Learn from Him

B. A. Manakala Fear the Lord, you His godly people, for those who fear Him will have all they need. Ps. 34:9 Have you ever felt that some of your needs are never met? There are many kinds of needs: physical, emotional, spiritual. The verse seems to give an ottamooli (one medicine for any sickness) for meeting all kinds of needs: 'fear God'. The next verse (10) says, " Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing. " Our God is incomparable even with strong young lions which easily find their food. Our spiritual needs should only increase (Mtt. 5:3); but our physical needs probably should not (Phil. 4:12-13). One way to meet all your needs: fear God. Prayer: Lord, teach me to fear you more and more and learn to be content. Amen

B. A. Manakala Try for yourself, and you will experience that Yahweh is good to you! He is very pleased with those who ask Him to protect them. Ps. 34:8 (t4t) Many years ago, when I wanted to purchase a scooter I asked my friend to join me for the test-ride. We test-ridded multiple scooters with two different companies. Finally, I had to select a scooter of his choice, not mine! If we are in a bakery we can taste and buy what we like. NIV reads the above verse as, "taste and see that the Lord is good … " One, who truly tastes the Lord once, will know that He is truly 'good' and would never want to make a different choice. That's our experience. At the same time we are also helping others in making a choice. Taste the Lord well; you will never want to taste the world. Prayer: Lord, help me to know well that You are good. Amen

B. A. Manakala Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. Ps. 34:5 A good news, a victory, a blessing etc. usually make our faces radiant. What about a failure, a sad news or a sickness? Do we look shameful, dull or gloomy at times in life? Well, it must be because we don't look to Him for help. I wonder what kind of radiance Moses had as he came down from the mountain. He had to wear a veil over his face as it became too radiant after talking to God (Ex. 34:29, 35). The more you look to His face the more radiant you would become. On the other hand, the less you look to His face the less radiant you will be. Look to man and you may be ashamed; look to God and be radiant. Prayer: Lord, teach me to look to Your face whatever situation I face in life. Amen

B. A. Manakala I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak His praises. Ps. 34:2 If you scan the words you spoke from morning until evening how many words of praise to God you may find? How could we praise the Lord at all times? Ps 113:3 says, " From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised ." Heb 13:15: " Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise   —  the fruit of lips that openly profess His name ." We should deliberately make it a daily practice to praise God in all circumstances. Praising God will help us shift our focus from self to God. If you want to please God always, praise Him always. Prayer: Lord, teach me to praise You continually and always. Amen

B. A. Manakala Don ’ t count on your warhorse to give you victory — for all its strength, it cannot save you. Ps. 33:17 Often kings think they win wars because of the strength of their horses. Anyway, horses can't do anything without the rider. We need the horse in a war; but the victory is not given by the horse. A Christian without Christ would make no sense. I go to church, pray, sing, preach … . I am a missionary, pastor, evangelist … . So I am a believer. These are like 'horses' that cannot make you a child of God. It is only His grace that we have been saved (Eph. 2:8-9), not because of these 'horses'. Walk with God and give all credits to Him. Live dog is better than a dead lion! (Ecc. 9:4) Prayer: Lord, please help me to continue to trust in Your grace that saved me. Amen

B. A. Manakala The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race. From his throne he observes all who live on the earth. Ps. 33:13-14 Only One can see the whole human race in just one look! He sees even the dying! On average, four babies are born into the world every second while two people die every second. But during wars, spreading diseases the death rate would be much higher. I often feel like asking God ‘ Lord, don ’ t you see the dying, the suffering and the poor? ’ In fact, God sees us before we are born (Jer. 1:5) and even after we are dead. We, his children, have the privilege to pray for the whole human race (1 Tim. 2:1-2). He   sees everyone. Let ’ s pray for everyone. We see only those around us; he sees everyone around the globe! Prayer: Lord, please help me to pray for the whole human race. Amen

