Psalm 69 & 70: God Of Redemption

Verse of the Day: (69:18)

Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.

God has not promised sky always blue, and flower never dies, and let us embrace suffering, and believe that He has a purpose for it. David cried out and prayed to God as his life was like in hell and high waters, yet he never gave up, as he believed in and waited upon Him. This psalm was a double prophecy of David’s as well as Jesus’ life. Both David and the Lord Jesus experienced extreme sufferings for God’s sake. This is especially for Jesus who committed no sin, yet He was tortured, tormented, and eventually crucified. (Matthew 27) Indeed, without God, David’s enemies were mightier than him, but with God, his enemies were like grasshoppers seen through his eyes of faith in Him. The more David trusted God, the more he felt like he was a stranger and fugitive in this world, as his enemies, and even his own family, treated him with animosity and hostilities. But praise be to God, as He sent His Son, Jesus, to die and shed His precious blood, and eternally redeemed us from fiery hell, that one day, we shall be promoted to glorious heaven. Let us keep praising and thanking our Redeemer. (Hebrews 9:11-12)

Many times, David cried out for help, and it seemed no one would hear him, except his God. This was also the case of Jesus, except for one incidence on the cruel cross, when He cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And this was because Jesus became the sin of the world and God, the Father, had to forsake Him from the 6^th to the 9^th hour. (Matthew 27:45-46) Let us thank Christ as when we believe in Him, our names are written in God’s book of life, and He shall see us in Christ’s righteousness now and forever. (Romans 4)  

Once saved, always saved, and once a child of God, always a child of God. King David encouraged his people to believe in God, and to rejoice in Him, as He had miraculously saved them from eternal condemnation, and one day, they shall be promoted to be with Him in heaven forever. Indeed, let us believe in and receive Christ as our personal Saviour and Lord, and we shall have a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. (Hebrews 3:1-6).

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You for redeeming my soul from fiery hell to glorious heaven.

Psalm 67 & 68: The Presence Of God

Verse of the Day: (68:8) The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

At the time of my writing, we just celebrated the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of Singapore Bible Baptist Church, my church of 42 years since 1978. Our theme was By His Grace, To His Praise, taken from Ephesians 1:12. Like King David and his people of Israel, we truly praise God for who He is, and what He had done in, for, with and through us for all the past years, and what He shall do for us today, and in the future. Let us therefore praise God for all things, especially our precious salvation, that we have a heaven to gain and a hell to shun. Indeed, what a glorious day it will be, when we all get to heaven, and see the Lord Jesus face to face, and praise His holy name! (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Like the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of our church, we reminisced God’s faithfulness towards us, King David also reminded the people of God’s faithfulness for the past years challenging them to continue to love and serve Him to the end. David reminded Israel of how God performed miracles in their lives when He daily fed them with mana from heaven and water from the sky while they were wandering in the wilderness for forty years. God gave them victory after victory over their enemies as He sent His twenty thousand chariots and thousands of angels to be with them. Indeed, God blessed David as he established a vast kingdom on earth for His glory. Through it all, God blessed Israel with daily benefits since the day of Abraham even until today. (Genesis 12:1-3) Though not all the people of Israel believe in Christ, yet one day, during the Millennium era, when Christ shall reign for a thousand years, they shall all believe in Him. (Daniel 9) Let us praise God for Jesus who is now in His presence interceding for us, as without Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can never be with God in golden heaven. (Hebrews 9:24-28)

David praised God because without His power and strength, he would never have lived and done much for Him in establishing His kingdom on earth to glorify and exalt Him before the whole world. Let us believe and praise our God for He is worthy of our worship as He richly bless us with His salvation, power and strength. (Revelation 19:1-10)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You for Your presence and power with us now and forever.

Psalm 65 & 66: The Great God

Verse of the Day: (66:3) Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

This Psalm reflects one of the happy days of King David’s life, as he praised God for His goodness for answering his prayers and forgiving his sins, as well as His strength in the creation of the awesome mountains, vast oceans, and the abundant crops and flocks on the earth to feed the population of the world. Indeed, God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. Though we may not fully understand why God is good during our crises, and cannot see His hand, yet we must fully trust His heart. (Romans 8:28-39)

King David encouraged his people to sing joyfully to the glorious God who shall save their souls as they confessed and repented their sins, and believed in Him. Indeed, God has blessed us with the glorious gospel that whoever believes in His Son, Jesus, shall never perish in hell, but shall have eternal life with Him in heaven. (1 Timothy 1:1-11)

