Pastor Hana’s Weekly Reflection
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Psalm 1
1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 2
1 Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
2 The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.
3 “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
4 But the one who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them.
5 Then in anger he rebukes them, terrifying them with his fierce fury.
6 For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.”
7 The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father.
8 Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’”
10 Now then, you kings, act wisely! Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
11 Serve the Lord with reverent fear, and rejoice with trembling.
12 Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
Psalm 3
A psalm of David, regarding the time David fled from his son Absalom.
1 O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me.
2 So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!”
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high.
4 I cried out to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy mountain.Interlude
5 I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in safety, for the Lord was watching over me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousand enemies who surround me on every side.
7 Arise, O Lord! Rescue me, my God! Slap all my enemies in the face! Shatter the teeth of the wicked!
8 Victory comes from you, O Lord. May you bless your people.
Feeling overwhelmed? Run to the Rock. He’s your refuge, not your backup plan.
Do you ever feel like life is just a lot, like everything is hitting you at once? School expectations, pressure from friends, family stuff, and you're just trying to keep your head above water. Then you come across Psalm 18:2, and it stops you in your tracks: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.”
When life gets chaotic, most of us tend to run somewhere. We run to our phones, to distractions, to food friends, or even just straight into isolation. We try to manage it on our own or numb it out and pretend that it's fine. But David, the writer of the Psalm, had real enemies and real fear. He wasn't just being poetic.
He was literally running for his life at times, and still he says, God is where I run. God isn't asking you to have it all together. He's inviting you to come when you don't. That's where the strength is. That's where the peace is, and that's where the hope is.
As you read Psalm 1-3 today, take a moment to reflect on Psalm 18:2 is the fruit of the righteous emotional journey started in Psalms 1–3…when we root our minds in God’s truth (Psalm 1); acknowledge His rule in turbulent times (Psalm 2); bring our fear and pain honestly to Him (Psalm 3).