Weekly Devotion ( Psalm 65-68)
《Psalm 65》
The Word of God is "a lamp to the feet and a light to the path" for true believers. When re-reading Psalm 65:1-4, I was alerted that the difference between how we are worshiping right now and how we should be worshiping God (i.e. the fear and hope of God as the focus of worship) is significant and scary to think about.
For example: 1. We lack the heart to worship 【waiting for】God before the Sunday service. How many people care and are prepared to obey the 16-word reminder subtitles before broadcasting the service? What sounds filled the sanctuary? Can we expect those who come to church for the first time or those unbelievers who come regularly to develop a heart of reverence for God?
2. Sunday worship lacks the heart 【to ask】 (to focus on God's Word). Especially in summer, Vancouver Campus worships in the afternoon, and it is easy to fall asleep. Knowing this, can you prepare enough the night before to keep you awake?
3. We often lack the heart to 【ask for forgiveness】How much do you think about repentance or troubles during the silent prayer at the beginning of worship? Sometimes even before God has forgiven (perhaps even before confessing the sin), we have found a few excuses or a few verses that are very well-known to “forgive” ourselves.
4. We come and go in a hurry, and lack the expectation of [satisfaction] in the temple of God during worship. The excitement when the church just opened after being unable to come to church during the pandemic has passed; some even got used to online worship and think it’s "also good", and they can have a good “conscience” of not stopping gathering together, but also solve some "practical difficulties", isn't that “so good”?
All of the above, do not think that because the crowd does it that it is acceptable. Reflect on your own life, ask God for forgiveness! The psalmist firmly believes that God answers our prayers based on a God centered foundation, because God "answers us with righteousness”, leading people to true repentance, free from sin, and knowing the true God. The strategy of putting people first by simply talking about love and not pointing out the root of the sinner's sin - unbelief, will lead to perish (see John 3:16). This strategy makes people today look down on the Christian faith and not listen to the Gospel. Because the truth is not complete and deviates from the core of the Gospel "Jesus Christ and His crucification" it is easy to imagine whether the "miracle/signs" that we are pursuing today will lead people to awe and fear of God. Let us also ask ourselves, what is it that we pray and sing for? Lest you fall into the pit of self-righteousness where the pot calls the kettle black.
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If 《Psalm 66》is divided by "Selahs," four themes can be seen:
1. The psalmist calls all nations to praise and praise God;
2. To bring men to see the works of God, to fear and to humility;
3. Through experiencing God, telling and witnessing God's salvation, willing to give all;
4. Blessed be to God: goodness and mercy shall follow those that fear him. These four themes can really be used as our reference and become the quartet of evangelism! The most shocking thing in the psalm is that God has brought us into the net! Given us the burden! Caused our heads to be ridden over! Made us go through fire and water! It seems very different from the God we "know" in our daily life, and we have never read about this “God” in our Bible reading. But now it is completely clear that through testing, the psalmist’s relationship with God changed) from "Him" to "You", it became more intimate! In the face of difficulties, don't we, whom God loves, also have to be tested to be led to a place of abundance by God? The lesson here is to trust God completely and obey His leadership. The key to God not refusing our prayers is whether we truly confess our sins, repent, hate sin, turn away from sin, and be refined into pure gold and pure silver!
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《Psalm 67》 Through the analysis of the symmetrical structure of Jewish poetry, we can immediately see that the central intention of this psalm is: God will judge the peoples with equity, and govern (English uses “guide”) the nations upon earth, so pray that all nations will "be glad and sing for joy." Through the two "Selah" divisions, we can see that the psalmist first
(1) prays for God's mercy and enlightenment on people,
(2) and then all nations and peoples will understand God's way and know God's saving power
(3) so that all nations and peoples will know God and come give thanks to Him. The psalmist’s final conclusion is Let all the earth fear God! This is also the climax (prayer) of this psalm. Only those who fear Him will become people of God (v6) and will truly be blessed by God. Being completely God-centered has become a progressive template for our evangelism today.