David inspired by God explained to all that God had a purpose for His people to suffer so as to test their faith as silver is tried in the furnace of fire. David knew this great principle as God had tested him to the fullest. There were times when he failed God, as he fell into immorality and murder (2 Samuel 11), and when he took a census of Israel which God forbad him (2 Samuel 24). Yet through it all, there were many high points of David’s life as he defeated Goliath, the Philistine giant, and won many battles together with his army and mighty warriors establishing Israel to be the most powerful nation on earth. Not only was he a courageous king, but he was also a compassionate king. He refused to fight with Absalom, his son, who plotted against him for his throne (2 Samuel 18). He also spared Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, because of the promise he made with Jonathan, when he could have allowed the Gibeonites to kill him. (2 Samuel 21). At the end of David’s life, he desired to build God’s house, but God commanded him that Solomon, his son and successor, shall build it, because his hands shed much blood from the wars. Not only David accepted God’s command, but he prepared the designs and materials for the house. (1 Chronicles 22) Let us pray that we shall go through the tests of our great God, emerging victoriously, and looking forward to the day, when we shall be with Jesus, the KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS, in His great heaven. (Revelation 19:11-21)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You for Your goodness, glory and greatness upon my life.

Psalm 63 & 64: God Of Remembrance

Verse of the Day: (63:6) When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

In the early days of David’s life, especially the time when he was in the wilderness hiding from King Saul who was after his life as Saul refused to acknowledge him as the next King. David was sad as he loved God, as well as Israel and even Saul, and this was why he slayed Goliath, the Philistine giant, by faith in God. (1 Samuel 17-31) However, God encouraged David each night he remembered and meditated on Him. Throughout David’s life, God helped him and put him under the shadow of His wings as he remembered and rejoiced in Him. This was also the case for Timothy, as he remembered God who stirred his heart of the necessity of preaching the Gospel amid intense persecution and fear. Let us remember God amid all our sufferings, knowing that one day, we shall have a perfect body without suffering, as we shall be with Him in His eternal heaven. (2 Timothy 1:1-7)

Though David was yet to be the king, God encouraged and inspired him to write this double prophesy that he shall soon rejoice as the next king replacing Saul, and that one day, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shall rejoice as He shall come as the King of kings to reign on the new heaven and earth. This was what kept David going as he kept hiding from King Saul, though on two occasions he had the golden opportunities to slay Saul, yet he did not touch God’s anointed, as he knew that vengeance belonged to God. Apostle Paul also encouraged the Christians those days, and even today, that all our sufferings for Christ’s sake are worthwhile, because one day, we shall receive the crown of rejoicing from God in His glorious heaven. Let us therefore rejoice in God as we know that one day, He shall bless us with His crowns and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:13-20)

In all of David’s sufferings for God, he faithfully endured to the finishing line knowing that God shall give the crown of righteousness to him and all who kept their faith in Him. Indeed, let us preach the Gospel and endure sufferings for Christ’s sake, as one day, He shall bless us with the crown of righteousness in His home in heaven. (2 Timothy 4:1-8)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to remember and rejoice in You amid life challenges.

Psalm 61 & 62: God Is Our Refuge

Verse of the Day: (62:8) Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Some say that real men never cry, but let us know that crying is normal as it is the release of our emotions. However, we should cry to God and pour out our hearts before Him, as He is our Rock and Comforter who truly understands us. David experienced many trials in his life, but God kept comforting him as he cried to Him. David was thankful to God, his Rock, who helped him time and again since the day he believed in Him until the day he would be promoted to His kingdom above. Indeed, there was never a time when God did leave David, but He was with him through the brightest and the darkest moment of his life. This was why David sang praises to God, and served Him to the end. Let us thus trust and obey God, our Rock, as He builds His churches and our lives, so that no one, not even the devil and his demons, can divide and destroy His kingdom. (Matthew 16:17-19)   

Indeed, God is not just our Rock, but He is also our Refuge, as we hide in Him during the storms of our lives. David was very thankful and grateful to God who was His Rock and Refuge throughout his sojourn on this earth filled with difficulties and dangers. Even the weeping Prophet Jeremiah when he was persecuted cried to God for refuge and strength.  Indeed, let us cry to God as He is our Refuge in the day of affliction. (Jeremiah 16:19-21)   

There are many paradoxes in the Christian life, and the reason is that God’s way is beyond man’s understanding. (Isaiah 55:8-13) David was a great example of God’s spiritual richest upon him even though he was a poor shepherd boy. God specially chose him, instead of the rest of the warriors of Israel, to overcome Goliath, the Philistine giant, Israel’s great enemy. In the years ahead, God then blessed David with both spiritual as well as material blessings as he became the King of Israel. Indeed, God through Apostle Paul commended the churches of Macedonia that though they were poor, yet they gave in the riches of their spirituality by giving their lives to Him. Let us therefore give ourselves to God, as His eternal riches far outweigh the riches of this world. (2 Corinthians 8:1-5)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You that You are my Refuge and Rock in time of trouble.

