Remembering My Old Days…32 [Psalm 143:1-12] / Anne’s Faith column

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Rememberimg 

My Old Days….32

[Psalm 143:1-12] 

/ Anne’s Faith column

 

 

 

/ By Priscilla

 

  

 

Prayer is not a one

-sided groan that tells

God about our situation,

 

 

 

but it is about thinking

and meditating on

God's work and ask

God to work through

each one of us.

 

 

 

We humans are

born with the tendency

to grab rather than

give something.

 

 

 

That's because

we are the

'descendants

of Adam',

 

 

 

the first

human being.

 

 

 

We cannot drive out

the root of the sinful nature

 

 

 

that was formed after

the sin of Adam,

the ancestor of mankind,

by ourselves.

 

 

 

But - because

'Jesus Christ,

the last Adam'

 

 

 

blotted out our sins

on the cross,

 

 

 

we no longer have

to receive the devil's

slanders.

 

 

 

In addition,

I'm able to dare to call

God  'Abba, Father'

  in a friendly way.

 

 

 

That's because Jesus,

who came to this earth

 

 

 

as a Savior with

compassion for

humans, broke down

 

 

 

the barriers of sin

between humans

 and God at once.

 

 

 

We must know that

our relationship with

God can be restored

 

 

 

and stronger through

the channel of

'prayer' in the name

of Jesus,

 

 

 

just as Adam's

close relationship

with God in the

past Genesis.

 

 

 

God has prepared

this wonderful

thing for us.

 

 

 

When we receive

tests and trials,

we cry and pray

 earnestly to God.

 

 

 

However,

let's think about

the Israelites

in the past.

 

 

 

They came to settle

in the land of Canaan

flowing with milk

and honey,

 

 

 

the promised land

that God had

given them.

 

 

 

But, when they

became comfortable

and peaceful,

 

 

they quickly forgot

the one and only 

God, the LORD.

 

 

 

The same may

go to each one of us.

 

 

 

In the end,

just as they became

indolent, indulgent,

arrogant, or even

 

 

 

went back to the

world in denial

of God,

 

 

 

these things can 

 happen to us as well.

 

 

 

This is the very

human nature.

 

 

 

We are clay pots

that are easy to break.

 

 

 

We must truly realize

that we cannot live

apart from God,

who is our potter,

 

 

 

and must

keep in touch

with God through

prayer. 

 

 

 

Let's think about

the Israelites

in the past,

 

 

 

on their way back

from the Babylonian

captivity,

 

 

 

thought of God's grace

sitting by the river,

remembering their

old days with tears

 of thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Now God already

remembers each one

of us and exhorts us to:

 

 

 

1) Get rid of the idols

that dominate our minds!

 

 

 

Remembering that

God has been with us

since our mother's womb

before we were born,

and God always tells us

 

 

 

to serve Him

in the Word,

not to do evil,

 

 

 

and to get rid of the

 idols that occupy

our minds.

 

 

 

2) Let go of what is

 being grabbed.

 

 

 

It means that we

should feel free of the

frame of honor, wealth,

learning, and reputation,

and become mature

Christians.

 

 

 

So keep in mind that

'Let go of what is

 being grabbed.'

 

 

 

3) Let God know that

we thirst for the

 Lord earnestly!

 

 

 

He tells us to think

of the wonders

and the works

of the Lord's hands

 

 

 

even during disasters

or peace.

 

 

 

He says that our hungry

and thirsty souls,

like a parched land,

should spread out

our hands to the Lord

 

 

 

and earnestly let

God know that we

thirst for Him.

 

 

 

That's right!

David's cry below

should be ours today:

 

 

 

'In the morning,

let me know the voice

and mercy of God'.

 

 

 

And judge sensibly

whether what we are

asking God for today

is really right or not,

 

 

 

and pray earnestly

so that we may not

enter the path of

evildoers.

 

 

 

There is one thing

we must be careful

at this time:

 

 

 

Please do not pray

in one-sided, formal,

  or habitual ways.

 

 

 

Remembering

our old days,

 

 

 

we must never forget

how much God's grace

 

 

 

we have received

so far, and we must 

fully listen to Him.

 

 

 

Futhermore,

we must apply

the word of the Lord

 

 

 

we meditate on

in our lives.

 

 

 

Prayer

 

 

Lord!

 

 

 

Always remind me

not to become an

obstacle in my

  fellowship with you,

 

 

 

and above all,

grant me a pure spirit

to protect my heart!

 

 

 

Amen!

 

 

 

23/03/2009

 

 

/ By Priscilla