Know your God - Psalm 139

Praise the Lord. Greetings in the name of the Most High.

I would like to invite your attention to Psalm 139 which is a submission before God by David after knowing the glory of God.

David divides the psalm in to two.

• Who is God?
• Who is God for me?

David tries to know the God in first half and relates to what that means in his life in the second half. When David tried to know God, it seemed to be a tedious task for him. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain v6. Yes. Man cannot understand God with his logic. If he tries to measure the glory of God in his scale, he will be unsuccessful. Lets pray that we get the divine logic to understand the glory of God. These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10. Only with the anointing of the Holy Spirit can man really understand the truth about our GOD.

David understood that his God is

• Omniscient (V 1 to 5) - God knows everything.

David reflects that only God understands him properly. God is familiar with his thoughts, words and deeds.

- His Parents could not understand him. 1 Samuel 16: 1 to 12 - His parents ignored him when a most important function happened at home.

- His Brothers could not understand him. 1 Samuel 17:28 - His elder brother Eliab burned with anger when David rebuked Goliath.

- His Wife could not understand him. 2 Samuel 6: 16, 20, 21 - His wife despised him when she saw David leaping and dancing before God.

- His Children could not understand him. 2 Samuel 15, 1 King 1 - His sons Absalom and Adonijah rebelled against him. Even his real successor Solomon could not walk in David's way to please God of Israel.

- His Friends/officials could not understand him 1 Kings 2: 28 - His right hand Joab revolted against him with Adonijah. Joab also killed David's son Absalom against David's orders. Joab killed Amasa, who had been a friend of David. Thus even Joab, his top official could not understand David.

Remembering all these, David says, God you perceive my thoughts from afar (v.2)

• Omnipresent (V 7 to 12) - God is present everywhere.

David acknowledges that no one can hide anything from GOD since he is everywhere. Verse 10 reflects that even if he goes to a lonely place to hide from God, God's hands will be with him to guide him through the loneliness. Our God is so gracious and faithful that even when we knowingly and unknowingly wanders aways from his presence, he comes to us to guide us to the right way. He will hold us fast to keep us in his grace.

• Omnipotent (V 13 to 18) - God can do everything.

Right from the womb of the mother, we are in God's sight. God does most wonderful things for us in all our life (v17 and 18). Yes, from the creation till the end, God's thought for man is so wonderful. No man can count the blessings he has got in his life (v18). When no one cared for us, God was with us. These verses are David's reflection on how the omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent God cared for him. His God was so good to him all through out his life.

When David realized this, he willingly submits before God to search and test him so that he is guided to the everlasting way.

Your Brother In Christ,

Finny Samuel

Encouragement to Others

Praise be to our Lord Jesus Christ.

But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith.

[1 Thessalonians 3: 6,7]

Apostle Paul mentions here about the encouraging Report Timothy had presented to him about the church in Thessalonica. We can see that Timothy's report very much encouraged Paul and the rest of the apostles. Apostles are very happy to hear that Thessalonian church keep the faith and love they learnt from the apostles.

We can see the origin of this church in Acts 17th chapter. We can learn that they had to face persecution and hardship right from the beginning. The apostles had to flee from the place as the jews started the turmoil against the Christian church. So naturally, apostles had the concern that if the church would withstand the agitation and sent Timothy to encourage the church and strengthen them in faith. Timothy was completely successful in that mission.

I don't think the Thessalonian Church was 'the best' church at that time. However, they had a very good leader who was passionate in encouraging others. Timothy was in good standing among both Christians and non Christians.

Timothy encouraged the Thessalonian church to keep themselves in good standing on the faith. By being appreciative about the church he pastored, Timothy became an encouragement to the apostles.

Encouragement goes straight to heart. It revives one's spirit to face the hardships and accept the facts. We are called to be an encouragement to our fellow believers, to our family, to our church and to our society. How can we be an encouragement?

1. Be in good standing before others

Timothy was an encouragement to others in three aspects

- In personal life: Acts 16:3 mentions that Apostle Paul was encouraged by the good testimony by others about Timothy and wanted to take him along the missionary journey.

- In Family: He was so obedient to his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1: 5) and even though his father was a Greek, he was raised in Christian faith. He was gifted with gift of prophecy (1 Timothy 4:4) which he used to spiritually encourage his fellow beings.

