November 30
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PSALM 81 SING ALOUD TO GOD WITH JOY
Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob!
2 Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel, a rule of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a language I had not known: 6 “I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket. 7 In distress you called, and I delivered you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
8 Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. – Psalm 81:1-10
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
All you people of God, sing out loud to him and rejoice
Raise a song, clap your hands, sound the trumpet to praise him
The Lord God had faithfully redeemed you out of your distress
He answered your prayers when you are desperate for help.
When you call on him for relief, he was there for you
He provides for all your needs and is always gracious
He wants you to worship only him and no other gods
But you rebelled and made other idols.
As a covenant people, you are to bow down to the Lord
Why have you turned your back on him and follow the world?
The Lord God who made heaven and earth rebukes the lawless
His wrath will be unleashed to all those who are rebels.
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REFLECTION
• In verse 4, it says that God commands his people to rejoice and sing aloud to him, do we always do this as our hearts worship him?
• Can a Christian worship God when he is depressed? Why or why not?
Monthly Archives: November 2022
PSALM 80 LET YOUR FACE SHINE ON US THROUGH YOUR SON!
November 29
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PSALM 80 LET YOUR FACE SHINE ON US THROUGH YOUR SON!
15 The stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself.
16 They have burned it with fire; they have cut it down;
may they perish at the rebuke of your face!
17 But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
18 Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name!
19 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts!
Let your face shine, that we may be saved! – Psalm 80:15-19
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
O Lord, have mercy on us, your people
We ask for forgiveness for being unfaithful
Let our weaknesses be turned to faith
May your glory be manifest and make us brave.
Be gracious to us O Lord and make your face shine on the righteous
Through your Son, we are redeemed from our sinfulness
Restore us from the consequences of our transgressions
Make us have a glimpse of your presence through your Son, Jesus.
We are overwhelmed by our enemy’s wickedness and oppression
Help us to remember your promise for freedom from discrimination
Have mercy on your people as they go through trials and difficulties
Grant us a heart that seeks you and give us ears to hear and eyes to see.
In your presence, we can triumph over our tendencies to be selfish
Make us prioritize you in all that we do so we can praise and give you glory
Bless our journey in this very corrupt and cruel world
Give us a love for the truth and courage to live by your word.
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REFLECTION
• Why was the psalmist Asaph asking God for restoration in this psalm?
PSALM 80 PRAYER FOR RESTORATION FOR GOD’S VINE
November 28
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PSALM 80 PRAYER FOR RESTORATION FOR GOD’S VINE
8 You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove out the nations and planted it.
9 You cleared the ground for it;
it took deep root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 It sent out its branches to the sea
and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
and all that move in the field feed on it.
14 Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine, – Psalm 80:8-14
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
O Lord, have regard for your vine again as you did in the past
You delivered them from slavery from those foes
You have protected them before, why have you now left them exposed?
They are being preyed on by many different nations who don’t know you.
Lift up your light and have mercy on your covenant people
You promised your steadfast love on all those who are faithful
Forgive all those who have transgressed who belong to your vine
Remember how you cared for them in the past? Renew them now.
You established your vine and settled them in your promised land
Be with those who love you and revere your holy name
Keep them strong and be gracious and merciful to them
Give them anointing and blessing so they can give you constant praise.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think the psalmist use the vine as a symbol for God’s people?
PSALM 80 RESTORE US AND LET YOUR FACE SHINE ON US
November 27
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PSALM 80 RESTORE US AND LET YOUR FACE SHINE ON US
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock.
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth.
2Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh,
stir up your might and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
4 O LORD God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!
– Psalm 80:1-7
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
Hear me out O my Lord; let your face shine on us
Without your light, we will be in total darkness
The enemy makes a mockery of our vulnerableness
They have turned our honor into shame and stole our peace.
How long will it be until you silence them from their plots?
How long before your anger subsides, O my Lord?
Will you let your people be continually without help?
Make your face shine upon us so we can have strength.
