Sarah43

Q3. (Psalm 121). What reassurance is it to you that God keeps you and watches over you? How does Psalm 121 make you feel? I heard once on an NPR radio show about refugee war orphans that children who are separated from their parents, physically or emotionally or both, are forced to make their own decisions prematurely, trust in themselves, instead of the wiser and more experienced decisions of their parents. They have no one to keep them, no one to preserve their coming in and going out. This causes them to always feel doubtful about whether the decisions they make are the right ones. And, not surprisingly, often the decisions are not the right ones. The child of two loner and consistently absent adults, one now deceased, and on my own for the most part since age 16, it has been a slam dunk almost that I would begin making my own decisions prematurely and would ultimately model my parents' solitude. My loneliness has been excruciating at times, my mistakes numerous. At one point recently I decided that I'd had enough and didn't want to be the only one making decisions and was tired of being alone. That's when Jesus knocked on my door, telling me "I have always been here and so has my Father." I was so happy to open that door. Psalm 121 is an echo of what Jesus told me when He knocked. I feel blessed and rewarded, that I know now to lift mine eyes unto the hills, and that help will come. I have nothing but gratitude to be able to let go, hand problems and outcomes over to Jesus and know that He will help me handle everything in this life and the next. Thank You God, Thank You Jesus.

Q4. Since Christians don't seem immune to accident, persecution, and death, how are we to understand these psalms of protection? Why don't some believers seem to be protected? Does God really protect us? How? Much can be found in scripture that will answer these questions. These are psalms of protection because, as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 15 (and as other prophets and apostles and Jesus note elsewhere) the flesh is corruptible and therefore not immune to injury and death. Paul calls this in Romans 8:1 "the bondage of corruption," previously described by Isaiah 40:6-7, who envisioned the coming of Christ, " All flesh is grass and the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth;because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass." Through an understanding and faith, in the Father and in Christ, we are born again, released from the bondage Paul describes. The Psalmist David explores this understanding and faith in Psalm 49, where he tells the whole world a "dark saying upon the harp," namely that all die, that riches and worldly honor avail a man nothing, for without an understanding of God, he is like the beasts that perish and will die and be buried like a sheep. The psalmist, on the other hand, who sees beyond the world and seeks the face of God constantly, sings of himself, "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for he shall receive me." This redemption is God's protection, to paraphrase Paul again, that causes death to lose both victory and sting. Jesus explains this to Nicodemus in John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life." By believing, by attending to the Son's teachings, and by following His example, we are able to be received from the grave by God. "Because it is written, Be ye holy, for I am holy." 1 Peter 1:16.

Q2. (Psalm 91) What does this psalm teach us about God's protection when in danger? What does it teach about our authority to vanquish our enemies? What promises does Psalm 91 contain? How does this psalm make you feel? The psalm teaches us to rely on the Lord for absolute protection against a host of dangers, which are listed and which include evil, terror, arrows, disease, death, ensnarement, and fear. Without God, we have no certainty of vanquishing any enemy. With God, we can vanquish all enemies, for God will send angels "to keep thee in all ways." I felt less afraid of everything than I usually am, and again, gratitude that He is there with such bountiful love and care. With God, my fear is gone because I am not relying on my own feeble and finite strength and wit to solve problems or accept what is. I was very impressed by verses 14-16, where the psalmist, speaking of God, promises to deliver God, to answer Him, be with Him in times of trouble, and set Him on high. These are the very things that elsewhere the supplicant usually desires and asks God to do for him, and not usually him for God. I see a curious and beautiful symbiosis and reciprocity of promise and gifting in these verses, caused, as the psalmist says, because God knows his name and loves him, just as the psalmist knows God's name and loves Him. It could be that the psalmist is adopting the voice of God to speak of the supplicant, but this is not indicated, and the ambiguity created is intriguing.

Q1. (Psalm 61:1-4) What images does the psalmist evoke to communicate his trust in God's protection? How do the first four verses of this psalm make you feel? To communicate his trust in God's protection, the psalmist uses the images of rock, tower, covering wings, and tabernacle. These images suggest strength, endurance, shelter, teaching, and worship. The first four verses make me feel gratitude that I have the monolithic solidity of God on which I can depend, "daily," as David explains, as well as "when my heart is overwhelmed."

