EPHESIANS 4 TEACHER

2011-12-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

Psalm 1:4-6

[4]The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

[5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

[6] For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish. (NASB)

Not so the wicked, those disobedient and living without God are not so,
But they are like the chaff, worthless, dead, without substance, which the wind drives away,

Therefore the wicked, those disobedient and living without God, shall not stand justified in the judgement,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, those who are upright and in right standing with God,

For the Lord know and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly, those living outside God’s will shall perish, end up in ruin and come in nought. (The Amplified Bible)

Charles Spurgeon comments that in verse 4 the contrast of ill estate of the wick is employed to heighten the coloring of that fair and pleasant picture which precedes it.

Note that it take two verses to describe the secret of the godly life but it only take two words to describe the life of the ungodly – NOT SO! The English rendering of the Greek Septuagint is even stronger – NOT SO, THE UNGODLY, NOT SO!

Not So –Now what? They are led by the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners, in the seat of scoffers. Not blessed. Not like tree firmly planted. Not bearing spiritual fruit in season. Not remaining green in time of drought. Not prospering in all they do.

What a contrast. Godliness is gain here and glory hereafter. Purity pays in this world and paves the way to Paradise in the world to come.

Spurgeon also writes that we are to hereby understand that whatever good is said of the righteous is not true in the case of the ungodly. Oh! how terrible it is to have a double negative, not so the ungodly, not so, put upon the promises and yet this is just the condition of the ungodly.

Mark the use of the term “ungodly,” for, as we have seen in the opening of the Psalm, these are the beginners in evil, and are the least offensive of sinners. Oh! it such is the sad state of those who quietly continue in their morality, and neglect their God, what must be the condition of open sinner and shameless infidels? The first sentence is a negative description of the ungodly, and the second is the positive picture.

Here is there character, “they are like chaff,” intrinsically worthless, dead, unserviceable, without substance, and easily carried away.

Here, also mark their doom, “the wind drives away;” death shall hurry them with its terrible blast in the fire in which they shall be utterly consumed.

Guzik adds that everything is true about the righteous man, stable as a tree, continual life and nourishment, alive and prosperous, is not so regarding the ungodly. It may often seem like the ungodly have these things, and sometime it seem they have them more than the righteous. But it is not so! Any of these thing are fleeting in the life of the ungodly; it can be said that they don’t really have them at all.

Ray Pritchard writes that the whole truth about the human race is found in just two words: “Not so!” Not so the wicked. They are not like the righteous and therefore have no part in the promised blessing. Because they do not follow God’s Word, but have chosen a different path, God’s estimation of them is entirely different.

Steven Cole comments that the psalmist describes the wicked in contrast to the righteous. The righteous is like a sturdy tree, rooted, firm, full, and fruitful. The wicked is like chaff from the wheat, rootless, weightless, useless. This not man’s view. From our viewpoint, many who leave God out of their lives are glamorous, powerful, exciting people. Rather, this is God’s view, as verse 6 shows. God ‘s view takes eternity into account and says, “Those who leave Me out of their lives are like chaff.” They have no substance. They may be great before men, but before God they will be blown away like chaff in the final judgment.

Matthew Henry sums up the entire life and accomplishments of the ungodly man or woman, but saying Not so the ungodly. They are not so. They are led by the counsel of the wicked, in the way of sinners, to the seat of the scornful. They have not delight in the Law of God, nor ever thing of it. They bring forth no fruit but grapes of Sodom. They cumber, and archaic word meaning to trouble or harass as brambles cumber a garden the ground.

Life chaff. Scripture uses chaff to picture that which is useless, worthless or evil, including, as in Psalm 1, wicked people that are about to be destroyed.
"And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:12, NASB)

In case you are still wondering what chaff is, let me illustrate it this way. Have you ever eaten peanuts out of a shell? When open the shell you have the peanuts inside covered in this rust cover almost like really thin paper. When you peel it off, it is very light and it doesn’t take much to blow it away.

Another illustration of chaff is this. Have you ever watch a western movie or TV program and seen what looks like a bush rolled into a ball and the wind blowing it around? This is called tumbleweed. It is lifeless, and doesn’t take much wind for it to blow around.

Scott Grant notes that chaff, unlike a firmly planted tree, is separated from its source of life. A tree bears fruit, but chaff is disconnected from the fruit it surrounded. The destiny of chaff, unlike the leave of the firmly planted tree, is to wither. The psalmist compares impotent activity with fruitful contemplation.

Learn from this that life without God is useless, empty, trivial, and worthless. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. If a man lives for a hundred years and yet does not know God, he is just a piece of useless chaff, blown away and forgotten.

In summary, the psalmist draws out a dramatic horticultural contrast between a well water tree and worthless chaff! This picture should job anyone’s attention to pay attention to the wisdom of the psalmist. But of course not all will read and heed because of their stubborn, rebellious will.

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment” Verse 5

Ray Pritchard notes that when the time for judgment come, the wicked will not stand because they have no roots. Everything about them is blow and show, froth and worldly pomp, bluster and brag, and ego. But there is nothing of lasting value. With one breath, the Lord will blow all the wicked into hell.

Pritchard also writes that the righteous will stand because they are like trees by the stream, with deep roots in the Word of God. The tree stands, the chaff disappears. That is why sinner won’t be in the assembly of the righteous. They won’t be there because the winds of judgment will already have removed them.

Matthew Henry writes that the wicked shall not stand in judgment, that is, they shall be found guilty, shall hang down the head with shame and confusion, and all their pleas and excuse will be overruled as frivolous. There is a judgment to come, in which every man’s present character and work, though ever so artfully concealed and disguised, shall be truly and perfectly discovered, and appear in their own colors, and accordingly every man’s future state will be, by an irreversible sentence, determined for eternity. The ungodly must appear in that judgment, to receive according to the things done in the body. They may hope to come off, nay, to come off with honor, but their hope will deceive them. They shall not stand in the judgment, so plain will the evidence be against them and so just and impartial will the judgment be upon it.

Henry also writes that the general assembly of the church of the firstborn, a congregation of the righteous of all the saint, and none but saints, and saints made perfect, such a congregation of them as never was in the world. The wicked shall not have a place in that congregation. Into the New Jerusalem none unclean nor unsanctified shall enter, they shall the righteous enter into the kingdom, and themselves, to their everlasting vexation, thrust out.

The wicked and profane, in this world, ridicules the righteous and their congregation despised them, and cared not for their company; just therefore will they be for ever separated from them.
Hypocrites in this world, under the disguise of a plausible profession, may thrust themselves into the congregation of the righteous and remain undisturbed and undiscovered there; but Christ cannot be imposed upon, though his minister may; the day is coming when He will separate between the sheep and the goats, the tares and the wheat.

Charles Spurgeon explains that the wicked shall stand there to be judged, but not be acquitted. Fear shall lay hold upon them there; they shall not stand their ground; they shall flee away; they shall not stand in their own defense, for they shall blush and be covered with external contempt.

Here are some Scriptures that make a reference to the wicked:

Psalm 5:5
Psalm 9:7-8
Psalm 76:7
Nahum 1:6
Malachi 3:18
Matthew 13:49

“Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous”

The writer of Hebrews describes the assembly of the righteous writing that believers “have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angel, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous make perfect.” Hebrew 12:22-23

The Apostle Paul explains that sinners will pay the penalty of eternal destruction away from the presence of the lord and from the glory of His power. Here we see the double doom of all sinners, condemned at the judgment altar and separated from the Lord’s very presence forever.

FOR THE LORD KNOWS THE WAY OF THE RIGTEOUS, BUT THE WAY OF THE WICKED WILL PERISH

Paul echoes the assurance that believers can have that the lord God knows them and they are safe in 2 Timothy 2:19:

“Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal,” The Lord know those who are His, and “Let everyone who name the name of the lord abstain from wickedness.”

In Psalm 37:18-20, David presents a similar contrast between the fate of the godly and ungodly but the He knows the godly:

“The Lord knows the days of the blameless;
And their inheritance will be forever.
They will not be ashamed in the time of evil;
And in the days of famine they will have abundance.
But the wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures,
They vanish-- like smoke they vanish away. “

The prophet Nahum in the context of a description of the judgement of god on the earth says:

“The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.” (Nahum 1:7)

Charles Spurgeon elaborates on the phrase “He know”, writing that in the original Hebrew it reads more fully.

“The Lord is knowing the way of the righteous.” In other words He is constantly looking on their way, and though it may be often in mist and darkness, yet the lord knows it. If it bee in the clouds and tempest of affliction, He understands it. He numbers the hairs of our head. He will not suffer any evil to befall us. He knows the way that I take; when He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold. (Job 23:10)

The way of the righteous. The way refers to their entire life, and they had entered into this life journey through Jesus, the Way.

How did they become righteous in the Old Testament?
Was it my keeping the law!

Was it by carrying out the prescribed sacrifices?

No, neither of these ways leads to the kingdom of heaven. The OT saints entered this way in the same manner NT believers now enter, by grace through faith. Those who have believed the promised Messiah or the Messiah Who has come, died, was buried and has resurrected and ascended to the right hand of the Father.

“The way of the wicked with perish”

The ways of the wicked and all they have ever accomplished, the sum total of their life, is like an apply that falls off the apple tree and lies on the ground in rot and decay thus loosing any chance of eve fulfilling its full potential as an apple.

All men are born in sin in Adam and if they fail to be born again by grace through faith they remain dead in their trespasses and sins and when they die, their soul and they way, everything that they have done while alive, will perish forever.

Steven Cole writes that the plain teaching of God’s Word, which says, “it is appointed for men to die once and f after this come judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

We all must stand before God. If you take God and eternity out of the picture, all you are is an accident, the chance product of random chance. Your birth was an accident; your death will be an accident. All you are is an accident suspended between two accidents. There is not happiness in that view.

The Word of God declares that you are not an accident. You are here as the creation of God, made in His image, designed to find true happiness in Him and in His Word. But due to your rebellion, as seen in your running your own life rather than in submitting to Christ as lord, you are alienated from God. He could rightfully judge you, but because of His love and mercy, He sent Jesus Christ to dine in you place in the cross. You must turn from your rebellion, trust in Him and accept the pardon He offers. If you will do that then build your life on God and His Word, you will live happily ever after, both now and throughout eternity.

And that is no fairy tale.

Charles Spurgeon emphasizes that the psalmist is saying that not only shall they perish themselves, but their way shall perish too. The righteous carves his name upon the Rock, but the wicked writes his remembrance in the sand. The righteous man ploughs the furrows of earth, and sows a harvest her, which shall never be fully reaped till he enters the enjoyments of eternity; but as for the wicked, the ploughs the sea, and though there may seem to be shining trail behind his keel, yet the waves shall pass over it, and the place that knew him shall know him no more for ever.

The very “way” of the ungodly shall perish. If it exist in remembrance, it shall be in the remembrance of the bad, for the lord will cause the name of the wicked to rot, to become a stench in the nostrils of the good, and to be only known to the wicked themselves by it putridity.

May the lord cleanse our hearts and our way, that we my escape the doom of the ungodly, and enjoy the blessedness of the righteous.!

Ray Prichard offers a practical, pithy summation of Psalm 1:

Let us wrap up this Study of Psalm 1 with four conclusions that bring the truth home to the 21st century.

NUMBER ONE: Causal flirtation with sinners soon leads to total domination by evildoers.

We cannot escape the reality of this truth. If run with the pigs, you are going to small like the pigs. Pretty soon, you will look and act and dress like the pigs. When that happens, don’t be surprised if others mistake you for a pig. What seems small to you today may lead to total domination by sin tomorrow. Be warned. Be alert. D

Don’t play with fire if you don’t want to get burned

NUMBER TWO: As long as the world is what it is, godliness must largely be negative.

At the very least, godliness in a sinful world will always involve separation from evil. How that works out in your persona life is an issue between you and the lord. I cannot make rules that will fit every situation but we day not ignore the overall principle. Godliness involves much more than staying away from evil influences, but it is not less than that. If we ignore the negative, we will never get to the positive.

NUMBER THREE: Many people who seem successful by worldly standards will be judge total failures by God.

Some of us will live in the shadows of these “successful” people for many years, and we may be compared with them in an unfavorable way. There isn’t much we can do about that except to remind ourselves that the only evaluation that counts is God’s. If we are faithful to Him, everything will come out all right in the end.

NUMBER FOUR: The happiest people in the world are those whose lives are built on the Word of God.

I think we can state that in a more forceful manner. The only truly happy people in the world are those who follow the prescription of Psalm 1. Others may be happy in a temporary of worldly sense, but they do not know the joy and deep satisfaction that comes from living with God’s approval. That is reserved for the true children of God.

In light of this psalm, what does the Church need!

The answer is clear. The Church needs the Bible.

What should pastors be preaching?

Pastors should preach the Bible.

And what should elders be teaching?

Elders should be teaching the Bible

What should church members be studying?

Let them study the Bible.

This wraps up our study on Psalm 1. The next Psalm we will be studying is Psalm 2.

I would like your comments on our study of Psalm 1

DAN WILSON
Ephesians 4 Teacher
ephesians4teacher@gmail.com

2011-11-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

Psalm 1:3

And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. (NASB)

And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper and come to maturity. (Amplified Bible)

In Jeremiah 17 we have a passage that closely parallels Psalm 1:

Jeremiah 17:5-8:

Thus says the Lord, "Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind
And makes flesh his strength,
And whose heart turns away from the Lord.

[6] "For he will be like a bush in the desert
And will not see when prosperity comes,
But will live in stony wastes in the wilderness,
A land of salt without inhabitant.

[7] "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord
And whose trust is the Lord.

[8] "For he will be like a tree planted by the water,
That extends its roots by a stream
And will not fear when the heat comes;
But its leaves will be green,
And it will not be anxious in a year of drought
Nor cease to yield fruit.

In our study of verse three, we are going to look at several words that have significance.

The psalmist introduces a simile, a term of comparison, which functions much like an open window, which give us insight into the meaning of the Word. Remember that these “windows” are not to be abused by a fanciful, even “sanctified” imagination, but are to be interpreted in light of the context. The danger of figures of speech is for us to “run wild” with our interpretations, forgetting that even figures of speech are meant to picture a literal truth.

Let’s look at the phrase “like a tree.”

A tree must have water, and it is fascinating to see how some kinds, the alder, for instance, if planted away from it, will instinctively push out their roots in the direction of the water, however far off, seeming, with their tendrils, to be feeling for it, till they find it.

Matthew Henry writes that he shall be like a tree, fruitful and flourishing. This is the effect of his pious practice; he meditates in the law of God and that is what makes him like a tree. The more we converse with the Word of God the better furnished we are for every good word and work.

The word “planted comes from the Hebrew work “shathal/satal” which means to plant or transplant. The idea is to plant and cultivate a seed or seedling in the ground so it may grow. The picture of the godly man being transplanted is a fitting image of the New Testament truth of the born again person. We were dead in our trespasses and sins in Adam and when we were born again by the sanctifying work of the Spirit we were transplanted from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom light and placed in Christ, rooted and grounded in Him.

Planted also speaks of stability in the storms of life. Ray Pritchard elaborates on this picture asking; How do you know when a tree has good roots? Answer: when the storms come. All the trees look pretty much alike when the sun is shining or a gently rain is falling, but let a might storm with fierce rain and howling winds pass through. Then the true difference is apparent. The trees with few roots are blown over, bu the trees with deep roots are still standing when the storm has passed. So it is for the child of god. You won’t know how good your root system is until the storms of life crash against you. Only then will you discover the strength of your spiritual foundation. The only way to be ready for the storm is to spend time now delighting in God’s Word day by day, meditating on its truth, and building a foundation deep and strong for whatever may come your way.

Consider Isaiah 61:3 and Psalm 92:12-14

The next phrase to look and is “streams of water.”

This is a stream of water flowing underground and suddenly breaks through and flows out freely a spring.

This is not a stagnant pool but a flowing stream, making the image ever more vivid in a land where a flowing spring feed streams. How blessed is this man!

Steven Cole explains that the psalmist describes the person who delights in God’s Word as a tree planted by streams of water. This is a tree that has been deliberately cultivated, surrounded by these canals or streams so that its roots have continual supply of water. It is solid and able to withstand drought or storms. It is fruitful and has continual evidence of life and vitality; its leaves do not wither. He sums it up by applying it: “In whatever he does, he prospers.” There’s a truly happy person, the person God blesses with His prosperity, no matter what circumstances of life he finds himself in.

Warren Wiersbe writes that a tree is a blessing. It holds the soil, provides shade and produces fruit. The godly are like trees, with root systems that go deep into the spiritual resources of God’s grace. But sadly, many professing Christians are not like trees but are like artificial plants or cut flowers with no roots. They may be beautiful for a while, but soon they die.

A tree needs light, water and roots to live. We all have resources upon which we draw life. The questions we to ask ourselves is, Where are out roots? The person God can bless is planted by the rivers of water. We must be careful not to be like Christians who are dry and withered and depend upon their own resources. They are like tumbleweeds, blown about by a wind of doctrine.

To have the blessings of verse 3, we need to meet the conditions of verses 1 and 2. That is, we must first be separated from the world and saturated with the Word to be situated by the waters.

God desires to bless us, but we need to meet certain conditions to receive His blessings. We bear fruit only when we have roots, and we must draw upon spiritual resources to bring forth fruit in due season. To bear the fruit of the Spirit, we must allow the Spirit to work in us and through us.
In contrast to the believer, the ungodly are not like trees but are like chaff. They have no roots, produce no fruit and a blown about. The ungodly reject the Word of God and will perish without hope. As Christians we must not reject the ungodly but try to reach them. God blesses us so that we might be blessing to others. His Spirit helps us bear fruit that can help win the lost.

Are you a tree or like chaff?

We need God’s resources to bear fruit. But where we place our roots is paramount. Only as we grow deeply into the spiritual resource of God’s grace will we produce fruit. Make the Bible your spiritual resource. Delight in it and feed your soul with its truth. God can use you to help you win the lost.

The next phrase is “yields fruit in its season.”

The more we converse with the Word of God the better furnished we are to every good work. Note again the recurring biblical principle: First the root, then the fruit. First the Word with obedience and then the bearing of fruit. The sad truth is that so many Christians are more concerned about the leaves and the fruit at the expense of neglecting the root, but the roots are the most important part. Unless Christians spend time daily in the Word, and allow the Spirit to feed them, they will wither and die.

Ray Pritchard notes that to speak of “fruit in its season” means that the tree produces fruit that expresses its inner character. How do spot and orange tree” By the oranges it produces. How do you spot and apple tree? Look for the apples. Whatever is on the inside must eventually be seen on the outside. Applied to the spiritual life, this means that when our roots are deep in the Word, we will be given whatever we need, whenever we need it. If we need love, from the Word of God will come the strength to produce the fruit of love. If we need a forgiving spirit, from the Word of God will come the strength to forgive. If we need courage, we will produce the fruit of courage. If we need patience and perseverance, the Word of God will produce it in us. This sort of supernatural life is available to every believer, but it will only be fully realized over time as we continue to walk with the Lord and to delight in His Word.

Pritchard adds that the phrase pictures a leafy tree that seems like an evergreen because its leaves are in season all year round. People like this are constantly refreshed by the Word of God, constantly renewed, constantly drawing on new strength for new situation. They are never boring, never dull, never living off yesterday’s blessing, but living each day in the strength of the Lord whose mercies are new every morning.

John Piper explains that you will be a fruitful person. O for more fruitful people! You know them. They are refreshing and nourishing to be around. You go away from them fed. You go away strengthened. You go away with your taste for spiritual things awakened. Their mouth is a fountain of life. Their words are healing and convicting and encouraging and deepening and enlightening. Being around them is like a meal. This is the effect of delighting in the Word of God and meditating on it day and night. You will yield fruit in season.

Regarding the phrase “whose leaf does not wither,” Piper says the point here is that the hot winds are blowing and the rain is falling and all the other trees that are not planted by streams are withering and dying, but in spite of all the heat and drought, your leaf remains green, because delighting in the Word of God and meditating on it day and night is like being planted by a stream. The happiness of this person is durable. It is deep. It does not depend on which way the wind is blowing or whether the rain is falling. It gets its life from absolutely changeless source: God in His Word.

We come to the phrase. “And in whatever he does, he prospers.”

Ray Pritchard says that they prosper in the sense that no matter what happens, they find strength for the day and hope in the midst of the hardest difficulties. They bring forth godly fruit in good times and bad times. Why? Because they are planted deep in the good soil and their roots reach out to the water of the Word of God. Finding constant nourishment therein, they can face whatever life throws at them.

The thought here is similar to Romans 8:37 where in the midst of struggles, sorrow, persecution, famine, distress, nakedness and the sword, those who know Jesus are “more than conquerors” through His divine power. And that triumphant deliverance comes to us in large part through the Word of God.

In this world we may face disappointment, sorrow, rejection, failure, sickness, abandonment, and discouragement. We my hear things about our children we prayed to God never to hear, our dearest friends may desert us, our spouse may leave us, and we may face an unremitting series of earthly tragedies, illness, physical weakness, and death itself may visit our door time and again.

Even then, we prosper, we thrive, we survive, we are not destroyed. Sometimes when I ask friends going through hard times how they are doing, the answer comes back, “I’m surviving” Years ago I foolishly thought that was a wimpy response. Now I see that it is a powerful statement of faith. Sometimes surviving is the same as thriving. Some days to survive is to prosper. That, too, is a kind of prosperity for the people of God.

Let these illustrations permeate you thinking on our passage:

Spiritual Trees
By Henry G. Bosch

Godly men and women are compared in Scripture to sturdy, healthy trees, planted by the rivers of water, laden with fruit, and full of leaves. In order for us to be fruitful we must:

1. Stand straight for God. Lives that reveal Christlike character are lovely to behold, for they are not gnarled by sin or rotted by hypocrisy.

2. Be strong. Those who are well-rooted in God’s Word will be unmovable in time or trial and temptation.

3. Keep growing. As healthy trees add a new ring of growth each year, we too should constantly grow in grace.

4. Bring blessing to others. Some trees provide food, others give shade, and others are made into lumber. So too Christian should provide spiritual food and comfort to their neighbors, as well as use their time and talents to build people up in the Lord.

5. Be ready to be transplanted when God so wills. Christians are not here to stay; they are waiting to be transplanted in the garden of heaven where their fruit will never wither and their leaf will never fade.

How good a tree are you? Is there any fruit, any beauty, any growth worth talking about? Or are you wilted and unproductive? Get growing!

The just are nourished like a tree
Set by the riverside;
Their leaf is green, their fruit is sure,
And thus their word abide. Anon.

Tall Trees, Deep Roots
By David C. Egner

My son Mark and I were digging out the stump of an old tree in his front yard. The tree had been only 5 inches in diameter, so we didn’t think the task would be difficult.

After digging around the stump and cutting through the surface roots, we fastened a nylon towrope to the back of my truck and pulled. Nothing happened. We dug some more, cut out some more roots, and tried again. Still not success. On the third try the nylon rope broke. Strong, deep roots had anchored that tree firmly in the ground.

In the Bible, godly people are often likened to trees. Joni Eareckson Tada wrote about this in her book “Diamond in the Dust.” “The branches of growing trees not only reach higher, but their roots grow deeper. It is impossible for a strong tree to have high branches without have deep roots. It wold become top heavy and topple over in the wind. Then Joni observed, “The same is true with Christians. It is impossible for us to grow in the Lord without entwining our roots around His Word and deepening our life in His commands.

Would you like to be a tall, immovable tree? That comes only through a life of Bible study, discipline, and tested faith, conditions that produce deep roots.

We rend and learn the Word of God
To fix it firmly in our heart;
And when we act upon that Word,
Its truth from us will not depart. DJD

The roots of stability come from being grounded in God’s Word.

Deep Roots
By M. R. De Haan

In my orchard are two pear trees. Last summer was extremely dry, yet one of the tress was unaffected and remains green and yielded luscious fruit. The other tree did not do so well. Its leaves turned yellow, the fruit shriveled, and the leaves and the fruit both dropped to the ground. The tree seemed to be dead.

Then came the rains, and the ground was soaked with moisture. The tree that seemed to be dead sprang to life again. Soon is was covered with leaves and, believe it or not, in the latter of part of August it burst into full bloom. Little pears came into view, but then came the frost and no fruit matured.

One tree thrived and produces delicious fruit in season. What made the difference? Its roots had grown deep, where they found plenty of water. The other had shallow roots and depended on the uncertain rains. The one was like the tree David described, “planted by the rivers of water.” The other, with belated bloom, bore no fruit.

Which kind of tree are you? Do your roots go deep in the underground streams of the Word of God, or is your devotional life shallow and only occasional? Dig deep, friend, deep into the Book, and your life will produce abundant spiritual fruit.

The just are nourished like a tree
Set by the riverside;
Their leaf is green, their fruit is sure,
And thus their works abide. Anon

We cannot bear fruit with the water of God’s Word.

Of Time And Trees
By David C. McCasland

People who don’t want to wait 4 decades for a globe Norway maple to grow in their front yard can buy a 3- foot specimen from a New York nursery for $42,000. A 50-foot European beech is a “bargain” for only $20,000. In spite of the prices, the country’s leading nurseries report soaring sales of mature trees.

As one customer put it, “I can’t wait for a banana to ripen. I only buy them bright yellow. There’s no patience for watching a tree grow.”

We humans are always in a hurry, looking for shortcuts to skirt the process and grasp the product. And sometimes we expect instant maturity in our Christian walk and growth in faith. What a contrast to the enormous leisure of God in His dealings with us!

The psalmist affirmed God’s promise that the person who delights in His Word will “be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth it fruit in its season.” A growing Christian, whether a new believer or a seasoned saint, is like a healthy tree, planted, nourished, and fruitful.

If our roots are in God’s Word and our hearts are drawing sustenance from Him, we will flourish. And growth toward maturity brings joy to the God of patience.

Our fruitfulness and growth in Christ
Won’t happen instantly,
But meditating on God’s Word
Will bring maturity. SPER

It takes a moment to be saved; it takes a lifetime to grow in godliness.

Did you learn anything in this lesson?

I would like to hear your comments about Psalm 1:3.

DAN WILSON
Ephesians 4 Teacher
ephesians4teacher@gmail.com

2011-11-07T10:20:00.000-08:00

Psalm 1:2

Psalm 1:2-3:

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

[3] And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers. (NASB)

Psalm 1:2-3:

2. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law, the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God he habitually meditates, ponders and studies by day by night

3. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper and come to maturity. (AMPLIFIED)

We have seen in verse 1 of this Psalm how this person is blessed because he doesn’t associate with ungodly counselors, sinners, and scoffer.

We have seen the characteristics of each of these and find that these types of people we don’t need to associate with to help us in our spiritual walk.

Now the psalmist uses the word “but” to introduce a contrast between what this man doesn’t and what he does do.

The psalmist “changes direction” from the broad way leading to destruction, to the narrow way that leads to eternal life, the highway of holiness, the ancient paths.

Now he presents the marked contrast that accrues to those who choose to avoid the ways of the wicked, sinners and scoffers.

There are two words in verse 2 that we are going to focus on. The first word is “delights” and the second word is “meditates.”

What is delight?

What does delight look like?

How does one obtain “delight” or begin to delight?

How is delight maintained, nursed and nourished?

Delight comes from the Hebrew word “hapes, chapes”. It pictures that which is bent toward and thus is a beautiful figure of the godly man or woman who is ever leaning toward the law of God, not referring to the Ten Commandment, but to the law as representative of God’s Word.

And given that God’s Word is His “love letter” to fallen, rebellious mankind, the blessed man seeks this letter as a young man or woman would devour a love letter from the one they are courting or being courted by.

Sentence by sentence. Phase by phrase. Word by word. Reading the letter without interruption, even unaware of surrounding distraction. Reading and re-reading.

Such a picture is one of sheer delight of the beloved at having received a love letter from God Who is the essence of love. And so the blessed man and woman inclines toward the word.

Delight is an attitude that leads to an action, meditate. Delight is a good attitude and James says that every good thing and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of lights in Whom there is no variation or shifting of shadow.

Before we were saved by grace through faith, we were hostile toward God and His Word. Clearly, salvation is necessary for one to delight and ultimately that delight is planted in our hearts by the Father of lights.

But this good gift like all gifts can be squandered and abused to the point in that it begins to fade into only a dim memory of times when we truly delights in the Word like a newborn baby.

Time and effects of sin have a way of slowly eroding one’s delight if we are not vigilant to watch over our heart with all diligence.

Ray Pritchard writes that the word “delight” means to take great pleasure in. It has the idea of a consuming passion that controls your life. Everyone “delights” in something.

Some people delight in food. Others delight in a job or a hobby or a career. Some delight in particular friendship. Many people delight in money or the things money can buy. Many delight in evil pleasures and wrong desires.

Mark this well: Your “delight” determines your direction. What do you delight in? What gets your motor running” What gets you excite in the morning and keeps you awake at night? What do you daydream about?

Tell me the answers to those questions and I will tell you something crucial about who you are/

To delight is to be so excited about something that you just can’t wait. Watch a young man who has fallen in love for the first time. Ask his friends and they will say, “He’s not the same guy he used to be.” They mean he has radically changed. He doesn’t want to hang around with them anymore. All he does is talk about “that girl.” Just look at him. He got this goofy grin on his face. He’s in love. Now apply that principle to the Word of God. We are to delight in God’s Word as a lover delights in a letter from his beloved.

Steve Cole asks the question, What does it mean to delight in God’s Word? The word is used in the Old Testament of a man delighting in a woman. That tells us something. Have you noticed that when a young man delights in a woman, he rearranges his priorities so that suddenly he has plenty of time to spend with her? And he doesn’t do it because he has to; he wants to! Nothing interferes with his time with the object of his delight.

Now let me ask, Do you delight in God’s Word in that sense? Do you make time to spend in the Word because you delight in it? Or has it become a duty? It is easy to fall into the duty mentality toward the Word: “A chapter a day keeps the devil away!” Besides, it alleviates your guilt to read it. So you grind through a chapter and check it off on your list, but you didn’t commune with the living God or apply His Word where you need to change.

The Bible is God’s love letter to you. You’re reading the counsel of a loving, all wise Heavenly Father as to how you should live. His commandments are for your blessing and good. It should be no more of a duty to spend time in God’s Word that it is for a young man to spend time with an attractive woman. The way to true happiness is to delight in God’s Word.

William Heslop writes that he is blessed because his delight is in the law of the lord.

He not only reads the Bible, he delights in it.
He not only studies the holy word, he enjoys it.
He not only reviews the truth, he relishes and revels in it.

John Piper writes that the deepest mark of this happy person in Psalm 1 is that he delights in the Word of God. Bible reading and Bible memory are not a burden to him, but a pleasure.. This is what we want. What sadness when Bible reading is just a drudgery. Something is wrong.

What shall we do? We struggle with Bible reading and memory and mediation because we don’t find pleasure in it. We have other things we want to get more. TV or breakfast or newspaper or computer. Our hearts incline to other things and do not incline to the Word. And so it is not a delight.

Did the psalmist ever struggle with this? Yes they did. Take heart. We all do. How shall this be changed? The answer is found through prayer. We must pray for God’s enabling to help us delight in His Word.

F. B. Meyer writes that it is not enough to read the Bible as a duty, we must come to it with delight. This is possible if you eschew light and foolish literature which cloys the appetite. Read the Book in happy fellowship with its Author, meditate until it is assimilated. Better one verse digested that a whole chapter bolted.
Here are some passages of Scripture on “delight.” Look them up for yourself and keep in mind what we have learned about the word “delight.”

