Psalm 4:1

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%204:1;&version=50;

It is interesting how dull passages can suddenly become inspiring after one is reconciled to God. This short sentence speaks volumes to me even though 30 days ago it meant nothing.

David here, having been restored to the throne, takes time to ask God to hear his prayer. In contrast, typical prayer nowadays directly launch into the praises and the requests. It is as if we were all CEOs and the only separating us from our whims is a phone call to the secretary outside. While this directness implies praiseworthy faith that God listens and God answers, it also indicates a kind of misplacement of priorities: is God the one who is important, or us? How often do we ask God to listen to us first, invite His presence willingly, before passing on all our concerns? If we look at the Lord's Prayer, we can see that it begins with "Hallowed be Your Name", which is an accentuation on His grace, His mercy, His love (since His Name is what allows us to call upon Him in the first place.) The second line of the Lord's Prayer also gives glory to God: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." In the same manner, shouldn't we thank God before we pray, for the very fact that we can pray? Thank God for the fact that He will hear and He will answer, or humbly request His presence? The mercy in Psalm 4:1 refers to this mercy: that He has not estranged Himself from us despite our sins, that even as objects of wrath He gave His Only Son to let us have a relationship with Him. And as for thanking for clearing our daily distresses, I think we ought to leave it in second place, and remember God is foremost, the Alpha. =)

[Aside] Apology

Wow, it's been a month since the last entry.

I honestly apologize for the interruption. I have been far from God these last few weeks, and my sin prevented inspiration from God. To keep things short, I have been guilty of a great many sins, and that guilt has hung over me like a dark cloud. Having lost sight of God,  I turned away from our source of life and refused to do His work, part of which was this xanga, I believe. I spent a month feeling lost and lethargic. I do not believe God intends this work is over; to the contrary, His task here is far from completed. So, now that I can speak to Him again, may this blog bring God's wisdom to those who seek it.

Psalm 3:5-8

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%203:5-8;&version=50;

In these verses, the enemies of God, and of the author, are called wicked (or ungodly, in the NKJV). But why are they automatically wicked, you might ask? Those who oppose us are not always our enemies, and they are not always evil-scheming people. Many good people seem to be at odds at one another, especially in this age which is undergoing liberalization and individualism. Yet even of the majority of good men, most will attempt to harm or attack those who oppose them, in either some sort of self-righteousness, or condescenscion. The difference between good people and godly men is that those who bear the love of Christ in full are able to refrain from this unjustified hostility. If in love there is no hatred or jealousy or pride, then tolerance is an inevitable consequence - of others, of others' opinions and of themselves. The wickedness in the enemies is what defines them as enemies versus conversationalists - the scornful remarks, the unnecessary aggressions, the low balls. In fact, there is no real them and us, until they reject God, or you, or any other human being. (I hold that God's goodness is self-evident.) The world teaches them that this is acceptable; God teaches us it is not.

Psalm 3:1-4

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%203&version=50

(Here we go again. If intermittance is my doom, then God help me.)

When reading this, you may ask, why does this person have so many enemies? In current society, we hasten to blame the victim: he must have aggravated or sinned against others. Yet this is probably not the case here. If the author were wicked God undoubted would not be his shield; in fact, God would be the one inciting distress. God calls to us through pain and suffering; it is in these times which we most easily find God and reach out to Him for support.

But nevertheless, to the main topic. As sinners, we will have many slanderers. Not only will all of us fail to be wholly Christlike, we will also be blamed for things beyond our control, or unreasonably. It is the nature of an ignorant and confused mind to blame something, somebody else. And ignorant they are. Most non-Christians out there do not receive Christ because they netiher know the full riches of God's grace, nor His faithfulness. It becomes much easier for people to lash out when they don't know any better. The same applies to the churchgoers, with misperceptions of Christ and the tasks set before them. The self-centered or lazy mind, again, lashes out in hostility, in hope of personal gain, or unrightful acquittal. Yet despite all these beatings, we Christians must stand firm, or do our best to stay put, because we have Jesus' authority (through the New Testament), The Father's relationship (through forgiveness), and The Holy Spirit's guidance (through baptism).

But note this, on our own, we are no different from them. Our boast comes from God: it is He who adopted us and gave us the whole armor of God to withstand Satan's attacks. From the political field to the personal home, which of us can claim to know any better than an unrepented soul, except the gospel and the churches' teachings? By revelation do we escape death, and so whenever we are struck we need to go back to our Protector to pull us through. And so here, in Psalm 3, we see a man (David, actually) reaching out to God, crying out loud, almost like an infant - but there is no shame there, because God is, truly, the Father.

[Aside] Respect and Dignity