Reflections
Psalm 145: 1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14 (Read)
“The Lord lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.”
We may question why God allows us to suffer,
why he allows “bad things to happen to good people.”
We may ask, as the early believers probably did,
“Why is it necessary to undergo such hardships
to enter the kingdom of God?”
Scripture tells us that afflictions are to be
expected in our walk with the Lord. We may not
understand what God is up to, but we can be sure
that our faith will be strengthened if we stand fast
in the face of suffering. We will become better
witnesses for Christ if we are humbled; we become
better servants if we bear up with our difficulties
and trust in the Lord. As our psalmist tells us,
“The Lord is trustworthy in every word, and
faithful in every work.”
Endurance is a Godly quality and will help us
to get 'yoked' to Jesus. Having done that, together
with our psalmist David, we join with the faithful
and speak of the glory of God's reign and bless
His name.
The book of Wisdom tells us that God loves all
things He has created, and loathes nothing He
has made. David says it this way, “The Lord is
good to all and compassionate toward all His works.”
This verse is fulfilled in Sunday's Gospel –
Zacchaeus could just as well sing this psalm,
“I will praise your name forever, my king and my God.”
When we reflect on what God has done for us,
we remember that we live our lives amidst an
unending stream of divine love. God has always
done good things for us. That is God's nature –
as the Psalm says, “The Lord is gracious and merciful
and of great kindness.”
And so we pray this psalm to bless, praise, and exalt
the heavenly Father in His perfection and in His works.
“Great is the Lord and highly to be praised.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist asks us (His faithful ones) to speak of
God's might and discourse of the glory of God's kingdom.
Give an example of how you have complied with our psalmist's appeals.
2. We are assured by the Psalm that the Lord lifts up all
who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. Share
how your faith has been strengthened by any hardships you
may have undergone.
The psalmist David recognizes God's Nature - full of love, grace, compassion and patience toward us fallen human beings. He sings praise and worships God in forms of prayer and appreciation. Accordingly, God has done an awesome work for him.
ReplyDeleteSometimes, whenever I felt my burdens seemed more than I could bear and I was about to fall under my burdens, I recalled God's mercy. I turned to God immediately knowing our Lord would lift me up and hear my heartfelt cries. I had faith in Him. He'll hear my prayer in due time. In 1 Peter 5: l0, Peter said, "After you have suffered a little while, Jesus will himself restore you and make you strong, and firm and steadfast." Even though God's time is different from ours, I waited and waited with endurance hoping my prayer would be answered promptly. As a matter of fact, my patience ran out. But I'm still claiming His promise. He is vital to my victory because He remains near to me.
With or without knowing, I am being transformed to be more patient. I have learned to accept God's timing and will for me. The psalmist as well as our saints assured me that my everlasting life is more important than earthly sufferings and hardships. In the midst of afflictions I still can express my thanks and praise to God for what He has done for me, and I have learned how to count my blessings. My present sufferings are nothing to compare with the glory to be revealed to me later on.
Some powerful lines to reflect upon:
ReplyDelete"The Lord lifts up all who are falling and raises up all
who are bowed down."
"Endurance is a Godly quality."
"We will become better witnesses for Christ
if we are humbled; we become better servants
if we bear up with our difficulties and trust in the Lord."
God never promised us a "Rose Garden" on this earth. He is here to help us if we seek Him, and if we tough it out, we become better servants and witnesses for our Lord Jesus Christ. We grow as we endure life's challenges/difficulties.