Psalm 22:8
Psalm 35:27
Psalm 36:8
Psalm 37:4
Psalm 37:23
Psalm 112:1
Proverbs 3:12
Isaiah 42:1
Isaiah 62:4
Micah 7:18
Malachi 2:17

Richard De Haan gives us an illustration of how delight can be dulled and end up as drudgery.
The first morning I heard the mockingbird practicing his bagfull of imitations outside my window, I was thrilled by the beauty of his songs. Gradually, however, I began to take his early morning songster for granted. One day as I awoke, it dawned on me that I no long appreciated my regular visitor. It wasn’t the mockingbird’s fault. He was still there. His beautiful song hadn’t changed, but I was no longer listening for it.

As believers in Christ, we may have a similar experience hearing God speak to us in His Word. When we are first saved, the Scriptures, with their soul stirring instruction and vital spiritual food, are deeply satisfying. As time goes on, however, we routinely read those same portions over and over in a manner that no longer speaks to us. Our spiritual senses grow dull and lethargic, and God’s exhilarating Word becomes commonplace to us. But then, what joy we feel when a passage reveals the exciting truth, and once again we “hear” the Lord!

Then let me love my Bible more
And take a fresh delight
By day to read these wonders o'er
And meditate by night.
-- Isaac Watts

I scanned the Scriptures thoughtlessly--
My haste had closed my ear;
Then prayerfully I read once more--
This time my heart could hear.
--Gustafson

Are you reading the Scriptures out of a tired sense of duty?
Or do you still possess the delight and fresh expectancy you had when you first believed?

Today, when you read God's Word, listen closely for His voice

Not only does this person delight in God’ Word, he meditates on it.

Meditates, from the Hebrew word “hagah” strictly speaking means to utter a sound and hence it is employed of inward utterance, of the word a man speaks to himself and also of giving open and loud expression to the thoughts.

So in Hebrew thought, to meditate upon the Scripture is to quietly repeat them in a soft, droning sound, while abandoning outside distractions.

Meditation of the idea of digesting something thoroughly, of ruminating on it, of chewing the cud of God’s Word of Truth, of considering a verse by pondering it from various angles.

As stated, the original Hebrew idea is to mumble under one’s breath. I get the picture of one “brooding” over God’s Word, almost like a mother hen sitting on her eggs until they hatch! Have you ever been to the “Wailing Wall” in Jerusalem and seen the men facing the wall rocking back and forth muttering or chanting. That’s a picture of meditating, but only a partial pictures because without the Holy Spirit our Teacher, such mumbling becomes a rote, mechanical exercise.

Mediation is to our inner person what digestion is to our body and this if you make the Word a part of your life, hearing and heeding, you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Watch your thoughts: they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Author Unknown

When you truly delight in the Word, you have a desire to spend time in it and to meditate on it.

In the following verses from Psalm 119, observe the association between “delight” and “meditation”:

Verse 15: I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways.
Verse 16: I shall delight in Thy statutes, I shall not forget Thy word.

Verse 23: Even though princes sit and talk against me, Thy servant meditates on Thy statures.
Verse 24: Thy testimonies also are my delight; They are my counselors.

Verse 47: And I shall delight in Thy commandments, Which I love.
Verse 48: And I shall lift up my hands to Thy commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Thy statutes.

Wiersbe writes that we saturate ourselves with the Word by meditating on it. When we meditate on the Word, we allow the Spirit of God within us to “digest” the Word of spiritual nourishment for us.

God desires to bless us, but we must meet His conditions for receiving blessings. By staying separate from the world and keeping saturated in the Word, we may expect God's blessings. Resolve to meditate on the Word of God and obey it. He will make you a blessing to others.

Ray Pritchard writes that if we are serious about this, we will find the time to mediate. And we will have some sort of regular reading program. Perhaps we’ll read through the Bible in a year. Or perhaps we’ll use one of many Bible study guides that are available. And certainly we will try to memorize Scripture. This has become something of a lost art today. In an earlier generation, it was commonplace for Christians to emphasize Scripture memory. Today we have more or less relegated that practice to the Awana program. That’s a pity because when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, we are protected from sin and given strength to obey God. I know that many people, men, especially, like to say, “I just can’t memorize. I’m too busy. My brain is too tired. I can barely remember my phone number.” Women seem to do better at this, bit we men have thousand excuses. The truth is, we lack motivation. Suppose that Bill Gates came into the sanctuary with 50-gallon drum filled with crisp $100 bills. And suppose he offered $100 for each verse anyone memorized by next Sunday. That would change things, wouldn’t it? I’m sure we’ve got men who would figure out a way to memorize 100 verses by next Sunday because they need the money. But God’s Word is more precious than gold or silver. If we delight in the Word, we will find a way to read it, to meditate on it, and even to memorize it.

A. T. Pierson says that meditation is simply thought prolonged and directed to a single object. Your mystic chambers where thoughts abide are the secret workshop of an unseen Sculptor chiseling living forms for a deathless future. Personality and influence are modeled here. Hence, the biblical injunction, “Keep thy heart with a diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”

J. I. Packer says that meditation is the practice of turning each truth we learn about God into matter for reflection before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.
Meditation is the activity of calling to mind, and thinking over, and dwelling on, and applying to oneself, the various things that one knows about the works and way and purposes and promises of God. It is an activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.

Steven Cole explains the value of meditation in the context of Psalm 1 noting that as we saw in verse 1, the mind is the first bastion we must defend. Whatever shapes your thinking will shape your life. The only way for a person to reject the counsels of the ungodly which bombards him from every side is to be continually meditating on, thing about, chewing on in his mind, the Word if God and how is applies to life.

That’s our responsibility: to delight in and meditate on the Word of God. Do you do it”

Matthew Henry wisely comments, We may judge of our spiritual state by asking, “What is the law of God to us? What account do we make of it? What place has it in use?

To the extent that you build your life on God and His Word, you will have true happiness.

A. W. Tozer had this to say about the value of meditating on God’s Word:

Read it much, read it often, brood over it, think over it, meditate over it, meditate on the Word of God day and night. When you are awake at night, think of a helpful verse. When you get up in the morning, no matter how you feel think of a verse and make the Word of God the important element in your day. The Holy Ghost wrote the Word, and if you make much of the Word, He will make much of you. It is through the Word that He reveals Himself. Between those covers is a living Book. God wrote it and it is still vital and effective and alive. God is in this Book, and if you want to find Him, go into this Book.

John Piper writes that meditation in Hebrew means basically to speak or to mutter. When this is done in the heart it is called musing or meditation. Here is where I plead with you to get involved in the Fighter Verse memory program or some other pattern of Bible memorization. Unless you memorized Scripture you will not meditate on it day and night. But, oh, the benefits and delights of knowing communion with God hour by hour in His Word. If you have ever wondered, what is hour by hour walking in fellowship with the living God? The answer is: it is His speaking to you by His Word through your memory and meditation and illumination and application and your speaking to Him words of thanks and praise and admiration and desire and seeking for help and guidance and understanding. The Word is the basis for your hearing from Him and for His hearing you. The depth and solidity and certainty of your walk with God and your communion with God will rise and fall with whether God’s own written Word is the warp and woof of the fabric of your fellowship. So I urge you to memorize Scripture, and meditate on it day and night. It will change your life in many good ways.

Henry Blackaby gives a somewhat more “mystical” definition of meditation writing that meditations means “to think deeply and continuously about something.” For a Christian, this means remaining in the presence of God and pondering each truth He reveals about Himself until it becomes real and personal in your life. This takes time.

Bring the fruit of your meditation and offer it to the Lord for His blessing. Ask the Holy Spirit to apply the Word to your heart and enable you to live today in conformity to it.

Let the words of my mouth,
And the meditation of my heart,
Be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord.
My strength, and my Redeemer
Psalm 19:14

Some last minute thoughts about meditation:

God feeds the birds, but He doesn’t’ throw the food into their nests.

Saturation with the Scriptures is the secret to satisfaction in your soul.

Ongoing Meditation
October 22, 1997 My Daily Bread
By David C, Egner

Meditation on God’s Word doesn’t’ have to end with your devotional time is over. You can continue the blessing by taking Scriptures with you throughout the day.

Some people memorize a passage or write it on a card so they can have it available to read when they get a few moments. An engineer uses his coffee breaks to continue his reflection God’s Word. Homemakers attach versed to the refrigerator or bathroom mirror. Truckers put portions of the Bible on their dashboard.

Leslie B. Flynn tells of a brilliant college student who volunteered to word at a church camp and ended up as the designated potato peeler. A friend who admired her intelligence said, “It’s too bad you had to end up peeling potatoes.” She replied, “I don’t have to think about potatoes while I am peeling them. So I think about my Bible verse for the day.”

The psalmist indicated that he didn’t read God’s Word and then forget it. He meditated on it all day (Psalm 119: 97) And when the Word of God is in our minds from morning to night, we will be more likely to obey it and far less likely to violate it.

That’s the value of ongoing meditation.

We must read Scripture every day
And meditate on what God said
To fight temptation from the world
And live a life that’s Spirit led. Sper

Reading the Bible without meditating on it is like eating without chewing.

Thinking About It.
March 20, 2003 My Daily Bread
By Dave Brannon

According to one little boy, “Thinking is when you mouth stays shut and your head keeps talking to itself.”

The way your head talks to itself tells a lot about how we are doing morally and spiritually. To guard our mind and keep out the influences that hinder our walk with God is to use our mind in the way He desires.

The Bible gives us clear guidelines, spelling out the kings of things we should think about. For example, Psalm 1:2 and Psalm 119:97 tells us to meditate on God’s Word day and night. That should be our first priority in the thinking department.

But we have a life to live, and we can’t spend all of our waking moments meditating on Scripture. Yet even when we are thinking about the mundane aspects of life, we need guidance. Paul told us that we should think about thing that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8) In our daily activities, those words should govern what is on our mind.

When our head “talks to itself,” it needs to say, “Keep the impure and ungodly thoughts out of here!” When we are thinking that way, we will know what to do, how to behave, where to go, and what to say.

Let us think about what is good,
What is right and pure and true;
May God’s Word control our thoughts
In everything we do. FITZHUGH

Right thinking leads to right living!

What Is Reality?
October 10,2000 My Daily Bread
By Mark De Haan

The cartoon depicted a frustrated father changing a flat tire in the rain. His two children we peering out the car window. In response to their complaining, he said, “Don’t you understand? This is life. This is what is happening. We can’t switch to another channel!”

Television and reality, does the former distort the latter? After 10 years of research, media analyst Kenneth Curtis measured TV’ impact on society. He concluded that the omnipresent, flickering screen constantly tries to tell us what behavior and attitudes are desirable. He described the effect of TV as a subtle process that has become a significant force in defining reality.

It is true, we had better be careful about what we watch. The networks are not committed to portraying Christian values. Many things that are presented as acceptable are in fact dangerous. Further more, watching TV makes us passive observers rather than active participants in solving life’s problems. The violence, sex, and materialism on TV can make us insensitive to our calling as Christians to be salt and light in a sinful world.

Only as we meditate on God’s Word can we have the right perspective. To avoid a distorted view of life, we must allow God’s truth to define reality.

Our thoughts are shaped by what we see,
And thoughts affect our soul;
So if we’d profit from TV,
We must be in control DJD

Has this study on Verse 2 of Psalm 1 been a blessing to you?

I would like to hear your comments.

DAN WILSON
Ephesians 4 Teacher
ephesians4teacher@gmail.com

2011-10-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

PSALM 1

Psalm 1:1-6

1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

3. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

4. The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

5. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. (NASB)

1. Blessed, happy, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable, is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly, following their advice, their plans and purposes, nor stands, submissive and inactive in the path where sinners walk, not sit down, to relax and rest where the scornful and the mockers gather.

2. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law, the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God he habitually meditates, ponders and studies by day by night

3. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted and tended by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper and come to maturity.

4. Not so the wicked, those disobedient and living without God are not so. But they are like the chaff, worthless, dead, without substance, which the wind drives away.

5. Therefore the wicked, those disobedient and living without God shall not stand justified in the judgment, not sinners in the congregation of the righteous, those who are upright and in right standing with God.

6. For the Lord knows and is fully acquainted with the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly, those living outside of God’s will shall perish, end in ruin and come to nought. (The Amplified Bible)

Psalm 1:1

1. How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

2. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.

3. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.

“How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers!”

The Psalm starts out with the word “blessed.”

Blessed comes from the Hebrew word “esher” that conveys a deep sense of well being. It also speaks of the inner contentment in the life of the man or woman who is right or “straight” with God. The man who practices righteousness will be a blessed man.

The word “happy” is a good rendition of blessed, provided one keeps in mind that the condition of “bliss” in not merely a feeling. Even when the righteous do not feel happy, they are still considered “blessed” from God’s perspective. He bestows this gift on them. Neither negative feelings nor adverse conditions can take His blessing away.

Ray Pritchard writes that in biblical terms to be blessed means to be rightly related to God so that your life if fulfilled and you experience deep personal satisfaction. It is important to know that this sort of happiness is not related to our circumstances. And it doesn’t come simply by seeking for it. You find happiness not by seeking it by doing certain things, and not doing other things. The blessing comes as a side benefit of the choices we make. A wise man said that happiness is like a cat. Seek it and it will run from you. But go about your business steadily day by day and soon it comes and curls up at your feet. How true. The most miserable people on New Year’s Eve at those who seek happiness by hopping from one part to another and from one bare to another. True happiness and lasting contentment simply cannot be found that way.

Just as a side note, how blessed and blessed is the man appears more than once in the Old Testament. You might call them the “Beatitudes of the Old Testament.”

I have listed them here for you and you can look them up:

Psalm 32:2
Psalm 34:8
Psalm 40:4
Psalm 84:5, 12
Psalm 94:12
Psalm 112:1
Psalm 127:5
Proverbs 3:13
Proverbs 8:34
Proverbs 28:14
Isaiah 56:2
Jeremiah 17:7

The next part of Psalm 1:1 says that this blessed person “does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or ungodly.”

The Hebrew word for “walk is “halak” which denotes physical locomotion but is often used as a metaphor to picture one’s conduct or how one lives his or her life.

For example, the phrase “walking with or before God” speaks of a close relationship to God. This positive use describes such men as Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and David, all of whom were pleasing to God and all of whom experience the blessedness of God.

The Hebrew verb is in the qal perfect tense where perfect depicts one’s walk or conduct as a whole, without necessarily any reflection on the duration of that conduct. The perfect can also speak of behavior that was started in the past and has continued into the present or which is started in the present and continues into the future.

He does not walk in the “counsel of the wicked”

The Hebrew word of counsel is “etsah” which means a viewpoint or way of thinking, a state of mind that affects the decisions that we make. It means don’t listen to their advice especially in the moral/ethical realm, telling you how you should conduct your life. The first way to avoid evil is to refuse to be influenced by the ungodly.

My question to you is, Who influences you? Are you letting the world’s way of thinking influence you”

Gil comments that “not to walk” herein is not to hearken to their counsel, to give into it, agree with it, pursue it, and act according to it, and happy is the man who, though he may fall in the way of it, and may have bad counsel given him by ungodly me, yet does not consent to it, take it, and act upon it.

What does the counsel of the wicked, or ungodly, look like?

Pastor Steve Cole offers five guidelines to discerning the counsel of the wicked versus the wisdom of God:

(1) The counsel of the wicked denies the sufficiency of Scripture for dealing with the problems of the soul.

The Bible claims to be adequate to equip the believer for every good word and to produce in us true happiness by dealing with the problems of the soul. It provides answers for problems of guilt, anxiety, depression, anger, bitterness and relational conflicts. Christian psychology brings the world’s wisdom to bear on these problems, thus implying that the Bible is not sufficient and often stating “solutions” opposed to what the Bible prescribes.

(2) The counsel of the wicked exalts the pride of man and takes away from the glory of God.

The Bible humbles the pride of man and exalts the glory of God. The world’s wisdom builds the self and minimizes the need for absolute trust in God, whether for salvation or for daily living.

(3) The counsel of the wicked denies or minimizes the need for the cross of Christ by asserting either the basic goodness of man or by downplaying the extent and impact of the fall.

The Bible teaches that we are utterly wicked and self-seeking. None of us could or would seek God if left to ourselves. The cross humbles human pride and exalts Christ alone.

(4) The counsel of the wicked denies God’s moral absolutes and substitutes relative human “goodness.”

God is absolutely righteous and His standards of holiness as revealed in His Word are absolute. Worldly wisdom rationalizes away God’s absolutes as being too “idealistic” or “harsh” and substitutes some human standard, such as “love.” In other words, human wisdom makes a god in its own likeness, rather than submitting to the true God.

(5) The counsel of the wicked focuses on pleasing self rather than on pleasing God and others.

The world’s wisdom does not promote self-denial and love for God and others as of first importance. Often the world’s wisdom provides “help” for a person, relief from the symptoms of his problem, without leading him to confess sin, depend on God, and live obedience to God. The world’s wisdom counsels you to live first of all for yourself. In “Christian” form, it tells you that if you don’t love yourself, you can’t love God and others.
The Hebrew word for “ungodly” (KJV), while other translations use “wicked” is “rasha”

The narrow meaning of “rasha” lies in the concept of “wrongdoing,” or “being in the wrong.”

The word “rasha” seems to have a double meaning, “wrong, wickedness,” and “to condemn as guilty.” This masculine noun is used in parallel with almost every Hebrew word for sin, evil, and iniquity. The word functions also as an adjective to designate in concrete terms the actions and conduct of a type of person.

It is a legal term. The person who has sinned against the law is guilty. This a category of people who have done wrong, are still living in sin, and are intent on continuing with wrongdoing.

Wicked people were guilty of violation of the social rights of others, for they were violent, oppressive, greedy, engaged in plotting against and trapping poor people, and quite willing to murder to gain their ends. In a word, they threatened the community. They were dishonest in business and in the courtroom. The inner lives of the wicked correspond to their actions. They are vicious, haughty, treacherous, vile, polluted, and unstable. I am sure we could come up with a few names of people that fit into this category both in the Bible and in the world today.

The wicked, ungodly, conduct their lives as if God does not exist and with no regard for Him.

Scripture gives us some clues about the nature of the wicked person:

Psalm 10:4: “The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’”

Psalm 10:13: “Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, ‘Thou wilt not require it.’”

Psalm 11:5: “The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates.”

Psalm 17:7: “Wondrously show Thy lovingkindness, O Savior of those who take refuge at Thy right hand from those who rise up against them.”

Psalm 37:21: “The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives.”

Psalm 119:110: “The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I have not gone astray from Thy precepts.”

The Bible is full of examples, both in the Old and New Testaments, of people who were wicked. Not a nice group of people.

What kind of advice or counsel would you expect to get from this group of people? I can guarantee you that it would not be godly counsel.

Blessed is the man who does not follow the counsel of the wicked.

Next up is “does not stand in the path of sinners.”

The Hebrew word for “stand” is “qum.” The root word refers essentially to the physical action of “rising up.” It is used of figurative rising or standing.

This means to avoid being in the places where sinners congregate to do their thing. If you are serious about keeping yourself morally and ethically pure and holy, don’t put yourself in a path that will surely bring temptation. Avoid doing as they do.

Steve Cole comments that the path of sinners refers to their way of life and behavior. To stand in the path of sinners means involvement with sinners in their sinful behavior. The word “sinners” comes from a Hebrew word meaning to miss the mark. It refers to deviating from the standard of God as revealed in His Word. If we run with worldly people in their godless way of life, we will be wrongly influence by them. That is why a new Christian needs to cut off close relationships with many former friends. They will draw you back into the old way of life. You may not think so, but “Do not be deceived”!

On the other hand, we are not supposed to cut ourselves off completely from sinners. Otherwise, you would have to go out of the world. Rather, your objective changes. Whereas before you associated with sinners as one of them to join in their evil deeds, now you associate with them as sinner saved by grace to seek to bring them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Next is “sit in the seat of scoffers/mockers.”

The Hebrew word of “sit” is “yashab” which has a sense of to sit, dwell, remain, abide and emphasizes a thoroughly settled state or condition. One has settled down and is comfortable and content with the world with its patterns. In the present context this verb pictures the idea of becoming comfortable with sin and of progression from casual influence of ungodly people to collusion with them in their scorn

“Seat” comes from the Hebrew word “moshab” which means a place where a thing, in this case a person, is settled or established.

“Scoffers” come from the Hebrew word “luwts” which means to deride, speak in a scornfully derisive or to boast as to express utter contempt. The activity of the scornful is condemned as an abomination to people. The scoffer is one who shows contempt by mocking, sneering, or scorning.

The seat of scoffers refers to the assembly or place where such men gather to reinforce their godless philosophy. Birds of a feather flock together. Those who scoff at God love to get together to reinforce their prejudices. To sit in their seat means to belong to such a crowd. Take note: How truly happy is the person who does not sit in the seat of scoffer!

Guzik writes that the scornful love to sit and criticize the people of God and the things of God. The righteous man will not sit in that seat! When others are putting down Christians, it is easy to sit with them and criticize them. It is easy because there are many things to criticize among Christians. But it is wrong, because we are then sitting in the seat of the scornful. Instead, we should be proud to follow Jesus Christ.

Steven Cole comments that scoffer have rejected God and His Word. They now seek to justify themselves by openly deriding that which they have rejected. Scoffers thing they know more than God. They’re too smart to believe in the Bible. Many scoffers come from church backgrounds, but have cast it off as too “repressive.” Although they always hide under an intellectual smoke screen, invariably scoffers have cast off the Bible because they want to be their own god so that they can follow their own lusts. They don’t want God interfering in their sinful lifestyles.

Walk, stand, and sit picture a process of spiritual “retrogression” which is the ever present danger if we are not growing in grace by taking in God’s Word. The point is that believers never stand still in their Christian walk and the psalmist portrays the potential spiritual declension by three degrees of degeneration, describing out habit of conduct, walk, stand, sit, and three degrees of evil influence, counsel of the wicked, path of sinners, and the seat of scoffers. In short, the psalmist warns us how we are prone to wander as the hymn writer says, “turning aside little by little.

Even imperceptibly becoming increasing entangles in the web of sin. We need to remember that the writer of Hebrews warns of the deadliness of sin: “But encourage one another day after day, as longs as it is called ‘Today,’ lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13

This came from Kenneth Copeland’s devotional, “Faith to Faith:

Aug 25 - Choose Friends Wisely

"I wrote you in my [previous] letter not to associate (closely and habitually) with unchaste (impure) people."
(1 Corinthians 5:9)

The company you keep has such an influence on your spiritual life. Fellowshiping with godly people will help speed you on to victory, while fellowshiping with those who are ungodly will drag you down to defeat.

That's why the Bible has some things to say about your friends. That's why it tells you to separate yourself from the world. Because evil companions will corrupt you.

Now, I'm not talking about ministry. Jesus Himself ministered to sinners. You have to mix with them to preach to them and pray for them. What I'm talking about here are the people you choose for friends.

If you want to walk in the things of the Lord, don't choose friends who walk in the things of the devil, people who talk and act ungodly, who don't give God any place in their lives. They'll pull you down. As you rub shoulders with them, you'll expose yourself to temptation. You'll get so familiar with sin it will start to appear less repulsive to you. Sooner or later, you'll fall into it.

So choose your friends wisely. Fellowship with those who call on the Name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Expose yourself to their love and peace. Let their faith rub off on you!

Scripture Study: 1 Corinthians 5:9-13

© 1992 Eagle Mountain International Church aka Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.
Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Our Daily Bread.

Icebergs

July 15, 2002 — by Haddon W. Robinson

To improve efficiency, a company hired a consultant, who called a meeting of all shop personnel. Stressing the need to listen to experts, he said, “Imagine you’re on the Titanic, and it’s sinking. You climb into a lifeboat. Which direction would you row?”

Then he asked, “What if you had the ship’s navigator with you? Now which way would you go? You’d row the way the navigator told you to, right?”

There were murmurs of agreement until one fellow in the back piped up, “Well, I don’t know. He’s already hit one iceberg!”

The book of Proverbs urges us to get advice from the wise (1:2-7). Wisdom in the Bible is the “skill for living.” The Hebrew word translated “wisdom” is the same word that’s translated “skill” in reference to the detailed work of Bezalel and Aholiab in constructing the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-11). God gave them and others skill for artwork, building, weaving, and carving.
Today, wise men and women have a valuable skill—”the skill for living.” Don’t take your lead from others until you take a look at their lives. If they have crashed into a lot of icebergs, they may cause your life to sink as well.

The “blessed” person delights in God’s Word, “not in the counsel of the ungodly” (Psalm 1:1-2)—HWR

When you're in need of wisdom,
Be careful to whom you go;
Make certain they are godly,
And that God's Word they know. —Fitzhugh

Take your direction from those who follow God's Word.

Who do you go to for counsel?

Who do you hang around with?

Who do you sit down with?

We will pick up with verses 2 and 3 next time.

I would like to hear you comments. Please email your comments to Dan Wilson at ephesians4teacher@gmail.com

2011-10-01T10:29:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALMS

Because of the length of the introduction, and other technical reasons, the introduction if on Google documents. Copy and paste the link to view the material:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/162igzhoCjzRccWmwCYKNZpms86zj3x-Ob8aFCcys-b0/edit?hl=en_US#

This is the first time I have used Google Documents, so I really don't what I am doing. Try it anyway.

Email me at ephesians4teacher.blogspot.com if you are experiencing difficutly in view the material

Thanks,

DAN WILSON

2011-08-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

Psalm 41:1-13
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

How blessed is he who considers the helpless;
The Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble.

[2] The Lord will protect him, and keep him alive,
And he shall be called blessed upon the earth;
And do not give him over to the desire of his enemies.

[3] The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed;
In his illness, Thou dost restore him to health.

[4] As for me, I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee."

[5] My enemies speak evil against me, "When will he die, and his name perish?"

[6] And when he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood;
His heart gathers wickedness to itself;
When he goes outside, he tells it.

[7] All who hate me whisper together against me;
Against me they devise my hurt, saying,

[8] "A wicked thing is poured out upon him,
That when he lies down, he will not rise up again."

[9] Even my close friend, in whom I trusted,
Who ate my bread,
Has lifted up his heel against me.

[10] But Thou, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up,
That I may repay them.

[11] By this I know that Thou art pleased with me,
Because my enemy does not shout in triumph over me.

[12] As for me, Thou dost uphold me in my integrity,
And Thou dost set me in Thy presence forever.

[13] Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
From everlasting to everlasting.
Amen, and Amen.

Psalm 41

Open It

* 1. Who are the weak in our society?
2. What do you most appreciate when you are feeling sick or abandoned?
3. When have you ever felt homesick, very lonely, or utterly alone?

Explore It

4. How should people view the weak? (41:1)
5. How does the Lord treat weak people? (41:1-3)
* 6. What blessings does God give to the weak? (41:1-3)
7. What motivated David to write this prayer? (41:1-13)
8. How did David voice his confidence in the Lord? (41:1-3)
9. What did David believe to be the reason for his illness? (41:4)
10. What request did David ask of the Lord? (41:4-6)
11. How did David’s enemies torment him? (41:5-9)
12. What rumors did David’s enemies spread? (41:6-8)
* 13. What were David’s adversaries guilty of doing? (41:6-9)
14. How was David’s reputation slandered? (41:6-9)
15. In addition to his enemies, who else betrayed David? (41:9)
16. Why did David want to be healed of his sickness? (41:10)
17. How did the Lord treat David differently than his friends and enemies? (41:10-12)
* 18. How did David know he was favored by God? (41:11)
19. Why did God protect David? (41:12)
20. What did David do in anticipation of God’s healing and deliverance? (41:13)

Get It

21. Why is it so difficult to be alone?
22. Judging from this psalm, how did David feel when his close friend turned against him?
23. When have you felt betrayed by a friend?
24. How are weak people treated by others?
25. How does God want us to treat weak people?
* 26. Why does the Lord allow us to go through difficult experiences?
27. Where do you usually turn when you feel helpless or abandoned?
28. What can we learn from David’s example about handling sickness or abandonment?
29. What connection did David see between his sin and his sickness?
30. How is our sin related to what God allows us to experience?
31. How does God encourage you to repent?
* 32. How can we know if God is pleased with us?
33. What good people, places, and things has the Lord allowed you to enjoy?
34. What difficult situations are you facing?
35. In what area of life do you feel the need to plea for God’s mercy?

Apply It

36. What can you do to take comfort in God the next time you feel lonely or abandoned?
* 37. What can you do to rely on God in handling the challenges you face this next week?
38. How can you remember to pray for God’s mercy each time you pray?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Blessed and delivered in time of trouble because I considered the poor.

Preserved by the LORD and kept alive.

Blessed upon the earth: and not delivered unto the will of mine enemies .

Strengthen upon my bed of languishing.

Shown mercy and my soul is healed; for I am confessing my sins .

Upholds in mine integrity .

Blessing the LORD.

2011-08-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Psalm 40:1-17
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me, and heard my cry.

[2] He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay;
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

[3] And He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear,
And will trust in the Lord.

[4] How blessed is the man who has made the Lord his trust,
And has not turned to the proud, nor to those who lapse into falsehood.

[5] Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders which Thou hast done,
And Thy thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with Thee;
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count.

[6] Sacrifice and meal offering Thou hast not desired;
My ears Thou hast opened;
Burnt offering and sin offering Thou hast not required.

[7] Then I said, "Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me;

[8] I delight to do Thy will, O my God;
Thy Law is within my heart."

[9] I have proclaimed glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation;
Behold, I will not restrain my lips,
O Lord, Thou knowest.

[10] I have not hidden Thy righteousness within my heart;
I have spoken of Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation;
I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

[11] Thou, O Lord, wilt not withhold Thy compassion from me;
Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth will continually preserve me.

[12] For evils beyond number have surrounded me;
My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see;
They are more numerous than the hairs of my head;
And my heart has failed me.

[13] Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me;
Make haste, O Lord, to help me.

[14] Let those be ashamed and humiliated together
Who seek my life to destroy it?
Let those be turned back and dishonored
Who delight in my hurt.

[15] Let those be appalled because of their shame
Who say to me, "Aha, aha!"

[16] Let all who seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee;
Let those who love Thy salvation say continually, "The Lord be magnified!"

[17] Since I am afflicted and needy,
Let the Lord be mindful of me;
Thou art my help and my deliverer;
Do not delay, O my God.

Psalm 40

Open It

1. What, to you, is the most vivid example of hypocrisy?
* 2. When do you hate to wait?

Explore It

3. What mental picture did David use to describe God’s deliverance in the past? (40:1-2)
4. For what did David praise the Lord in the introduction of the psalm? (40:1-5)
5. What is the main theme of this psalm? (40:1-17)
6. What did David’s experience of God’s help in the past motivate him to do? (40:3)
7. How should we respond to God’s deliverance? (40:3)
8. What specific instructions does the psalm give to God’s people? (40:4)
9. In what way did David feel inadequate? (40:5)
* 10. What does God want from us even more than sacrifices and offerings? (40:6-7)
* 11. What testimony did David give about his own relationship with the Lord? (40:6-10)
12. What was David’s main desire? (40:8)
* 13. How did David equip himself to do God’s will? (40:8)
14. How was David involved in proclaiming God’s goodness to others? (40:9-10)
15. What was David’s request? (40:11-17)
16. What did David believe to be the cause of his distress? (40:12)
17. How was David’s difficult situation worsened? (40:14-15)
18. What did David ask the Lord to do to his enemies? (40:14-15)
19. How did David ask the Lord to treat those who seek Him? (40:16)

Get It

20. What are the dangers of letting church attendance become overly routine or perfunctory?
* 21. How can we guard against the temptation to focus more on outward appearances than inward attitudes?
22. What does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past prompt you to do?
23. What would be our modern-day equivalent to the sacrifices and offerings of the Old Testament?
24. What does God really want from us?
25. How can we guard against an insincere attitude and hypocrisy?
* 26. How can you equip yourself to do the Lord’s will?
27. How can we store God’s Word in our hearts?
28. How can you be involved in telling others about God’s goodness?
* 29. What can you do to share your experience of God’s faithfulness with those who do not know the Lord?

