Psalm 145:2 "Every day I will bless the Lord. I will praise His name forever and ever"
The first 2 verses of this Psalm reminds me the things I must do to continuously keep God fresh in my mind:
1. To extol/exalt the Lord (verse 1)
2. To bless the Lord (verse 1 and 2)
3. To praise His name (verse 2)
Psalm 145:2 seems to be a repeat of Psalm 145:1. Indeed repetition is good for the soul! Our soul in its tendency to indulge the flesh has to be constantly reminded of the need to exalt the Lord, to bless the Lord and to praise Him.
......................................
Again the 2 things I need to do to keep God in the center of my life is to:
1. Every day I will bless the Lord
2. I will praise His name forever and ever
To bless the Lord every day
The meaning of "bless" is "barak" in Hebrew. It does not only involve verbal praise but also involve certain actions i.e. kneeling, saluting or to cause to kneel.
Thus to bless God is not just to speak His praises but also involve an action such as kneeling.
Testimony
I just want to share a testimony of how God healed me of the arthritis of my right knee. When I pushed past 52 I was afflicted with arthritis. Waking up in the morning and getting down from bed brought great pains to my knee joint. Walking up the staircase became unbearable. Kneeling was worse....I would struggle to get on my feet and the pain was really too much. Forget about the squatting toilets....if I get down I would not be able to get up unless with great effort!
I tried everything from buying a very expensive pair of sandals costing up to RM600 to taking gamat or sea cucumber and apple cider. I was recommended powdered glucosamine to take every morning. I also took Krill oil in vitamin form as I heard that it was very nutritious. I used a plaster to alleviate the knee pain but it made my skin very itchy. In short I tried everything....
Finally I gave up and agreed to take the injection recommended by the specialist. He diagnosed me as having arthritis and said that this condition was common for women my age. X-rays also showed a jutting bone that was scraping the knee surfaces thus causing the pain. He suggested to snip off the bone via an operation and to inject "jelly" into the joints.
I prayed, my husband prayed, my children prayed, my close sisters in the church prayed for me. There was no improvement. However 2 weeks before the operation I actually realized one morning that the pain had reduced by up to 90%! I had increased the dosage of the Krill oil and also applied a new type of cream for my knees.
Last Wed, I knelt before God in worship during prayer meeting. No problem in getting up at all. Praise the Lord!
Thus when I read this scripture on "Every day I will 'barak' the Lord" I am touched. God has enabled me to 'barak' Him which includes kneeling before Him in worship.
Every day
Every day means a normal day, a working day, evening and morning. That means God desires us to bless Him during our waking hours.
Come to think of it, how could I possibly bless the Lord when I am sleeping? Doesn't take a genius to answer the question! Only a waking man can bless the Lord, not a sleeping man!
I will praise His name forever and ever
Praise
The meaning of praise is to "halal" which is to boast of God. Thus to proclaim and declare "God you are good, you are gracious and compassionate. You are loving and kind. You are full of tender mercies and lovingkindness" is to halal the Lord which is to praise the Lord.
To praise His name is to acknowledge His reputation, His fame and His glory.
Forever and ever
"Forever" is "owlam" which means perpetual, everlasting or eternity.
"Ever" is "ad" meaning continuing, perpetuity, eternity.
God wants us to praise His name even after death. He wants us to continue praising Him in heaven. That's why we need to practice extravagant praise of God when we are alive because for all eternity we will be PRAISING HIM FOREVER AND EVER!
Today A and I shared the gospel with Mei and we told her that believing in Jesus will assure her of eternal life, a life of peace and of being with God forever and ever. What better life can there be....she said she was not ready but she was open to the salvation message.....
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Psalm 145:1 "I will extol You, my God O King, I will bless Your Name forever and ever"
I will now try to memorize the 20 verses of Psalm 145 by studying it verse by verse.
Verse 1 "I will extol You my God O King. I will bless Your name forever and ever"
We are asked to do 2 things in verse 1:
1. To extol the Lord
2. To bless the name of the Lord
.............................................
To extol the Lord
The Psalm begins with the Psalmist intentionally extolling the Lord.
To extol is to lift up, to exalt, to raise up and to set on high.
To bless the name of the Lord
The Psalmist also blessed God's name which is to "barak" which includes the physical action of kneeling and saluting. Other meaning of "barak" is to bless, to adore and to praise.
Now I have a clearer focus when I pray for "Barack Obama" the US President! May the Lord be his President as he was named to bless the Lord.
Sometimes words are not enough to express our love and devotion towards God - we need to kneel before His throne!
As the word "bless" here carries a physical action in its meaning i.e. if we were to truly "barak" or to "bless" we would have to incorporate a kneeling action in our worship!
The "name" here refers to God and God alone. Only in His name alone can men be saved. No other Name under heaven and earth can bring salvation.
The "name" in Hebrew is "shem" meaning reputation, fame and glory. It also refers to a memorial or a monument.
Verse 1 "I will extol You my God O King. I will bless Your name forever and ever"
We are asked to do 2 things in verse 1:
1. To extol the Lord
2. To bless the name of the Lord
.............................................
To extol the Lord
The Psalm begins with the Psalmist intentionally extolling the Lord.
To extol is to lift up, to exalt, to raise up and to set on high.
To bless the name of the Lord
The Psalmist also blessed God's name which is to "barak" which includes the physical action of kneeling and saluting. Other meaning of "barak" is to bless, to adore and to praise.
Now I have a clearer focus when I pray for "Barack Obama" the US President! May the Lord be his President as he was named to bless the Lord.
Sometimes words are not enough to express our love and devotion towards God - we need to kneel before His throne!
As the word "bless" here carries a physical action in its meaning i.e. if we were to truly "barak" or to "bless" we would have to incorporate a kneeling action in our worship!
The "name" here refers to God and God alone. Only in His name alone can men be saved. No other Name under heaven and earth can bring salvation.
The "name" in Hebrew is "shem" meaning reputation, fame and glory. It also refers to a memorial or a monument.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Psalm 146:10 "THE LORD SHALL REIGN FOREVER - YOUR GOD O ZION TO ALL GENERATIONS"
I imagine this Psalm like a piece of cake with 3 tiers.
At the base of the cake which supports all the other top tiers is the "base of praise". Praise supports all our living. It is in praising God that the love of God is released to us in a deep and rich way.
Praising God brings us back to the centrality of Jesus. This "base of praise" is the command to the soul praise the Lord, no matter how we feel about life/people or things.
