======================================================================== WRITINGS OF SON NGUYEN by Son Nguyen ======================================================================== A collection of theological writings, sermons, and essays by Son Nguyen, compiled for study and devotional reading. Chapters: 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. 00.00. Son, Nguyen - Library 2. S. A Devotional Exposition of 1 Peter 1:1-5 3. S. A Devotional Exposition of Psa_112:1-10 4. S. A Devotional Exposition of Psa_143:1-12 5. S. A Devotional Exposition of Psa_30:1-12 6. S. A Devotional Exposition of Psa_51:1-19 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 1: 00.00. SON, NGUYEN - LIBRARY ======================================================================== Son, Nguyen - Library S. A Devotional Exposition of 1 Peter 1:1-5 S. A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 112:1-10 S. A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 143:1-12 S. A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 30:1-12 S. A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 51:1-19 ======================================================================== CHAPTER 2: S. A DEVOTIONAL EXPOSITION OF 1 PETER 1:1-5 ======================================================================== A Devotional Exposition of 1 Peter 1:1-5 by Son Nguyen "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the sojourners scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace, be multiplied unto you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy, has regenerated us again unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:1-5 * "An apostle" - Why does Peter address himself as an apostle instead of a disciple? What is the difference between an apostle and a disciple? Basically, a disciple is one who is taught by or sits under someone while an apostle is one who has been taught by and is empowered by his Master to represent him. Self-examination: Are we living as either a disciple or an apostle? How often as a disciple? How often as an apostle? Do we think about being an apostle or a disciple of Jesus Christ or alas we think nothing of being either? * "An apostle of Jesus Christ" - Peter, being a Christian, represents Jesus, His Master. Self-examination: Who are we representing in our manner of speech, conduct, and pattern of thinking, be it in private or public? How often are we representing ourselves (or bearing the deep imprints of the world on us) rather than representing Jesus? How do we represent Jesus? How do you think Jesus would want us to represent Him? * "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ" - Did not Peter fail Jesus miserably and publicly several times? Did not Jesus rebuke Peter to his face because he allowed Satan to occupy his thoughts? Yet, Peter has no shame now saying that he is representing Jesus. This is because with God there is complete forgiveness and our hard heart has been made new again. Because there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, we should never permit past sins, failures, and humiliation to impede us from living for and representing Christ. While we are wise to draw no overt attention to our sordid past (which often tends to inadvertently magnifying the glamour of sins), we do not have to hide anything from anyone, but rather we give glory to God for what He has done in transforming us. God wants us to represent Him as we are. This is so because He loves us unconditionally, and this shows His glorious work in us. Moreover, it is always best and most effective to serve Him with a clean conscience. * "Sojourners" - Note the choice of word ’sojourners’ here. God could have used the word ’citizens’ but He did not. (Remember that God’s Word is very precise and it would do us much benefit paying careful attention to it.) The word ’sojourners’ is a reminder to us that we are not here merely to give birth and to die, to laugh and to cry, or to save and to spend, but we are on a journey to a heavenly destination. We are citizens of God’s kingdom traveling through this earthly time and place on the way to a special home He has reserved for us. We are in this world but not of this world. Self-examination: If people were to observe our lives for a while, what would they say is our destiny/our permanent home by the way we live? * "Asia" - Among other significance, the name Asia shows that Peter fully understands his calling in his ministry. As a Jew, before he was converted and even after that, Peter would have nothing to do with the people living in Asia because they are regarded as Gentiles, the unclean heathens. Remember that Jesus gave Peter a charge of "Feed My sheep". Peter got the 1st part right, but he was amiss on the 2nd, serving the Jews exclusively until God had to make it clear to him the error of his ways. We cannot effectively serve God unless we have a proper understanding of our calling. God multiplied Peter’s service and the ensuing joy after he had come to correctly understand who Jesus’ sheep include. Self-examination: Who is our Asia? * "Elect" - Putting aside the theological discussion of the word ’elect’ for a moment, note that