Psalm 71 - Tuesday

Psalm 71

1 In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.

2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness;
turn your ear to me and save me.

3 Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

4 Deliver me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of evil and cruel men.

5 For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD,
my confidence since my youth.

6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother's womb.
I will ever praise you.

7 I have become like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.

9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

10 For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.

11 They say, "God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him."

12 Be not far from me, O God;
come quickly, O my God, to help me.

13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.

14 But as for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.

15 My mouth will tell of your righteousness,
of your salvation all day long,
though I know not its measure.

16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;
I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone.

17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, O God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your might to all who are to come.

19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
you who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?

20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,
you will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
you will again bring me up.

21 You will increase my honor
and comfort me once again.

22 I will praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praise to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.

23 My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praise to you—
I, whom you have redeemed.

24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
all day long,
for those who wanted to harm me
have been put to shame and confusion.

Chin Ling : Jesus taught me how to turn my complaints into praises. He showed me that the reason why David was so close to God's heart because he watched his tongue and only sang praise instead of complaints when in need or pain. He remembers the good things that God has done and placed his hope in God and his track records. So, in place of that, I just want to praise and tell of his righteous acts!

Aileen: I'm trusting the lord in his righteousness and that his name will be honoured in my workplace!

Sara: This psalm speaks of hope to me! And i'm learning to put my hope in the Lord, for every detail of my life, for when i am old and grey, I want to be able to praise Him and to speak of the hope He has given me, His love and blessings in my life, to the next generation, and after!

Crow: The word for me is hope too! Just to share, last week was quite a bad week for me at work! things that happened made me lose focus and all, but as i began this week with the Lord, he has indeed renewed my hope and strength. I am reminded of the verse "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Indeed Lord help me to focus back to YOU, to hope in you cuz all who hope in you will not be disappointed too... U have the perfect plan! thank u Lord

Huijuan: Iwas just reminded of my purpose in serving God, sometimes i serve until i find no reason, find no hope, jus wana hide in my small corner and be happy. But God reminded me that i will proclaim of His goodness to the next generation. How the next generation know and experience God really depends on us. God, help me to always hope in u!

Dellia: I'm reminded that the Lord is watching over me and I can rest in Him. He knows me since I'm form and He can be my guide throughout! thank you Lord

Psalm 70

Psalm 70
For the director of music. Of David. A petition.

1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

2 May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

3 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" turn back because of their shame.

4 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say, "Let God be exalted!"

5 Yet I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

Chin Ling: Dear Lord, Jesus, I am giving this day over to you. That you'll be my provider, rescuer and all things even at the beginning of this new week. What can stand against you and the praises of your people? Absolutely nothing and so, I will give praise to you for you are God of all my days!

Dellia: Be glad and rejoice cos V4 says that those of us who seek the Lord will always rejoice and be glad! Lord, I wanna exalt Your name! Let me always sing Your praise and boldly proclaim Your salvation!

Eunice: Dear Jesus. Help me! to those who have hurt me in one way or another, Lord, i release forgiveness. God, i know you are my help and deliverer. Strengthen my heart, i renew my strength in you.

Pam: Dear Lord, I want to be glad n be able to rejoice just simply cos I m your child...!

Aileen: I choose to rejoice and be glad cause i know he will fulfill my needs

Sara: I want to exalt God in all circumstances too! And I thank God for the enriching experience we had yesterday when we were brought to our feet to start our 1 hr long prayer. I could hear groans and grunts all around, and I didn’t want to respond the same way, even though my heart agreed with the rest. It was of reluctance to get up from my seat, from my morning stoning, from my snacking on sweets to keep awake, somewhat like getting up from my comfort zone. But I knew that was exactly what we needed. As Pastor Khong shared, that if we couldn’t do so previously, then now's the best time to start doing so! I realised that the 1 hr passed so quickly and before long, we had already prayed for more than an hr! I learnt that no one likes discipline, but it is necessary for us to grow. And because we had people around to spur and encourage one another to press on, it was more bearable than doing it alone! May this 1 hr prayer be pleasing in His sight!

Crow: Dear Lord, help me to enlarge my vision beyond myself to the world around me, to choose to see things in your perspective, through your eyes. Dear Lord, I know that u forever will be my true help and deliverer, and u will not delay.. Thank u Lord. Help me dear Lord to exalt u above all...

