Lottie

Q1. (Psalm 69:12-18) How could David dare to ask anything from God after the shameful things he had done with Bathsheba and Uriah? How does God's grace and mercy function in the face of our sins? I believe David could dare to ask God for help because he knew that God was merciful. He knew that God loved him regardless of his great sin he committed. David was truly sorry and repentant for what he had done and he was calling on God to save him. David knew that God would not give up on him like the people around him did. He knew that God was loving and compassionate and would help him. He was falling on God’s righteousness not his own. God’s grace and mercy willingly pardons and forgives us because He loves us. He has compassion on us when we fall into sin and longs to rescue us from ourselves. Because we are His children He will come to our aid and show us mercy and forgiveness. God never changes so we know He will always love us and have mercy on us even when we fail Him. Jesus has paid the full price for our sins. Jesus ransomed us and redeemed us with His blood and we belong to Him.

Here is a Psalm that I wrote myself for this exercise: Praise God in the temple Praise Him in the valley Praise Him on the hilltops Praise Him everywhere! Praise Him for His goodness Praise Him for His love Praise Him for His mercy Everyone praise the Lord! Praise Him with a shout Praise Him in song Praise Him in the dance Praise Him with the horn Praise Him with the drums Praise Him with the guitar Praise Him with the piano Let all nations praise the Lord!

Q3. (Psalm 98) What are the reasons given for praise in Psalm 98? Why do you think praise is so exuberant in this psalm? How exuberant is praise in your congregation, in your life? Why or why not is it exuberant? The reasons are that God has been faithful to His people. He has become their salvation by rescuing and delivering them from Egypt. He has shown his greatness to all the nations surrounding them. I think the praise is so exuberant is because the psalmist is remembering how God saved them from Egypt and other nations. He is remembering how God provided for them on their journey. How He led them in the desert just like a shepherd leads his flock and protects them. Now, I am not in a church; but in one church I was in before the praise was very exuberant. But in the other one it was not. Very few people raised their hands or clapped and very few said Amen or Praise the Lord out loud. Most of them stood like statues while singing. In my own life my praise is sporadic. At times I am exuberant and other times I struggle to praise Him. I believe I am this way because my prayer time and study time are short and I do not take the time to really listen to hear God’s voice. So often I do not feel close to Him as I should. I struggle to believe He will bring us to a church and it shows in my worship.

Q2. (Psalm 95) In Psalm 95 we are commanded to worship the Lord. What are the reasons why we should worship contained in this psalm? Why do you think the warning in verses 8-11 is included in this psalm? How does this fit with the earlier elements of the psalm? We are to worship the Lord because He is our Lord and He is the shepherd. He is the Rock of our salvation. He is a great God, He is greater or the king over all the other smaller gods. He is our creator or maker and he is Yahweh our Lord. I think the warning is included to remind us what happens when we become disobedient. When we forget like the Israelites, did what He has done for us. When we doubt that He can do what he says and refuse to listen like they did. It reminds us of the severe penalty we pay when we refuse to listen and instead complain like they did. They dishonored God by their actions. It is not just words but actions and how we live each day that shows if we really worship Him like we say we do. If we say we love Him and are disobedient then we become liars. This last part is included to show us that true worship is not just singing, praising, and being submissive on the outside but it must generate from the heart to be real and genuine. Real worship and love for God come from the inside out.

Q1. (Psalm 150) What does this psalm teach us about praise? Where should praise occur? With what should praise be conducted? Who should praise? What does this psalm make you feel like after reading it out loud? This Psalm teaches us that praise is supposed to be exuberant and joyful. That you are to praise the Lord with your whole heart or with all your emotions. That you are to praise him with dance and instruments. That everyone is to praise the Lord. Praise should occur in the sanctuary or in heaven. Praise should be conducted with the trumpet, horn, flute, harp, cymbals, and tambourines. It makes me feel like praising Him more and being more joyful like the Israelites more. It makes me feel like dancing before Him like David did. Using all instruments to praise Him.

