DAY 85 (2021) - Restore, revive, rejoice! (Please go to FaceBook(silastyng) to watch my video of this blog)

 

                       This drawing is according to Psalm 85:12-13

Silence

1.   Put on your “brakes” and stop for a moment of silence

2.   Wait for God. Breathe deep for God's peace and feel His presence. Exhale your worries.

Praise and Thanksgiving

1.   Think through your day, all the times that made you smile

2.   Thank God for all those moments, and for all those people

3.   Sing a song to praise God (you are welcome to use "Father, I adore you" which I have been singing every morning for the past 20 years or your own choice to praise God)

          Father, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Jesus, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

          Spirit, I adore You, lay my life before You, how I love You.

      

Confession and Repentance (Subjective Shifting Devotion Method http://bishopsilas.blogspot.ca/2009/08/count-down-5-subject-shifting-devotion.html)

1.  Pray for the Holy Spirit to shine on you that you are able to discover your sins and be willing to repent:

     “Dear Holy Spirit, shine your light into the places of darkness in my life. Show me my sins, everything that blocks me from encountering God and having Jesus as my Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

2.  Through the Holy Spirit, examine yourself for a short silence and then pray:

     "Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for our sins and being victorious over death and sin. I confess my sin to you(pause, to tell Jesus what the Holy Spirit has shown you). Forgive my sins by your blood and help me follow you. Holy Spirit, fill me that I may be able to receive your gifts to love God and His people. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen."

      Bible link: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%207&version=NIV

    Today's passage:

   

Psalm 85[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

1 You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people
    and covered all their sins.[b]
3 You set aside all your wrath
    and turned from your fierce anger.

4 Restore us again, God our Savior,
    and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again,
    that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.

8 I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.

10 Love and faithfulness meet together;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good,
    and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

    Let's have a time to be still and give the Holy Spirit space to speak through the passage we have just read. Offer this time to Jesus as you listen to him. 

    My Listening

    The topic I received from Jesus is:  Restore, revive, rejoice!

This psalm starts with the past tense from verse one to three of how God showed favor to His people to forgive and restore.

Then present tense from verse four to seven asking God to restore, revive so God's people may rejoice in Him.

Then future tense in verse eight of a promise that the psalmist will listen to what God will say.

What I got from Jesus today is that when we face with calamity and suffering we need to remember how we experienced God and how He loved and saved us from troubles.

Then, we listen attentively to what God is saying at present and feel His presence even in time of suffering.

And then, we will receive the gift of faith from the Holy Spirit that we will surely be restored and revived. We will surely enjoy each day and rejoice in Him each day!

Also, we will be an instrument used by God to help other people to be restored, revived and rejoice!

Dear Lord Jesus,

Make us instruments of your peace to help other people to be restored, revived and rejoice each day in you.

 

In Jesus name we pray,

 

Amen.

    

       

      Reflect on these questions:

     1. What inspiration have you received from today's catch and what have you heard from Jesus now?

      

      2.  What is your next step to be more closer to Jesus?

    

           Family Corner:

     Find an opportunity to share with your family the importance of today's message. 

     

        

Please click this link to worship with us - Be with You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGQpm3i3mXw&ab_channel=Videos4Christ

       To know, learn and practice the method of Time with Abba, please click this link: https://www.pastoralcareschool.org

       

    Starting from January 1, 2021, I started to lead you to read one Psalm everyday for 150 days that you can experience a powerful experience to use Psalm to pray and sing praises to the Lord. If you watch my daily morning prayer "Time with Abba, Singing and Praising" video, I am going to sing with you one song to praise the Lord!

    

    Praise the Lord that after a few months of preparation for this new series with a good friend, Alice Cheung, you can see a brand new look in my daily blog. Alice who is now the Vice Principal of Diocesan Girls' School (https://www.dgs.edu.hk/) is going to draw a painting each day to highlight the key message of that day's Psalm. You can see the photos below of Alice, one pictures was taken in Hong Kong of Michelle and me, and Alice and her husband Johnson. The other picture is with her Doctor of Education gown standing besides the Alumni Wall of DGS and with her name and the year 1984, the year she graduated in that school. She had been a principal of a high school for seven years and worked as a Vice Principal two years ago.