Today’s passage: Psalm 20

Helpful thoughts:

• The sacrifices God regarded were given with loving, humble hearts (Hosea 6:6).
• David gives testimony of God’s past provision and reminds Israel that blessing, shelter, and victory come from God.  The king of Israel is telling his people to pray and trust in God.
• The person who wholeheartedly agrees with verse 5 will have different desires and plans to pray for (Verse 4).

Question to consider:

1. What happens when we actively pursue joy and victory and favor and desires, etc. elsewhere?  (Verse 8)
2. How has God already sent you help, regarded your offering with favor, and granted you victory?
3. How are our desires, planning and prayers affected when we are actively pursuing joy in Christ?

Today’s passage: Psalm 19

Helpful thoughts:

• God has revealed Himself to us through General and Special revelation.
  • General revelation declares the existence and glory of God.  In Romans 1:20 Paul writes that creation teaches us about God’s eternal power and divine nature.  We can know from looking at creation of the God who is eternal, powerful and divine.
  • Special revelation (Such as Scripture) tells us much more.
• The perfection of Scripture is referring to its completeness.  Scripture is lacking nothing.  There is nothing we need to know that God has not revealed to us.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
• Discernment, understanding, self-awareness of sin, and godly thinking and desires come as a result of learning the Scriptures.

Questions to consider:

1. What were the characteristics of Scripture listed in verses 7-11?  What do those characteristics result in when we apply the truths of Scripture?
2. How can some people see creations and read the Bible and not learn anything about God or righteousness?  What must be true of our hearts when we come to the Scriptures or look at creation in order to gain anything from them?
3. Why is the word of God sweeter than honey?  How has the Word of God been better for you than other things we might desire?

Today’s passage: Psalm 18:25-50

Helpful thoughts:

• David acknowledges the Lord’s work in giving him victory (Even in his preparation and physical strength) and in so doing remains humble.
• Even though the people all around were fearful at the presence of David’s power, he knew that it was God who was to be exalted.
  • David did not think it normal for other people to be “cringing” in his presence.
• David recounts the covenant that God has made.  This wasn’t just about him.  There was an offspring and a blessing that would last forever…Jesus Christ.

Questions to consider:

1. Why must we remember God’s work in our lives?  How does praising Him keep us humble and give us proper perspective?
2. Is there anything that occurs on the earth that is beyond the reach of God’s power?  How can this give us peace (Even when we aren’t getting what we “want”)?
3. How has God blessed you and given you victory?  Praise God for His wonderful grace!  And, then pray to Him if there are other areas of struggle that you are in the middle of right now.

Today’s passage: Psalm 18:1-24

Helpful thoughts:

• It is right to call upon the Lord during our troubles and after those troubles are resolved.
• It is great to know that God, through Christ, has wiped away our sin, given us grace and freedom to obey, and then rewards our obedience.  All glory to God!
• David’s innocence stems specifically from that which he was accused of by his enemies.  David knew he was not an all-together righteous man (Psalm 51)!  But, in the things his enemies had accused him of, he was innocent.

Questions to consider:

1. Why can it be so easy to pray to God when we are in a tough situation but then forget about Him when things are going well?  What would that trend reveal about the desires of our heart?
2. What promises has God made that give us total assurance that no sin against Him or against us will go unnoticed or unpunished?  Including our own…  (A little help: Romans 12:19, Revelation 20:11-15, Romans 3:21-27)

Today’s passage: Psalm 17

Helpful thoughts:

• If you read this Psalm and thought, “No one could be that good!” … Good.
  • No one can say they have lived life with their feet having never slipped.
  • It would be pretty lofty of me to think that I am the apple of God’s eye…
  • There is only one who could accurately make these claims.  Jesus Christ.
• The reason why we could pray a prayer like this is because Christ’s righteousness has been put to our account.
• God is not absent from our problems.  He is like a lion ready to pounce.

Questions to consider:

1. How does our understanding of the Gospel and our standing in Christ help us to think rightly about justice in our own lives when things don’t seem fair?  Why might we be less prone to complain?
2. How could the material successes of those who love the world actually prove to be an encouragement to us?  What does it remind David of in this Psalm? (Verses 14-15)
3. If God doesn’t seem to be pouncing like a lion on the problem I want Him to take away, what things might I need to reconsider?  How might my view of the problem be different than God’s?