The first base of the cake - A COMMAND TO THE SOUL TO PRAISE THE LORD!
Psalm 146:1 and 2
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul!
While I live, I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being"
The second tier of the cake - A COMMAND TO THE SOUL NOT TO TRUST IN MAN!
Psalm 146:3 and 4
"Do not put your trust in princes nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his plans perish"
The third tier of the cake - A COMMAND TO THE SOUL TO HOPE IN GOD!
Psalm 146: 5 - 9
"Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for His help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry
Who gives freedom to the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down
The Lord loves the righteous
The Lord watches over the strangers
The Lord relieves the fatherless and the widows
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down."
The fourth tier is the icing on the cake!
Psalm 146:10
"The Lord shall reign forever, your God O Zion to all generations. Praise the Lord"
"Reign" is "malak" the Hebrew word for becoming king or queen. It also means to counsel, advice and to be consulted. A God who is reigning in our lives is a God who can be consulted and sought for advice at all times. He is not far away from us, He is near us.
"Generations" refers to a "period of time", "those living during a period", "quality, condition or a class of men". In a way it is not talking about the age group but all the people living during this age and time....there is no differentiation between the young and the old.
"Forever" is for perpetuity, everlasting, evermore, continuous, indefinite, unending....
What a mighty God we serve!
At the base of the cake which supports all the other top tiers is the "base of praise". Praise supports all our living. It is in praising God that the love of God is released to us in a deep and rich way.
Praising God brings us back to the centrality of Jesus. This "base of praise" is the command to the soul praise the Lord, no matter how we feel about life/people or things.
The first base of the cake - A COMMAND TO THE SOUL TO PRAISE THE LORD!
Psalm 146:1 and 2
"Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord O my soul!
While I live, I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being"
The second tier of the cake - A COMMAND TO THE SOUL NOT TO TRUST IN MAN!
Psalm 146:3 and 4
"Do not put your trust in princes nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.
His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; in that very day his plans perish"
The third tier of the cake - A COMMAND TO THE SOUL TO HOPE IN GOD!
Psalm 146: 5 - 9
"Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for His help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
The sea and all that is in them
Who keeps truth forever,
Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry
Who gives freedom to the prisoners.
The Lord opens the eyes of the blind
The Lord raises up those who are bowed down
The Lord loves the righteous
The Lord watches over the strangers
The Lord relieves the fatherless and the widows
But the way of the wicked He turns upside down."
The fourth tier is the icing on the cake!
Psalm 146:10
"The Lord shall reign forever, your God O Zion to all generations. Praise the Lord"
"Reign" is "malak" the Hebrew word for becoming king or queen. It also means to counsel, advice and to be consulted. A God who is reigning in our lives is a God who can be consulted and sought for advice at all times. He is not far away from us, He is near us.
"Generations" refers to a "period of time", "those living during a period", "quality, condition or a class of men". In a way it is not talking about the age group but all the people living during this age and time....there is no differentiation between the young and the old.
"Forever" is for perpetuity, everlasting, evermore, continuous, indefinite, unending....
What a mighty God we serve!
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Psalm 146:9 "The Lord watches over the strangers, He relieves the widows & the fatherless. The way of the wicked He turns upside down"
I like the triplet in Ps 146:9 too!
The earlier triplets are found in Ps 146:7 and 8 and they are blessed and deeply loved by God:
1. The blind - whose eyes He can open to the truth.
2. Those who are bowed down - whose position in life He will raise up/promote.
3. Those who are righteous - of whom the Psalmist simply says "those who are loved by God".
4. The oppressed - of whom He will give justice.
5. The hungry or the weak - of whom He will give spiritual food.
6. The prisoners - of whom He has promised freedom.
...........................................
Here in Psalm 146:9 is another triplet or group of people for whom God really cares about. Yet in this same verse there is another group of people whose ways God is going to turn upside down!
1. The strangers - for whom He has promised to keep guard or watch over.
2. The widows - for whom He has promised to give relief.
3. The fatherless - for whom He has also promised to give relief.
The 4th group is the "wicked" - whose way God will turn upside down!
Who are the strangers?
They are the "sojourners" or temporary inhabitants of the land.
In a spiritual sense we are sojourners, living in this temporary earth. The promise to us is that God will "shamar" us - the Hebrew meaning "to guard, to keep, to observe, to give heed". As temporary residents of this earth, we can be assured that God will really look after us. He will guard us, keep us and give heed to our prayers when we throw ourselves totally at His mercy!
Who are the widows?
They refer to women whose husbands have died. The Hebrew word also means "desolate house" or "desolate palace" - "almanah". It gives the imagery of losing a place of emotional and physical dependency.
Who are the fatherless?
They are the orphans who lost their fathers. Again a loss of emotional/physical dependency.
What will God do for the fatherless and the widows?
"He relieves the fatherless and the widows" this is God's promise.
The word "relief" is "uwd" meaning "to restore". God has promised to restore everything that the orphans and widows have lost through the loss of their fathers and husbands i.e. the place of comfort, love, care and blessing. The people in their lives who only want the best for them in every way!
Who are the wicked?
Why is the wicked mentioned in this verse?
In just one line, they are mentioned in the same breath as those who are righteous! Psalm 146:9 is absolutely honest. It does not sugar-coat anything. It just simply says "the way of the wicked He turns upside down" (which in Hebrew ("avath") means to subvert, the pervert, to overthrow, to bend and to make crooked)! For me it means that God will "mess up their ways"!
I really believe that the "wicked" refers to that group of people who could be abusing the strangers, the fatherless and the widows during David's time. The word for wicked here is "rasha" actually refers to the ungodly!
In fact this what I love about the Psalms. It is just an honest expression of the emotions of the heart towards God. It is the honest and genuine expression of the pain, grief, depression, sadness, anger, joy, victory, passion, compassion and the whole range of human emotions that can be found in the heart of man.
It is in the Psalms that I find the most comfort when I am afflicted.
It is the Psalms that I find I can express my love for God in words. Only the Psalmist has such a way with words that can express my praise and gratitude to God. Only the Psalmist allows my heart to be absolutely honest with God without being judged or condemned for the way I feel.....self-honesty is therapeutic and brings inner release in the presence of God!
The earlier triplets are found in Ps 146:7 and 8 and they are blessed and deeply loved by God:
1. The blind - whose eyes He can open to the truth.
2. Those who are bowed down - whose position in life He will raise up/promote.
3. Those who are righteous - of whom the Psalmist simply says "those who are loved by God".
4. The oppressed - of whom He will give justice.
5. The hungry or the weak - of whom He will give spiritual food.
6. The prisoners - of whom He has promised freedom.
...........................................
