Daily Encouragement

JULY 13, 2008 - The Gospel In The Old Testament

Meditation on Psalm 40

God had inspired David to write this psalm. David recorded those thoughts of God in a poetic form and asked his chief musicians to put it into music. In this psalm, David wrote concerning God's overwhelming inspiration to him, "......And your thoughts toward us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered." (v. 5 NKJV)

David, the psalmist humbly recounted God's initial salvation upon him. He declared that his new song would bring others to trust in the LORD. (v. 1-3)

So he pointed out the inadequacy of burnt offering and sacrifices in his time (the Old Testament) in verse 6. He predicted the coming of the Greater David, Jesus in verse 7. (Please compare this verse with Hebrews 10:7-9) He hinted the solution to his own inability to God's will by proclaiming "Your law is within my heart." (v. 8 NIV)

Continuing His inspired thought, the smaller David spoke of such good news of righteousness. He realized that he is obligated to proclaim this Gospel (as we know in the New Testament) that God has provided the salvation for all of us. (v. 8-10)

But David realized he was but human and had continue to sin against God. He asked for God’s mercy to cover him. He would seek urgently God's help to defeat his enemy and not forget to praise the LORD.

JULY 14, 2008 - When One Is In CCU

Meditation on Psalm 41

When a believer is landed in Critical Care Unit of a hospital, he may encounter these feelings in his soul:

First of all, he praises God that he did not die because God has kept him alive. He expresses his faith in God that God will give him strength to recover.

Then he confesses his sins and asks for God's thorough healing.

But he may not want anyone to visit him because those who oppose him would come and want to find out what's happening to him so they can spread out more rumors about him.

Even his own dear relatives and intimate friends may criticize him and wonder if there is something wrong with him since he is so sick.

Based on what God has done for him this time, he knows that God is with him.

Therefore he knows that God will defend for his integrity as a believer and watches over him always.

Finally He praises God who cares for His people all the time.

Those were the similar feelings that David had when he was critically ill at the time when he wrote this psalm.

God is willing to heal His people today!

So let those who are sick today pray like David, "But you, O LORD, be merciful to me, and raise me up" (v. 10 NKJV)

JULY 15, 2008 - Are You Thirsty For God?

Meditation on Psalm 42

Many Christians are familiar with the beautiful song, "As the deer panteth for the water so my soul panteth after Thee." It is good to recall and sing it as we meditate now.

In a hot summer day, we feel thirsty quite often. In times of trial, temptation and fierce struggle, a Christian's soul should constantly seek after God. Some of you are perhaps in vacation; usually you may see deer, waterfall, mountains and waves. Through scenes of these natures, have you been aroused to think of the creator who loves you and cares for you?

However, no matter what kind of condition you are in, the problem is that you don’t seem to sense His presence. The psalmist here expressed his deep longing for experiencing God. Not only he himself had such need. His acquaintances also were wondering where his God was. Furthermore, he remembered the good time he had with God's people in worship. How joyful it was! But now he was depressed and anxious. He had long not been able to worship God. So he urged himself to trust in God still. He continued to hope in God's presence since God had been good to Him in the past. That was the expression of the psalmist from verse one to five.

The psalmist's spirit was down for quite awhile. So he took time to recall his spiritual journey with God in the past during good time and in tough environment. He endured in his prayerful mood day and night. He addressed to God that He was loving so He would not allow enemies to keep questioning him "Where is your God?"

So in the last verse (11) of the second session of this psalm the poet prayed with confidence as if he should not be depressed anymore as he hoped in God. He declared, "For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God." (NKJV) Notice the personal pronoun, "my". God is personal to Him.

This psalm is not finished. Psalm 42 is only the first part of it. Scholars all agree with this observation. Can't you look forward to psalm 43?

JULY 16, 2008 - Solution For Spiritual Dryness

Meditation on Psalm 43

Psalm 43 is a continuation of Psalm 42. The psalmist seemed to have revealed one of the major problem of his despondency in verse one. He was opposed and rejected by others. He had encountered great amount of oppressions.

But he is now coming to pray with understanding. In verse three he asked God, "Oh send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle." (NKJV) The solution to his spiritual thirst and depressed state is going to public worship!

