Learn from Him

B. A. Manakala Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure. (Ps 73:1 nlt) One of my friends told me about one of our teachers, ‘that teacher is very good’. But another friend told me just the opposite about the same teacher, ‘that teacher is very bad’. All of us may be able to guess why these reports about the teacher were different. Asaph says here, ‘God is good to Israel’ (Ps. 73:1). But we all know how many times the people of Israel murmured against God when they had to face tough times on earth that they did not want. God is good, not because He provides for all our needs, not because He keeps us away from all kinds of dangers, not because He keeps us alive on earth until we are a hundred years old; but because He is faithful and able to take us to the other shore, no matter what we face on earth. How do I experience God as good in my life? God’s goodness is good enough to make us all good, when we earnestly desire. Prayer: Lord, help me understand better every day

B. A. Manakala Praise his glorious name forever! Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and amen! (Ps 72:19 nlt) I have a friend whose name is 'Glorious'. The first time I asked his name I had to reconfirm with him if I heard it right. I felt honoured to meet and talk to my friend Glorious. We have Someone who has a glorious  name that deserves all praise forever! (Ps 72:19) I know a friend who renamed himself when he was grown as the original name did not have a good meaning. God himself  sometimes changed names of people: Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel. I am not sure if my name has a meaning in any language. My parents have not told me if they intended any meaning when they named me. God will make your name great! (Gen 12:2) He has written your name on His palm! (Is 49:16) No matter what your name on earth is. Do I realise that I have a great name because of His glorious name? There is only one name through which our names, no matter what they a

B. A. Manakala Praise the Lord God, the God of Israel, who alone does such wonderful things. (Ps 72:18 nlt) It took 17 years, 22,000 labourers and 1000 elephants to complete Taj Mahal, which is considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. Man made many wonderful things on earth. But we only can continue to wonder at the wonderful things God does! We made all the wonders on earth using the little knowledge God gave us. We can make wonders only if God allows. God did not let the wonder of Babel to come up (Gen 11). But he allowed Noah to build the wonder of an ark that saved his family and a pair of all kinds of animals on earth during a flood that killed all other people and animals! We are yet to discover many of the wonderful things of God! What wonderful things that God does I see? Human wonders are just tiny parts of God's wonderful creation. Prayer: Lord, open my eyes to see the wonderful things You do. Amen

B. A. Manakala May the king’s name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring him praise. (Ps 72:17 nlt) The Math teacher gave a problem to the class. All students worked hard for a long time to solve it. Finally, one genius among them solved it! The teacher sent every other student one by one to him, to learn how he solved it. Finally, everyone in the class solved it. What a beautiful desire is it to desire all nations to be blessed through him (Ps 72:17). God made Abraham a blessing to all nations on earth (Gen 22:18). We are to bless even those who curse us (Lk 6:28). If we solve a problem ourselves it is easy to help everyone else around us to solve the same problem, or encourage them to go through the process. It is possible to be such a blessing only through the blessing we received from above. Do we desire that all nations on earth would be blessed through you? The best way to please God and others is by being a bl

B. A. Manakala Long live the king! May the gold of Sheba be given to him. May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long.  (Ps 72:15 nlt) ‘Le Roi est mort, Vive le Roi! ’ is a French phrase meaning, ‘King is dead, long live the king’, which was said to be used in 1461 when Charles VII died. The expression ‘may the king live’ or ‘God save the king’ is used several times in the Bible (1 Sam 10:24; 2 Sam 16:16). Methuselah lived 969 years (Gen. 5:27); but today we would hardly find anyone living upto 100 years. Though Solomon also was wished ‘long live the king’ he does not seem to have lived more than 80 years! Though long life is a blessing, how long we live on earth does not really matter; but what we do with life on earth is important. Once we are born we are eternal beings. During this life we also choose where we want to spend our eternity. May all of us live long on earth; more importantly, may we choose to spend our eternity with God. Am I prepared to live long with