Here in Psalm 146:9 is another triplet or group of people for whom God really cares about. Yet in this same verse there is another group of people whose ways God is going to turn upside down!
1. The strangers - for whom He has promised to keep guard or watch over.
2. The widows - for whom He has promised to give relief.
3. The fatherless - for whom He has also promised to give relief.
The 4th group is the "wicked" - whose way God will turn upside down!
Who are the strangers?
They are the "sojourners" or temporary inhabitants of the land.
In a spiritual sense we are sojourners, living in this temporary earth. The promise to us is that God will "shamar" us - the Hebrew meaning "to guard, to keep, to observe, to give heed". As temporary residents of this earth, we can be assured that God will really look after us. He will guard us, keep us and give heed to our prayers when we throw ourselves totally at His mercy!
Who are the widows?
They refer to women whose husbands have died. The Hebrew word also means "desolate house" or "desolate palace" - "almanah". It gives the imagery of losing a place of emotional and physical dependency.
Who are the fatherless?
They are the orphans who lost their fathers. Again a loss of emotional/physical dependency.
What will God do for the fatherless and the widows?
"He relieves the fatherless and the widows" this is God's promise.
The word "relief" is "uwd" meaning "to restore". God has promised to restore everything that the orphans and widows have lost through the loss of their fathers and husbands i.e. the place of comfort, love, care and blessing. The people in their lives who only want the best for them in every way!
Who are the wicked?
Why is the wicked mentioned in this verse?
In just one line, they are mentioned in the same breath as those who are righteous! Psalm 146:9 is absolutely honest. It does not sugar-coat anything. It just simply says "the way of the wicked He turns upside down" (which in Hebrew ("avath") means to subvert, the pervert, to overthrow, to bend and to make crooked)! For me it means that God will "mess up their ways"!
I really believe that the "wicked" refers to that group of people who could be abusing the strangers, the fatherless and the widows during David's time. The word for wicked here is "rasha" actually refers to the ungodly!
In fact this what I love about the Psalms. It is just an honest expression of the emotions of the heart towards God. It is the honest and genuine expression of the pain, grief, depression, sadness, anger, joy, victory, passion, compassion and the whole range of human emotions that can be found in the heart of man.
It is in the Psalms that I find the most comfort when I am afflicted.
It is the Psalms that I find I can express my love for God in words. Only the Psalmist has such a way with words that can express my praise and gratitude to God. Only the Psalmist allows my heart to be absolutely honest with God without being judged or condemned for the way I feel.....self-honesty is therapeutic and brings inner release in the presence of God!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Psalm 146:8 "The Lord opens the eyes of the blind, the Lord raises up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous"
I meditated on these 3 promises of God for a week before it sunk into my spirit.
3 promises of God for the righteous in this verse:
1. He opens blind eyes
2. He raises up those who are bowed down
3. He loves those who are righteous
What are blind eyes?
The word here is "ivver" which means to be blind to spiritual things. In a symbolic sense the Hebrew word means "men who walk in the darkness of ignorance'
There a moments in life when we can be blind to a certain person. I read of cases of women cheated of money by persons who claim to love me. Some of them lose millions of RM over the internet due to sweet words of love. This is blind eyes in a spiritual sense.
Before I became a Christian I was blind. I thought truth resided in the idols that I prayed to. I thought truth could be found in the temples sitting at the feet of monks chanting the sutras. I was even involved in reading the books of Lobsang Rampa, a Tibetan monk thinking that what he said was truth.
It is easy to be blinded by things. To me the "blindness" in Ps 146:7 has to do with spiritual blindness to the truth more than anything else. I am comforted by this, as long as I walk with God, He will keep me from being "blinded". As long as I am in prayer, He will "open the eyes of the blind". As long as I am righteous in JESUS, He will keep me from deception.
To "open" is to "paqach" which means to "to enable to see things otherwise hidden"
I also realize that when I am interceding for people, there are times when I can sense the blindness in their minds as though that they have not received any revelation from God concerning certain things. As I continue to pray I can see the dark clouds clearing and truth from God's word dawning upon them.
How can we be bowed down so that God can raise us up?
To be bowed down is to "submit oneself to anyone". It is actually a deliberate act of humbling oneself. Many times in my working place, I deliberately humbled myself to keep the peace with my boss. Even though I could have argued with her to prove that I was right and she was wrong, I kept my peace. Somehow God had a way of working things out for me.
Even in the ministry, when I am being 'criticized' and spoken against, when what I have done for the work of the Lord never seem to be enough, when my heart is weeping inside because of unkind words, when I am really helpless....I just quiet myself and bowed myself down to God.
Notice that it is "being bowed down to God in our heart" and not to be bowed down to people who can keep discouraging us with their comments. To be "bowed down to God" is the safest place to be when faced with such criticisms. To be bowed down to people is quite useless as they are unable to comfort us the way only God can!
When we do this God will "raise us up" i.e. "comfort the afflicted" The act of bowing down is an act of humility and it is the best option when faced with all kinds of criticism and unjust, unkind accusations. This is what I do and continue doing when I am facing a sense of helplessness in the ministry. I run to the safest place I can ever be - the arms of God.
The Lord loves the righteous
This verse relates to the earlier verse of being bowed down. Those who are bowed down to God, those who humbled themselves before God - they are the righteous ones. They are loved by God!
When we are facing trouble or criticisms, when we are being spoken against - let us bow our hearts down before God and because He loves the righteous and the humble, He will surely deliver us! AMEN.
3 promises of God for the righteous in this verse:
1. He opens blind eyes
2. He raises up those who are bowed down
3. He loves those who are righteous
What are blind eyes?
The word here is "ivver" which means to be blind to spiritual things. In a symbolic sense the Hebrew word means "men who walk in the darkness of ignorance'
There a moments in life when we can be blind to a certain person. I read of cases of women cheated of money by persons who claim to love me. Some of them lose millions of RM over the internet due to sweet words of love. This is blind eyes in a spiritual sense.
Before I became a Christian I was blind. I thought truth resided in the idols that I prayed to. I thought truth could be found in the temples sitting at the feet of monks chanting the sutras. I was even involved in reading the books of Lobsang Rampa, a Tibetan monk thinking that what he said was truth.