Apply It

* 30. What steps can you take this next week to store God’s Word in your heart?
31. What offering of praise can you give to God today?
32. In the next few days, who is one person you could tell about God’s faithfulness to you?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Waiting patiently on the Lord.

Singing a new song, a song of praise.

Blessed because I have made the Lord my trust.

Proclaiming glad tidings of righteousness in the great congregation.

Not hiding Your righteousness within my heart.

Speaking of Your faithfulness and Your salvation.

Not concealing Your lovingkindness and Your truth from the great congregation.

Saying continually, The Lord be magnified.

2011-08-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 39:1-13
For the choir director, for Jeduthun.
A Psalm of David.

I said, "I will guard my ways,
That I may not sin with my tongue;
I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle,
While the wicked are in my presence."

[2] I was dumb and silent,
I refrained even from good;
And my sorrow grew worse.

[3] My heart was hot within me;
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:

[4] "Lord, make me to know my end,
And what is the extent of my days,
Let me know how transient I am.

[5] "Behold, Thou hast made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Thy sight,
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.

Selah.

[6] "Surely every man walks about as a phantom;
Surely they make an uproar for nothing;
He amasses riches, and does not know who will gather them.

[7] "And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My hope is in Thee.

[8] "Deliver me from all my transgressions;
Make me not the reproach of the foolish.

[9] "I have become dumb, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is Thou who hast done it.

[10] "Remove Thy plague from me;
Because of the opposition of Thy hand, I am perishing.

[11] "With reproofs Thou dost chasten a man for iniquity;
Thou dost consume as a moth what is precious to him;
Surely every man is a mere breath.
Selah.

[12] "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry;
Do not be silent at my tears;
For I am a stranger with Thee,
A sojourner like all my fathers.

[13] "Turn Thy gaze away from me, that I may smile again,
Before I depart and am no more."

Psalm 39

Open It

* 1. What is one thing you want to do before you die?
2. For what reasons do we keep secrets?
3. When have you ever accidently revealed a secret, and what happened?

Explore It

4. What was David determined to do but failed to do? (39:1-3)
5. Why could David no longer suppress his despair? (39:1-3)
6. Why had David determined not to speak of his anguish? (39:1-3, 9)
7. What central prayer request unifies this psalm? (39:1-13)
* 8. What motivated David to write this poem? (39:1-13)
9. What effect did David’s attempt to suppress his anguish have on him? (39:2-3)
10. What did David want to know about his own future? (39:4)
11. What did David ask God to do? (39:4)
* 12. What had David learned about the brevity of life? (39:4-6)
13. What prayer did David offer to the Lord? (39:4-6)
14. What attitude did David have about himself in relation to the Lord? (39:4-6, 12)
15. In whom did David place his only hope? (39:7)
* 16. What simple request did David present before the Lord? (39:7-11)
17. What did David expect to happen if the Lord did not deliver him? (39:8)
18. What did David believe was the reason for his illness? (39:9)
19. How did David feel about the Lord’s hand in his life? (39:10)
20. According to David, why does God rebuke people? (39:11)
21. What is one way the Lord chooses to discipline people? (39:11)
22. How did David demonstrate his humility in this prayer? (39:12-13)

Get It

23. When is it good to keep secrets? When is it bad?
24. What does David’s determination to guard against speaking rebellious words in the hearing of his enemies reveal about his character?
25. How should we speak about God or one another in the presence of unbelievers?
26. How do you think you could change your attitude or behavior to insure you always honor the reputation of the Lord and other believers?
27. What can we learn about humility from David’s example in this psalm?
28. How can you cultivate the spirit of humility in your life?
* 29. Why do people procrastinate?
* 30. What important goals have you put off too long?
31. When have you vented your emotions to the Lord in prayer, and how did it make you feel?
32. When have you felt chastised by the Lord?
33. Why do you think God chooses to discipline us?
34. How should we respond to feelings of guilt?
35. What has recently caused you to feel guilty?

Apply It

36. What could you do this week to honor the name of the Lord in what you do or say at work? at home?
* 37. What first step could you take toward an important goal or priority this week?
38. How do you want to pray the next time you feel guilty or abandoned by God?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Taking heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.

Keeping my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.

Made known my end, and the measure of my days, what it is.

Made know how frail I am.

Having my hope in the Lord.

Delivered from all my transgressions.

Not the reproach of the foolish.

Heard of the Lord.

Spared, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

2011-08-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Psalm 38:1-22

A Psalm of David, for a memorial.

O Lord, rebuke me not in Thy wrath;
And chasten me not in Thy burning anger.

[2] For Thine arrows have sunk deep into me,
And Thy hand has pressed down on me.

[3] There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation;
There is no health in my bones because of my sin.

[4] For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.

[5] My wounds grow foul and fester.
Because of my folly,

[6] I am bent over and greatly bowed down;
I go mourning all day long.

[7] For my loins are filled with burning;
And there is no soundness in my flesh.

[8] I am benumbed and badly crushed;
I groan because of the agitation of my heart.

[9] Lord, all my desire is before Thee;
And my sighing is not hidden from Thee.

[10] My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
And the light of my eyes, even that has gone from me.

[11] My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.

[12] Those who seek my life lay snares for me;
And those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction,
And they devise treachery all day long.

[13] But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
And I am like a dumb man who does not open his mouth.

[14] Yes, I am like a man who does not hear,
And in whose mouth are no arguments.

[15] For I hope in Thee, O Lord;
Thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.

[16] For I said, "May they not rejoice over me,
Who, when my foot slips, would magnify themselves against me."

[17] For I am ready to fall,
And my sorrow is continually before me.

[18] For I confess my iniquity;
I am full of anxiety because of my sin.

[19] But my enemies are vigorous and strong;
And many are those who hate me wrongfully.

[20] And those who repay evil for good,
They oppose me, because I follow what is good.

[21] Do not forsake me, O Lord;
O my God, do not be far from me!

[22] Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!

Psalm 38

Open It

1. How do your friends and family treat you when you are sick?
* 2. How would you feel if all of your friends deserted you when you were sick?
3. What was the nicest thing someone did for you when you were ill?

Explore It

4. What emotion overwhelmed David? (38:1-4)
* 5. In what way had David felt the hand of the Lord? (38:1-4)
* 6. What urgent request did David present to the Lord? (38:1-22)
7. What did David believe to be the cause of his illness? (38:5)
8. What were the physical and emotional effects of David’s illness? (38:5-8)
9. How did David demonstrate his dependence on the Lord, even in the worst of circumstances? (38:9)
10. What details did David reveal about his situation? (38:10-12)
11. Why was David deserted by his friends? (38:11)
12. How was David’s suffering increased? (38:11-20)
13. How was David treated by his adversaries? (38:12)
14. Why did David describe himself as a deaf man? (38:13-14)
15. Why did David refuse to answer his enemies? (38:13-16)
* 16. Whom did David expect to act on his behalf against his enemies? (38:15)
17. How did David feel about his condition? (38:17)
18. What did David confess to the Lord? (38:18)
19. Although David confessed sin against the Lord, in what way did he believe he was innocent? (38:19-20)
20. What renewed appeal concludes the psalm? (38:21-22)

Get It

21. What does this passage teach us about relating to God during difficult times?
22. What can we learn from David’s example about how to handle sickness or depression?
23. How have your friends or family helped you through difficult times?
24. When have you felt deserted by your friends or overwhelmed by a particular problem?
25. If God is more reliable than any person, why do we hesitate to turn to Him in our times of need?
* 26. What specific problem or challenge would you like to commit to the Lord?
27. How can you demonstrate your trust in God to help you through the challenges you face?
* 28. What hope does this psalm offer those of us who face sickness, depression, or other overwhelming circumstances?

Apply It

29. For what aspect of God’s reliability or faithfulness do you thank God today?
* 30. What steps could you take to depend on the Lord through the challenges you are now facing?
31. What could you do for a friend or relative who is struggling with sickness or depression to encourage or help him or her this week?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Not rebuked in God’s wrath; neither chastened in His hot displeasure.

Having all my desire before God; and my groaning is not hid from Him.

Hoping in the Lord; and I am heard by my God.

Declaring my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin,

Following the thing that is good.

Not forsaken by the Lord; He is not far from me.

Helped hastily by the Lord my salvation.

2011-06-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Psalm 37:1-40
A Psalm of David.

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.

[2] For they will wither quickly like the grass,
And fade like the green herb.

[3] Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.

[4] Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.

[5] Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

[6] And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your judgment as the noonday.

[7] Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

[8] Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.

[9] For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

[10] Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place, and he will not be there.

[11] But the humble will inherit the land,
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.

[12] The wicked plots against the righteous,
And gnashes at him with his teeth.

[13] The Lord laughs at him;
For He sees his day is coming.

[14] The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow,
To cast down the afflicted and the needy,
To slay those who are upright in conduct.

[15] Their sword will enter their own heart,
And their bows will be broken.

[16] Better is the little of the righteous
Than the abundance of many wicked.

[17] For the arms of the wicked will be broken;
But the Lord sustains the righteous.

[18] The Lord knows the days of the blameless;
And their inheritance will be forever.

[19] They will not be ashamed in the time of evil;
And in the days of famine they will have abundance.

[20] But the wicked will perish;
And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures,
They vanish-- like smoke they vanish away.

[21] The wicked borrows and does not pay back,
But the righteous is gracious and gives.

[22] For those blessed by Him will inherit the land;
But those cursed by Him will be cut off.

[23] The steps of a man are established by the Lord;
And He delights in his way.

[24] When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong;
Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.

[25] I have been young, and now I am old;
Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
Or his descendants begging bread.

[26] All day long he is gracious and lends;
And his descendants are a blessing.

[27] Depart from evil, and do good,
So you will abide forever.

[28] For the Lord loves justice,
And does not forsake His godly ones;
They are preserved forever;
But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.

[29] The righteous will inherit the land,
And dwell in it forever.

[30] The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom,
And his tongue speaks justice.

[31] The law of his God is in his heart;
His steps do not slip.

[32] The wicked spies upon the righteous,
And seeks to kill him.

[33] The Lord will not leave him in his hand,
Or let him be condemned when he is judged.

[34] Wait for the Lord, and keep His way,
And He will exalt you to inherit the land;
When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

[35] I have seen a violent, wicked man
Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil.

[36] Then he passed away, and lo, he was no more;
I sought for him, but he could not be found.

[37] Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright;
For the man of peace will have a posterity.

[38] But transgressors will be altogether destroyed;
The posterity of the wicked will be cut off.

[39] But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in time of trouble.

[40] And the Lord helps them, and delivers them;
He delivers them from the wicked, and saves them,
Because they take refuge in Him.

Psalm 37

Open It

* 1. What are some of the dangers in trying to get rich?
2. What do you think are some of the blessings of not being rich?
3. Why do you think more people seek wealth than righteousness?

Explore It

4. What advice does this psalm give concerning evil people? (37:1-2)
5. Why should the righteous not envy the wicked? (37:1-2)
6. What comparison is the dominant theme of this psalm? (37:1-40)
* 7. What did David expect to happen to the wicked? (37:1-40)
8. What did David say people should do instead of worrying about the success of evildoers? (37:3-7)
* 9. What specific list of actions did David advise God’s people to take? (37:3-8, 27, 30-31, 34)
10. What are the consequences of worrying? (37:8)
* 11. What will be the results of trusting in the Lord? (37:3-40)
12. What reasons did David give to motivate his listeners to take his advice? (37:3-40)
13. What can God’s people expect? (37:10, 20, 35-36)
14. What does the psalm say about the meek? (37:11)
15. How are the wicked described? (37:12, 14)
16. Why does the Lord laugh at the wicked? (37:13)
17. How will the schemes of the wicked backfire? (37:15)
18. When is having “a little” better than being wealthy? (37:16-17)
19. How does God show His delight in people? (37:23-24)
20. What did David learn from his long life of experience? (37:25-26)
21. What blessings do the righteous enjoy? (37:27-31, 33-34, 39-40)

Get It

22. What can we learn from David’s observations of the wicked and the righteous?
23. What lessons have you learned from other mature Christians?
* 24. How is David’s comparison of the righteous and wicked in this psalm relevant to us today?
25. What does this passage teach us about envy of others?
26. What does this psalm teach us about worry?
* 27. What are the benefits of trusting in the Lord and seeking righteousness?
28. What is more important than trying to get rich or financially secure?
29. How can we guard against greed?
30. What blessings from the Lord do you enjoy?
31. What advice in this psalm about trusting God would you like to work on following?

Apply It

32. What concern of yours can you entrust to the Lord in prayer?
33. How can you make sure your priority lies in seeking to please God rather than in seeking wealth?
* 34. What is one thing you can do to entrust your life, family, and future to God?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Not fretting because of evildoers.

Not envious toward wrongdoers.

Trusting in the Lord and doing good.

Delighting myself in the Lord.

Commiting my way to the Lord.

Resting in the Lord and waiting patiently for Him

Not fretting because of him who prospers in his way and the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Ceasing from anger and forsaking wrath.

Not fretting.

Inheriting the land and delighting in abundant prosperity.

Being gracious and giving.

Inheriting the land and dwelling in it forever.

Uttering wisdom and speaking justice.

Waiting for the Lord and keeping His way.

Being exalted to inherit the land.

2011-06-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Psalm 36:1-12
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.

Transgression speaks to the ungodly within his heart;
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

[2] For it flatters him in his own eyes,
Concerning the discovery of his iniquity and the hatred of it

.
[3] The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has ceased to be wise and to do good.

[4] He plans wickedness upon his bed;
He sets himself on a path that is not good;
He does not despise evil.

[5] Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
Thy faithfulness reaches to the skies.

[6] Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God;
Thy judgments are like a great deep.
O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast.

[7] How precious is Thy lovingkindness, O God!
And the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Thy wings.

[8] They drink their fill of the abundance of Thy house;
And Thou dost give them to drink of the river of Thy delights.

[9] For with Thee is the fountain of life;
In Thy light we see light.

[10] O continue Thy lovingkindness to those who know Thee,
And Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

[11] Let not the foot of pride come upon me,
And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away.

[12] There the doers of iniquity have fallen;
They have been thrust down and cannot rise.

Psalm 36

Open It

* 1. What do you think about when you first wake up in the morning or right before you go to sleep at night?
2. What time of day have you found to be the best time to pray?

Explore It

3. How did David describe the wicked? (36:1-4)
4. What is the main focus of this poem? (36:1-12)
5. In what way do the wicked flatter themselves? (36:2)
* 6. What attitude prevents the wicked from realizing their own sin? (36:2)
7. How does this psalm contrast the character of God with the wicked? (36:5-9)
8. How is God described in this psalm? (36:5-9)
9. How far does the love of God extend? (36:5)
10. What mental images did David use to describe God’s righteousness and justice? (36:6)
11. How did David see himself and the animals in relation to God? (36:6)
12. Who finds refuge in the Lord? (36:7)
13. How did David describe God’s people? (36:7-10)
* 14. How does the Lord provide for His people? (36:8-9)
15. Why did David describe God as a “fountain of life”? (36:9)
16. What did David want the Lord to provide for His people? (36:10)
* 17. What two-fold request did David present to the Lord? (36:10-11)
18. With what expectation of the future did David conclude the psalm? (36:12)
19. What does David’s conclusion reveal of his confidence in the Lord? (36:12)

Get It

20. Why do you think God is sometimes described as light?
21. What does David teach us in this psalm about God and His character?
22. What can we learn from this passage about how God provides for His people?
23. How have you experienced God’s provision or guidance?
24. What kind of relationship did David have with God?
* 25. How can we imitate David’s confidence when we present our requests to God in prayer?
* 26. Through the description of the wicked, what attitudes and behaviors does this psalm warn us to guard against?
27. How can Christians guard against a proud spirit?
28. Through the description of the righteous, what attitudes and behaviors does this psalm tell us to cultivate?
29. How can we cultivate humility?

Apply It

30. What steps could you take this week to guard against pride and cultivate humility?
* 31. What specific prayer request do you need to present to God with greater confidence?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Being preserved by the Lord.

Taking refuge in the shadow of His wings.

Drinking my fill of the abundance of His house.

Drinking of the river of His delights.

Seeing light in His light.

2011-06-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 35:1-28
A Psalm of David.

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
Fight against those who fight against me.
[2] Take hold of buckler and shield,
And rise up for my help.
[3] Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me;
Say to my soul, "I am your salvation."
[4] Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
[5] Let them be like chaff before the wind,
With the angel of the Lord driving them on.
[6] Let their way be dark and slippery,
With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
[7] For without cause they hid their net for me;
Without cause they dug a pit for my soul.
[8] Let destruction come upon him unawares;
And let the net which he hid catch himself;
Into that very destruction let him fall.
[9] And my soul shall rejoice in the Lord;
It shall exult in His salvation.
[10] All my bones will say, "Lord, who is like Thee,
Who delivers the afflicted from him who is too strong for him,
And the afflicted and the needy from him who robs him?"
[11] Malicious witnesses rise up;
They ask me of things that I do not know.
[12] They repay me evil for good,
To the bereavement of my soul.
[13] But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled my soul with fasting;
And my prayer kept returning to my bosom.
[14] I went about as though it were my friend or brother;
I bowed down mourning, as one who sorrows for a mother.
[15] But at my stumbling they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together;
The smiters whom I did not know gathered together against me,
They slandered me without ceasing.
[16] Like godless jesters at a feast,
They gnashed at me with their teeth.
[17] Lord, how long wilt Thou look on?
Rescue my soul from their ravages,
My only life from the lions.
[18] I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation;
I will praise Thee among a mighty throng.
[19] Do not let those who are wrongfully my enemies rejoice over me;
Neither let those who hate me without cause wink maliciously.
[20] For they do not speak peace,
But they devise deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
[21] And they opened their mouth wide against me;
They said, "Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it!"
seen it, O Lord, do not keep silent;
O Lord, do not be far from me.
[23] Stir up Thyself, and awake to my right,
And to my cause, my God and my Lord.
[24] Judge me, O Lord my God, according to Thy righteousness;
And do not let them rejoice over me.
[25] Do not let them say in their heart, "Aha, our desire!"
Do not let them say, "We have swallowed him up!"
[26] Let those be ashamed and humiliated altogether who rejoice at my distress;
Let those be clothed with shame and dishonor who magnify themselves over me.
[27] Let them shout for joy and rejoice, who favor my vindication;
And let them say continually, "The Lord be magnified,
Who delights in the prosperity of His servant."
[28] And my tongue shall declare Thy righteousness
And Thy praise all day long.

Psalm 35

Open It

1. How do you think you would feel if one of your close friends suddenly turned against you?
* 2. What can break up friendships?
3. When was the first time you felt betrayed by a friend?

Explore It

4. To what character trait of God’s did David appeal? (35:1-3, 10, 23-24)
* 5. How did David want the Lord to treat his adversaries? (35:1-8, 25-26)
6. What military images did David use to describe God’s deliverance? (35:2-3)
7. Against what did David need to be defended? (35:4-10)
8. What provoked the attack of David’s enemies? (35:7-8)
* 9. How did David demonstrate his confidence in the Lord’s deliverance? (35:9-10)
10. How does God treat the poor and needy? (35:10)
11. How did David reinforce his claim that he is innocent? (35:11, 13-14, 19-20)
12. How did David describe his predicament? (35:11-16)
* 13. What accusations did David make against his enemies? (35:11-16, 19-21)
14. How did David demonstrate his compassion and willingness to befriend the people who later turned on him? (35:12-16)
15. How did David’s adversaries respond to his kindness? (35:15-16)
16. How did David promise to respond to God’s deliverance? (35:18)
17. How was David being treated by his enemies? (35:19-21)
18. What final sign of victory did David want the Lord to take away from his enemies? (35:23-25)
19. How did David want his friends to respond to God’s deliverance? (35:27)
20. What final words of confidence conclude this psalm? (35:28)

Get It

21. How does it feel to be falsely accused or treated maliciously by others?
22. What should we do when we see others being slandered or mistreated?
23. What’s our most natural reaction when people try to hurt us?
* 24. What can we learn from David’s example about handling injustice?
25. What difficult person do you need to handle better?
* 26. In light of this passage, how can you trust God more with the injustices in your life?
27. How can we demonstrate our confidence in the Lord when we are being slandered or hurt by others?
28. What can we do to rejoice with Christian friends when they experience God’s protection or guidance?

Apply It

29. What act of encouragement or help can you offer to a friend who has been falsely accused or “attacked”?
* 30. Concerning what accuser, “enemy,” or other difficult person do you need to pray this week?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Exulting in His salvation.

Giving thanks in the great congregation.

Praising God among a mighty throng.

Saying continually, “The Lord be magnified.”

Declaring His righeousness and praise all day long.

2011-05-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

Psalm 34:1-22

A Psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

[2] My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear it and rejoice.

[3] O magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.

4] I sought the Lord, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.

[5] They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces shall never be ashamed.

[6] This poor man cried and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.

[7] The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

[8] O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

[9] O fear the Lord, you His saints;
For to those who fear Him, there is no want.

[10] The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.

[11] Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

[12] Who is the man who desires life,
And loves length of days that he may see good?

[13] Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.

[14] Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it.

[15] The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.

[16] The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.

[17] The righteous cry and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.

[18] The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.

[19] Many are the afflictions of the righteous;
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.

[20] He keeps all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.

[21] Evil shall slay the wicked;
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

[22] The Lord redeems the soul of His servants;
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Psalm 34

Open It

* 1. What do you think is the secret of long life?
2. What brings you the most happiness in life?
3. When was a time you narrowly escaped danger or death?

Explore It

4. What commitment did David make? (34:1-3)
5. What is the main focus of this psalm? (34:1-22)
6. What motivated David to praise the Lord? (34:4-7)
7. From what did the Lord deliver David? (34:5-6)
* 8. How did David describe those who trust in the Lord? (34:5-6)
9. How are angels involved in the lives of God’s people? (34:7)
10. What are the benefits of trusting in the Lord? (34:8-10)
* 11. What specific instructions did David offer to God’s people? (34:8-14)
12. What do we need to know about “fear of the Lord”? (34:11-14)
13. Who should guard against committing the sin of deceit? (34:12-13)
14. How does God respond to the cries of the righteous? (34:15, 17)
* 15. What words of assurance follow David’s instructions? (34:15-18)
16. How are the righteous treated different from the wicked? (34:15-22)
17. How does this psalm describe the people whom God protects? (34:15-22)
18. What will happen to the wicked? (34:16, 21)

Get It

19. When have you experienced God’s protection or deliverance?
20. What benefits have you seen in trusting God?
* 21. How does this psalm encourage you to put your trust in the Lord?
* 22. What does this passage reveal to us about prayer?
23. Why did David have such confidence in God’s attentiveness to his prayers?
24. What does it mean to fear the Lord?
25. How has this psalm affected your idea of what it means to respect God?
26. What behavior or attitude does this passage advise us to avoid?
27. In what situations is it most tempting to lie or deceive others?
28. How can we guard against the sin of deceit?
29. What specific instructions from this psalm do you need to concentrate on following?
30. What promise or encouraging word would you like to claim from this psalm?

Apply It

* 31. What troubles do you need to present to the Lord in prayer?
32. What reminder can you place before yourself to take God’s power and justice seriously?
33. In what situations do you need to make a more conscious effort to tell the truth?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Blessing the Lord at all time and His praise in continually in my mouth.

Boasting in the Lord.

Magnifying the Lord and exalting His name.

Seeking the Lord and having Him answer me.

Being delivered from all my fears.

Being saved out of all my troubles.

Fearing the Lord and having His angel encamp around me and rescuing me.

Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good.

Being blessed because I take refuge in Him.

Experiencing no want from the lord.

Seeking the Lord and not being in want of any good thing.

Keeping my tongue from evil.

Seeking peace and pursuing it.

Having my cry heard by the Lord.

Being delivered out of all my troubles.

Being delivered out of all my afflictions.

Having my soul redeemed.

Not being condemned.

2011-05-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Psalm 33

Sing for joy in the Lord, O you righteous ones;
Praise is becoming to the upright.

[2] Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings.

[3] Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

[4] For the word of the Lord is upright;
And all His work is done in faithfulness.

[5] He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the Lord.

[6] By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
And by the breath of His mouth all their host.

[7] He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap;
He lays up the deeps in storehouses.

[8] Let all the earth fear the Lord;
Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

[9] For He spoke, and it was done;
He commanded, and it stood fast.

[10] The Lord nullifies the counsel of the nations;
He frustrates the plans of the peoples.

[11] The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation.

[12] Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.

[13] The Lord looks from heaven;
He sees all the sons of men;

[14] From His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,

15] He who fashions the hearts of them all,
He who understands all their works.

[16] The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.

[17] A horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.

[18] Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who hope for His lovingkindness,

[19] To deliver their soul from death,
And to keep them alive in famine.

[20] Our soul waits for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.

[21] For our heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.

[22] Let Thy lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have hoped in Thee.

Psalm 33

Open It

* 1. In what ways are you more schedule-oriented or spontaneous?
2. What are the benefits of being a flexible person?
3. What does it take to get you worked up enough to shout or sing?

Explore It

4. Whom does this psalm call to praise God? (33:1)
5. How does this psalm call people to praise the Lord? (33:1-3)
6. What main theme unifies this psalm? (33:1-22)
7. How should God’s people praise God? (33:2-3)
* 8. For what specific reasons did the psalm writer praise God? (33:4-19)
9. What character traits did the psalm writer ascribe to the Lord? (33:4-22)
10. What role does the Lord play in the events of earth? (33:5-19)
11. How has the Lord demonstrated His creativity? (33:6-9)
12. What reason do we have to fear the Lord? (33:8-9)
* 13. How did the psalm writer describe the power and sovereignty of God? (33:9-11)
* 14. How reliable are the plans of people in relation to God’s plans? (33:10-11)
15. Why was the psalm writer confident of God’s protection? (33:12-19)
16. How is the Lord involved in the lives of His people? (33:13-15, 18-19)
17. What happens to those who rely on their own strength? (33:16-17)
18. What conclusion does this psalm make about self-reliance? (33:16-19)
19. How does the Lord treat those who trust in Him instead of in themselves? (33:18-19)
20. What decision did the psalm writer make? (33:20-22)

Get It

21. What do you think our attitude toward our goals and plans reveals about our view of God?
22. What example does the psalm writer give us to follow?
23. Why do you think we so easily rely on our own strength rather than trust in the Lord?
24. What outcome can we expect when we depend on ourselves?
25. According to this psalm, what outcome can we expect when we trust in God?
26. What does this psalm teach us about the character of God?
27. What talents or abilities do you have?
28. Why is it important not to trust in our own abilities or talents?
* 29. What does this psalm say about the reliability of our plans?
30. What should be your perspective on the plans you have for the future?
* 31. How can we demonstrate confidence in the Lord’s protection and guidance for the future?
32. In what area of life do you most need to “wait in hope for the Lord”?

Apply It

33. In what way could you demonstrate trust in God rather than in a particular strength you have?
* 34. What plan of yours can you commit to the Lord in prayer?
35. What words of encouragement or instruction can you give to someone else concerning his or her future?

Affirmations

Today I am:

Singing for joy in the Lord.

Giving thanks to the lord and singing praises to Him.

Singing a new song to the Lord.

Standing in awe of Him.

Delivered from death and kept alive in famine.

Waiting for the Lord.

2011-05-02T10:33:00.000-07:00

Psalm 32:1-11
A Psalm of David.
A Maskil.

How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!

[2] How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

[3] When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.

[4] For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer.

Selah.

[5] I acknowledged my sin to Thee,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord";
And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.

Selah.

[6] Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him.

[7] Thou art my hiding place; Thou dost preserve me from trouble;
Thou dost surround me with songs of deliverance.

Selah.

[8] I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

[9] Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.

[10] Many are the sorrows of the wicked;
But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him.

[11] Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones,
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.

Psalm 32

Open It

* 1. What feelings do you associate with repentance?
2. What’s something you got blamed for when you were a kid?

Explore It

3. What joyful proclamation opens this psalm? (32:1-2)
4. What gift from the Lord did David celebrate in this psalm? (32:1-11)
* 5. How did David describe the person who receives God’s forgiveness? (32:1-11)
6. How did David feel when he had unconfessed sin in his life? (32:3-4)
* 7. What personal testimony did David offer regarding God’s forgiveness? (32:3-5)
8. How did David respond to the Lord’s “heavy hand” on him? (32:4-5)
9. How did God motivate David to confess his sin? (32:5)
10. What did David experience after he confessed his sin to God? (32:5)
11. How did God respond to David’s confession? (32:5)
12. What assurance do we have when we pray? (32:6)
* 13. What conclusion did David draw from his experience? (32:6-7)
14. How does the Lord protect His people? (32:6-7)
15. What specific advice does this psalm offer to God’s people? (32:8-11)
16. What did David advise people to avoid? (32:9)
17. What promise did David offer to those who trust in the Lord? (32:10)

Get It

18. What kinds of things prevent us from confessing known sin in our lives?
19. Why do you think we are sometimes hesitant to repent of sin, even when we know God will forgive us?
* 20. Why should we confess our sins to God?
21. What personal testimony can you give about God’s forgiveness?
22. How do you feel when you have unconfessed sin in your life?
23. What has motivated you in the past to repent of selfish behaviors or attitudes?
24. When have you ever felt the “heavy hand” of the Lord on you?
25. How do you feel when you repent and experience God’s forgiveness?
26. How does God always respond to our repentance?
* 27. How does God’s faithfulness in forgiving us encourage you for the future?
28. On what specific advice in this psalm would you like to focus your attention?

Apply It

29. What behavior or attitude do you need to confess to the Lord today?
* 30. What is one creative way you can remind yourself of God’s forgiveness over this next week?
31. When can you take time for prayer each day?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM:

Blessed because my transgression is forgiven and my sin is covered.

Blessed because the Lord does not impute iniquity and there is no deceit in my spirit.

Acknowledging my sin and not hiding my iniquity.

Praying to the Lord when He may be found.

In His hiding place and being persevered from trouble.

Surround with songs of deliverance.

Being instructed in the way I should go and being counseled with the eye of the Lord upon me.

Being surrounded with lovingkindness from the lord because I trust in Him.

Rejoicing and being glad in the Lord.

Shouting for joy.

2011-03-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

Psalm 31:1-24
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Thy righteousness deliver me.
[2] Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be Thou to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
[3] For Thou art my rock and my fortress;
For Thy name's sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.
[4] Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me;
For Thou art my strength.
[5] Into Thy hand I commit my spirit;
Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

[6] I hate those who regard vain idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
[7] I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,
Because Thou hast seen my affliction;
Thou hast known the troubles of my soul,
[8] And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.

9] Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
10] For my life is spent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.
11] Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
[12] I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind,
I am like a broken vessel.
3] For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

[14] But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord,
I say, "Thou art my God."
[15] My times are in Thy hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
[16] Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant;
Save me in Thy lovingkindness.
[17] Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
[18] Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

[19] How great is Thy goodness,
Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee,
Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee,
Before the sons of men!
[20] Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man;
Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
[21] Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
[22] As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Thine eyes";
Nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications
When I cried to Thee.