B. A. Manakala He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him. (Ps 72:14 nlt) Long ago I attended a wedding banquet. As usual all participants were well dressed and busy with their conversations during the meal. Most people, if not all, were busy in having their own meals. I noticed one of the participants serving a meal to a beggar who was standing outside the banquet hall. When I saw the beggar enjoying the meal, I wondered if this beggar ever had such a meal before. The poor are precious to our God that he redeems them from oppression and violence (Ps 72:13-14). Perhaps, we generally connect with people of certain status alone, and icons ignore the poor. Once Jesus told a rich godly man to sell all that he has and give to the poor (Matt 19:21). He also suggested not to invite our relatives and rich neighbours for our luncheon, rather invite the poor (Lk 14:12-13). God wants us to have the same heart as His for the poor. How am I doing in consid

B. A. Manakala He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. (Ps 72:13 nlt) Once a man was attacked by robbers and was left alone on the road wounded. A priest came along, saw him and passed by. Then a temple assistant found the man lying there and went his way. Then a kind man came along, gave him the first aid and took him to the hospital, promising to pay for his complete treatment. It is one thing to feel pity on someone's condition, and another, to rescue him from the situation. Many people would feel pity for the poor and needy; but very few would set out to rescue them. The verse above talks about both feeling pity and rescuing the poor (Ps 72:13). Do I just feel pity for the needy, or act on it whenever possible? It is good if we are feeling pity for the poor; it is even better if we can do something to rescue them. Prayer: Lord, let me have the kind of heart You have that I may feel and act as You do. Amen

B. A. Manakala All kings will bow before him, and all nations will serve him. (Ps 72:11 nlt) Once as I passed by a crowded road I found most people pass by that road, stop at a point, turn to a particular side, bow their heads for a moment and then go on their way. It took me some time before I realised that there was a temple by that side. As desired in the key verse above, ambassadors from different nations came to hear of Solomon’s wisdom (1 King 4:34). Though Solomon was considered as the wisest man, there is only one who is the King of kings (Rev 17:14). One day every knee shall bow before Him (Rom 14:11). However, do not forget about the authority that is given to us through Jesus; we are seated with Him in high authority and have authority over all the evil powers we see around. And one day we will rule the world (1 Cor. 6:2). Even as I exercise my authority do I bow to the King of kings? Be proud of the authority we have through Jesus Christ; but keep away pride. Prayer: Lord,

B. A. Manakala May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. May he reign from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. (Ps 72:7-8 nlt) During the school days some friends used to promise, ‘I will be your friend forever; I will never forget you’. But in most cases I have never seen them since when I left the school and have no contact with any of them! The verses wish about Solomon’s reign that would last until the moon is no more and it would reach to the ends of the earth (Ps. 72:7-8). ‘Everywhere’ and ‘forever’ are words that have eternal effect. No man or king can ever reach everywhere or reign on earth forever! God will reign forever and ever (Exo. 15:18). Jesus will reign forever (Rev. 11:15); and we, his children, will reign with him forever (Dan. 7:27)! But let’s not forget that we already have the status of a royal priesthood and that it calls us to proclaim the goodness of God here on earth (

B. A. Manakala May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. (Ps 72:6 nlt) The farmers in India wait for rains at different times between the plowing of the land and the harvest. Sometimes they wait too long and are desperate for rain. Finally, when it rains they are relieved and grateful. The rain makes a big difference to their agriculture. The Psalmist's prayer is for the king’s rule to be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, and like the showers that water the earth (Ps 72:6). God's promise to Abraham was that he will be a blessing to all families on earth (Gen 12:3). This is similar to what Jesus said about us being the 'salt of the earth' and 'light of the world'. Are we refreshing in our talk, deeds and rule? When we are under the refreshing heavenly rule we refresh others. Prayer: Lord, let me always be refreshing to everyone around me. Amen