B. A. Manakala But the Lord ’ s plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken. Ps. 33:11 Someone said, 'failing to plan is planning to fail'. But even many who plan are often unable to fulfill their plans. There's only One whose plans are firm - the Lord's. Even when it looks like things are going upside down His plans never fail. He has a plan for the universe, His creation including the human beings. You and I are part of His plan; o ur families and communities are also part of His plan. The next verse goes, (verse12) " What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people He has chosen as His inheritance ." It's joyful for a nation that has chosen Him as their God. God's plans are fulfilled even through our failed plans! Prayer: Lord, help us to work with You in fulfilling Your plans. Amen

B. A. Manakala Let the whole world fear the Lord, and let everyone stand in awe of Him." Ps. 33:8 I am always amazed at how airplanes fly about 30,000 feet up in the air. A320 airplanes may be around 123 feet long, weighing about 75,000 kilograms and fly about 900 kms per hour! People and the world stand in awe of many things. Maybe they stand in awe of technologies, flood, war, COVID-19 and the like. God wants the whole world to fear him and to stand in awe of Him. If we stand in awe of the human wisdom in creating airplanes and other technologies how about the wisdom of God who created man? What do we stand in awe of? Anyone who truly sees and understands God and His creation will always be amazed. Man can never fully understand who God is! Even a little knowledge about God will only make man stand in awe. Prayer: Lord, help me know You better every day. Amen

B. A. Manakala The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born. Ps. 33:6 The Latin phrase c reatio ex nihilo means 'created out of nothing'. Scientifically, only 'nothing can be created out of nothing'; every effect must have a cause, equal or greater than itself; every action has an equal and opposite reaction; energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Have you or any human ever created something out of nothing? Yes! It's only our eternal God who created everything out of nothing. Heb 11:3 says " By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God ’ s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. " Only One can create anything out of nothing: the eternal God. Prayer: Eternal God, I worship You for your power to create. Help me to simply believe in You always as the only creator. Amen

B. A. Manakala Let the godly sing for joy to the Lord; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him. Ps. 33:1 God wants His children to praise him. From among the Christian population in the world how many do you think would be pure in their heart? How many would be praising Him sincerely? We, who are made pure by the Lord, are to always praise Him, because the wicked or the impure or the dead cannot praise Him (Ps. 115:17). How much are you able to praise God? Ps 32:11 is very similar to 33:1. Only when you   see God well, you can praise   Him well; only the pure in heart can see Him (Mtt. 5:8). Only the pure can praise God sincerely, not those who are called 'Christians'. Prayer: Lord, help me to praise You from the depths of my heart throughout my life. Amen

B. A. Manakala I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Ps. 32:8 At various crossroads in life we all realize the need for having someone to guide and advise us to make the right right decisions. We often tend to bypass our Wonderful Counsellor (Is. 9:6) and look for human help. This is not something God expects from us. He doesn't want to bypass us; rather He desires to continue to work with us. How wonderful it is to know that "Indeed, the Sovereign Lord never does anything until He reveals His plans to His servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7). Let's make God our primary counsellor. You may not lose anything if you bypass human counsellors; but if you bypass the Loving Counsellor, you will. Prayer: Lord, thank you for being a Wonderful Counsellor to me. Help me to seek Your counseling constantly. Amen

B. A. Manakala Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “ I will confess my transgressions to the LORD. ” And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Ps. 32:5 How often do you confess, or admit your sins before God? Confessing to a gracious God is usually easy. But we have to do that as many times as possible, because we are sinful in many ways. The tough job is probably to confess to men. James 5:16 encourages us to confess to each other. According to this verse we are made righteous partly because we confess. Only God can make us righteous; but we can initiate the process. When we commit a sin against another person it is important to confess before both the person and God. Righteousness begins with confession to God and others. Prayer: Lord, give me the courage to confess to others when I have to. Amen