I have decided to paraphrase Psalm 24. Oh God everything in heave n and earth are yours All creation and all mankind belong to you You created the earth with all the water And set man in it Who can come to your temple? Who can climb up the hills? Only people who are righteous And who have the right motives They don’t tell lies They do not worship false gods You alone saved them And you will grant favor on them You will reward them Because they worship and serve you The God of the nation Israel Open the doors and let Him in For He is magnificent! Who is he? He is Adonai, our mighty warrior! Open the doors of your heart Let Him come in For He is wonderful! Who is this king? He is Adonai. The all-powerful one!

Q3. (Psalm 133) What about this short psalm seems to attract you? Why is "dwelling together in unity" so difficult? What kinds of commitments does unity require of us? How do the principles of unity and purity seem to conflict with each other? Why are reconciliation and unity such high values in Jesus' teaching, do you think? The oil being poured out in abundance on Aaron’s head and comparing it to being in unity and harmony with one another. The fact that it runs down and drenches him and how God wants us to be. Dwelling in unity is difficult when you have people of many different cultures and opinions. It is hard sometimes to come to an agreement when everyone has their own idea what should be done. We often think others should agree with everything we suggest. We fail to see that God has created us like that; with everyone being different and having different ideas and ways of doing things. We tend to get stuck in our limited way of thinking instead of being open to other solutions or suggestions. Also, people have different personalities and temperaments. Sometimes personalities clash and it takes time to work it out. The more diverse it is the more time you must spend in trying to compromise or agree on something. We cannot all do the same thing in ministry or in church; we need to acknowledge others’ gifts and talents and be more accepting of their quirks. I believe unity requires taking time to get to know our brothers and sisters better. It requires sacrifice on our parts to spend time with them and be willing to go the extra mile. It requires patience in our part to accept people’s little quirks and not nitpick them to death. We need to focus on loving one another and building each other up. It requires learning to be humble and loving and not insist on our own way. It requires us to be honest with ourselves and each other and admitting when we are wrong. Admitting when we have hurt our brother or sister and then asking them for forgiveness. Finally, it requires us to be close to God and obedient to what He wants us to do. We need to be led by the Spirit and not by the flesh. I believe that unity and purity conflict because some churches think because of their doctrine or beliefs they need to be separate from everyone else. They think that they have the truth and others do not. So, to stay pure, they stay away from other churches of different doctrines. Then, they refuse to mingle with others and people see them as haughty and proud or even hypocritical. This leads to hard feelings between the different churches and believers. When Jesus want all of us to be as one like He and the Father were. I believe that reconciliation and unity are highly esteemed by Jesus because without unity we cannot be as effective. Without reconciliation between brothers and sisters the world will never see His love. We will be no different than them if we refuse to forgive each other’s offenses. Jesus said that if we hate our brother then how can we love Him? God the Father, Jesus His Son, and the Spirit were in unity. While Jesus was on earth He obeyed God, and showed His love to us by dying on the cross. He reconciled us to God and we must be reconciled to one another and be in unity in order to be His witnesses and ambassadors on earth.

Q2. (Psalm 15) The Wisdom Psalms are meant to instruct us. How would you use this psalm in your family to instruct your children? What topics of right living does it cover? I would have the children read it with me and then explain what the Psalms means. I would tell them that to be close to God we need to be honest and truthful people. We need to stand up for what is right even if others disagree. We need to lend money or things to people in need and not expect payment for it. We need to watch what we say about others and not listen to gossip. We need to avoid people who do these things and honor the Lord. That God expects us to keep our word to others even if it hurts and that we should never accept money from others for doing something wrong. That if we follow these rules God will take care of us. That like God we should hate evil or bad things and love good or pure things. This Psalm covers truth, honesty, faithfulness, integrity, and kindness.

Q1. (Psalm 1). This short psalm seems to reaffirm what we already know: the righteous will succeed and the wicked will perish. Why do we need to be reminded of this? From an emotional standpoint, what lines in this psalm stand out to you. Why do you think you like them? I believe that we need to be reminded of this because we often see the wicked going unpunished. They seem to be flourishing while we are often struggling and have problems. The sinners or unbelievers seem to sail through life at times. We see it in the news people who get away with stuff that regular people could not. We often wonder if they will get away with everything. We wonder where God is and will He punish them. This psalm tells us that God has not forgotten us and that eventually they will perish. We will go to heaven and they will go to hell. We need to remember that money and things do not last. Our true riches will be in heaven waiting for us. Verse 4 part 1 speaks to me because it reminds me God has not forgotten me. He knows what I am going through. He hears my every cry and sees my tears. He is watching over me and will help me if I ask Him. I need to remember to ask for His help to succeed and prosper. I cannot do it on my own.

