Knowing God In Psalm 89

The Lord Our Defense (Mar 26)

Psalms 84-89 are essentially
heartfelt petitions to God to
satisfy us again (Ps 84);
revive us again (Ps 85);
hear us again (Ps 86);
gather us again (Ps 87);
encourage us again (Ps 88);
make us to sing again (Ps 89).
And each psalm concludes with
a benediction that God will do
precisely that in response to
the prayers of His people.

Praise be to Lord Our Defense:
I will sing of the mercies of
the Lord forever; with my
mouth will I make known Your
faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said: Mercy shall
be built up forever; Your
faithfulness shall be established…
For You are the glory of
their strength, and in Your
favour our horn is exalted.
For our shield (Maginnenu)
belongs to the Lord (Jehovah)
– Psalm 89:1-2, 17-18.

Lord Jehovah Maginnenu,
my shield belongs to You
because You are our defense.
You are all powerful and stand
in defense of those who fear You
Lord and put their trust in You.
And nothing whether it has to do
with health, finances or relationship
can overtake us when we trust
in You as our defense. Amen.

Lord, I often say that You are
my defense, but when my
back is up against the wall,
I quickly look for someone or
something else to bail me out.
Forgive me for forgetting so easily
that You truly are my defense.
And forgive me for seeking to
justify and vindicate myself rather
than allowing You to do so. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Maginnenu, when
I’m falsely accused, reveal the lie
behind the accusation and silence
those who seek to do me harm.
Lord, I seek Your kingdom and
the advancement of Your will.
Keep at bay those who try to
dissuade me from living a life
of fruitfulness. In Jesus’ name.

Knowing God In Psalm 88

Lord God of Your Salvation (Mar 25)

Psalms 84-89 are essentially
heartfelt petitions to God to
satisfy us again (Ps 84);
revive us again (Ps 85);
hear us again (Ps 86);
gather us again (Ps 87);
encourage us again (Ps 88);
make us to sing again (Ps 89).
And each psalm concludes with
a benediction of confidence
that God will do precisely that
in response to the prayers
of His people.

O Lord, God of my Salvation
(Jehovah Elohim Yeshua) I have
cried out day and night before You.
Let my prayer come before You;
Incline Your ear to my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles…
But to You I have cried out,
O Lord, and in the morning
my prayer come before You.
Lord, why do You cast off my soul?
Why do You hide Your face
from me? (Psalm 88:1-3, 13-14).

Lord Jehovah Elohim Yeshua,
I confess that I sometimes
try to be my own saviour.
Rather than look to You Lord,
I try to find my own solutions
and force them into place.
I acknowledge as Jehovah Elohim
Yeshua, You are the one who saves.
Forgive me for not turning to You
and instead turning to others to
seek solutions for the trials I face.
For I should indeed always turn
to You first in everything. Amen.

Lord Jehovah Elohim Yeshua,
I seek Your Salvation in my life.
Save me from my own mistakes
and sins. Rescue me from the
consequences I have brought
myself by making wrong choices.
Save me from a life of wasted hours
and rescue my heart from pains.
Show me Your great hand of
salvation O Yeshua. And Lead me
from my own bondage and into
a land of rest. In Jesus’ name.

Lord Jehovah Elohim Yeshua, You
are the Lord God of my salvation.
You save not only eternally
but also in time and history.
By trusting in Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of my sins,
I have received eternal salvation.
And by trusting in You Jehovah
Elohim Yeshua in my daily life,
I see You saving me from needless
pain, confusion, waste and regret.
You are the God who saves. Amen

Knowing God In Psalm 80

God of Hosts (March 24)

The psalms of Asaph conclude with
six testimonies to the greatness
and faithfulness of the God of Israel.
He has kept His promises in
the past (Ps 78), a comforting
reminder in the face of an uncertain
future (Ps 79-80). God is there
(Ps 81) and He is not silent
(Ps 82-83) when it comes to
overthrowing idols and enemies.