Q5. (Psalm 80) If you were to formulate a personal prayer for revival for your own life or for your congregation, how would you word it? What elements should be present in a prayer for personal or congregational revival? What would this prayer have in common with 2 Chronicles 7:14? How does this kind of prayer pave the way for revival and restoration to take place? Below is the prayer for revival and restoration. My God, raise us up to meet You from where we have fallen, mourners bleating by the roadside in the dust. Help us again to find Your steps, the ones we abandoned somewhere behind us at a rest stop, such fools, as the big trucks whizzed past us stinking of diesel, hauling destruction, when we walked on ahead to nowhere, squinting to see the faded mirage of carnival tents, shimmering ether. Our own steps brought us to nothing but empty, nothing but crying and darkness, and we are lost and have become as strangers again on Your gift of earth. We rounded a curve in the highway and the mirage was gone, scattered by a thundercloud and the clean lonely wind of spirit, We sent scouts into the desert, and walked faster, but we could not find it anywhere, then we saw the nothing and began to wail, our women sank down and begged for water, and the flies whined and settled on our quiet children. We were hungry, but all that we knew inside us was an absence of You. Turn us, my Jesus, and cause Thy face to shine, We ask again for Your blessing, to know You again, to see You, to meet with You, We pray that You lead us on the path You showed us long ago. Show us now, O Lord, forgive us and show us now. Turn us, Our Shepherd, and cause Thy face to shine, Then will we know where we're going, Then will we know why we're going, Then will we know to praise You, each morning when You make the sun rise, and each night when You make it slip behind the hills, bringing us rest, and sleep, in Your pastures, our home. The elements that should be present in a prayer for personal and congregational revival and restoration are a lament, which includes acknowledgement of backsliding and accompanying remorse, followed by a plea to the Lord, and upswing of hope. Seminal to this are the terms revival, to bring back to life, and restoration, to make as new. My prayer is like to 2 Chronicles 7:14 in that I ask the Lord humbly to show us the way home, because we need his leadership to get there, acknowledging to Him that our ways of walking are wicked, praying for him to find us on the roadside and correct our direction. 2 Chronicles 7:14 is a promise of the Lord to Solomon, son of David. The Lord promises to forgive his people who humble themselves, seek His Face, and pray, and turn from their wicked ways. If they do, He promises, He will hear them from Heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.

Q4. (Psalm 40:17) In this verse David combines both humility and faith in his prayer to God. Why are both humility and faith necessary? What happens when one of these qualities is missing? Humility and faith are necessary both because if the supplicant has not humility, he is not likely to be praying at all, but rather would think that he and not the Lord has life under control. Humility enables the supplicant to realize that he is "poor and needy." This is most evident in verse 12, when David confesses to the Lord, "...mine iniquities have taken hold of me, so that I am not able to look up;they are more than the hairs on mine head;therefore my heart faileth me." Faith is necessary because if faith is not present with humility, the supplicant will not believe he is worthy of uplifting. David has faith in the Lord's redemption, despite his iniquities.

Q3. (Psalm 40:5b) When you realize that God's thoughts and plans are focused on you in particular, how does that make you respond? I am at peace when I realize this, as I know that my own thoughts and plans often fall short of what is good for me and others around me. I think of the oft used quote "Want to make Go laugh? Tell him your plans." Best to ask for His plans, then still my mind so I can listen for His response.

Q2. (Psalm 69:30-32) Why does this lament (and nearly all laments in the Psalms) end with an upswing of hope and praise? What does this teach us about our own laments and prayers? Why is praise, the language of faith, so important in our prayers, especially prayers of desperate pleas for help? This lament ends with an upswing of hope and praise because the psalmist knows that God is all powerful and can give him mercy. The psalmist wants God to know he recognizes God's power and mercy. For this reason, praise is important in our own pleading to God for mercy. With God, all things are possible. Acknowledging this to ourselves and to God is an important part of knowing the limitlessness of God and our own limitations. It is a way of defining our relationship to Abba.

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? David still loves God and knows that God still loves him. He suffers God's punishment, the loss of his and Bathsheba's child, and realizes he is guilty of iniquity, asking God to correct him and lift him up. God is merciful to us in our iniquity, knowing that we are not perfect and will sin. Only Christ is perfect. If we give our sins, both thought and deed, to Christ, and repent and strive to sin no more, then will God forgive us and show us mercy. Two instances of Scripture come to mind after reading this Psalm. The first is Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and He will have Mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." The second is Psalm 103:8-13, written by David himself, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide nor will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins;nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us."

