our individual freedom of having fun. God has intented them for our good, that is, to guide us and bless us in following His path of righteousness. This is evident from verses 10 and 11: "They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, then honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward". Deuteronomy 6:24 also reinforces the above -- "The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, ...".

Thank you Lord, for showing us that we can have ultimate joy, protection and prosperity in following Your laws and commands with the fear of the God in our hearts. Guard my heart so that it will not lose sight of Your perfect plan in my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Psalm 18

The 50 verses of Psalm 18 have illustrated David's praise and worship unto the Lord Almighty. They speak of our God who is our rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, horn of salvation and stronghold.

"You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning;

my God turns my darkness into light,

With your help I can advance against a troop;

with my God I can scale a wall." - Psalm 18:28-29

Whenever I read Psalm 18:28-29 during troubling times, my spirit will be encouraged and uplifted. When we face a barrier or wall of difficulty or discouragement, we can rely on God to help us scale (overcome) it. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

Praise be to God!

Psalm 17

David's cry for God to hear his prayers had been excruciating during his most trying moments. He was convicted that God would find no misdeeds on his actions and thoughts -- this blew my mind. It would be unimaginable for one to proclaim that his spoken words be pure and edifying ("Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin." -- Psalm 17:3).

Let's be like David, that we will be able to stand before God and say that our deeds and spoken words be pure and holy. And when times when we fail in doing so, may the mercy of God be upon us -- forgiving us and reminding us of the danger of not following God's way.

O Lord, thank you for Psalm 17, which serves to show that it is possible to be righteous in Your eyes. As David had prayed, "keep me as the apple of your eye" and "hide me in the shadow of your wings". Keep me from sins and guide me so that I will follow Your path all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, amen.

Psalm 16

Psalm 16 evokes a sense of comfort and security to my soul. There is no substitution for God's joy in us when we firmly believe in His Word that God has "made known to us the path of life" and that He will "fill us with joy in His presence, with eternal pleasures at His right hand".

The second half of the chapter underscores God's desire to bless His people:

"LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup;

you have made my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;

even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me.

Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. " - Psalm 16:5-8

Indeed O Lord, You have given me a place of refuge in times of adversity. Men will fail us but not You. Thank you for saving me and counselling me with Your gentle instructions. With Christ overseeing every turn of my life, protect my heart so that my faith will not be shaken! Amen.

Psalm 15

King David asked the fundamental question at the beginning of this psalm: "... who may dwell in your sanctuary?". I believe he was talking about the after-death -- of who is worthy to live in God's presence in heaven after experiencing death.

God's response to the question is in verses 2 to 5. One must be blameless, do what is deemed righteous, speaks the truth from his heart, etc.. God has laid before us a high standard of values which is impossible to attain. But God's mercy and grace is for those who believe in Jesus Christ, that through Him, we can truly seek God's forgiveness and to walk a life of humility and fear of the Lord.

Lord, let me not forget Your Words in Psalm 15 which opens up the door to Your dwelling place. May You constantly remind me of the fear of the Lord and to walk in obedience to You. In Jesus' name I pray and give thanks, amen.

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water..."

A few days ago, I was at the Botanical Gardens and took some scenic pictures using my mobile phone camera. Look at the picture above --- isn't this descriptive of Psalm 1:3's "a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither"?

Psalm 14

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'

They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;

there is no one who does good." - Psalm 14:1

God is telling us that it is the foolish who will deny the existence of Him. And this couldn't be as clear and blatant for those who would like to avoid hearing it. The Word of God also applies to Christians who live their faith in a lukewarm matter. There is no two ways about it -- either we believe wholeheartedly in the living God, or we deny Him by doing our own things. And for those who are making an athetist judgement call, I believe God has plans to reveal Himself to them in His timing.

O Lord, Psalm 14 tells us that any one, including Christians, can fall into the trap of denying Your existence. In times of destitute, we may cry out to You and doubt Your presence. Pardon me for doubting You and not relying on strength to see me through some of those situations. Thank you Lord, for Your constant love and patience upon me. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Psalm 13

Psalm 13 gives us another glimpse into King David's unwavering faith in the Lord. What is our response to moments of trials and tribulations? David chose to believe in God's justice upon his situations, trusting that He will "look on him and answer him" and "giving light to his eyes lest he sleep in death" (Psalm 13:3 paraphrased).

Today's sermon on Psalm 1 delivered by Pastor Melvin Mak, spoke on the importance of our meditation of God's law ("But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night" -- Psalm 1:2). He spoke of the origin of the word "meditate", which comes from the way a cow chews its cud. A cow chews its cud from morning till evening, after regulgitating the cud from its stomachs over and over again. Indeed, our foundation in God's Word is not achieved overnight but over time. And that in due season (God's timing), we will be fruitful in our lives.

And I pray to God, that in any difficult times in my life, I can be like David -- waiting upon the Lord's Word and trusting Him to lead me into a season of fruitfulness according to His timing. I thank you Lord, amen.