It is easy to be blinded by things. To me the "blindness" in Ps 146:7 has to do with spiritual blindness to the truth more than anything else. I am comforted by this, as long as I walk with God, He will keep me from being "blinded". As long as I am in prayer, He will "open the eyes of the blind". As long as I am righteous in JESUS, He will keep me from deception.
To "open" is to "paqach" which means to "to enable to see things otherwise hidden"
I also realize that when I am interceding for people, there are times when I can sense the blindness in their minds as though that they have not received any revelation from God concerning certain things. As I continue to pray I can see the dark clouds clearing and truth from God's word dawning upon them.
How can we be bowed down so that God can raise us up?
To be bowed down is to "submit oneself to anyone". It is actually a deliberate act of humbling oneself. Many times in my working place, I deliberately humbled myself to keep the peace with my boss. Even though I could have argued with her to prove that I was right and she was wrong, I kept my peace. Somehow God had a way of working things out for me.
Even in the ministry, when I am being 'criticized' and spoken against, when what I have done for the work of the Lord never seem to be enough, when my heart is weeping inside because of unkind words, when I am really helpless....I just quiet myself and bowed myself down to God.
Notice that it is "being bowed down to God in our heart" and not to be bowed down to people who can keep discouraging us with their comments. To be "bowed down to God" is the safest place to be when faced with such criticisms. To be bowed down to people is quite useless as they are unable to comfort us the way only God can!
When we do this God will "raise us up" i.e. "comfort the afflicted" The act of bowing down is an act of humility and it is the best option when faced with all kinds of criticism and unjust, unkind accusations. This is what I do and continue doing when I am facing a sense of helplessness in the ministry. I run to the safest place I can ever be - the arms of God.
The Lord loves the righteous
This verse relates to the earlier verse of being bowed down. Those who are bowed down to God, those who humbled themselves before God - they are the righteous ones. They are loved by God!
When we are facing trouble or criticisms, when we are being spoken against - let us bow our hearts down before God and because He loves the righteous and the humble, He will surely deliver us! AMEN.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Psalm 146: 7 God executes justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry and freedom to the prisoners
God is a god of justice.
If we have been oppressed by people, He will work things to get us out of oppression and injustice.
I remember an incident in my work place where a senior manager was oppressing me with his words and complaining about me. It disturbed me so much that I prayed really hard for justice.
Shortly after the incident, he left the bank. In another instance, my clerk was saying all kinds of things about me behind my back. She was on the smart phone most of the time at work. Yet she was really demanding and expected me to give her a promotion. I shed tears over her and prayed really hard. Eventually she also left the bank.
In my work place there is always a certain amount of injustice as in all other work places. Injustice comes in several forms:
1. You do all the work but someone else get the credit.
2. Someone else committed the offence but the blame is put on you.
3. General negative comments are made about you without any basis whatsoever.
....and so on and so forth.
I am comforted by this verse in Ps 146:7 "He executes justice for the oppressed. He gives food to the hungry and freedom to the prisoners"
God is a specialist in 3 things:
1. Executing justice for the oppressed
2. Giving food to the hungry
3. Giving freedom to the prisoners
Executing justice for the oppressed
The word "executes" is to "accomplish", "fashion" or "to act with effect". It indicates that justice will be accomplished but it will take time. Justice may not be done overnight but it will surely be fashioned by God for us.
In my case, I experienced justice after a period of 6 months to a year during which period I used to pray "O Lord either she goes or I go"! It was that bad, making me want to resign!
Oppressed is to be "violated", "wronged", "extorted" and even to be "crushed"! How many times have we felt that we were in such a position? Trust God, He will execute justice for us!
Give food to the hungry
"Nathan" means "to give", "to bestow", "to grant", "to extend"
The "hungry" here does not mean the physically hungry but one whose strength is failing. To "give food to the hungry" is to give the person words that will build up their strength in the midst of oppression.
Give freedom to the prisoners
"Freedom" is to "unfasten" and "to loosen". It also means to be "set free, unbind and unfastened" and also "to shake off".
A "prisoner" is not necessarily one who sits in chains and iron but he is one whose mind and spirit is kept under bondage by another person's words and action. The bondage and prison is spiritual and not physical.
For me I have come to realize that as long as a person speaks in such a manner to make me feel depressed, sad, condemned or gives me a sense of hopelessness, then that person has put me under spiritual bondage. I just have to shake it off and ask the Lord to cleanse my mind and spirit with His blood.
If we have been oppressed by people, He will work things to get us out of oppression and injustice.
I remember an incident in my work place where a senior manager was oppressing me with his words and complaining about me. It disturbed me so much that I prayed really hard for justice.
Shortly after the incident, he left the bank. In another instance, my clerk was saying all kinds of things about me behind my back. She was on the smart phone most of the time at work. Yet she was really demanding and expected me to give her a promotion. I shed tears over her and prayed really hard. Eventually she also left the bank.
In my work place there is always a certain amount of injustice as in all other work places. Injustice comes in several forms:
1. You do all the work but someone else get the credit.
2. Someone else committed the offence but the blame is put on you.
3. General negative comments are made about you without any basis whatsoever.
....and so on and so forth.
I am comforted by this verse in Ps 146:7 "He executes justice for the oppressed. He gives food to the hungry and freedom to the prisoners"
God is a specialist in 3 things:
1. Executing justice for the oppressed
2. Giving food to the hungry
3. Giving freedom to the prisoners
Executing justice for the oppressed
The word "executes" is to "accomplish", "fashion" or "to act with effect". It indicates that justice will be accomplished but it will take time. Justice may not be done overnight but it will surely be fashioned by God for us.
In my case, I experienced justice after a period of 6 months to a year during which period I used to pray "O Lord either she goes or I go"! It was that bad, making me want to resign!
Oppressed is to be "violated", "wronged", "extorted" and even to be "crushed"! How many times have we felt that we were in such a position? Trust God, He will execute justice for us!
Give food to the hungry
"Nathan" means "to give", "to bestow", "to grant", "to extend"
The "hungry" here does not mean the physically hungry but one whose strength is failing. To "give food to the hungry" is to give the person words that will build up their strength in the midst of oppression.
Give freedom to the prisoners
"Freedom" is to "unfasten" and "to loosen". It also means to be "set free, unbind and unfastened" and also "to shake off".
A "prisoner" is not necessarily one who sits in chains and iron but he is one whose mind and spirit is kept under bondage by another person's words and action. The bondage and prison is spiritual and not physical.