this letter is addressed to believers. Note then the topics that Peter is expounding to them: the Trinity at work, regeneration, the resurrection of Jesus, inheritance, faith, salvation, and obedience. Are not they the same topics that an unsaved person would also need to hear and believe in? This is why the phrase "Preach the Gospel to yourself everyday!" is so correct. Just because we have become Christians, it does not mean that we should no longer occupy our minds with the basic truths. While deeper meditation and discernment of complex hermeneutics are fruitful, an apostle is one who lives out the essentials and basics of Christianity. The longer we walk with God and the more He reveals the mysteries of life to us, the more we shall see that life tenets essentially boil down to the very basic fundamentals: believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing, loving, and trusting Him. * "Elect" - Note that before these scriptural words from Peter even arrives, these people have already been saved by God. The point here is that God does the saving of souls while we are to simply do what He leads us to do. This will keep us from being prideful if we are to be blessed by being able to share the Gospel in a goodly manner and/or to impact many people, near or far, by our witnessing. * Note how little Peter speaks of himself or builds up his credibility other than to simply attach his name/himself to Jesus. Note also that he rather makes much of God. Peter did not feel the need to say that he had earned this theological degree or done that mission work. The name of Jesus is sufficient to open any doors. If the doors are not open, it is because they reject God, not us. On the other hand, if the doors are open, we can be sure that it is because this is the work of God which will surely last (as opposed to ours which may soon perish). This is a special comfort to us in getting up the courage to witness to someone we do not know. Remove ourselves and let Jesus enter in as much as possible when it comes to witnessing. "He must increase, but I must decrease." If ever there is a formula for success, this is the one to meditate on, to hold on to, and to practice. * "The foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" - Here’s the work of the Trinity in vivid display. Note the interwoven of the omnipotence and the omniscience of the Godhead: "foreknowledge" denotes future; "sanctification" conveys the present; and "obedience and sprinkling of the blood" references a past. Be marveled also at how completely God cares for us by how at no point in time of our lives (before, during, after) He is not there with us. Is it not an incomprehensible joy to see that God actively and patiently pursues us throughout eternity? Who would love us so thoroughly? * "Foreknowledge" - God always thinks ahead for our good. Self-examination: How often do we think ahead and plan our actions to please Him? * "Sanctification" - God is living and working within us from the moment we are saved till when we die. Self-examination: Are we aware of His presence in our lives? Are we grateful that the Almighty, who makes His abode in paradise, chooses to dwell in such mean estate? Are we grateful for and receptive to His continual work in our lives or are we dreading and fighting His molding and shaping of us? Do we resent having to get rid of our sinful habits and wicked pleasures because His holy presence living within us and watching us? * "Obedience and sprinkling of the blood" - God obeyed His own Word. What excuse do we have for not doing so? His obedience is out of love and unto death. Self-examination: If we required a kidney/liver transplant or we die and someone donated that organ to us so that we live, we would be forever grateful to that person, never forgetting the debt and always shower that person with the utmost respect and gifts of love. What shall we give to Jesus in return for His love which saved us from an eternal death? * "Grace and peace, be multiplied unto you" - The assumption here is that the people whom Peter wrote to already had grace and peace. But Peter wishes more for them. Never be satisfied with the grace and peace we presently enjoy, no matter how great they may be. Life in Christ gets sweeter as we go on longer with Him. The point here is not to demand more grace and peace but not to rest on our laurels. Perhaps this phrase is also referring to the fact that in everything we do, we need God’s peace and grace afresh each time. * "Mercy" - Mercy first implies there was a past transgression that deserved punishment. It also means that we have escaped the deserved judgment through God’s kindness. Self-examination: While we are living under grace, have we totally lost sight of the terrible state of woes that we came from? It helps us to be truly grateful if while we are basking in our certain and bright destiny, we do not forget where we have been and where we should have ended up. Are we truly thankful to God for His mercy? Do we love Jesus more than anyone else for loving us to the point of taking all of our punishing upon Himself? * "Regenerated" - Regeneration first means that we were dead (in spirit) and