May 14
________________________________________
MEDITATE ON GOD’S MIGHTY DEEDS
I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
You have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid;
Indeed, the deep trembled.17 The clouds poured out water;
The skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
Your lightnings lighted up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters;
Yet your footprints were unseen 20 You led your people like a flock
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.– Psalm 77:11-20
________________________________________
How often do we reflect and remember the mighty deeds of God? We become so absorbed with our lives here on earth that we easily forget the miracles that God has done to show his chosen people his love for us, his provision, his deliverance. In this psalm, the psalmist recalls those times when God made wondrous deeds such us redeeming his people, the children of Jacob and Joseph and by the hand of Moses and Aaron brought them to the Promised Land. When we meditate on the fulfilled promises and miracles that God has already shown us, we are strengthening our faith and giving Him praise as well. When we count our blessings, we become more hopeful and grow in our trust that once again, he will keep doing his promises.
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the Lord who is faithful to deliver his promises.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord, when I don’t magnify at your wondrous deeds.
THANKSGIVING: What can the remembrance of God’s miracles do to our lives?
SUPPLICATION: May we constantly be in awe of all the wondrous deeds of God.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• How can meditating on God’s wondrous deeds change our hearts?
Category Archives: Psalm Blog
I SEEK THE LORD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE ILMA’S VLOG
May 13
________________________________________
I SEEK THE LORD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, and he will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
In the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
My soul refuses to be comforted.3 When I remember God, I moan;
When I meditate, my spirit faints. 4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak 5 I consider the days of old, the years long ago.
6 I said, “Let me remember my song in the night; let me meditate in my heart.”
Then my spirit made a diligent search: 7 “Will the Lord spurn forever,
And never again be favorable? 8 Has his steadfast love forever ceased?
Are his promises at an end for all time? 9 Has God forgotten to be gracious?
Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” 10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
To the years of the right hand of the Most High.” – Psalm 77:1-10
________________________________________
The psalmist shows how he runs and cries out loud to God in times of trouble. He clearly gives a picture how he wallowed in the pain caused by his troubles which have led him to doubt or question if God has forgotten him. There is certainly an examination of the motives of his heart involved from verses 6-10.
It is interesting how the Lord uses troubles in our lives to make us get down on our knees and ask his help. It is when we are beset by helplessness that he makes us grow in humility to run to him and ask for deliverance or to be rescued. But we shouldn’t limit our reliance on God only when we are in trouble. We also need to worship him despite all the bad and the good things that happens to us. He is looking for people who will worship him in spirit and in truth.
________________________________________
ADORATION: Lord, you are gracious and forgiving, I praise your steadfast love and grace.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I succumb to hopelessness and helplessness.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for your word that always sets me free.
SUPPLICATION: May we constantly seek God’s guidance and help in our lives especially in times of troubles.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• Why do you think people only run to God when they are in trouble?
MAY ALL KINGS SERVE THE LORD ILMA’S VLOG
May 12
________________________________________
MAY ALL KINGS SERVE THE LORD
May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
And precious is their blood in his sight.15 Long may he live;
May gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually,
And blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
On the tops of the mountains may it wave; may its fruit be like Lebanon;
And may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field!
17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him, all nations call him blessed!
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen! 20 The prayers of David, the son of Jesse, are ended. – Psalm 72:11-20
________________________________________
As we live in this world, we are all under the authority of a leader, ruler or a monarch. Many nations have suffered many evil things because of how some of these leaders ruled their countries or kingdoms. In this psalm, a blessing is prayed over the kings that will become heirs to David’s throne. The psalmist’s prayer is that may all these kings fall down before the Lord and serve him for the Lord is king of all kings. God has chosen these rulers so that it will fit into His plan. It would benefit mankind if all people give their rulers prayers and blessings so that they can accomplish the tasks and their authorities according to the bigger plan of God.
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the most Sovereign of all kings, our Lord Jesus Christ.
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord when I fail to remember to bless my leaders.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for giving us someone to lead us.
SUPPLICATION: May all leaders recognize that they are also servants to God.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• What are the ways we bless our leaders to keep peace reigning in the world?
MAY THE RIGHTEOUS FLOURISH AND PEACE ABOUND ILMA’S VLOG
May 11
________________________________________
MAY THE RIGHTEOUS FLOURISH AND PEACE ABOUND
Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
Give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you while the sun endures,
And as long as the moon, throughout all generations!
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may the righteous flourish, and peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from sea to sear, and from the River to the ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust!