I have decided to paraphrase Psalm 56 in the Contemporary English Version Oh God, have mercy on me! Everyone who despises me is hounding me daily They hurl insults at me and shove me Yet even when I am scared and trembling I will still hold on to you I rejoice over your sacred vows to me! I still trust you and I will not fear No one can touch me. Those who hate me spend their days Trying to pick me apart and point out my weaknesses All they want is to destroy me They come out of hiding and pummel me Hoping they can end my life Yet when you are angry God You will consume them I know you watch where I go You have saved all my tears And numbered them all I will keep my vows to you, Lord I will willingly give you presents Because you rescued me from peril You made my path clear So, I could bring you joy And follow you For you are the everlasting life.

Q3. (Psalm 63) Why is recognition that God loves you the basis of all faith? What does this realization bring about in your life? I believe that recognizing that God loves us helps us to believe He is doing everything for our spiritual growth. If we doubt that God loves us; then we become fearful or afraid and start to doubt His goodness. When we know that He loves us we can be confident and assured. When we remember times when we felt close to Him and felt His love then we are more able to face trials and difficulties. Because we know that He loves us and that He will never leave us. It helps me hold on in the face of pain and adversity in my life. In the face of problems that never seem to go away; I know God is still there. If I reach out to Him; He will reach out to me. Unlike people God never gives up on me; He never fails me. I am not alone because He is with me.

Q2. (Psalms 42-43). What is the psalmist feeling during this spiritual struggle? How does he combat his spiritual depression? Have you ever felt this way? How did you reach out to God at this time? I believe that the psalmist is feeling depressed because he is far from the temple and misses the worship there. He misses spending time with God and feeling His presence. He is crying out saying that his soul is dry and parched and that he needs God. He is feeling doubt and he yearns to be back in the temple again. He longs for it with his whole being. He is feeling doubt because he doesn’t know how long the exile will last and he is crying out to God as others around mock and ask where God is. The psalmist combats his depression by talking to himself and asking questions. He tells himself to keep on hoping in God. That God is his Savior and will come to his aide. He reminds himself of how God was with him in other places before. He comforts himself by singing praises to God. Yes, a lot of times I have felt like God was not around and I allowed myself to get depressed about my circumstances. The more I thought about my circumstances the more depressed I got. I failed to remember what He had done before. Often when I feel this way I sit down and write out a song to God; telling Him how I feel. I would remind myself that He promised never to leave or forsake us. I would remind myself of all the times he used others to help me out. Or the time after my husband died when he was especially close to me. Sometimes I would sing hymns or praise music out loud to cheer myself up. Then after a while; I would hear from God and He would tell me that it was I who drew away not Him. I often keep on doing it because I tend to only see what is in front of me and not what God sees.

Q1. (Psalm 27) What does it mean that David desires to "dwell in the house of the Lord"? What does it mean to "seek his face"? How does David provide hope at the end of this Psalm? I believe it means that David desires to be in the presence of the Lord always. He would rather spend his time praying or talking to God than be anywhere else. David’s greatest desire was to be near God and have a closer relationship with Him. His heart and soul yearned after God like a deer pants after water. Having a deep and personal relationship with God was vital to his spiritual welfare and to ours. The more time we spend with the Lord the stronger we become. It is only when we spend time talking to the Lord and reading His Word that we learn what it is He wants us to do. We begin to know him more and understand Him better. For myself I wish I had the kind of relationship that David had. He longed to be with God more than he wanted the things of the world. God was foremost in his heart, mind and life. I believe seeking God’s face means seeking to talk to Him and see Him like Abraham and Moses did. It means seeking His very presence more than seeking what He can give us. David wanted a close and personal relationship with Him. Like the apostle Paul he wanted to know God fully and to be more like Him. This desire drove him to seek out God more and spend more time with Him. I believe David provides hope at the end by saying to himself and others that God would come through in his lifetime. God would come through when he most needed it. He encourages himself and others by telling us to wait on God and be strong. To take heart and not to give up and to wait expectantly or with hope. Trust in God and He will come through for us; He is our hope.

