Psalm 52

Psalm 52
For the director of music. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite had gone to Saul and told him: "David has gone to the house of Ahimelech." [a]

1 Why do you boast of evil, you mighty man?
Why do you boast all day long,
you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
2 Your tongue plots destruction;
it is like a sharpened razor,
you who practice deceit.

3 You love evil rather than good,
falsehood rather than speaking the truth.
Selah

4 You love every harmful word,
O you deceitful tongue!

5 Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
He will snatch you up and tear you from your tent;
he will uproot you from the land of the living.
Selah

6 The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at him, saying,

7 "Here now is the man
who did not make God his stronghold
but trusted in his great wealth
and grew strong by destroying others!"

8 But I am like an olive tree
flourishing in the house of God;
I trust in God's unfailing love
for ever and ever.

9 I will praise you forever for what you have done;
in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
I will praise you in the presence of your saints.

Chin Ling: Decided to read a little about Olive Trees..and realise that they are actually very small trees but yet have very strong, long roots and foundation. Because of that, their branches extends out and are able to provide shade. I want to be like an olive tree, strong within in the Lord, having roots that are found in him, flourishing in him and trusting him so that this love can be shared with others!

Aileen: think it keeps reminding me to trust in God's unfailing love. i always say that men by default are "xia jian" so we must really rely on the lord! hahaha.. that's for me, remembering his unfailing love!

Crow: I'm reminded to always seek to edify those around me.. haha, i think some times in the midst of wanting to get things done, i may forget this.. Lord help me to continually seek to bless..

Pam: I want to flourish in the house of the Lord... indeed nthing shld matter as long as I stand firm in Him.

Sara: wah! felt so guilty after reading this psalm... coz my tongue hasnt exactly been saying words of edification.. esp. from yesterday evening's dinner. i was pulled for dinner and drinks with my dept ppl, coz they wanted to celebrate the acomplishments of the law careers fair that we had put so much hard work in. but basically, we ended up throwing out all the unhappiness we had over another dept coz of all their craftiness and unwillingness to help us. sigh... i felt so bad but i agreed with them...it was like adding oil to fire! sigh...words can be so destructive... not edifying at all..at all.... =(

Dellia: I wanna be like a Olive tree flourishing in the house of God. Lord, guide and guard me and teach me to be like an Olive tree that flourishes!

Psalm 51

Psalm 51

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak
and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ^[a] ;
you teach ^[b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will turn back to you.

14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God,
the God who saves me,
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are ^[c] a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;
build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices,
whole burnt offerings to delight you;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Chin Ling: David ran to God immediately for forgiveness and restoration immediately after being exposed of his sins.. He did not hide nor shy away from God, neither did he continue in his sin. I thank God that I can draw near to him and seek the joy of his salvation under all circumstances. I thank God for his forgiveness over my life.

Aileen: was reminded of the song and reminded that hte lord really doesn't despise a broken spirit and a contrite heart. wah reminds me of the old times, draw me close to u lord!

Huijuan: Thank God for today's psalm, especially the pat that David ask God to forgive his sins then in vs13, he ask God to help him teach the trangressors your way and the sinners back to u. I seriously need that kind of wisdom from God. God, help me to see your presence working in the lives of my cell group! and also they will not be the gods in my life.

Sara: haha.. yup! this reminds me of the song too! and really, as it says, the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. i was feeling so tired and worn out this past couple of days, and i was asking God, what it takes for me to draw near to Him and to renew my poor spirit, and i felt so comforted that what God wants is not any burnt offerings, but simply, just my broken spirit. sigh... what love that i dont deserve.....

Crow: Thank u Lord for your great mercy and unfailing love for me.. 50 psalms have passed, and i'm starting to slacken a little in my daily reading and posting! been quite tired out.. but Lord please help me to be disciplined in reading and meditating on your word! :)

Jacq: God.. I do not deserve... Have mercy on me..

Dellia: Same song as you Sara! I'm just reminded that as I come to God with all the brokeness and all, He doesn't despise! thank you Lord

Psalm 50

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

1 The Mighty One, God, the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

2 From Zion, perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.

3 Our God comes and will not be silent;
a fire devours before him,
and around him a tempest rages.

4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth, that he may judge his people:

5 "Gather to me my consecrated ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice."

6 And the heavens proclaim his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.
Selah

7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.

8 I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices
or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.

9 I have no need of a bull from your stall
or of goats from your pens,

10 for every animal of the forest is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.

