Praising Scripture - Dec 7

Introduction...

Psalm 119:105-112 Praise God’s Word
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 105-108）
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.

109 My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.

111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.




[Sharing]
In the eyes of the psalmist, the revealed word of the Lord is extremely precious as it is his heritage forever and the joy of his heart. The Lord’s words are the righteous law and the light in which we walk in this dark world. Therefore, the psalmist not only took an oath to keep the word of God, but also confirmed that he would keep it no matter how much it cost.
When we act in God's word in this dark world, we will often encounter battles as the wicked have set a snare for us, and we constantly take our lives in our hands. Yet, we know that when we walk in His word, He will preserve our lives according to His word.
Therefore, we hope that we, like the psalmist, will keep the word of God and consider His word as the lamp to our feet and the light for our path every day. Even when we encounter difficulties in obeying the word of God, we can willing praise Him with our mouths and stay living in His precepts. Let us confirm to set our hearts on keeping the Lord’s decrees to the every end!

【簡介】...

12/7 詩篇119:105-112 讚美 神的話
(背誦105-108節)
105 你的話是我腳前的燈，
是我路上的光。
106 你公義的典章，
我曾起誓遵守，我必按誓而行。

107 我甚是受苦，
耶和華啊，求你照你的話將我救活。
108 耶和華啊，求你悅納我口中的讚美為供物，
又將你的典章教訓我。

109 我的性命常在危險之中，
我卻不忘記你的律法。
110 惡人為我設下網羅，
我卻沒有偏離你的訓詞。

111 我以你的法度為永遠的產業，
因這是我心中所喜愛的。
112 我的心專向你的律例，
永遠遵行，一直到底。




【心得分享】
在詩人的眼中，耶和華所啟示的話語極其寶貴，是他永遠的產業，也是他心中所喜愛的。祂的話語是公義的典章，是我們在這個黑暗的世界中行走的亮光。因此詩人不僅僅起誓遵守 神的話語，也按誓而行，無論代價多大。
當我們在這個黑暗的世界中按著 神的話語而行的時候，我們常常會遭遇爭戰 - 惡人為我們設下網羅，我們的性命常在危險之中。但我們相信，當我們遵照祂的話語而行的時候， 神也會照祂的話將我們救活。
因此，盼望我們像詩人一樣，持守 神的話語，認定祂的話是我們腳前的燈，是我們路上的光。即使因著遵行 神的話而遭遇難處，也用口來讚美耶和華，並且不偏離 神的訓詞，永遠遵行，一直到底！

Praising Scripture - Dec 6

Introduction...

Psalm 34:1-7 Praise God’s Name
A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 1-3）
1 I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
6 This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.



[Sharing]
Today’s psalm is made by David when he feigned madness before Abimelech and was driven away. David fled from Saul and went to Gath, but there was someone who recognized David as the warrior who once defeated them, so David was very much afraid of Abimelech, and had to pretend that he is insane to escape.
After all these troubles and humiliations, David learned that God would camp around him and rescue him, even if his circumstances were dangerous. God heard the calling of poor men, and saved them out of all their fears and troubles! Rather than being afraid of others, the Lord is the one who we should really fear.
Therefore, David can say “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.” David too invites us today to come up to God humbly with him, to glorify the Lord, and exalt His name together!

【簡介】...

12/6 詩篇34:1-7 讚美 神的名
大衛在亞比米勒面前裝瘋，被他趕出去，就作這詩。
（背誦1-3節）
1我要時時稱頌耶和華，
讚美祂的話必常在我口中。
2 我的心必因耶和華誇耀，
謙卑人聽見，就要喜樂。
3 你們和我當稱耶和華為大，
一同高舉祂的名。

4 我曾尋求耶和華，祂就應允我，
救我脫離了一切的恐懼。
5 凡仰望祂的便有光榮，
他們的臉必不蒙羞。
6 我這困苦人呼求，耶和華便垂聽，
救我脫離一切患難。
7 耶和華的使者在敬畏祂的人四圍安營，
搭救他們。