- In leadership: Thessalonian church is a good example of people who were encouraged by Timothy. Also, both the epistles Paul wrote to Timothy reaffirms the same thing.

2. Learn to Appreciate others

Timothy appreciated the fellow church members in two ways.

- Acknowledge good things

In the verse quoted above (1 Thess 3:6,7), we can see the Timothy had an appreciating mind. In fact, by saying good things about others we become a better person. Appreciating the good side always boosts the others to continue being good. Its very easy to find the bad things in one's life and criticize one. However, though its difficult, we need to try to find the good things about the people we interact with, however small or insignificant that may be. This will nurture the relationships and help to build better team, better family, better society. God wants this from us. In humility value others above yourselves Philippians: 2:3

- Testify to others

Timothy gives a good report about the church to others. This was an encouragement to the apostles. If you have a good testimony about a person, let others know it rather than using that to flatter that person. I used to tell my team members in office that 'If you have something good to tell about me, tell that to others and If you find something as an area of improvement, tell that to me so that I can correct it'. In today's world people tend to do the other way round. They like to publish one's area of improvement to others and flatter one on one's face. We can see that Apostle Paul mentions good things about lot of people in many of his epistles.

Brothers and Sisters, lets have an appreciating attitude to encourage others by our words and deeds, so that our God's name is glorified through us.

Your Brother In Christ,

Finny Samuel

The Majestic Name - [A devotion on Psalm 8]

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 8 is a beautiful hymn authored by David, the sweet singer of Israel. He has written several psalms as praises to God. Here, he is praising God for his majestic deeds and creations. Lets walk along this Psalm with David and understand the message he wants to communicate.

From the heading, its clear that, this Psalm is written after David has become the king of Israel. He is wondering at the marvelous creations by God and His amazing grace towards Man.

Lets bring our attention to verse 3. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place... The sights he describes here (The moon, the stars etc) may probably had been his all time favorites right from the time he used to shepherd his Sheep along the pastures and wildernesses. One thing to be noted is that his favorite sight is of night time. During the day, he might be very busy with the sheep and may not get enough time to appreciate the nature's beauty. But at night, after bringing the flock into the sheepfold, David lie out in the fields and look up to see the Moon and the stars and their transformations. Each night he see a different sky. This wondered him a lot. He thought about the creator of these wonders. After becoming the king of Israel, he remembered those old days when he used to praise God during the nights.

How many of us reflect our past days and praise God? Some of us deliberately forget the past because we think that it will affect the current prestige! David always remembers that he was a shepherd before becoming the King of Israel. He always remembers that he had a past that no one, not even his own father, remembered him during auspicious functions. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug. (Isa 51:1).

Message: We need to reflect the old days of life when we were not as wealthy, not as healthy, not as happy, not as peaceful as we are today and praise God for the deeds God has done for us. We need to be as humble before God and Man, as we were then. God doesn't want us to be proud about what we have today and forget the days we were very much needy.

Verse 3 also acknowledges that the wonderful nature is God's creation. Back then, sky, moon and stars were pretty much 'black box' for mankind. They did not know whats going on in the sky that makes it look different every night. However, they acknowledged the creator. Today we know much more about the sky and the nature. Interestingly, the more the man knew the nature, the more he questioned God! I always wonder that we ought to praise God more since we know more. The more we uncover the mysteries about nature, the more we establish the existence of God and the more we need to Praise God.

This psalm starts with exclamation and ends with exclamation LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth (v1 and v8). Usually we describe something and then exclaims about it. Here psalmist cannot describe the glory of God with mere words. He exclaims about it and then tries to describe God's Majesty and realizing that it is unsuccessful, he ends the psalm with another exclamation.

God's Glory is beyond description. Even then, he is mindful of man and he cares for man. [Verse 4] This verse also reflect David's humility before God. He is being thankful to God for the fact that God considered all the disqualifications of Man as the qualification to crown him with Glory and honor. Lets be more humble to God since He put all everything in this world under our feet. Lets honor His Majestic Name more since he made all these just for us and as if it is not enough, he gave us the eternal life and the glorious position as His own children.

Praise the Lord since His name is so Majestic in all the earth.

Your Brother In Christ,

Finny Samuel