ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu‘apulelulu 14 Fepueli 2019

Ko koe pe ‘a hoku Toitoi‘anga, ‘e ‘Otua

You are my hiding place, Oh, Lord

SAAME 22; 1 SAMIUELA 24-25:1 (PSALM 22; 1 SAMUEL 24-25:1)

VEESI LAULOTO: 2 TIMOTE 1:7

He naʻe ʻikai foaki ʻe he ʻOtua kiate kitautolu ʻae laumālie ʻo e manavasiʻi; ka ko e mālohi, mo e ʻofa, mo e loto fakapotopoto (Uesi/West)

MEMORY VERSES: 2 TIMOTHY 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (NKJV)

‘I he hisitolia ‘i he mo’ui ‘a Tevita, na’e lahi ‘a e ngaahi Saame na’a ne fa’u kuo  fakakau ki he Tohitapu.  Ko e Saame 22 na’e fa’u ia ‘i ha taimi ‘i he mo’ui ‘a Tevita na’a ne fehangahangai mo ha faingata’a lahi.  Na’e mahino’i pe ‘e Tevita ‘a e ngaahi  palani mo e fokotu’utu’u ‘a e ‘Otua ki he’ene mo’ui, ka ‘i he taimi ko eni na’a ne ongo’i ‘oku mama’o fau ‘a e ‘Otua pea puli meiate ia.  Ka ‘i he faka’osinga ‘o e lotu ko eni ‘a Tevita na’e liliu ‘a ‘ene ngaahi to’e mo ‘ene  hanu  ‘o hoko ko ha fakafeta’i ‘i he’ene  fakahaa’i neongo ‘oku mama’o ‘a e ‘Otua ‘i he’ene fakakaukau, ka na’a ne fakatokanga’i ‘oku ‘ikai ke mavahe ‘a e ‘Otua meiate ia.  Pea neongo ‘oku ‘ikai ketau ‘ilo’i pau pe na’e fa’u ‘a e Saame ko eni mei he faingata’a fe na’e fekuki mo Tevita, ka ‘oku malava ketau sio kia 1 Samiuela 24 ‘o fakaofiofi ki he faingata’a ko ‘eni.  Ko e tulimui ‘a Saula na’e fai kia Tevita ‘i he konga ko eni ‘o e talanoa, na’e hola ai ‘a Tevita ‘o toi ‘i ha ‘ana pea na’e mahino ‘a ‘ene ongo’i tuenoa mo faingata’a’ia.  Pea ‘i he’ene ma’u ‘a e faingamalie ke ne to’o ai ‘a e mo’ui ‘a Saula, na’e ‘ikai te ne fakahoko ia.  ‘I he momeniti ko ia na’e fili ai ‘a Tevita ke ne piki ki he palomesi ‘a e ‘Otua ki he’ene mo’ui pea mo hono kaha’u, ko ia ai na’a ne falala kakato ki he ‘Otua ke ne fakahoko ‘a ‘ene ngaahi taumu’a.  Ko e fakatata ‘eni ‘oku tau ma’u ‘ia Sisu ‘i he kolosi ‘i he’ene kalanga hange pe ko ia na’e fai ‘e Tevita ‘i he Saame ko eni “ ‘E hoku ‘Otua, ‘e hoku ‘Otua,  ko e ha kuo ke  li’aki ai au”.  Na’e fakahoko ‘e Sisu pea mo Tevita ‘a e me’a tatau ‘i he’ena tukulolo kakato ‘o luva ‘ena mo’ui ki he fokotu’utu’u haohaoa ‘a e Tamai.

During his life, David penned many of the psalms that are now included in the Bible. Psalm 22 came from a time in David's life when he found himself in great despair. David knew the plans God had for his life, but at that moment they felt unattainable and God felt absent. However, by the end of his prayer, David's pleas turned to praise and he acknowledged that although God felt far away, David knew He was not. While we don't know from what specific circumstances this psalm stemmed, David's experience in 1 Samuel 24 parallels it well. Saul's pursuit of David forced him to hide in a cave, an isolated place where he undoubtedly felt helpless. But when presented with the opportunity to kill Saul, David did not. In that moment, David chose to claim God's promises for his life and his future and to trust God to bring them to fruition. This is the same example Jesus gave us on the cross when He echoed David's cry-"My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"-but even so, both Jesus and David surrendered their very lives to the plans of their Father.