Lord God of hosts (Elohim Tsebaoth)
How long will You be angry
against the prayer of Your people?
You have fed them with the
bread of tears, and given them
tears to drink in great measure…
O God of Hosts (Elohim Tsebaoth),
restore us and cause Your face
to shine upon us and we will be
saved (Psalm 80:4-7). Amen.

Lord God of hosts, we give You
honour, praise and adoration
for You are worthy of all glory.
You have the power to defeat
the greatest and largest of
opponents because You are
Elohim Tsebaoth the Lord of hosts.
Thank You Lord for the power of Your
name, which gives me the courage
to stand firm in the face of what
will normally frighten me. Amen.

Lord God of hosts, You are great
and powerful. Yet we often dismiss
You as if You were not present.
We go about our business with
little or even no regard for how
our actions impact Your kingdom.
Forgive us for our lack of honour
and respect to You, for You are
indeed worthy of all praise. Amen.

Lord God of hosts, when I am
struggling to overcome an issue,
won’t You help me fight the battle?
When someone is treating me
unfairly, won’t You intervene?
With You Lord on my side,
I will surely come out victorious.
And I have nothing to fear
when I acknowledge You as
the mighty Lord of hosts. Amen.

Knowing God In Psalm 77 (Mar 23)

God Who Performs Miracles

In Psalms 73 to 77 by Asaph,
those who ignore God will find
their path slippery and their
prosperity short-lived (Ps 73, 75).
By contrast, those who order their
lives according to God’s Word will
discover hope in the midst of havoc
(Ps 74) and resources to face every
situation in life victoriously (P76-77).

Lord, You’re Able to Do Anything:
I will remember the works
of the Lord; surely I will
remember Your wonders of old.
I will also meditate on all Your
work and talk of Your deeds…
You are the God
who performs miracles;
You display Your Power among
the peoples (Ps 77:11-14) Amen.

Lord, You’re Able to do
miracles and work wonders.
Remind me of Your limitless power.
Remind me of Your past deeds.
I serve a God who can do anything.
You demonstrate Your infinite
strengths among the nations.
Display that same might in my life.
For You love to do God-sized
things and nothing is too difficult
for You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Lord, In Your sovereignty, You may
choose not to deliver us from our
trials yet, then give us the ability
to hang on and keep Trusting You.
For we realise sometimes You may
be growing our faith muscles,
when one is able because of
God’s sustaining strength endure
crushing troubles until His chosen
kairos timing arrives. Amen.

Lord, You said through Prophet
Habakkuk that the vision
is Yet for an appointed time;
at the end it will speak & not lie.
Though it tarries, Wait for it;
because it will surely come!!
So Lord, make all things
beautiful in Your time.
And show me Lord each day
as You’re teaching me Your way
That You Do just what You say
In Your time. In Jesus’ name, Amen

Knowing God In Psalm 73

Strength of My Heart (Mar 22)

In Psalms 73 to 77 by Asaph,
those who ignore God will find
their path slippery and their
prosperity short-lived (Ps 73, 75).
By contrast, those who order their
lives according to God’s Word will
discover hope in the midst of havoc
(Ps 74) and resources to face every
situation in life victoriously (P76-77).

Lord, U are Our Strength & Shelter:
Whom have I in heaven but You?
I desire You more than anything
on earth. My health may fail and
my spirit may grow weak, but God
remains the Strength of My Heart;
He is mine forever (Ps 73:25-26).
But as for me, how good it is to
Be Near God! I have made the
Sovereign Lord my Shelter, and
I will tell everyone about the
wonderful things You do (v28).

Lord, I want to experience You in
fresh ways so that I can truly say
I desire You more than anything.
You Lord and You alone are
the Strength of My Heart. And I
am thankful You are mine forever.
Nothing can separate me from
Your love. Open my eyes Lord
and grant me vision to see
Your love for me. In Jesus’ name.

