October 17
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O GOD, WHO IS LIKE YOU?
O God, You have taught me from my youth,
And I still declare Your wondrous deeds.
18 And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not forsake me,
Until I declare Your strength to this generation,
Your power to all who are to come.
19 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses
Will revive me again,
And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 May You increase my greatness
And turn to comfort me.- Psalm 71:17-21
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In this psalm, David exhibits so much praise and hope in God. In verse 17, he humbly declares that it was God who taught him everything even as a youth. In verse 18, he still plead God to never abandon him. He is full of hope that God will give him strength until he passes on to the next generation his faith and love for his Master, the Lord God. In verse 19, he exults God with His unfathomable righteousness that reaches up to the heavens. David knows his God very deeply to speak of this greatness that only God possesses. He praises God for no one else or other gods can compare to Him. He is one of a kind, full of unconditional love and mercy. In verse 20, David recognizes God’s discipline as he was allowed to go through so much troubles and trials. He also knows that his sins in the past contributed to such suffering and attacks from his enemies. This verse is full of hope that knowing how good his God is, he is sure that he will be delivered from all of these troubles. When he said God will bring me up again form the depths of the earth in verse 20, he is an epitome of hope in desperate situations. In verse 21, he pleads God to add to his greatness and give him comfort. What a great heart David has. He intimately knows his Lord. Do we have this confidence in God? Do we instantly run to God for comfort and deliverance from what we are going through? We can learn to be more like David in our relationship with the Lord.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think David has such great hope and dependence on God?
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DELIVERANCE FROM THE WICKED AND RUTHLESS
October 14
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DELIVERANCE FROM THE WICKED AND RUTHLESS
In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed.
2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
Incline Your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come;
You have given commandment to save me,
For You are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked,
Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man, 5 For You are my hope;
O Lord GOD, You are my confidence from my youth.
6 By You I have been sustained from my birth;
You are He who took me from my mother’s womb;
My praise is continually of You.- Psalm 71:1-6
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According to the ESV student study bible, this psalm is another individual lament, suited to a faithful person in danger from enemies who take advantage of any distress or weakness. Verse 1 acknowledges the God who is our refuge. In Him, we will not succumb to shame. It is interesting to hear this from the author of this psalm. He definitely knows that shame comes from the enemy and if he runs to God, he won’t ever feel that shame. Verse 2 declares God’s righteousness which gives hope to all of us because it is God’s righteousness that saves us and brings us out of evil. In verse 3, the psalmist acknowledges God’s law as the shield so that we won’t be defeated by the enemy. It also states the solid foundation that God gives to all those who believe in Him.
Verse 4 is a plea to be delivered from the plots and schemes of the wicked, wrongdoers and ruthless people. It seems like the writer enumerates the different kinds of evil people surrounding us. They have different levels of wickedness. Verse 5 is a confident hope that God will keep His promise. He knows that God will keep those promises in his youth. Verse 6 reminds us that God was there, as our mothers conceive us in her womb, watching us constantly. The psalmist declares his praise to God. What an awesome way to pray! It declares the God who protects and keeps His promises.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to be aware of God’s promises?
• What happens when we don’t know God’s promises?
GOD PRESERVES THE FAITHFUL ILMA’S VLOG
October 13
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GOD PRESERVES THE FAITHFUL
How great is Your goodness,
Which You have stored up for those who fear You,
Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You,
Before the sons of men!
20 You hide them in the secret place of Your presence
From the conspiracies of man;
You keep them secretly
In a shelter from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be the LORD,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
22 As for me, I said in my alarm, “I am cut off from before Your eyes”;
Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications
When I cried to You.
23 O love the LORD, all you His godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
24 Be strong and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the LORD. – Psalm 31:19-24
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One of the most amazing character traits of God is His faithfulness. Since the beginning of time, he has proven this trait of His people. He proved his continued loyalty to those who love Him. In this psalm, David mentions one of God’s promises to the faithful. in verse 23 God promised his people that he will preserve them and punish all those who will do them evil. In verse 24, David encourages them to continue to be strong and courageous for all those who trust in God will find hope and strength to continue to build up their faith in the Lord.
It is sad to watch many people, even Christians who live a compromised life instead of staying as faithful as they can to their Lord and Savior. David also praises God in this psalm and constantly remind God’s people of the importance of fearing the Lord and taking refuge in Him, for He is faithful to keep His promises to those who love Him. Are we also as faithful to God as He is to us?
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REFLECTION
• Why is faithfulness a trait that God wants all His believers to have?
MAKE YOUR FACE TO SHINE UPON YOUR SERVANT ILMA’S VLOG
October 12
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MAKE YOUR FACE TO SHINE UPON YOUR SERVANT
But as for me, I trust in You, O LORD,
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in Your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies
And from those who persecute me.
16 Make Your face to shine upon Your servant;
Save me in Your lovingkindness.
17 Let me not be put to shame,
O LORD, for I call upon You;
Let the wicked be put to shame,
let them be silent in Sheol.18 Let the lying lips be mute
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt. – Psalm 31:14-18
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In this psalm, David once again manifests his big heart who always seeks God’s own heart. He trusts the Lord with his own life. He believes that God is always looking after him especially protecting and delivering him from his enemies. He asks His heavenly Father to make His face shine upon him.