10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute;
May the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! – Psalm 72:1-10
________________________________________
This psalm is a prayer that David’s heirs might be faithful kings, which means ruling God’s people well, protecting the poor and needy and bringing blessing to all nations of the earth. It is request to the Lord that during the reign of the kings that follow David, they will give deliverance to the needy, crush the oppressors. The prayer also requests that there will be flourishing of righteousness and peace amongst Jerusalem and God’s people. Honor and respect from other rulers and sovereign leaders is also something that the prayer asks God for. The prayer is also that all the heirs of David will follow suit to this.
Shouldn’t we also pray the same prayers for our leaders and rulers in our nations? That they may lead us all honestly and think of the good of all and peace to reign in the whole world?
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the Lord, He is the king of all kings, Sovereign over all rulers.
CONFESSION: May all rulers acknowledge the kingship of Jesus.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for keeping us in peace even amidst a pandemic.
SUPPLICATION: May all leader recognize that God has placed them in that position.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• How can praying for our leaders change the way the world can become?
GOD HAS LISTENED ILMA’S VLOG
May 10
________________________________________
GOD HAS LISTENED
You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water;
Yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you,
14 That which my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
With the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats.
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer
Or removed his steadfast love from me! – Psalm 66:11-20
________________________________________
This psalm recounts how God allowed suffering and pain in the lives of those whom He delivers. These trials and hardships are what God used to bring them out of trouble. It becomes a test of their faith and the source of strength and endurance to go through what comes their way. Verses 17-18 identifies what will be required for God to hear our prayers: fear of the Lord and giving up of sin. These are very essential requirements of answered prayer. Oftentimes, man do not follow such necessities when they lift up their voices to God. Many occasions, we fail to ask in line with his will. Thus, we end up not being able to be heard. God will never give us anything that will be detrimental to us. Have you ever asked God something and he listened?
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise a God who hears our prayers. He is full of Mercy and steadfast Love.
CONFESSION: Forgive me each time I ask something that isn’t what you want for me.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you Lord, for all your test so I can grow in faith and endurance.
SUPPLICATION: May all of God’s people recognize the importance of trials and hardships in life and learn to endure and grow their faith.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
SHOUT JOYFULLY GOD’S AWESOME DEEDS
May 9
________________________________________
SHOUT JOYFULLY GOD’S AWESOME DEEDS!
Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 2 sing the glory of his name;
Give to him glorious praise! 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you.
4 All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; they sing praises to your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done:
He is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him, 7 who rules by his might forever,
Whose eyes keep watch on the nations—let not the rebellious exalt themselves.
8 Bless our God, O peoples; let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 Who has kept our soul among the living and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. – Psalm 66:1-10
________________________________________
When we shout out loud something, we are expressing the uncontainable emotion inside us. In this psalm, all the earth is summoned to shout for joy to God, to give him praise and all the glory. When we declare aloud all of God’s wonderful and awesome work, we bring him glory. Rejoicing is one manifestation of our thankfulness and delight in what God has given us. It is a way of blessing God for all the love he has showered us with and all the provisions he has given us. Verses 8-10 mentions how God has strengthened his people by testing and trying them as silver is tested through fire. It is a hymn of exultation over the deliverance of God to those who are faithful to him.
In our present day and age, do we shout joyfully God’s awesome deeds? How many believers actually make a habit of this? How many of us get consumed by the corruption of this world that we fail to even thank and acknowledge God for what we have received?
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the Lord who is a generous Giver of all things that we need.
CONFESSION: Forgive me each time I take for granted opportunities to shout joyfully.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all that you have delivered me from Lord.
SUPPLICATION: May all of God’s people make a habit of shouting out joyfully God’s deeds.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• How can joyful shouting of God’s marvelous deeds change our perspective in life?
THE UPRIGHT SHALL RULE ILMA’S VLOG
May 8
________________________________________
THE UPRIGHT SHALL RULE
Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations,
Though they called lands by their own names.12 Man in his pomp will not remain;
He is like the beasts that perish.13 This is the path of those who have foolish confidence;
Yet after them people approve of their boasts.
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd,
And the upright shall rule over them in the morning.
Their form shall be consumed in Sheol, with no place to dwell.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.
16 Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, when the glory of his house increases.
17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
18 For though, while he lives, he counts himself blessed
And though you get praise when you do well for yourself—
19 His soul will go to the generation of his fathers, who will never again see light.
20 Man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish.
– Psalm 49:11-20
________________________________________
This psalm of one of the sons of Korah reminds us of man’s mortality and that nothing in life is permanent. No matter how much properties they own with their names on their land titles, they will still perish and cannot take any of their wealth after their deaths. Those who live righteous lives on the other hand will enjoy the promise of God’s redemption from the power of hell. The psalmist gives us words of wisdom to not concern ourselves of things of this world especially of accumulating earthly possessions for it will not matter in the end anyway. Let us boast of how we can live holy lives while we are still on earth rather than concern ourselves with riches that doesn’t have value in eternity.
