November 1
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DO NOT LET MY ENEMIES REJOICE OVER ME
Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.
18 I will give You thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise You among a mighty people.
19 Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Nor let those who hate me for no reason wink maliciously.
20 For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it!”
22 You have seen it, LORD, do not keep silent;
Lord, do not be far from me.
23 Stir Yourself, and awake to my right
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, LORD my God, according to Your righteousness,
And do not let them rejoice over me. – Psalm 35:17-24
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In this psalm, we hear David asking God to vindicate him from his enemies It sounded like he was confronting God to take action and not have a passive stand on what is going on in his life. In verse 17, he mentions lions which probably represents the fears he was facing and how fierce his enemies were at eating him up with fear. In verse 18, he faithfully promises God that he will thank Him publicly and among His people. In verse 19, we hear David confidently requesting God to not allow his enemies to mock and make fun of him nor any of those who plot evil against him triumph over him. In verse 20, he exposes further what these evil people do, they destroy peace and seek conflict amongst those who are God’s people. Verse 21 further declares what was done to him, they have seen his weaknesses and exposed it. In verse 22, David kept pleading God not be silent anymore and to come to his rescue. In verses 23-24, he confidently call on God to defend him and to examine him according to His righteousness, reminding God to not allow the enemy to trample on him.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to come to God to defend us? Why can’t we fight on our own?
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MY SOUL SHALL REJOICE IN THE LORD ILMA’S VLOG
October 31
________________________________________MY SOUL SHALL REJOICE IN THE LORD
So my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
But my prayer kept returning to me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But at my tumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.- Psalm 35:9-16
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In verse 9, David promised that his soul would be appropriately happy in the LORD. Spurgeon comments on this verse as “We do not triumph in the destruction of others, but in the salvation given to us of God.” Smyth (cited in Spurgeon) suggested several reasons why God might allow such a sorrowful trial.
· To humble His people.
· To cause them to seek Him in urgent prayer.
· To prevent them from pursuing the very thing falsely accused of.
· To test whether His people will rely upon Him in all things.
· To teach them how to behave toward others when they are falsely accused.
· To warn them against making false accusations against others.
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REFLECTION
• How can David still rejoice in the Lord despite all the plots of the enemy and how all these people have gathered against him?
MY SOUL SHALL REJOICE IN THE LORD ILMA’S VLOG
October 31
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MY SOUL SHALL REJOICE IN THE LORD
So my soul shall rejoice in the LORD;
It shall rejoice in His salvation.
10 All my bones will say, “LORD, who is like You,
Who rescues the afflicted from one who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the poor from one who robs him?”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting,
But my prayer kept returning to me.
14 I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down in mourning, like one who mourns for a mother.
15 But at my tumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together;
The afflicted people whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.- Psalm 35:9-16
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In verse 9, David promised that his soul would be appropriately happy in the LORD. Spurgeon comments on this verse as “We do not triumph in the destruction of others, but in the salvation given to us of God.” Smyth (cited in Spurgeon) suggested several reasons why God might allow such a sorrowful trial.
· To humble His people.
· To cause them to seek Him in urgent prayer.
· To prevent them from pursuing the very thing falsely accused of.
· To test whether His people will rely upon Him in all things.
· To teach them how to behave toward others when they are falsely accused.
· To warn them against making false accusations against others.
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REFLECTION
• How can David still rejoice in the Lord despite all the plots of the enemy and how all these people have gathered against him?
PRAYER AGAINST THE ENEMY’S SCHEMES ILMA’S VLOG
October 30
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PRAYER AGAINST THE ENEMY’S SCHEMES
Contend, LORD, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take hold of buckler and shield
And rise up as my help.
3 Draw also the spear and [the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the LORD driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 For they hid their net for me without cause;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
8 Let destruction come upon him when he is unaware,
And let the net which he hid catch him;
Let him fall into that very destruction.- Psalm 35:1-8
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According to enduringword.com, this psalm is simply titled A Psalm of David. This is one of what are commonly known as the Imprecatory Psalms, which in strong terms ask God to defeat and destroy the enemies of His people. As you read through the book of Psalms, the Imprecatory Psalms become more intense. Psalm 7 is perhaps the mildest, while some count at least 30 curses in Psalm 109. It is difficult to assign this psalm to any particular period of David’s life. However, the phrasing of Psalm 35:1a is similar to what David said to Saul in 1 Samuel 24:15, so it may be linked to the period of David’s life when Saul pursued him. In the first few verses of this psalm, David asks God to fight for him against his enemies. It is interesting how David gives God suggestions how to attack his enemy for him. He is even saying to God to tell his soul “I am your salvation in verse 4. Why would a man ask his own God such detailed things? Because David has a long intimate relationship with God, He knows very well that God would be true to His promises for deliverance to those who are faithful to him. It is where he gets confidence.