For this exercise, I decided to paraphrase Psalm 8 in my own words. Oh God, you are holy Your glory cannot be contained Your radiance outshines the sun Or even the stars at night The sun cannot wait It explodes across the sky And its heat touches everyone It proclaims your name Creation shouts your praises Oh, father, it is too wonderful for me You are beyond comprehension I am so little compared to you What am I next to you I am a mere speck of dust A little dot on the eath Why should you care about me? Yet you gave me a soul You provided me with a Savior Your Son is supreme He is above all the angels And every knee will bow down to Him Becuase He is the Lord! He is the King of kings! He will reign over all Every beast, fowl, and fish Are under his domain Oh God you are magnificent Your name will be proclaimed everywhere!

Q3. (Psalm 139). In what way does the wonder of creation in the psalm seem to affect the psalmist? In his concluding prayer in verses 23-24, what does he ask God to do? Believe that the wonder of creation in the psalm and the fact that God created him makes him more appreciative of God. It makes David see how awesome and great God really is. That man is so small and insignificant compared to the creator. He cannot believe that God in all his infinite greatness and splendor would commune with mere man. He is in awe of all that God has done and how He put detail in not only the world but in man himself. That God cared about him from before he was born and loved him. He was struck by the thought that God was everywhere and he could not escape from him. God knew him from the inside out. God had planned his future and knew how long he would live. He was amazed by God’s love and he praised and thanked him for it. He was truly grateful to God for all he had done. He knew that God cared deeply about him and it humbled him to know that. David in the conclusion of his prayer asks God to look deep into his heart. He asks him to look and see if there are any worries or anxious thoughts he carries. He asks him to see if he harbors any sins inside and asks God to cleanse and purify him. He doesn’t want any sin to come between him and God. He realizes how awesome and holy God is and that God wants to have communion with him. He desires and wants to have nothing between them. Because David wants to have a deeper more intimate relationship with the one who created him. The one who put so much effort and detail into creating every part of his body. This knowledge draws him closer to God.

Q2. (Psalm 19) Verses 1 to 6 seem very different from verses 7 to 13, but there is a common thread that relates the first part to the second part. What is it? In what way does the psalmist seem to bask in God's Word? Have you ever felt that way? How does the psalmist's wonder in creation seem to affect him in this psalm? In the classic prayer of verse 14, what is David asking God to do? I believe the common thread between verses 1-6 and verses 7-13 is how God speaks. First, he speaks through creation to us and then He speaks to us through His written word. King David seems to rejoice in the fact that God created everything for man to enjoy and glorify Him. He is thankful for what God has created for him and all mankind. He proclaims how beautiful creation is and how wonderful God is. It shows the very nature of God and how loving and generous He is to create all of it for man. He is praising God and rejoicing in his magnificence, wonder, and His beauty. Since creation is beautiful therefore the creator is also beautiful. He ponders the ideas that God’s Word can revive and renew us. It can make us wise, joyful, glad, and help us to be more enlightened and understand more about God and what He wants from us. He revels in the fact that we can know God intimately and he seems to get great delight in the knowledge. He delights in spending time with God and becoming more like Him. He wants to do what is right and to please Him. I must say that I have not felt like that in a long time. I have not felt close to God like David had. I have not taken the time lately to really ponder the Word and what it says. I am going through a dry season right now and it is hard to pray and spend the time meditating. I believe that David is in awe of God and what He has done. He sees himself as small and insignificant compared to God. He sees himself as lowly and sinful compared to a holy and awesome God. He realizes how far he is from being perfect or pure. I believe that David is asking God to watch over his words and his thoughts so that they are pleasing to Him. He wants God to help him reign in his thought and think about what he is going to say. He wants others to hear him speak words that honor God and the only way that he can do that is to start with his thought life. Jesus said that our thoughts come from our heart. David wanted to have a heart like God.