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 Psalmist lists reasons for praising God: He is doer of marvelous things, he offers us salvation, he shows righteousness in the sight of "the heathen," and remembers to be honest and merciful to his followers. I think the praise is exuberant in this psalm because of the Lord's excellence. The praise is heartfelt. I have a fairly quiet way to worship the Lord in my own life. I pray outloud and in my mind, always. Praying has become a way of thought for me. That way I have the Lord with me at all times. If I feel I do not, it is because I have neglected to include Him in my thinking and am "thinking alone." I think my exuberence is in my feelings, which come from my heart, as does the psalmist's. I am currently looking for a congregation and hope to find one that worships through much exuberant song. I also listen to contemporary Christian music and am awed by the similarity of most of the songs to the Psalms. I listen to this music every day, loudly and joyously, and know that God listens to them as he lisens to my quiet thoughts/praise/prayers. I am awed by God's sense of hearing, that he can hear loud praise and silent praise both.

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? In this Psalm, we are commanded to worship the Lord with thanksgiving as He is our maker and also the creator of heaven and earth. I think the warning is included because, like sheep referred to in verse seven, we often stray, first in our hearts, then in our actions. Like sheep, we cannot rely on our own intelligence not to get lost, away from God. It is a constant task for the shepherd to keep track of his sheep, and the Lord, with his warning, is just doing his job. The warning fits in with the earlier elements of the psalm because, sheep don't survive away from their shepherd for very long. The psalmist commands his listeners to remember who they are, and uses God's first person voice to make the point more real. A good song about The Good Shepherd can be found by following the link below: Matthew 18:11-13

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? Psalm 150 is a command to praise. The where of praise is limitless, for although the psalm commands us to praise Him in his sanctuary, which could mean church or temple, the whole of the earth is "the firmament of his power." The Psalmist focuses specifically on musical instruments and the body as instruments of praise, and also voice, as noted in the last verse, "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord." The Psalmist is commanding the reader/listener to praise the Lord with everything the listener has. As a commanding Psalm, the Listener is who should praise the Lord, but this again, is all encompassing, as evidenced in the last verse "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord." This goes beyond humans to every living thing that breathes. I think creatures other than humans do this unconsciously, in their every movement, as should humans, who don't. After reading this Psalm aloud, I felt joyous and greatful to God, and purposeful, too. It is a simple but profound Psalm of praise, and perhaps my favorite, if I had to chose.

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? Immediately upon reading this Psalm, I was flooded with peace. It is a very simple song, comparing unity of brethren to anointing and to dew on mountains. Immediately I thought of baptism, the precious ointment being the waters of life which are the Word and Spirit of the Christ. Baptism and Water are what brings us together as Christians and unifies us. The Christ is called the prince of peace, and constantly in the NT he and his followers preach unity rather than disparity. What comes to my mind is Paul's rather dry and oft repeated circumcision message found for example in Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision;but in faith which worketh by love. Here Paul is saying that religious differences mean nothing to those who follow and believe in the Christ, but faith and love, and all Christians are purified and brought together by such. Later in Gal 6:15-16 Paul writes For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature..and as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. The new creature he refers to is one of many, part of a unified church, also referred to in the following epistle to the Ephesians as the perfect man, the new man, the body of Christ. (Eph 4), we are members of one another (Eph 4:25) and in Eph 2:14 says of Christ, For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. We have to commit to each other in order to achieve peace, to become responsible for eachother's well being and actions. This is difficult, but ends loneliness and isolation, snares of Satan, who would have us believe that we are apart from one another and therefore worthy of each other's judgements. Unity and purity are seemingly at odds because when we think of purity we don't think of diversity within, we think of one, alone, single, not the many associated with unity. This seeming disparity is dissolved in my mind in Paul's discussion in Eph 4 of the many as parts of the body of Christ, working together as a whole towards perfection. I think reconciliation and unity are important to Christ's teachings because he wants us to to have salvation and stop crucifying one other. Simply, he loves us.

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 try to instruct my children in the ways of the Lord, by good example and repentance when I am wrong, as I am often, being human and sinful. I correct my children when they are dishonest, (speaketh the truth in his heart) or spiteful against other people(backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up reproach against his neighbor). This Psalm covers honesty, doing unto others, loving thy neighbor as thyself, gossiping, and financial honesty as well.