we have been revived. Regeneration is a miracle, the greatest kind of all. It requires tremendous power and comes at an enormous cost. Self-examination: Are we living as though we are still unregenerate? What are the differences in us today versus before we were saved, in any given areas of our lives? Do we like the new life better and demonstratively so or are we still enamored with the old life? How precious to us and how much value do we place on this gift of new life? This ought to cause us to see that the greatest possession we have is not our money, car, job, hobbies, social standing, health, or even spiritual gifts. Nothing is more valuable than our soul and those of others. * "Hope" - Do we even know that we need to have hope? What is our hope or in whom is our hope? Hope means that we are lacking something good and we long for it. Do we know what we are lacking and what we long for? How real are these to us? Hope also denotes a reason for continuing our existence with purpose and in contentment as well as with joy. If we are constantly finding ourselves being empty, unsatisfied, and downtrodden, it may be wise for us to check on our hope department. * "A living hope" - Living is the opposite of dead. Living also conveys the idea of being lively and lucid - the opposite of dormant and delusional. Self-examination: What is the usual state of our hope? Alive and locked on Christ or dead and devoted to the trappings of this world? * "Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" - Our salvation doesn’t come from saying the sinner’s prayer. The hidden power behind it is Jesus’ life and His sacrifice. Never reduce evangelism to a mere reciting of formulaic phrases. A true appreciation for what Christ has done for an individual is harder to express and impart but often far more profound and effective in witnessing. Only the power from One who gives and creates life can bring life again to a dead person. As much as scientists can make very powerful bombs and destructive missiles, they all pale in comparison to the power that can resurrect life from the dead. Self-examination: How often do we truly trust in God and make use of His power which is always available through prayers? No regeneration can come without the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our fate rests on Jesus being raised from the dead. The fact that He did rise meant that our salvation is also secured by the same awesome power. * "Inheritance" - Inheritance speaks to a future in heaven but also of a passing on (death) from this life. For the believers, we have a definitively good and glorious place to go to live again after we die. But die first we must from and to this present life. Self-examination: Are we stock-piling the things of this world as if to perpetuate our earthly pleasures? Unlike the inheritance which we must toil to leave for our children which may vanish suddenly or speedily, the inheritance waiting for us in heaven is free and will never be taken away. What a very kind God we have! Let us praise and thank Him for loving and taking care of us so well. * "Incorruptible, undefiled, unfading" - We tend to be self-focussed and absorbed with ourselves and our desires because we don’t see either the false value of who we are and what we have (corruptible, defiled, fading) and/or the true worth of who God will make us to be and what He has in store for us (incorruptible, undefiled, unfading). When we pause long enough to compare the things of God versus our things, we will regain a proper perspective of ourselves and of Him. * "Reserved" - Reserved denotes a forethought on God’s part which stems from His love for us even before we ever have any inkling of how precious living an eternity with God really is. If we reserve something nice for someone, it says that we value that person and/or we know that person needs it. In our case, God is saying both of these things are true. What this says is that God has us on His mind all the time. A doting Father He truly is! When we fondly have someone on our minds constantly, it means that we love that person very much. This is exactly what God is saying to us: "I love you and I stretch out My arms all day long to you! Won’t you come unto Me to feed and find rest for your soul?" Self-examination: What is our response to His gracious love? * "Kept by the power of God" - When we have something nice, there is also a chance of someone trying to take it away from us, either because they want it or they do so out of spite or just being plain nasty, and worse yet we may be pretty much helpless to do anything about it. So it is with our priceless salvation. Satan and his minions are always on the prow trying to take it away. More often than not, they are more cunning and powerful than we are, especially true for new Christians. Are we not glad and relieved to know that our salvation is secured because no one or entity can ever take away anything that is kept by God Himself? On the flip side, there are also plenty of time when we throw away something very valuable that we own due to either neglect, stupidity, out of resentment, or whatever reasons. But God knows how foolish, frail, and gullible our heart can be. He knows all our weaknesses and how the devils will prey upon these so He keeps our salvation to preserve for us what we can never afford to lose. Amen to His goodness! * The bottom line: "Blessed be God" - How are we blessing God today for who He is and all that He has done for us? ======================================================================== CHAPTER 3: S. A DEVOTIONAL EXPOSITION OF PSA_112:1-10 ======================================================================== A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 112:1-10 by Son Nguyen 1. Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who delights greatly in His commandments. 2. His seed shall be mighty upon earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed. 3. Wealth and riches shall be in his house; and his righteousness stands forever. 4. To the upright there arises light in the darkness; he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. 5. A good man shows favor, and lends; he will guide his affairs with fairness. 6. Surely he shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be remembered forever. 7. He shall not be afraid of bad news; his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. 8. His heart is sure; he shall not be afraid though he sees his oppressors. 9. He has dispersed; he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn shall be lifted up with honor. An upright man’s call: 1. fears the Lord 2. delights greatly in His commandments 3. gracious 4. full of compassion 5. righteous 6. shows favor 7. lends 8. guides his affairs with fairness 9. has scattered abroad 10. has given to the poor God’s blessings: 1. blessed 2. his seed shall be mighty upon earth 3. the generation of the upright shall be blessed 4. wealth and riches shall be in his house 5. his righteousness stands forever 6. light arises in the darkness for him 7. shall not be moved forever 8. shall be remembered forever 9. shall not be afraid of bad news 10. his heart is fixed 11. trusting in the LORD 12. his heart is sure 13. shall not be afraid though he sees his oppressors 14. his righteousness endures forever 15. his horn shall be lifted up with honor Observations: * God requires both a holy inward and its translation to a benevolent outward manifestation: head (fears the Lord), heart (delights greatly in His commandments), inner bowel (gracious, full of compassion, righteous), outward (shows favor, lends, guides affairs with fairness, scatters abroad, gives to the poor). * God did not require us to do anything that He Himself doesn’t perform. Look at the life of Jesus. He perfectly performed and exemplified each and every single one of the 10 things that an upright man ought to exhibit in himself. * A few thoughts on an upright man: * "Delights greatly in His commandments" - It’s one thing to have a quiet time in the Word, or even better yet, memorize scriptures. It’s quite another thing to really crave the voice of God through His Word as in the manner of longing for the sound of our one and only lover. We sap in strength and die slowly when that sweet sound, which nourishes and brightens our souls, is absent for not too long. Are we eager to hear His call? How long can we go on with our lives before we notice something vital is missing? Do we find that we just can’t wait to receive His instructions in order to perform them at once for Him? Do we feel the pleasure of doing His work? * "Shows favor and lends" - We may have no money to lend but we can always show favor in our countenance as God says that a merry heart does good like a medicine to the broken-hearted. There many things that we can bless others with, even though we ourselves are poor or lacking in strength, like a warm touch accompnied by our comforting and kind words, our wisdom honed by the Lord’s Word and Spirit, and our prayers that bring order and beauty of life into someone’s dark and chaotic world for practically everything meaningful in this world is built on relationship and good words are the foundation of relationships. * God requires 10 things of us. Yet God rewards us with 15 things. * The "nice" things we do/are asked to do are often rather finite and infrequent (i.e. how long are we able to truly delight greatly in His commandments or how often do we show favor and lend to others?). But God’s blessings to us are coming forth at all times without ceasing and they stand forever (i.e. "shall not be moved forever", "shall be remembered forever", "his righteousness endures forever"). * A few thoughts on God’s blessing: * "Shall be remembered forever" - The little things we do which may be so insignificant and unnoticed when seen in the context of the vast multitude of things going on in this world are remembered forever by God Himself. No good deed done imperfectly by a woeful sinner goes unobserved or unappreciated by God. * "Shall not be afraid of bad news/his heart is fixed/his heart is sure/shall not be afraid though he sees his oppressors" - These blessings are priceless as no amount of money can buy inner peace, eternal hope and security, and the kind of courage that not only help him to withstand the pressure and uphold himself