Reflections
“If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.”
Today's Psalm is about obeying and worshiping
God. We are urged to bow down in worship before
our God, whose sheep we are (remember we are His
well-tended flock). We are instructed to be alert for
His voice and to be receptive to His teachings
(we need to be good listeners).
We are not to harden our hearts or test the Lord
(as the Israelites did at Meribah).
We are to humble ourselves and open our hearts
to the Lord; having done so we are set free.
Then we are no longer constrained by the
things of this world, and we can be open to His love
and His teachings.
Moses prophesied that the Lord would speak to us
through one of our own kind (Deuteronomy 18:18).
So we had better listen to God’s son, Jesus, who
became one of us so that we could be more like Him.
His works should be sufficient to convince us of His
saving power and grace.
St Paul tells us we need to be free from anxiety and
distractions (1 Corinthians 7:32). This is not an easy
thing to do when we are caught up in the things of the
world. We would all benefit from an authoritative
cleansing of our hearts, and a removal of unclean
forces that distract us from praising the Lord.
Then we can make room for Jesus to fill our hearts
and remain in us.
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our psalmist encourages us not to harden our hearts if we hear God's voice.
Do you find it difficult sometimes to carry out God's will in your life even if you believe He is speaking to you? Give an example.
2. The psalm reminds us that we are like sheep and the Lord is our shepherd.
Are you willing to be just an ordinary sheep among His flock? If so, what does it
mean to you to be shepherded by the Lord?
“How do we go about learning the ways of the Lord?
ReplyDelete1. Follow the Good Book…….the Bible. Do what we did………We had dinner with our 4 sons, and after desert, we had a serious discussion re the Catholic Church, what God expects from each of us, what we Need to do to show God that we are active disciples of His word, and yes, we discussed parables, and Jonah.
2. Read the Bible, and follow it. Go to Bible Study once a week, and try your best to follow it. Ask questions, and follow the example of good people whom you respect.
3. Read good, spiritual books. Surround yourselves, with good people that you respect. Pray daily.
4. Ask yourself….am I doing what Jesus would want me to do? Am I making a positive difference in the community?
5. Do I love God and my neighbor?
Nowadays Man wants to believe that everything revolves around himself. We want to be at the center of what is happening. We persist in emphasizing what God can do for men, rather than dwelling on man’s duty toward God. We become angry with God or confused when adversity disrupts our lives. It is little wonder that Christians have so much difficulty worshipping God. Worship is God-centered, not man-centered. Worship focuses on God and His greatness, not on man. Psalm 95 is devoted to the theme of worship and praise. It has long been regarded as an invitation to worship. It turns our attention and affection toward God. We thank you O’ Lord and we Worship you.
ReplyDeleteThank You O God above for bringing us joy, for providing salvation to us through Jesus Christ. Thank you for caring for us eternally.
Lord, keep us from sin. God, keep us from grumbling and complaining and doubting Your strength and Your faithfulness.
When our hearts harden, please soften them. When our minds turn dark, please shine Your light into them. When our lives cast doubt on Your ability to deliver what we need, remind us of Your faithfulness that we might not become faithless. Amen