[23] O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
[24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31:1-24

Open It

1. To you, what’s the best example of strength?
* 2. Whom would you describe as a strong person? Why?

Explore It

* 3. Why did David appeal to the Lord for help? (31:1-5)
4. What difficult circumstance motivated David to write this poem? (31:1-24)
5. What one theme unifies this psalm? (31:1-24)
6. How did David describe the Lord in this passage? (31:2-5, 16, 19-24)
7. What was at stake in David’s safety? (31:3)
* 8. What did David commit to the Lord? (31:5, 15)
9. How are the wicked described in this passage? (31:6, 17-18)
10. How strong was the conspiracy against David? (31:9-13)
11. How did David feel about his predicament? (31:9-13)
12. What defense did David have against the schemes of his enemies? (31:14-18)
13. Why did David expect God to treat him favorably? (31:17-18)
14. What did David anticipate in the future? (31:19-20)
15. What did David’s anticipation reveal about his relationship with the Lord? (31:19-24)
16. How does God treat the faithful and the proud differently? (31:23)
* 17. What final advice concludes this psalm? (31:23-24)
18. To whom are David’s concluding instructions directed? (31:23-24)

Get It

19. How is the Christian view of strength different from the world’s?
20. When have you felt the same emotions that David describes in this psalm?
21. When is it most difficult for you to trust in the Lord?
22. Where do we usually turn when we face overwhelming circumstances?
23. What do people often do when they feel overstressed or overwhelmed?
24. What does David teach us about dealing with stress through his example in this psalm?
25. What defense do we have against our “enemies”?
26. What kinds of “enemies” do you face nowadays?
* 27. What overwhelming problem or challenge do you face this week?
28. How can we demonstrate our trust in the Lord during difficult times?
* 29. What does it mean to follow David’s instructions to “be strong and take heart”?

Apply It

* 30. How can you pray this week to help you through the challenges you face?
31. What do you want to remember the next time you feel overwhelmed or overstressed?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Trusting the LORD, never ashamed.

Delivered speedily.

Blessed with God as my rock, fortress and strength.

Pulled out of the net.

Glad and rejoicing in God’s mercy.

Receiving God’s mercy when I am in trouble.

Trusting in the LORD.

Recognizing that my times are in God's hand.

Showing God reverence and experiencing his goodness.

Kept secretly in God’s pavilion.

Blessing the LORD for his marvellous kindness.

Faithful, and preserved by the LORD.

Of good courage with a strengthened heart.

Hoping in the LORD.

2011-03-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Psalm 30:1-12
A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House.
A Psalm of David.

I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast lifted me up,
And hast not let my enemies rejoice over me.
[2] O Lord my God,
I cried to Thee for help, and Thou didst heal me.
[3] O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol;
Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
[4] Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
[5] For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
[6] Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, "I will never be moved."
[7] O Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong;
Thou didst hide Thy face, I was dismayed.
[8] To Thee, O Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:
[9] "What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise Thee? Will it declare Thy faithfulness?
[10] "Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be Thou my helper."
[11] Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
[12] That my soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.

Psalm 30:1-12

Open It

* 1. In what ways are you self-reliant, and in what ways do you depend on others?
2. When was the last time a friend helped you through a difficult circumstance, and how did you feel about depending on others for support?

Explore It

3. How did David introduce his reason for praising the Lord? (30:1-3)
4. What images did David use to describe how the Lord delivered him? (30:1-3)
* 5. What does this psalm celebrate? (30:1-12)
6. How did God respond to David’s cries for help? (30:2)
7. What instructions did David give to God’s people? (30:4-5)
8. What does this psalm say about God’s character? (30:5)
9. What did David remember about the Lord’s deliverance and how he felt about it? (30:6-12)
10. What sinful attitude was David guilty of when circumstances were going well for him? (30:6)
* 11. How did the Lord remind David that He was the one who gave David his security? (30:7)
12. What caused David to lose his sense of security and self-reliance? (30:8-10)
* 13. To where did David turn for help? (30:8-10)
14. Why did David want the Lord to save him? (30:9)
15. How did God answer David’s prayer? (30:11-12)

Get It

16. How does our culture value self-reliance?
17. When can self-reliance be a negative characteristic?
18. How does this passage change your perception of God and His character?
19. What should motivate us to praise the Lord?
* 20. What new insights have you learned about trusting God?
21. When have difficult circumstances prompted you to turn to the Lord, instead of depending on your own strength?
22. How has God delivered you in the past?
23. Why is it tempting for us to trust God only during certain times in our lives?
* 24. How can we learn to depend more on the Lord, no matter what our circumstances?
25. What does it mean for you to depend on the Lord rather than on your own strength?
26. How do you plan to follow the instructions in this psalm?

Apply It

27. What difficulties or challenges do you face in the coming week?
* 28. What action could you take to depend on the Lord (rather than yourself) for strength to face the upcoming challenges in your life?
29. What other person could you encourage with what you have learned about security in God?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Extoling the LORD
Lifted up above my foes.
Healed.
Singing unto the LORD and giving thanks.
Blessed with joy in the morning.
Never moved in my prosperity.
With my merciful LORD as my helper.
Dancing, girded with gladness, not mourning.
Thanking the LORD for ever.

2011-03-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Psalm 29:1-11
A Psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
[2] Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
[3] The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over many waters.
[4] The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
[5] The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
[6] And He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
[7] The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire.
[8] The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
[9] The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve,
And strips the forests bare,
And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"
[10] The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
[11] The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.

Psalm 29:1-11

Open It

* 1. What effect does nature have on your everyday activities?
2. What benefits have you gotten from spending time outdoors?

Explore It

3. Who should proclaim the majesty and power of God? (29:1-2)
4. What does the psalm summon people to do? (29:1-2)
5. On which of the Lord’s attributes does this passage focus? (29:1-11)
* 6. How is the Lord described in this poem? (29:2-11)
7. What does the psalm writer reveal about God’s character? (29:2-11)
8. How does nature proclaim the glory of God? (29:3-9)
9. What role does the Lord play in His creation? (29:3-9)
10. How powerful is the voice of the Lord? (29:3-9)
* 11. Why is the Lord worthy of praise and worship? (29:3-11)
12. Where do God’s people find comfort? (29:10-11)
* 13. What does the Lord provide for His people? (29:10-11)
14. What specific blessing did the psalm writer recognize as coming from the Lord? (29:11)

Get It

15. What does nature reveal to us about the character of God?
16. What have you learned about God’s character from this passage?
17. How does it make you feel to ponder the awesome power of the Lord?
18. Practically speaking, what does this psalm instruct us to do?
* 19. How do you plan to follow the advice of the psalm writer?
20. How have you seen nature proclaim the glory of God?
* 21. How should we be involved in proclaiming the glory and power of God?
22. How do you think your perspective of life would be altered if you spent more time worshiping and praising God?
23. How does this psalm encourage you to face the challenges in your everyday life?

Apply It

24. What action can you take today to depend on the strength of the Lord rather than on your own abilities?
25. What could you do this week to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name”?
* 26. When could you spend some time this week observing the power of God in nature?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM ...

Giving unto the LORD glory and strength.
Giving unto the LORD the glory due unto His name.
Worshiping the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Listening for and hearing the voice of the LORD - which is: upon the waters powerful full of majesty breaketh the cedars and maketh them skip like calves divideth the flames of fire shaketh the wilderness maketh the hinds to calve discovereth the forests.
Receiving strength from the LORD.
Blessed with peace.

2011-01-31T10:28:00.000-08:00

Psalm 28:1-9
A Psalm of David.

To Thee, O Lord, I call;
My rock, do not be deaf to me,
Lest, if Thou be silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
[2] Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to Thee for help,
When I lift up my hands toward Thy holy sanctuary.
[3] Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who work iniquity;
Who speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
[4] Requite them according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Requite them according to the deeds of their hands;
Repay them their recompense.
[5] Because they do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.

[6] Blessed be the Lord,
Because He has heard the voice of my supplication.
[7] The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
[8] The Lord is their strength,
And He is a saving defense to His anointed.
[9] Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance;
Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

Psalm 28:1-9

Open It

* 1. What is a hypocritical politician? Teacher? Journalist? Christian?
2. Under what circumstances is it easy to be hypocritical?
3. What hypocrisy do you see in the world today?

Explore It

4. What image did David use to refer to death and the grave? (28:1)
5. What did David believe would happen if the Lord did not answer his prayer? (28:1)
6. How did David refer to the Lord? (28:1, 7-9)
7. What is the main focus of David’s prayer in this psalm? (28:1-9)
8. What physical act of worship did David combine with his prayers? (28:2)
9. How did David tangibly demonstrate his worship to the Lord? (28:2, 7)
* 10. What hypocrisy did David see in the people around him? (28:3)
11. What request did David present to the Lord in this psalm? (28:3-5)
* 12. How are the wicked described? (28:3-5)
13. How did David want the Lord to deal with the wicked? (28:4)
14. What reason did David have to believe that the Lord would destroy the wicked? (28:5)
15. What motivated David to praise the Lord? (28:6-8)
16. What kind of relationship did David have with the Lord? (28:7-8)
* 17. What kind of relationship does God desire to have with His people? (28:8-9)

Get It

18. How does God view hypocrisy?
19. Why should we worship the Lord?
20. What motivates you to praise God?
21. How can you demonstrate your desire to worship the Lord?
22. How do you want to improve your relationship with God?
23. What kind of relationship should we have with our neighbors?
24. What hard feelings against another person do you struggle with?
* 25. If a Christian harbors malice toward another person, what should he or she do about it?
* 26. How can Christians guard against hypocrisy?

Apply It

27. What concrete action can you take this week to strengthen your relationship with God?
28. What injustice or difficult circumstance do you want to commit to the Lord in prayer?
* 29. What specific step can you take this week to guard against hypocrisy in your behavior at work? at home?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Blessed with the voice of my supplications heard by God.
Regarding the works of the LORD, and the operations of his hands.
Helped and trusting in the LORD, my strength and shield.
Rejoicing greatly singing praises to God.
Blessed, fed and lifted up for ever.

2011-01-28T11:17:00.000-08:00

Psalm 27:1-14
A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the defense of my life;
Whom shall I dread?
[2] When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell.
[3] Though a host encamp against me,
My heart will not fear;
Though war arise against me,
In spite of this I shall be confident.

[4] One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to meditate in His temple.
[5] For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
[6] And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me;
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

[7] Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice,
And be gracious to me and answer me.
[8] When Thou didst say, "Seek My face," my heart said to Thee, "Thy face, O Lord, I shall seek."
[9] Do not hide Thy face from me,
Do not turn Thy servant away in anger;
Thou hast been my help;
Do not abandon me nor forsake me,
O God of my salvation!
[10] For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
But the Lord will take me up.

[11] Teach me Thy way, O Lord,
And lead me in a level path,
Because of my foes.
[12] Do not deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries;
For false witnesses have risen against me,
And such as breathe out violence.
[13] I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
[14] Wait for the Lord;
Be strong, and let your heart take courage;
Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 27:1-14

Open It

1. How do you feel when you have to wait a long time for something you really want?
* 2. What are some events, people, or things that are worth waiting for?

Explore It

3. What did David mean when he said, “The Lord is my light”? (27:1)
* 4. Why was David able to trust God in the face of danger? (27:1-3, 5-6)
5. How was the king’s faith in the Lord challenged? (27:1-3, 12)
6. How is faith shown in this passage? (27:1-6, 10, 13)
7. What main attitude permeates this psalm? (27:1-14)
8. What dangers did the king face? (27:2-3,12)
* 9. How was God’s house a comfort to David? (27:4-5)
10. Where did David find safety and strength? (27:4-6)
11. How did David plan to respond when the Lord exalted him above his enemies? (27:6)
12. From what did David pray for deliverance? (27:7-12)
13. What did David’s own conscience encourage him to do? (27:8)
14. To what extent did David depend on the Lord? (27:9-10, 13-14)
15. What did David expect of his future and why? (27:13-14)
16. How did David conclude this prayer for deliverance? (27:13-14)
* 17. What gave David courage while he awaited God’s deliverance? (27:13-14)

Get It

18. When has your faith in the Lord been challenged?
19. When have difficult times strengthened your relationship with the Lord?
20. What role should faith play in our everyday lives?
* 21. How could you strengthen or renew your dependence on the Lord?
22. When have you found comfort or a renewed sense of security in church?
23. What dangers or problems are you facing?
24. How can you follow David’s example in handling your fears?
25. How can you plan to respond when God does answer your prayers?
26. What does it mean to “wait for the Lord”?
* 27. What action can you take to show your faith while you wait for the Lord to answer your prayers?

Apply It

28. What is one step you could take right now to renew your faith in the Lord?
* 29. About what concern do you need to continue praying, confident that God will answer in His own time and in His own way?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Not fearing because the LORD is my light.
Not fearing because the LORD is my salvation.
Not fearing because the LORD is the strength of my life.
With foes and enemies that stumble and fall.
Dwelling in the house of the LORD.
Beholding the beauty of the LORD.
Inquiring in his temple.
Confident that God will hide me in his pavilion in times of trouble.
Hidden by God in the secret of his tabernacle.
Set up upon a rock by God.
With my head lifted above my foes round about me.
Offering sacrifices of joy in God’s tabernacle.
Singing praising unto the LORD.
Seeking the Lord’s face.
Taken up by the LORD when all others forsake me.
Taught by God and led in a plain path.
Not being delivered over to the will of my enemies.
Waiting on the LORD.
Of good courage with a strengthen heart.

2011-01-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

Psalm 26:1-12
A Psalm of David.

Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity;
And I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
[2] Examine me, O Lord, and try me;
Test my mind and my heart.
[3] For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have walked in Thy truth.
[4] I do not sit with deceitful men,
Nor will I go with pretenders.
[5] I hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
[6] I shall wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about Thine altar, O Lord,
[7] That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And declare all Thy wonders.

[8] O Lord, I love the habitation of Thy house,
And the place where Thy glory dwells.
[9] Do not take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with men of bloodshed,
[10] In whose hands is a wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of bribes.
[11] But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
[12] My foot stands on a level place;
In the congregations I shall bless the Lord.

Psalm 26:1-12

Open It

* 1. What keeps you coming back to your local church?
2. Why do you think many people hesitate to get involved in ministry at their local church?
3. To what or whom (sports teams, family, locations, etc.) are you very loyal?

Explore It

* 4. How had David shown his faithfulness to the Lord? (26:1, 3-8)
5. What appeal did David present to the Lord? (26:1-8)
6. What aspects of his own character did David want the Lord to consider? (26:1-8)
7. What central theme unifies this psalm? (26:1-12)
8. With whom did David refuse to associate? (26:4-5)
9. How are the wicked described in this psalm? (26:4-5, 9-10)
10. What are wicked people like? (26:4-5, 9-10)
* 11. What public act of devotion did David offer to the Lord? (26:6-7)
12. How did David share his faith with others? (26:6-7)
* 13. How was David involved in ministry in God’s house? (26:6-8)
14. How did David feel about his place of worship? (26:8)
15. How did David want to be treated differently by God from the wicked? (26:9-11)
16. Why did David believe he should be treated differently from others? (26:11)
17. What final words of confidence conclude this poem? (26:12)
18. What promise did David make to the Lord? (26:12)

Get It

* 19. Why is it important to be part of a local church?
20. What steps did David take to ensure that he remained pure and righteous before God?
21. What temptations threaten to tarnish your integrity?
22. What steps can you take to insure you remain morally upright?
23. What can we do to demonstrate our commitment and faithfulness to God?
* 24. How have you shown your faithfulness to the Lord?
25. How do you feel about going to church?
26. What should we do to demonstrate our respect for God’s house?
* 27. How are you involved in ministry at your local church, and what benefits do you gain from your commitment?
28. How can you show support for worship at your local church?

Apply It

29. What specific places, people, or things do you need to avoid this week to lessen the temptations you have to face?
* 30. What is one way you could demonstrate support for your church this week?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Trusting in the LORD without wavering.
Judged, examined and proved by God who is full of lovingkindness.
Not sitting with vain wicked people, dissemblers.
With a voice of thanksgiving, blessing God.
Telling others of all God’s wondrous works.
Standing in an even place, on level ground

2010-12-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

Psalm 25:1-22
A Psalm of David.

To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
[2] O my God, in Thee I trust,
Do not let me be ashamed;
Do not let my enemies exult over me.
[3] Indeed, none of those who wait for Thee will be ashamed;
Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

[4] Make me know Thy ways, O Lord;
Teach me Thy paths.
[5] Lead me in Thy truth and teach me,
For Thou art the God of my salvation;
For Thee I wait all the day.
[6] Remember, O Lord, Thy compassion and Thy lovingkindnesses,
For they have been from of old.
[7] Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
According to Thy lovingkindness remember Thou me,
For Thy goodness' sake, O Lord.

[8] Good and upright is the Lord;
Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
[9] He leads the humble in justice,
And He teaches the humble His way.
[10] All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and truth
To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
[11] For Thy name's sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

[12] Who is the man who fears the Lord?
He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
[13] His soul will abide in prosperity,
And his descendants will inherit the land.
[14] The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him,
And He will make them know His covenant.
[15] My eyes are continually toward the Lord,
For He will pluck my feet out of the net.

[16] Turn to me and be gracious to me,
For I am lonely and afflicted.
[17] The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses.
[18] Look upon my affliction and my trouble,
And forgive all my sins.
[19] Look upon my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with violent hatred.
[20] Guard my soul and deliver me;
Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in Thee.
[21] Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for Thee.
[22] Redeem Israel, O God,
Out of all his troubles.

Psalm 25:1-22

Open It

1. When have you felt that you were treated unfairly?
2. How would you complete the sentence: “It’s not fair that . . .”?
* 3. What troubles go with your station in life (parenting, singleness, student, overworking, empty-nester, etc.)?

Explore It

4. What prayer request opens this psalm? (25:1-3)
5. What is the central focus of this psalm? (25:1-22)
6. Whom did David want God to “put to shame”? (25:3)
7. How did David feel about the hostility of his enemies? (25:3)
8. What did David ask the Lord to reveal to him and why? (25:4-5)
* 9. What requests did David present to the Lord? (25:4-7, 16-22)
10. What did David want God to remember, and what did he want God to forget? (25:6-7)
11. How did David want to be remembered by the Lord? (25:7)
12. What does God do for sinners? (25:8)
13. How does this psalm describe the Lord and the kind of relationship He wants to have with us? (25:8-10)
14. Where did David place his confidence and why? (25:8-15)
15. What attitude did David have about himself and God? (25:11)
* 16. Why was David praying? (25:16-19)
* 17. What did David desire? (25:21-22)
18. What prayer concludes this psalm? (25:22)
19. What did David ask God to do? (25:22)

Get It

20. How can good come from being unfairly treated?
21. How do you think Christians should respond to unfair treatment?
22. How can we follow David’s example of trusting God?
* 23. What trouble and “enemies” do you face?
* 24. In light of this psalm, how should we deal with the pressures and problems in our lives?
25. In light of this psalm, how can you deal with the pressures and problems in your life?
26. What does this passage tell you about the relationship God wants to have with you?
27. How do you think you could strengthen your relationship with the Lord?
28. What motivates you to put your confidence in God?
29. How has God proven His reliability to you?
30. How does this passage change your perception of yourself? of God?

Apply It

31. What requests would you like to present before the Lord today?
32. In what specific ways can you put your hope and trust in the Lord?
* 33. In what way might you be able to demonstrate your trust in God in a troublesome circumstance this week?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Lifting up my soul unto the LORD
Not ashamed before my enemies
Shown by God his ways, taught by him his paths
Led by God in his truth, waiting on him
Having all my sins forgiven and forgotten
Blessed with seed inheriting the earth
Fearing the LORD, and being taught his covenant
Delivered of all my distresses With my eyes ever toward God, my feet plucked from

2010-12-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Psalm 24:1-10
A Psalm of David.

The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it.
[2] For He has founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the rivers.
[3] Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy place?
[4] He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
And has not sworn deceitfully.
[5] He shall receive a blessing from the Lord
And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
[6] This is the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Thy face-- even Jacob.
Selah.

[7] Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
[8] Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
[9] Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
[10] Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
Selah.

Psalm 24:1-10

Open It

1. Where do people turn for ultimate answers and solutions today?
* 2. What are some of the good things in our world that can distract us from serving God?

Explore It

3. What does the beginning of this psalm reveal about God’s character? (24:1-2)
* 4. Why is God worthy of worship and praise? (24:1-2)
5. What is the purpose of this psalm? (24:1-10)
6. What does this psalm celebrate? (24:1-10)
7. Who may enter God’s presence? (24:3-4)
* 8. What should a person do who wants to enter God’s presence? (24:3-6)
9. What specific character traits do we need in order to enjoy God’s presence? (24:4-6)
10. What do the righteous receive from the Lord? (24:5)
11. How does this psalm use gates and doors to tell us about the Lord? (24:7, 9)
* 12. How does the psalm writer welcome the victorious King into His sanctuary? (24:7-10)
13. How is the “King of glory” described? (24:8, 10)

Get It

14. What difference does it make that the earth and everything in it belongs to God?
15. In light of this psalm, what view should we have of ourselves? of the world? of God?
16. What does it mean to have clean hands and a pure heart?
17. What does this passage tell us about God’s character?
18. In your mind, why is God worthy of worship and praise?
19. What is an idol?
20. What’s wrong with worshiping things, people, or ourselves instead of God?
21. What offerings of praise can you give to the Lord?
22. How does this psalm affect your attitude toward church?
23. How do we need to prepare for entering God’s house each week?
* 24. Why is it good to go to church?
* 25. What changes do you need to make in your schedule or activities to make worship a top priority?
26. How can we guard against the temptation to serve things, other people, or ourselves instead of the Lord?

Apply It

* 27. What is one thing you can do this week to prepare yourself for the next time you go to church?
28. What do you have that you want to “give back” to God?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM ...

Standing in the LORD’s holy place with clean hands and a pure heart.
Receiving the blessing from the LORD, and His righteousness.
Blessed with a strong and mighty LORD, the King of glory.

2010-12-20T10:31:00.000-08:00

Psalm 23:1-6
A Psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
[2] He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
[3] He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For His name's sake.

[4] Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
[5] Thou dost prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
Thou hast anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
[6] Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:1-6

Open It

1. What sometimes threatens your peace of mind or sense of security?
2. What do people usually take for granted?
* 3. When do you most want peace and quiet?

Explore It

4. How did David describe the Lord? (23:1)
5. What is God like? (23:1)
6. What mental picture did David use to describe his role in relationship with the Lord? (23:1-3)
* 7. What comforted David? (23:1)
8. How does the Lord provide for His people? (23:1-3)
9. How did God help David? (23:1-3)
10. What motivates God to guide His people? (23:3)
11. What gave David the confidence to face death? (23:4)
12. How was David comforted in difficult times? (23:4)
13. What were David’s fears? (23:4-5)
* 14. How far does the guidance and protection of the Lord extend for His people? (23:4-5)
15. How does God provide for His children, even in the face of death? (23:4-5)
16. How does God honor those He loves? (23:5-6)
* 17. What did the Lord give to David? (23:5-6)
18. How did David feel about his future? (23:6)

Get It

19. How has the Lord guided you through difficult times?
20. What do you think David meant when he said that his cup overflowed?
21. David spoke of a shepherd and sheep—how would you picture your relationship with the Lord?
22. In what ways does God “restore our souls”?
23. What are some of your fears?
* 24. How can you follow David’s example in dealing with your fears?
25. How has God provided for your needs in the past?
26. How have you experienced God’s comfort?
27. In what way has God made your “cup overflow”?
28. What good things in life do you find it easy to take for granted?
29. How can we thank the Lord for the many blessings He has given us?
* 30. How does this passage encourage you to face the future?
31. How has this psalm changed your perspective of the challenges you are facing?

Apply It

* 32. What can you do to celebrate God’s goodness and provision?
33. How could you comfort or encourage a friend who is struggling with fear or grief?
34. What good things, experiences, and people do you want to thank God for now?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Blessed with a Shepherd who takes care of my needs
Being made to lie down in green pastures
Being led beside still waters
Being restored in my soul
Being led in the paths of righteousness
Not afraid
Comforted by God’s presence, rod and staff
With God who prepares a table for me in the presence of my enemies
Having God anoint my head with an abundance of oil
Blessed with goodness and mercy: they shall follow me all the days of my life
Assured that I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever

2010-12-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

Psalm 22:1-31
For the choir director; upon Aijeleth Hashshahar.
A Psalm of David.

My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
[2] O my God, I cry by day, but Thou dost not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
[3] Yet Thou art holy,
O Thou who art enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
[4] In Thee our fathers trusted;
They trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.
[5] To Thee they cried out, and were delivered;
In Thee they trusted, and were not disappointed.

[6] But I am a worm, and not a man,
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
[7] All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
[8] "Commit yourself to the Lord; let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him."

[9] Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb;
Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother's breasts.
[10] Upon Thee I was cast from birth;
Thou hast been my God from my mother's womb.

[11] Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
[12] Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
[13] They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
[14] I am poured out like water,
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
[15] My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And Thou dost lay me in the dust of death.
[16] For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
[17] I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
[18] They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.

[19] But Thou, O Lord, be not far off;
O Thou my help, hasten to my assistance.
[20] Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
[21] Save me from the lion's mouth;
And from the horns of the wild oxen Thou dost answer me.

[22] I will tell of Thy name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise Thee.
[23] You who fear the Lord, praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
[24] For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Neither has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

[25] From Thee comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
[26] The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
[27] All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before Thee.
[28] For the kingdom is the Lord's,
And He rules over the nations.
[29] All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
[30] Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation.
[31] They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

Psalm 22 - Psalm 22:1-31

Open It

* 1. When was a time that you felt God was unreachable or silent?

2. Why does it hurt when a friend rejects you or turns a cold shoulder?
3. What can make a person feel distant from God?

Explore It

* 4. How did the psalm writer feel about his relationship with God? (22:1-3)
5. What was the focus of David’s prayer? (22:1-31)
6. What did the psalm writer say about what God had been to Israel in the past? (22:3-5)
7. Why did people mock David and how did their insults make him feel? (22:6-7)
8. What did David say about what God had been for him? (22:9-10)
9. How did David describe his enemies? (22:12-13, 16)
10. What four figures did the psalm writer use to describe the attacks of his enemies? (22:12-13, 16-18)
11. How did the psalm writer feel under the attacks of his adversaries? (22:14-15)
12. How did the psalm writer recall the four figures he used to describe his enemies later in the psalm? (22:20-21)
* 13. What changed David’s attitude? (22:22-24)
* 14. What vows did David make to the Lord? (22:22-31)
15. What will motivate other people to turn from their idols and praise the true God? (22:25-31)
16. Who will join the psalm writer in praise to the Lord? (22:26-31)

Get It

17. Why do you think portions of this psalm are quoted or alluded to so often in the New Testament in reference to Christ’s crucifixion?
18. What should we do whenever we feel we have been forsaken by God?
* 19. What should we do when God seems far away?
20. Why do you think people often feel distant from God?
* 21. How can we follow the psalm writer’s example when we want to draw closer to God?
22. What are the benefits of remembering what God has done for us in the past?
23. How has this psalm motivated you to praise the Lord?
24. For what reasons are you inspired to praise God?
25. How can we be involved in telling future generations about the Lord?
26. How can you share with others what God has revealed about Himself to you?

Apply It

27. What is one step you can take to draw closer to God this next week?
* 28. Whom can you encourage who feels distant from God?
29. With whom could you share what God has done for you?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Trusting in the Lord and being delivered.

Crying out and I am being delivered.

Trusting in the Lord and not being disappointed.

Being rescued because I delight in the Lord.

2010-12-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Psalm 21:1-13
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

O Lord, in Thy strength the king will be glad,
And in Thy salvation how greatly he will rejoice!
[2] Thou hast given him his heart's desire,
And Thou hast not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah.
[3] For Thou dost meet him with the blessings of good things;
Thou dost set a crown of fine gold on his head.
[4] He asked life of Thee,
Thou didst give it to him,
Length of days forever and ever.
[5] His glory is great through Thy salvation,
Splendor and majesty Thou dost place upon him.
[6] For Thou dost make him most blessed forever;
Thou dost make him joyful with gladness in Thy presence.

[7] For the king trusts in the Lord,
And through the lovingkindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.
[8] Your hand will find out all your enemies;
Your right hand will find out those who hate you.
[9] You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger;
The Lord will swallow them up in His wrath,
And fire will devour them.
[10] Their offspring Thou wilt destroy from the earth,
And their descendants from among the sons of men.
[11] Though they intended evil against Thee,
And devised a plot,
They will not succeed.
[12] For Thou wilt make them turn their back;
Thou wilt aim with Thy bowstrings at their faces.
[13] Be Thou exalted, O Lord, in Thy strength;
We will sing and praise Thy power.

Psalm 21 - Psalm 21:1-13

Open It

1. How do people usually respond when their team wins?
2. What emotions do people feel when they experience defeat?
* 3. Why is it so hard to lose?

Explore It

* 4. How did the king respond to the victory that God granted him? (21:1-6)
5. From whose perspective was this psalm written? (21:1-13)
6. How is the theme of this psalm introduced, developed, and summarized? (21:2, 3-5, 6)
7. What specific blessings did the Lord give the king? (21:2-6)
* 8. What was the king’s main request and how did God answer it? (21:4-5)
9. What extra blessing did God give to the king? (21:5-6)
10. How does this psalm explain the king’s security? (21:7)
11. What characteristic of the Lord protects the king? (21:7)
* 12. What kind of future did the king have to look forward to? (21:8-12)
13. How will the king be rescued? (21:9)
14. What will happen to the king’s enemies? (21:10)
15. How is the last verse of the poem a fitting conclusion? (21:13)

Get It

16. What benefits did the king see as a result of his trust in the Lord?
* 17. How should Christians respond uniquely to defeat and victory?
18. How do you think the king felt about himself and his relationship with God?
19. In what specific ways has the Lord been good to you?
20. How have you reacted to the victories God has granted you in the past?
21. How have you reacted to your past successes and failures?
* 22. In what ways would you like your response to God’s work in your life to be different in the future?
23. What has God been teaching you through your prayers lately?
24. What is one of your recent, significant prayer requests and how has God answered it?
25. Why do you think God sometimes delays in answering our prayers, and other times we see God’s answers immediately?
26. What is one request that you would like to commit to praying about for the next month?

Apply It

27. Who can help you remember to pray consistently about your needs and concerns?
* 28. What steps can you take to remember to credit God with the next success that you experience?
29. How can you praise the Lord for the answers to prayer He has already given you?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM :

Rejoicing in His salvation.

Having my heart’s desire given to me.

Having the requests on my lips.

Being met with the blessings of good things.

Having a crown of gold set on my head.

Having life given to me and length of days forever.

Having splendor and majesty place on me.

Being made joyful with gladness in His presence.

Not being shaken through the lovingkindness of the Most High.

Finding out all of my enemies and finding out those who hate me.

Trusting in the Lord.

Having all my enemies taken care of.

Having the plots of evil people thwarted.

2010-12-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Psalm 20:1-9
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David

May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
[2] May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And support you from Zion!
[3] May He remember all your meal offerings,
And find your burnt offering acceptable!
Selah.

