Psalm 1 : A reflection

I have been using the New Testament chapters as my quiet time source. Currently, I just finished the Book of Luke, and entering John tonight. Sometimes, I do my quiet time in the morning as well, but lately, it seems very dry. I went through chapter by chapter in the New Testament night and morning, at night it would seem very effective, full of reflection. In the morning it would turn boring and with little reflection. I guess I'm not going to stop the morning quiet time, but instead, I found a new source for reflection : the Book of Psalms.

Anyhow, I'm going to write anything I've learnt from the book, just so that I can remember it well.
Read Psalm 1

Why is that chapter put as the first chapter in Psalm?
It is a gateway to the sanctuary. The key, the wisdom asking the worshipers of the Lord to possess the right attitude towards the law of God before having any personal conversation with Him.

It struck me.

Do I have the right attitude? Do I delight in the law of the Lord? Do I meditate on his law day and night? And mind you, meditate comprises of memorizing, repeating and reflecting on the law. Am I that hardworking and perservering to even have the correct quality to have a personal chat with the Lord?

I wanted so much to answer Yes. But I would just be lying to myself. This is something I have to learn. When I receive Jesus Christ as my saviour, there is a war inside of me. The war between the old me, the one still controlled by sin, and the new redeemed me, the one who hates sin. I am given, by grace, the ability to not sin, or in other words, now I can choose to follow Christ or to follow evil.

But how then do I learn, how do I grow and how can I strive to be more like Christ? Again, it's back to His Word. I need to maintain quiet times, personal chats and reflections with Him. Then I can have the longing inside me, the attitude to love and desire God's Words. To saturate myself in it. To have intimate covenant with God.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

If we have the right attitude in our covenant with Him, then we are like the tree, deeply rooted, thanks to His Word. And not only will we be strong, we will flourish and bloom because the living water, the divine grace, Jesus Christ is with us.

Yes, eventhough the wicked seems to be living prosperous life now. But what's the use of a prosperous life in this temporary world. For they are like tree that is dead and rootless, when God's judgement comes, they will be destroyed.

The Lord wants me to be strong, to keep my focus on His Words, on His Promise and to persevere, be righteous until eventually His Kingdom come. Who can stand this world : attracting us with pleasures, enjoyments, relaxations, anything that causes us ecstasy. Who can stand the world which rejects us, insults and condemns us? And as I have learnt from my friend, some are even against iscf, the indonesian christian fellowship in NUS. We must be strong.

Like St. Augustine had once said : "God had one son on earth without sin, but never one without suffering ". The Kingdom of God may seem like a mustard seed now, but persevere and turn our eyes upon Jesus, the Promise, and feel the blessings, and joy, and peace, knowing that we are His Children.

I don't know whether this contains a proper reflection.
I don't know whether what I've written made sense.
I just know that I don't know much,
and I will keep striving on learning His Words.

1 Samuel 3:10 says "Speak, for your servant is listening."
O God, speak to me as I listen to your Words. Amen

I want to end this reflection with a conclusion made by John Calvin about this chapter :

Instead, therefore, of allowing ourselves to be deceived with their imaginary felicity, let us, in circumstances of distress, have ever before our eyes the providence of God, to whom it belongs to settle the affairs of the world, and to bring order out of confusion.
- John Calvin