For me I have come to realize that as long as a person speaks in such a manner to make me feel depressed, sad, condemned or gives me a sense of hopelessness, then that person has put me under spiritual bondage. I just have to shake it off and ask the Lord to cleanse my mind and spirit with His blood.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Lessons from MH 370
Yesterday I received my bonus.
For the first time in 8 years working with the Bank, my bonus dropped about 10 % points. Although generally all my colleagues suffered the same fate, I was still stunned at the reduction as I thought that I had worked really hard and saved the Bank a lot of money.
I was grumbling and complaining about this until after I spoke to a non-Christian colleague who said this to me "At least we can still enjoy our bonus...what about those on board MH 370? Even if they had their bonus, they would not be able to enjoy it"
Suddenly I woke up and the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. God had to use a non-Christian to rebuke me about this. Yes, I should be thankful for my bonus. Yes, I am thankful that I am still earning a good pay to support my family of 4 and my mother. Yes, the money that God has blessed me with is being put to good use. Yes, the money is within my power to bless others with it!
Some lessons from MH370 -
1. Money cannot fill our heart with comfort or love
Ps 62:10 is clear on this "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them"
The heart is always seeking a home, a refuge. Money is not its home nor its refuge, only God can give our heart the comfort it needs.
2. Money cannot save in the day of distress
Job 36:19 "Will your riches, or all the mighty forces, keep you from distress?" All the ships, all the planes, all the people deployed and all the nations of the world sending help to look for MH370 are 'mighty' forces yet the loved ones of those on board continue to have distress on their faces.
3. Money cannot replace the righteousness of God to deliver us from death
Proverbs 11:4 "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath but righteousness delivers from death"
I took the time to tell my colleague about JESUS being the way, the truth and the life. I took the time to ask him if he knew where he was going to go before he died. I took the time to share with him of a guaranteed place in heaven if he will put his trust in JESUS.
Then I sent him a tract with a prayer for him to read.
God is not saying that money is evil as can be seen in this verse:
1 Tim 6:17 "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy"
This is true riches - to be able to enjoy this life that God has given us, to be able to breathe this breath of life, to know JESUS, to walk with Him, to talk with Him and to be able to enjoy the blessed companionship, the love of our family members. To be able to bless and to be blessed in return, to be able to work with our hands, to serve the Lord and to be an example for our children to follow - this is TRUE RICHES!
For the first time in 8 years working with the Bank, my bonus dropped about 10 % points. Although generally all my colleagues suffered the same fate, I was still stunned at the reduction as I thought that I had worked really hard and saved the Bank a lot of money.
I was grumbling and complaining about this until after I spoke to a non-Christian colleague who said this to me "At least we can still enjoy our bonus...what about those on board MH 370? Even if they had their bonus, they would not be able to enjoy it"
Suddenly I woke up and the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. God had to use a non-Christian to rebuke me about this. Yes, I should be thankful for my bonus. Yes, I am thankful that I am still earning a good pay to support my family of 4 and my mother. Yes, the money that God has blessed me with is being put to good use. Yes, the money is within my power to bless others with it!
Some lessons from MH370 -
1. Money cannot fill our heart with comfort or love
Ps 62:10 is clear on this "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them"
The heart is always seeking a home, a refuge. Money is not its home nor its refuge, only God can give our heart the comfort it needs.
2. Money cannot save in the day of distress
Job 36:19 "Will your riches, or all the mighty forces, keep you from distress?" All the ships, all the planes, all the people deployed and all the nations of the world sending help to look for MH370 are 'mighty' forces yet the loved ones of those on board continue to have distress on their faces.
3. Money cannot replace the righteousness of God to deliver us from death
Proverbs 11:4 "Riches do not profit in the day of wrath but righteousness delivers from death"
I took the time to tell my colleague about JESUS being the way, the truth and the life. I took the time to ask him if he knew where he was going to go before he died. I took the time to share with him of a guaranteed place in heaven if he will put his trust in JESUS.
Then I sent him a tract with a prayer for him to read.
God is not saying that money is evil as can be seen in this verse:
1 Tim 6:17 "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy"
This is true riches - to be able to enjoy this life that God has given us, to be able to breathe this breath of life, to know JESUS, to walk with Him, to talk with Him and to be able to enjoy the blessed companionship, the love of our family members. To be able to bless and to be blessed in return, to be able to work with our hands, to serve the Lord and to be an example for our children to follow - this is TRUE RICHES!
Psalm 146 - 10 reasons to hope in GOD
This Psalm is quite fascinating because I can divide it into 3 COMMANDS:
1. A COMMAND TO THE SOUL PRAISE GOD (Ps 146: 1-2). Sometimes I think my soul is a 'lazy' person inside me. I have to command and to give 'orders' to it to praise the Lord!
2. A COMMAND TO THE SOUL NOT TO HOPE IN MAN (Ps 146: 3-4) So easy it is for us to look to man for help. So full of heartache for us to be let down by the very people we think can help us.
Just see how many people will give you money when you are in need of money. The most they will say is I will pray for you and wish you well.
The chunk of my mother's allowance comes from the 3 of us sisters. The older a person gets the more their expenses seem to be - diapers, medication, day help, hospital check-ups, nutrition food. No matter how much I talk, I plead, I write - the result is always the same. No help from the other siblings because they have financial problems of their own. Sometimes I think if no one in the family will extend financial help to my mother will she be out in the streets or in an old folks home?
3. A COMMAND TO THE SOUL TO HOPE IN GOD ALONE (Ps 146: 5-10)
This is my greatest comfort.
10 AWESOME REASONS TO HOPE IN GOD!
Here are the 10 reasons:
1. Maker of heaven, earth and the sea - Ps 146:6
2. Who keeps the truth forever in this life and the life to come - Ps 146:6
3. Who executes justice for the oppressed - Ps 146:7
4. Who gives food to the hungry - Ps 146:7
5. Who gives freedom to the prisoners - Ps 146:7
6. Who opens the eyes of the blind - Ps 146:8
7. Who raises those who are bowed down - Ps 146:8
8. Who watches over the strangers - Ps 146:9
9. Who relieves the fatherless and the widows - Ps 146:9
10. Who turns the way of the wicked upside down - Ps 146:9
1. A COMMAND TO THE SOUL PRAISE GOD (Ps 146: 1-2). Sometimes I think my soul is a 'lazy' person inside me. I have to command and to give 'orders' to it to praise the Lord!
2. A COMMAND TO THE SOUL NOT TO HOPE IN MAN (Ps 146: 3-4) So easy it is for us to look to man for help. So full of heartache for us to be let down by the very people we think can help us.