but also allow him to be a rock for those around him when troubles come. * "Light arises in the darkness for him" - This is probably as significant a blessing from the Lord as any since no one who carries his own fires into the darkness will ever set foot on the path to be a man or woman of God. "Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on His God. Behold, all you who light your own fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and the torches that you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from My hand: you will lie down in torment." (Isaiah 50:10-11). Our most important decisions are often made in the darkness, with only God’s light. Lighting our own fires is a natural tendency in every fallen person. Praise be to God for giving us His light so that we may walk with Him in the narrow and straight path. Conclusions: * God is perfectly mindful of us and He cares deeply for us. For each little step of obedience in love toward Him and His calling, He will meet us with infinite and greater blessings that will equip and secure us thoroughly, both now and forever. One other observation is that we can never ever work hard enough to attain the kind of inner peace that will hold up in the midst of the severest of affliction. Rather, it is a gift from God and a product of being obedient to Him in other areas. Perhaps, instead of praying that we won’t be afraid of this and that, we should be asking Him to help us to delight better in Him and to share ourselves with others. ======================================================================== CHAPTER 4: S. A DEVOTIONAL EXPOSITION OF PSA_143:1-12 ======================================================================== A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 143:1-12 by Son T. Nguyen 1. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in Your faithfulness and in Your righteousness answer me. 2. And enter not into judgment with Your servant: for in Your sight no man living is just. 4. My spirit has fainted within me; my heart has become weary within me. 5. I remember the days of old; I think on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6. I stretch forth my hands unto You: my soul thirsts after You like a thirsty land. 7. Hear me quickly, O LORD: my spirit fails: hide not Your face from me, lest I be like those that go down into the pit. 8. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for in You do I trust: cause me to know the way in which I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto You. 10. Teach me to do Your will; for You are my God: Your Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. 12. I am Your servant. Background: This is a prayer that David, the Lord’s anointed, made to God at a point in his life when he was in a lot of difficulty even facing deadly opposition all around him. This devotional focuses on the heart behind the prayer being lifted up. "Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in Your faithfulness and in Your righteousness answer me. And enter not into judgment with Your servant: for in Your sight no man living is just." * When we come to God with our prayers, we may fully expect that He will answer us. That is our confidence for God has decreed so. * However, we must remember that the basis for which God will respond is not our rights but His attributes (faithfulness and righteousness). Therefore, our prayers should never be presented as authoritative demands but always as humble requests. * This should be so also because a Godly man realizes that not only his requests are tainted with impure motives but the requests are made by a sinful and corrupt man. Thus, at the same time we are asking Him to fill the desires of our hearts, we must have in mind that, we are also pleading Him to correct both the requests and the very ones making the requests, us. "My spirit has fainted within me; my heart has become weary within me." * God allows us to pour out our hearts to Him, honestly and vividly. When we realize there are only so very few people in our lives with whom we can run to to share very sad, morbid, sordid, shameful, and hurtful details or troubles, time and again, without thinking less of us but still cherishing, upholding, and strengthening us more and more, we see what a constantly intimate and loving God we really have. "I remember the days of old; I think on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands." * It’s interesting that in waiting for God to answer him, one of the very first thing David did was not to dream up plans to get himself out of troubles and to ask for God’s blessing upon them. Instead, he took time to really meditate on what God has done, for him and for others, in the past. All the great men in the Bible from Moses to Paul as well as contemporary figures like Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln stirred themselves and their people to recall the historic deeds of God whenever they faced adversity. * Herein is a lesson for us to remember that wisdom and stability in the heart come not from finding or conjuring up new insights but in searching out and discovering afresh the power of God and His