Today’s passage: Psalm 16

Helpful thoughts:

• There is joy and delight in learning from and pursuing God.
• The world’s idea of a “love cup” or an “emotional bank account” always falls flat and leaves people frustrated and wanting more.  The Lord is our cup AND our portion.  The cup AND it’s contents.  Everything else is a broken cistern.
  • We don’t need people’s praise.  We need God’s glory.
  • When God’s glory is our greatest joy we can agree with David in verses 6 and 11.
• Both Peter and Paul quoted from this Psalm to point people to Christ. (Acts 2:25-31, Acts 13:35-37)

Questions to consider:

1. Is there good apart from the Lord?  What things (Truths or lies) make us think either correctly or wrongly about this question?
2. What does this Psalm promise to those who run to different places/passions/people other than God for their joy (First line of verse 4)?
3. Who are some of the other “gods” or idols that we tend to run to instead of God?  Why is God better?

Today’s passage: Psalm 15

Helpful thoughts:

• Psalm 14 explained the characteristics of the sinner.  Psalm 15 shows the ways of the righteous.
• Only Jesus Christ meets this criteria.  It is only through His sacrifice and imputed righteousness that we have the freedom to pursue these characteristics and have access to God.
• Righteous living is measured in what you do.  Our motives matter and our actions matter.
• “Despising” the vile person is not to be understood as being rude and hateful towards a sinner.  It does mean that a righteous person would be able to rightly discern between those who are living sinfully and those who are living for the Lord.  A vile person would not be regarded as one who fears the Lord.

Questions to consider:

1. What are all of the righteous acts we ought to pursue in this Psalm?
2. Why would it be foolish for a person to say they are a Christian but not have any fruit of righteous activity or change?  What does a person being made righteous do?
3. As we grow to become more like Christ, why is it always right to remain humble in our obedience?  (Why are we able to be counted righteous and how are we able to pursue righteousness?)

Today’s passage: Psalm 14

Helpful thoughts:

• Atheism is a product of foolishness, not intellect.
  • We can win academic, intellectual arguments and still not lead a person to Christ.
  • You don’t have to hold a PhD to share the Gospel.  You just have to love the person enough to tell them the truth.
• There isn’t a single person on the earth (including you and I) who would seek God or understand His ways on their own.
• The “There” in verse 5 is the presence of the Lord.  He is a refuge to the righteous and a terror to the wicked.

Questions to consider:

1. If no one understands or seeks God, how can anyone become righteous? (Romans 3:9-26)
2. Why shouldn’t we be surprised that there are atheists in the world (Along with anyone else who believes in other gods but doesn’t believe in the True God)?
3. Since unbelief is not an intellectual matter, what approach should we take to evangelism? Do we have to win academic arguments with people to win them to Christ or can we simply share the truth of the Gospel with them? (John 3:1-18)

Today’s passage: Psalm 13

Helpful thoughts:

• This Psalm can be divided into three sections:
  • Verses 1-2 – God, where are You and why aren’t You doing anything?
  • Verses 3-4 – God, I know you have a reason, please help me understand.
  • Verses 5-6 – God, I joyfully praise you for your faithfulness and salvation.

Questions to consider:

1. Do you think David moved through these three phases of emotion in or after his hardship quickly or would it take some time?
2. How could these three phases of David’s struggle help you to think through how you are doing during times of suffering?
3. What (Or Who) was the one constant center of thought which helped David to eventually come to a place of praise and joy in God (Potentially even in the midst of his continued troubles)?

Today’s passage: Psalm 12

Helpful thoughts:

• A flatterer uses words of encouragement to manipulate and take advantage of another.  They sound like they are building you up, but in reality they are using their words to use you for their own selfish interest.
• Flattery is dishonesty.  The hardest part of being flattered is when you don’t know the person was using you until it’s too late.
• God is not a flatterer.  His words are true and pure.  His promises are sure.

Questions to consider:

1. Why might we be tempted to flatter people?  What forms of flattery might be considered “acceptable behavior” and commonplace?
2. How does flattery hurt people?  What is the better way to speak to people?  What has to be true of us before we can genuinely speak kindly to others?
3. How can we know that God’s promises are true?  What characteristics or attributes of God remind us that He always speaks truth and will fulfill His promises?