B. A. Manakala May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever! (Ps 72:5 nlt) When I used to drive on the mountains there was a spot where the road was cut through huge rocks. Initially driving through the rocky tunnel was scary, as it appeared not very stable. But years later, when I have driven through it several times, I was not even bothered about the tunnel or the rock above me! We may have accepted the Lord into our heart many years ago. But over a period of time our fear for the Lord may have grown cold. There are several things in the world that we fear - whether it be sicknesses, pandemic, war, security or privacy. None of these will be capable of frightening us if we fear God. He continues to bless our life and preserves it when we fear Him (Deu 6:24). Fear of the Lord lengthens life (Pro. 10:27). Fear of everything else leads us to frustration and destruction. It is only God that we have to fear forever! What steals my fear a

B. A. Manakala Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors. (Ps 72:4 nlt) Once Jesus sat down near the collection box at the temple. Though many rich people put in large amounts Jesus eagerly noted a poor widow who put in just two small coins. No one else there would have noticed her, but Jesus. The Psalmist says about three things that we could do for them: 1) defend, 2), rescue, and 3) crush the oppressors (Ps 72:4). Not everyone would have a heart to stand for the poor. But if we are true followers of Jesus we must  have a heart for them. We will feel restless if we don't do anything about the needy. The poor are often denied justice and rights; many of them are very poor and need help from others for their sustenance. They need someone to rescue them from the grasp of the evil ones (Ps 82:3-4). Those who oppress the poor insult their maker (Pro. 14:31). Do I recognise that the poor are waiting for me? When we feed the poor we

B. A. Manakala May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. (Ps 72:3 nlt) I was born and brought up in the plains. Even the small hills in the area were not utilised for cultivation and considered useless lands for some reason. God can make the mountains and hills prosperous and fruitful (Ps 72:3), though sometimes from our point of view they are tough places. I had the opportunity to live in the mountains for several years; but those mountains were prosperous with fruits, vegetables and lentils. With God there is light in the darkness, hope in hopelessness, health in sickness and prosperity even on mountains. We have the responsibility to care for (Gen 2:15) and work hard on the land (Pro. 12:11), which contributes to prosperity. God wants to work with us to make us more  prosperous. Am I willing to do my part in growing towards prosperity? Prosperity awaits those who work hard with Him; it remains a dream for those who are lazy! Prayer: Lord, help me to

B. A. Manakala Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. (Ps 72:1 nlt) Once a manager hired labourers into his vineyard. All of them were hired at different times of the day - one in the morning, another in the afternoon, another towards the end of the day. To their surprise, at the end of the day when the manager paid them they were all paid the same wage! We might assume from the above story that the manager is unjust. God’s justice may not be how we would want it. True justice and love go together. Justice plays an important role when it comes to dealing with the rich and the poor. It is generally the poor who do not get justice. Therefore, in the next verse Solomon prays for the poor to be treated fairly (Ps. 72:1). Though God is just we will always have the poor among us (Matt. 26:11). I believe this is because God wants to use us also to establish justice and let us treat the poor fairly. Justice sounds better if we can let others have it,

B. A. Manakala I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me. (Ps 71:23 nlt) There was a slave who suffered immensely from the slavery under his master! One day he was taken to the slave market to be sold. Finally, another Master came and bargained for him and purchased him for a big price. But the new Master was merciful to the slave that he just let him go his own way, and did not keep him as a slave! But he decided to continue on with the new  Master who was very kind to him. All of us were slaves under a master in this world and were under a painful bondage. The worldly master ruled over us and let us suffer whatever way possible. We were doomed to destruction at the end. The masters of this world kept selling and buying us to achieve their worldly purposes. But there is only one Master Jesus who decided to pay a ransom for us and deliver us from the bondages of wickedness forever! He not only redeemed us, but set us free from all the bondages! Also beware th

