Paulson Post

 “He asked life of you; you gave it to him, length of days forever and ever” (Psa 21:4). Psalm 21 thanks the Lord for answering the prayer for victory that the people prayed in Psalm 20 as the king set out for the battle. The people had confessed that it was not their military strength but the Lord’s might that made their army win the war. Now, the king and the military have come back victorious. The first part of the Psalm (verses 1—7) elaborates on what the Lord has done for the king, while the second part (verses 8—12) expresses their hope for a future free of threats from the enemies. In the last verse, they praise the Lord for his strength and mercy in preserving them. “Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power” (Psa 21:13). Ancient Israel was a tiny nation among powerful and more prominent nations. They had never been an empire except during the period of David, who had subdued some smaller countries. Still, that is enough to make an empire. The

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:6—7). Paul wrote this letter towards the end of his life to his young colleague Timothy, who will continue the ministry by caring for the churches they founded. Paul advises Timothy to remain faithful and continue his example in faith and ministry. To emulate Paul in his life and ministry, Timothy does not need any more spiritual gifts; he has all he requires to serve God and God’s people. But he has to “fan to flame” what he has already received. An ember would slowly die and grow cold if not fanned to flame. Similarly, spiritual gifts given to us for service will die if not used regularly and properly. The master condemned the person who buried the talent, but those who multiplied what they were entrusted with were honoured and trusted with more (Matt 25:14—30). Similarly, t

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1—2). Christian faith is not just a set of beliefs but involves experiencing the Lord daily. Growing in faith means experiencing more and more of our Saviour and Lord and becoming increasingly like him. The Christian life begins when we recognise the need for a saviour and continues as we identify with him in his death and resurrection in Christian baptism. We are seated with him through the spiritual resurrection, though we are still physically on earth. Paul sums up this experience: “Even when we were dead in our trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ—by grace, you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus….” (Eph 2:5—7). People who have accepted the salvation God offers through Jesus Christ should also kn

“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright” (Psa 20:7—8). Read Psalm 20:1—9. Wishing the king success as he set out for military campaigns was a significant part of the life of nations in the ancient world. Only one party wins any battle. Defeat is the last chapter in the life of that nation. The king who leads the battle may lose his life, along with many army officers and soldiers. The survivors will end up in exile in faraway nations, never to see their homeland again. Psalms 20 and 21 are written against this historical background. The first one is the prayer offered while sending out the army led by the king, and the second one celebrates the victory. In this case, the king and the army returned victorious. In the first five verses of Psalm 20, the subjects wish that everything will go well with the king. As they wish the king success, the people do not praise the king or his army

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer” (Psa 19:14). The starry sky over a village on a dark day is a treat for the eyes, but the city's sky, polluted with light from automobiles, street lights, and high-rise buildings, dims this view. Stunned by this display, the psalmist lying on his back outside his house muses: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psa 19:1). In the day, he watches the sun rising in the East and moving to the West, lightening and warming the earth (Psa 19:4—6). The creation is a witness to the splendour of its creator. The psalmist's musings stray to another revelation of the creator of the universe in the second part of the Psalm (Psa 19:7—14). It is the Bible, the revelation of God’s will, that he gave to his people to know him and follow him. “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, ma

  The spiritual essence of human life is determined by the choice between two persons who demand our loyalty . One is God and the other is his antagonist, the Devil. The followers of Christ have already made their choice by choosing God and shunning the Devil. However, the Devil will not leave them so easily. He hangs around. Apostle James advises, “humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). To live away from the sphere of the Devil’s influence we must humble before God and resist the devil. Prophet Micah who lived in eighth century B. C., advised the people to “walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We need to humble before God because he never helps those who are proud as James says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6, ESV). Those who humble themselves before God must keep resisting the Devil to live in allegiance to God. The Devil is busy. He keeps tempting God’s people, but he gives up those who do no

However long may be our fuse, we finally explode. The difference is only in the time it takes. Remember, on its way to the explosive crux the ignition keeps the fuse hot. That is the fretting all of us go through occasionally. The Psalmist, an old wise man (Psa 37:25) gently admonishes “do not fret!” (Psa 37:1). I am certain that he might have learned this valuable lesson from his long journey of life. The Hebrew verb translated as “fret” has the sense of “heating up” or “being hot.”   Though most translations translate it as “fret”, if given the opportunity I would translate it as “do not fume over.” The psalmist talks about the godly people becoming envious of the godless people who are faring well in their life. Though godly seems to have all that they need, and doing well, they fret over the comparatively better benefits that the ungodly have. So, the Psalmist elaborates the idea of “fretting” as “being envious” in the next line. The trigger that causes our fretting may not b