faithfulness to His people. * Also, nothing visual but what God has done can be trusted in times of bewilderment. * Both the Christian life and the Christian walk are but the fulfillment and the telling of a story - His story and the story He has written in our lives before time began. "I stretch forth my hands unto You: my soul thirsts after You like a thirsty land. Hear me quickly, O LORD: my spirit fails: hide not Your face from me, lest I be like those that go down into the pit." * It would be wise for us to examine the manner in which we pray to God - (1) Is it a presentation of mere words or is it accompanied by an overwhelming passion and feeling for Him? (2) Are we concerned more with the requests than with Him? (3) Are we more consumed by pouring out our hearts and receiving His answers rather than being truly desperate for Him? (4) Is there a genuine urgency within us to have Him present in our lives so that if He were to not be around us for long, we surely will wilt and wither away without His presence? "Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; for in You do I trust: cause me to know the way in which I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto You. Teach me to do Your will; for You are my God: Your Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness." * Much has been made of morning quiet times, and of course, that is a very good thing. But what is the sweetest sound 1st thing in the morning? It’s not our voices and thoughts in prayers, but the sound of God’s voice guiding us through His loving presence and His Word. * The proper ending to any prayers should not be "In Jesus’ name. Amen.", but a submission of our will and soul to Him and His teaching. Without giving ourselves over to God, we won’t be able to hear His prayers, no matter how eloquent our prayers may be or how often and fervently we pray. Conclusion: Let the people who know God and long to have Him in every moment of their lives say, "Your Spirit is good and I’m Your servant!" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 5: S. A DEVOTIONAL EXPOSITION OF PSA_30:1-12 ======================================================================== A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 30:1-12 by Son Nguyen 2. O LORD my God, I cried to You, and You have healed me. 4. Sing praises to the LORD, O you saints of His, and give thanks at the memory of His holiness. 5. For His anger is only a moment; in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. 7. O LORD, by Your favor, You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face and I was troubled. 11. You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have torn off my sackcloth and have clothed me with gladness so that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. 12. O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever." Background: King David is dedicating the house of David/the Lord. It is a time of great joy, prosperity, and strength for him. However, note that throughout this song of praise, he dwells not on what he was able to achieve or has been blessed with, but he focuses entirely upon the personal relationship he has with God. This is a picture of a man who remembers to whom he belongs to and where all of his goodness comes from. It also strikes me in another marvelous way when it occurred to me that the word for man in the Bible is "zakar" which means the "remembering one". Indeed, David is a man after God’s own heart. It is well for us to never forget our Lord, not even for a moment, if we are to be men of God - created in His own image. Thoughts to consider/remember in our relationship with the Lord: "O LORD my God, I cried to You, and You have healed me": - The Lord will heal when we cry to Him. - Only God can completely heal our heartaches and the wounds deep within our soul. Delay not in going to Him for the kind of healing that will comfort and satisfy with lasting peace. - But 1st it is required that we acknowledge Him fully, in every fiber of our soul and in all that we do, as the Lord of our lives. "Give thanks at the memory of His holiness": - Holiness. Given the multitude of things David could have given thanks for, what a surprising choice - it is probably the last thing we think of in time of great celebration, but note how God’s holiness is the essential source for how well we are doing. - Do we thank Him for His personal characters/attributes or only for His work/blessings to our lives? "O LORD, by Your favor, You have made my mountain to stand strong. You hid Your face and I was troubled": - In the Bible, "my mountain" is a figure of speech for that denotes my glory/everything that is strong about me. - David understands that everything good and glorious about him came because the Lord’s favor is upon him. At the same time, David also understands that even though he is strong, all the glories that he may possess will come to nothing if the Lord turns from him. - What is the worst thing that can ever happen to us? What is our worst fear? Sickness, death, divorce, loneliness, losing our job, losing a friend/relationship are all things that will make our strength to fail and weigh down our lives with