【心得分享】
今天的詩篇是大衛在非利士王亞比米勒面前裝瘋，被他趕出去時所作的詩篇。大衛因著害怕掃羅的追殺而逃到迦特，然而在那裡卻有人認出大衛是曾經打敗他們這些非利士人的勇士，因此大衛又開始懼怕亞比米勒，只好在眾人面前假裝瘋癲才得以逃離。
在經過這一切的患難和羞辱之後，大衛學習到即使他的環境再險惡，耶和華神都會在他四圍安營，搭救他。耶和華垂聽困苦人的呼求，救他們脫離一切的恐懼和患難！比起對人的懼怕，耶和華才是真正值得我們敬畏的那一位。
因此，大衛可以說我要時時稱頌耶和華，讚美祂的話必常在我口中。大衛也邀請我們和他一同謙卑地來到 神面前，當稱耶和華為大，一同高舉祂的名！

Praising Scripture - Dec 5

Introduction...

Psalm 69:30-36 Praise God’s Name
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 30-31）
30 I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
31 This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull,
Which has horns and hooves.
32 The humble shall see this and be glad;
And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
33 For the Lord hears the poor,
And does not despise His prisoners.
34 Let heaven and earth praise Him,
The seas and everything that moves in them.
35 For God will save Zion
And build the cities of Judah,
That they may dwell there and possess it.
36 Also, the descendants of His servants shall inherit it,
And those who love His name shall dwell in it.


Introduction...


[Sharing]
This psalm is one of most quoted by the New Testament. This lament starts with David's pressing for God's grace and deliverance in suffering and persecution. Like in many prayer psalms, David knew by faith that his prayer had been heard by God, and thus he gave "a praising offering" to God with gratitude, saying "I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, Which has horns and hooves". The poet not only praised the Lord by himself, but also appealed to all the humble, those seeking for God, the poor, and the prisoners to come together to praise the Lord. Including all creations and all the earth, all shall praise the Lord, for He will keep all who love His name to dwell in Zion and Judah for generations.Here we can see that when the poet dedicated his "praises as offerings" to God, it is delightful to God and better than any expensive offerings. We shall also see that praising the name of God will help us to go beyond all difficulties, for His name is above all names. Therefore, we shall learn to praise the name of the almighty God by faith in our hardships, so that we will experience God managing the environment for us and leading us to conquer through Him like David.

【簡介】...

12/5 詩篇69:30-36 讚美 神的名 Praise God’s Name
（背誦30-31節）

30我要以詩歌讚美神的名，
以感謝稱祂為大。
31 這便叫耶和華喜悅，
勝似獻牛，或是獻有角有蹄的公牛。

32 謙卑的人看見了，就喜樂。
尋求神的人，願你們的心甦醒。
33 因為耶和華聽了窮乏人，不藐視被囚的人。

34 願天和地，洋海和其中一切的動物，都讚美祂。
35 因為 神要拯救錫安，建造猶大的城邑，
祂的民要在那裡居住，得以為業。
36 祂僕人的後裔要承受為業，
愛祂名的人也要住在其中。




【心得分享】
本詩是新約裡被引述最多的詩篇之一。本哀歌始於大衛在苦難、逼迫中，迫切呼求 神施恩、拯救。就像許多的祈禱詩，大衛在信心裡知道他的禱告已蒙 神垂聽，便以感恩的心向 神獻上“讚美祭”，說「我要以詩歌讚美 神的名，以感謝稱祂為大。這便叫耶和華喜悅，勝似獻牛，或是獻有角有蹄的公牛。」詩人不僅自己讚美 神，更呼籲所有謙卑的人、尋求 神的人、窮乏人、被囚的人都一同起來讚美耶和華，包括一切受造之物、以及全地都要來讚美 神，因為祂必保守一切愛祂名的人，世世代代都能住在錫安和猶大的城邑。
在這裡我們看到當詩人誠摯地以“讚美為祭”獻給 神時，這是 神所喜悅的，而且勝過獻上一切昂貴的祭物；我們也看到讚美耶和華的名，可以使我們超越一切的困境，因為祂的名超乎萬名之上。所以，我們在各樣的艱難中要學習憑信讚美 神全能的名，使我們可以像大衛一樣，經歷 神為我們管理環境，並帶領我們靠主得勝。

Praising Scripture - Dec 4

Introduction...

