Praising the Word of God

 

 

 

"I will trust in God and praise His word. I will trust in God, and I will not fear; what can man do to me?... I will trust in God and praise His word, I will trust in the Lord and praise His word." (Psalm 56:4, 10)

 

 

Last week, while meditating on God's word, I received two lessons that I thought I should put into practice. The first lesson was do not complain (Psalm 37:1, 7, 8), and the second was be thankful for the small things. Upon reflecting on these lessons, I realized that I wasn't being thankful for the small things, but rather, I was complaining about small matters.

For example, this morning, when I woke up, I didn't thank God. Of course, sometimes I say in my mind, "Thank you, Lord, for this new day," but I did not thank God for simply waking up. Perhaps I considered waking up to be a natural thing. At the same time, I often complain when my family members don't clean up after themselves. Last week, after receiving the lesson of "do not complain" (Psalm 37:1, 7, 8), I tried not to complain, but eventually, when I got home, I found myself complaining to my children. In this, I saw how I was failing to be faithful in the little things.

However, during this morning's prayer meeting, while meditating on Psalm 56:4 and 10, I had this thought: "I must begin by trusting God in the small things." When we face problems that are too big for us to handle, it is natural to seek God and pray. But I decided that I should not just live according to that "instinct." Instead, I remembered that Jesus praised those who were faithful in the small things (Matthew 25:21). I realized that if I am faithful in the small things, I will also be able to be faithful in the big things. So, I made up my mind to trust God and pray in my heart, even in the little things, every single day and in every moment. When we live like this, trusting in God for even the small things, I believe that God will ultimately lead us to praise Him.

In Psalm 56:4 and 10, we can see that David, the psalmist, praised God's word by trusting in God. The situation in which David trusted God was when he was captured by the Philistines. The Philistines tried to "devour" David "all day long" (vv. 1, 2), oppressed him "all day long" (v. 1), and even distorted his words "all day long" (v. 5). Furthermore, David's enemies, those who arrogantly attacked him (v. 2), gathered, hid, and watched his every step (v. 6) because they sought to take his life (v. 6). In such a terrifying situation, David "trusted" in the Lord (v. 3). He trusted in God and prayed, even shedding tears (v. 8). He made the decision to not fear because he trusted in God (vv. 4, 11). He knew that those who had flesh and blood could not harm him (vv. 4, 11). Moreover, David was confident that the Lord would deliver him from death (v. 13). Therefore, he offered a thanksgiving offering to the Lord (v. 12) and praised God's word (vv. 4, 11).

Hymn 543 "When Facing Difficulties"

The first verse of the hymn "When Facing Difficulties" comes to mind:
"When facing difficulties, though my faith is small, I trust more in my Lord whom I rely on."
I really like these lyrics. The reason is that when I face difficult situations, I realize that my faith is small. So, I cannot help but agree with the lyrics of this hymn. What resonates even more with me is the part that says, because of that, I will trust my Lord more.
Therefore, I am not only led to seek the Lord even more, but I am also compelled to hold on to the promises He has given me. The promises from John 6:1-15, which are personally given to me, and Matthew 16:18, which is a promise for our church, lead me to proclaim and pray with the truth that I hold onto. When I do so, the grace that God gives me helps me to recognize His sovereignty. In other words, God leads me to confess the truth that He is faithful and true.
In this process, the faithful Lord leads me to rely on the promised words He gave to me and the church I serve. When I do this, I receive peace, comfort, and strength in my heart from the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit leads me to praise the Lord, and I sing praises of gratitude for His word.

When thinking of the promises given to me, particularly the promise of the five loaves and two fish, the hymn I sing is "My Appearance, My Possessions":

  1. My appearance, my possessions, I offer all to the Lord.
    All my pain, all my joy, all my tears, please receive them.

    I give my life to You; use it for Your glory.
    During the days I live, I will praise You and be a joyful sacrifice. Please accept me.

  2. The things of yesterday and tomorrow, all my dreams and hopes, I give to You.
    All my hopes, all my plans, please accept my hands and heart.

When thinking of the promises given to our church, particularly the promise "I will build My church," the hymn I sing is "My Lord’s Kingdom and":

  1. I love my Lord's kingdom, His temple where He dwells, and the church He bought with His blood.

  2. My Lord's church is precious like the apple of His eye, and He always protects it.

  3. For this church, I offer my tears and prayers, serving until the end of my life.

  4. I love the fellowship of the saints, the life of the church, and the covenant with the Savior.

  5. The glory of heaven and the blessings He has given overflow in Zion with truth forever.

 

 

 

I desire to praise God's promises even more.

 

 

James Kim, Pastor
(Praying that we may live lives of reliance on the Lord not only in difficult times but also in the small things.)