11 I know every bird in the mountains,
and the creatures of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world is mine, and all that is in it.

13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?

14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God,
fulfill your vows to the Most High,

15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

16 But to the wicked, God says:
"What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant on your lips?

17 You hate my instruction
and cast my words behind you.

18 When you see a thief, you join with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.

19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.

20 You speak continually against your brother
and slander your own mother's son.

21 These things you have done and I kept silent;
you thought I was altogether ^[a] like you.
But I will rebuke you
and accuse you to your face.

22 "Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:

23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me,
and he prepares the way
so that I may show him ^[b] the salvation of God."

Chin Ling: I am just reminded that God is one the carries out his words. And He is watching our every action, good or bad. I am also thankful that he is my God and I pray that he will continue to show me his salvation, and reminded to work my salvation fearfully.

Aileen: am reminded of his justice and power

Dellia: As i read today's pslam, i'm like woah......trusting in God is also a form of sacrifice......! And that all He desires is for me to thank Him, fulfill my vows to Him and I mean...trusting in Him!

Crow: For me, i am reminded to offer thank offerings to the Lord always, for that is what he delights in.... to always choose to give thanks to the Lord... well, it has been quite a busy period for me, and many times i find it hard to "give thanks in all situations". But to know that the Lord delights in it.. i will do my best to always choose to give thanks each day each moment.. :)

Psalm 49

Psalm 49

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Hear this, all you peoples;
listen, all who live in this world,

2 both low and high,
rich and poor alike:

3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the utterance from my heart will give understanding.

4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;
with the harp I will expound my riddle:

5 Why should I fear when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me-

6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of their great riches?

7 No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him-

8 the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough-

9 that he should live on forever
and not see decay.

10 For all can see that wise men die;
the foolish and the senseless alike perish
and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their tombs will remain their houses ^[a] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,
though they had ^[b] named lands after themselves.

12 But man, despite his riches, does not endure;
he is ^[c] like the beasts that perish.

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.
Selah

14 Like sheep they are destined for the grave, ^[d]
and death will feed on them.
The upright will rule over them in the morning;
their forms will decay in the grave, ^[e]
far from their princely mansions.

15 But God will redeem my life ^[f] from the grave;
he will surely take me to himself.
Selah

16 Do not be overawed when a man grows rich,
when the splendor of his house increases;

17 for he will take nothing with him when he dies,
his splendor will not descend with him.

18 Though while he lived he counted himself blessed—
and men praise you when you prosper-

19 he will join the generation of his fathers,
who will never see the light of life .

20 A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.

Jacq: God I pray that my heart will not turn cold.. that when I am rich, I am rich in you, ith understanding. God I thank you for reminding me that my salvation is what matters most, and I should treasure it, not take it for granted. God, I seek you, no one else, or nothing else. Amen!

Chin Ling: I was telling Crow, at cell yesterday, I felt myself being very overwhelmed by the many things I want to do, the fears I have for the kids and even them not finding God in the midst of it all. I feel being not good enough..and a whole lot of overwhelming emotions... But, reading today's psalm, esp V7 and V 9, all I pray is that I don't take over God's work. I just learn and God will be the one to redeem all our lives. Yesterday's service really stirred my heart to just look to him. As v 15 says, he will take me to him.

Pam: This is realli an re-assuring passage esp the verses 17-19... oh.. i think I din give thanks yet... i got $100 pay increment n a lump sum for performance in '07.... heee! I realli give thanks.... n as I reflect.. the Lord has always been gd to me.... i was nv in lack (.ie. my bag n shoe shelves are EXPLODING).... it was myself who thinks otherwise... how foolish! n I do not want to join in the generation w/o light! Cya on wed!

Dellia: Ah.....verse 5!! I have no need to fear when trouble come! Lord, thank you! Marriage encounter was a wonderful experience for me & woah..been a long time since i last felt good attending a session! But the fear I had was in coming back to the "world"..haaa...to face all the things again! But the Lord reminds me to "NOT FEAR"!! AMEN!

Crow: Well for me it's quite the same as chin! to remember that it is only the Lord who can redeem lives, not me.. that sometimes i may feel discouraged or lose focus, Lord help me to always remember it is all You and you alone...

Aileen: yesterday's message really spoke to me and i was just sharing with the cell about how sometimes we also feel that the bad tend to do better than us but we christians were not called to be meek and just dissappear in one corner. I tink reading this reminded me that having riches without understanding really means nothing. to remember to giver and not the gifts

Psalm 48

Psalm 48

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Great is the LORD, and most worthy of praise,
in the city of our God, his holy mountain.