12/4 Psalm138：1-8
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 6-8）
1 I will praise You with my whole heart;
Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 I will worship toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.

4 All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.

6 Though the Lord is on high,
Yet He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.



[Sharing]
This beautiful psalm of praise begins a series of eight attributed to David and centers on a pretty amazing wish - that all the kings of the earth would praise the Lord in response to hearing His words! Wrapped around this hope is King David’s own praise which comes from both who God is (name, lovingkindness, truth, great in glory, mercy that endures forever) and the wonderful things which He has done. Chief among these wondrous works is God’s faithfulness in answering prayer which has made His name and promises more precious than all that even a king could possess.
Today there are many gods and kings zealous to steal our praise that belongs only to Jesus Christ. As you read David’s words, can you respond with him in praise for our great God’s abundant goodness towards you? Praise Him for all the ways He has answered prayers, shown you lovingkindness, strengthened you, and in the throes of trials has revived, defended, saved, and fulfilled His purpose for you (perfect that which concerns me).
May we praise God today looking forward to that amazing day when all the kings of the earth will bring their glory into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:24).

【簡介】...

12/4 詩篇138:1-8
(背誦6-8節)
1 我要一心稱謝你，在諸 神面前歌頌你。
2 我要向你的聖殿下拜，為你的慈愛和誠實稱讚你的名；
因你使你的話顯為大，過於你所應許的。
3 我呼求的日子，你就應允我，鼓勵我，
使我心裡有能力。

4 耶和華啊，地上的君王都要稱謝你，
因他們聽見了你口中的言語。
5 他們要歌頌耶和華的作為，
因耶和華大有榮耀。

6 耶和華雖高，仍看顧低微的人，
祂卻從遠處看出驕傲的人。
7 我雖行在患難中，你必將我救活。
我的仇敵發怒，你必伸手抵擋他們，
你的右手也必救我。
8 耶和華必成全關乎我的事。
耶和華啊，你的慈愛永遠長存，
求你不要離棄你手所造的。



【心得分享】
這首優美的讚美詩開始了一連八篇大衛的詩，並且以一個十分令人驚奇的盼望為中心——地上所有的君王都要讚美 神，因他們聽見祂口中的言語。圍繞這一願望的是大衛王自己對 神的所是（祂的名、慈愛、誠實、大有榮耀，永遠長存的慈愛）和祂的奇妙作為所發出的讚美。而 神的奇妙作為首先便是祂在回應禱告上的信實，因此祂的名和應許比任何君王的都要寶貴。
現今有許多事情都會成為我們的 神和君王，並竊取本來只應獻給耶穌基督的讚美。當你讀大衛的詩時，你是否可以用讚美來回應 神在你身上所做的偉大善工？讚美 神為你所做的一切，不管是回應你的禱告，向你彰顯慈愛，堅固你，還是在試探的劇痛中復興、保守、拯救你，並成全祂在你身上的旨意「耶和華必成全關乎我的事」。
「讓我們讚美 神，等候地上的君王將自己的榮耀歸於新耶路撒冷的那個美好日子的到來！」（啟21:24）

Praising Scripture - Dec 3

Introduction...

12/3 Psalm 33：1-11
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 1-4）
1 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
2 Praise the Lord with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
3 Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
4 For the word of the Lord is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;[a]
He lays up the deep in storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.
9 For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.
10 The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.
11 The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart to all generations.




[Sharing]
This psalm praises the Lord for His being and His work. At the beginning, the psalmist calls upon the upright and righteous people who fear the Lord to rejoice in the Lord and to praise Him. He teaches us to sing a new song to the Lord with the harp and a shout of joy, and to offer our praises. This is a great reminder for us - do we really rejoice in the Lord? We should worship and praise the Lord with enthusiasm, with our hearts, mouths and hands, and with all our hearts and bodies. There is no concern about our own feelings and how others look at us, but only praising the Lord who loves us, for He is our only focus and object during worship. Such praise is both due and beautiful.
Hallelujah... Lord our God! We shall praise You, too! For Your word is right and absolutely reliable, all Your work is done in truth, and You are a faithful God of mercy!
Hallelujah... Lord our God! We praise You! For You created the massive universe and the beautiful nature with word (command, breath). You are God who spoke and it was done, who commanded and it stood fast.
Hallelujah... Lord our God! We praise You! For Your counsel stands forever, the plans of Your heart to all generations. You are who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!