Psalm 69 - Sunday

Psalm 69

For the director of music. To the tune of "Lilies." Of David.

1 Save me, O God,
for the waters have come up to my neck.

2 I sink in the miry depths,
where there is no foothold.
I have come into the deep waters;
the floods engulf me.

3 I am worn out calling for help;
my throat is parched.
My eyes fail,
looking for my God.

4 Those who hate me without reason
outnumber the hairs of my head;
many are my enemies without cause,
those who seek to destroy me.
I am forced to restore
what I did not steal.

5 You know my folly, O God;
my guilt is not hidden from you.

6 May those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me,
O Lord, the LORD Almighty;
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me,
O God of Israel.

7 For I endure scorn for your sake,
and shame covers my face.

8 I am a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother's sons;

9 for zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who insult you fall on me.

10 When I weep and fast,
I must endure scorn;

11 when I put on sackcloth,
people make sport of me.

12 Those who sit at the gate mock me,
and I am the song of the drunkards.

13 But I pray to you, O LORD,
in the time of your favor;
in your great love, O God,
answer me with your sure salvation.

14 Rescue me from the mire,
do not let me sink;
deliver me from those who hate me,
from the deep waters.

15 Do not let the floodwaters engulf me
or the depths swallow me up
or the pit close its mouth over me.

16 Answer me, O LORD, out of the goodness of your love;
in your great mercy turn to me.

17 Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer me quickly, for I am in trouble.

18 Come near and rescue me;
redeem me because of my foes.

19 You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed;
all my enemies are before you.

20 Scorn has broken my heart
and has left me helpless;
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I found none.

21 They put gall in my food
and gave me vinegar for my thirst.

22 May the table set before them become a snare;
may it become retribution and ^[a] a trap.

23 May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see,
and their backs be bent forever.

24 Pour out your wrath on them;
let your fierce anger overtake them.

25 May their place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in their tents.

26 For they persecute those you wound
and talk about the pain of those you hurt.

27 Charge them with crime upon crime;
do not let them share in your salvation.

28 May they be blotted out of the book of life
and not be listed with the righteous.

29 I am in pain and distress;
may your salvation, O God, protect me.

30 I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.

31 This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs.

32 The poor will see and be glad—
you who seek God, may your hearts live!

33 The LORD hears the needy
and does not despise his captive people.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him,
the seas and all that move in them,

35 for God will save Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah.
Then people will settle there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants will inherit it,
and those who love his name will dwell there.

Chin Ling : I will bless you at all times because I know in your good time, you cause all things to happen! :)

Dellia: I'm reminded that the Lord will always deliver and safe us! But we must not take God's grace for granted.

Crow: Dear Lord, help me not to lament like the first parts of the psalm, and spend time moaning and groaning about things, but instead help me to let my first reaction be to submit it all to u in prayer. Help me Lord to be more thankful and give u praise.. Ah, Lord i need ur help!!

psalm 68 - Saturday

Psalm 68

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

1 May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;
may his foes flee before him.

2 As smoke is blown away by the wind,
may you blow them away;
as wax melts before the fire,
may the wicked perish before God.

3 But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds ^[a]—
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

5 A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

6 God sets the lonely in families, ^[b]
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

7 When you went out before your people, O God,
when you marched through the wasteland,
Selah

8 the earth shook,
the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,
before God, the God of Israel.

9 You gave abundant showers, O God;
you refreshed your weary inheritance.

10 Your people settled in it,
and from your bounty, O God, you provided for the poor.

11 The Lord announced the word,
and great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

12 "Kings and armies flee in haste;
in the camps men divide the plunder.

13 Even while you sleep among the campfires, ^[c]
the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
its feathers with shining gold."

14 When the Almighty ^[d] scattered the kings in the land,
it was like snow fallen on Zalmon.

15 The mountains of Bashan are majestic mountains;
rugged are the mountains of Bashan.

16 Why gaze in envy, O rugged mountains,
at the mountain where God chooses to reign,
where the LORD himself will dwell forever?

17 The chariots of God are tens of thousands
and thousands of thousands;
the Lord has come from Sinai into his sanctuary.