[4] May He grant you your heart's desire,
And fulfill all your counsel!
[5] We will sing for joy over your victory,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

[6] Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven,
With the saving strength of His right hand.
[7] Some boast in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God.
[8] They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stood upright.
[9] Save, O Lord;
May the King answer us in the day we call.

Psalm 20 - Psalm 20:1-9

Open It

* 1. How do you feel before an important test or interview?
2. How do you usually prepare for challenges?
3. How do people often celebrate success?

Explore It

4. What action did the psalm writer ask the Lord to take? (20:1-4)
* 5. What challenges did the king face? (20:1-9)
6. From where did the psalm writer expect help and support? (20:2)
7. How did the king prepare for the challenges he faced? (20:3)
8. What general blessing did this prayer offer the king before he went to battle? (20:4)
* 9. How did the people promise they would respond to the king’s success? (20:5)
10. Whom did the people credit for the king’s military success? (20:5)
11. On what elements of God’s character does this psalm focus? (20:6)
* 12. How was the people’s confession of trust in the Lord unique? (20:7)
13. In whom did the people put their trust and why? (20:7-8)
14. What will happen to those who trust in God, as compared to those who trust in their own abilities? (20:7-8)
15. What final request concludes this psalm? (20:9)

Get It

16. In what do people often put their trust these days?
17. How is your faith in God viewed by your non-Christian friends?
18. In what ways do you think your faith in God could be strengthened?
19. How should Christians respond to success?
20. What promise in this psalm encourages you to continue trusting God?
* 21. What challenges are you facing?
22. What specific advice from this psalm can you apply to the challenges you are now facing?
* 23. How can you prepare yourself, both physically and emotionally, for the challenges you face?
24. Where can you expect to receive the help and support you need?

Apply It

25. What is one way you can share your confidence in God with another person this week?
26. Besides the Lord, who is one person you could go to for the help and support you need?
* 27. When can you pray to prepare yourself to handle the challenges of each day?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Expecting my answer in the day of trouble from the Lord.

Being set securely on high by the Lord.

Having help send to me from the sanctuary and support from Zion!

I am being remembered in all my meal offerings and finding my burnt offering acceptable.

Having my heart’s desire and all my counsel fulfilled.

Having the Lord fulfill all my petitions.

Being saved, having the Lord answer me from His holy heaven with the strength of His right hand.
Boasting in the name of the Lord my God.

Being raised and stood upright.

The King answers me in the day I call.

2010-11-22T10:18:00.000-08:00

Psalm 19:1-14
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
[2] Day to day pours forth speech,
And night to night reveals knowledge.
[3] There is no speech, nor are there words;
Their voice is not heard.
[4] Their line has gone out through all the earth,
And their utterances to the end of the world.
In them He has placed a tent for the sun,
[5] Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;
It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.
[6] Its rising is from one end of the heavens,
And its circuit to the other end of them;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

[7] The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
[8] The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
[9] The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
[10] They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
[11] Moreover, by them Thy servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
[12] Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
[13] Also keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I shall be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.
[14] Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Thy sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19 - Psalm 19:1-14

Open It

1. What is your favorite outdoor scene?
* 2. What do you think of when you hear the word law?
3. In what ways does nature impact your everyday life?

Explore It

4. What do the heavens and skies have to say to us? (19:1)
5. On what two themes did David focus in this psalm? (19:1-14)
6. In what way do the heavens “display knowledge”? (19:2)
7. How far does the voice of the heavens extend? (19:3-4)
8. How does the sun affect the earth? (19:4-6)
9. How did David describe the sun and its role? (19:4-6)
10. What role did God’s law play in David’s life? (19:7-14)
* 11. What words did David use to describe God’s law? (19:7-14)
* 12. What power does God’s law have in the lives of His people? (19:7-14)
13. How did the psalm writer describe the worthiness of God’s law? (19:10)
14. What results from keeping God’s laws? (19:11)
15. What did David say about our faults? (19:12)
* 16. What two types of sins or faults do we need God’s help with? (19:12-13)
17. What was David’s desire and prayer? (19:13-14)
18. What did David want? (19:13-14)

Get It

19. What can we learn about God from nature?
20. How can people who have never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ still learn about God?
21. What has nature taught you about God?
* 22. What attitude did David have toward God’s law?
23. What role does God’s Word play in your everyday life?
24. What steps could you take to be more open to God’s Word?
25. In what ways can we show respect and appreciation for God’s Word?
26. For what “hidden fault” or “willful sin” do you need forgiveness?
27. What action can we take to protect ourselves from a rebellious spirit and willful sinning?
* 28. What changes do you think you need to make to ensure that your thoughts and words are pleasing to the Lord?

Apply It

29. What step could you take this week to show a commitment to God’s Word?
* 30. What can you change in your thoughts or habits this next week to make them more pleasing to the Lord?

Psalm 19

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Meditating on and observing God’s glory and handiwork in the heavens and on earth.
Blessed with the LORD’s perfect law.
Blessed with the LORD’s sure testimony.
Blessed with the LORD’s right statues.
Blessed with the LORD’s pure commandment
Blessed with the LORD’s true and righteous judgments.

2010-11-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

Psalm 18:1-50
For the choir director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said,

"I love Thee, O Lord, my strength."
[2] The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
[3] I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies.

[4] The cords of death encompassed me,
And the torrents of ungodliness terrified me.
[5] The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
[6] In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried to my God for help;
He heard my voice out of His temple,
And my cry for help before Him came into His ears.

[7] Then the earth shook and quaked;
And the foundations of the mountains were trembling
And were shaken, because He was angry.
[8] Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
And fire from His mouth devoured;
Coals were kindled by it.
[9] He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With thick darkness under His feet.
[10] And He rode upon a cherub and flew;
And He sped upon the wings of the wind.
[11] He made darkness His hiding place, His canopy around Him,
Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
[12] From the brightness before Him passed His thick clouds,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
[13] The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.
[14] And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them,
And lightning flashes in abundance, and routed them.
[15] Then the channels of water appeared,
And the foundations of the world were laid bare
At Thy rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.

[16] He sent from on high, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
[17] He delivered me from my strong enemy,
And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
[18] They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my stay.
[19] He brought me forth also into a broad place;
He rescued me, because He delighted in me.

[20] The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
[21] For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
[22] For all His ordinances were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
[23] I was also blameless with Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
[24] Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

[25] With the kind Thou dost show Thyself kind;
With the blameless Thou dost show Thyself blameless;
[26] With the pure Thou dost show Thyself pure;
And with the crooked Thou dost show Thyself astute.
[27] For Thou dost save an afflicted people;
But haughty eyes Thou dost abase.
[28] For Thou dost light my lamp;
The Lord my God illumines my darkness.
[29] For by Thee I can run upon a troop;
And by my God I can leap over a wall.

[30] As for God, His way is blameless;
The word of the Lord is tried;
He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
[31] For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God,
[32] The God who girds me with strength,
And makes my way blameless?
[33] He makes my feet like hinds' feet,
And sets me upon my high places.
[34] He trains my hands for battle,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
[35] Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation,
And Thy right hand upholds me;
And Thy gentleness makes me great.
[36] Thou dost enlarge my steps under me,
And my feet have not slipped.

[37] I pursued my enemies and overtook them,
And I did not turn back until they were consumed.
[38] I shattered them, so that they were not able to rise;
They fell under my feet.
[39] For Thou hast girded me with strength for battle;
Thou hast subdued under me those who rose up against me.
[40] Thou hast also made my enemies turn their backs to me,
And I destroyed those who hated me.
[41] They cried for help, but there was none to save,
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
[42] Then I beat them fine as the dust before the wind;
I emptied them out as the mire of the streets.

[43] Thou hast delivered me from the contentions of the people;
Thou hast placed me as head of the nations;
A people whom I have not known serve me.
[44] As soon as they hear, they obey me;
Foreigners submit to me.
[45] Foreigners fade away,
And come trembling out of their fortresses.

[46] The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock;
And exalted be the God of my salvation,
[47] The God who executes vengeance for me,
And subdues peoples under me.
[48] He delivers me from my enemies;
Surely Thou dost lift me above those who rise up against me;
Thou dost rescue me from the violent man.
[49] Therefore I will give thanks to Thee among the nations, O Lord,
And I will sing praises to Thy name.
[50] He gives great deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.

Psalm 18 - Psalm 18:1-50

Open It

* 1. What struggles or challenges do you think politicians face?
2. Who has helped you over the years?
3. What are the benefits and dangers of being a Christian leader?

Explore It

* 4. What did David reveal about his relationship with God? (18:1-3, 6, 18-19, 20-24, 28-29, 32-36, 47-48)
5. What motivated David to write this song of praise to the Lord? (18:1-6)
6. What images or mental pictures did David use to describe the Lord? (18:2, 14, 30)
* 7. What are the three major themes of this poem? (18:4-19, 20-29, 30-45)
8. How did God help David? (18:4-19)
9. From what did the Lord deliver David? (18:4-19)
10. In David’s mind, why did the Lord save him from his enemies? (18:20-29)
11. How does God show Himself to us? (18:25-27)
12. What resulted from David’s righteousness and pure character? (18:20-24)
13. Where did David get his confidence and courage? (18:29, 32-45)
* 14. In what specific ways did God enable David? (18:32-45)
15. Why was David motivated to praise the Lord? (18:46-50)
16. What vow did David make? (18:49)
17. How did David view himself and his relationship with God? (18:50)

Get It

18. What does this psalm teach us about the way God relates to people?
19. In what ways would you like your relationship with the Lord to be like David’s?
* 20. What new perspective does this passage offer you about yourself or about God?
21. What motivates you to praise God?
22. What has the Lord done for you recently?
23. How God’s actions influenced your relationship with Him?
* 24. In what ways has God enabled you to do things that were beyond your normal capabilities?
25. How should we follow David’s example in responding to God’s help?
26. What challenging responsibilities has God given you?

Apply It

27. What step could you take this week to strengthen your relationship with the Lord?
* 28. What do you want to remember the next time you doubt your ability to do what God has given you to do?
29. For what can you give praise to God today?

Psalm 18
AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM ...

Loving and trusting in the LORD who is my strength
Blessed with the LORD as my rock, fortress, deliver, buckler, horn of salvation, high tower.
Calling upon and crying unto the LORD who hears my cries.
Saved from my enemies, delivered from my strong enemy.
Taken by the LORD, drawn from many waters.
Brought forth, delivered, delighted in of the LORD.
Rewarded and recompensed according to my righteousness.
Keeping the ways and statues of the LORD.
Merciful, upright and pure.
With a lit candle, running through a troop, leaping over a wall.
Girdeth with strength unto battle, my enemies subdued.
Blessing, exalting and thanking a living LORD.
Delivered from the violent man.

2010-11-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Psalm 17:1-15
A Prayer of David.

Hear a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer, which is not from deceitful lips.
[2] Let my judgment come forth from Thy presence;
Let Thine eyes look with equity.
[3] Thou hast tried my heart;
Thou hast visited me by night;
Thou hast tested me and dost find nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.
[4] As for the deeds of men, by the word of Thy lips
I have kept from the paths of the violent.
[5] My steps have held fast to Thy paths.
My feet have not slipped.

[6] I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me, O God;
Incline Thine ear to me, hear my speech.
[7] Wondrously show Thy lovingkindness,
O Savior of those who take refuge at Thy right hand
From those who rise up against them.
[8] Keep me as the apple of the eye;
Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings,
[9] From the wicked who despoil me,
My deadly enemies, who surround me.
[10] They have closed their unfeeling heart;
With their mouth they speak proudly.
[11] They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
[12] He is like a lion that is eager to tear,
And as a young lion lurking in hiding places.

[13] Arise, O Lord, confront him, bring him low;
Deliver my soul from the wicked with Thy sword,
[14] From men with Thy hand, O Lord,
From men of the world, whose portion is in this life;
And whose belly Thou dost fill with Thy treasure;
They are satisfied with children,
And leave their abundance to their babes.
[15] As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness;
I will be satisfied with Thy likeness when I awake.

Psalm 17 - Psalm 17:1-15

Open It

1. What resolutions do people often make at the beginning of a new year?
2. What resolutions have you successfully kept?
* 3. What do you think prevents people from keeping New Years resolutions?

Explore

4. To which of the Lord’s roles did the psalm writer appeal? (17:1-3)
* 5. How did David want to be treated by the Lord? (17:1-3)
6. What claims did David make about his own character? (17:1-5)
7. What resolution did David make about his behavior? (17:3)
* 8. To what standard did David hold himself accountable? (17:4-5)
9. What motivated David to trust in the Lord? (17:6)
10. What request did David present before the Lord in this prayer? (17:6-9)
11. How does God show His great love toward His people? (17:7)
12. What mental pictures did David use to describe God’s protection over him? (17:8)
13. What accusations did David make against his adversaries? (17:10-12)
14. What image did David use to describe his enemies? (17:12)
* 15. What specific action did David ask the Lord to take on his behalf? (17:13-14)
16. How were the motivations and goals of David’s enemies different from his own? (17:14)
17. How does God provide for those He loves? (17:14-15)
18. With what sentiments did David conclude his prayer? (17:14-15)

Get It

19. What does this psalm teach us about prayer?
20. What action has the Lord taken in your behalf?
21. What picture or image would you use to describe what the Lord has done for you?
22. How did David keep himself pure despite pressure from those around him?
23. What steps can Christians take to withstand the temptations of the world?
24. What temptations do you think present the strongest challenge to Christians today?
* 25. What is one adversary or conflict that you face?
* 26. What resolutions would you like to make about your own attitudes and actions?
27. How do you need to handle the challenges in your life?
28. How does David’s conclusion of this psalm encourage you?

Apply It

29. What step could you take today to guard against the temptations that threaten your purity?
* 30. What step can you take this week to trust the Lord with one conflict or problem?
31. How could you remind yourself that one day you will be completely satisfied in God’s presence?

Psalm 17
AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM ...

Having my heart tried.

Receiving a visitation by night.

Tested and nothing is found.

Purposing that my mouth will not transgress.

Being kept from the paths of the violent.

Having my steps held fast to Thy paths and my feet from slipping.

Calling up the Lord and He will answer me.

Being shown His lovingkindness.

Being kept as the apple of His eye.

Being hid in the shadow of His wings.

Am beholding Your face in righteousness.

Am being satisfied with His likeness when I awake.

2010-11-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Psalm 16:1-11
A Mikhtam of David.

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in Thee.
[2] I said to the Lord, "Thou art my Lord;
I have no good besides Thee."
[3] As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight.
[4] The sorrows of those who have bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their libations of blood,
Nor shall I take their names upon my lips.

[5] The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
Thou dost support my lot.
[6] The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.

[7] I will bless the Lord who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night.
[8] I have set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
[9] Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
[10] For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.
[11] Thou wilt make known to me the path of life;
In Thy presence is fulness of joy;
In Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.

Psalm 16 - Psalm 16:1-11

Open It

* 1. To whom do you usually go for advice and why?
2. How have you experienced God’s guidance in your life?
Explore It
3. With what request did David open this psalm? (16:1)
4. What unifying prayer is the focus of this psalm? (16:1-11)
5. How did David demonstrate his dependence on the Lord? (16:2)
6. In what way did David benefit from the Lord? (16:2)
7. How did David feel about the “saints who are in the land”? (16:3)
8. What happens to people who “run after other gods”? (16:4)
9. What did David refuse to do, despite the example of those around him? (16:4)
10. From where did David gain his sense of security? (16:5, 8)
11. In what specific ways did God provide for David? (16:5-8)
12. What did God do for David? (16:5-8)
13. What attitude did David have toward what God had given him? (16:5-8)
14. How did David describe his inheritance? (16:6)
15. How did David react to the Lord’s blessings? (16:7-8)
* 16. In what specific ways did David experience the Lord’s guidance? (16:7-8)
* 17. What reasons did David give to explain his sense of security? (16:9-11)
18. How far did David’s confidence in the Lord extend? (16:10)
19. Who is the “Holy One”? (16:10)
* 20. What did David expect of his future? (16:11)

Get It

21. How can remembering God’s guidance in the past encourage you about the present or future?
22. How was this psalm fulfilled not only in the life of David, but also in the life of Jesus Christ?
* 23. In what areas of life do we often need wisdom beyond what we have?
* 24. In what ways can we turn to God to guide us?
25. In what ways do people run after other gods?
26. What activities, possessions, or people sometimes influence you more than God does?
27. How can we guard against putting activities, possessions, or people before the true God?
28. What action can you take to “set the Lord always before” you?
29. What inheritance has the Lord given you?
30. What attitude should you have toward the blessings God has given you?
31. How does your hope in the Lord extend beyond your earthly life?

Apply It

32. What is one way you can remind yourself of God’s supreme place in your life this week?
33. How can you say thank You to God for the good things you enjoy?
* 34. For what problem or need can you ask God to guide you this week?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM:

Putting my trust in God
Blessed with a goodly heritage
Blessing the LORD for His counsel

2010-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

Psalm 15:1-5
A Psalm of David.

O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent?
Who may dwell on Thy holy hill?
[2] He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And speaks truth in his heart.
[3] He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
[4] In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honors those who fear the Lord;
He swears to his own hurt, and does not change;
[5] He does not put out his money at interest,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 15 - Psalm 15:1-5

Open It

* 1. What’s your definition of customer service?
2. Under what circumstances (if any) do you think it is good to go back on your word?
3. What is one promise you made that you found difficult to keep?

Explore It

4. What question opens this poem? (15:1)
5. To whom is this psalm directed? (15:1)
* 6. How does a blameless person treat others? (15:2-5)
7. How did the psalm writer answer his own question? (15:2-5)
8. According to the psalm writer, what gives a person access to God? (15:2-5)
* 9. What can prevent a person from dwelling in God’s presence? (15:2-5)
10. How did David describe the person who dwells with God? (15:2-5)
11. What is a person like who dwells with God? (15:2-5)
12. What characteristics did David ascribe to the person who has access to God? (15:2-5)
13. What actions and attitudes did David recommend? (15:2-5)
14. According to David, how should we treat others? (15:3-4)
15. Who should righteous people honor and who should they despise? (15:4)
16. Under what circumstances should a person keep his or her oaths? (15:4)
17. What advice did the psalm writer give regarding money? (15:5)
18. What promise is given to the person who fits the description in this psalm? (15:5)
* 19. What reward is there in speaking the truth, respecting people, and being charitable with money? (15:5)

Get It

20. What does it mean to be blameless?
* 21. In what ways should Christians be different from others?
22. What is an attitude or action mentioned in this psalm that you would like to see more evident in your own life?
* 23. In light of this psalm, what changes do you need to make in the way you treat others?
24. What have you learned from this passage about handling money?
25. How do you need to change the way you use money?
26. What does this psalm teach about keeping one’s word?
27. What’s easy about making promises?
28. What’s difficult about keeping promises?
29. What guarantees our access to God?

Apply It

30. What is one way you can be more generous with money?
31. What steps could you begin to take in the next few days to treat others with greater respect?
* 32. What can you do for a friend, coworker, neighbor, or relative to treat him or her in a more respectful way?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM:

Walking uprightly and working righteousness
Speaking truth in my heart
Treating my neighbor fairly, without duplicity
Honoring those who fear the LORD
Never being moved

2010-11-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

Psalm 14:1-7
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
[2] The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men,
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.
[3] They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one.

[4] Do all the workers of wickedness not know,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon the Lord?
[5] There they are in great dread,
For God is with the righteous generation.
[6] You would put to shame the counsel of the afflicted,
But the Lord is his refuge.

[7] Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord restores His captive people,
Jacob will rejoice, Israel will be glad.

Psalm 14 - Psalm 14:1-7

Open It

* 1. In what ways have you seen peer pressure influence people?
2. Under what circumstances can peer pressure be a positive influence?
3. What role has the influence of other believers played in your own Christian walk?

Explore It

4. According to the psalm writer, what do foolish people fail to recognize? (14:1)
5. What characterization does this poem give of the wicked? (14:1-4)
* 6. What does this psalm teach about the wicked? (14:1-7)
7. What does God look for? (14:2)
8. What conclusion can be drawn about all humanity? (14:3)
9. What two mistakes of the wicked did David point out in this psalm? (14:4)
10. How do evildoers treat the poor? (14:4, 6)
11. What are wicked people unable to learn? (14:4-5)
12. Why are wicked people “overwhelmed with dread”? (14:5)
* 13. Who protects the poor from the evil plans of the wicked? (14:6)
14. What did the psalm writer want for Israel? (14:7)
15. When will Israel’s deliverance come? (14:7)
* 16. What should people do when the Lord restores His people? (14:7)

Get It

17. What does this passage teach us about God’s view of the poor?
18. How do you think you should change your attitude toward the poor?
19. When have you seen God’s presence “in the company of the righteous”?
20. How should we respond when God helps us?
21. How did you respond the last time you experienced God’s help?
22. What is one of the most serious sins of the wicked, as described in this psalm?
* 23. How can we guard against our own self-reliance drawing us away from the Lord?
24. What does it mean to seek God?
* 25. In what ways can you seek God?
26. What can we do to encourage others to seek the Lord for themselves?

Apply It

27. In what way can you depend more on the Lord and less on yourself?
* 28. What is one new, creative way you can pray, think about Scripture, or develop your faith this week?
29. How could you have a positive influence in someone else’s life this week?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM:

Blessed with God in my generation.

Blessed with God as my refuge.

2010-10-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Psalm 13:1-6

For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

How long, O Lord? Wilt Thou forget me forever?
How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?
[2] How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

[3] Consider and answer me, O Lord, my God;
Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death,
[4] Lest my enemy say, "I have overcome him,"
Lest my adversaries rejoice when I am shaken.

[5] But I have trusted in Thy lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
[6] I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Psalm 13 - Psalm 13:1-6

Open It

1. What emotions do you feel when you are sick at home?
2. What techniques do you use to combat discouragement when you are sick?
* 3. In what ways have your friends or family helped you through a time of illness or discouragement?

Explore It

* 4. What questions went through David’s mind as he waited for the Lord’s answer to his prayer? (13:1-2)
5. Why did David cry out to the Lord? (13:1-6)
6. Why did David question the Lord in this prayer? (13:1-6)
* 7. What emotions did David reveal in this psalm? (13:1-6)
8. What did David ask God to do? (13:3)
9. For what reason did David want the Lord to save him? (13:4)
10. What impact did David think his death would have on his enemies? (13:4)
11. What two character traits of the Lord’s encouraged David in his despair? (13:5)
12. How did David’s illness affect his relationship with God? (13:5-6)
13. How did David’s emotions change when he reminded himself of God’s character? (13:5-6)
14. What expression of confidence concludes this poem? (13:5-6)
* 15. How did David’s memory of the past change his perspective on the present? (13:6)

Get It

16. When have you ever questioned the Lord?
17. What role should honesty play in our prayers to the Lord?
18. What negative emotions do you struggle with when you find yourself in a difficult situation?
19. How do your emotions change when you remind yourself of God’s character and what He has done for you in the past?
20. How does your memory of the past change your perspective on the present and future?
* 21. In what specific ways do you think we should follow David’s example of questioning God about difficult circumstances?
22. How do difficult circumstances in your life usually affect your relationship with the Lord?
* 23. How should life’s challenges impact our Christian walk?

Apply It

24. What is one step you can take this week to protect yourself from doubt and discouragement?
* 25. What past acts of God’s goodness to you can you write down as reminders to trust Him today?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM

Trusting in God’s mercy.
Rejoicing in God’s salvation.
Singing unto the LORD for He has dealt bountifully with me.

2010-10-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

Psalm 12:1-8

For the choir director; upon an eight-stringed lyre.
A Psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
[2] They speak falsehood to one another;
With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
[3] May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
[4] Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"
[5] "Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy,
Now I will arise," says the Lord; "I will set him in the safety for which he longs."
[6] The words of the Lord are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.
[7] Thou, O Lord, wilt keep them;
Thou wilt preserve him from this generation forever.
[8] The wicked strut about on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Psalm 12 - Psalm 12:1-8

Open It

* 1. What character traits do your friends and co-workers value most?
2. Why do people lie?
3. In what ways do you think Christians should be different from non-Christians?

Explore It

* 4. What was on David’s mind? (12:1-2)
5. How did David describe the problem that concerned him? (12:1-2)
6. What spiritual problem unifies this poem? (12:1-8)
7. What evidence did David give to prove that the “faithful have vanished”? (12:2)
8. What attitude do the wicked have toward themselves and God? (12:3-4)
9. Of what sins were the wicked guilty? (12:3-4)
* 10. What attitudes and behavior did David ask the Lord to put a stop to? (12:3-4)
11. What motivates the Lord to take action on behalf of His people? (12:5)
* 12. What reassuring word from the Lord follows David’s plea for help? (12:5-6)
13. How did God reassure David? (12:5-6)
14. How did David describe the word of the Lord? (12:6)
15. What are God’s words like? (12:6)
16. How did David demonstrate his trust in the Lord? (12:7)
17. How did David show his belief and confidence in God? (12:7)
18. In what way was David’s expression of confidence in God an act of faith? (12:8)
19. Why did David need faith? (12:8)

Get It

20. What does the image David uses to describe the Lord’s words reveal about David’s view of God?
21. When have you ever had to step out in faith to trust in the Lord?
22. Why do you think God leaves us in difficult circumstances instead of rescuing us from our problems immediately?
23. What circumstances or people has God used in your life to stretch your faith?
24. In light of what you have learned from this passage, what new perspective should you have about the challenges you face?
25. When are you most tempted to lie?
26. In what ways do people twist the truth to manipulate others?
* 27. According to this passage, what attitudes and behaviors do we need to guard against?
* 28. How can we show respect for the truth?

Apply It

29. What action can you take this week to demonstrate your respect and appreciation for God’s words?
* 30. What specific steps could you take to guard against lying?
31. How can you encourage a friend who is going through a difficult time?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM

Not being duplicitous.
Not speaking vanity to my fellow man.
Speaking like the LORD, pure words.

Speaking words of silver tried by furnace, purified seven times

2010-10-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Psalm 11:1-7

For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

In the Lord I take refuge;
How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain;
[2] For, behold, the wicked bend the bow,
They make ready their arrow upon the string,
To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.
[3] If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?"

[4] The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
[5] The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
And the one who loves violence His soul hates.
[6] Upon the wicked He will rain snares;
Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup.
[7] For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness;
The upright will behold His face.

Psalm 11 - Psalm 11:1-7

Open It

1. When have you ever felt like giving up on something you thought was important?
* 2. What failures, obstacles, or situations often cause us to feel like giving up?
3. How do you feel when you accomplish something that was difficult to do?

Explore It

4. What theme holds this poem together? (11:1-7)
* 5. Why did the people around David want to flee to a mountain refuge? (11:1-3)
6. What attitude did David have toward the fears of those around him? (11:1-3)
7. On whom do wicked people focus their attacks? (11:2)
8. How did the threats of wicked people influence the righteous? (11:2-3)
9. Why did the people around David feel so hopeless? (11:3)
* 10. What actions does the Lord take on behalf of His people? (11:4-6)
* 11. How does the Lord treat the wicked and the righteous differently? (11:4-6)
12. What reply did David give to the fearful? (11:4-7)
13. In what specific ways did David encourage the fearful to trust in God? (11:4-7)
14. Why does God treat wicked and righteous people differently? (11:7)
15. What characteristics did David ascribe to the Lord? (11:7)
16. What is God like? (11:7)
17. What does God love? (11:7)
18. What special hope encouraged David to seek the Lord? (11:7)

Get It

19. When have you felt like there was no solution to a problem you faced?
20. What gives you hope when your problems seem overwhelming?
21. When has the Lord saved you from a hopeless situation?
22. How does remembering God’s faithfulness in the past encourage you about the future?
* 23. What challenges are you facing at this point in your life?
* 24. How does this psalm encourage you to handle the challenges you are facing?
25. What people or actions help you entrust your fears and problems to the Lord?
26. In what way does the last line of this psalm influence your perspective on life?
27. What have you learned from this psalm about God’s character?
28. How can what you have learned about God’s character change your attitude toward your circumstances?

Apply It

29. How can you demonstrate your thankfulness to God for His faithfulness to you?
* 30. What challenges in your life can you entrust to God?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM

Putting my trust in the Lord.

I am upright and beholding the face of the Lord.

2010-10-11T08:37:00.000-07:00

Psalm 10:1-18

Why dost Thou stand afar off, O Lord?
Why dost Thou hide Thyself in times of trouble?

[2] In pride the wicked hotly pursue the afflicted;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

[3] For the wicked boasts of his heart's desire,
And the greedy man curses and spurns the Lord.

[4] The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him.
All his thoughts are, "There is no God."

[5] His ways prosper at all times;
Thy judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.

[6] He says to himself, "I shall not be moved;
Throughout all generations I shall not be in adversity."

[7] His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.

[8] He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the hiding places he kills the innocent;
His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.

[9] He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.

[10] He crouches, he bows down,
And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.

[11] He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it."

[12] Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up Thy hand.
Do not forget the afflicted.

[13] Why has the wicked spurned God?
He has said to himself, "Thou wilt not require it."

[14] Thou hast seen it, for Thou hast beheld mischief and vexation to take it into Thy hand.
The unfortunate commits himself to Thee;
Thou hast been the helper of the orphan.

[15] Break the arm of the wicked and the evildoer,
Seek out his wickedness until Thou dost find none.

[16] The Lord is King forever and ever;
Nations have perished from His land.

[17] O Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble;
Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear

[18] To vindicate the orphan and the oppressed,
That man who is of the earth may cause terror no more.

Psalm 10 - Psalm 10:1-18

Open It

1. When has your mouth gotten you in trouble?
*2. What unfair or wrong actions do people often seem to get away with?
3. What's one thing you remember your mother saying to you?

Explore It

4. How did the psalm writer feel about his circumstances before he put his confidence in the Lord's deliverance? (10:1)
5. From what did the psalm writer need to be rescued? (10:1-18)
6. How are innocent people affected by the actions of wicked people? (10:2, 8-10)
7. Where do wicked people get their confidence? (10:2-10)
*8. How are wicked people described in this psalm? (10:2-11)
9. What are the sins of the wicked? (10:2-11)
10. What accusations did the psalm writer make against the wicked? (10:2-11)
11. What attitudes do wicked people have toward God? (10:3-11)
12. What three weapons of the tongue do wicked people employ? (10:7)
*13. What action did the psalm writer want the Lord to take on his behalf? (10:12, 15)
14. In what way did the psalm writer want God to prove the wicked wrong? (10:13-14)
15. To what character trait of the Lord did the psalm writer appeal? (10:14)
*16. Where did the psalm writer place his confidence and why? (10:16-18)

Get It

17. Why do you think the words that we say have such power?
18. What are some ways words can be used for good?
19. What does the psalm writer's boldness in this prayer reveal about his relationship with the Lord?
20. How would you like your prayer habits to change, in light of the psalm writer's example?
21. How do you sometimes feel about your problems before you trust the Lord with them?
22. In what ways do you feel different about your problems after you have committed them to the Lord in prayer?
23. How does praying about our problems help us?
24. Who is one person you have a hard time tolerating?
*25. How does this passage encourage you to handle your problems?
26. How should we handle our frustration with unfairness or wrongdoing that goes unpunished?
27. What action would you like the Lord to take on your behalf?
28. To what character traits of the Lord can you appeal?
29. What reasons do you have to place your confidence in the Lord?
30. What are the sins of the wicked today?
31. How can we guard against committing the sins described in this psalm?
32. What action can we take to control our tongues?
*33. What injustice do you need to commit to the Lord?