【簡介】...

詩篇33：1-11
(背誦1-4節)
1 義人哪，你們應當靠耶和華歡樂！
正直人的讚美是合宜的。

2 你們應當彈琴稱謝耶和華用十弦瑟歌頌祂。
3 應當向祂唱新歌，彈得巧妙，聲音洪亮。
4 因為耶和華的言語正直，
凡祂所做的盡都誠實。

5 祂喜愛仁義、公平，
遍地滿了耶和華的慈愛。
6 諸天藉耶和華的命而造，
萬象藉祂口中的氣而成。
7 祂聚集海水如壘，
收藏深洋在庫房。
8 願全地都敬畏耶和華，
願世上的居民都懼怕祂。
9 因為祂說有，就有；命立，就立。
10 耶和華使列國的籌算歸於無有，
使眾民的思念無有功效。
11 耶和華的籌算永遠立定，
祂心中的思念萬代常存。



【心得分享】
這是一首讚美 神所是與所為的詩篇。詩人開始便呼籲敬畏 神的義人和正直人，都當以耶和華為樂並要讚美稱謝祂。詩人教導眾人當用琴瑟和洪亮的聲音向 神唱新歌，來獻上我們讚美的祭。這給我們一個很好的提醒，我們若是真以耶和華為樂，就當帶著熱情用我們的心、用我們的口、用我們的手，全心全人的來敬拜讚美 神，無需顧慮自己的面子和別人的眼光，只單單讚美愛我們的 神，因祂是我們讚美敬拜時唯一的焦點和對象，這樣的讚美敬拜是應當的，也是合宜的。
哈利路亞…主耶和華我們的 神！我們也要讚美祢！因為祢的言語正直絕對可信；作為盡都誠實絕無錯誤，祢是信實慈愛的 神。
哈利路亞…主耶和華我們的 神！我們讚美祢！因為祢用口中的話（命、氣）創造浩瀚的宇宙和美麗的自然；祢是說有，就有；命立，就立的 神。
哈利路亞…主耶和華我們的 神！我們讚美祢！因為祢的籌算永遠立定，祢心中的思念萬代常存；祢是昔在、今在、以後永在的全能者！

Praising Scripture - Dec 2

Introduction...

12/2 Psalm 95:1-7a
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 6-7a）
1 Oh come, let us sing to the Lord!
Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth;
The heights of the hills are His also.
5 The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.





[Sharing]
In this psalm, which again is a call to the people, we see an uncomplicated worship that professes God is the great God above all gods. We have countless good reasons to come before Him with joyful shouts, to sing of Him, to give thanks to Him, and to praise Him. Sadly, we often only focus on the things that God has done for us. What’s even more pitiful is that we only thank Him for accomplishing the particular things we asked for. We are sorely lacking in real recognition of God’s being, His majesty, His awesomeness, His authority, His reign above all, and His all-surpassing greatness. It is not that we do not understand, but we simply have no appetite to know more of God; we only care that He has met our needs.
Come! Let us kneel before God! For a brief moment, forget our needs. Shout with joy, sing, praise and worship Him for who He is. The sea, dry land, hills, and deep places of the earth are not the only things that belong to God, but we, who have been bought by the blood of Jesus Christ, need to ever more loudly proclaim, “He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

【簡介】...