Q1. (Psalm 8). What does this psalm teach about God? What does it teach about human beings? What does it teach us about Christ? What does it teach about our responsibilities? I believe this Psalm teaches us that God is majestic. He is glorious and He alone is the creator of the earth. Mere man cannot compare to Him and what He can do or make. He alone created the universe; the stars, sun, and moon. In Genesis 1 it states that he spoke everything into existence. Day and night, light and dark, the sky and the oceans, rivers and waters. The word majestic means grand or magnificent. He is beyond our sphere of thinking and His ways and thoughts are higher and far greater than ours. The one who created the heavens is above them and cannot be compared to anything on earth. He alone is God and no one else. For this reason, we should praise Him alone. We should give Him praise and the glory due Him. How marvelous and wonderful He is and generous to give us all that we see on this earth for our enjoyment and so that we would worship and adore Him. I believe that this teaches us that humans are far below God. He is infinite and we are finite. He was always around and we were created. He is timeless and we are not. We are lowly and small compared to God and His greatness and the glory of His creation. Yet He still cares about us and loves us. I believe that the psalm teaches us that Christ also was humbled and made low so that He could become like one of us. So that He could die on the cross for our sins and restore our relationship with God I believe that it teaches us that God put us here to take care of all His creatures and plant life that He created. We are to submit to His rule and authority and to be responsible care takers of the earth.

Hi, this is the second bible study I have done with Pastor Ralph. I am interested in becoming closer to God and learn what He wants me to do. I am an aspiring writer and long to bring others to Him through my writing. I love to read books, cook, bake, take walks, write and have fun on the computer or with my daughter.

Q5. (Proverbs 11:14) Why is it valuable to counsel with spiritual people in the Christian community when we're learning to discern God's voice? How is having a spiritual mentor helpful? What is the danger of always going to another person to confirm God's word? Why is out-growing a mentor a common occurrence? I believe it is valuable because sometimes we can mistake God’s voice for our own. Especially when we want something badly. It is important to get clarification and insight so we know we are doing what God wants and not what we want to do. When we have a spiritual mentor like a pastor or godly friend we can ask them for advice and know that they will not lead us astray. If they are close to God they will help us know what we should do or at least point us in the right direction. The danger of always going to another person is that we never learn how to discern His voice ourselves. We never learn to really rely on God and His timing or hear a clear Word from Him. In our walk, we should be learning to be patient and wait on Him to clarify things through the Word and the Holy Spirit first. Sometimes when we have been with the Lord for a long time we rely less on others to guide us. The mentor we started with might not be as close to God then as we are or maybe we have fallen away from each other or moved. Yet the Holy Spirit and the Word are always there to help us.

Q4. (Mark 14:36; 1 Peter 3:7) Why is it necessary to recognize and then surrender our desires when we are seeking God's will. What happens if we neglect to do this? How can holding on to sin distort what you think you are hearing from God? It is necessary for me to understand and realize when my desires do not coincide with God’s. Sometimes what I want is not what is for my best in God’s plan for me. I need to recognize when I might be more favorable to hearing something when it does not clash with my plans or wishes. I need to surrender my desires and be willing to do whatever He wants instead. If I neglect to do this then it will be harder for me to detect his nudges, and no’s and then he must shout to be heard. My willfulness and unconfessed sin hurt my relationship with Him. It makes my heart become callous and hardened and unable to detect my desires from His. It causes me to be stalled in my spiritual growth or stagnant. This is what happens to a person who is sinful everything they hear becomes distorted.

Q3. (Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 2:16). Give an example of what the voice of the flesh -- our lusts and desires -- might sound like. Give an example of what the voice of the world might sound like. Give an example of what the voice of the devil might sound like. Why is a knowledge of the Scripture necessary for discernment of these voices? In my life, I have learned that the voice of the flesh will tell me that I ought to cave in and buy an expensive facial product to look younger or buy food that I crave. Even when I know that I will overeat or pig out on it. The world will tell me through someone I know that it is all right to buy lottery tickets or to drink. That I should have some fun occasionally. But I know that this is not what God wants me to do. I know that I must keep myself pure and holy for Him. The devil might tell me that it is all right to remain angry at someone or I should forget about obeying God because He has not come through for me. Yet I know that God’s timing is not like mine. I know that He wants only my good and that the devil wants me to fail. If I do not know the scriptures well I could be tempted to sin and ruin my testimony. I would not know what God has in store for me or what He requires us to do. Without taking the time to read the Word I would be putty in the devil’s hands. But when I know scripture I can refute the devil and refuse to listen to him, my flesh, or the world. Like the apostle, Paul says in Ephesians 6 verse 17 the Word is our sword that we use to deflect the devil and guard against our flesh and the world.