Apply It

34. In what situation can you demonstrate trust the Lord's justice?
*35. Concerning what "wicked" person or situation do you need to pray Psalm 10?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM

A child of the LORD who is King for ever and ever.

A child having the ear of my heavenly Father.

2010-10-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

Psalm 9:1-20

For the choir director; on Muth-labben.
A Psalm of David.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart;
I will tell of all Thy wonders.

[2] I will be glad and exult in Thee;
I will sing praise to Thy name, O Most High.

[3] When my enemies turn back,
They stumble and perish before Thee.

[4] For Thou hast maintained my just cause;
Thou dost sit on the throne judging righteously.

[5] Thou hast rebuked the nations; Thou hast destroyed the wicked;
Thou hast blotted out their name forever and ever.

[6] The enemy has come to an end in perpetual ruins,
And Thou hast uprooted the cities;
The very memory of them has perished.

[7] But the Lord abides forever;
He has established His throne for judgment,

[8] And He will judge the world in righteousness;
He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.

[9] The Lord also will be a stronghold for the oppressed,
A stronghold in times of trouble,

[10] And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee;
For Thou, O Lord, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee.

[11] Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion;
Declare among the peoples His deeds.

[12] For He who requires blood remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the afflicted.

[13] Be gracious to me, O Lord;
Behold my affliction from those who hate me,
Thou who dost lift me up from the gates of death;

[14] That I may tell of all Thy praises,
That in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in Thy salvation.

[15] The nations have sunk down in the pit which they have made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot has been caught.

[16] The Lord has made Himself known;
He has executed judgment.

In the work of his own hands the wicked is snared.

Higgaion Selah.

[17] The wicked will return to Sheol,
Even all the nations who forget God.

[18] For the needy will not always be forgotten,
Nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever.

[19] Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged before Thee.

[20] Put them in fear, O Lord;
Let the nations know that they are but men.

Selah.

Psalm 9 - Psalm 9:1-20

Open It

1. What misconceptions do you think many people have about God?
*2. When was a time you doubted God's presence or willingness to help?
3. What is one cause for which you have fought?

Explore It

*4. What prompted David to offer this poem of praise to the Lord? (9:1-18)
5. What theme unifies this poem? (9:1-20)
6. What did God accomplish in destroying Israel's enemies? (9:3-6)
7. To what extent were David's enemies defeated? (9:3-6)
8. How did David describe God's rule? (9:4, 7-8)
9. How does the Lord meet the needs of people who are oppressed? (9:9-10)
*10. What lesson did David learn about God's character? (9:10)
*11. Why did David call people to praise the Lord? (9:11-12)
12. For what reason did David ask the Lord to rescue him from his enemies? (9:13-14)
13. What will eventually become of the wicked under God's just rule? (9:15-18)
14. What reputation does the God of Israel have? (9:16)
15. How does God defeat the plans of wicked people? (9:16)
16. What will happen to the needy and afflicted, regardless of their place in society? (9:18)
17. What prayer concludes the psalm? (9:19-20)

Get It

18. How do the actions of Christians influence people's perception of God?
*19. What does this psalm call you to do?
*20. How should we pray when we are concerned about a wicked or unjust practice?
21. What challenge or problem do you face in your life?
22. How does God want you to handle your fears and anxieties?
23. How does this psalm encourage you about your present situation?
24. How should we follow David's example in this psalm?
25. When has the Lord been a stronghold for you in times of trouble?
26. How can you demonstrate to the Lord your praise for His help and deliverance?
27. How do the actions and attitudes of Christians influence what others think about God?
28. What do you think unbelievers could learn about God from your actions?

Apply It

29. What steps could you take to give your fears or concerns over to God?
*30. What is one way you can contribute to a righteous cause or movement?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM

Praising and giving thanks to the LORD with all of my heart and being
Telling others about God, his attributes and his deeds
Judged rightly and fairly by God
Remembered
Having the LORD as my stronghold in times of trouble Accepting that the LORD has made himself known to me.

2010-10-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Psalm 8:1-9

For the choir director; on the Gittith.
A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Thy name in all the earth,
Who hast displayed Thy splendor above the heavens!

[2] From the mouth of infants and nursing babes Thou hast established strength,
Because of Thine adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

[3] When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers,
The moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained;

[4] What is man, that Thou dost take thought of him?
And the son of man, that Thou dost care for him?

[5] Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God,
And dost crown him with glory and majesty!

[6] Thou dost make him to rule over the works of Thy hands;
Thou hast put all things under his feet,

[7] All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,

[8] The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

[9] O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Thy name in all the earth!

Psalm 8 - Psalm 8:1-9

Open It

*1. What do you like most about the outdoors?
2. What lessons about life have you learned from nature?

Explore It

3. What theme or themes hold this psalm together? (8:1)
4. How does the first verse introduce the focus of the poem? (8:1)
5. How did David describe the Lord? (8:1-9)
6. Why do children praise God? (8:2)
7. How does the Lord silence His enemies? (8:2)
8. What motivated David to write this psalm? (8:3)
*9. What did David find most amazing about God's creation? (8:3-4)
*10. How do people get all of their power and responsibility? (8:3-6)
11. What attitude did David have about himself and all people? (8:4)
12. With what value did God create people? (8:5)
13. How do people fit into the heavenly realm of beings? (8:5)
14. What has God done for us? (8:5-8)
*15. What are some responsibilities that all of us have? (8:5-8)
16. How does the last verse unify the poem? (8:9)

Get It

17. Why do you think God chose to surround us with creation?
18. What prompts you to praise the Lord?
19. What do you find most amazing about God's creation?
20. What does creation reveal to us about God's nature?
*21. What does this psalm tell us about self-esteem and responsibility?
22. What can we learn from David about the attitude we should have about ourselves?
23. Over what (in today's world) has God given us responsibilities?
24. How should we treat nature? animals?
25. How does our attitude toward creation reflect our perspective of God?
*26. What responsibility do you have in caring for nature?
27. How has this psalm changed your attitude toward nature and God?

Apply It

*28. When could you spend a few minutes in the next few days enjoying God's creation?
29. What small step could you take this week to help care for God's creation?

AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM

Marveling at the majesty of the LORD
Pondering God's creation
Created in God's image and crowned with glory and majesty Recognizing that I have dominion over God's creation, and am entrusted with it.

2010-09-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 7:1-17

A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning Cush, a Benjamite.

O Lord my God, in Thee I have taken refuge;
Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,

[2] Lest he tear my soul like a lion,
Dragging me away, while there is none to deliver.

[3] O Lord my God, if I have done this,
If there is injustice in my hands,

[4] If I have rewarded evil to my friend,
Or have plundered him who without cause was my adversary,

[5] Let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground,
And lay my glory in the dust.

Selah.

[6] Arise, O Lord, in Thine anger;
Lift up Thyself against the rage of my adversaries,
And arouse Thyself for me; Thou hast appointed judgment.

[7] And let the assembly of the peoples encompass Thee;
And over them return Thou on high.

[8] The Lord judges the peoples;
Vindicate me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me.

[9] O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous;
For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds.

[10] My shield is with God,
Who saves the upright in heart.

[11] God is a righteous judge,
And a God who has indignation every day.

[12] If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword;
He has bent His bow and made it ready.

[13] He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons;
He makes His arrows fiery shafts.
[14] Behold, he travails with wickedness,
And he conceives mischief, and brings forth falsehood.

[15] He has dug a pit and hollowed it out,
And has fallen into the hole which he made.

[16] His mischief will return upon his own head,
And his violence will descend upon his own pate.

[17] I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 7 - Psalm 7:1-17

Open It

1. When was a time you saw justice served?
* 2. What fears have you heard people express?
3. When have you seen our justice system fail?

Explore It

* 4. What fears inspired David to write this psalm? (7:1-2)
5. What familiar image did David, as a former shepherd, use to describe his fears? (7:1-2)
6. What qualified David to plead with God for deliverance? (7:3-5)
7. Under what conditions was David willing to forgo God’s protection? (7:3-5)
8. To what character traits of God did David appeal? (7:6-11)
9. How did David want to be judged by God? (7:8)
10. According to the psalm writer, how does God demonstrate His righteousness? (7:9-11)
* 11. How did David demonstrate his confidence in God? (7:10-13)
12. What image did David use to describe how God will express His wrath against the wicked? (7:11-13)
13. What general principle of life did David use to comfort himself? (7:14-16)
14. What are the consequences of evil? (7:14-16)
* 15. What motivated David to praise God? (7:17)

Get It

16. What is unique about God’s character that enables Him to be a perfect judge?
17. What are some of your fears?
18. How do you usually deal with your fears?
* 19. In what ways is David a good example for us in handling fear?
20. What does this passage teach you about the character of God?
* 21. How does God’s character encourage you to face the fears and problems in your life?
22. How can you demonstrate your confidence in God’s deliverance?
23. What do you think are some of the consequences of disobedience to God?
24. What motivates you to offer praise to the Lord?

Apply It

* 25. What specific steps could you take in the next few days to trust God with your fears?
26. What could you do to remind yourself of God’s righteousness this week?
27. Who is another person you could encourage with what you have learned in this lesson?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM

With God as my defender
Vindicated according to my righteousness and integrity
Singing praises and thanking God according to his righteousness

2010-09-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Psalm 6:1-10

For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-stringed lyre.
A Psalm of David.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in Thine anger,
Nor chasten me in Thy wrath.

[2] Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed.

[3] And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But Thou, O Lord-- how long?

[4] Return, O Lord, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Thy lovingkindness.

[5] For there is no mention of Thee in death;
In Sheol who will give Thee thanks?

[6] I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.

[7] My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.

[8] Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

[9] The Lord has heard my supplication,
The Lord receives my prayer.

[10] All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they shall suddenly be ashamed.

Psalm 6 - Psalm 6:1-10

Open It

1. What emotions do you feel when you are sick with the flu?
* 2. How do most people deal with sickness?
3. When have you felt the Lord’s presence during a time of illness or sorrow?

Explore It

4. What request opens this psalm? (6:1)
5. What did the psalm writer think was the reason for his illness? (6:1)
6. How does the psalm writer’s response to his crisis unify this poem? (6:1-10)
* 7. What feelings did the psalm writer have? (6:1-10)
8. Why did the psalm writer believe that the Lord would be willing to save him? (6:4)
* 9. What motivated the psalm writer to ask the Lord for mercy? (6:5)
10. What did the psalm writer believe would happen to him if the Lord did not show him mercy? (6:5)
11. According to the psalm writer, what would God forfeit if He were not merciful? (6:5)
12. How depressed was the psalm writer? (6:6-7)
13. What encouraged the psalm writer? (6:8-9)
14. How is the psalm writer protected from his enemies? (6:8)
15. What expression of confidence concludes this prayer? (6:8-10)
* 16. What is the Lord’s response to the psalm writer’s cries for mercy? (6:9)
17. How would the psalm writer’s enemies react to his restoration? (6:10)

Get It

18. When have you ever felt like the writer of this psalm?
19. How do you usually deal with feelings of fear, sadness, or depression?
20. What motivates you to cry out to the Lord?
* 21. How do you think the Lord wants you to deal with life’s difficulties?
22. In what specific ways should we follow the psalm writer’s example?
23. What does this poem reveal about the psalm writer’s relationship with the Lord?
24. How would you like your relationship with God to be similar to the psalm writer’s?
25. How would you describe the psalm writer’s prayer in this passage?
* 26. What does this psalm teach us about prayer?
27. What does this psalm teach us about dealing with depression?
28. How has the Lord shown His love for you?
29. What gift of praise can you offer the Lord?

Apply It

30. What feelings or problems do you want to trust the Lord with today?
* 31. What steps could you take to spend more time telling God your honest thoughts or feelings?
32. How can you demonstrate your thankfulness to the Lord for His love for you?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM

Healed by the LORD
Saved because of God’s lovingkindness
Thanking God publicly
With enemies that are dismayed

2010-09-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

Psalm 5:1-12

For the choir director; for flute accompaniment.
A Psalm of David.

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my groaning.

[2] Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to Thee do I pray.

[3] In the morning, O Lord, Thou wilt hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to Thee and eagerly watch.

[4] For Thou art not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness;
No evil dwells with Thee.

[5] The boastful shall not stand before Thine eyes;
Thou dost hate all who do iniquity.

[6] Thou dost destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the man of bloodshed and deceit.

[7] But as for me, by Thine abundant lovingkindness I will enter Thy house,
At Thy holy temple I will bow in reverence for Thee.

[8] O Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness because of my foes;
Make Thy way straight before me.

[9] There is nothing reliable in what they say;
Their inward part is destruction itself;
Their throat is an open grave;
They flatter with their tongue.

[10] Hold them guilty, O God;
By their own devices let them fall!
In the multitude of their transgressions thrust them out,
For they are rebellious against Thee.

[11] But let all who take refuge in Thee be glad,
Let them ever sing for joy;
And mayest Thou shelter them,
That those who love Thy name may exult in Thee.

[12] For it is Thou who dost bless the righteous man, O Lord,
Thou dost surround him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5 - Psalm 5:1-12

Open It

* 1. Why do you think personal crises motivate people to pray more?
2. When has an emergency or personal problem caused you to pray?

Explore It

3. What were the psalm writer’s main requests? (5:1-12)
4. How is the psalm writer’s main request repeated throughout the poem? (5:1-12)
5. When and how did David pray? (5:2-3)
6. How are wicked people limited? (5:4-5)
7. To what characteristics of God did the psalm writer appeal? (5:4-12)
8. How did David describe wicked people? (5:5)
* 9. What attitude did David have in presenting his request to the Lord? (5:7)
10. How did David describe his enemies? (5:9-10)
11. How did David trust God to judge the wicked, rather than seeking revenge himself? (5:10)
* 12. How did David deal with the offenses against him? (5:9-10)
13. What did David ask God to do? (5:10-12)
14. Whom did David include in his prayer? (5:11)
15. Whom does the Lord protect and bless? (5:11-12)
* 16. What attitude should believers have and why? (5:11-12)
17. How did David use the image of a shield to describe what God does for the righteous? (5:12)
18. What does God do for the righteous? (5:12)

Get It

19. What many reasons do people have for praying?
20. What usually motivates people to pray?
21. In light of this passage, what attitude should we have when we pray?
22. How do you need to change your attitude toward prayer?
* 23. How are faith and prayer connected?
24. When has your faith been challenged or stretched?
25. What distracts you from praying?
* 26. What steps can you take to keep up a consistent habit of prayer?
27. What does this passage teach us about arrogance?
28. How can we guard against the sin of arrogance?
29. What have you learned about the character of God from this psalm?

Apply It

* 30. What is one step you can take in the next week to improve your prayer habits?
31. How could you publicly praise God for His protection over you?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Praying to the lord and watching for His answers.
Not sinning
Loved by the LORD
Preserved by God because of speaking the truth
Having a straight path before me
Glad in the LORD
Singing for joy
Surrounded with God’s favor as a shield

2010-09-15T10:42:00.000-07:00

Psalm 4:1-8

For the choir director; on stringed instruments.
A Psalm of David.

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
Thou hast relieved me in my distress;
Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.

[2] O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach?
How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception?

Selah.

[3] But know that the Lord has set apart the godly man for Himself;
The Lord hears when I call to Him.

[4] Tremble, and do not sin;
Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still.

Selah.

[5] Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And trust in the Lord.

[6] Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?"
Lift up the light of Thy countenance upon us, O Lord!

[7] Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
More than when their grain and new wine abound.

[8] In peace I will both lie down and sleep,
For Thou alone, O Lord, dost make me to dwell in safety.

Psalm 4 - Psalm 4:1-8

Open It

* 1. If you were to write a poem about your relationship with God, what would you focus on?
2. What attributes of God’s have you thought about most in your life?

Explore It

3. How is the Lord described in this passage? (4:1)
4. From what did David need to be saved? (4:1)
5. What motivated David to write this psalm? (4:1-8)
* 6. What is the theme of this psalm? (4:1-8)
7. Why does David rebuke others in this poem? (4:2-3)
8. What assurance does this psalm offer? (4:3)
9. What weakness can draw people away from the Lord? (4:4)
* 10. What advice does David give to those who want to remain righteous? (4:4-5)
* 11. How did David’s relationship with the Lord affect his attitude? (4:7)
12. How did David describe his joy? (4:7)
13. How did David demonstrate his trust in the Lord? (4:8)
14. Where did David get his sense of security? (4:8)

Get It

15. How would you describe your relationship with the Lord at this time in your life?
16. How does your relationship with God affect your attitude?
* 17. What weakness or temptation threatens to draw you away from the Lord?
18. How does God want us to handle temptations?
* 19. What do you think you could do to strengthen your relationship with God?
20. What steps can we take to help each other overcome our weaknesses?
21. What does this psalm teach us about how to become righteous?
22. What is one way you can show your trust in the Lord?
23. What promise in this poem would you like to claim for yourself?

Apply It

* 24. What small steps could you take in the next week to strengthen your relationship with God?
25. What concrete action can you take to guard against a temptation in one area of weakness?
26. How can you encourage a friend in his or her relationship with God?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Finding relief from God in time of distress

Receiving God’s grace

Set apart for God’s glory

Heard by God.

Meditating in my heart.

Offering the sacrifices of righteousness and trust in the Lord.

With gladness in my heart.

Dwelling in God’s safety/

2010-09-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Psalm 3:1-8

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

O Lord, how my adversaries have increased!
Many are rising up against me.

[2] Many are saying of my soul, "There is no deliverance for him in God."

Selah.

[3] But Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me,
My glory, and the One who lifts my head.

[4] I was crying to the Lord with my voice,
And He answered me from His holy mountain.

Selah.

[5] I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.

[6] I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me round about.

[7] Arise, O Lord; save me, O my God!
For Thou hast smitten all my enemies on the cheek;
Thou hast shattered the teeth of the wicked.

[8] Salvation belongs to the Lord;
Thy blessing be upon Thy people!

Selah.

Psalm 3 - Psalm 3:1-8

Open It

1. In what circumstances do you feel safe and secure?
2. What often threatens our sense of security?
* 3. What measures do people commonly take to protect themselves?

Explore It

* 4. What predicament prompted David to write this poem? (3:1-2)
5. How were David’s enemies intimidating him? (3:2)
6. Where did David get his hope? (3:3)
7. What image did David use to describe God’s protection? (3:3)
* 8. How did the Lord show His love for David? (3:3)
9. What is God like? (3:3)
10. How did David deal with his fears? (3:4)
11. How did God respond to David’s cries for help? (3:4)
12. How did David demonstrate his faith in God’s protection? (3:5)
13. Whom did David credit for his sense of security when he was surrounded by enemies? (3:5)
* 14. To what extent was David willing to trust the Lord? (3:6)
15. What action did David ask the Lord to take on his behalf? (3:7)
16. What expression of confidence concludes David’s prayer? (3:8)
17. What did David ask God to do? (3:8)

Get It

18. When have you ever felt you were in a hopeless situation?
19. How have you experienced God’s protection?
* 20. What does this psalm teach us about God’s protection of His loved ones?
21. What should we do when we feel intimidated by others or overwhelmed by our problems?
* 22. How can you follow David’s example in dealing with your own fears?
23. What action do you need the Lord to take on your behalf?
24. What expression of confidence can you offer in prayer to the Lord?

Apply It

* 25. What step can you take to entrust God with one of your fears?
26. How can you show your thankfulness to the Lord for His protection over you?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Having God surrounding me like a shield.

Having God as my glory and the lifter of my head.

Having God answer my prayers from His holy hill.

Laying down and sleeping.

Awakening because He has sustained me.

Not being fearful of a multitude of people surrounding me.

Experiencing His blessing on me.

2010-08-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

Psalm 2:1-12

Why are the nations in an uproar,
And the peoples devising a vain thing?

[2] The kings of the earth take their stand,
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the Lord and against His Anointed:

[3] "Let us tear their fetters apart,
And cast away their cords from us!"

[4] He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.

[5] Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury:

[6] "But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain."

[7] "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, 'Thou art My Son,
Today I have begotten Thee

[8] 'Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Thine inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Thy possession.

[9] 'Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron,
Thou shalt shatter them like earthenware.' "

[10] Now therefore, O kings, show discernment;
Take warning, O judges of the earth.

[11] Worship the Lord with reverence,
And rejoice with trembling.

[12] Do homage to the Son, lest He become angry, and you perish in the way,
For His wrath may soon be kindled.
How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!

Psalm 2 - Psalm 2:1-12

Open It

* 1. What characteristics make a good leader?
2. What do you think are some of the dangers in being a leader?

Explore It

3. What rhetorical question opens this psalm? (2:1)
4. How successful are people when they plot against the Lord? (2:1)
5. What aspects of the Lord’s character are revealed in this psalm? (2:1-12)
6. Who tries to stand against the Lord? (2:2)
7. What do the rulers of the world want to accomplish? (2:3)
8. How does God react to the leaders of the earth trying to overthrow Him? (2:4)
9. How does God demonstrate His righteousness to wicked people? (2:5)
* 10. What does God want us to know? (2:6-9)
11. How far does God’s power extend? (2:8)
12. What will God’s Anointed One accomplish? (2:9)
* 13. What warning are leaders given in this psalm? (2:10)
14. What are some dangers in being a leader? (2:10)
15. What attitude of worship should we have? (2:11)
* 16. What advice does this passage give us? (2:11-12)

Get It

17. How do you think the nations today are similar to the ones described in this psalm?
18. In what ways do you think rulers of our modern world conspire against Christ?
* 19. What are some of the dangers of being in leadership?
* 20. How is the psalm writer’s advice to leaders relevant to you?
21. Practically speaking, how can we “take refuge” in God?
22. What should we do to avoid God’s wrath?
23. How can Christian leaders protect themselves from using their status or power for selfish purposes?
24. What does this psalm teach us about God’s character?
25. How does this poem change your perception of God?
26. How do you think the words of this psalm could be applied to Christ?
27. In what practical ways can you demonstrate your respect for the Lord?

Apply It

* 28. What steps can you take in the next few weeks to use your influence for God’s glory?
29. What is one act of service to God that you could do today?
30. How can you “take refuge” in the Lord this next week?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Worshipping the Lord with reverence.

Rejoicing with trembling

Blessed because I take refuge in Him

2010-08-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Psalm 1:1-6

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

[2] But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

[3] And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

[4] The wicked are not so,
But they are like chaff which the wind drives away.

[5] Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

[6] For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 1 - Psalm 1:1-6

Open It

* 1. When has peer pressure influenced your attitudes or actions?
2. What’s most important to you about your friendships with Christians?
3. How do you think you would feel if you were not allowed to attend church?

Explore It

* 4. What activities does the righteous person avoid? (1:1-3)
5. What is the theme of this psalm? (1:1-6)
* 6. How are the righteous and the wicked different? (1:1-6)
* 7. What are the main points the psalm writer makes in this poem? (1:1-6)
8. How does the psalm writer connect delight and meditation? (1:2)
9. What does a righteous person do a lot? (1:2)
10. What does the image of the tree tell us about the righteous person? (1:3)
11. In what way is a righteous person rewarded for being righteous? (1:3)
12. What differences are there between righteous people and unrighteous people? (1:3-5)
13. What differences are implied by the references to “tree” and “chaff”? (1:3-5)
14. How are the righteous described in the psalm? (1:4-5)
15. How are the wicked described in the psalm? (1:4-5)
16. What consequences do the wicked face? (1:5)
17. What role does the Lord play in relation to the righteous and the wicked? (1:6)
18. How do the futures of the righteous and the wicked differ? (1:6)

Get It

19. What does it mean to meditate on God’s law day and night?
20. Why is Christian fellowship important?
21. What positive ideals does this psalm encourage us to follow?
* 22. What does this psalm teach us about spiritual discipline?
23. In what sense does a righteous person “prosper”?
24. What image or mental picture would you use to describe yourself?
25. What activities should you avoid because of your desire to be righteous?
26. Whose company should you avoid and why?
27. How can we demonstrate our delight in God’s Word?
28. What kind of “fruit” should we yield?
* 29. In what specific ways does this psalm encourage you to seek righteousness?
30. How have you experienced the Lord’s protection in your life?

Apply It

31. What specific steps can you take in the next few weeks to demonstrate your delight in God’s Word?
32. What concrete action can you take to avoid an unrighteous behavior?
* 33. What righteous attitude or action would you like to cultivate in your life over this next week?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM:

Not walking in the counsel of the wicked.

Not standing in the path of sinners.

Not sitting in seat of scoffers.

Delighting in the law of the Lord.

Meditating on His law day and night.

A tree firmly planted by streams of water.

Yielding fruit in its season.

My leaf does not wither.

Prospering in all that I do.

2010-08-09T10:32:00.000-07:00

CONCLUSION

Are these nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit something we do, or things the Spirit does for us?

Although clearly the Spirit is the Planter and Producer of the fruit as He alone can initiate and empower these graces, nevertheless, each of these nine graces is also commanded of believers.

Every believer has great potential for as Paul explained we have “been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:11)

Our task on earth as obedient children is to work out now what God has worked in us. Or as Paul instructed the saints at Philippi, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:12, 13)

Charles Spurgeon is careful to add that fruit calls for care. If you have a garden you will soon know this. We had a profusion of flowers upon our pear trees this year, and for a few weeks the weather was warm beyond the usual heat of April, but nights of frost followed and cut off nearly all the fruit. Other kinds of fruit which survived the frost are now in danger from the dry weather which has developed and endless variety of insect blight, so that we wonder whether any of it will survive. If we get over this trial and the fruit grows well we shall yet expect to see many apples fall before autumn, because the worm has eaten into their hearts and effectual destroyed them. So is it with Christian life; I have seen a work for the lord prospering splendidly like a fruitful vine, when suddenly there has come a frost night and fond hopes have been nipped; or else new notions, and wild ideas have descended like insect blights and the fruit has been spoiled; for it the work has escaped these causes of damage, some immorality in a leading member or a quarrelsome spirit, has appeared unawares like a worm in the center of the apple, and down it has fallen never to flourish again.

God does not make a law against the nine fold fruit of the Spirit for these are the very virtues that God desires believers to supernaturally manifest in a Christ like walk. And just as there is “no law” against the fruit of the Spirit, there is likewise no law which will produce them for they cannot be produced by your self-effort, including attempts to keep the law.

Neither God nor man has ever made a law against these things; the more there is of them, the better will it be for everybody, Oh, that they prevailed all over the world!

Good men make no law against these things, nor does God, for He approves of them, What a wonderful cluster of the grapes of Eshcol we have here! The fruit of the Spirit, as if all this were but one after all; many luscious berries forming one great cluster. Oh, that all these things may be in us and abound, that we may be neither barren nor unfruitful!

C. Norman Bartlett writes that although there is no law against the aforementioned fruit of the Spirit, many Christians live and act as if there were, if one judges by the meagerness of spiritual fruit bearing in their lives. Law can neither produce nor prevent the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Legality, however, militates against the vitality so essential to their production.

S. Lewis Johnson writes that in the concluding words of Galatians 5:23 there is an important point made by Paul. The Law of Moses finds no flaw in the fruit of the Spirit. The flesh may imitate, or counterfeit, certain of the virtues, but is can never produce them. The Spirit alone can do that, and the results satisfies all the demands of the moral law in the believer’s life. It is sometimes forgotten that life by the Spirit in not a lower standard than life by the moral law, or the Ten Commandments. It is, if anything a higher standard. Arthur Way has caught that in his rendering of Galatians 5:18: “But if you definitely surrender yourselves to the Spirit’s guidance, you are then not under any law, but on a HIGHER PLANE!”

Vincent explains that against such virtues there is no law to condemn them. The law can bring no charge against them.

Richards adds that laws are passed against sinful acts. No one would think of passing a law against love, joy, kindness, goodness, or patience. It follows then that Law is irrelevant to Christians who live by the Spirit. What need is there for Law in a heart where love, kindness, and goodness reign? Commit yourself to Jesus, actively love others, and trust the Spirit to express Himself through you. Do this, and you need not worry about the Law.

James Boice writes that this last clause is most likely an understatement used for rhetorical effect. The law, as Paul has said, was given to restrain evil; but these qualities do not need to be restrained. Hence, no law opposes them. There may also be a sense, however, in which Paul is suggesting that the law cannot be against such as live in this manner because of the very fact that by being so led they are in principle fulfilling what the law requires.

William Kelly asks: “When did law ever produce these?” So the law will never condemn those who walk in these thing. If you are producing these fruits of the Spirit, there is no condemnation against them.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

O Thou Most High,
In the way of Thy appointment I am waiting for Thee,
My desire is to Thy Name,
My mind to remembrance of Thee.
I am sinner, but not insensible of my state.
My iniquities are great and numberless,
But Thou art adequate to my relief, for Thou art rich in mercy;
The blood of Thy Son can cleanse from all sin;
The agency of Thy Spirit can subdue my most powerful lusts.
Give me a tender, wakeful conscience
That can smite and torment me when I sin.
May I be consistent in conversation and conduct,
The same alone as in company, in prosperity and adversity,
Accepting all Thy commandments as right,
And hating every false way.
May I never be satisfied with my present spiritual progress,
But to faith add virtue, knowledge, temperance, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity,
May I never neglect what is necessary to constitute Christian character,
And needful to complete it.
May I cultivate the expedient, develop the lovely, adorn the gospel,
Recommend the religion of Jesus, accommodate myself to Thy providence.
Keep me from sinking or sinning in the evil day;
Help me to carry into ordinary life portions of divine truth and use
Them on suitable occasions, so that its doctrines may inform, its warning caution,
Its rules guide, it promises comfort me.

2010-08-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

SELF CONTROL

Self control comes from the Greek word “egkrateia” which means literally a holding of oneself in or the ability to take a grip of oneself. This meaning reminds us of one our modern slang expressions, “Get a grip!” It refers to the restraining of passions and appetites that originate from the old self.

To be self-controlled is to not live in bondage to the desires, passions and appetites of the flesh. The physical human body is a good servant but miserable master.

In short, “egkrateia” describes the personal rule or master over fleshy impulses that would be impossible without the Holy Spirit’s control>

In the ancient world, self-control characterized athletes who sought to be self restrained and self disciplined, qualities which were crucial in their quest for victory in the intense competition of the elite Olympic Games.

Self-control means mastering one’s emotions rather than being mastered by them. Lack of self-control plays a significant role in abominable deeds of the false teachers Peter exposed in Chapter 2 of his Second Epistle.

“Egkratei” points to a supernatural inner power to control one’s old desires and cravings inherited from Adam. Sometimes we as saints forget that even though we have been crucified with Christ and are dead to the domination and or power of sin, the old desires are still latent and are able to be activated in our mortal bodies

The Greek word “egkrateia” has the idea of to get a grip on one’s self, on one’s passions. Many of the early Christian heresies taught that since the physical body was evil, which it is not, it is morally neutral and is solely an instrument either of the Spirit of or sin, it was not necessary to curb evil lusts, but that one only had to think correctly. In contrast, Paul teaches that self control is not a result of self-effort but a fruit wrought by the Spirit as we rest in Him, trust in Him, and walk by Him. Then God receives the praise and the glory for the victory instead of self, which ever seeks to usurp God’s rightful place and receive the glory due only to Him!

C Norman Bartlett writes that by temperance is meant self-control in the broadest sense of the term. We need to go into training for Christ and to keep ourselves spiritually fit at all time, for we never know when a critical test may come or a golden opportunity arise that will call upon our spiritual reserves. To this end we should be prepared to give up whatever mars our witness and hinders usefulness in the Master’s service. Attaining to the best may necessitate abstaining from the rest. The letter must sometimes be sacrificed to the higher good.