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REFLECTION
• Do you think it was wrong of David to tell God what to do with his enemies? Why?
GIVE THANKS TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN ILMA’S VLOG
October 29
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GIVE THANKS TO THE GOD OF HEAVEN
Who remembered us in our lowliness,
For His faithfulness is everlasting,
24 And has rescued us from our enemies,
For His faithfulness is everlasting;
25 Who gives food to all flesh,
For His faithfulness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,
For His faithfulness is everlasting. – Psalm 136:23-26
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This psalm is written to enumerate the various things that God delivers us from and for all the provision that He has showered us with. Enduringword.com gives us some commentaries on these psalms. The song makes a sharp yet skillful transition from God’s great wonders of the past to His faithful help in the present. It is good for us to look to the past for evidence that His mercy endures forever, but even better for us to see the evidence in our own day.
KIdner comments on this part of the psalm: “After all, ‘his steadfast love endures forever’, and the refrain is designed to show the relevance of every act of God to every singer of the psalm.” Spurgeon says “Sin is our enemy, and we are redeemed from it by the atoning blood; Satan is our enemy and we are redeemed from him by the Redeemer’s power; the world is our enemy, and we are redeemed from it by the Holy Spirit.”
Spurgeon suggested many things that Psalm 136 as a whole teaches:
· The past, present, or future will not end His mercy.
· The storms of life will not end His mercy.
· Distance from loved ones will not end His mercy.
· Death itself will not end His mercy.
· God’s never-ending mercy should make us merciful to others.
· God’s never-ending mercy should make us hopeful for others.
· God’s never-ending mercy should make us hopeful for ourselves.
Shouldn’t our gratitude also be everlasting as much as God’s faithfulness is? Giving thanks to the God of heaven is the only way we could respond to God’s everlasting faithfulness.
Without gratitude, we cannot praise the Lord and remember his unfailing love.
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REFLECTION
• How can gratitude to God change our attitudes in life?
PSALM 136 THE GOD WHO DELIVERS ILMA’S VLOG
>October 27
________________________________________THE GOD WHO DELIVERS
To Him who smote the Egyptians in their firstborn,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
11 And brought Israel out from their midst,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
12 With a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
13 To Him who divided the Red Sea asunder,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
15 But He overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting. – Psalm 136:10-15
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According to a commentary on enduringword.com, the previous psalm mentioned the deliverance from Egypt and the striking of the firstborn (Psalm 135:8-9). Here again God is praised as the One who rescued Israel from their slavery and degradation in Egypt-another expression of His never-ending mercy. The singer recounted God’s great wonders flowing seamlessly from the work of creation described in Genesis 1 to the work of deliverance described in Exodus. We rightly regard (or should regard) the Exodus account as historical, describing what really happened. Therefore, the context and flow of this psalm demonstrates that what God described in Genesis 1 really happened. The psalmist does not treat them differently, as if one were a legend and the other actual history. God did not only bring the Israelites out of Egypt, but He also delivered them from Pharaoh’s attempt to re-capture them. In mercy to Israel, God overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. God’s use of history in this psalm is important. As in countless other places in the Scriptures, God used His work in the past to give hope, faith, and confidence to His people both for the moment and for the future.
It is necessary for all believers to recount all that God has done for them so that they will be focused on his lovingkindness that is overflowing. By constantly remembering such mercies and grace, we begin to have that love for what is right and for praising God for all that He continually showers us with.
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REFLECTION
• Why is history important to magnify God’s wondrous works and miracles?
GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS IS EVERLASTING ILMA’S VLOG
October 26
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GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS IS EVERLASTING
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
4 To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
5 To Him who made the heavens with skill,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
6 To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
7 To Him who made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
8 The sun to rule by day,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.- Psalm 136:1-9
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According to an internet sources, this psalm, extremely similar to Psalm 135, closes the Great Hallel. Unique to all the psalms, Psalm 136 uses the antiphonal refrain “For His loving-kindness is everlasting” after each stanza, perhaps spoken by the people in responsive worship. The author and occasion remain unknown.
Verse 1 declares the goodness of the Lord and his lovingkindness that is everlasting. Verse 2 praises God’s sovereignty and power over all other gods. He is incomparable to any other gods. In the third verse, Lord of lords is the attribute that is praised. He is Master of all masters. Verse 4 exults his creation and miracles. He is the only one who can create out of nothing and with Him all things are possible. Verse 5 reiterates verse 4 but explains how creative God is. He makes all things beautiful. In verses 6 -9, the author talks about how God placed boundaries in His creation and how He has placed order in all the things He has made.
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REFLECTION
• Why should all believers reflect on God’s lovingkindness daily?
PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE AND FOR GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS ILMA’S VLOG
October 25
________________________________________PLEA FOR DELIVERANCE AND FOR GOD’S LOVINGKINDNESS
All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten You,
And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Your way,
19 Yet You have crushed us in a place of jackals
And covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
Or extended our hands to a strange god,
21 Would not God find this out?
For He knows the secrets of the heart.
22 But for Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Arouse Yourself, why do You sleep, O Lord?
Awake, do not reject us forever.
24 Why do You hide Your face
And forget our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul has sunk down into the dust;
Our body cleaves to the earth.
26 Rise up, be our help,
And redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness.- Psalm 44:17-26
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In this psalm, the author pleads God to act and end their misery in the hands of the enemy. In verse 17, he declares that the people of God have not forgotten Him and in verse 18, reiterates their faithfulness to Him. In verse 19, we hear the voice of humankind’s limited understanding why God allows suffering in the hands of the enemy. In verse 20-21, the psalmist clearly knows his God. He knows that God sees everything and yet he is baffled why God has not followed through with his faithfulness to deliver them from the hands of their enemy’s cruelty. In verse 22, he tells God about the persecution being done to God’s people and in verse 23, he pleads God to rise up to deliver them from such sufferings. Many Christians forget that suffering is part of being a true disciple. Without it, we will not learn to endure and grow our faith.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it hard for many of us to understand the concept behind suffering?
BRINGING TO GOD ALL AFFLICTIONS ILMA’S VLOG
October 24
________________________________________BRINGING TO GOD ALL AFFLICTIONS
But You have saved us from our adversaries,
And You have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted all day long,
And we will give thanks to Your name forever.
9 Yet You have rejected us and brought us to dishonor,
And do not go out with our armies.
10 You cause us to turn back from the adversary;
And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.
11 You give us as sheep to be eaten
And have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people cheaply,
And have not profited by their sale.
You make us a reproach to our neighbors,
A scoffing and a derision to those around us.
14 You make us a byword among the nations,
A laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my dishonor is before me
And my humiliation has overwhelmed me,
16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles,
Because of the presence of the enemy and the avenger.- Psalm 44:7-16
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This psalm is about Israel’s complain to God. In verses 7-9, the writer declares how God has rescued and deliver his people. They were given victory over their enemies but in verse 9, he also says how God has brought them dishonor and have left them. In verse 10, the writer is aware that it was God who was punishing them because they have been oppressed by their enemies. In verse 11, he further gives us a clear picture how they are likened to sheep, to be eaten and have been dispersed in many different places. Verses 12-14 are more grumbles about the mocking by the enemy and how they were criticized and belittled and laughed at. In verse 15, we hear the humiliation that the Israelites suffered from their enemies. Clearly, the psalmist runs to God for comfort and deliverance. Despite their turmoil, they still find time to go to God. Do we still do this?
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REFLECTION
• How often do you run to God when you are undergoing much suffering?
YOU ARE MY KING, O GOD ILMA’S VLOG
October 23
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YOU ARE MY KING, O GOD
O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us
The work that You did in their days, in the days of old.
2 You with Your own hand drove out the nations; then You planted them;
You afflicted the peoples, then You spread them abroad.
3 For by their own sword they did not possess the land,
And their own arm did not save them,
But Your right hand and Your arm and the light of Your presence,
For You favored them. 4 You are my King, O God; command victories for Jacob.
5 Through You we will push back our adversaries;
Through Your name we will trample down those who rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow, nor will my sword save me. – Psalm 44:1-6
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As with Psalm 42, this psalm is titled To the Choirmaster. A Contemplation Of the sons of Korah. These sons of Korah were Levites, from the family of Kohath. By David’s time it seems they served in the musical aspect of the temple worship (2 Chronicles 20:19). Psalm 44 speaks of the nation of Israel in a season of great defeat, calling out to God for rescue. Some have thought it to be a psalm of the exile period or even afterwards in the days of the Maccabees. Yet there is reason enough to keep this psalm in the days of Israel’s monarchy.
The psalmist recalls all that God has done for his people as was told to him by his ancestors. He is reminiscing God’s hand in the deliverance of their families and nation. In verse 3, the author gives credit to God for it is in His hands that their forefathers were redeemed. He declares that only God has the power to give them victory as He has given Jacob such triumph over the enemies. How many Christians pay tribute to God for all that they were delivered from? It is sad to watch how many people have forgotten to give God all the glory. Instead, many of us would take credit for what only God can do. In verse 2, the psalmist declares that it was also God who afflicted the people and spread them abroad. You may be thinking how God can bring afflictions to His own people. We will never understand God’s ways, but He always has a good purpose for what He allow to happen. In verse 3, the author acknowledges that it was also God who gave them favor. God is sovereign and He is the greatest of all kings.
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REFLECTION
• How should you treat and pay tribute to King Jesus? Why do we forget to do this?