Joyce Ann
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Posts posted by Joyce Ann
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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?
God commands us to praise. The breath that he gave us should be used to praise Him.
Praise should occur everywhere, in the santuacry, at work, your home, church, everywhere
With singing, dancing, musicaln instruments, with your very breath.
Everything that has breath should praise the Lord
After reading this psalm I just want to jump up and shout and dance and praise the Lord
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Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson -- or another psalm with a similar theme -- do one of the suggested exercises to help you experience the Psalms (www.jesuswalk.com/psalms/psalms-exercises.htm). These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others.
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My children are all grown up, but I still shared this Psalms 15 with them, hoping it would encourage them with their children, my grandchildren. The world is so focused on doing wrong, so what you put into your children is important because if you put it in them, no matter how hard they try to do what is wrong, they will always be able to find their way home. But, if you never put in in there, then where is home.
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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?
It attracts me because it gets right to the point. Unity is so precious to God, it is how er can experience Gods blessings.
Dwelling in unity is difficult because we have not learned to put ourselves aside and let God work through us. We have so many differnt personalities, prejudices feelings and emotions and we let them keep us in the "Me Facotr". We have not learned the true meaning of "to serve"
Unity requires us to remove ME from the equation. If we can conquer that 2 letter word, we will see our ourselves becoming more like Jesus
Unity is oneness-the body has many members, but all the member are one body, Purity is freedom from anything that contaminates, its cleanliness, spotless. We must have purity so we can have unity. In unity we will not always agree because we have manyn opinions but when theres purity we can agree to work together for God.
Reconciliation and unity are high values in Jesus teaching because Gods intentions is for his blessing to flow to his people.
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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 instruct my family by discussing who can approach God (abide/dwell) The ones who try to live right, who live by Gods standards and not the worlds standards. The ones who hate what God hates.
The topics of right living that are covered are honesty, controlling our tongue, giving from your heart and not for profit, and not to be a liar.
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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 because we live in a world where it seems the wicked are the ones succeeding. The wordly ways begin to cloud our thinking. We have to stay focused on God so we can be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. (We need to be firm). That brings fruit in its season (valuable and productive).
This Psalm is a clear distinction of the righteous and the wicked. The lines that stand out to me are verse 3, I think about a palm tree or an evergreen tree, thats green all year round, and its planted by the water, just soaking it all up. thats the way we should go about absorbing Gods word so we can stand firm and be valuable and productive.
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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?
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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?
1) The psalmist is feeling a spirtual thirst for God, he has been cut off from worshiping.
2) He combats his spiritual depression by reminding himself of the worship he had experienced and of Gods goodness, he remembers God is his rock, his hope, his place of refuge. In Psalms 43 the psalmist prays to God, asking for deliverance. When doubt or stress is present he speaks to his inner man, so that he can keep believing and prasing God.
3.) Many times, I cry out to God, sometimes in frustration, sometimes questioning him, sometimes angry, and sometimes needing help. Through these times of doubt, struggles and stress, I draw closer to God and in my longing to be near HIM I find hope, peace, shelter and realize He is my rock, my hope my strength, and I begin to praise HIM, love HIM and tell HIM how much I need HIM.
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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?
1.) What does it mean that David desires to "dwell in the house of the Lord"? David desire to be in God's presence
2.) What does it mean to "seek his face"? To study his ways, to have a relationship with God, to behold his beauty
3.) How does David provide hope at the end of this Psalm? By believing he would see the goodness of the Lord. He knew, without a doubt. The Lord will come and we are to wait patiently for Him. By studying His word, we gain strenght, hope and knowledge.
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Exercise. For one of the psalms in this lesson -- or another psalm with a similar theme -- do one of the suggested exercises to help you experience the Psalms (www.jesuswalk.com/psalms/psalms-exercises.htm). These include such things as praying a psalm, meditating, reading to a shut-in, paraphrasing, writing your own psalm, singing, preparing a liturgy, and memorizing. Then report to the forum what the exercise meant to you personally or share what you've written with others.Psalm 139
Oh Lord how you know me, my every thought, my every move, all my ways, I cannot utter a word that you don't know, even before I've said it. I cannot hide from you, no matter where I go, You are there, heaven, hell, morning, night, You are there. You formed me Lord, and I will praise you. you know me from inside out. You are my God. You have laid my life before me, even the days that have not come yet. Oh God, I wish there were no more wickedness. You are my God, Savior, Protector. If they are your enemies God, then they are my enemies. Search me oh God so I may know you.
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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?
1.) He knows that God knows everything about him and that God is with him through every situation. God knows our every thought. David uses creation to show how we cannot hide from God because God is ominipresent. He's there in the night and morning. when you stand and when you sit, he precedes and follows. God formed our very being, he knew us before we were born. God will protect us, strengthen us, guide us. God loves us so much, he will never leave us. Through this the psalmist gains a hatred for his enemies, because they hated God, he asked God to search his heart and mind and point out any wrong motives that he had
2.) Daivd asked God to search for sin in him and purge him so that he can enter into everlasting life
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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?
1.) What is the common thread of verses 1-6 to 7-13. It is God speaking to us. Through all of Gods creation, the heaven, stars, and sun He is speaking to us (without words) as and through the Law (word) He is speaking to us. The heavens, stars, and sun are continual reminders of God. Verse 4 "their line" (inheritance) will go on continually. If we study the stars we will gain much knowledge about God The Law is the Torah which means instruction for the law of God, its value cannot be compared to anything else. It provides the key to wisdom, joy and eternal life.
2.) In his meditation he realizes the value of scripture and that it is incomparble, should be desired more than gold and is sweeter than honey
3.) Oh Yes, there times, when no-one and nothing else will do. I just want to dwell in his presence and bask in his glory
4.) It has the psalmist considering his own faults and sins He asks God to deliver him
5.) He wants his very thoughts and words to be approved by God
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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?
1) This Psalm teaches us the power and greatness of God
2) In our weakness and innocense we gain our strenght through worshiping and praising God. In all Gods greatness he still considers us
3) In this Psalm Christ is the son of man and he was made a little lower than God. Christ became human to redeem us and show us how to live Christlike lives. Jesus Christ is through all of the old testament and this is one example. I always read this scripture to mean all mankind as the son and man, and that is still true, but Jesus identifies himself in the new testament as the son of man and makes the connection between the old and new testament.
4) Our responsibilty is to care for your creation, trust, worship and praise God
Q2. Psalm 95
in 4. Psalms: Offering High Praises
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We should worship God because He is God, a great God, a great King, He is above all Gods, he is Master, Creator and He owns the deptss of the earth, the sea and the land, even the highest moutains are His.
Because God loves us and He doesn't want to turn away from us. If we harden are hearts towards Gods way we will not enter into his place of rest, his promises.
We must stay close to God through worship, praise and thanksgiving. We must be obedient and remember Gods judgment in the past, to often we forget to praise and to be thankful and we also forget the judgment that can follow