Brian Bill writes that nestled among the Spirit’s produce is the seemingly out of place fruit of self-control. This characteristic of a Christ follower seems to focus more on me instead of my relationships with other people. I can exercise self-control when I’m the only person in the house. In fact, sometimes the hidden, private moments when no else is looking is precisely when I need self-control the most. However, if we properly exercise the fruit of self-control, it will benefit those around us. In some ways, we might consider this virtue the most important because without self control the works of the flesh cannot be overcome and the other elements of the Fruit of the Spirit will not be evident.

When the Greeks wanted to illustrate self-control, they built a statue of a man or a woman in perfect proportion. To them, self-control was the proper ordering and balancing of the individual.

Pastor Bill adds that Felix was no different than many others in the Roman Empire. Scholars tell us that when ancient Rome was disciplined and controlled, it was a great nation, but when it became saturated in its own sin it lost its glory. Drunkenness, orgies, and an “anything goes” mindset cause Rome to cave inward and implode upon itself. The decline of the Roman Empire went hand in hand with self-indulgence. I wonder if America is going down the same road?

Vincent adds this historical not on self-control in ancient athletes. The candidate for the races was required to be ten months in training, and to practice in the gymnasium immediately before the games, under the direction of judges who had themselves been instructed for ten month in the details of the games. The training was largely dietary. Epictetus says: “Thou must be orderly, living on spare food, abstain from confections; make a point of exercising at the appointed time, in heat and in cold; nor drink cold water or wine at hazard.” Horace says “ The youth who would win in the race had borne and done much; he hath sweat and been cold; he had abstained from love and wine.”

Adam Clark writes that “egkrateia means continence (Webster = exercising self restraint, especially a refraining from sexual intercourse), self government, or moderation, principally with regard to sensual or animal appetites. Moderation in eating, drinking, sleeping etc.

William Barclay says “egkrateia” is that great quality which comes to a man when Christ in his heart, that quality which makes him able to live and to walk in the world, and yet to keep his garments unspotted from the world.

Pastor Steve Cole observes that there is a paradox here: to be Spirit controlled results in being self-controlled. As we walk by the Spirit, He produces in us the ability to control every area of our lives in line with His holy purposes. This implies active responsibility on your part. Sometimes speakers on the spiritual life state that you are to be completely passive, “Just let go and let God,” “If you are striving, you are not trusting.”

This is clearly unbiblical. Paul wrote: “For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. (Colossians 1:29)

Bot are true. The self controlled person is submitting himself to God’s will as revealed in His Word, whereas the self willed person is acting for this own selfish desires, disregarding what God wills. Because God has given us new life in Christ and has given His Holy Spirit to indwell us, we have both the responsibility and the ability to yield our self will to His revealed will.

Pastor Cole goes on to describe how we cultivate the grace of self-control summing it up noting that “Walk by means of the Holy Spirit every day.” This undergirds the whole process.

Galatians 5:16 says, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.”

He goes on to talk about the strong desires of the flesh that war against the Spirit. If you do not conquer these desires, you will not grow in godliness. You don’t win wars accidentally! You must devote yourself to battle, committed to fit with everything you’ve got. Anything less will result in defeat. To walk by the Spirit means to depend upon and yield to the indwelling Holy Spirit moment by moment every day. Walking is not as spectacular as leaping or flying, but if you keep at it, you will get where you are going.

Also, the picture of fruit implies a slow, deliberate process. There will be setbacks and difficulties along the way. The question is are you actively, purposely walking by the Spirit, coming back to dependence on Him when you have fallen, so that over the long haul, the fruit of the Spirit, including self control, is growing in your life?

Wayne Barber discusses Peter’s mention of self control in 2 Peter 1:6, reminding us that this self control arises from and is accompanied by our knowledge which comes out of obedience to the Word of God. It comes right out of that faith that God gives us.

The definition of self-control means to be able to hold one self in. Paul is talking about an athlete and how he has to have self-control. This would include self-control over his appetite, his temper, his schedule, an athlete needs priorities or he will become undisciplined. It you want to play on the basketball team in college, you had to have discipline or self-control.

Remember that the definite article (“the”) is before each godly characteristic so Peter is talking about “the”self control, “the” very self control and self restraint that Jesus had, even as He Himself was tempted as all men are. And yet God gives us access to that same self-control! So that’s where the analogy breaks down, it’s not human energized self-control Peter is talking about but that which is available by faith (obedience) from Christ in us. The Christian ought to have control over his appetite.

How many diets have you been on? You lose some but then you gain it right back. Remember that Scripture repeatedly links idolatry and immorality. Immorality and a person with an uncontrolled appetite is closely related all the way through Scripture. Believers because of Christ within them, possess the potential to control their temper, to exercise control over their desires, the power to say “no”, the power to set godly priorities, the power within them so that they can turn off the television and go to be early so they can arise early to be fresh with God in the morning, the self control to get out of bed in the morning to be alone with God. And all of this self-control comes out of faith. We don’t have to go to a course or read a book on how to become self controlled! That control is within us and if we are diligent to see results, then we will see God work it out in our life and move us into His victory.

Dangerous Freedom

Freedom is dangerous in the hands of those who don’t know how to use it. That’s why criminals are confined in prisons with barbed wire, steel bars, and concrete barriers. Or consider a campfire that is allowed to spread in dry forest. It quickly becomes a blazing inferno. Uncheck freedom can create chaos.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the Christian life. Believers are free from the law’s curse, its penalty, and its guilt producing power. Fear, anxiety, and guilt are replaced by peace, and liberty. Who would be more free than one who is free in the depths of his soul? But here is where we often fail. We use freedom’s luxury to live selfishly, or we claim ownership of what God has merely entrusted to us. We slip into patterns of self indulgent living, especially in affluent societies.

The proper use of freedom is “faith working through love” to serve one another (Galatians 5: 6, 13). When we rely on the Spirit and expend our energies on loving God and helping others, the destructive works of the flesh will be restrained by God. (Gal 6:16-21). So let’s always use our liberty to build up, not tear down.

Like a raging fire, freedom without limits is dangerous. But when controlled, it is a blessing to all.

Christ came to give us liberty

By dying in our place;

Now with new freedom we are bound

To share His love and grace. D. De Haan

FREEDOM DOESN’T GIVE US THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT WE PLEASE, BUT TO DO WHAT PLEASES GOD!

Cupcake Self Discipline

An old adage says: “Next time you want a cupcake, eat a carrot.” The saying is good advice for dieters, but those who framed it may have had all of us in mind. By disciplining our desires when no moral principle is a stake, we prepare ourselves for those moments when we face a temptation to sin.

This kind of discipline is what Paul referred to when he used the term self control in his list of qualifications for church leadership (Titus 1:8). We need this reminder today. Many people think they can live immorally now and suddenly stop when they want to. Because they do not consider the addictive power of sin, they find that living up to their good intentions is far more difficult than they had anticipated.

Proverbs 25:28 tells us that if we lack self control we are a defenseless as a city with broken down walls. Consistent self-discipline will build up our spiritual defense system against the forces of evil.

When we discipline ourselves to keep our ordinary desires under control, we make a habit of virtuous living and practice the reality of Paul’s words in Romans 6:18, “ Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

TO GAIN SELF-CONTROL, GIVE CHRIST CONTROL!

2010-08-09T10:22:00.000-07:00

GENTLENESS

The Greek word for “gentleness” is “prautes”. It describes the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of self importance. “Prautes” is a quality of gentle friendliness, gentleness, meekness, as strength that accommodates to another’s weakness, consideration, restrained patience, patient trust in the midst of difficult circumstances.

“Prautes” denotes the humble and gentle attitude which expresses itself, in particular in a patient submissiveness to offense, free from malice and desire for revenge; controlled strength; the ability to bear reproaches and slights without bitterness and resentment; the ability to provide a soothing influence on someone who is in a state of anger, bitterness and resentment against life; the word indicates an obedient submissiveness to God and His will, with unwavering faith and enduring patience displaying itself in a gently attitude and kind acts toward others, and this often in the face of opposition. It is the restrained and obedient powers of the personality brought into subjection to God’s will by the Holy Spirit. It is the opposite of arrogance. The word stands in contrast to the term orge, wrath, anger as a state of mind. It denotes the humble and gently attitude which expresses itself, in particular, in a patient submissiveness to offense, a freedom from malice and desire for revenge, mildness, patient trust in the midst of difficult circumstances.

C Norman Bartlett says that gentleness, or meekness, cannot be too strongly insisted upon that meekness is not weakness. It is strength held under control, power kept in reserve. Steam does the most work when it makes the least noise. Not a few of us need less noise and more poise. Things need not shatter to matter. There is more might in sunlight falling silently upon a small patch of earth that in the crashing thunder and flashing of lightning in a terrific storm. We do well to store up the capital of quietude against the day of need.

John Eadie writes that this Christian grace in universal in its operation, submission Godward, meekness manward, which seems to be it special reference.

William Barclay comments that gentleness is an attempt to translate the untranslatable word “prautes”. This is a great Greek word which has no precise English equivalent. Aristotle defined it as the mean between excessive anger and excessive angerlessness; it is the quality of the man whose feelings and emotions are under perfect control. Andronicus Rhodius, commenting on Aristotle, writes, “Prautes” is moderation in regard to anger. You might define “prautes” as serenity and the power, not be led away by emotion, but to control emotion as right reason dictates. The Platonic definitions say that “prautes” is the regulation of the movement of the soul cause by anger. It is the temperament of a soul in which everything is mixed with the right proportions. No one can ever find one English word to translate what is a one-word summary of the truly teachable spirit. The teachable spirit is docile and tractable, and therefore humble enough to learn. The teachable spirit is without resentment and without anger and is, therefore, able to face the truth, even when it hurts and condemns. The teachable spirit is not blinded by its own overmastering prejudices but is clear eye to the truth. The teachable spirit is not seduced by laziness but is so self controlled that it can willingly and faithfully accept the discipline of learning. “Prautes” describes the perfect conquest and control of everything in a man’s nature which would be a hindrance to his seeing learning and obey the truth.

Barclay adds that “prautes” describes the man whose temper is always under control. He knows when to be angry and when not to be angry. He patiently bears wrongs done to himself but is every chivalrously ready to spring to the help of others who are wronged.

Barclay says the best illustration of “prautes” is the watchdog who is bravely hostile to strangers and gently friendly with familiars whom he knows and loves.

Thomas Constable in his note on “prautes” adds that the Greek word occurs in non-biblical literature to describe a horse that someone has broken and had trained to submit to a bridle. It pictures strength under control, specifically the Holy Spirit’s control. The evidence of this attitude is a deliberate placing of oneself under divine authority. The only way to control the tongue is to place one’s mind deliberately under the authority of God and let Him control it.

Ray Stedman describes meekness as “strength under control” adding that it is real strength, but it does not have to display itself of show off how strong it is. This what our Lord beautifully displayed. He described Himself as “meek and lowly in heart.” The first curriculum of the Holy Spirit is that we must do what Jesus said, “take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.”

Trench adds that “prautes” is closely linked with humility, and follows upon it because it is only the humble in heart which is also the meek; and which, as such, does not fight against God, and more or less struggle and contend with Him. This meekness, however, being first of all meekness before God, is also such in the face of me, even of evil me, out of a sense that these with the insults and injuries which they may inflict, are permitted and employed by Him for the chastening and purifying of His elect. This was the root of David’s meekness when Shemei cursed and flung stones at him, the consideration that the lord had bidden him (2 Samuel 16:11), that it was just for him to suffer these things, however unjustly the other might inflict them; and out of like convictions all true Christian meekness must spring. He that is meek will know himself a sinner among sinners, and this knowledge of his own sin will teach him to endure meekly the provocations with which they may provoke him, and not withdraw himself from the burdens which their sin may impose.

F. B. Meyer writes that it is not easy to cultivate this fruit of the Spirit because it has many counterfeits. Some people are naturally easy going, devoid of energy and ambition, at heart cowardly, or in spirit mean. Many of us are characterized by a moral weakness and decrepitude that make it easy for us to yield rather than contest in the physical or intellectual arena.

But in gentleness there must be the consciousness of a considerable reserve of force. The greatness of God is combined with omnipotence. The movement of creation, in which where is neither voice nor language, proves the infinite forces which are at work. When a boy is trying to lift or carry a heave beam, as likely as not there will be a great crash when he reached the end of his task, and puts in on the ground. His strength is so nearly exhausted that he is only too glad to get rid of his burden, anyhow, and at any cost. But if a strong man shoulders the same burden, and carries it for the same distance, he put it down gently, because he has not taxed his strength and has plenty left.

It is the prerogative of great strength to be gentle. Always remember that are linked with the Infinite God, and all things are possible to you. There must be infinite pity. We must be tolerant and pitiful to those who abuse us, or have been embittered by disappointment, or have been ill-used. It must also be our aim to make allowances for such, and always to be sweetly reasonable towards any brusqueness, rudeness and bad manner of their behavior. Let us be willing to admit that much is due to congenital moroseness. Therefore, we bear gently with the erring and with those who are out of the way, because we also are encompassed with infirmity.

It is necessary also that there should be a deep humility. Thomas a Kempis says, “If thou will be borne with, bear also with another. Endeavor to be patient in bearing with the defects and infirmities of others, what sort soever they be; for that thyself also hast many failings which must be borne by others.” Our resentment against others should always be tempered by our remembrance of our own sins. So shall we be God’s own gentlefolk.

How Gentle Are You?

A pastor writes that during my years as a pastor, I encountered many Christians who were anything but gentle. They have no patience for fellow believers with character flaws or who were involved in sinful practices. They also showed little or no kindness toward unbelievers. The thought that gospel messages should always include dire warnings of the torments of hell.

Recently I heard about a company that had decided to open their stores on Sunday. Because they were located in an area with many churches, the corporation received scores of condemning letters from angry Christians. Some even said they were glad there was an eternal hell for those who had made this decision. Christian and non-Christian employees were offended and embarrassed. Lack of gentleness had harmed Christ’s cause.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were quick to judge and lacked gentleness. They criticized Jesus because He ate and drank with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 11:19). They were shocked because He showed concern for those people instead of harshly condemning them. He didn’t approve of what they did, but He saw them as sinners created in God’s image whom He had come to serve.

Let’s follow Christ’s example.

“O to be like Him, tender and kind,

Gentle in spirit, lowly in mind;

More like Jesus, day after day,

Filled with His Spirit, now and always.” Ellsworth

NOTHING IS SO STRONG AS GENTLENESS, NOTTHING SO GENTLE AS REAL STRENGTH. Francis de Sales

A Gentle Witness

We as followers of Christ can be tolerant of people of diverse religious beliefs without compromising our Christian convictions.

When the Apostle Paul can to Athens, he was distressed by the idolatry he saw. Yet he spoke respectfully to this pagan audience, even affirming the words of some of their poets. He didn’t denounce his hearers, nor criticize their beliefs, but began by declaring truths they would not find offensive. He spoke of God’s greatness as our Creator. He said that God is actively involved with mankind so that people might seek Him and find Him.

Paul didn’t compromise the truth. He showed the folly of worshiping idols and boldly declared that God commanded people everywhere to repent. He further stated that God had appointed a Man to judge the world and proved this by raising Him from the dead.

In global society we will come in contact with more and more people of different religious beliefs and practices. Our witness will be most effective when we avoid quarrels and arguments, and share our faith with respect, kindness, and gentleness. The Holy Spirit will bring conviction and enlightenment as people see the truth lived out in us.

“O Lord, transform my stubborn heart,

And help me always see,

That gently, kind and courteous

Is what I ought to be. Anon

A KIND WITNESS IS THE RIGHT KIND OF WITNESS

2010-08-09T10:18:00.000-07:00

FAITHFULNESS

“Faithfulness” comes from the Greek word “pistis.” As used in Scriptures usually refers to one’s belief or faith in God, in His Son, in His Gospel by which one is saved through grace.

In this present context, “pistis” takes on a different meaning, instead of referring to that virtue which makes a person one on whom others can rely, dependability. This fruit in man is predicated on the truth about God, His faithfulness. So when a believer manifests this trait in interpersonal relationships, he or she is become a “partaker of the divine nature,” acting in godliness or “God likeness.” Even as a child exhibits family resemblances, loyalty, trustworthiness and fidelity in a believer presents to others an accurate, Spirit empowered, manifestation of the unseen God.

In a word this component of the fruit of the Spirit describes one’s trustworthiness, loyalty, reliability, adherence, constancy, dependability, devotedness. Another synonym is the word fidelity.

Let’s see what other have to say about faithfulness:

Witherington writes that in a list as this “pistis” in all likelihood does not refer to faith, but rather to faithfulness, and so it is one again an attribute of God now predicated of the believer. More importantly for our discussion, Paul sees it as the paragdigmatic term to describe the self giving action of Christ, in particular referring
His voluntary surrender to death on the cross in obedience to God’s will and plan

The faithfulness of Christ is to be likewise mirrored by Christians. This term in Greek literature refers to trustworthiness, a person who acts in good faith, and it is perhaps likely that the Gentile Galatians would hear some of these sorts of overtones here, especially in view of the two term which follow this one and conclude the list.

Wuest agrees that in Galatians 5:22 “pistis” does not refer here to faith exercised by the saint, but to faithfulness and fidelity as produced in the life of the yielded Christian by the Holy Spirit.

Morris says that faithfulness is the ability to serve God faithfully through the years and through the temptations of life is not something we achieve by heroic virtue. It comes from the Spirit

Hendrickson writes that “faithfulness” is faithfulness to God and to His will, accordingly, the virtue which, in all probability, Paul is here commending as a gift of the Spirit. This, however, does not exclude but includes loyalty toward men.
Hansen says faithfulness is the quality of keeping commitments in relationships. The Galatians proved to be fickle in their attitude toward Paul. Only the Spirit can produce the quality of loyalty no matter the cost.

John Eadie writes that faith is not simply faith in God in the theological sense, that being implied, as the Spirit dwells only in those who have faith, not merely fidelity or good faith, nor veracity; but trust generally, trustfulness toward God and towards man. Confidence in God, in all His promises, and under all His dispensations; a spirit of unsuspicious and generous confidence towards me, not moved by doubts and jealousies, not conjuring up possible causes of distrust, and treasuring up sad lessons from previous instances of broken plight.

William Barclay on faithfulness writes that faithfulness is fidelity, the word “pistis” is common or secular Greek for trustworthiness. It is the characteristic of the man who is reliable.

Albert Barnes concludes that the word here may be used in the sense of fidelity, and may denote that the Christian will be a faithful man, and man faithful to his word and promises; a man who can be trusted or confided in. It is probable that the word is used in this sense because the object of the apostle is not to speak of the feelings which we have towards God so much as to illustrate the influences of the Spirit in directing and controlling our feelings toward men. True religion makes a man faithful. The Christian is a faithful as a man; faithful as a neighbor, friend, father, husband and son. He is faithful to his contracts; faithful to his promises. No man can be Christian who is not thus faithful; and all pretensions to being under the influences of the Spirit when such fidelity does not exist, are deceitful and vain.

Adam Clarke says that faith, here used for fidelity, punctuality in performing promises, conscientious carefulness in persevering what is committed to our trust, in restoring it to its proper owner, in transacting the business confided to us, neither betraying the secret of our friend, not disappointing the confidence of our employer.

J. B. Lightfoot in discussing the concept of faith in his commentary on Galatians, notes that in Hebrew, Greek and Latin that the definitions of the word for faith hovers between two meanings; trustfulness, the frame of mind which relies on another and trustworthiness, the frame of mind which can be relied upon. “Pisitis” seems not to be used in Galatians 5:22 in its theological sense “belief in God.” Its position points rather to the passive meaning of faith, “trustworthiness, fidelity, honest.”

C. Norman Bartlett says that here Paul refers to faith which can also be seen as faithfulness. Probably capable of a double meaning, of trustfulness and trustworthiness. The one who is lead by the Spirit has an unwavering confidence in God and reliance upon His words of promise; at the same time he manifests dependability in the discharge of the responsibilities which the Lord sees fit to lay upon him. Having faith in God involves keeping faith with God. We trust Him. How far can He trust us?

Morris simply puts it like this: Faithfulness is the ability to serve God faithfully through the years and through the temptations of life. It is not something that we achieve by heroic virtue. It comes from the Spirit.

The Father’s Faithfulness

Hudson Taylor, the humble servant of God to China, demonstrated extraordinary trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote:

“Our heavenly Father is a very experience One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning. He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all. Depend on it, God work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.

We may be faint and weary, but our heavenly Father is all-powerful. Our feelings may fluctuate, but He is unchangeable. Even creation itself is a record of His steadfastness. That’s why we can sing these words from a hymn by Thomas Chisholm: “Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, sun, moo, and stars in their courses above join with all nature in manifold witness to Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.”

What an encouragement to live for Him! Our strength for the present and hope for the future are not based on the stability of our own perseverance but on the fidelity of God. No matter what our need, we can count of the Father’s faithfulness.

“Great is Thy faithfulness!

Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,

Great is Thy faithfulness, lord unto me.” Chisholm

HE WHO ABANDONS HIMSELF TO GOD WILL NEVER BE ABANDONED BY GOD.

All Things Work Together

It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted; saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as is the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.

Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.

Your Faithful Friend

“For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” (Psalm 57:10)

Junior high school can be one long intensive seminar on drama in relationships. I am convinced that any psychological malfunction in my life today is directly traceable to those two years of school. Okay, maybe it’s not quite that dramatic, but junior high did teach me a little about fickle friendships.

I was minding my own business when one of Nancy’s friends came up to me and announced, “Hey, did you know that Nancy likes you?” To be honest, I had never given Nancy a second thought until that moment, but suddenly I was intrigued. My male ego was suddenly stirred and I liked the idea of being liked! So I passed my message back through the string of friend that had conveyed the message to me. That is, of course, how junior high romance works. I told my friend, who told another friend, who told Nancy’s friend, who then passed the message back to her.

“Joe says that he likes you too!”

But by the time my message got back to Nancy, she no longer liked me! For the first time I was singed by the fickle flames of romance.

A lot of our friendships are like that, aren’t they? We look back across the landscape of life and see different friends popping up here and there, our buddies from junior high, and the girl we took to the prom in high school, the college roommates, and the co-worker from the cubicle next to us. We realize quickly that many of those friendships. Often consumingly important at the time, fade into dim memories leaving us thinking, “I wonder what happened to…?”

Even more disconcerting is realizing how fickle we are in friendships. In honest moments, we could list the people we no longer get in touch with, or the phone calls we don’t return. In life, solid, faithful to the core friendships are few and far between.

I wonder if you and I bring that same dynamic into our relationship with Jesus? When we first meet Jesus, He is everything to us! But as time wears on, we tend to drift away. When was the last time He heard from you? When was the last time you sat down to hear His voice and fellowship with Him? As the old saying goes: “If God seems far away, guess who moved!” You may have gone on to other interests, but thankfully He hasn’t lost interest in you. He, more than anyone else, remains there waiting for you as your faithful friend!

The psalmist often sings of God’s undying love for us. And I need to tell you that it is not the kind of love that rides on emotions or favors. It is an expression of God’s enduring, rock solid commitment to you as His beloved, and it is often linked, as it is here in Psalm 57:10, with His unfailing faithfulness. In fact, the psalmist literally cannot get his mind around the extensiveness of God’s love and faithfulness, conceding finally that God’s love “reaches to the heavens” and His faithfulness “reaches to the skies.” In other words, it is without limit and without end.

So when you receive word that God loves you, please know that it is not a junior high school, fickle, fleeting kind of love. It is a life changing, eternally satisfying offer of a fulfilling friendship with your Creator. Today He stands knocking at your door wanting to come in and spend some quality time with you (Revelation 3:20). Go ahead, open the door of your heart, it’s your faithful friend!

2010-06-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

GOODNESS

The word “goodness” comes from the Greek word, “agathosune” which describes active goodness, virtue, excellence or beneficence. It is high moral character reflected in to being good in both nature and effectiveness.

“Agathosune” finds in its fullest and highest expression in that which is willingly and sacrificially done for others. It is moral and spiritual excellence manifested in active kindness. It describes a positive moral quality characterized especially by interest in the welfare of others. It also refers to active goodness as an energetic principle. It is the generosity which springs from the heart that is kind and will always take care to obtain for others that which is useful or beneficial.

C NORMAN BARTLETT writes that the real meaning of this word is generosity in things material and things spiritual. Niggardliness impoverished while liberality enriched the soul; or as Scripture puts it, “The liberal soul shall be made fat.” In the realm of the spirit we lose what we keep and keep what we lose for Jesus’ sake.
(Matthew 16:25)

WILLIAM BARCLAY writes that “agathosune” is peculiarly Bible word and does not occur in secular Greek. It is the widest word for goodness; it is defined as virtue equipped at every point. What is the difference? “Agathosune” might, and could, rebuke and discipline’ “cherstotes”, kindness, can only help. Trench says that Jesus shoed “agathosune” when He cleansed the Temple and drove out those who were making it a bazaar, but He showed “chrestotes” when He was kind to the sinning woman who anointed His feet. The Christian needs that goodness
Which at one and the same time can be kind and strong.

RAY STEDMAN says that God’s goodness is the answer to the question: Is this a friendly universe? The answer is yea; when we come to the end of our thinking we find that behind the vastness of this universe stands a God who cares about what He has made. He is not indifferent or undecided or absent, but He is fully involved for the good of the universe because He Himself is a good God.

EDWARD CARNELL in his book “Christian Commitment rightly reminds us that God never urges Himself to be good, because He is good.

JOHN PIPER commenting on Carnell’s declaration that His nature always inclines irresistibly toward righteousness. God is never torn by evil motives. God is light and in Him is not darkness at all. So He does not need to be reminded about the duty of His deity. No one needs to say, “Now today, God, mind your manners, do what’s right, avoid evil, and remember the Ten Commandments.

EASTON’S BIBLE DICTIONARY on the Goodness of God:

A perfection of His character which He exercises towards His creatures according to their various circumstances; as exercised, and in the case of impenitent sinners, long-suffering patience; as exercised in communicating favor on the unworthy it is grace.

When was the last time you paused to ponder the goodness of God?

Would you consider taking a moment today from your busy schedule, finding a quiet place, turning off your cell phone, and choosing to purposefully set your mind on the things above rather than the things of this earth, which is passing away, and even its lusts?

Investments

I have a friend who is a rich investor. He doesn’t wear thousand dollar suits, however. I have never seen him in anything but old, work shirts and blue jeans. He doesn’t drive an expensive car either. I doubt if he has ever even owned a new car. He doesn’t live in some fancy mansion on a hill. His house is old and his furniture is worn, but that doesn’t bother him at all. You see my friend is an investor in goodness. He doesn’t earn any money from it, but the dividends he receives make him one of the richest men I know.I remember the hug he got once when he helped an elderly lady jump start her car. It was priceless. I remember the smile he got from a young boy after he fixed the boy’s bicycle. It was worth a fortune. I remember the warm thanks he got when he helped a poor family repair their home before Winter arrived. It was a treasure beyond compare. My friend never hoards the wealth he gets back from his "good" investments, either. He just keeps reinvesting them in his community and in this world everyday of his life.One of the greatest things about my friend’s investments too is that we all can make them. I intend to make as many of them as I can every chance that I get. There is no risk involved either. Henry David Thoreau said, "Goodness is the only investment that never fails." Invest in some goodness today then. Help a neighbor. Share some laughter with your friends. Give a smile to everyone you meet. Take your wealth of love, joy, and oneness with God and invest it in everything you do. I guarantee you that the return on your investments will be incredible and your compound interest will be out of this world. You might even become a goodness billionaire like my friend. He knows as well as anyone what the true riches of this world and the next world really are.

2010-06-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

KINDNESS

Kindness is the Greek word “chrestotes” which means a gracious attitude, and thus describes the quality of being helpful and beneficial.

Kindness is an attribute of God and a godly trait which the Spirit produces in the surrendered saint. This is in contrast to the unregenerate sinner who shows no kindness.

In Colossians 3:12 Paul writes to the Colossian saints regarding their new “Christ-like” garment, commanding them as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Let’s see what others have to say about “kindness.”

JOHN EADIE writes that the meaning of “chresotes” is kindness, gentleness, affability, the benign heart and the soft answer, “the gentleness of Christ,” or a serene, loving, and sympathizing temper, the fruit of that Spirit who descended in the form of a dove upon our great Exemplar, and abode upon Him.

ALBERT BARNES writes that “chrestotes” is opposed to a harsh, crabbed, crooked temper. It is a disposition to be pleased; it is mildness of temper, calmness of spirit, an unruffled disposition, and a disposition to treat all with urbanity and politeness. This one of the regular effects of the Spirit’s operations on the heart. The Holy Spirit makes no one crabbed, and morose, and sour. He sweetens the temper, corrects an irritable disposition; make the heart kind; disposes us to make all around us as happy as possible. This is true politeness; a kind of politeness which can far better be learned in the school of Christ

JESUS taught that we are to love our enemies, and do good and lend, expecting nothing in return and our reward will be great, and we will sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. (Luke 6:35)

JOHN MACARTHUR writes that kindness, “chrestotes” connotes genuine goodness and generosity of heart. Our salvation from sin and lostness and death issued wholly from God’s kindness. His loving, benevolent, and entirely gracious concern to draw us to Himself and redeem us from sin forever.

MacArthur adds that strangely, most people do not perceive God as being totally good. Instead of recognizing His gracious provision, patience, and His mercy, they accuse Him of being insensitive and unloving for letting certain thins happen.

“How could God allow that little child to die?” they ask, or “Why does God allow that good person to suffer pain and poor health and permit a scoundrel to enjoy health and wealth?
Such people judge God from an incomplete and distorted human perspective, failing to acknowledge that if it were not for God’s gracious goodness and patience, no human being would be alive. It is only His grace that allows any person to take another breath.

JAMES MONTGOMERTY BOICE adds that kindness is the divine kindness out of which God acts toward me. It is what the Old Testament means when it declares that “God is good,” as it so frequently does. The Christian is to show kindness by behaving toward others as God has behaved toward them.

C NORMAN BARLETT says that kindness, gentleness, is the spontaneous overflow of love in the heart. It is the spirit that would rather be hurt by others than hurt others. Would that more of us were as tenderhearted as we are thin-skinned, as impulsive in kindness as explosive in anger. We need to cultivate resourcefulness in kindliness, to gain proficiency in the artistry of applying Christian love to the hearts and lives of those with when we come in contact in the multitudinous activities and relationships of live.

THE TYNDALE BIBLE DICTIONARY summarizes kindness as that state of being that includes the attributes of loving affection, sympathy, friendliness, patience, pleasantness, gentleness, and goodness. Kindness is a quality shown in the way a person speaks and acts. It is more volitional than emotional.

LEON MORRIS adds that the basic thought of kindness, “chrestotes,” is that of goodness. But it is the goodness that is goodness of heart, not what which is austerely correct. The translation “kindness” brings out this benevolent aspect, but we should not be unmindful of the fact that goodness is also involved. Paul is thinking of God’s goodness, which is seen in the kindness He shows to His people.

