Posted in Psalms, tagged Bible Study in Psalms, Building Biblical Literacy, Psalm 4 on November 28, 2016|
Read Psalm 4
1. What does David ask of God in verse 1?
2. What 2 things does David know about God according to verse 3?
3. What instructions does David give in Psalm 4:4-5?
4. What does verse 7 teach us about God?
5. What does David tell us about his sleep in verse 8?
6. How can you apply the promises and instructions of this psalm to your own life? Give examples.
Posted in Psalms, tagged Bible Study in Psalms, Biblical Literacy, Psalm 3 on November 7, 2016|
Read Psalm 3
According to the Open Bible this is “a lament, which contains elements of both petition and praise. Many of the laments end on a note of praise, signifying that the psalmist had prayed through his problem and realized god’s presence, care, and eventual resolution of the difficulty.”
1. Re-read the story of David when he fled from Absalom in 2 Samuel 15:13-17. This Psalm was written by David during this time period. What does David tell the LORD in this Psalm?
2. What is the progression of ideas in the Psalm – is David in the same place at the end as he was at the beginning? What is different?
3. How does David describe God in the psalm?
4. What did God do for David according to the Psalm?
5. In this Psalm, David expresses confidence in God – what do you think is the reason for this confidence in God on David’s part?
Posted in Psalms, tagged Biblical Literacy, Messianic Psalms, Psalm 2 on November 6, 2016|
Read Psalm 2
Psalm 2 is described in the Open Bible as the first of the “royal messianic psalms.”
1. Do you see people in the world today raging against God? Why is this?
2. How do the following verses show this prophecy being fulfilled?
▸ Mark 3:6
▸ Mark 11:18
▸ Luke 19:14
▸ Acts 4:25, 26
3. Who is it referring to when it says “kiss the Son, lest He be angry?”
Posted in Psalms, tagged Biblical Literacy, Psalm 1 on November 3, 2016|
Read Psalm 1
Because the Psalm is short, try to read it over several times during the week. Maybe even in different translations.
1. The term “blessed” can be translated “oh so happy” or “living optimally, blissful, happy” or “oh the blessednesses! List 3 things the “blessed” or “happy” man does not do?
2. How would you explain or translate the 3 things listed above to life today? To your life? What should you not do?
3. Consider the verbs “walk,” “stand,” and “sit.” What is the difference? What is the psalmists point in using these three words in progression?
4. What do the following verses teach about those who walk in the way of wickedness or evil?
▸ Proverbs 1:15
▸ Proverbs 4:14
5. What do the following verses add about how the word will keep you from evil?
▸ Joshua 1:8
▸ Psalm 119:92, 97
6. We see in this Psalm that the Psalmist describes the blessed man like tree. What characteristics does he assign to this man?
7. What does Jeremiah 17:7-8 add to this picture?
8. What is chaff? Look it up if you are not familiar with it.
9. What do the following verses teach about God’s knowledge of the righteous man?
▸ Psalm 37:18
▸ Nahum 1:7
▸ John 10:14, 27
▸ 2 Timothy 2:19
Posted in Psalms, tagged Biblical Literacy, Psalms on November 1, 2016|
The name of the book of Psalms in Hebrew means “Praises” or “Book of Praises.” Those credited with writing the Psalms are David, 73; Moses, 1 (90th); Solomon, 2; Sons of Korah, 11; Asaph, 12, Heman, 1 (88th); Ethan, 1 (89th); Hezekiah, 10. (J. Vernon McGee, Outline of Psalms)
“The collection of 150 individual psalms is organized into five books. Psalms is not a continuous, chronologically arranged story like we find in the historical books. Unlike prophecy, Psalms has no continuing message developed chronologically or thematically. And unlike epistles (letter), Psalms has no continuous unifying teaching or train of thought throughout the book. The book is an anthology–a collection of 150 different prayers, praises, or songs.
Each psalm is a unit of expression, composed during a moment of need or desire. Each has a unique purpose, although many can be grouped in categories, like the psalms of ascents.
As you study the psalms, remember that they are poems. Hebrew poetry does not contain rhyme and meter like much English poetry. Instead, Hebrew poetry’s distinctive feature is parallelism of some form–one line relates to another in various ways. Usually the poetic lines are composed of two (sometimes three) segments in which the second segment repeats, contrasts, or completes the first. Psalms vary in design. Some are acrostics, with each verse or stanza beginning with the next letter from the Hebrew alphabet. (Praising God through Prayer and Worship, Kay Arthur, Pete DeLacy, Harvest House 2008)
Posted in Psalms, Uncategorized, tagged Deliverance, God is a deliverer, Psalm 18 on July 27, 2016|
Lion of Deliverance
Katarina had no idea how many troops were coming against her – against her home. She could only hear their boots in the distance, and the crescendo kept getting louder.
She’d been negotiating with her enemies for years, keeping them at bay with diplomacy. Today she learned that behind the walls of their kingdoms, they’d been training troops and laying up weapons – making alliances with the Lords of Heiban, who used dark powers and served the fallen one.
She was surrounded on every side and had no way to escape. All hope was lost. She’d lose her father’s kingdom, and with it, his dreams of peace in the land. Face to the marble floor of the balcony outside her room, Katarina lay prostrate, her tears forming a puddle. “Perhaps I shall drown in my tears,” she whispered to herself, her head bowed in anguish, the death wish preferable to being captured by her enemies.
