Category Archives: 2001
- We need to pray because God always answers our prayers. He answers our prayers not according to what we have wanted, but according to what is best for us. He always gives us something which is “much more” than what we have requested.
- God, our wisest Father, will never give us anything less than what we have asked for because He loves us. If we were to ask for a fish, He will not give us a snake. If we were to ask for an egg, He will not give us a scorpion. But if He were to always simply give us what we ask for, then won’t He be just “spoiling” us? How will we ever grow to be more skillful and virtuous?
- God may not give us something outwardly, but He will always work something into us inwardly. He answers our prayers with patience, wisdom, peace, joy, self-control, and industriousness so that we become more capable. We are made able to fish, to take care of our needs and others’. Isn’t that much better?
- Note the progression. First we can know God through His creation. And then, we progress. We get to know Him through His Word, the Bible. And then, we progress. We get to know Him personally. This glorious creator God, this wonderful Savior, can become our Rock and our Redeemer. No longer is He just revealed through His creation, nor is He more clearly revealed through His word, He is revealed in our hearts, in our actions, in our thoughts. He enters into our life to become our Rock and our Redeemer.
- “Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.”Here the psalmist turns to God Himself. He has observed the universe and realized God’s greatness and power; he has read the scripture and realized how perfect and marvelous God is, what He likes and dislikes. Now he examines himself and his life in that light, and realizes how far away he is still from God’s ideal. And hence, what can he do but pray.
- Such is the goal of the Word of God. It shows us how marvelous God is, and that in turns, reveals to us our shortcomings. But eventually, it should not drive us away, but instead, we should draw near to the One revealed and obtain grace to meet all our needs. As a hymn says, “Beyond the sacred page, I seek thee Lord.”
- May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” He is no longer theoretical or doctrinal. He is applied to my life. He is personal, and He is MY Rock and MY Redeemer. I invite Him into my kind of situation and build my life upon Him. I ask Him to strengthen my desire to please Him, to keep me from falling away from Him, and to forgive me when I, despite my best desire and effort, since I am human, do fall. MY ROCK and MY REDEEMER.