CHARLES SPURGEON describes the spiritual aspect of the kindness of God:
Myriads of our fellow men have never had an opportunity of knowing Christ. The missionary’s foot has never trodden the cities wherein they dwell, and so they die in the dark. Multitudes are going downward, downward, but they do not know the upward road; their minds have never been enlightened by the teachings of God’s Word, and hence they sin with less grievousness of fault. You are placed I the very focus of Christian life, and yet you follow evil! Will you not think of this? Time was when a man would have to work for years to earn enough money to buy a Bible. There were times when he could not have earned one even with that toil; now the Word of God lies upon your table, you have a copy of it in almost every room of your house; is not this a boon from God? This is the land of the open Bible, and the land of the preached Word of God; in this your prove the riches of God’s goodness. Do you despise this wealth of mercy? Possibly you have enjoyed the further privilege of sitting under a ministry which has been particularly plain and earnest; you have not had sermons tugged at your conscience, as though he would force you to the Savior. With cries of entreaties you have been invited to your heavenly Father, and yet you have not come. Is this a small thing?

WILLIAM NEWELL writes that we should not the degrees or stages of God’s kindness. First, it is God’s “goodness,” in daily preserving us, providing for us, and protecting us. Second, divine goodness being despised, God’s “forbearance” is exercised. God does not smite instantly the proud ingrate, but goes on in goodness toward him, withholding wrath even at time when disease, danger, or death threaten all about us. Third, all God’s goodness and forbearance being despised, God’s “long-suffering” keeps waiting, even over vessel of wrath.

One of the most beautiful illustrations of this volitional aspect of human kindness is King David’s treatment of Mephibosheth. Scripture records in 2 Samuel 9:ff David’s question, “Is there yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

David’s desire was to show “the kindness of God” to King Saul’s family because of his covenant with Saul’s son, Jonathan. The young man chosen was Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, who “was lame in both feet.”

If David had acted according to justice, he would have condemned Mephibosheth who belonged to a condemned family. But David acted on the basis of kindness, seeking out Methiposheth, assuring him he had no need to fear, inviting him to live in the king’s palace as family and to eat at the king’s table. This is but a veiled picture of the infinite kindness of God!

Indeed, every believer has experienced even greater kindness, for we are now children of the King and shall revel in His majestic presence forever!

What kindness!

Sometimes men are awakened out of mere creatural existence through the breath of kindness. Henry M. Stanley's early life is a story that moves the hardest heart. Never knowing his father, disowned by his mother, in the Asaph workhouse surrounded by misery and cruelty, he used to hear the lesson read from John 4:4, 7: "Little children, . . . love one another," and wondered what it meant. His childish heart was ready and yearning for love, but none gave love to him; and he began to think the sweetest parts of the Bible were wholly inapplicable to actual life. He had come, even at early years, to disbelieve in love.
Then one day the fugitive boy who had run away from the ship at New Orleans stood in front of a kind, grave gentleman who had taken him into his store and then into his home. The man took a basin of water, made the sign of the cross on his brow, gave him his own name, Henry M. Stanley, and then took him in his arms and kissed him. His senses whirled about him, and tears, which no amount of cruelty could ever have forced from him, poured in a torrent under the influence of that simple embrace. "The golden period of my life began from that supreme moment."

PAITENCE

2010-04-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, we come to one of the Fruit of the Spirit that I am sure we have to deal with on a daily basis. I can be patient, up to a point. I find that when I am in a hurry to get somewhere, it takes the longest time, there are more delays, and I run into the slowest people on earth. Sound familiar. Driving can be extremely frustrating when you want to get somewhere in a hurry and you encounter every red light, slow drivers and traffic jams. I have found when I want to get out of the grocery store in a hurry, I get into the express checkout lane with only one person in live ahead of me and it is usually a woman searching her purse for a penny, or the cashier is brand new and slow.

I am the only one who experiences any of these?

Let’s dig into the Fruit of Patience and find out more about it.

I have heard someone give a definition of Patience as “being consistently consistent.”

What do think that means?

The Greek word for Patience is “makrothumia. It comes from “markros” which means long, distant, far off, large and “thumos” which means temper, passion, emotion or “thumoomai”, to be furious or burn with intense anger, which is literally “long-tempered” as opposed to “short –tempered.

It is a long holding out of the mind before it gives room to action or passion. It describes a stato of emotional calm or quietness in the face of provocation, misfortune or unfavorable circumstances.

Now that we know what it means, let take a look at what others have to say about “patience”:

J VERNON MCGEE writes that patience means “long burning”, it burns a long time. We shouldn’t have a short fuse with our friends and Christian brothers. We shouldn’t make snap judgments.

EVANS writes that patience could be translated “large emotions,” signifying wells of endurance that will not dry up, no matter how much is drawn from them. The Christian with this patience will have refreshing water to sustain continual effectiveness even in the face of unrelenting pressures. Those with such patience and faith are those who receive or “inherit the promises.

JOHN CALVIN said patience refers to that quality of mind that disposes us “to take everything in good part and not to be eaisly offended.

LARRY RICHARDS writes that The New Testament contains many exhortations to be patient. But just what is patience? The Greek word group “makrothumeo/makrthumia” focuses our attention on restraint that capacity for self-control despite circumstances that might arouse the passions or cause agitations. This not so much a trait as a way of life. We keep on loving or forgiving despite provocation, as illustrated in Jesus’ pointed stories in Matthew 18’

C NORMAN BARLETT rightly says that:

IRRIGATONS OF GRACE THAT WASHES AWAY THE IRRITATIONS OF LIFE!

There are men and women who masticate their dislikes thoroughly, make all day suckers of their wrongs, and magnify every little pin prick into a sword thrust. The temperament manifested in such conduct and attitudes is far removed from the longsuffering included in this cluster of spiritual graces so highly commended in Scripture. Irrigations of grace wash away the irritations of life as of negligible consequence. In passing, we might observe that there is not infrequently a vital connection between the enduring of injuries from the world and the bestowing of benefits on the world, like destructive floods disclosing to view rich veins of gold.

WILLIAM BARCLAY has a lengthy discussion explaining that patience, as the Greeks used it, usually meant patient with people. It is the ability not to lose patience when people are foolish, not to grow irritable when they seem unteachable. It is the ability to accept the folly, the perversity, the blindness, the ingratitude of men and still to remain gracious, and still to toil on.

This word “makrothumia” has two main directions of meaning.

It describes the spirit which will never give in and which, because it endures to the end, will reap the reward. Its meaning can best be seen from the fact that a Jewish writer used it to describe what he called “the Roman persistency which would never make peace under defeat.” In their great days the Romans were unconquerable; they might lose a battle; they might lose a campaign, but they could not conceive of losing a war. In the greatest disaster it never occurred to them to admit defeat. Christian patience is the spirit which never admits defeat, which will not be broken by any misfortune or suffering, by any disappointment or discouragement, but which persists to the end.

But “makrothumia” has an even more characteristic meaning than that. It is the characteristic Greek word for patience with men. Chrysostom defined it as the spirit which has the power to take revenge but never does so. Lightfoot defined it as the spirit which refuses to retaliate. To take a very imperfect analogy, it is of the possible to see a puppy and a very large dog together. The puppy yaps at the big dog, worries him, bites him, and all the time the big dog, who could annihilate the puppy with snap of his teeth, bears the puppy’s impertinence with a forbearing dignity. “Markrothumia” is the spirit which bears insult and injury without bitterness and without complaint. It is the spirit which can suffer unpleasant people with graciousness and fools without irritation.

The most illuminating thing about it is that it is commonly used in the New Testament of the attitude of God towards men. If God had been a man, He would have wiped out this world long ago; but He has that patience which bears with all our sinning and will not cast us off. In our dealings with our fellow men we must reproduce this loving, forbearing, forgiving, patient attitude of God toward ourselves. Paul asks the impenitent sinner if he despises the patience of God. Paul speaks of the perfect patience of Jesus to him. Peter speaks of God’s patience waiting in the days of Noah. He says that the forbearance of our Lord is our salvation. If God had been a man, He would long since in sheer irritation have wiped the world out for its disobedience. The Christian must have the patience towards his fellow men which God has shown to him.

In another note Barclay writes that patience is the ability to bear with them even when they are wrong, even when they are cruel and insulting. It is a great word. The writer of First Maccabees says that it was by “makrothumia that the Romans became masters of the world, and by that he means the Roman persistence which could never make peace with an enemy even in defeat, a kind of conquering patience. Patience is the quality of man who may lose a battle but will never admit defeat in a campaign.

K L BOLES writes that this Greek word “markrothumia” refers to what we might call “staying power,” to endure hard events and obnoxious people. While the word was not frequently used in classical literature, it has a rich history in the Septuagint. “A man’s wisdom gives him patience” (Proverbs 19:11), with which he can calm a quarrel or persuade a ruler. More importantly, patience makes a man like God, who is “righteous and strong and long-tempered. One of the great truths about God is that He is “slow to anger,” repeated by Moses, David, Joel, Jonah, Nahum, and Jeremiah. Patience is the even temper that comes from a big heart. It is not the “grit your teeth” kind of angry endurance; it is loving tolerance in spite of people’s weakness and failure. Love is patient and so must Christians be, the same divine quality that allows God to be patient with sinners; enables the Christian to endure the exasperating behavior of others. Perhaps the best way for us to “lengthen” the fuse on our tempers is to remember how much God has had t overlook and forgive in our own lives.

T GEORGE writes that patience is the ability to put up with other people when that is not an easy thing to do. Patience in this sense, or course is preeminently a characteristic of God, who is “long suffering” with his rebellious creatures. He is the loving Lord who in the face of obstinate infidelity and repeated rejection still says of His people “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? (Hosea 11:8) Paul’s point is clear: if God has been so long-suffering with us, should we not display this same grace in our relationships with one another? This quality should characterize the life of every believer, but it has a special relevance for those who are called to teach and preach the Word of God. As Paul instructed Timothy, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage, with great patience and careful instruction.

W E VINE writes that if forbearance denotes delay in executing judgment, long suffering denotes the particular disposition which delays it.

JOHN EADIE characterizes patience as that temperament which is the opposite of irritability, or to what we familiarly name shortness of temper, and is that patient self-possession which enables a man to bear with those who oppose him, or who in any way do him injustice. He can afford to wait till better judgment and feeling on their part prevail. In its high sense of bearing with evil, and postponing the punishment of it, it is ascribed to God.

J M BOICE tells the story of a rather pious individual once came to a preacher and asked him to pray for him that he might have patience. “I do lack patience,” he said, trying to be humble as he said it. “I wish you would pray for me.”

“I’ll pray for you right now,” the preacher replied. So he began to pray, “Lord, please send great tribulation into this brother’s life.”

The man who had asked for prayer put a hand out and touched the preacher on the arm, trying to stop his prayer. “You must not have heard me rightly,” he said. “I didn’t ask you to pray for tribulation. I asked you to pray that I might have patience.”

“Oh, I heard what you said,” the preacher answered. “But haven’t read Romans 5:3, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience”? It means we acquire patience through the things we suffer. I pray that God would send tribulations so that you would have patience.

ALBERT BARNES has a pithy and practical comment on longsuffering, with thought overlapping with the trait of forbearance writing that the virtue here required is that which is to be manifested in our manner of receiving the provocations which we meet with from our brethren. No virtue perhaps, is more frequently demanded in our intercourse with others.

We do not go far with any fellow traveler on the journey of life before we find there is great occasion for its exercise. He has a temperament different from our own. He may be sanguine, or choleric, or melancholy, while we may be just the reverse. He has peculiarities of taste, and habits, and disposition, which differ much from ours. He has his own plans and purposes in life, and his own way and time of doing things. He may be naturally irritable, or he may have so trained that his modes of speech and conduct differ much from ours. Neighbors have occasion to remark this in their neighbors; friends in their friends; kindred in their kindred; one church member in another.

A husband and wife, such is the imperfections of human nature can find enough in each other to embitter life if they choose to magnify imperfections and to become irritated at trifles; and there is no friendship that may not be marred in this way, if we allow it.

Hence, if we would have life move on smoothly, we must learn to bear and forbear. We must indulge the friend that we love in the little peculiarities of saying and doing things. Like children, we must suffer each one to build his playhouse in his own way, and not quarrel with him because he does not think our way the best.

All usefulness, and all comfort, may be prevented by an unkind, a sour, a crabbed temper of mind, a mind that can bear with no difference of opinion or temperament. A spirit of fault finding; all unsatisfied temper; a constant irritability; little inequalities in the look, the temper, or the manner; a brow cloudy and dissatisfied, your husband or your wife cannot tell why, will more than neutralize all the good you can do, and render life anything but a blessing.
It is in such gently and quiet virtues as meekness and forbearance that the happiness and usefulness of life consist, far more than in brilliant eloquence, in splendid talent, or illustrious deeds that shall send the name to future times.

It is the bubbling spring which flows gently; the little rivulet which glides through the meadows, and which runs along day and night by the farm house, that is useful, rather than the swollen flood or the roaring cataract. Niagara excites our wonder, and we stand amazed at the power and greatness of God there, as He “pours it from His hollow hand.” But one Niagara is enough for a continent or a world; while that same world needs thousands and ten of thousands of silver fountains, and gently flowing rivulets, that shall water every farm, and every meadow, and every garden, and that shall flow on, every day and night, with their gentle and quiet beauty.
So with the acts of our lives. It is not by great deeds only, not by great sufferings only, like those of the martyrs, that good is to be done; it is by the daily and quiet virtues of life, the Christian temper, the meek forbearance, the spirit of forgiveness in the husband and wife, the father, the mother, the brother, the sister, the friend, the neighbor, that good is to be done; and in this all may be useful.

CHARLES SPURGEON exhorts us to continue to put up with others, remembering the Lord’s longsuffering with you.

I want to say this, after reading what these men wrote about patience towards others, this is not an easy thing to do.

Do I hear an Amen!

I know this from personal experience. There have been many times I would have blown up and let my frustrations and anger blast at a couple of people who have the ability to rub me the wrong way, who want to run my life, and are just plain obnoxious. However, I didn’t. I wish I could say it was easy to do, but I would be lying.

How do you get to that place where you are patient with people who irritate the sap out you?
I take my complaint to the Lord, pray for them, bless them, and I have learned to let their remarks just go over my head and ignore them. I understand the issues in their lives and I just keep praying the Lord will break through to them. I do not allow my emotions to get out of control. Read the book of Proverbs and glean the wisdom from this book. I actually understand just about the whole book of Proverbs because I have living examples. I cannot afford to allow my flesh to get any satisfaction of returning tit for tat. It’s a no win situation. I win by keeping my mouth shut and not allowing my flesh the pleasure of retaliating.

One thing I have learned about the Lord is that when He wants to do a work in you, to smooth out the rough edges in your life, He will bring irritable, obnoxious, rude, arrogant, and ugly people into your life to be the sand paper to smooth out those rough edges.

How about you? How is the Lord working patience into your life?

DAN WILSON
Ephesians 4 Teacher
ephesians4teacher@gmail.com
www.ephesians4teacher.blogspot.com

2010-03-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

WHAT IS PEACE?

Cremer defines peace as “a state of untroubled, undisturbed well being.”

Wuest agrees explaining that the peace Peter prays for is what Wuest refers to as sanctifying peace, that state of untroubled, undisturbed tranquility and well being produced in the heart of the yielded saint by the Holy Spirit. We have this peace to the extent that we are yielded to the Spirit and are intelligently conscious of and dependent upon His ministry for us.

John MacArthur adds that at the individual level his experiential peace, unknown to the unsaved, secures composure in difficult trouble, dissolves fear, and rules the heart of God’s people to maintain harmony.

William Barclay explains that peace, in contemporary colloquial Greek, had two interesting usages. It was use of the serenity which country enjoyed under the just and beneficent government of a good emperor, and it was used of the good order of a town or village. Villages had an official who was call the superintendent of the village’s peace, the keeper of public peace. Usually in the New Testament, the Greek word “eirene” stands for the Hebrew “shalom” and means not just freedom from trouble but everything that makes for a man’s highest good. It is interesting to note that “chara’ (grace) and “eirene” (peace) both became very common names in the Church.

Charles Spurgeon writes the following on peace: Peace in poverty, I have seen the Christian man in the depths of poverty, when he lived from hand to mouth, and scarcely knew where he should find the next meal, still with his mind unruffled, calm, and quiet If he had been as rich as an Indian prince, yet could he not have had less care. If he had been told that his bread should always come to his door, and the stream which ran hard by should never dry; if he had been quite sure that ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and again in the evening, he would not have been one whit more calm. There is his neighbor on the other side of the street not half so poor, but weaned from morning till night, bringing himself to the grave with anxiety.

C. Norman Barlett rightly writes that we cannot have the peace of God until we have made our peace with God through Him who is our peace. Being reconciled, we have the “peace that passes all understanding,” (Philippians 4:7). If we abide in Jesus, as we ought, there is in our souls a calmness that no outward hostility can upset. “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusts in Thee (Isaiah 26:3) For the Christian surrounded by foes there is ever open a secret passage to the heart of God.

Ray Ortlund encourages us to set no limits where God Himself sets no limits. It is not possible to have too much grace and peace. We have not exhausted the possibilities. Most of us don’t even thing in terms of the possibilities of what God can do for us. But the Word of God greets us here with this open ended encouragement: “Grace and peace be your in abundance! May they be multiplied to you!

Jim Walton was translating the New Testament for the Muinane people of La Sabana in the jungles of Columbia. But he was having trouble with the word “peace.” During this time, Fernando, the village chief, was promised a 20-minute plane ride to a location that would have taken him 3 days to travel by walking. The plane was delayed in arriving at La Sabana, so Fernando departed on foot. When the plane finally came, a runner took off to bring Fernando back. But by the time he had returned, the plane had left. Fernando was livid because of the mix up. He went to Jim and launched into an angry tirade. Fortunately, Walton had taped the chief’s diatribe. When later translated it, he discovered that the chief kept repeating the phrase “I don’t have one heart.” Jim asked other villagers what having “one heart” meant, and he found that it was like saying, “There is nothing between you and the other person.” That, Walton realized, was just what he needed to translate the word “peace.” To have peace with God means that there is nothing, no sin, no guilt, no condemnation, that separates us. And that “peace” with God is possible only through Jesus Christ. Do you have “one heart” with God today? Do you have peace with God and the peace of God? If you are a believer, you have peace with God but you may not be experiencing the peace of God. May His grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

In the Old Testament the Hebrew word “shalom” most often represents the concept of peace. Its basic meaning is “wholeness” or “well being.” The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings of the Old Testament each bear testimony that such peace is the gift of God, for God alone can give peace in all its fullness.

Spiritual peace may be equated with salvation, while its absence may be equated with judgment.

This peace is clearly identified with a righteous life apart from which no one is able to find true peace. Thus peace and righteousness are often linked in the Old Testament.

Throughout the Old Testament spiritual peace is realized in relationship. It is realized when people are rightly related to each other and to God.

The Greek work “eirene” corresponds to the Hebrew “shalom” expressing the idea of peace, well being, restoration, and reconciliation with God, and salvation in the fullest sense. God is “the God of peace.” God has made this peace a reality in Jesus Christ, who is “our peace.” We are justified through Him, reconciled through the blood of His cross, and made one in Him.

In Him we discover that ultimate peace which only God can give. This peace is experienced as an inner spiritual peace by the individual believer. It is associated with receptiveness to God’s salvation, freedom from distress and fear, security, mercy, grace, love and righteousness.

Such peace is a fruit of the Spirit that forms part of the “whole armor of God,” enabling the Christian to withstand the attacks of the forces of evil. Thus, the New Testament gives more attention to the understanding of spiritual peace as an inner experience of the individual believer than does the Old Testament. In both the Old and New Testaments, spiritual peace is realized in being rightly related, rightly related to God and rightly related to one another.

The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom.” It is a Hebrew word so much richer in its range of meanings that the English word “peace,” which usually refers to the absence of outward conflict or to a state of inner calm. The concept of “shalom” includes these ideas but goes beyond them, meaning, “wholeness,” “completeness,” “finished word,” “perfection,” “safety,” or “wellness.”

Shalom comes from living in harmony with God. The fruit of that harmony is harmony with others, prosperity, health, satisfaction, soundness, wholeness, and well being. When you pray to Yahweh Shalom, you are praying to the source of all
Peace. No wonder His Son is called the Prince of Peace.

One of the benefits of the Gospel is the peace of God. The Gospel settles, strengthens, and stabilizes us.

In Ephesians 6:15, we are to told to have our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. It says that the firm foundation of the Gospel is that we walk in peace.

We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)

We have peace between Jew and Gentile, as well as among races, social and economic classes, and genders. (Ephesians 2:14; Galatians 3:28)

We have peace in believing, which causes us to abound in hope. (Romans 15:13)

We have peace in the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 3:16)

We are unified as a body through the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)

We have peace from God at all times. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)

The Bible also says that we are not to go anywhere or do anything, think any thought or make any statement that does not maintain the peace of God in our lives.

Only the peace of God will keep us in standing firm when the violent attacks of the enemy come against us.

“For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace.” (Isaiah 55:12)

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:15)

“And make straight paths for your feet, Follow peace with all men.” (Hebrews 12:13-14)

“And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7)

The peace of God brings balance to our lives, keeps our priorities in godly order, and shows us His perfect will.

God’s peace is our compass in life.

When the devil does his utmost to walk down the wrong path t lead us astray, the peace of God will keep us on the right road.

The peace of God will lead us back to the safety of His will.

I like this passage of Scripture on peace:

"The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)

What does peace mean to you?

2009-10-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

JOY

The Holy Spirit brings joy to every Christian. He fills our hearts with praise and thankfulness to God. Yet as you look back over the past few weeks, how joyful have you been? How can you experience this refreshing fruit of the Spirit more fully?

What do you think of when you hear the word “Joy?”

Charles Spurgeon had a lot to say about joy:

As for joy, if it be not the first product of the Spirit of God, it is next to the first, and we may be sure that the order in which it is placed by the inspired apostle is meant to be instructive. The fruit of the Spirit is love first, as comprehensive of the rest, then joy arising out of it. It is remarkable that joy should take so eminent a place; it attainted unto the first three, and is but one place lower than the first. Look at in its high position, and if you missed it, or if you have depreciated it, revise your judgment, and endeavor with all your heart to attain it, for depend upon it this fruit of the Spirit is of the utmost value, and it is brought forth in believers not alike in all, but to all believers there is a measure of joy.

The word “joyful” is a very sweet and clear one. “Happiness is very dainty word, but yet it is somewhat insecure because if begins with a “hap” and seems to depend on a chance which may happen to the soul. We say “happy-go-luck,” and that is very much the world’s happiness; it is a kind of thing that may hap and may not
hap; but here is no hap in the fruit of the Spirit, which is joy. When we are joyful or full of joy, and that of the best kind, we have favored indeed. No man taketh this joy from us, and a stranger intermeddleth not with it; it is a celestial fruit, and earth cannot produce its like.

There is room in Rome that is filled with the busts of the emperors. I have looked at their heads; they look like a collection of prizefighters and murderers. Brutal passions and cruel thoughts deprive the lords of Rome of all chance of joy. Turn now to the poor hunted Christians, and read the inscriptions left by them in the catacombs; they are so calm and peaceful that they say instinctively, “A joyous people were went to gather here.”

Why should Christians be such a happy people? Why, it is good in all ways. It is good for our God; it gives Him honor among the sons of men when we are glad. It is good for us; it makes us strong. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is good for the ungodly, for when they see Christians glad; they long to be believers themselves. It is good for our fellow Christians; it comforts them and tends to cheer them. Whereas, if we look gloomy we shall spread the disease, and others will be wretched and gloomy too. For all these reasons, and for many more that can be given, it is a good and pleasant thing that a believer should delight himself in God.
Gloomy Christians, who do not resist despondency and strive against it, but who go about as if midnight had taken up its abode in their eyes, and an everlasting frost had settled on their souls are not obeying the commands of God. The command to rejoice is as undoubted a precept of God as to love the lord with all your heart. The vows of God are upon you. O believer, and they bind you to be joyful.

Spurgeon addresses the reason you as a believer may not be experiencing the joy of the Lord by saying that I must notice, in the fourth place, that This Fruit Of The Spirit May be Choked In Its Growth. Some of you may have muttered while I have been speaking of this joy, “I do not know much about it.” Perhaps not , friend, shall I tell you why?

J VERNON MCGEE observes that the world has what they call the “happy hour” in cocktail parlors all across our land. People don’t’ look too happy when they go in, and they sure don’t look happy when they come out! They are a bunch of sots, if you please. That is not joy.

C. S. LEWIS got a bit close to the biblical meaning when he called joy an “unsatisfied desire which is itself more desirable than any other satisfaction.” That statement is a bit obtuse but Lewis then goes on to add that joy “must be sharply distinguished from happiness and from pleasure.” Ultimately Lewis experienced joy when he discovered that Jesus was the wellspring of joy.

C. NORMAN BARTLETT rightly says that joy is more intense than happiness and is not like it, dependent upon outward circumstances or happenings. The difference may be illustrated by a river that flows steadily and continuously onward as compared with the transient hillside torrents produced by cloudbursts. There is no joy to compare with that which flows from a deep, rich and sweet communion with Jesus Christ.

MARTIN LUTHER comments that joy is the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride, that is to say, sweet cogitations of Christ, wholesome exhortations, pleasant songs or psalms, praises and thanksgiving, whereby the godly to instruct, stir up, and refresh one another. Therefore, God loves not heaviness of spirit; He hates comfortless doctrine, heavy and sorrowful cogitations, and loves cheerful hearts. For therefore has He sent His Son, not to oppress us with heaviness and sorrow, but to cheer up our souls in Him. For this cause the prophets, the Apostles, and Christ Himself exhort us, yes they command us to rejoice and be glad; “Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold thy King cometh unto thee.” (Zechariah 9:9)

And in the Psalms it is often said” “Be joyful in the Lord,” Paul says “”Rejoice in the Lord always.” And Christ says: “Rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Where this joy of the Spirit is, there the heart inwardly rejoices through faith in Christ, with full assurance that He is our Savior and our Bishop, and outwardly it expresses this joy with words and gestures.

Also, the faithful rejoice when they see that the gospel spreads abroad, that many are won to the faith, and that the kingdom of Christ is enlarged.

JOHN EARDIE writes that joy is based on the possession of present good, here means that spiritual gladness which acceptance with God and change of heart produce. For it is conscious elevation of character, the cessation of the conflict in its early stage, the opening up of a new world, and the hope of final perfection and victory. It is opposed to dullness, despondency, indifference, and all the distractions and remorses which are wrought by the works of the flesh.

This joy is the spring of energy, and praise wells out of the joyful heart. Where the heart is gladness, the instinctive dialect is song. May not the joy of restoration at least equal the joy of continuous innocence? It is therefore here not merely nor prominently Mitfreude, joy in the happiness of other, nor joy as opposed to moroseness, though these aspects or manifestations are not exclude.

MATTHEW HENRY defines joy as cheerfulness in conversations with our friends, or rather a constant delight in God.

DONALD CAMPBELL, former President of Dallas Theological Seminary, says joy, “chara,” is a deep and abiding inner rejoicing which was promised to those who abide in Christ. (John 15:11) It does not depend on circumstances because it rests in God’s sovereign control of all things.

WILLIAM MACDONALD says joy is contentment and satisfaction with God and with His dealings. Christ displayed it in John 4:34.

ADAM CLARK defines joy as “the exultation that arises from a sense of God’s mercy communicated to the soul in the pardon of its iniquities, and the prospect of that eternal glory of which it has the foretaste in the pardon of sin.

WILLIAM BARCLAY adds that it is not the joy that comes from earthy things, still less from triumphing over someone else in competition. It is a joy whose foundation is God.

HAYDN, the great musician, was once asked why his church music was so cheerful, and he replied: “When I think upon God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap as it were from my pen, and since God has given me a cheerful heart it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful heart.

Biblical joy has a spiritual basis for as Scripture explains this joy:

Is joy in the Holy Spirit: “for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17)

Is the joy of faith: “And convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.” (Philippians 1:25)

Is the joy of the Holy Spirit: “become initiators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

Is joy in the Lord: “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.” Philippians 3:1)

Is the welcome which will be addressed to faithful servants: “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave; you were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things, enter into the joy of your master. (Matthew 25:21,23)

The Christian life is to be a life of joy. It is founded on faith in Jesus, whose life on earth began as “good news of great joy for all people.” Luke 2:10. The theme of joy is underscored by the 59 uses of joy and the 74 uses of rejoice in the New Testament always to signify a feeling of happiness that is based on spiritual realities.

Joy is God’s gift to believers. Paul speaks of more that just a mood. This is a deep confidence that was rooted in God’s sovereign control of the universe, His unchanging promises and eternal spiritual realities including the assurance of ultimate victory for those in Christ.

Joy is a part of God’s own nature and Spirit that He manifests in His children.

Joy is the inevitable overflow of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and of the believer’s knowing His continuing presence and having a sense of well being experienced by one who knows all is well between himself and the Lord.

Joy not only does not come from favorable human characteristics but is sometimes greatest when those circumstances are the most painful and severe.

God’s joy is full, complete in every way. Nothing human or circumstantial can add to or detract from it. But it is not fulfilled in a believer’s life except through reliance on and obedience to the Lord.

Although joy is a gift of God through His Spirit to those who belong to Christ, it is also commanded of them “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” Paul commands it in Philippians 4:4 and 3:1. Because joy comes as a fruit of the Spirit, the command is not the blessed seed of joy they already possess. The command is to gratefully accept and revel in this great blessing they already possess.
Certainly there is joy in human life, such as joy when one experiences a victory, “We will sing for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions” (Psalm 20:5), or reaps a bountiful harvest. (Isaiah 9:3).

But more often the Bible speaks joy in a spiritual sense. For example, Nehemiah declared to the down in the mouth, not very filled with joy, Jews that “The joy of the lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10). Similarly, David pleaded with God to “restore to me the joy of Thy salvation” (Psalm 51:12). It is not surprising that joy and rejoicing are found most frequently in the Psalms, about 80 references and the Gospels, about 40 references.

We could go on and on talking about joy. We can discuss the definition of joy, do a word study on it, and I could fill this posting with lots of pages about joy.

What does joy mean to you?

How have you experienced joy?

How does the joy of the Lord strengthen you?

Is it easy to experience joy in the good times?

Do you find it difficult to experience joy in the hard times?

At the beginning of the year when the financial meltdown was the topic of the day on the news channels, at first I was apprehensive about what was going on, mainly because nobody knew exactly was what going to happen next.

There was talk of a depression. I have noticed that everything that was happening, the stock market falling rapidly. I saw it close at –800 points one day. There was the housing market meltdown. People losing their homes. People getting laid off from work by the thousands. All of this was being perpetuated by fear.

I made a decision not to get caught up in the fear. I remembered the Exodus from Egypt. I have a copy of the logistics of the Exodus. It is mind boggling to see what was required to take care of approximately 3 million people. If God could take care of 3 million people for 40 years, feed them, provide water, shelter from the heat, and their clothes and shoes didn’t wear out, then He certainly would not have a problem taking care of me.

I have not worked since December 19th, 2008, except for a couple of weeks with a temp agency. Yet God has met my every need. It has been a joyous occasion to watch Jehovah Jireh do His thing.

I could have focused on my circumstances, which would have depressed me. I chose to focus on my heavenly Father and have enjoyed every moment watching Him provide for me. What joy! The joy of seeing Him provide for my every need strengthened my faith in Him.

He is truly the God who is more than enough! Here is my joy. Enjoying a Father who cares for me take care of me. Joy in the midst of adversity will carry you through. Choose to be joyful and rejoice. No matter what.

Jesus fulfills His words in John 16:24:

"Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.”

I am going to challenge you to spend some time reading the gospels and seeing the joy of Jesus. Pay attention to the passages of Scripture about joy, especially in the gospel of John.

Make a decision to be full of the joy of the Lord, no matter what your circumstances are.