The Book of Psalms is the favorite among brothers and sisters of the NPAC family for Bible studies in our fellowships. Besides giving us comfort and reminders, God’s holy word can also be our motivation to hold fast to our faith and deepen our life of prayers and keeping watch. Take Psalm 29 as an example. The psalmist proclaims that all heavenly beings are to ascribe to the LORD the glory due to His name. He sits enthroned over the flood. He is enthroned as King forever. He gives strength to His people. He blesses His people with peace (Psalm 29:9-11). Therefore, we need not be excessively bothered about what befalls us at the present time, nor should we seek solutions by our own strength. What we really need is to learn to trust and wait on the LORD and glorify Him. We need to face the difficulties with the strength from Him and experience His presence.

       It is true that fears from repeated pandemic, food shortages due to wars and the gloom from an ailing economy have all affected the stability of our faith life. A review of brothers and sisters’ attendance in church meetings and participation in ministries has revealed that the situation is not as good as before. It is now increasingly difficult to expect brothers and sisters to attend church meetings regularly. Trainings to equip them to serve are attended by fewer than expected, and the effectiveness is not apparent. How can we overcome all these difficulties? How do we follow Christ steadily and pragmatically? How do we shine among this generation like stars in the sky as we hold firmly to the word of life so the Lord is glorified (Philippians 2:15-16)?

       Please read Psalm 46. The psalmist asks us to draw close to God in desolations to receive His blessings. The key verse of this Psalm is “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). The psalmist proclaims that we need not fear when the earth gives way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, when its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. We only need to know without a doubt that God is our refuge and we will be filled with joy in His Holy Temple. “Be still” in this passage can be translated in different ways that means let go or cease, be quiet or relax, etc. The psalmist warns that the nations should stop fighting as God will break the bow, shatter the spear and burn the shields with fire to rescue each and every one of His people. The psalmist also exhorts the people of God to learn the lesson of being still, to let go and wait on God for His gracious works. We need to rely on the presence of God to calm our souls. Let God be God and He will lead us out of adversity.

       Thanks be to God, through the Dawn Prayer Meetings in July, our love of God has been kindled. During meditation and prayer, the Holy Spirit helped us to focus on the matters of following Christ, take on greater faith to proceed forward and draw close to God in a barren and difficult environment. That will not only add persistence to our faith, but also enable us to experience encounters with God. That would be the motivation for us to keep following Christ. No matter what, Jesus Christ in Whom we believe is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). His promise to be with us and His mighty works will help us to stay calm amid changes. They will also clear the obstacles for us to follow Him so we are no longer fearful from within.