Mer

Q3. (Psalm 63) Why is recognition that God loves you the basis of all faith? When I am able to recognize how much God loves and admires me even when I deep in despair.....those are the moments when my faith is tested. When I can seek, know and feel God's compassionate care when in some kind of a pit, my faith is renewed, my trust is renewed and once again I have hope. What does this realization bring about in your life? God's love and compassion for me fosters love and compassion for myself which in turn enables me to be of service to others and share gifts of love and compassion. It gives my daily life joyful meaning and purpose.

What does it mean that David desires to "dwell in the house of the Lord"? I think that dwelling in the house of the Lord means that I stay away from people, places, and things that may be alluring and tempting but are not of God. I may not do this perfectly but the Lord knows when that is the desire of my heart. I can always turn and run into his strong powerful arms when I am tempted by the enemy. What does it mean to "seek his face"? I think that seeking his face means that we can turn to God for reassurance . Just as a baby looks toward his parents to see if what he is doing is going to be harmful or not, we must trust that God will do the same for us and turn to Him often throughout the day. How does David provide hope at the end of this Psalm? David provides hope by encouraging us and givng us confidence to be brave and courageous while we patiently wait for his will to be revealed.

Q2. (Psalms 42-43). What is the psalmist feeling during this spiritual struggle? The psalmist is feeling empty,needy,discouraged,sad and abandoned. How does he combat his spiritual depression? He combats depression by crying out to God to lead him towards light and truth and hope. He repents from staying stuck in the muck and becomes willing to feel the pain. Have you ever felt this way? How did you reach out to God at this time? There have been a number of times when I have struggled with anxiety and depression about circumstances in my life. I reached out to God by totally surrendering ALL of my will. (This usually involves a lot of crying, complaining and writing in my case) I read His word for direction. I stay close to fellow Christians as God speaks to me through others and provides support.I also use self talk....repeating favorite scriptures, slogans such as "this too shall pass...." and "take it one day at a time". I also need to remind myself that I need to be patient and wait for God's timing for solutions to be revealed. All too often, I try to control situations instead of waiting upon the Lord. I get angry that He doesn't save me right away....I am learning to wait upon the Lord.

Psalm 19 9-10 "The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you." My exercise for this lesson was to memorize these verses. It is the first time I have ever memorized a psalm. This study is a gift for me. I cannot type for a long time because I just recently had rotator cuff surgery. It is the perfect time to heal my body and feed my mind and soul as I recover and gain strength:)

When the psalmist ponders creation and the knowledge that God is present everywhere no matter what, he is able to derive strength and support without limits. When we are able to see ourselves the way that God sees us and how wonderfully we are made, it is then that we are ready to deal with our pain and dependency and commit our life and will to the care of God. God helps us to be safe when we stay close to Him.

I think that verses 1-6 of Psalm 19 are telling us how to glorify the beauty, power and necessity of our external world while verses 7-14 speak about how to take care of and glorify our inner self and actions. Ultimately verse 14 sums it up with the prayer to integrate what is within and what is surrounding us with a plea for the Lord to be in charge and save us when we stumble.

Psalm 8 helps me to remember the awesome MAJESTY of God and and all of His Creation. To remember that even though He is the sole authority over everything that I also have responsibility to remember who is in charge (and it is not me) and that without Him I am as weak as a child. And like a child, when I follow God's will my weakness actually becomes my greatest strength.