12/2 詩篇 95:1-7a
(背誦6-7a節)
1 來啊，我們要向耶和華歌唱，
向拯救我們的磐石歡呼！
2 我們要來感謝祂，
用詩歌向祂歡呼！
3 因耶和華為大神，為大王，
超乎萬神之上。
4 地的深處在祂手中，
山的高峰也屬祂。
5 海洋屬祂，是祂造的，
旱地也是祂手造成的。

6 來啊，我們要屈身敬拜，
在造我們的耶和華面前跪下！
7a 因為祂是我們的神，
我們是祂草場的羊，是祂手下的民。



【心得分享】
這又是一篇呼召人來敬拜 神的詩歌，不為著別的，單單就是因為 神是大 神，在萬 神之上！我們有太多的理由應當來向 神歡呼，向 神歌唱，感謝祂，讚美祂！但是，我們多半只為著祂對我所做的來感謝祂，更可憐的是：只為著祂照著我所要的成就了而感謝祂。我們對 神的所是，祂的偉大，祂的奇妙，祂的權能，祂的統管萬有，祂的超乎一切，卻沒有什麼真實的認識。也可以說，我們其實不是不知道，只是我們不怎麼關心祂是怎麼樣的一位 神，我們關心的往往是祂對我如何。
來吧！讓我們屈身在 神面前下拜！暫時忘記我們的需要，而是單單的為著祂的所是，歡呼、歌唱、讚美、敬拜祂！不僅海洋、旱地、高山、深谷…屬於 神，我們這班蒙耶穌基督寶血買贖的人，豈不更應該大聲的聲明：「祂是我們的 神，我們是祂草場的羊，是祂手下的民。」

Praising Scripture - Dec 1

Introduction...

12/1Psalm 100：1-5 A Psalm of Thanksgiving Praise
（Memorization Scripture: vv. 4-5）
1 Make a joyful shout (noise) to the Lord, all you lands!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.




[Sharing] This psalm calls for people to come worship God. The psalm is not only meant for ones who have known God, but it is an invitation to those who do not yet know Him. Why? Because He is the God of all nations and all peoples; He is the savior of all. With passionate cries, the psalmist calls for the people to shout joyfully to the Lord, to sing His praise, and to respond to His presence: we belong to Him, we are His sheep, and He is the one true God! Oh that the people would begin their worship by singing this psalm at the top of their lungs! We can only imagine how magnificent that must have been!
The psalmist proceeds to remind everyone to come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and praise. And to come for no other reason but that the Lord is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations. It is only right that we come to give thanks to Him and praise His name!
Have you noticed that this psalm is a charge? (There are seven occurrences of “should” in the Chinese translation.) If you do not know how to enter into God’s presence, try giving thanks, praising, and singing with a joyful noise; profess that He is your creator and you are His sheep; believe in His goodness, lovingkindness, and faithfulness. Then, you will surely experience God’s presence.

【簡介】...

12/1 詩篇100 ：1-5 [稱謝詩]
(背誦4-5節)
1 普天下當向耶和華歡呼！
2 你們當樂意事奉耶和華，
當來向祂歌唱！
3 你們當曉得耶和華是 神！
我們是祂造的，也是屬祂的；
我們是祂的民，也是祂草場的羊。

4 當稱謝進入祂的門；
當讚美進入祂的院。
當感謝祂，稱頌祂的名！
5 因為耶和華本為善。
祂的慈愛存到永遠；
祂的信實直到萬代。



【心得分享】
這是一篇呼召眾人來敬拜 神的詩，不只是呼召認識 神的百姓，也邀請普天下未信之人。為什麼呢？因為這位 神，是萬民萬國的 神，是全人類的救主！詩人用極為熱情的語氣說，來啊，向這位造我們的 神大聲歡呼，用喜樂的喧囂 (shout joyfully to the Lord) 來向祂歌唱，回應祂的同在。我們是屬祂的，是祂草場的羊，而祂是獨一的真 神！我們可以想像一下，當眾人一起大聲唱着這首詩開始他們的敬拜的時候，場面聲勢是何等的壯觀浩大！
接著，詩人又提醒大家要用感謝和讚美來進入 神的同在。不是別的原因，就是因為祂是善，祂的慈愛存到永遠，祂的信實直到萬代，我們就理當來感謝祂，稱頌祂的名！
注意到了嗎？這首詩中，用了七個“當”字。如果你不知道如何進入 神的同在，試著與眾民用歡樂的噪音大聲的感謝、讚美、歌唱；承認祂是你的創造者，你是祂的羊；相信祂的良善、慈愛、信實；那你肯定可以嚐到 神同在的滋味。