Psalm 59 & 60: God Is Our Shield

Verse of the Day: (59:11) Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

Are you physically and spiritually weak and weary? Let us therefore seek and wait upon God, as He shall give us His strength and power, thus renewing us, so that we are like the majestic eagles spreading their wings, and soaring above life storms. David sought God’s strength and power as he faced many enemies while doing God’s perfect will. God’s desire for David, and for His nation, Israel, was that they would share His holy Word so that all the nations of the world might know that He is the true God. However, many including God’s people, refused to acknowledge and submit to Him, and rejected and rebelled against Him. Let us who believe in the true God, the God of Israel, truly wait upon Him, and He shall surely grant us His strength amid our weakness. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

Are you physically and spiritually being attacked by the Devil and his demons? Let us therefore put on God’s armour, and take on the shield of faith that we shall block off all the fiery darts of the wicked, and above all, praying in His Spirit. In David’s life he suffered much because of the devil’s assaults, even to the point of despair, yet he never gave up, but instead he sang of God’s power and mercy upon him. David trusted God, his Shield, in the days of his battles, as he knew that the battles belonged to Him. Let us trust in God as we are His conquerors with Him as our Captain and Shield. (Ephesians 6:10-24)

Are you in all kinds of trouble? Let us therefore seek God and His salvation as He shall hear our cries and save us with His right hand from eternal condemnation in fiery hell, and one day promote us to His home in glorious heaven. Throughout David’s life, God used him for His glory as he overcame all the wicked people of the land, beginning with the first victory over Goliath, the Philistines giant, Israel’s great enemy. (1 Samuel 17) Beside, granting David many victories over the wicked nations, God gave him trials and tribulations including the death of Absalom, his beloved son. In all of David’s crises, he continued to trust God, his Salvation. Let us trust God, our Salvation, as only He can help us to overcome the devil, who falsely accuses us day and night, by His precious blood, and grant us victory, and a place in His splendour home in heaven. (Revelation 12:1-17)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, please help me to take Your Shield of faith blocking the devil’s darts.

Psalm 57 & 58: God Is Our Reward

Verse of the Day: (58:11) So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

What a timely reminder to us as we are facing Covid 19, a deadly and infectious disease, that had taken millions of lives worldwide, and no one, not even the richest, the most powerful and influential people are spared from this unparalleled and unprecedented pandemic. Though David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, might not have experienced this deadly virus, yet he was pleading to God as the powerful King Saul of Israel and his warriors were after his life. Saul felt threatened as Prophet Samuel had anointed David to be the next King, and he would kill him and probably have his son, Jonathan, to be the next king. David became a fugitive escaping to the wilderness to seek refuge. However, David knew that God was his Refuge as he spiritually hid under the shadow of His Wings for protection and preservation of his life and soul. Indeed, let us seek God, our Refuge and Anchor of our souls, amid Covid 19 and all crises and challenges. (Hebrews 6:17-20)

God challenged the people to live and speak righteously and truthfully amid wickedness and lies. Indeed, we are born sinners, and children lie and cheat at a certain accountable age even without anyone teaching them. This is because of the sin nature in us inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. But thanks be to God, as He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to shed His precious blood and die at the cross for the sins of the whole world, that whoever believes in Him, shall have His righteousness in him, and shall never perish in fiery hell, but have eternal life with Him in glorious heaven. (Romans 5:14-21)

Though David suffered much on earth, yet he knew that one day, he shall have his reward from his God in His home in pearly heaven. Let us trust and obey God, and look forward to the day, when Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord, shall promote us to His heaven either by death, or by Rapture when all Christians shall be called home (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), and blessed with His reward according to our work. (Revelation 22:12-21)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You that You are my Reward and Righteousness as I serve You.

Psalm 55 & 56: God Of My Salvation

Verse of the Day: (55:16) As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.

King David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, gave a double prophecy of his future, and that of the coming and life of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Though David praised God for his precious salvation as he would be bound for pearly heaven to be with Him forever, yet he expressed his sorrow and suffering, especially that of the betrayal of Ahithophel, his own counsellor, his equal, guide and acquaintance, when he conspired with Absalom, his son, to revolt against him for his throne. (2 Samuel 15:12) This is also the prophecy of Jesus Christ, who also experienced betrayal of Judas Iscariot, His own apostle, his equal, guide and acquaintance, before He was eventually crucified at Calvary. (Matthew 26:14-16) Let us therefore thank God who is forever faithful to us as fully trust in Him in saving our souls from fiery hell, and one day, He promoting us to His glorious heaven. (1 Peter 1:6-9) 

God had never failed David, not even once, though he had failed God many times. God supplied and sustained all of David’s needs as he cast all his burdens and responsibilities of leading his family and the kingdom of Israel upon Him. Indeed, let us cast all our burdens and responsibilities upon God, as He truly loves and cares for us. Our loving God shall supply all our needs, and sustain us, just like He sustained the people of Israel through Joseph in supplying corns from Egypt to them in time of famine. (Acts 7:11-15)

