Christian Reflection and Prayer

“As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her
mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God,
till he shows us his mercy.”—Psalm 123:2

In Psalms 123, the psalmist writes: “As the eyes of
slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of
a female slave look to the hand of her mistress, so our
eyes look to the LORD our God …” With these words,
the psalmist expresses his complete dependence on
God – and only God. Like a slave looks to his master
as the only person in the world who can provide for him,
protect him, and determine his fate, so too, do we look
upon God. Only God can help us, only He can save us,
and our destiny – both in this world and in the next –
lies in His hands.

It has been said that, “He who fears One, fears none,
but he who fears many, fears any.” When we are slaves
to God and fear only Him, we have nothing to fear – not
even an entire army of men. But when we are slaves to
many people and things, we will fear even the smallest
threat from a lowly individual.

Say these verses, and feel strengthened and empowered.
With God’s help, you can stand up to the greatest of
bullies and rest with the peace of mind that comes from
knowing that our only Master is God. It is He alone who
we serve and He alone who determines our destiny.

With prayers for shalom, peace,
Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein

(excerpts taken from Holy Land Moments)

"If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him
renounce himself and take up his cross every day
and follow Me" (Luke 9:23).

In the words of one of the worlds's greatest
psychologists of the 20th century, "Whoever insists
on safety and security as primary conditions of life
cannot have faith."-1 Time and again, and in many
different ways, Jesus said, "You will recognize by
their fruits the persons whose faith and trust in God's
ways brings them into His Kingdom." You will know
them, He said, by the difference this faith and trust
has made in the way they live. And because their
faith and trust in God has made a difference in the
way they live, they are blest, they are happy.

ARE YOU HAPPY?

Scripture:

Proverbs 18:8
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go
down to the inmost parts.

We all have the choice to cut others down, or instead,
build ourselves and others up. While pushing others
down through gossip or the like may be tempting, it’s
only ourselves we are hurting. On the other hand, when
we make ourselves better, everyone benefits. Similarly,
when we bless others, we benefit from their blessings
as well.

The world will not become brighter by diminishing
someone else’s light. It’s only when we make our own
flame brighter or add light to someone else’s that the
world will become a brighter place for us all!