B. A. Manakala Then I will praise you with music on the harp, because you are faithful to your promises, O my God. I will sing praises to you with a lyre, O Holy One of Israel. (Ps 71:22 nlt) Some time ago we stayed in a hotel room. We approached the caretaker to get some of the issues in the hotel room to be solved. He promised to solve them by next morning. By the middle of the next day when I reminded him, again he promised to solve them by evening! Later, I reminded him once more and he made another promise. But they were never solved, and we were quite upset! God is always faithful to His promises (Ps 71:22) and He never fails to fulfill them (Josh 21:45). He is the only One who can never fail to fulfill the promises. If you want to cling to some promises choose God's, not man's. If we expect all human promises to be fulfilled it may only lead to disappointment. On the other hand, it is important to be faithful to what we promise, if we do not want to upset others. Intenti

B. A. Manakala You have allowed me to suffer much hardship, but you will restore me to life again and lift me up from the depths of the earth. (Ps 71:20 nlt) I know a couple who has a special needs child. Initially they had several questions and it was a struggle for them to take care of the child. But gradually they learned well to care for the child. Eventually, they started a school for such children with special needs. Now they care for hundreds of such children! God may allow certain hardships in our lives to achieve His purposes in our lives in a certain manner. This does not mean God can achieve His plans only through hardships. God could have guided the couple above to start such a school even without giving them a special child. But God decided to give them a special child to equip them to care for hundreds of children. Couldn’t God save humanity without allowing Jesus to suffer on the cross? The scripture has a number of mentions about possible suffering in our lives (2 Timot

B. A. Manakala Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the highest heavens. You have done such wonderful things. Who can compare with you, O God? (Ps 71:19 nlt) Antlions are called ‘pit-elephants’ in my language. During my childhood I used to compare them with real elephants, though I could not find anything in common between them. We are created by God and are blessed with a lot of knowledge and wisdom. But it is nothing more than just foolishness for man to consider himself smarter than God. A true revelation about God is necessary to understand who we are truly. After all, we are just created beings and our brain is insufficient to have a perfect understanding of who God is. As long as we do not have a good glimpse of who God is, we will keep trying to compare and compete with God. We can never compare God with anything or anyone (Is 40:18). Do I ever try to compare God with something or someone? The more we know who God is, the less we will project ourselves. Prayer: Lord, let me gro

B. A. Manakala Now that I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me proclaim your power to this new generation, your mighty miracles to all who come after me. (Ps 71:18 nlt) If I ask my father for somebody's phone number he has it either in his memory or he picks up a physical phone book and search for. Today I do not remember any phone numbers and I have it all on my smartphone. The gap between the old and young generation is sometimes so huge that they may not even understand each other well. Psalmist's decision to proclaim about God's power to the new generation is an important aspect here (Ps 71:18). Even today this is something that the new generation finds it difficult to understand - what God's power truly is. Those of us who have experienced it must share it with the new generation. It would be a blessing for the younger ones to listen, to understand more about the power of God. How would I proclaim about the power of God to the younger generation? The m

B. A. Manakala I will praise your mighty deeds, O Sovereign Lord. I will tell everyone that you alone are just. (Ps 71:16 nlt) Once two cats found a piece of bread. As they found it difficult to divide it into two equal pieces they sought the help of a monkey. The monkey quickly cut them into two and found that they were not equal. He cut a little from the bigger piece and ate it to make them equal. But as he did it the other piece became bigger. He repeated this till he finished the whole bread! Be it about people or situations, I often think whatever I say is just and true at a given point of time. I generally feel sorry later when I realise that my judgement at that time was completely wrong! That Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego must be killed was the right judgement by the King Nebuchadnezzar at one time as they did not obey his command to bow down to the gold statue. But things turned around such that the same king later ordered to worship only the God of the three men! (Dan 3) How