Lord, You are the Strength of my
heart, and deep inside I know
I can rely on You in any situation.
Although I may face threats to my
health, finance, safety in this world,
but You are the Strength of my life.
O Sovereign Lord, Be Near Me!
Help me to abide in You and
to stay anchored in You. Amen.

Lord, by faith I make U my Shelter.
I also accept Your Presence and
receive all other blessings U offer.
Grow my faith to be as big
as the gifts You want to give.
And having experienced You,
I will share and testify what
wonderful things You did for me.
I love and adore You, for You are
more precious than anything. Amen

Thought for the Week: Psalm 62

God Our Refuge

Backgrounder: Psalms 60, 61,
63-65 are laments. Watch out
for the cry the “O God” in which
the psalmist stands upon the
promises of God in the face of
defeat, discouragement & deceit.
Through it all the psalmist finds
that God is a praise-worthy
refuge (Psalm 62, 66).

Praise be to God Our Refuge:
My soul wait silently for God,
for my expectation is from Him.
He only is my rock and my
salvation; He is my defense;
I shall not be moved. Trust
in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts to Him,
for God (Elohim) is our refuge
(Machase Lanu) – Psa 62:5-8.

Lord, You are our refuge and
You are absolutely trustworthy.
Thank You for shielding us as
we face life’s troubles and for
going through them with us.
And we can rise and stand
upright despite what life may
send us for You are our refuge.
We praise You in Jesus’ name.

Elohim Machase Lanu, I don’t
always run to You when I should,
especially when I feel vulnerable.
I turn instead to things I can see to
help me; or to things that distract
me rather than going to You.
Forgive me Lord for not always
acknowledging You as my
strong tower & refuge. Amen.

Lord, guard my life and guide me
away from dangerous situations.
But You’ve warned us that in this
life we will face trials, so I know
sometimes I will be in great need.
Do something to get my attention
to remind me to look to You
and from looking to someone
other than You to be my refuge.
In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Meditating on Acts 21-23 (Mar 21)

Seeking & Obeying the Lord’s Will

Though Paul has taken his last
missionary journey, his missionary
career is far from over. God
now promotes him from being
a missionary to the people to
being a missionary to the palace.
Paul travels to Jerusalem,
prepared for imprisonments and
even martyrdom. Once before
the crowd and again before the
council, Paul attempts to defend
himself by relating his personal
testimony. Narrowly averting an
assassination plot, he awaits his
opportunity to stand trial for the
hope and resurrection of the dead.

Lord, we will Seek Your Will:
Landing at Tyre & finding disciples
we stayed there 7 days. They
told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.
But when our time was up, we
left and continued on our way.
All the disciples & their wives and
children accompanied us out of
the city, and there on the beach
we Knelt To Pray (Acts 21:3-5).
(Agaves)…took Paul’s belt & bound
his own feet and hands with it. Then
he said: The Holy Spirit declares:
So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders and
turned over to the Gentiles (v11).
When it was clear that we couldn’t
persuade (Paul), we gave up and
said: The Lord’s will be done (v14).

Lord, prayer is the most powerful
tool we have as believers for
it’s our direct link to You God.
Help us not neglect it when we part
from loved ones, close friends and
co-labourers to boost relationships.
Help me remember when I am with
people who are leaving on a journey
that I may pray for their safety and
guidance as they go about their
biz or ministry. And bring them back
in koinonia fellowship again. Amen.

Lord Holy Spirit, when You
give me a glimpse of Your will,
help me to know how to apply it.
When I have only partial guidance
from You Lord, give me the
wisdom for the details. And
give me the needed strength
to face whatever is in my path.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Lord, we realise that though You
surround us with Spirit-inspired
advisors, there will be times
when we have to stand alone.
Give me the discernment to know
when You are speaking through
Your people and when You
are speaking apart from them.
Give me the humility to follow
advice and the wisdom & resolve
to know when to reject it. Amen.