David cried and poured out his heart and soul to God in all his discouragement and disappointment in life, and God actually collected all his tears into His bottle of comfort. (56:8) David had many enemies because he was close to God. This is what will happen to us when we are close to God, as we will have many opponents who differ from us because of our faith in Him. Indeed, there is nothing wrong in pouring out all our frustrations to God, but make sure that at the end of the day, we must still thank God for who He is, and what He had done for us, and is doing for us, and will be doing for us, because He knows best, what is truly best for us. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Let us therefore fully believe, trust and rejoice in God, and know that our souls are saved with Him in all eternity. (Mark 8:34-38)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You for saving my soul from fiery hell to glorious heaven.

Psalm 53 & 54: God Of My Strength

Verse of the Day: (54:1) Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.

It is always God’s perfect plan that His people made in His image will bring glory to Him name. As God’s image, man was given choices, and this was why Adam and Eve chose to commit the first sin by taking the forbidden fruit. However, God already knew that Adam and Eve would rebel against Him, and this was why God prepared His salvation plan that His only Son, Jesus Christ, shall leave the splendour of heaven, and come down to earth, to die for the sins of the whole world. Whoever therefore repent his sins and believes in Jesus, shall be saved, and be with Him in heaven forever. (Philippians 2:5-12)

Since the day David believed in God, he knew that not only God was his strength, but all who believed in Him were also with him strengthening him in the day of trouble. God ordained David’s life that he should suffered much as He would use his life greatly for His glory, especially that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, shall come from his lineage. (Matthew 1:1-17) David became a fugitive the moment God used him to defeat Goliath, the enemy of Israel. King Saul began to seek David’s life because of envy as the people of Israel praised him for defeating Goliath, and God through Prophet Samuel, had anointed him as the next King of Israel. (1 Samuel 17-31) When David became the king of Israel, his son, Absalom, plotted against him to usurp the throne. David then fled from his palace when Absalom launched a civil war. Subsequently, he cried for Absalom who was killed in the battle. (2 Samuel 1-24) However, at the end of his life, he was thankful to God that He was his strength amid his weakness, and His grace was sufficient for him. Let us thus trust obey God knowing that He is truly our Strength. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

David was truly thankful to God as he believed that God shall send His Son, Jesus, as the final sacrifice for the sins of the world. Before Jesus came to be the ultimate sacrifice, the priests had to daily offered sacrifices, and the high priest had to yearly enter the holy place to offer sacrifices for their sins as well as the sins of the people. Today, we become God’s children when we repent our sins and believe that Jesus He died on the cross for our sins. Let us therefore freely sacrifice ourselves to God by giving our time, talents, tithes and treasures to Him, as He had sacrifice His only Son for us. (Hebrews 9:24-28)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You that You are my tower of Strength amid my weaknesses.

Psalm 51 & 52: God Of Restoration

Verse of the Day: (51:12) Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

At the highest point of the reign of King David, he basked in his glory and stayed in Jerusalem while his men went forth to battle, and that was when he committed immorality with Bathsheba, the wife of his courageous warrior, Uriah. Not only did he not repent of his sins, but he sought to cover up his sins when he commanded his general, Joab, to send Uriah to the hottest battle, so that he would be easily killed by their enemies. Uriah was eventually killed, and though no one knew the hideous crimes of David, yet God knew his sins, and He sent His prophet, Nathan, to rebuke and judge him. (2 Samuel 11) Subsequently, God restored him when he repented his sins, and he rejoiced in His mercy. Let us thus be rejoicing in hope and live in righteousness, knowing that our God truly loves us, and at the same time, He knows everything about us. (Romans 12:10-13)

After God’s restoration of His fellowship with David, he became a humbled man realising that he could have been dead twice, because the punishment of both adultery and murder was death by stoning, and he actually committed both iniquities. (Exodus 21:12, Leviticus 20:10) Though David was the King of Israel, and he could cover up his sins, yet he could never hide from God. In fact, David as the King of Israel was supposed to teach the people the laws of God and living a holy life before the holy God. This was actually David’s turning point in life as he began to teach his people God’s laws that they would trust and obey Him. Let us therefore seek restoration with God as well as others when we have broken our fellowship with Him and others, so that we can continue to have fellowship with Him and others for His glory and honour. (Hebrews 13:18-19)

David learned the hard way in obedience as there is truly no short cut in God’s moulding and making of His servants, that they shall be righteous before His righteousness. Indeed, this is why God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins, so that we shall have His righteousness and be with Him forever when we believe and trust in Him. Let us thus love righteousness, and hate iniquity before our God of righteousness. (Hebrews 1:8-9)

Prayer of the Day:

Dearest God, thank You for loving and forgiving me and restoring my soul with joy.