B. A. Manakala I will tell everyone about your righteousness. All day long I will proclaim your saving power, though I am not skilled with words. (Ps 71:15 nlt) I know somebody who was nicknamed ‘newspaper’! He was given this name because he did not know to keep anything secret. He shares with others even those things that need to be kept secret. I heard friends saying, if you want to pass on a message quickly to everyone just share it with the ‘newspaper’! I am usually good at expressing to others around me about how good I am. The fact is that, if at all there is anything good in me, it is only because of the One who is in me. We can boldly tell about His righteousness to everyone around us. We are empowered to witness Him before everyone everywhere (Act 1:8). But we cannot boast in the good results of our telling others, because it is the Father who attracts anyone to Jesus (Jn 6:44). What you tell others about yourself may entertain them on earth; what you tell others about Him may

B. A. Manakala But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more and more. (Ps 71:14 nlt) When my mother had cancer I had hoped in the Lord till the last moment and prayed fervently that she would be healed. Eventually she had gone home on 7th February 1995 through the same illness. I remember crying to God even to raise her up. However, the Lord helped me to be more hopeful even to this day. As we live on earth there are several occasions when we might reach the end of the rope. Perhaps, such times can be very tough that we may almost think that there is no more hope. The psalmist’s words ‘keep on hoping’ means an endless hope (Ps. 71:14). Only God can enable us to hope even when there is no hope at all from a human point of view. We need to intentionally keep on focusing on the Lord to ‘keep on hoping’. A continuous hope in the Lord is a blessed experience. How would I continue to hope in God? Hopelessness is quite natural from a human point of view; being hopeful is qu

B. A. Manakala O God, don’t stay away. My God, please hurry to help me. (Ps 71:12 nlt) When my son goes to bed he wants me to be with him. Sometimes he requests that I don't go away even after he goes to sleep. As parents we ensure children's safety though it may seem like we go away. We cannot see God's presence with us physically. Though God is always with us, at times in life we feel that He stays away from us. Even when we know He is with us, sometimes we ignore it or take it for granted.  Sometimes God allows us to go through certain challenges, and make us feel left alone in order to achieve His purpose. Even Jesus at one point asked the Father 'my God, why have you abandoned me?' (Matt. 27:46). How would I respond when God seems away from me? When God seems away from us that is the best time to call on God more fervently! Prayer: Lord, teach me to call on you even when you seem to be away from me. Amen

B. A. Manakala They say, “God has abandoned him. Let’s go and get him, for no one will help him now.” (Ps 71:11 nlt) During the pandemic Covid-19 many who had been quarantined and isolated would have felt that 'there is no one to help'! Even otherwise at some point in life we may have had such a feeling. Probably even when Jesus was on the cross many who stood around the cross would have had the same thought that 'there is no one to help him'. In fact, this is just a lie of the devil. If we continue to believe this lie for long we would only mess up with many things in our lives. Even if we go up to heaven or grave God is there with us (Ps 139:8). Even if we try to run away from God and build our nest among the stars He will be there (Ob. 1:4). If you are willing to get closer to the Lord He is all the more willing to get closer to you (Jam. 4:8). If the Lord is for us, who can be against us? (Rom. 8:31) How would I respond to the lie 'there is no one to help'?

B. A. Manakala For my enemies are whispering against me. They are plotting together to kill me. (Ps 71:10 nlt) Ten people stood in a row. The first person whispered something to the next one, who shared it to the next one. Thus, the message finally arrived at the last person, who shared it with the first person again. But the messages the first person shared and the last person shared were totally different! ‘Whispering’ may be considered synonymous with ‘gossip’, though actually it is not! There may be rare occasions when whispering may be necessary. I whisper usually when I want to say something to somebody and should not be heard by a third person standing nearby or when I want to speak to somebody inside a meeting room. Both of these cannot be encouraged as they usually produce a negative result. As per the verse above it is his enemies that are whispering against him; and they are plotting to kill him (Ps. 71:10). There are many other verses where whispering is not considered good