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《Psalm 68》 This psalm is one of the liveliest and most cheerful of the psalms. It depicts God's triumphant march from the wilderness to his chosen dwelling place, Mount Zion and Jerusalem. Two groups of people can be recognized, the wicked and the righteous (redeemed) and their contrasting reactions and endings. One is to "flee, drive away, and perish", while God's chosen people” are released from captivity, the fatherless and the widow are protected, rejoicing in God's salvation". They use “You (God), you, and us”, showing their subordination to God. Is God really our Lord? Is your relationship with God getting closer every day? Let us continually discern "what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2b). This psalm speaks not only of the history of Israel's salvation (v7-18), but also of God's care, control, and majesty, and foretells that all the coming nations will sing praise to the Lord! (v19-31)
The most striking/touching verse to my heart is (v18), in which "You" represents Jesus "ascended[ing] on high, leading a host of captives in [His] train”, and that these "captives" are the ones who have been saved by grace! For in the past we were all sinners who were enemies of God, but now we have been taken captive by the Lord from Satan's hands to become slaves of righteousness, and transported to the kingdom of the Beloved Son (where God is the head the church) so that "the Lord God may dwell there (with us)", such an amazing grace! Let all who are of God come and praise the Lord God! Paul explains more in (Ephesians 4:7-12) that Christ's ascension to heaven (referring to his redemptional resurrection and ascension to heaven) bestows upon the church with people of all kinds of gifts. Therefore, (Ephesians 4:11) that these people with positions are given by Him “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:12). From (v19, v35) "Blessed be God!", we can see that each individual in this procession of praise has experienced the process of God's salvation and finally become God's people (citizens of heaven).
The Lord “who daily bears us up; God is our salvation” indicates that after we are saved, it is not the method of the master teaching the trade and the apprentice’s skill being self made. The soul is awakened (born again) 100% by God, and when you are revived, you are 100% responsible (full effort) to pursue holiness (2 Timothy 2:21; Hebrews 12:14b). At the same time, trust God 100% in this process of sanctification! (Romans 8:9-10, 29) Imitate Jesus and glorify Him in our lives! The reason we praise God is not only because of earthly benefits, which are rewarded according to His sovereignty, but the real benefit that lasts into eternity is to receive Jesus - to be like Him! Finally, as God's people (the church), we encourage each other through God's "power and strength" (v35a without fear it is impossible to receive) in this dark, twisted and rebellious age:
【1 Peter 4:11】whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
【1 Peter 5:10】And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
【Philipians 4:13】I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Amen! Amen!
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每周灵修 《诗篇》65-68
神的話是真信主之人“腳前的燈，路上的光”溫故常新永不過時。
诗篇 第65篇
此次再讀 《詩篇65篇》對照1-4節，令我儆醒的是，如今的敬拜氛圍對神的敬畏與嚮往 焦點，反差之大細思極恐。
例如: 1. 在主日崇拜前我們缺失【等候】敬拜神的心。多少人在意並預備心遵 守在崇拜前播出的16字提醒字幕?會堂中充滿的是何種聲音?這能期望第一 次進教會或常來的慕道友產生敬神之心?
2. 主日敬拜缺乏【求問】(關注神話語)的心。特別在夏日，溫哥華堂 又在下午崇拜，極易令人打嗑睡。明知如此，可否前晚做足工夫，養好精 神?
3. 常常缺乏【求赦免】的心，崇拜開始的默禱多少在想悔改的事亦或煩 心事?有時甚至神還未赦免(可能罪都還未認)之先，就已找出幾條理由或 幾處“耳熟能詳，十分喜愛”的經句自我“赦免”開脫啦。
4. 匆匆地來，匆匆地去，缺少到神的聖殿敬拜得【滿足】的期待。疫情 期無法來教會，初初開放時的那種興奮已時過境遷;更甚者習慣了網上敬拜 “也不錯”，既能保住沒停止聚會的“良心”，又解決了“現實困難”不亦樂乎?
以上種種，勿要以為法不責眾，反省自己皆有之，求神赦免! 詩人堅信神應允我們的祈求是建立在以神為本的根基上，因神“必以威嚴 秉公義”領人真悔改脱離罪，認識真神。以人為本投其所好地光講愛，不指出 罪人的罪根_不信，就會滅亡(參約3:16)，如此策略令今日世人更輕看基督信 仰，導致不屑一聽福音。 因為真理沒有講全備，偏離福音之核心“耶穌基督並祂釘十字架”，如今所 追求的“神蹟”會不會領人敬畏、懼怕神就可想而知了。我們也當省察，我們 平日裡所求，所為之歡呼歌唱的是什麼?免得掉進五十步笑百步的“自義”坑 裡。
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诗篇 第66篇
《詩篇66篇》若以“細拉”來分段，可歸納出四個主題:
1，詩人呼召萬⺠來稱頌讚美神;
2，領人來看神的作為，叫人敬畏，謙卑;
3，通過經歷神，述說、見證神的拯救，甘心樂意獻所有;
4，神是應當被稱頌的，凡敬畏神的人，必有恩惠慈愛隨著他。 這四個主題實在可以作為我們的借鑑，成為傳福音的四重奏! 詩中最衝擊我們思維的居然是，神使我們進網羅!賜重擔!被車軋!經水火!與我們平日裡“認識”的神似乎大相徑庭，在自己讀經中從未讀到 過??? 但如今徹底明白，通過試煉詩人與神的關係從“祂”變成“祢”更親密!面 對困境，神所愛的我們，不也要受試煉被神領到豐富之地嗎?所學功課就 是，全然信靠祂順服神的帶領。神必不拒絕我們的禱告，關鍵在於我們是否 真正認罪、悔改、恨罪、離罪，蒙受熬煉成真金白銀!
