Today’s passage: Psalm 32

Helpful thoughts:

• We have a good reminder in today’s Psalm; David does not believe that those who are godly or living an upright life are without sin.  Our righteousness is a gift of God’s grace!
• David felt terribly as long as he tried to cover up his sin.  Confession and forgiveness brought freedom and joy.
• The Lord does not treat us like animals.  He made us to be able to think, to reason.  He wrote us a book!

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it good for us to feel guilty when there is sin in our hearts?  Why is it right for us to confess our sin to God?  Is He a remote task-master or our Father?  Is Jesus an impersonal sacrifice or our savior, friend, head of the church and bridegroom?
2. How many ways/reasons does the Christian who pursues a relationship with God and righteousness in their life have joy?  Why does it make sense to love and follow Christ?
3. If we would be tempted to think the Word of God is too difficult or laborious, what would we be saying about God (And about ourselves)?  During times when we would prefer an “easier” way, how might God’s view of you be higher than your own?

Today’s passage: Psalm 31

Helpful thoughts:

• Jesus quoted part of verse 5 from the cross prior to His death in Luke 23:46.
• God’s attributes confirm our hope in salvation.  God will always do what He has promised to do.
  • His name will always deserve honor.
  • He will never fail as a refuge.
  • His righteousness will never cease.
• Verse 10 reminds us that our sin can impact our physical health.

Questions to consider:

1. When you are in distress, are you prone to turn to the Lord before you look for other ways out of trouble?  Or, does God tend to be your second or third (or fourth…) option?  How do you rightly decipher between being a responsible steward and relying totally on the Lord? (Trick question…)  Are those two different things or are they the same?
2. Should we only commit our spirit to God when we are in dire situations?  Did Jesus wait until He was dying to do this or do you think He was restating something that was always true?
3. Why should it bother us when we see others disrespecting God and going after other idols?  What should bother us about it?  How could we respond in a way that shows a love for the Lord and for those people?

Today’s passage: Psalm 30

Helpful thoughts:

• Giving thanks to God reminds us of His goodness and holiness.
• Because of God’s mercy and grace, our hardships are only temporary.
• David saw God’s blessing on his life to be for the purpose of bringing glory to God.

Questions to consider:

1. Compare vs. 9 with Philippians 1:21.  What are these men saying that is similar?
2. When did God save you from the “pit”?  Remember God’s goodness by sharing your testimony!
3. How does looking forward to the joy we have in store help you to weather any storms you might see today?  What does God intend to do for you in the storms?  How could you be used for His glory IN the storms?

Today’s passage: Psalm 29

Helpful thoughts:

• Glory is due to the Lord.  It is right for us to worship Him.  We could not worship Him more than He deserves.
• The power displayed in the events of nature/creation depicted in this Psalm pail in comparison to the full extent of power God possesses. 
• If it seems strange to see God’s voice bringing about all these things, remember, God spoke the universe into existence.

Questions to consider:

1. What ways of thinking, philosophies, common cultural norms, prevent us from seeing the beauty and power of God on display in everyday life?  How should science be reinforcing and increasing our awe of God instead of turning us away from Him?
2.  Whose common grace is being enjoyed and utilized by the people of this world even to actively reject God and encourage others to do so as well?
3. How do these truths make it even more imperative for people to repent and worship the Lord?  How should these truths help us as we consider our plans for the day?

Today’s passage: Psalm 28

Helpful thoughts:

• Without God, without His revealed Word, we are helpless and hopeless.
• Sin must be and will be judged by the Lord.
• The salvation of God’s people does not come from their good deeds (Being different/better than those who receive judgment), it is from the Lord.
  • He gives mercy.
  • He is our strength.
  • He is our saving refuge.

Questions to consider:

1. How did God become our saving refuge?  How was sin judged for those who are His people? (What is the Gospel?)
2. What is the sin that David points to as being the ultimate reason why sinners must be judged?  What does verse 5 point to specifically?
3. What more does God do than simply save us from judgment?  What does verse 9 teach us?  How long will God be these things to His people?

