A human misunderstanding of divine purposes
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.”
This is Job’s response to God declaring his power and authority in Job 41. He submits to God’s sovereignty and penitently despising himself for his earlier words. Job had made assumptions about his situation while lacking information and understanding of God’s ways and purposes.
Often, we can look at a situation we are in and try and make sense of it using our imperfect, human, understanding of God’s will. Job’s mistake is a lesson to us not to draw our own conclusions about God’s purposes but rather submit to Him wholeheartedly with utmost faith.
Obedience to the Lord
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, ESV – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
The great commandment as elucidated by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 22:37 was based on the great shema of the Israelites to love and obey their one and only God: a love relationship which is exclusive and involves the whole being.
Gratitude for his blessings
Similar to Psalm 107 last week, Psalm 102:2 is one of gratitude towards God, for everything that we have through Him.
Psalm 102:3-5 details our blessings
“Who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
The ultimate blessing is God’s love to His people, and this Psalm serves as a reminder for us to sing praise wholeheartedly to Him for all of our days.
Praise does not exclusively mean singing songs of worship. We can praise God by passing on His blessings to those around us too. Recent news has reminded us all about the fallen nature of man and the ever-present need for forgiveness and redemption. Do recall this verse when you or those around you feel angry or disappointed, and be reminded that God’s love is truly worthy of our praise.
Delight in the Law of God
Photo: Yanshu Lee. Design: Jonathan Yao.
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night..” ~ Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)
The poetic and metaphoric psalms began with a direct assertion of one who is called “blessed” by virtue of his disassociation with the “wicked or ungodly, sinners or unholy, and mockers or desecrators” but one who is in close fellowship with YHWH, God Himself, at all times.
Loving God Completely
Photo: Ben White. Design: Jonathan Yao.
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the most notable biblical passages named as the shema (Hebrew for “hear” as found in v. 4) and viewed as the “classic” confession of faith for the Hebrews. Verses 4 and 5 are seen as positive restatement of the first command in the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:6-21). (Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary or EWC)
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