Q2. (Hebrews 5:14) Why will a person have to make mistakes in the process of learning to discern God's voice? If mistakes are part of the process, how can this be of God at all? I believe that we make mistakes in judgement concerning whether it is God or nor because sometimes we are not fully mature or sure who is speaking. As the apostle Paul states Satan masquerades as an angel of light. If we are not in tune with what the Word says we will get side tracked and make mistakes. I know years ago I thought it was the voice of God telling me my former supervisor was dead. Of course, I wanted to believe this since she had done a great injustice to me and I was having trouble forgiving her. Later when I was walking past my old workplace and heard her voice I could not believe my ears and hurried past as fast as I could. It was only when I was at a friend’s church and an evangelist prayed over me that I was released from the oppression the enemy put me under. I had let Satan get the better of me because of my anger and resentment I refused to give to God. This can be God because only He is perfect and we are not. God allows us to learn from our mistakes. He does not brow beat us and tell us to listen to Him or else. King David made many mistakes in the Old Testament and learned from them. We are all humans and we are bound to make mistakes and think it is God speaking when it is not. Especially if we get tired of waiting for Him to answer and take matters into our own hands.

Q1. ((Judges 6:36-38; Psalm 95:7-10) Does Gideon ask for a sign because of his unbelief? What is the difference between Gideon's seeking confirmation, and "testing God" in a way that displeases God? Does God mind if we ask for confirmation? When might God be upset with us for asking for confirmation? No in this instance Gideon is asking for a sign because he wants to make sure it is God speaking to him. He wants to make sure God really wants him to do this. Gideon wants confirmation that what he is about to do has approval from God. Gideon is more fearful than anything else here. That is why he tears the idols down at night instead of during the day. Gideon knows what God can do through people and he wants to make sure he has it right. The difference between Gideon’s seeking and testing is that Gideon is a believer and the ones who tested God were not. They just wanted to God to provide for them in the desert, yet they failed to put their trust in Him. The Israelites and the Pharisees were just mocking God and Jesus. They both were shown many miracles and still failed to believe. God does not mind if we ask for confirmation if we are not doing it for our own selfish desires. If we do not think of Him as a genie in a bottle and want Him to grant us favors all the time. Instead if we are asking directions on what He wants us to do or which way we should go next. Go would be upset with us if we asked Him to show us by giving us more possessions or things. If we were constantly asking Him for more than we already have so we could use it on ourselves. Then He would be displeased or upset with us for not putting Him first.

Pride can corrupt our hearing from God by making us full of ourselves because we think we are more spiritual than others. Just because we might hear God speak to us more. Then we tend to brag about it to others to get their praise and think too muich of ourselves. It clouds our judgement and interferes with our relationship with God. It is a sin and God cannot stand sin and it keeps us from becoming close to Him. In our pride we might mistake our own thoughts for His and lead others astray. We protect ourselves by only saying God told us something when He actually did and we say it with humility. We promote God not ourselves. Make sure that the message is from God and not from someone else or the devil trying to masquerade as God. We have to realize that we are here to glorify Him and not ourselves.

We need to be willing to obey what God tells us to do without knowing everything or understanding why simply because we know that God is sovrieign. He knows the end from the beginning and He knows how it will all turn out. He is in control and we are in His hands. He will only do things that will help us to grow and become stronger. We need to trust Him and believe that He only wants what is best for us. If we understood or knew everything we probably would argue with Him about it. That is why He does not tell us everything because He knows what we would do. We do not need to know everything in order to obey Him. We only need to trust Him and let go of control. We n eed to learn to be submissive and willling. Only when we are obedient and trusting can He bless us and give us more to do. Only then can we have a deeper and more fulfilling relationship with Him. Obedience helps us understand what God is doing when we see the fruit after it is all done or we see how God worked out our problems afterwards. We cannot fully understand when we are in the midst of it and are overwhelmed. God is the designer and the weaver. He is able to see the finished product or tapestry. He knows how it will all turn out and we need to trust Him.