Today’s passage: Psalm 27

Helpful thoughts:

• God is more powerful than any man or anything mankind can accomplish.
• David was more excited to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to learn about God than he ever was about being rescued from his difficulties.
• The eager expectation of being with God after his death fueled David’s obedience during the hardships of life.

Questions to consider:

1. Why are we tempted sometimes to love the gifts more than the Gift-Giver (God)?
2. What is the greatest gift that God is giving to His children?
3. How does pondering this truth and all that there is to learn about God (His attributes, His holiness, His love-especially as displayed in the Gospel, etc.) help us to live the life He has called us to in this world?

Today’s passage: Psalm 26

Helpful thoughts:

• In this Psalm, David is under false accusation and judgment at the hand of sinful men.
• When the Lord renders judgment for His children, it is for their defense and vindication.
• The one who trusts in the steadfast love of the Lord will generally and progressively lead a different life (A different walk) than the one who remains dead in their trespasses and sin.

Questions to consider:

1. What was David’s goal in the midst of these accusations?  What does he commit to do in verses 11-12?
2. What roles do the grace of God in our salvation and our obedience to walk in His ways play in keeping a clear conscience?
3. What does David acknowledge as a blessing to his ability to continue walking with the Lord in faithfulness (Verse 8)?  What does he rightly suggest would lead him astray (Verse 4)?

Today’s passage: Psalm 25

Helpful thoughts:

• David, in distress, cries out to God:
  • The basis of his appeal is the character and graciousness of God.
  • The goal of his appeal is God’s glory.
  • The fruit of his appeal is following in the Lord’s paths.
  • The heart of his appeal is one of humility and contriteness.
• In Psalm 24, we were reminded to follow God because He is our maker and owner.  In Psalm 25 we are also encouraged with the fact that He is good!

Questions to consider:

1. Did David’s salvation precede or follow his obedience?  Why is following in the Lord’s paths fruit of God’s work and not the root (or cause) of our salvation?
2. What aspects of God’s character do we find in this Psalm?
3. What does it mean that God is good?  How does His goodness encourage you to follow and worship Him?

Today’s passage: Psalm 24

Helpful thoughts:

• The earth that we live on and all of the human beings who live on it, including you, belong to the Lord.
• Verses 4-5 remind us of a couple things:
  • No one is qualified to ascend into heaven or able to stand fast in the holy place.  We fall short.
  • The hands will do what the heart desires.
  • We receive blessing and righteousness from the Lord.  We are saved by the grace of God.
• Lord of “Hosts” comes from the Hebrew word for armies.  The LORD leads the angel armies and will never know defeat.

Questions to consider:

1. Some people will ask why God calls one thing a sin and something else righteous.  How does the fact that God is our Creator and therefore the owner and master of the universe help to answer this question?
2. How does the fact that God is our Creator, Owner and Master affect the way we think about our sin?  Is sin just doing bad things or is it something more?
3. How does this thinking about sin and our condition before God make our forgiveness, our salvation, our gifted righteousness, and God’s promise to fight on our behalf even sweeter?

Today’s passage: Psalm 23

Helpful thoughts:

• God leads us in paths of righteousness.  God will never lead anyone to do anything that contradicts His Word.
• Shepherds use their rods and staffs to wack their sheep if they start going the wrong direction.  This phrase found in verse 4 is similar to Hebrews 12:6.  God’s discipline comforts us because it reminds us that He is watching and actively loving us.
• The Lord does and provides all of these wonderful things for His name’s sake (End of verse 3).

Questions to consider:

1. Why would it be wrong to only want God so that I can have everything I “want” with “green pastures” and “still waters”?  Why is it infinitely better to believe in and know the true God who does all of this for His name’s sake?
2. How do God’s “rod and staff” keep us from evil?  How does God’s loving discipline and our desire for instruction and correction help us in this life?
3. How does looking to the future, grace that is yet to come, give us greater motivation to pursue God and His righteousness today?