Reflections
Psalm 145: 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 (Read)
“The Lord is good to all andcompassionate toward all his works.”
When we reflect on what God has
done for us, we remember that 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.
Our psalmist dwells on the everlasting
nature of God, on his love and presence
throughout all time, and we are called
to praise the Lord forever. Our psalmist
reminds us, “The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.”
We know this inherently because we live
our lives with an unending stream of divine love.
There are times when 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?”
Afflictions go hand in hand 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 as we are humbled.
We become better servants if we bear up
with our difficulties and trust in the Lord,
as our psalmist tells us.
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. The Psalm says, 'Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord.'
Are you one of His works? Tell of how you give thanks to the Lord
and bless Him as one of His faithful ones.
2. Our psalmist speaks of the everlasting nature of God's divine love.
Describe how God's love has helped you to overcome hardship
and get 'yoked' to Jesus.
Our psalmist David assures us of God’s love for us, “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love, and moreover, He is faithful, compassionate to all he has made.”
ReplyDeleteAs His creation I want to express my gratitude, appreciation, and thanks to Him.
Even though I sometimes can not understand fully about the trials and sickness in my life, I believe in God’s love and understand that afflictions go hand in hand in my walk with the Lord.
Sometimes I feel my burdens are so heavy to carry that I am about to fall. Jesus lifts me up because He hears my cries and saves me. He surely watches over all who love Him and upholds all those who fall. He carries our burdens instead. That’s why I am called to praise the Lord for his blessing and forgiveness.
In this way my faith is strengthened after having undergone hardships and suffering. I have experienced spiritual growth and become a more mature Christian.
Furthermore, I can be his witness to unbelievers by praising God’s love for me.
Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever. He is good and merciful.