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the Lord, the source of Eternal life.
CONFESSION: Forgive me when I become attach to earthly things.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for reminding me of my mortality.
SUPPLICATION: May we gather heavenly treasures instead of worldly matters.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• Why does man get so wrapped up with worldly stuff when it doesn’t last forever?
WORLDLY MATTERS DON’T MATTER ILMA’S VLOG
May 7
________________________________________
WORLDLY MATTERS DON’T MATTER
Hear this, all peoples! Give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 Both low and high, rich and poor together!
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the lyre.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
When the iniquity of those who cheat me surrounds me,
6 Those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life,
8 For the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice,
9 That he should live on forever and never see the pit.
10 For he sees that even the wise die; the fool and the stupid alike must perish
And leave their wealth to others. – Psalm 49:1-10
________________________________________
This psalm written by the sons of Korah is a great reminder for all mankind, low and high, rich and poor alike. We can never boast of our possessions or be consumed by wanting to have riches. In verse 4, we hear the psalmist suggests the importance of listening to wisdom instead of living in fear. Just like the book of Ecclesiastes says in the first chapter, everything is meaningless; everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. The psalm talks about the fact that no one have guarantees in this life. They can never ransom another life. Both the poor and the wealthy, the wise and the fools all perish. The rich cannot bring their wealth when they die. Only dependence on God can bring them salvation. Eternal life is their only guarantee, so why depend on worldly matters instead of spiritual things?
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the Lord Almighty, the God of our salvation!
CONFESSION: Forgive me Lord, when I focus on worldly things and boast about it.
THANKSGIVING: Remind me to boast only of my dependence on you.
SUPPLICATION: May all believers remember that only in God will they have eternity.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• Why is it important to remember that worldly matters won’t matter in eternity?
TELL EVERYONE GOD’S WONDERFUL DEEDS ILMA’S VLOG
May 6
________________________________________
TELL EVERYONE GOD’S WONDERFUL DEEDS
Sing praises to the LORD, who sits enthroned in Zion! Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.13 Be gracious to me, O LORD!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,14 that I may recount all your praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion, I may rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
In the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16 The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion.
17 The wicked shall return to Sheol all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
And the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
19 Arise, O LORD! Let not man prevail; let the nations be judged before you!
20 Put them in fear, O LORD! Let the nations know that they are but men! – Psalm 9:11-20
________________________________________
Whether we tell other Christians or unbelievers the wondrous works of God, we are declaring his majesty and power. The decision to give witness to God’s acts of mercy and grace is an act of worship in itself. The Lord never forgets these acts of humility that declares our nothingness in comparison to his greatness. It is a manifestation of our service and obedience to his command to make him first among all things. In this psalm, David recounts all the things the Lord has done for them and how he looks forward to those promises He gave his people, especially the forgotten ones such as the needy. David is hopeful that God will bring them justice and mercy.
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise the Lord for all his wondrous deeds. Glory and praise to Him alone.
CONFESSION: I will speak of God’s goodness to as much people as I can.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for all your faithfulness to deliver your promises to us.
SUPPLICATION: May we only speak of your wondrous deeds instead of complaining.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• What happens to our hearts when we speak of God’s wondrous deeds to others?
I WILL RECOUNT YOUR WONDERFUL DEEDS ILMA’S VLOG
May 5
________________________________________
I WILL RECOUNT YOUR WONDERFUL DEEDS
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
You have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
5 You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
Their cities you rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for justice,
8 And he judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with uprightness.
9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
For you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. – Psalm 9:1-10
________________________________________
David manifests throughout the psalms his worship of the Lord. It shows his humility and love and obedience to the Master of his life. In this psalm, he recounts the many wonderful deeds that the Lord has extended to him. He uses all this remembrance to praise God and to remind himself of God’s steadfast love and deliverance from wickedness and evil. Shouldn’t all of God’s people do the same? Oftentimes, we get consumed by troubles and suffering that we forget to recall those times that the Lord has shown us favor, mercy and grace. We automatically rely on ourselves and problem-solve instead of counting the many times God had been faithful to help and deliver us from evil.
________________________________________
ADORATION: Praise you Lord as you continually rescue your beloved people.
CONFESSION: Forgive me whenever I fail to recount your wondrous deeds in the past.
THANKSGIVING: Thank you for giving me unconditional love though I don’t deserve it.
SUPPLICATION: May we all remember the times God rescued us and walked us through.
________________________________________
REFLECTION
• How do you think recounting the many good deeds God did changes our views?