The reason is that there in front of the altar of God, the praises and sacrifice to Jesus, he will have exceeding joy. (v. 4) His discouragement and weariness will be gone.

Notice that in the psalmist's prayer, he requested God to send out light and truth. That is exactly what many Christians need to pray for today.

They have not been faithful in attending worship due to many obstacles and burdens in life. They want God's presence yet they cannot even find time to meditate upon God's Word. No wonder they are so dry spiritually. So the only solution is to pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to open their spiritual eyes to see the important light of worshipping God privately and publicly. They need the faithfulness of God to open ways for them to attend church worship.

The psalmist knew that God would answer his prayers for sure. So in his final question of "Why are you cast down, O my soul?". I believe he was simply telling his emotion to be in line with his spirit. He knew he will yet praise God. God will put a smile on his face. (v. 5)

So will those who talk to God in Jesus' name. (John 16:24)

JULY 17, 2008 - When The Church Is Under Attack

Meditation on Psalm 44

This psalm was written by the musicians of Israelites who humbly asked for God's deliverance from enemies’ attack. Today God's people are under persecution in many parts of the world. Some churches or individual believers are overwhelmed by problems in their lives. The most important thing is to pray. God will answer His people's prayers and nothing can separate us from the love of God.

The psalmist began his prayer by recounting God's election upon His people. He then declared God's rulership and praise God for His salvation in the past. He acknowledged that their possession were not by their own ability but from God.

He continued his prayer by telling God how they had suffered in the hands of the enemies without the protection of God.

But he proclaimed their firm trust in God still and that they had not turned away from Him.

To him, it seemed that God had left them alone without caring for them at all.

Finally, he prayed with confidence and humility that God was merciful and would redeem them.

Throughout Christian history, many had suffered greatly. However the prayers of God's saints will be recorded in heaven. God will reveal Himself. (Revelation 8:3-4)

JULY 18, 2008- The Greatest Wedding Ever

Meditation on Psalm 45

This psalm is a big contrast from those psalms of lament. It is about a royal wedding of the King of Israel. More than that, students who love the Scriptures have concluded that this wedding description is a symbolic prophecy of the coming wedding of the Messiah King, Jesus with the church. In Ephesians 5:23-33, the church is depicted as the wife of Christ. In ancient Hebrew culture, this can be referred to a bride to be in engagement. In God's schedule, this wedding is being planned for the time of Revelation 19:7-9, 21:2, 9.

This psalm is full of joy, victory, glory and praises. The description of the Son as the eternal King in verse 6 is confirmed by Hebrews 1:8 in the New Testament. It says, “But to the Son, He says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom…’ ” (NKJV)

This wedding is the greatest because it is the coming together of the righteous yet merciful God with the church whom He has redeemed. The beauty and majesty of this wedding has been carefully penned by the psalmist.

Very significantly, the bride is called upon to forget her past. The Disciples of Christ must commit totally to Christ, the Groom. For verse 10 says, "Listen, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your own people also, and your father’s house".

May we anticipate the day when we shall meet the Lord, the bridegroom face to face. Then in our lives, we shall dedicate ourselves to Him from this day forward.

JULY 19, 2008 - Fear Not

Meditation on Psalm 46

Our world seems to be in great turmoil today. We worry about the world-wide problem of economy. We have seen the havoc of storms and earthquakes one after another. The oil price keeps going up. The environmental problems and consequences need to be fixed right away.

There are wars going on. Terrorists attack against Western civilization, civil wars, drug wars and etc are happening constantly. Then there are the moral corruption, family breakdown, famine, aids epidemic, corrupt leaders in the world. Don't we have so many problems that we will never be able to solve? What are we going to do?

This fear-calming psalm has given us the answer, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (v. 1 NASB)

The psalmist said that God has promised to help his congregation in the midst of all the terrors in the world. "The LORD of host is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." (v. 7, 11 NKJV)

The most comforting words to me are these: "He makes war cease to the end of the earth......." (v. 9) God Himself will bring peace!

Therefore God says, "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (v. 10 NKJV)

Let us be calm and fear not. Whether it is the trouble of our world or our own personal problems, watch what God will do as we look unto Him.