B. A. Manakala Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Ps. 32:1 We often hear people say, "God blessed me with a house, or a car, or a business etc." Of course! These may be considered blessings from the Lord for our temporary use while on earth. Learn to be thankful to God for all such blessings. NLT uses the word 'joy' in place of 'blessed'. Real joy and blessedness cannot come from things we see and touch. Even the joy one may get when healed from a deadly sickness cannot last long. Because he gets sick again! The fact that you are forgiven forever should make you more joyful than anything else. If you want to be joyful always remember the fact that you are forgiven forever. Prayer: Lord, thank you for forgiving me forever. Remind me of this truth again and again. Amen

B. A. Manakala In panic I cried out, “ I am cut off from the Lord! ” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Ps. 31:22 Are you worried, anxious, fearful or panicking about anything in life or ministry? To panic is very natural for any human being. But Phil. 4:6 commands not to be anxious. The Analytical Literal Translation of the verse is "stop being anxious about anything". So, the actual command is 'do not continue to worry about anything', or 'stop worrying.' On the other hand, the feeling by the psalmist that 'I am cut off from the Lord' is partly because of the lack of trust and faith in him. Remember God is sovereign over all our situation. Complete trust in God will enable you to stop worrying! Prayer: Lord, enable me to always believe that You are sovereign over all my situations and not continue to worry. Amen

B. A. Manakala You hide them in the shelter of Your presence, safe from those who conspire against them. You shelter them in Your presence, far from accusing tongues. Ps. 31:20 Bunkers (underground shelter) are considered one of the safest places to run and hide in during wars. In some countries it is necessary to attach bunkers while constructing any building. Do you realize that you are always in a bunker since when you accepted the Lord? Are you looking for a safe place to run into in times of troubles? David describes here, there's nothing like God's presence where you can hide safely. And the Lord has promised to be with us always (Matt. 28:20). There's nothing like the powerful bunker of God's presence! Prayer: Lord, thank you for always hiding me in Your presence. Help me to run into Your presence for safety. Amen

B. A. Manakala How great is the goodness You have stored up for those who fear You. You lavish it on those who come to You for protection, blessing them before the watching world. Ps. 31:19 What are you looking forward to seeing as "great goodness" that is in heaven for you? I believe it is not all kinds of things that we talk about from an earthly point of view. 1Pet 1:3-4 reads " … Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance – an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.” Let's have the heavenly perspective on the great goodness that he has in store for us. Eternal life began on the day you accepted him! Enjoy the goodness of living with Him even on earth. Prayer: Lord, please keep my eyes open to continue to see the greatest goodness in heaven. Amen

B. A. Manakala Don ’ t let me be disgraced, O Lord, for I call out to You for help. Let the wicked be disgraced; let them lie silent in the grave. Ps. 31:17 Whom do we call for help in helpless times? We may take immediate help from anyone around us. A mechanic may help with machines; a doctor may help in our sickness; pastors may help us in our spiritual growth. But there is a limitation to how much others can help us.   As children of God it is essential to practice to call on God for all situations in life; in other words, make Him our primary helper. Our real help comes from the Lord (Ps. 121:2). God's help is unlimited and free! Prayer: Lord, teach me to see You as the ultimate helper in all walks of life. Amen

B. A. Manakala You have not handed me over to my enemies but have set me in a safe place. Ps. 31:8 Was there a time when you felt you were in the hands of your enemies? You were defeated, humiliated, despised, rejected? But God may hand us over to our enemies for several reasons: 1.       Maybe you are trying to win by yourself, without God's help.  2.       Maybe God is building you, making you humble and trust Him more. 3.       Maybe you failed in keeping his commandments and didn't obey Him as much as He expected. 4.       To make us aware that even after we are defeated we survive and again make progress in life only by His strength. Prayer: Lord, help me to see Your hands with me even when I am in the hands of my enemies. Amen