Restore us from the aftermath of the wickedness we received
Make us like new again so we can be unhindered to give you praise
Give us eyes to see and ears to hear what your Spirit prods us to do
Free us from our cravings and desires so we can focus only on you.
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REFLECTION
• Why do some people think that restoration of our souls can be done by us?
• Why is it a good practice for Christians to plead God for restoration?
PSALM 79 LET YOUR COMPASSION COME UPON US LORD
November 26
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PSALM 79 LET YOUR COMPASSION COME UPON US LORD
8 Do not remember against us our former iniquities;
let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name;
deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake!
10 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants
be known among the nations before our eyes!
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;
according to your great power, preserve those doomed to die!
12 Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors
the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!
13 But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise. – Psalm 79:8-13
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
O Lord come quickly to my aide; I am exhausted from the enemy’s attacks
Help me and save me from the hidden tactics that the devil brings about
Forgive me for letting the flesh take over me when I am blindsided
Grant me mercy and courage to get up from the sins I have yielded to.
Return back to the enemy all his schemes seven times more
Let me be aware of the existence of such plots even before it hits
May your grace be manifest in my heart so I can forgive them
I plead you Lord to let me be aware of all your angels around me.
Even though I am pressed down by these evil forces
I will continue to thank you and give you all the glory
Hear my groans for deliverance and give me strength
Help me get up from this fall and worship you even more.
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REFLECTION
• What is the psalmist referring to in this community of lament when he asked for compassion from the Lord?
• Should you be compassionate to those who do evil to you? Why or why not?
PSALM 79 PRAYER FOR MERCY AND DELIVERANCE
November 25
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PSALM 79 PRAYER FOR MERCY AND DELIVERANCE
O God, the nations have come into your inheritance;
they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the heavens for food,
the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem,
and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you,
and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!
7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation. – Psalm 79:1-7
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
O Lord of my righteousness, give us comfort as we go through trials
There is so much pain and suffering for those who are faithful
How long will we the mockery of those who don’t know you prevail?
They have continually laugh at us for believing in you.
Rise up O Lord, defend your people as you have promised
Those unbelievers continue to plot against us and employ their agendas
Have mercy on us and protect us from all their evil schemes
Expose them and turn their wickedness towards them so that they may see.
Forgive us when we grow weary, distressed and hopeless
Make us remember that you are in control of all these helplessness
Keep our eyes focused on your steadfast love and mercy
Give us strength so we can endure for your glory.
I cry out to you my Lord and my gracious Father
You alone can free me from the enemy’s slavery
Keep me safe in your arms and draw near to me
I will praise you even through all the adversities.
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REFLECTION
• How must a true Christian deal with persecution and mockery from unbelievers?
PSALM 78 GOD CHOOSES HIS SERVANT
November 24
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PSALM 78 GOD CHOOSES HIS SERVANT
63 Fire devoured their young men, and their young women had no marriage song.
64 Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.
65 Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, like a strong man shouting because of wine.
66 And he put his adversaries to rout; he put them to everlasting shame.
67 He rejected the tent of Joseph; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,
68 but he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loves.
69 He built his sanctuary like the high heavens,
like the earth, which he has founded forever.
70 He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds;
71 from following the nursing ewes he brought him
to shepherd Jacob his people, Israel his inheritance.
72 With upright heart he shepherded them
and guided them with his skillful hand. – Psalm 78:63-72
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
The Lord God makes all the choices to pick his servants
No one can claim that he chooses God to be his master
The Lord can do as he pleases; we are at his mercy and grace
He may sometimes allow evil in your life to make you grow.
No one can understand why God chooses some and rejects others
But to all that he selects, the Lord gives them his Spirit
When he chooses you, he gives you the ability to repent
The Holy Spirit guides you what to do in all events.
Even though God is powerful and in control
He never forces anyone to believe him or be faithful
The Lord uses his power to bring glory to himself
He won’t tolerate any competition from his creation.
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REFLECTION
• If God chooses his servants and we have no role in this, why do some religions think that they can choose the Lord and make that decision?
