Young People's Group

Reflections on Lessons From YAG/YC Retreat

by Mitchell Tan
December 11, 2015

A TIME OF IMPACTFUL LEARNING

How would I sum up this recent YAG/YC retreat on the theme “In the day of trouble”? Joyfully, I would write that it was a very impactful time of learning to relate to God in a deeper way. We were introduced by Pastor to the man Asaph who was not only a Levite, a song writer, a leader, a musician, a prophet, an intercessor, a teacher and a historian, he was also a human being like you and me. He struggled with his emotions, circumstances and challenges in his life and ministry. And yet in the midst of all that he went through, he wrote about God and how to exercise faith in the Lord in a greater way. I would like to highlight two lessons that impacted me.

1. LIFE AND WORSHIP OF GOD GO TOGETHER

<blockquote“Whoever offers praise glorifies Me;
And to him who orders his conduct aright
I will show the salvation of God.”
Psalm 50:23

Asaph wrote of how worship was a central part of the nation of Israel. They were meant to be conscious of God as the Mighty One and Lord (Psalm 50:1). It is He who calls to His people to gather together to worship Him. One of the lessons taught by Pastor that struck me was how our life affects our worship of God. Worship and life go together. When the wicked offered worship to the Lord, He did not accept it. The Lord remained silent to them and He sought to rebuke them (Psalm 50:21). The wicked were admonished to set their life aright (Psalm 50:21). If we want to offer praises that would really glorify the Lord, we must set our life aright. When we worship Him with a righteous life, the Lord would be pleased. And He would show us deeper things about His salvation. Worship should never be just a Sunday routine. It is should be vibrant time of giving praise to God from a life that walks right with Him … a life that is filled with thanksgiving and joy. How we walk with the Lord and live each day is going to affect the way we worship Him. Let’s be challenged to order our conduct aright that our worship would be pleasing to the Lord always.

2. HAVING A CLOSENESS OF RELATIONSHIP IN THE LORD

“But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord God,
That I may declare all Your works.”
Psalm 73:28

Another impactful lesson taught is about finding a closeness of relationship with the Lord God. In the text of Psalm 73, Asaph was going through a time when he was angry with the wicked because they seemed to be better off in life than he was. He envied them and was angry in his heart as he observed how the wicked were strong and they were not in trouble (Psalm 73:4-5). He had deep misgivings and he felt like giving up. But instead of giving up, he sought the Lord in the sanctuary and was able to reflect on how the wicked would be judged one day (Psalm 73:17). The Psalmist was able to find a deeper appreciation of what God had blessed Him with and sought to deepen his faith. Asaph saw how God was continually with him and that He was the one who would uphold him and lead him with His counsel (Psalm 73:24). He was able to see how God would receive him to glory (heaven) one day instead of being judged by Him. The wicked would be far from God and they would perish, but for Asaph, he wanted to draw closer to God. He sought to be near to God because that is what really matters in the end. There is no one on earth that he desired except the Lord. Young people, let’s learn to draw closer to the Lord through seeking Him and trusting in Him. Let’s find this closeness of relationship with Him. He is the strength of our heart and our portion forever. We do not need anyone else. May we draw closer to the Lord this Christmas and beyond! Let’s seek to trust in Him even more that we may declare His great works to others.

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