Katarina quickly refocused on her conversation with her father – they communicated through thoughts. Wherever she was, she could, with the right focus, join her thoughts to His. Through the same connection, He would speak back to her, and the flow between them would continue for minutes – and sometimes for hours, depending on the need.
Today she was desperate to connect but fear was making it hard to concentrate. She tried to steady herself, tried desperately to block out the incessant pounding of the boots of 10,000 warriors marching on her home. But how could she?
While trying to connect with her father, she felt the mountain shudder – the very bedrock shook under the palace. Smoke was pouring from the mountain nearby, and then she looked in horror as flames swept up the gentle slopes. The sky turned black; the clouds turned into dark, angry swirls. Then a bright flash raced silently across the sky, and a moment later, a mighty boom shook the heavens. And with that, round after round of lightning and thunder surged forth in earnest.
Katarina stood up. She didn’t need to connect by thought. Her father was near.
Hailstones came crashing down on the mountains with severity – the friendly part of the storm. The worst of it was the fusillade of fiery bolts that struck the mountainside across from her, consuming large patches of brush and engulfing trees. The destruction was swift, and it was awful to behold.
Then her father’s Son appeared – the one known as the Lion – and from his bow, He hurled flaming arrows of His own toward the oncoming troops. As He approached Katarina, she lifted her arms in anticipation, and He took hold of her and lifted her skyward. She turned to look back and saw the fire consuming her enemies, watched spellbound as the earth opened up and swallowed her enemies. The valley opened, the crust splitting to reveal the foundations of the earth below.
The Lion, the deliverer sent by her father, held her against his chest, His muscles taut, evidencing his tremendous power. Katarina dangled a mile in the air, but she knew she was safe.
On the far side of the mountains, in a lush, fertile valley that stretched as far as she could see, the Lion gently put her down.
“Wait here,” He spoke into her thoughts. “Fear not.”
“My fear is gone,” Katarina returned in her thoughts with a smile. She knew she was free from her enemies once again.
“Make your way to the Father’s lands!”
“I will,” she answered. Looking at her clothes, she saw that they were gleaming white. Beside her was a satchel with supplies, along with her Father’s letters to aid her on her journey.
Psalm 18:1-20
1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry. 8 Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet. 10 And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind. 11 He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies. 12 From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire. 13 The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire. 14 He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them. 15 Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. 16 He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support. 19 He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
Posted in Bible, Books of the Bible, Devotional, Hope, In times of difficulty, Psalms, Walking with God, tagged Bible, Comfort, God as our rescuer, hope, Psalm 91, Psalms on September 14, 2011|
Here’s a great post written by a friend of mine from high school. It offers encouragement to those who are facing difficult circumstances.
Posted in Prayer, Psalms, Relationship with God, Unanswered prayers, Waiting on God, tagged Pray, Prayer, Relationship with God, Unanswered Prayers, Waiting on God on September 27, 2010|
In our last post, we looked at some of the ways our thinking can become confused when God delays in answering our prayers. For a review, you can look at Psalm 77:7-9. The remedy for the confused thinking illustrated in those verses is found in the verses that follow, Psalm 77:10-12.
In these verses, the Psalmist gives us 3 things we can do to get our thinking straight and fight the confusion that can enter our thinking when we have to wait for God to answer our prayers.
REMEMBER
In battling the confused thinking, I need to remember the work of the LORD, both in the history of mankind and in my own history, my own life. This is a good time to remember that reading through the Bible from cover to cover every year or so will keep the works of God and the deeds of God in my memory. Also, keeping a journal of what God is showing me and how He has answered my prayers can be a good way of keeping track of my history with God. When I become confused in my thinking, I can review the records I have kept of how God is working in my life and the lives of my husband and my daughter and my family and friends.
MEDITATE
The Bible teaches that we must bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” By meditating on the Word and the works of God contained in the Word, I can train my mind to be obedient to Christ. This is what is meant by taking every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. My thoughts can run in all directions and question God and be confused over His nature, but as I meditate on the Word and purpose to allow Christ to dominate my thoughts, I can learn to bring my thoughts through the Word and make them obey what Christ has said and done. It is a discipline that must be practiced. It can only be done if I know what the Word says. I must be willing to sit and consider what the Bible means and how it can be applied to my life.
TELL OF WHAT GOD HAS DONE
How beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7. It is important to learn of what God has done and to mediate on what He has done, but it is equally important to tell others of what God has done.
When you become confused in your thinking because God has delayed in answering your prayers, and you are tempted to question God’s mercy, His faithfulness or His grace, consider the remedy for confusion discussed above: Remember . . . Mediate . . . Tell!
Posted in God, Prayer, Psalms, Relationship with God, Unanswered prayers, tagged Prayer, Psalm 77, Relationship with God, Unanswered Prayers on September 24, 2010|
When I pray, I would like God to answer me immediately. I would really appreciate visitation by a messenger of God to tell me that my prayer was heard and what God’s response will be. That has not happened yet. Sometimes, in His goodness and perfect timing, God delays in answering. This time of silence on God’s part can lead to confusion on my part. The Psalmist gives a good illustration in Psalm 77, verses 7-9 where he gives 6 statements which illustrate the potential confusion of thought in such situations.
In our finite thinking, we quickly jump to some ridiculous conclusions when God doesn’t answer our prayers immediately. We will learn in the next post how to cure or treat this confused thinking by countering it with what we know about God.
As you continue steadfastly in prayer, consider whether your thinking has gotten confused. Remember these things about God:
Rooted and Grounded 