Just see how many people will give you money when you are in need of money. The most they will say is I will pray for you and wish you well.
The chunk of my mother's allowance comes from the 3 of us sisters. The older a person gets the more their expenses seem to be - diapers, medication, day help, hospital check-ups, nutrition food. No matter how much I talk, I plead, I write - the result is always the same. No help from the other siblings because they have financial problems of their own. Sometimes I think if no one in the family will extend financial help to my mother will she be out in the streets or in an old folks home?
3. A COMMAND TO THE SOUL TO HOPE IN GOD ALONE (Ps 146: 5-10)
This is my greatest comfort.
10 AWESOME REASONS TO HOPE IN GOD!
Here are the 10 reasons:
1. Maker of heaven, earth and the sea - Ps 146:6
2. Who keeps the truth forever in this life and the life to come - Ps 146:6
3. Who executes justice for the oppressed - Ps 146:7
4. Who gives food to the hungry - Ps 146:7
5. Who gives freedom to the prisoners - Ps 146:7
6. Who opens the eyes of the blind - Ps 146:8
7. Who raises those who are bowed down - Ps 146:8
8. Who watches over the strangers - Ps 146:9
9. Who relieves the fatherless and the widows - Ps 146:9
10. Who turns the way of the wicked upside down - Ps 146:9
Friday, March 7, 2014
Ps 146:6 "...who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps truth forever"
This morning my daughter whatsapp me the tragic news, 200 over people on board a MAS flight bound for Beijing disapeared from the radar. It never landed and no contact has been established since then.
We have traveled so many times by plane. Sometimes we take the safety of our plane trips for granted. Tim and I will always pray for the pilot and all those on board whenever we board our flights.
Last year we traveled twice to China - to Beijing and Hangzhou. Each time I recall a particular turbulent patch over the mountainous regions. The plane will shake like being thrown about in the air.
I will immediately pray fervently in the Spirit whenever there is such a shaking. The feeling of dying will come upon me in such a manner that I will start confessing all my sins and prepare to make my Maker.
How safe is a trip on a plane? Tim and I were discussing over breakfast this morning. We believe it is as safe as driving a car or crossing a road. So what happened to that MAS flight....? My heart is crying out for the safety of all the passengers on board....
You know recent things happening in our nation - hot weather, water rationing, lack of rain - makes me wonder if God is speaking something to our nation. Remember that God promised Noah that He will not destroy the earth by water but He did not mention fire or heat....what must we do as believers? I believe we need to stand in the gap and pray for hearts to turn to God in times of crisis.....
Coming back to this memory verse (verse 6 in Psalms 146 - this whole study I am doing is to help me memorize scriptures by going into in-depth study verse by verse) there are some powerful truths to be highlighted:
Ps 146:5 says our happiness is derived from having our help and hope in God. Ps 146:6 which is continuation of verse 5 tells us that our trust and hope is not without any basis or solid reasons.
Our trust and hope in God is founded on this fact - this is FACT and not FEELING or MERE ASSUMPTION - the fact is that the God we hope for help is the one who made "heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps the truth forever".
4 things about God is highlighted here that should take away any of our doubts of God's ability to help us:
1. He is a maker. He made "heaven and earth" for us to live in. I mean who else can claim credit for this beautiful heaven and beautiful earth we live in?
The "heaven" in Hebrew refers to the "firmament spread out like a vault over the globe as supported on foundations and columns". Thus it refers to the atmosphere being the first level of heaven.
It also refers to "God's abode" and "all spaces of heaven, infinite and vast" which means the outer space, black hole and the entire universe, galaxies and stars.
Now if I have a God like this, hoping in Him to help me in my troubles gives me the GREATEST ASSURANCE that all is well. My troubles may still be there but just the knowledge that such a great God is looking out for me is enough to make me HAPPY and SAFE.
2. He not only made the heaven. He made the earth. The earth here refers to the physical "land, territory, nations, country, world" or the "whole of creation".
Imagine the earth with a trademark stamped across it "MADE BY GOD". If we can visualize this we will take care of this precious earth entrusted to us to live in.
I try to recycle in small ways - I use tupperwares to put my breakfast or lunch. I refuse plastic bags if I can carry small purchases. I even looked for ways and means to return unused medication. In this context I was very encouraged to see HUKM having a box near their dispensary encouraging people to return their unused medication - no questions asked!
3. He also made the sea. The Psalmist divided the creation into 3 categories - heaven, earth and the sea. Of the sea this what he said "the sea and all that is in them". The words "all that is in them" means "a guard, a watch or a protection". In a sense, the sea is placed there to guard the dolphins, the sharks, the stingrays, the fishes, the corals, the reefs, the starfish, the anemones, the dugongs, the whales and all the beautiful sea creatures that God made to populate it.
4. Last but not least, God is one "who keeps truth forever". In Him and Him alone is the fountainhead of truth. Truth cannot be found anywhere else. Not in the magazines, not in the TV, not in the self-help gurus, not in positive thinking, not in yoga, not in meditation, not in acupuncture, not in chanting - truth is in God's custody forever and ever.
What is "truth"? It is "divine instruction" and "doctrine" which is "sure, reliable, stable, firm, stable, perpetual". It is dispensed by God to us through the Bible.
What is the nature of the truth? The truth belonging to God is "antiquity, forever, everlasting, indefinite, unending, future, eternity".
With such a God who is the maker and custodian of:
1. the heaven
2. the earth
3. the sea
4. the truth
how can we not trust Him and look to Him for HELP? How can we not place our HOPE in Him?
We have traveled so many times by plane. Sometimes we take the safety of our plane trips for granted. Tim and I will always pray for the pilot and all those on board whenever we board our flights.
Last year we traveled twice to China - to Beijing and Hangzhou. Each time I recall a particular turbulent patch over the mountainous regions. The plane will shake like being thrown about in the air.
I will immediately pray fervently in the Spirit whenever there is such a shaking. The feeling of dying will come upon me in such a manner that I will start confessing all my sins and prepare to make my Maker.
How safe is a trip on a plane? Tim and I were discussing over breakfast this morning. We believe it is as safe as driving a car or crossing a road. So what happened to that MAS flight....? My heart is crying out for the safety of all the passengers on board....
You know recent things happening in our nation - hot weather, water rationing, lack of rain - makes me wonder if God is speaking something to our nation. Remember that God promised Noah that He will not destroy the earth by water but He did not mention fire or heat....what must we do as believers? I believe we need to stand in the gap and pray for hearts to turn to God in times of crisis.....
Coming back to this memory verse (verse 6 in Psalms 146 - this whole study I am doing is to help me memorize scriptures by going into in-depth study verse by verse) there are some powerful truths to be highlighted:
Ps 146:5 says our happiness is derived from having our help and hope in God. Ps 146:6 which is continuation of verse 5 tells us that our trust and hope is not without any basis or solid reasons.
Our trust and hope in God is founded on this fact - this is FACT and not FEELING or MERE ASSUMPTION - the fact is that the God we hope for help is the one who made "heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps the truth forever".
4 things about God is highlighted here that should take away any of our doubts of God's ability to help us:
1. He is a maker. He made "heaven and earth" for us to live in. I mean who else can claim credit for this beautiful heaven and beautiful earth we live in?
The "heaven" in Hebrew refers to the "firmament spread out like a vault over the globe as supported on foundations and columns". Thus it refers to the atmosphere being the first level of heaven.
It also refers to "God's abode" and "all spaces of heaven, infinite and vast" which means the outer space, black hole and the entire universe, galaxies and stars.
Now if I have a God like this, hoping in Him to help me in my troubles gives me the GREATEST ASSURANCE that all is well. My troubles may still be there but just the knowledge that such a great God is looking out for me is enough to make me HAPPY and SAFE.
2. He not only made the heaven. He made the earth. The earth here refers to the physical "land, territory, nations, country, world" or the "whole of creation".
Imagine the earth with a trademark stamped across it "MADE BY GOD". If we can visualize this we will take care of this precious earth entrusted to us to live in.
I try to recycle in small ways - I use tupperwares to put my breakfast or lunch. I refuse plastic bags if I can carry small purchases. I even looked for ways and means to return unused medication. In this context I was very encouraged to see HUKM having a box near their dispensary encouraging people to return their unused medication - no questions asked!
3. He also made the sea. The Psalmist divided the creation into 3 categories - heaven, earth and the sea. Of the sea this what he said "the sea and all that is in them". The words "all that is in them" means "a guard, a watch or a protection". In a sense, the sea is placed there to guard the dolphins, the sharks, the stingrays, the fishes, the corals, the reefs, the starfish, the anemones, the dugongs, the whales and all the beautiful sea creatures that God made to populate it.
4. Last but not least, God is one "who keeps truth forever". In Him and Him alone is the fountainhead of truth. Truth cannot be found anywhere else. Not in the magazines, not in the TV, not in the self-help gurus, not in positive thinking, not in yoga, not in meditation, not in acupuncture, not in chanting - truth is in God's custody forever and ever.
What is "truth"? It is "divine instruction" and "doctrine" which is "sure, reliable, stable, firm, stable, perpetual". It is dispensed by God to us through the Bible.
What is the nature of the truth? The truth belonging to God is "antiquity, forever, everlasting, indefinite, unending, future, eternity".
With such a God who is the maker and custodian of:
1. the heaven
2. the earth
3. the sea
4. the truth
how can we not trust Him and look to Him for HELP? How can we not place our HOPE in Him?
Ps 146:5 "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is the Lord his God"
The word "happy" is also translated "blessed".
This verse has a very deep meaning for me.
How can I be truly happy? Is it in the money I have for my retirement? Is it in the fact that I have traveled to many countries? Is it because I am successful in my work?
My happiness can only be in one thing and that is the fact that I can depend on God for His help in everything.
One thing I realized, men can say a lot of things, promise a lot of things, assure you of a lot things.....but they can still disappoint you. A good friend's husband promised a lot of things to her in order to get her to come back to his side after a bout of unfaithfulness but only to renegade on all his sweet promises!
Men cannot truly provide the blessedness and happiness that we desire. Our true blessedness lies in knowing that we have one source of help - the God of heaven and earth! Actually it is not even in the results of the reliance we place in God but just the mere thought of having God being there for us.
How awesome, how blessed, how happy I am!
Not only is God our source of help, He is also our source of hope!
When things are tough, I have a blessed hope - the hope that God is always on my side, looking out for me!
I LOVE YOU LORD!
This verse has a very deep meaning for me.
How can I be truly happy? Is it in the money I have for my retirement? Is it in the fact that I have traveled to many countries? Is it because I am successful in my work?
My happiness can only be in one thing and that is the fact that I can depend on God for His help in everything.
One thing I realized, men can say a lot of things, promise a lot of things, assure you of a lot things.....but they can still disappoint you. A good friend's husband promised a lot of things to her in order to get her to come back to his side after a bout of unfaithfulness but only to renegade on all his sweet promises!
Men cannot truly provide the blessedness and happiness that we desire. Our true blessedness lies in knowing that we have one source of help - the God of heaven and earth! Actually it is not even in the results of the reliance we place in God but just the mere thought of having God being there for us.
How awesome, how blessed, how happy I am!
Not only is God our source of help, He is also our source of hope!
When things are tough, I have a blessed hope - the hope that God is always on my side, looking out for me!
I LOVE YOU LORD!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Psalm 146:4 "His spirit departs, he returns to the earth. In that very day, his plans perish"
Life is temporal.
Death is the doorway to eternity.
As a Christian I have this blessed hope that when I die I will be with Jesus but while I have breath I will serve the Lord.
This verse is meaningful because I have seen death in my doorstep.
When my father died in my house, I saw the breath of his spirit leaving his body through his mouth. At that moment I could see the struggle he had to retain his breath. It was like he was in pain. It was like something pulled from his body making its exit through his mouth.
Man is a spiritual being, I have no doubt about it. I cannot live my life gratifying the flesh because when I make the journey to life eternal this flesh must be left behind.
4 important things:
1. Life is temporary and does not last forever. I must fulfill my dreams and do God's will while I can.
2. Life ends when our breath leaves our body. In death there is nothing else that can be done by us. Everything grinds to a halt.
3. Our body goes back to the earth where it belongs. Where does our spirit goes? To God or to somewhere else?
4. When we die, all our thoughts will end. There will be no more time to see the 7 wonders of the world, to go to India for missions, to give our money to the poor, to visit a long-missed family, to do some good or charitable deeds. No more thinking, no more planning. Just ceasing from everything. Thus it is important to keep ourselves busy until the time comes for our breath to end.
Some key words:
1. "Spirit" here refers to the breath of a man
2. "Earth" literally means the ground or the soil
3. "Plans" refers to the thoughts of man
Death is the doorway to eternity.