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诗篇 第67篇
《詩篇67篇》 藉猶太詩歌對稱結構分析，立即就看出本詩篇的中心意願是:神必按公 正審判萬⺠，治理(英文用Guide)萬國，所以祈願萬國都當“快樂歡呼”。 而藉著二個“細拉”的分段，又讓我們看見詩人先是
(1)祈求神憐憫，光照 人，
(2)然後萬國萬⺠才會明白神的道路，曉得神的救恩，
(3)以致列邦、萬⺠ 認識神，都來稱謝祂。 詩人最終的結論(局)全地都當敬畏神!這也是詩中的最高潮(祈 願)。唯有敬畏祂的人，才會成為屬神之人(v6)，也必真正蒙神賜福。完全 以神為本，成為我們今日傳福音的漸進式模板。
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诗篇 第68篇
《詩篇68篇》 本詩是詩篇中最熱鬧，最歡欣鼓舞的詩篇之一。它描繪神從曠野一路得 勝進到祂所揀選的居所_锡安山耶路撒冷為巔峰。其中可認出二類人，惡人和 義人(蒙救贖的)以及他們截然不同的反應與結局。一類是“逃跑、吹散、消滅”， 而蒙神揀選的屬神子⺠“被囚的得釋放，孤兒寡婦蒙申冤，因神的拯救歡喜快 樂”以主、祢、你們、我們來顯明與神的從屬關係。神真是你我的主嗎?與神 的關係一天天更親近了嗎?讓我們不斷察驗“何為神的善良、純全、可喜悅的 旨意” (羅12:2b) 詩中不僅論及以色列的救恩歷史(v7-18)，也論及神的護理與掌管和威 嚴，並預言了將來列國都要來歌頌主!(v19-31)最為打動我心的乃是(v18)， 其中“祢”代表耶穌“已經升上高天擄掠仇敵”，而這些被擄的“仇敵”正是我們這 班蒙恩得救之人!因為從前我們都是與神為敵的罪人，如今被主從撒但手中擄掠過來成為義的奴僕，並且被遷到愛子的國度(神為元首的地方_教會) “叫耶和華神可以與他(我)們同住”，何等奇異恩典!屬神之人都要來稱頌主神! 保羅更在(弗4:7-12)說明，基督升上高天(指祂成就了救贖大功復活升天) 將有各樣恩賜的人賞給教會，所以(弗4:11)這些有職分的人都是祂賜下的“為 要成全(會眾)聖徒，各盡其職，建立基督的身體”(弗4:12)。 從(v19，v35)兩句“神是應當稱頌的!”作結中讓我們看到，在此頌讚隊伍 中每個個體都經歷了神的拯救最終成為屬神的百姓(天國公⺠)的過程。此 “天天背負我們重擔的主，就是拯救我們的神”表明我們得救以後，不是師傅 領進門，修行靠自己的屬地模式。靈魂甦醒(重生)100%靠神，，活過來後就 有責任100%努力(全力以赴)追求聖潔(提後2:21;來12:14b)，同時，在此成 聖過程中更要100%信靠神!(羅8:9-10，29)效法耶穌，在我們的生命中將祂 榮耀出來!我們稱頌神的緣由不只是因地上的好處，按祂主權是會有地上的 賞賜，但能存到永恆真正的好處就是得著耶穌_像祂! 最後，我們既是神的百姓(屬神之人、教會)就彼此共勉，藉著神所賜的“力量權能”( v35a不敬畏，不可能得著)在這黑暗彎曲悖謬的世代中:
【彼前4:11】若有講道的，要按著神的聖言講;若有服事人的，要按著 神所賜的力量服事，叫神在凡事上因耶穌基督得榮耀。原來榮耀、權能都是 祂的，直到永永遠遠。阿們!
【彼前5:10】那賜諸般恩典的神曾在基督裡召你們，得享祂永遠的榮耀， 等你們暫受苦難之後，必要親自成全你們，堅固你們，賜力量給你們。
【腓4:13】我靠著那加給我力量的，凡事都能做。 阿門!
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