The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance on you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:24-26). This was the priests’ blessing in the Old Testament for God’s people passed down for centuries. According to an internet source, in 1979, archaeologists excavating a tomb near Jerusalem discovered two small silver scrolls that recorded this priestly blessing from Numbers 6. The scrolls were dated to the 7th century B.C., making them oldest written Scriptures found.
What does “the Lord make His face shine on you” mean? The fact that God would have Aaron and the priests to repeat this blessing for centuries must mean it is very important. This blessing is an appeal to God to look favorably upon His people and to grant His presence, blessing, guidance, and grace. David used this blessing in this psalm, asking God’s presence in the midst of all that he is going through. Shouldn’t we all ask the Lord to shine his face upon us all?
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to ask God’s presence, blessings and guidance in our lives?
PLEADING GOD FOR DELIVERANCE DURING GRIEF ILMA’S VLOG
October 11
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PLEADING GOD FOR DELIVERANCE DURING GRIEF
Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
and my body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries,
I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life. – Psalm 31:9-13
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In this psalm, we hear David’s depression and grief. David is so honest with God. He complains to God directly as he goes through the grief and weariness of dealing with his enemies. He intimately asks God in verse 9 to grant him grace because he is in so much distress. He describes in verse 10 how tired he was both in his mind, body and spirit but also acknowledges the fact that it was his sins that brought about this weariness. He knows how his neighbors disapprove of him and feels the pain of the rejection from them in verse 11. He likens himself to a dead man or a broken vessel. In verse 13, we hear David’s paranoia as his enemies slander him. It has brought much terror on his side, especially when they all plotted to kill him.
Isn’t it such a consolation to hear a man who is after God’s own heart plead and complain to God at the same time about his enemy’s plots that he is constantly exposed to? Why complain when God already knows anyway? The act of coming to God to plead for help in desperate situations exhibits humility. It shows that we are acknowledging a God who can be the only one who can deliver us from any kind of trouble. Even when we are panic stricken or rejected, the Lord wants us to come to Him. The more we are being attacked, the more He wants us to run to His arms like a child runs to his parent.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it okay to complain to God and not to humans?
LORD, IN YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, DELIVER ME ILMA’S VLOG
October 10
________________________________________LORD, IN YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, DELIVER ME
In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed;
In Your righteousness deliver me.2 Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me.
3 For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name’s sake You will lead me and guide me.
4 You will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength. 5 Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.
6 I hate those who regard vain idols, But I trust in the LORD.
7 I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness,
Because You have seen my affliction;
You have known the troubles of my soul,
8 And You have not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
You have set my feet in a large place.- Psalm 31:1-8
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In the 16th Century, German monk, Martin Luther taught through Psalms, verse-by-verse to his students at the seminary. In his teaching he came upon Psalm 31:1. This verse confused him; how could God’s righteousness deliver him? The righteousness of God – His great justice – could only condemn him to hell as a righteous punishment for his sins. He also read Romans 1:17: For in it [the gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed. Luther thought about this day and night, until he finally understood what the righteousness of God revealed by the gospel is. It is not speaking of the holy righteousness of God that condemns the guilty sinner, but of the God-kind of righteousness that is given to the sinner who puts his trust in Jesus Christ. Luther said, “I grasped the truth that the righteousness of God is that righteousness whereby, through grace and sheer mercy, he justifies us by faith. Martin Luther was born again, and the reformation began in his heart. One great Lutheran scholar said this was “the happiest day in Luther’s life.”
The psalmist puts his trust in the Lord who knows all the troubles that his soul encounters. Shouldn’t we do the same? The Lord knows us very well and only if we trust in Him will he deliver us. Because He is full of mercy and lovingkindness, we are delivered.
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REFLECTION
• How can trusting God keep us away from evil or trouble?
MY STRONGHOLD & THE ROCK OF MY REFUGE ILMA’S VLOG
October 9
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MY STRONGHOLD & THE ROCK OF MY REFUGE
For judgment will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who will stand up for me against evildoers?
Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness?
17 If the LORD had not been my help,
My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.
18 If I should say, “My foot has slipped,”
Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up.
19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your consolations delight my soul.
20 Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which devises mischief by decree?
21 They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the LORD has been my stronghold,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He has brought back their wickedness upon them
And will destroy them in their evil;
The LORD our God will destroy them.- Psalm 94:15-23
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In this psalm, the writer focuses on the righteous God we have. He judges fairly. All those who live upright lives knows that God gives justice impartially. Verses 16-17 declares the faithfulness of God and how He is a promise keeper who will ensure that the wicked are punished when they do evil to God’s people. It is a declaration of confidence in God who is the only one who can deliver them against wickedness. Verse 17 is a grateful act of God’s help. Without it, anyone would feel overwhelmed and helpless, but the psalmist knows his God very well. He knows that God will never be silent, but will always be there on their rescue. Verses 18-19 enumerates what God does in times of anxiety. God always ensures that the faithful will never entertain anxiety and worry because they know that God will always console them.