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? We need to be reminded of the choice we have to make every day, a thousand times a day. The emphasis I think is on the word choice. In a sense we are always at a crossroads. Those who meditate, and delight, in the law of the Lord, night and day, are assured to choose the righteous road. But we have to consider God's Word always, to seek it and keep it in our minds. From an emotional standpoint, the vegetative imagery reached out and took hold of me, as it humbles us by reminding us of our brief life cycles as inhabitants of God's garden (consider Luke 8:5-15 the parable of the sower)with God as the constant gardener. I like the imagery because a little humility is good for the soul, and helps me choose the righteous road, as the Psalm was intended to help listeners do.

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 we are strangers and pilgrims in this life, constantly warring against our own alienation from God, and constantly searching for him. The realization that God loves us, if we allow him to, brings wonder and gratitude into my life, also peace and a passionate desire to return His love. If I accept God's love, and return it, my choices are clearer and my soul is at peace. The road I must travel is marked, and leads home to Him. Good song about the subject linked below. Sarah

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? The Psalmist feels without God. He feels alone. He combats his depression by "yet"(key word in both psalms) singing God's praises, remembering times when he knew God to be with him, and by formulaically questioning and encouraging his soul as if it were apart from him, rather than questioning God. He retains faith in what he cannot see at this dark time of his soul, believing despite the darkness that "Yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life." (Ps 42:8) I have felt this way many times. When I do, I turn my burdens over to God, for it is my own finite mind that longs for control that creates such feelings in me. I pray and praise, as David did, and try not to think too much, and rebuke questions of doubt recognising as David did that they are from "the enemy" and that my soul is made to trust in God's presence and help. Sarah

I love this Psalm (I love all of them, truth be told) so much. In it David marvels at God's knowledge of his soul, days and ways. everything about him. He is able to see himself as important and therefore beloved of God. He asks God in verses 23-24 to search his thoughts and if there be any that are against God, to lead the psalmist back to rightousness. I see this as a psalm of surrender. THe psalmist knows he cannot avoid God's scrutiny and knowledge He knows that such scrutiny and knowledge are proof of God absolute love. He surrenders himself to God's care and safekeeping.

The common thread connecting verses 1-6 and 7-13 is the perfection and power of God. Verses 7-13 show that power and perfection as it relates to humans, he human relationship to God. The Psalmist basks in God's word because he is able to receive it and live and praise accordingly. He is "thy servant" in verses 11 and 13. He asks God to accept him in verse 14.

From, Psalm 8 we learn that God makes paradox possible. We see this in verse 2, where the psalmist observes that God has given strength to his followers, who are "babes and sucklings," usually considered the weakest of the weak. They become strong enough to become soldiers of God through the Word, in order to "still the enemy and the avenger." We learn that God, all powerful, who has created the marvelous firmament, has raised humans up to an exalted state despite their lowliness, and given them glory and honor, and dominion over creation, which again is a weak/powerful paradox that the psalmist wonders about in verses 3 and 4, indeed in the whole psalm. Who are we that we deserve this from God, he asks, and how is it possible? Humans are established as the children of God, through he use of the words "babes and sucklings," as soldiers of God (see Phil 2:25), and as caretakers of the earth and the rest of creation. This latter is a legacy, a divine gift to his children. All responsiblity is implied although very much present. In verses 1 and 9, we see our responsibility remember our lowliness and to praise God for his gifts to us. In verse 2, we see the responsibility to use the Word of God as a weapon against God's enemies and by extension, our own. As caretakers with dominion over our Father's creation, we have a responsibility not to squander and lay waste to our inheritance, as seen in verses 6-8. We learn of Christ in this Psalm through the exploration of God, humans, and our responsibility to God, as the exploration is a forshadowing of what appears later in portions of the NT, or we hear echoes of this psalm in portions of the NT. In Luke 18:17, the Christ says to the Pharisees, "whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein." In Luke 18:9-15, in the Christ's parable of the publican and the Pharisee, we are again reminded that "...everyone who exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." As observed in a devotional that I read every day, "God gives blessing to us so we can give glory to Him." Praise God our Father and Christ his gift to us.

Hello, Am thrilled to be embarking on a psalm study. Am searching to know Christ and the Father. The Psalms thrill me and touch me in a way I am unable to adequately describe. I have an academic background although I currently work in corrections in NY State. I am a single mother, middle aged, and have two teens at home still. Thank you for the opportunity. Sarah