18 When you ascended on high,
you led captives in your train;
you received gifts from men,
even from ^[e] the rebellious—
that you, ^[f] O LORD God, might dwell there.

19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Selah

20 Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.

21 Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies,
the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins.

22 The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan;
I will bring them from the depths of the sea,

23 that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes,
while the tongues of your dogs have their share."

24 Your procession has come into view, O God,
the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.

25 In front are the singers, after them the musicians;
with them are the maidens playing tambourines.

26 Praise God in the great congregation;
praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.

27 There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them,
there the great throng of Judah's princes,
and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

28 Summon your power, O God ^[g] ;
show us your strength, O God, as you have done before.

29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
kings will bring you gifts.

30 Rebuke the beast among the reeds,
the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may it bring bars of silver.
Scatter the nations who delight in war.

31 Envoys will come from Egypt;
Cush ^[h] will submit herself to God.

32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth,
sing praise to the Lord,
Selah

33 to him who rides the ancient skies above,
who thunders with mighty voice.

34 Proclaim the power of God,
whose majesty is over Israel,
whose power is in the skies.

35 You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary;
the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
Praise be to God!

Chin Ling : GOD IS SO POWERFUL AND GOOD! after reading the psalm, i just want to respond to all his goodness and greatness and majesty!

Crow: Thank u dear Lord, for being my best friend and for daily carrying my burdens.. Lord help me to solely depend on u! :)

Dellia: V5-6 reminds me that I must always remember the weak and the poor and do just like what the Lord does....

Psalm 67

Psalm 67

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine upon us,
Selah
2 that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples justly
and guide the nations of the earth.
Selah

5 May the peoples praise you, O God;
may all the peoples praise you.

6 Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us,
and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Eunice: The psalm repeats time and again, that the Lord will bless us. Something happened this morning, few minutes ago, something not very pleasant. But, I believe its God's way of telling me that He is in control and that he wll bless me. Even though the situation may not look good, even though there are so many reasons for me to ask Him why this is happening. I want to be still and know that He is God, and He will bless, if I let Him take control of the situation. I will have the victory of God's blessing out of this!

Chin Chin : Oh Yes! Our God will bless us! no matter what it seems like in various circumstances! :D I'd like to give thanks! Many times, Chiwern has been wanting to change his job but it seems like there was no confirmation to move, neither open doors... and after a few bouts of confirmation yesterday, he will receive another pay raise above the raise he's gotten earlier, coupled with a promotion! God's timing is the best and his training is one that we can feel safe in! We really thank God for the timely raise! God's ways are defintely higher than ours! Praise the Lord for his blessing!

Pam: I was reminded that I must praise the Lord in all circumstances.... no matter what happens... we will praise Him... And I will praise You!

Crow: I praise you Lord!!!! Thank you Father for helping me through this week. You are indeed faithful and just..... O LOrd, may all people from all the nations praise u! May u send us forth to bless the many nations!! Praise you Lord my God!!

Dellia: Lord, let Your face always shine upon us...that the favour of the Lord is always with us!

Psalm 66 - Thurs

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

1 Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
2 Sing the glory of his name;
make his praise glorious!

3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power
that your enemies cringe before you.

4 All the earth bows down to you;
they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name."
Selah

5 Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man's behalf!

6 He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot—
come, let us rejoice in him.

7 He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations—
let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Selah

8 Praise our God, O peoples,
let the sound of his praise be heard;

9 he has preserved our lives
and kept our feet from slipping.

10 For you, O God, tested us;
you refined us like silver.

11 You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.

12 You let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings
and fulfill my vows to you-

14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
when I was in trouble.

15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
and an offering of rams;
I will offer bulls and goats.
Selah

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what he has done for me.

17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
his praise was on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;

19 but God has surely listened
and heard my voice in prayer.

20 Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld his love from me!