grief .... sometimes life is so hard on us that we feel like we can’t go on. But for a true child of God, there is none worse than causing the Lord to turn His face away from us. David fears not losing his possession but chiefly his intimate relationship with the Lord. Are we that way? "For His anger is only a moment; in His favor is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning": - God, being a holy God, will at times chastise us to bring us back to Himself. When this happens, it is usually grievous to our systems/bodies/hearts/minds. When God performs surgeries to remove the cancers of our sins, it’s going to be very painful .... and we are going to feel the hurt since He doesn’t so much as to use a scalpel (nips/tucks here and there) but He rips things apart and wipes clean everything. - This correction time may feel like an eternity, and we may cry in great anguish and mourning, but God assures us that, after our repentance and learning, joy always comes .... His joy, the kind that heals and makes alive our soul again. "You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have torn off my sackcloth and have clothed me with gladness so that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent": - Indeed, God will turn our sorrows into joy. Rest assured that He will never leave us in our broken state forever. - But also note that we are given the joy and the renewal of our glory, not so much that we can be stronger Christians, but to sing His praise and be living testimonies of Him and His great love to the world. Conclusion: Everything about us (strength, happiness, sorrows) revolves around our relationship with the Lord. Put that in the forefront and the very core of our soul. Let us sing and declare to the Lord: "O LORD my God, I will give You thanks forever!" ======================================================================== CHAPTER 6: S. A DEVOTIONAL EXPOSITION OF PSA_51:1-19 ======================================================================== A Devotional Exposition of Psalms 51:1-19 by Son Nguyen 1. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. 6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness. "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions." * We appeal to God on the basis of His lovingkindness and tender mercies, not on our hurt/need or the hurt/need of others. "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." * Before we take actions to correct any "damage" we think may have done, be sure to get God to purge the crud in our hearts first or we’ll end up complicating things even more because we don’t have the proper vertical perspective. "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight." * Our 1st concern, no matter how grievous or dire or sad or whatever we or the other persons are experiencing, is getting hold of God and look straight at His holiness. Everything else can be put off till this is done and He has responded back to us. Better yet, we can rest knowing that while we’re going to Him, He will make everything else to work out right. God is always at work for His children. * Worry not what anyone else says about us for now. If God does not condemn us, then cease from devoting attention to what we think others may say about us. In fact, rejoice greatly and take heart that we have followed God’s leading. Unfounded fears and doubts are sins for that is the way the devil gets at us. "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." * Make sure we are entrenched and firm with God in His truth for us on the inside before we interface with the people who we have to deal with. Ask the Lord Jesus for wisdom and He will give it to us abundantly. But 1st ask, before act. Emotions are tricky things - they may make us look righteous and compassionate (according to our own eyes) but may end up hurting others more and making us to waver from the path that God wants us to enter. "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." * We all need a daily renewal of our spirit. Discard everything (good and bad) and run hard to Jesus afresh. "Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.... Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." * The best thing for anyone to experience is to be broken by the Lord Himself. A man who seeks after God’s own heart knows this and is glad for it. * Ask for His joy to be upon us. True joy and gladness must come the Lord Himself. They do not come from fixing our deficiencies/mistakes and patching things up. "Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee." * Only after getting the vertical right, THEN we will move out and act, or not act, according His Spirit leading (Exodus 33:13-15). "Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness." * Are we reflecting His characters (which require a clinging to His righteousness that is taught to us in the Word and manifested in Jesus) or are we more concerned with proving our own righteousness and displaying our own glory? ======================================================================== Source: https://sermonindex.net/books/writings-of-son-nguyen/ ========================================================================