Psalm 33

"Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;

it is fitting for the upright to praise him". -- Psalm 33:1

David's honest repentence of his sins before the Lord (Psalm 32) had liberated him of his guilt and condemnation. Indeed, relief of such mental torture must have brought him inner peace and joy! Thank God for the deliverance!

Psalm 33 is a song of hope. We can put our past hurts and problems behind us when we look toward our future by fixing our eyes on Jesus Christ. We can choose to live in the shadow of our past, or choose to live joyfully and trusting in God's grace.

Dear Lord Jesus, I choose today to live righteously according to Your plans and purpose for me. No matter how hard and unbearable life is going to be in such uncertain times, I shall put my hope in You and You alone. Your help and shield delivers me from my troubled past. In Jesus' mighty name I pray and give thanks, amen.

"Potluck Morality" versus Biblical Ethics

The reading of the first 30 chapters from the book of Psalm revealed many touching moments of King David, his trust and unwavering faith in God, and also nuggets of biblical ethics. The latter is what governs the core of God's call for holiness. It is on such basis that men can be reconciled with God in eternity.

In their parenting book "Growing Kids God's Way: Reaching the Heart of Your Child With a God-Centered Purpose", Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo touched on the importance of seeking the path of biblical morality because it serves to establish a standard of God's acceptable behaviour and reveal sin. In today's society, Gary and Anne lament the tendency of parents (even Christians) teaching our children based on a potluck of morality --- inconsistent teachings from sources such as old folks, bible teachers, book writers and other subtle influence (the "television"?).

My takeaway from reading the first chapter of the parenting literature is that I need to constantly remind myself of putting God's standard of morality in my own behaviour as a role model for my children. It's not easy, but I know I can rely on the Holy Spirit to teach me to be a better parent.

Psalm 32

How many times when we harbour sinful thoughts and try to cover up our sins, ending up feeling guilty and spiritually defeated? The good news is that God understands our weaknesses and wants to restore our self-esteem and our relationship with Him!

Take a look at the account of King David's adultery sin with Bathsheba and even the murder of her husband Uriah. The Bible says that David was trying to cover up his sins and was overwhelmed by intense guilt and self-condemnation for many years. God then sent the prophet Nathan to jostle him into repentence before the Lord. Honest confession of our sins and repentence to God is the only way to attain inner peace. God promises us that He will forgive our sins when we turn our hearts back to Him.

Holy Spirit, search my heart and reveal to me vividly the areas of sins where I may have sinned against God unknowingly. May the precious and healing blood of Christ purify my heart so that my guilt and self-esteem can be restored wholesomely. Bless me, my spouse and our next generations with Your favour and protection so that no calamity may befall us. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Psalm 31

When I was done reading Psalm 31, I can't help but to relate it to the final moments of Jesus' life on earth.

My thoughts were jostled by the scenes of people scorning and jeering at Jesus during His crucification on the cross at Calvary. The whole psalm depicts the Lord's emotional pain and rejection by both men and heavening Father at the cross. David might have gone through the whole episode of sufferings and injustice during his rein as King, though at a much lesser degree as compared to Jesus. Nevertheless, I believe this prophetic psalm is important in portraying the inner feelings of Christ in the face of death and despair.

God's terse message for those who hope in the Lord, is to be strong and take heart, for He will preserve the faithful. He will not let any of our sufferings and injustice be in vain. Even when I may not be viewed favourably by others around me, I can still hold my head high because God's favour is with me.

Psalm 30

"Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment,
but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning." -- Psalm 30:4-5

This is such a beautiful illustration of how much our Almighty God loves us. As a parent to three young kids, I have to discipline them when they misbehave or throw tantrums. I know sometimes I could express my anger and displeasure so as to get them to "sit up and listen". But after a while, my anger would have subsided and couldn't help but try to assure them of my love for them.

Likewise, our heavenly Father will never forsake His children and because He loves us, His favour will last us a lifetime! Weeping and sorrow is but temporary. Our lives on earth is only a transition phase, in God's perspective. So let us rejoice and look toward our future dwelling place in heaven, where there is weeping no more.

Theology of Sabbath

Last Sunday's sermon delivered by Pastor Eugene Seow touched on the theology of Sabbath. FCBC has set apart 2008 as the "Year of the Sabbath" for the church congregation. Pastor felt that it is important for church members to realise the significance of sabbath and not having the wrong impression that it is a year of "rest and doing nothing".

"Our God is our sufficiency.
He is the only one sufficient."

Pastor Eugene felt that the Psalm 24 revealed the Rhema Word for the church, that is for us to make time and space for God. This year is a time to draw near to God (time to rest in His sufficiency), a time to get right with God (return to His saving grace), and a time to stand up for God (recognise His sovereignty).

How true it is when very often we regarded work and family time as the most precious and neglected our communion with our maker!

Heavenly Father, forgive me for placing other things above spending time with You. This year being the year of sabbath for the church, I pray for a deeper walk with You through the daily reading of the Holy Bible. As You promise your children of Your blessings when we choose to seek You first, I pray for true contention and rest in You. Thank you Lord, for showing us that You and You alone are sufficient for me and my family. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Psalm 29

God's sovereignty is outwardly proclaimed by King David in this beautiful psalm. It talks of the glory of the Lord who reigns over the heavens and the earth with examples of the Lord speaking with flashes of lightning and shaking of the desert and breaking of cedars in pieces. Surely the same God who created the earth and universe (including all of His creations on earth) has the right to judge the earth!

Recently, there have been copious reports on the potential economic recession in the west, especially the United States, which could derail Singapore's booming economy at the second half of this year. In fact, talks among friends and colleagues are now mostly centred on the fear of the revisit of the 1998 Asian economic downturn. How could we weather our inner fears, be they the fear of retrenchment or fear of escalating inflation?

We can hold on to God's peace despite the storms surrounding us!

I remember Senior Pastor spoke in one of his sermons that the eye of the hurricane is the calmest. As we ascribe to God's guidance and control over all our circumstances, we will have peace amidst the cacophonous cries of insecurity among others. Let's proclaim this aloud: "The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace." (Psalm 29:11).

Psalm 28

David's unwavering faith in the Lord is amazing, even when there seemed no way out for him when he was surrounded by menace and evil-doers. God's Word is that we shall not curse but bless with our mouths. David did not choose the earlier. He chose to let God vindicate him and let Him be the judge to those who did harm to him. We need to apply David's trust in the Lord and not inflict our own judgement upon others. After all, we are all God's wonderful creations and only He has the right to judge us. So why waste so much of our energy trying to "set the records right"?

"The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.

The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever." -- Psalm 28:7-9

Let's lay claim of God's protection and blessings in any situations of our lives, knowing that He will stand up for us even though we may be outnumbered or misunderstood by others.

Psalm 27

Psalm 27 reminds me of Romans 8:31, which reads "... If God is for us, who can be against us?". God is our stronghold and so we should not be afraid of any fears or insurmountable circumstances in our lives. Our only fear is when God rejects or forsake us due to our unrepentful ways.

O God, do not hide Your face from me whenever I pray to You. Psalm 27:14 teaches us to "be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord". Lord, I pray that I will always walk beside You and not go before or behind You. As David prayed, the one thing that I ask of the Lord is that I and my loved ones may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of our lives. Thank You Lord. Amen.