Meditating on Acts 19-20 (Mar 20)

Lessons from Paul’s Third Journey

A short time after Paul returns
from his second journey,
it is time to leave on the third!
At Ephesus Paul’s gospel message
produces some of the greatest
response and sharpest opposition
– of any of the places he visits.
Leaving the city in an uproar,
Paul later returns to deliver
a tearful farewell at Miletus.
From this point on, He is determined
to visit Jerusalem knowing full well
the reception awaits him there.

Lord, we Seek to Do Your Will:
(Paul declared): Now I am bound
by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem.
I don’t know what awaits me,
except that the Holy Spirit tells
me in city after city that jail and
suffering lie ahead (Acts 20:22-23).
My life is worth nothing to me
unless I use it for finishing the
work assigned me by the Lord
Jesus – the work of telling others
the Good News about the
wonderful grace of God (v24).
I have shown you that in every
way… that you must support
the weak. And remember the
words of the Lord Jesus, that
He said: It is more blessed
to give than to receive (v35).

Spirit of truth, counsel and of power,
I confess of being tired of dead
ends and of sinful attractions.
I purpose to stay bound to You and
to put You Lord first & foremost.
Lead me Lord straight into God’s
incomparably generous plan
for my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Lord Jesus, we noted that
Paul a previous Christian killer
says his life purpose was to share
the Good News of God’s grace.
Once we sinners have a personal
encounter with You Jesus, we will
want to share our joys with others.
Give me Lord what You are
requiring of me; and shore me
up with more of You, so that
feeling of inadequacy will not
overtake me. In Jesus’ name.

Lord Jesus, we purpose to be
more like Paul who showed by
his hard work to help the weak.
Help me Lord to have regard
for those who are struggling.
And I ask that You will provide
for and care for them. Amen.

Reflection on Psalms Book 2 (Mar 19)

Knowing God thru His Names

The purpose of Psalms is to provide
poetry for the expression of praise,
worship and confession to God.
Psalms Book 2 is similar to Exodus
as many of these psalms describe
Israel as ruined and then recovered.
This week we understand God better
thru His revelation of names, mostly
related to His ability to meet needs.
On Monday, we learn from
Ps 59 about the God of Mercy.
On Tuesday, we learn from Ps 59
about God of Lovingkindness.
On Wednesday, we learn from
Ps 62 about God Our Refuge.
On Thursday, we learn from
Psalm 68 about Father AB.
On Friday, we learn from
Ps 68 about God My King.
Let us humble ourselves and pray
and seek His face…In Jesus’ name.

Knowing God In Psalm 68

God My King (March 19)

David and Solomon shows us
just how praiseworthy is the great
God of Israel. God is worthy of
praise for His judgment (Ps 67),
His compassion and provision (68),
His attentiveness to the cry of
His children (69-70), His strength
on behalf of the weak (71) and
sovereign over the nations (72).

Praise be to Eli Maelekhi:
Blessed be the Lord,
who daily loads us with benefits,
the God of our salvation…
They have seen Your procession,
O God; the procession of my God
my King (Eli Maelekhi) into
the sanctuary (Psalm 68:19, 24).
Blessed God in the congregations…
Your God has commanded your strength, strengthen O God
what You have done for us (v26,28)

Lord Eli Maelekhi, we humbly bow
before You in praise and honour
for You are our God and King
and Your kingdom rules over all.
Thank You for choosing me
as an heir to Your kingdom,
for making me a child of the King.
And by virtue of my relationship
with You thru Jesus Christ, I am
entitled to all spiritual blessings
You’ve for me in Yr kingdom. Amen

Lord, I ask for Your forgiveness
for not always giving You the
honour due to You as King.
Forgive me for the many times
I’ve pressed my own agenda
rather than advancing Your
kingdom agenda. And forgive
me for not using Your Word as
a guide in every decision I make.

Lord Eli Maelekhi, we ask You
to give us a kingdom mindset.
Help us to advance Your
kingdom agenda on earth.
Give us wisdom to understand
what it really means to pray
‘thy kingdom come’
and ‘thy will be done’.
And equip us to serve You and
Your kingdom in the way You
desire & deserve. In Jesus’ name.