Reflections
“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.
And
as the Gospel says, we
are raised up
by getting 'yoked to Jesus.' (Matthew 11:28-30)
That
is how our burdens are made light,
by
helping Jesus to carry His cross,
as
Simon did that day on the road to Calvary.
Despite
what we may think,
his
'yoke is easy and his burden light.'
Remember
that endurance is a Godly quality
and
will help us to get yoked
to
Jesus.
Having
done that, we, like our psalmist David,
join
with the faithful and
speak
of the glory of God's reign
and
bless his name.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist assures us that the Lord will lift us up when we are falling.
Speak of a time when you have undergone hardship and how your faith has
been strengthened.
2. The Psalm says that the Lord is "good to all and compassionate toward all
2. The Psalm says that the Lord is "good to all and compassionate toward all
his works." Tell how this verse inspires you to be more compassionate toward
those in your life who may not always be lovable in your sight.
Psalm 145 is David’s prayer because he recognizes all that
ReplyDeleteGod has done for him. He worships the Lord with heartfelt praise in this psalm. This psalm is contagious. I too felt like worshiping God by recognizing His greatness.
On the other hand, I questioned God many many times. I wondered why our loving God allows suffering, hardships and afflictions in my life as well as in others’ lives. I have learned in Scripture that in order to unite with Jesus’s sufferings, I have to go through suffering of my own. This will make me humble, patient, and a better person in the eyes of God.
Jesus says that His yoke is easy and His burden is light if we are yoked to Him. He will give me endurance to bear up with my sufferings. At the same time my faith will be strengthened. I will become a better witness for Jesus,
and a better servant for Him.
I believe that God is good to all, faithful, forgiving,
patient, and loving toward his creations, regardless whether they be good persons or bad persons. I came to realize that we, whether bad or good, are created equally in the eyes of God. I have to learn how to love the unlovables in my life because God is Love and is full of compassion. He will raise me up. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever.