12 May 2020
In these past couple of months, a question I dreaded the most was “How are you?” The British side of me replied with a “I’m fine thank you”. But was I really? At that time there were just too many things happening – a global pandemic, local civil unrest in Hong Kong and personal struggles. To be honest it was very tiring in all areas: physically, mentally and spiritually.
I know as Christians we are called to rejoice in the Lord but there were times where I just didn’t know where to start nor how to express my emotions to God. But God works in miraculous ways – when I wanted to hide myself from God, He spoke to me through the Book of Psalms. I am so thankful to the WOW group for choosing to study the psalms. It was the first time I learnt to express my emotions to God, whether it was lament, anger or guilt of my own failures. It’s so amazing that we have a God who we can be so honest with. There is such a great act of grace from God to allow us to talk to him and pour out our feelings to Him.
The psalmists didn’t have an easy life either, they too were also going through tough times. A big proportion of the psalms are laments. In these psalms the psalmists will begin by calling out to the Lord and describe their troubles. They then remember what God has done for them in the past and ask God to deliver them again. And most importantly they will end with praising the Lord. The book of Psalms is a good example that shows us we can lament to God. During hard times we should not ignore the pain and suffering in this world, but to lift them to the Lord. And we ought to praise God for His character and the promises he gave us. The Psalms is really a book full of encouragement and we can use it as a guideline to converse with God.
Psalm 16 is a song of trust written by David who was going through many trials. Yet in times of despair, David still fixed his eyes on the Lord.
“4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”
Psalms 16:4-8
During this crisis where do you look for guidance? How are you going to find your way in the rest of 2020? In yourself? In the false gods? David trusted the Lord and called Him his counsels, the one who will lead his life. We too like David can have that unshakeable confidence in the Lord and trust in His provision.
The psalmists were able to keep praising God despite their circumstances because rejoicing is not dependent on the circumstance but in God’s character. Psalm 103 begins and ends with “Praise the Lord”, and we can see why:
“8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalms 103:8-12
We can praise God for His mercy and love for us. When we rejected God and deserved nothing but death, Jesus chose to die for us and give us eternal life. Where do we find joy? Those large social gatherings and human relationships, the instagramable holiday photos, your children’ education or your job stability? Our biggest joy is the forgiveness of our sins and the restored relationship with God. I hope that in times of doubts and uncertainties you too can revive your heart by spending time in the Book of Psalms. Use it to reflect and meditate on the grace of God and be reminded that we can always praise God for His goodness.
Anita Li