Eunice: Today's Psalm is really an awesome praise to the Lord. vs 10 -12 says that God brought the trials n testings. He laid bricks on our back, then bring us to a land of abundance. Its like a construction worker, working under the big hot sun, all the toil n all. This hardship that I cannot imagine. The abundance, is the $$ they get at the end of the day, to send it home, or the dinner that they have after work. I mean, its just an analogy, but yet,Pastor Khong said on Sunday : if you've nv been through hard times, you will nv cherish the good ones. I want to be the one that will tell the world like in vs 16, of what the Lord has done for me! and vs 19 really assures me that, God listens and hears my prayers. and.. come on sisters.. Tell the world that Jesus lives! =)

Chin Ling: This psalm reminded me that there is a season for everything. A season of trials for God's people to draw nearer, a season of abundance for God's people to rejoice in him. A season of waiting for, God's people to come and pray to him in desperation. A season for everything... but in every season, Shout and Bow down,Sing praise to the Lord!

Dellia: Reading the Psalm & also Ps Debra's devotional book has reminded me that I must praise God for everything! Today I wanna share with all of you how good God has been to me. OH...the Lord has blessed us with a vacancy in another child care & wow...as I thought of it....it was really a miracle....because there were so many applications...but yet, we were given the priority!! Haaa..chin chin...this is true right?? yeah...so God is good! Remember to always praise & declare His favour on your life!

Sara: For me, i was brought back to verses 10 onwards, and I'm trying to remind myself that the Lord's testing and trials upon is with the purpose of refining us, and more importantly, He does it because He loves me! He has his reason for doing everything, even if my simple mind cannot comprehend. Just to share, last week i actually had to teach my kids about the parable of the landowner and the workers in his vineyard, and to my surprise, I myself could not agree with the reasoning behind it. (Matthew 20:1-16) The landowner promised a denarius to those whom he asked to work in his vineyard... so that was the thing - The worker who worked for 12 hrs got one denarius, and the worker who worked for 1 hr also got one denarius! but was it unfair? the landowner did fulfill his promise right. BUT to me honestly, if I were the worker who worked 12 hrs, i would have felt real cheated, and disgruntled. why other ppl work 1 hr, and they can get the same as what i earned for 12 hrs of work?!

The point is, if we focus on other people's blessings and start comparing and grow disgruntled, we might actually miss out on God's purpose & work in our lives. And this hit me really bad even after Sun's Barnabas..because i think of my own life, and I know that im obstinate, and even after reading this, i will still struggle if i was the worker who worked 12 hrs for 1 denarius.. because it is such human nature to compare... sigh.... what a hard lesson...

Huijuan: Thank God i fell sick cos i was able to jus rest at home sleeping. Sometimes i jus marvel that God's goodness in my life, so many blessings..thank God.

Crow: Praise the Lord!!!!!

Psalm 65 - Wednesday

Psalm 65

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

1 Praise awaits ^[a] you, O God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.

2 O you who hear prayer,
to you all men will come.

3 When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave ^[b] our transgressions.

4 Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.

5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness,
O God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,

6 who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,

7 who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.

8 Those living far away fear your wonders;
where morning dawns and evening fades
you call forth songs of joy.

9 You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it. ^[c]

10 You drench its furrows
and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers
and bless its crops.

11 You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.

12 The grasslands of the desert overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.

13 The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.

Chin Ling: I claim all of God's goodness for me in the psalm! Praise awaits him because I will praise him!

Huijuan: Today i will learn to spend 1 hour in his presence, praising Him. :)

Eunice: Wow...! I woke up feeling v good today.. Praise the Lord! vs 5-7 is a magnificent display of the little things God can do. but, yet, this is just the beginning. He can do more! God gave me a new understanding of things today.. which made me think "wha.. God.. 你用心良苦.. go one big round, we're coming back to point#1.. " yeaps.. God, thank you for being patient with me.. Thank you for providing for me..

Aileen: I really love nature and today's psalms depicts such a vivid image of how God does that. I'm really reminded of his goodness and faithfulness as a farmer! How he loves his land. I will love mine too

Sara: When I read this, I could see God's wondrous hands at work... of how He forms the mountains, loves and cares for the land and the stream, and how He enriches it abundantly and bless the crops.. This is the extent of how much he loves the works of His hands. And how much more He cares for me! I shall clothe myself with gladness and sing of His love all of my days!

Dellia: V4 repeats phase "what joy await us" and I'm reminded that at times when I run dry and tired and feel weary...when I enter the Lord's presence, I can find joy! V9 also says that "the rivers of God will not run dry"! Lord, bring me into Your presence so that I will never be thirsty again!