Praising Scripture - Dec 9

Annual Bible Reading Plan:

AMO.5-6
ACT.21

2024 31-Day Praising Day 9:

Praise God with a Joyful Heart (Psalm 43:1–5)
( Memorization Scripture 3–4)

1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
against an ungodly people;
from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go about mourning
because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
4 Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Reflection:
In Psalm 42, the sons of Korah praised God with a longing heart; in Psalm 43, they speak of praising God with the utmost joy: "Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." Even while exiled in a foreign land, far from the temple, and under constant oppression, the sons of Korah continually meditated on God. Remembering Him, they proclaimed Him as "God, my exceeding joy". Oh, “God, my exceeding joy”—what a sweet expression of trust, love, and delight in the God who loves us! Reflecting on our own worship and praise, do we often have such a deep sense of affection for God? Or do our feelings toward Him fluctuate with our circumstances, at times becoming routine, lukewarm, or even distant?
Truly, we give thanks to the Lord for the revelation through the sons of Korah: regardless of the circumstances, the Lord Himself is “my greatest joy.” Because of this truth, Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites exhorted the people, saying, “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Similarly, Paul, imprisoned for the Lord, repeatedly encouraged God’s children: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).
May the Lord help us to long for and rely on this God, our exceeding joy, in all situations. May we look to His radiant face, exchange "a spirit of despair" for "a garment of praise" (Isaiah 61:3), and experience ever-increasing joy and praise!



年度讀經計畫

摩5-6
徒21

2024感恩月 Day 9:

以喜樂的心讚美 神 （詩篇43:1-5）
（背誦經文:3-4）

1 神啊，求你申我的冤，向不虔誠的國為我辨屈，求你救我脫離詭詐不義的人！
2 因為你是賜我力量的 神。為何丟棄我呢？我為何因仇敵的欺壓時常哀痛呢？
3 求你發出你的亮光和真實，好引導我，帶我到你的聖山，到你的居所。
4 我就走到 神的祭壇，到我最喜樂的 神那裡。神啊，我的 神，我要彈琴稱讚你。
5 我的心哪，你為何憂悶？為何在我裡面煩躁？應當仰望 神，因我還要稱讚祂，祂是我臉上的光榮，是我的 神。

【心得分享】在詩篇42篇中，可拉後裔以切慕的心來稱讚 神；在詩篇43篇中，又講到他們稱讚 神是以最喜樂的心情—「我就走到 神的祭壇，到我最喜樂的 神那裡。神啊，我的 神，我要彈琴稱讚你。」在流亡異地、遠離聖殿、常受欺壓的艱難境地，可拉後裔仍是常常切慕思想 神，並且記念祂的時候，就告白祂是「我最喜樂的 神」（另譯「神，我極大的喜樂」）。哦，「我最喜樂的 神」，這是對這位愛我們的 神何等信靠、愛慕、甘甜的稱呼！思想自己在敬拜和讚美時是否常常對 神有這樣深切的喜愛的心情？是否我們對祂的心情常常受到環境的影響，有時不知不覺落入了平常、甚至是平淡和疏遠？實在感謝主藉著可拉後裔給我們的啟示—不管環境如何，主自己乃是「我極大的喜樂」。正是因為這樣的看見與經歷，尼希米、以斯拉和利未人曾這樣勸勉百姓，「你們不要憂愁，因靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量」（尼8:10）；為主坐牢的保羅也一次次鼓勵 神的兒女，「你們要靠主常常喜樂，我再說，你們要喜樂！」（腓4:4）禱告主幫助我們，在一切環境中都切慕、依靠這位我們最喜樂的 神，仰望祂的笑臉，「以讚美衣代替憂傷之靈」（賽61:3），並讓我們的喜樂和讚美不斷加添！