Tuesday, January 29, 2008 @ 12:04 AM
Psalm 28: Have Regard for God's Discipline.

1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.

4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.

5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.

When I was in secondary school, there were 2 teachers I "feared" (respect and honour). One is my prefect mistress. The other is my choir mistress.

Both of them demanded high standards from us (as a prefect and as a choir member respectively). The one I remembered most was my choir mistress, as she knows and taught me personally.
I remember the gruelings hours of choir rehearsals, 3 times a week, 3 hours each time. The moments I would never forget are the times before major performances, when frequently, the rehearsals would end up in screaming and scoldings as we didnt meet up to her standards. There were many times she was so angry that she stormed out of the AVA hall, and our feelings were so hurt that some of the girls actually cried.

But all these were not in vain, as we won accolades after accolades in choral competitions. In our hearts of hearts, we knew that we were there because of her demanding standards, and deep down, despite her scoldings, she really cared for us.

I relate this story when I read today's psalm, particularly this verse

Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

it reminded me of how my choir mistress would spend time to build our standards up, and wont hesitate to tear us down if we slacked.

In the same sober way, I believe God is just as demanding. A lot of times we focus on His grace (which is available for us), yet at the same time, we must remember that God sets a very high standard for us. In fact, perfect standards for us:

1) Be perfect, like God
Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

2) Be set apart for God
John 17:16,18
They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

And let's have regard for God's training and discipline.
Because if we dont, He will not hesitate to tear us down for our own good.
And if our hearts remain hardened, there's a chance that God will not build us up again.

Let's take God's training seriously!

Labels: Journey Through Psalms

Tuesday, January 29, 2008 @ 12:04 AM
Psalm 28: Have Regard for God's Discipline.

1 To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.

2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.

4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.

5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.

When I was in secondary school, there were 2 teachers I "feared" (respect and honour). One is my prefect mistress. The other is my choir mistress.

Both of them demanded high standards from us (as a prefect and as a choir member respectively). The one I remembered most was my choir mistress, as she knows and taught me personally.
I remember the gruelings hours of choir rehearsals, 3 times a week, 3 hours each time. The moments I would never forget are the times before major performances, when frequently, the rehearsals would end up in screaming and scoldings as we didnt meet up to her standards. There were many times she was so angry that she stormed out of the AVA hall, and our feelings were so hurt that some of the girls actually cried.

But all these were not in vain, as we won accolades after accolades in choral competitions. In our hearts of hearts, we knew that we were there because of her demanding standards, and deep down, despite her scoldings, she really cared for us.

I relate this story when I read today's psalm, particularly this verse

Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.

it reminded me of how my choir mistress would spend time to build our standards up, and wont hesitate to tear us down if we slacked.

In the same sober way, I believe God is just as demanding. A lot of times we focus on His grace (which is available for us), yet at the same time, we must remember that God sets a very high standard for us. In fact, perfect standards for us:

1) Be perfect, like God
Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

2) Be set apart for God
John 17:16,18
They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

And let's have regard for God's training and discipline.
Because if we dont, He will not hesitate to tear us down for our own good.
And if our hearts remain hardened, there's a chance that God will not build us up again.

Let's take God's training seriously!

Labels: Journey Through Psalms