Psalm 56:1 “Be merciful to me “

Thought

David wrote this psalm where philistines had captured him in Gath. David wrote this when he was literally facing death. No hope to escape. But making this prayer we learn

Fear to Trust

Psalm 56:3 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” When David was scared of his situation, he did not murmur nor did he grumble, David increased his trust in the Lord.

Attack to Freedom

Psalm 56:9 “Then my enemies will turn back when I call for help.” By this I will know that God is for me. David knew when he prays Lord will surely listen and help. When an attack comes from the evil one, speak to our Heavenly Father surely help will come.

Problems to Praise

Psalm 56:4 “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?” David claimed the promises of God, believing the word lead to praises.

Psalm 56:12 “I am under vows to you, O God; I will present my thank offerings to you.” When he word was got, David took decision to praise the Lord always. Make a vow that in every situation I will praise God.

Death to deliverance

Psalm 56:13 “For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling” David was delivered from death we know it, but David confessed it even before deliverance actually happened. Let us see the deliverance in the eyes of faith and confess what we do not see with our eyes.

The hand of the LORD my God was on me; I took courage and gathered  Ezra 7:28

Praising: Praise be to the LORD, the God of our fathers, Ezra 7:27a. Ezra started giving his testimony by giving praise to the Lord. Do we praise the Lord for what he has done, or are we lost in present challenges. Praising is power.

Testifying: Who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me .. Ezra 7:28b Ezra’s testifies that Lord changed the king’s heart favourable to God’s children. Trust in the Lord, surround us with love and faithfulness, word says Lord will give us favour from God and man.

Confidence: Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me. Ezra 7:28 a. Ezra was sure that the hand of the Lord was with him. Are we sure we have Lord on our side? Are we sure Lord is in control of our situation? Why are we then scared of our situations?

Action: I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me. Ezra 7:28b. Ezra being sure of Lord’s companionship, He took courage and gathered people and went forward to build the temple. Are we in standstill situation or are we moving forward to do God’s will to build his kingdom.

Prayer: Lord, I praise you, who gave me favour, I praise because your hand is upon me Lord. I will work by your help. Amen.

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely Hosea 14:4

In this portion Lord is making a promise of healing the backsliding of His people. What is backsliding? When Lord children who received Jesus as their saviour, if they set things of the world as more important than Jesus, they actually started to backslide. Word says “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD” 1 Kings 11:9 is our heart focussed on Jesus or of things of the world

Lord is warning, “But I do have something against you! And it is this: You don’t have as much love as you used to.” Rev 2:4. Do we love our Lord with all our heart? Do we realize we serve an awesome God? Do we fear him? Lord rebuked “your backsliding will rebuke you.. you forsake the LORD your God and have no awe of me”. Jer 2:19. Where is the first love, where is true reverence?

Today Lord is calling “Return, faithless people; I will cure you of backsliding.” Jer 3:22. Let us run to the throne of grace. For our Lord promised, that He will heal our backsliding and love us freely.

Prayer: Lord, forgive my backsliding, cleanse me, and create in me a new heart that I may worship you. I will love you freely and live in true fear of the Almighty. Amen.

Word: Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:4

Thought: We are troubled sometimes when changes happen and are not sure what will happen next. For example recently the CEO of my region resigned and everyone was alarmed because he was a people’s man, but we should remember that it is He who has sustained us through men and not man. This is the word which we see in posters, we need to clear on this context – it came through Moses when he was moving out handing over to Joshua. Moses lead the people for 40 long years and the people went to Moses for everything and satisfy their needs and now when they were to go to the next level without Moses, probably people were now afraid, so the word of God comes to remind them that is was the Lord who guided them through Moses and not Moses himself. Let us remember clearly that when people change, when situations change, it is the Lord who makes it happen and let us not be afraid of what will happen. We might have people move out or change, we might be changed to a different work, transferred to a different place – let us always remember that it is the Lord who was guiding us in the current situation and it is God who is moving us to the new situation and He will continue to abide with you for He will never leave us or forsake whether it be in the mountains or valleys, as the psalmist says “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” – Let us always be strong and good courage whenever changes happen because the Lord is with us and He will sustain us and this will help us be a testimony for Him in the time of changes.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me to be strong and of good courage in times of changes, since you are with me always till the end of times. Let me not lean on people and situations, but lean on you that the changes just pass by as nothing happened. Amen.