• If God does everything, what is our role as believers in this doctrine of the elect?
PSALM 78 IDOLS & REBELLION PROVOKE GOD’S WRATH
November 23
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PSALM 78 IDOLS & REBELLION PROVOKE GOD’S WRATH
55 He drove out nations before them;
he apportioned them for a possession
and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.
56 Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God
and did not keep his testimonies,
57 but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers;
they twisted like a deceitful bow.
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places;
they moved him to jealousy with their idols.
59 When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.
60 He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind,
61 and delivered his power to captivity, his glory to the hand of the foe.
62 He gave his people over to the sword and vented his wrath on his heritage.
– Psalm 78:55-62
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
Do you examine your life to see if you serve and follow the Lord?
Are you surrounded by distractions and corrupted by the systems of this world?
Do you test the Lord your Most High by not keeping his commands?
What things are so ingrained in you that leads you to constantly demand?
When the Israelites rebelled against the Lord and created idols
They moved the Lord to jealousy and provoked his anger.
They were constantly protected by him initially but now got his wrath
When God’s fury is stirred, no one can stand his judgment.
Will you learn from the lawlessness and idolatry of your ancestors?
Are you aware that idols and rebellion surrounds you?
Let go of all pride, idolatry and all unrighteousness
Serve the Lord your God alone and he’ll grant you steadfastness.
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REFLECTION
• 1 Samuel 15:23 says “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” -Does this verse relate to the sins of the Israelites in this psalm? How can we detect idols that we don’t see and rebellion in our hearts?
PSALM 78 WHEN GOD LEADS US
November 22
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PSALM 78 WHEN GOD LEADS US
44 He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies,
which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He gave their crops to the destroying locust
and the fruit of their labor to the locust.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail and their sycamores with frost.
48 He gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49 He let loose on them his burning anger, wrath,
indignation, and distress, a company of destroying angels.
50 He made a path for his anger; he did not spare them from death,
but gave their lives over to the plague.51 He struck down every firstborn in Egypt,
the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52 Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 He led them in safety, so that they were not afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54 And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountain which his right hand had won. – Psalm 78:44-54
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
Just like the Israelites, God leads us in safety out of bondage from evil
The enemy will not stand a chance hurting or attacking God’s people
Because God is steadfast in his love, he will protect his children
Praise the Lord for he is faithful in his love; he will deliver
He will never let the enemy progress in their schemes
Instead, he will bring down his wrath on them
When God leads us, he will be our good Shepherd
He will tend to his flock with much love and fervor
An army of angels watch over those whom God loves
He will never let a bone be broken for he cares for them all.
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REFLECTION
• How is the remembrance of God’s deliverance to the Israelites from the Egyptians a great way to thank the Lord in his steadfast love?
PSALM 78 WHEN YOU TEST THE LORD
November 21
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PSALM 78 WHEN YOU TEST THE LORD
32 In spite of all this, they still sinned; despite his wonders, they did not believe.
33 So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.
34 When he killed them, they sought him; they repented and sought God earnestly.
35 They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their heart was not steadfast toward him; they were not faithful to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them;
he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again.
40 How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!
41 They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42 They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe,
43 when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
– Psalm 78:32-43
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A poem inspired by this psalm by ILMA
Who among other gods can give mercy and forgiveness?
The Lord God Almighty restrains his anger and continue to be patient
When he delivered his people out of Egypt, he provided for them
He protected them and gave them sustenance for the journey
Despite their grumblings and complaints, he didn’t punish them as they deserve
If God didn’t’ control his wrath, no one else will have a chance to be alive
Who can face a God who has the power to do anything?
Only those who faithfully serve him with all their hearts and minds
They do not walk in the counsel of the wicked and mockers
They fear the Lord and follow the path to his righteousness
Praise the Lord who is full of love and compassion for his people
Do not test the Lord again for it grieves his most Holy Spirit.
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REFLECTION
• Why are we warned in this psalm about not testing God?