2 It is beautiful in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth.
Like the utmost heights of Zaphon ^[a] is Mount Zion,
the ^[b] city of the Great King.

3 God is in her citadels;
he has shown himself to be her fortress.

4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,

5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.

6 Trembling seized them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.

7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish
shattered by an east wind.

8 As we have heard,
so have we seen
in the city of the LORD Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure forever.
Selah

9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate on your unfailing love.

10 Like your name, O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;
your right hand is filled with righteousness.

11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,

13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.

Crow: Today the Lord says to me that he is with me, and he will be my guide even to the end... and at today's service.. it brought me back to the simple loving relationship with our dear Lord Jesus.... i loved the psalm we sang "in the garden"... it speaks so much of the Lord's walking with us and talking with us, so close to us... and His great love for us as he says we are his own.... thank u Lord...

Chin Ling: Great is the Lord. Weak and small is me. I know i can leave my success and failures in his hands.

Dellia: The Lord reminds me to mediate on His unfailing love as I worship Him! (V9). You know after a while, we tend to just worship Him and we forget to MEDIATE on His word and more importantly of His unfailing love! Not just love...but UNFAILING LOVE! That's where we can have the strength to love others!

Psalm 47

Psalm 47

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with
cries of joy.
2 How awesome is the LORD Most High,the great King
over all the earth!
3 He subdued nations under us, peoples under
our feet.
4 He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom
he loved.

Selah
5 God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the LORD amid the sounding of trumpets.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm [a] of praise.
8 God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.
9 The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings
[b] of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.

Huijuan: Opps.. sorry ppl.. not sure how to post the above...pardon me.
Oh but today this psalm is one that is praising God, so wana praise and thank God. Today we had a online stimulation game in school, some entrepreneurship module lah.. so we had to play the game from 12pm to 730pm without stopping..basically the game is quite stressful cos each group is a computer company trying to compete against one another in a market selling their products to virtual customers. So as usual my grp, we blur blur play. So for the 1st 2 Quarters, we are the last 2nd grp out of 6 grps and we made a deficit of 1 million dollars. And so i made a little prayer to God to help us. I told my team mates i pray ok. haha.. den amazingly with our team effort, we emerge champion churning 4.7 million dollars in the 3rd quarter...Wow!!! we were shocked.. the instructor was shocked too as if a miracle happened for the first time!! den 4th quarter, we also remained champion making 9 million dollars and our stock market was higher than the 2nd grp. Praise God! and also this game constitute 40% of my module, the instructor says champion gets FULL MARKS!!!! ahaha.. so i secured 40MARKS!!!!

Crow: I am reminded to choose to praise God in all circumstances

Dellia: V1 - V4 forms a picture in my mind of a group of people that dances and praises God and just throw of every inhibitation to praise the Lord! I'm reminded that for myself...it's been a long time since I dance before the Lord! I wanna clap and shout and sing praise to Him!

Psalm 46

Psalm 46

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song. ^[a]

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields ^[b] with fire.

10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Chin Ling : One of my favourite verse - V10... never fail to remind me of the greatness of the Lord as I stay still before him. His name be exalted forever!

Crow: Thank you dear Lord Jesus for speaking so clear and close to my heart.. In verse 5, it says "God is within her, she will not fall.. God will help her at break of day.." I personally experienced that late last night... Really, when we're at our wits end, God takes over... and his answers are really so divine.... Thank u Lord...

Sara: I really like what vs 8 - 10 says, and I'm reminded not to say or think that any dream is impossible because as we see the work of His hands, we know that He is capable of making wars cease to the ends of the earth and our God is definitely far more capable of handling our lives! At this point, I'm just feeling so tired, discouraged and burnt out, but i will choose to trust and commit my life, my dreams and every circumstance into His hands, and not into my own hands!

Dellia: I'm reminded that He is my ever present time of help! He is my strength. THank you Lord for Your grace...then though I'm unworthy, You still love me!

Huijuan: God is within me, and i will not break! This CNY has been busy and also helping my mum take care of my bro and also not forgetting the tons of assignments due. And tmr in school we will have a test and a online stimulator game played between groups, have to develop misson statement for our company and prepare strategies... and its 20%. i feel like i'm dying.....physically... but today God assures me that He will not allow me to "die"....He is within me...Thank God!