B. A. Manakala Be my rock of protection, a fortress where I will be safe. Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me, for I find protection in you alone. Ps. 31:2b, 4 He was accused of spreading rumours when 34 year old ophthalmologist Li Wenliang texted his friends in December 2019 about a spreading virus, which is today called COVID-19! Today as the virus has killed almost 3 lakhs people and more than 13.5 million people are affected by it, many are running around for safety! Do you realize that you are safe in the arms of the Lord? Read Psalm 91 to know about some of the wonderful ways God protects His children. Verse seven reads, “ a thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you . ” Praise God! Fear God! You will not fear COVID-19! Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the protection You have given me. Please heal those who are affected by COVID-19 and stop it from spreading further. Amen

B. A. Manakala Keep me free from the trap that is set for me, for You are my refuge. Ps 31:4 If you hear someone near you shout 'snake!' how would you respond? How about a 'trap'? Satan is hanging around to set a trap for everyone. However, those whose refuge is the Lord can never fall into the trap. Ps 57:6 says, " My enemies have set a trap for me. I am weary from distress. They have dug a deep pit in my path, but they themselves have fallen into it. " Enemies can set a trap for you. But when you take refuge in the Lord it may be a trap only to those who set the trap. Do not waste your time investigating the kinds of trap Satan may set for you; rather invest in understanding how to take continuous refuge in the Lord. Those who try to trap others may end up in the same trap! Prayer: Lord, please help me to continue to take refuge in You all the days of my life. Amen

B. A. Manakala In You, LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in Your righteousness. Ps 31:1 He took all our shame on himself (Is. 53:3-5). So we will never be put to shame. Part of a hymn goes, Behold the Man upon the cross. My sin upon His shoulder. Ashamed I hear my mocking voice, Call out among the scoffers.   It was my sin that held Him there, Until it was accomplished. His dying breath has brought me life. I know that it is finished. No one likes to be ashamed. Jesus chose to carry our shame on himself so that we will be free. Our shame was taken away because he carried it! Prayer: Lord, thank you for carrying my guilt and shame on the cross. Help me to continue to take refuge in You. Amen

B. A. Manakala You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, Ps 30:11 Can anyone be joyful during sad times? Our God is the only one who can turn our sorrow to joy. Phil 4:4 reads, "Rejoice in the Lord always. …" In other words, not everyone can rejoice always; but those who are in the Lord can. The world generally longs for temporary joy and is not bothered about what awaits them in the eternity. But God wants us to have eternal joy though we may have temporary sorrow in this world. So He said to be courageous though we have many troubles in this world (Jn.16:33). The world offers temporary joy and eternal sorrow; but the Lord offers temporary sorrow and eternal joy! Prayer: Lord, help to be wise enough to choose temporary sorrow and hope for eternal joy. Amen

B. A. Manakala “ What will You gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise You? Can it tell of Your faithfulness? Ps 30:9 Our bodies cannot connect with God, but our spirits. " The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord … ." Ps 115:17a. Our bodies are nothing, but the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19). Our mouth can praise God only because of His Spirit that lives inside us. Our bodies are made of dust and it will return to dust (Gen. 3:19). The breath of life in us came from God (Gen. 2:7). Our bodies cannot praise God; but our spirits can. Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of life as well as the gift of the Holy Spirit. Help me to praise You all the days of my life. Amen

B. A. Manakala The wicked plot against the godly; they snarl at them in defiance. But the Lord just laughs, for He sees their day of judgment coming. Ps. 37:12-13 Usually laughing is part of entertainment. And we all enjoy laughing. But what would you feel if you notice someone laughing at you when you are in trouble? Definitely quite disturbing! If someone makes wicked plans against the godly God laughs! For He knows the judgment that awaits those who make such plans. If we ignored God's advice and rejected his correction, he will laugh when we are in trouble (Pro. 1:25-28)! But all who listen to God will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm (Pro. 1:33). Read Ps 2:4 and 59:8 also. It might be a pleasure if men laugh at your words or actions. But be cautious if God laughs! Prayer: Lord, help me to listen to You carefully and warn myself when it is necessary. Amen