As a Christian I have this blessed hope that when I die I will be with Jesus but while I have breath I will serve the Lord.
This verse is meaningful because I have seen death in my doorstep.
When my father died in my house, I saw the breath of his spirit leaving his body through his mouth. At that moment I could see the struggle he had to retain his breath. It was like he was in pain. It was like something pulled from his body making its exit through his mouth.
Man is a spiritual being, I have no doubt about it. I cannot live my life gratifying the flesh because when I make the journey to life eternal this flesh must be left behind.
4 important things:
1. Life is temporary and does not last forever. I must fulfill my dreams and do God's will while I can.
2. Life ends when our breath leaves our body. In death there is nothing else that can be done by us. Everything grinds to a halt.
3. Our body goes back to the earth where it belongs. Where does our spirit goes? To God or to somewhere else?
4. When we die, all our thoughts will end. There will be no more time to see the 7 wonders of the world, to go to India for missions, to give our money to the poor, to visit a long-missed family, to do some good or charitable deeds. No more thinking, no more planning. Just ceasing from everything. Thus it is important to keep ourselves busy until the time comes for our breath to end.
Some key words:
1. "Spirit" here refers to the breath of a man
2. "Earth" literally means the ground or the soil
3. "Plans" refers to the thoughts of man
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Psalm 146:3 "Do not put your trust in princes nor in the son of man in whom there is no help"
This verse is particularly meaningful for me.
In my work, I face very tough situations. For e.g. I had a very tough court case wherein we lost at the High Court after a very intense hearing lasting several days. The decision was that their debt to the bankers were wiped out and instead we had to pay RM 130 million to the borrowers! It was a 'weird' decision and a miscarriage of justice as the effect was that the bankers lost over RM 300 million if the judgment was allowed to stand!
What kind of skewed justice is this?
We appealed to the Court of Appeal and the hearing took almost 3 days of intense arguing. Praise God (I prayed real hard while attending the appeal in Putrajaya) for His intervention. The Court of Appeal in Jan this year overturned the unjust decision in its ruling and entered judgment in favor of the bankers!
The who's who in the industry were there - representatives of BNM and the Association of Banks - all concerned on the impact of the decision to the industry. If this was allowed we might as well close shop and not do lending business anymore!
Then the borrowers took the case to the final court - the Federal Court. Then began another round of reporting and worrying. Will the Federal Court decide against us? When I met the CEO in the lift or meet the directors, the question inadvertently asked of me is "What do you think of this case? Do you think we can win on appeal?"
I very confidently said "We are sure to win. The Court of Appeal's decision was so complete" I was being confident, not in myself but in God!
There are 4 key items in this verse:
1. "Trust" - means "batach". It means to "feel secure" and to "have confidence in somebody". How easy it is for us to believe in the sweet talk and promises of man! A good friend of mine took her husband back after all his sweet talk and promises to faithful to her. A few weeks later, he left her again for his mistress.
2. "Princes" - means "nadyb" and refers to someone noble in mind, character or rank. It is easy to trust "princes" as it would be natural for us to think that persons of high rank will not betray us or reneged on their promises. Surely in their position they can deliver what they have promised? Yet God's word in Psalms 146:3 advice us not to trust in princes. Position, money, influence will not help us at all. When my bosses recommended me for promotion last year and I did not get it, I realize that I cannot rely on man. Men's promises will fail but God's promises last forever. I read of many cases of women being cheated by empty promises made by their "internet" lover. Millions of money have been scammed in this manner by men who beguiled lonely women with their sweet talk of marriage and love.
3. "Son of man" - this word is refers to man who is the son of Adam.
4. "Help" - means "teshuwah" which covers deliverance from a particular problem or just salvation from our sins and eternal condemnation.The 2 significant meanings are "deliverance by God through human agency" and "salvation" in a spiritual sense.
Praise God that eventually we won in the FC decision as well. I found out later from my lawyers that no one had expected us to win!
God moving through human agency brought about great deliverance for us in the court case!
In my work, I face very tough situations. For e.g. I had a very tough court case wherein we lost at the High Court after a very intense hearing lasting several days. The decision was that their debt to the bankers were wiped out and instead we had to pay RM 130 million to the borrowers! It was a 'weird' decision and a miscarriage of justice as the effect was that the bankers lost over RM 300 million if the judgment was allowed to stand!
What kind of skewed justice is this?
We appealed to the Court of Appeal and the hearing took almost 3 days of intense arguing. Praise God (I prayed real hard while attending the appeal in Putrajaya) for His intervention. The Court of Appeal in Jan this year overturned the unjust decision in its ruling and entered judgment in favor of the bankers!
The who's who in the industry were there - representatives of BNM and the Association of Banks - all concerned on the impact of the decision to the industry. If this was allowed we might as well close shop and not do lending business anymore!
Then the borrowers took the case to the final court - the Federal Court. Then began another round of reporting and worrying. Will the Federal Court decide against us? When I met the CEO in the lift or meet the directors, the question inadvertently asked of me is "What do you think of this case? Do you think we can win on appeal?"
I very confidently said "We are sure to win. The Court of Appeal's decision was so complete" I was being confident, not in myself but in God!
There are 4 key items in this verse:
1. "Trust" - means "batach". It means to "feel secure" and to "have confidence in somebody". How easy it is for us to believe in the sweet talk and promises of man! A good friend of mine took her husband back after all his sweet talk and promises to faithful to her. A few weeks later, he left her again for his mistress.
2. "Princes" - means "nadyb" and refers to someone noble in mind, character or rank. It is easy to trust "princes" as it would be natural for us to think that persons of high rank will not betray us or reneged on their promises. Surely in their position they can deliver what they have promised? Yet God's word in Psalms 146:3 advice us not to trust in princes. Position, money, influence will not help us at all. When my bosses recommended me for promotion last year and I did not get it, I realize that I cannot rely on man. Men's promises will fail but God's promises last forever. I read of many cases of women being cheated by empty promises made by their "internet" lover. Millions of money have been scammed in this manner by men who beguiled lonely women with their sweet talk of marriage and love.
3. "Son of man" - this word is refers to man who is the son of Adam.
4. "Help" - means "teshuwah" which covers deliverance from a particular problem or just salvation from our sins and eternal condemnation.The 2 significant meanings are "deliverance by God through human agency" and "salvation" in a spiritual sense.
Praise God that eventually we won in the FC decision as well. I found out later from my lawyers that no one had expected us to win!
God moving through human agency brought about great deliverance for us in the court case!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)