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REFLECTION
• How often do you run to your stronghold when trouble comes?
• Why is it important to dwell on God’s promises when anxiety sets in?
THE LORD NEVER ABANDONS HIS PEOPLE ILMA’S VLOG
October 8
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THE LORD NEVER ABANDONS HIS PEOPLE
Pay heed, you senseless among the people;
And when will you understand, stupid ones?
9 He who planted the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
10 He who chastens the nations, will He not rebuke,
Even He who teaches man knowledge?
11 The LORD knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath.-
12 Blessed is the man whom You chasten, O LORD,
And whom You teach out of Your law;
13 That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity,
Until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not abandon His people,
Nor will He forsake His inheritance. Psalm 94:8-14
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This song of lament is a reminder to all those people who are undergoing oppression. It prompts them to remember all the things the Lord has created and done for His people. Verse 8 brings people to their foolishness and verses 9 mentions gifts that God has given those whom He made. He gave them ears to hear Him and eyes to see Him and yet people don’t use it for that purpose. Humans have a tendency to use such gifts for their own gains. Verse 10 talks about God’s faithfulness at keeping His promise to those who love Him. He will correct and discipline them. In verse 11, we are reminded of the omniscient nature of God, who sees everything. He knows our thoughts.
The psalmist reminds God’s people of the blessings they are going to experience when they are faithful to their creator. In verse 13, we hear the promise of comfort and deliverance from adversities. It also talks about the vengeance that God will bring forth to the enemies who oppress His beloved people. Another promise in this part of Psalm 94 is that the Lord never forsakes His people. He is faithful to ensure that salvation and deliverance are granted to all the faithful ones who runs to Him for help in times of oppression and troubles.
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REFLECTION
• How can we constantly run to God when it is in our nature to self-protect and be self-sufficient? Why does God want us to depend on Him?
RUNNING TO GOD FOR COMFORT IN EVIL TIMES ILMA’S VLOG
October 7
________________________________________RUNNING TO GOD FOR COMFORT IN EVIL TIMES
O LORD, God of vengeance,
God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth,
Render recompense to the proud.
3 How long shall the wicked, O LORD,
How long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly;
All who do wickedness vaunt themselves.
5 They crush Your people, O LORD,
And afflict Your heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger
And murder the orphans.
7 They have said, “The LORD does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed.” – Psalm 94:1-7
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Psalm 94 is a community lament written for a time when the wicked not only revel (v3) but also oppress the people (v5-6). This psalm was written to plead God to act on the evil being done to the people. They ask God for protection from the wickedness they are experiencing.
It is so refreshing to hear the people humbly run to God like a little child, reporting to the parent about what is going on in her/his life. Even though the parent probably knows already the things happening, it is still good to hear the child express trust and dependence. It manifests a closeness, a bond between the child and parent. It is like this with us and God. We need to run to God for protection, for provision and for guidance just like a child would. Although human mind is limited like a child, God loves the act of running to Him for help. It shows closeness and intimacy. It reveals a relationship that is borne out of love.
Verses 3-7 enumerates what people are experiencing and reveals a hope for God to act on such evil deeds in verse 3. Of course, God knows everything. The act of running to Him in times of distress and oppression is a good sign that the people are very much connected to their God. It exhibits faithfulness as well.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to run to God for comfort in times of trouble and oppression?
ARISE O GOD & RESCUE YOUR PEOPLE ILMA’S VLOG
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October 6
________________________________________ARISE O GOD & RESCUE YOUR PEOPLE
Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled,
And a foolish people has spurned Your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast;
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever. 20 Consider the covenant;
For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.
21 Let not the oppressed return dishonored;
Let the afflicted and needy praise Your name.
22 Arise, O God, and plead Your own cause;
Remember how the foolish man reproaches You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your adversaries,
The uproar of those who rise against You which ascends continually. -Psalm 74:18-23
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Matthew Henry comments on verses 18-23 as such. The psalmist begs that God would appear for the church against their enemies. The folly of such as revile his gospel and his servants will be plain to all. Let us call upon our God to enlighten the dark nations of the earth; and to rescue his people, that the poor and needy may praise his name. Blessed Saviour, thou art the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Make thy people more than conquerors. Be thou, Lord, all in all to them in every situation and circumstances; for then thy poor and needy people will praise thy name.
I love how Asaph reminds God to act upon rescuing His people. It shows that he knows his God who promised to free the oppressed as Isaiah 58:6 says “Undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke.” Asaph is looking forward to the promise of God for deliverance for His own people.
It sounds like Asaph is telling God to fight for Himself when the enemy has rejected Him and desecrated His temple in verse 18. It seems humorous to hear a mortal tell an immortal God what to do, but I think the act of conversing with God about things we don’t understand is a manifestation of humility and intimacy with the Lord. It exhibits his knowledge of a God he knows so well. Do we do the same? Do we actually converse with God and discuss the concerns of our hearts with Him? We need to care enough to lay down all our burdens and concerns to God.
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REFLECTION
• How often to do you intimately confide and converse with God all your concerns?