Today’s passage: Psalm 107

Helpful thoughts:

• After the three verse introduction, calling on the redeemed to praise the Lord, there are four groups listed who ought to give Him praise.  The four groups come from four different directions in verse 3.
  • Those who wandered in desert places (Verses 4-9)
  • Those who sat in darkness (Verses 10-16)
  • Those who suffered in their foolishness (Verse 17-22)
  • Those who were caught up in the stormy seas (Verses 23-32)
• God humbles the proud and raises up the needy.
  • “The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.” (Verse 42)

Questions to consider:

1. What does the reference to the east, west, north and south bring to mind?  What is God gathering together for Himself?  Who WERE these people?  Who are they becoming by God’s grace?
2. What similarities can be found in each of the four group’s accounts?  What was their condition?  Who came to their rescue?  How does this parallel with the Gospel message?
3. Why are the upright able to see the rise and fall of peoples around the world and remain “glad”?  What possession do we have and what truths do we hold dear that give us the ability to remain steady and given a purpose no matter what might be happening in the world around us?

Today’s passage: Psalm 106

Helpful thoughts:

• After recounting all God had done for Israel in Psalm 105, today’s psalm recounts what Israel had done.  A much different feel to this psalm.
• Verses 34-39 are devastating to read.  Understand, the first step was a sin of omission (Verse 34), the second step was mingling/mixing with the nations (Verse 35), and after that the people of Israel did what they “felt” was right!
• What the people of God need is rescue (“Save us, O Lord.” from vs. 47).
  • Israel was not a nation of good people who needed to be rescued from the world.
  • Israel was a nation of sinners who needed rescue from their own sin.
    • We are no different.

Questions to consider:

1. If not for God’s grace, what would we be “mixed” up in right now?  If you are mixed up in the world, if the world’s desires are your desires, where must you run for hope and rescue?
2. For whose sake does God rescue people (Verse 8)?  Why does your salvation bring so much glory to God?  Why is it actually better for you that is does?  Why is it better that the Bible is more about God than it is about you?
3. If you were to write your own Psalm 106, what might it look like?  What is your story of desperate need and God’s gracious rescue?  How does remembering how much grace God has shown us give us even more gratitude and love for Him?

Today’s passage: Psalm 105

Helpful thoughts:

• The psalmist will call on Israel to praise the Lord in remembering His wondrous works and then sets the example in recounting the history of Israel.
  • Israel’s story is God’s story.  The Old Testament is not about Israel, it’s about God.
• God is sovereign.  His decreed will must be accomplished.  Even the hatred in the hearts of the Egyptians against the Jews was decreed by God (Verse 25).
• The end of the matter, when we consider all that God is and does…we should praise the Lord!

Questions to consider:

1. How can you put verse 5 into practice?  What wondrous works can you recount?  Why do you have reason to praise the Lord?
2. How does remembering that the Bible is not primarily about me/us help us to interpret it rightly?  If God only exists for our good pleasure and by our own design what would go terribly wrong?
3. Why (In verse 45) did God do all these things for Israel?  Why isn’t that a selfish motive?  What does it mean for us to follow God and obey Him?  What is the greatest life we can live?  What is the greatest gift God could give us? (Philippians 3:14)

Today’s passage: Psalm 104

Helpful thoughts:

• “He that learns to look rightly on seas and mountains, on beasts and birds, on sun and moon and stars sees God in all things.” – C. H. Spurgeon
  • The result of seeing the majesty in God in creation…is worship!
• God set the earth in its place.  It will never be moved without His approval.
• Here’s some fun reading on the leviathan if you are interested:
  • https://www.gotquestions.org/leviathan.html

Questions to consider:

1. Taking care of the environment can be a good thing to do, but why and to what extent?  What should motivate us to have right “dominion” over the earth (Genesis 1:28-31)?  What fear is the only fear that should motivate us to use and/or take care of the earth rightly?
2. How do verses 31-35 tie together the logical progression from seeing God’s glory in creation to the end of pursuing the glory of God with our whole lives?  Why is it right to live for Christ?
3. How does the first request from verse 35 not include Christians?  Why are we not consumed? (Romans 4:4-5)

Today’s passage: Psalm 103

Helpful thoughts:

• There are benefits in following the Lord!  Many are listed in today’s psalm following verse 2.
• As you read this psalm, look for things God does and the characteristics or attributes of God that bring about those actions.
• Some of these benefits are on display even now and some of them we will enjoy in eternity.

Questions to consider:

1. What are the benefits listed in today’s passage?  How many can you find?  What perspective gives these benefits far greater value than some of the “benefits” that we may clamor for in this life?
2. What is the expiration date of the worldly benefits we can often desire? (Verses 15-16)  What is the expiration date of the benefits given by God in verses 3-13, 17?
3. To whom are the eternal benefits given?  (See verses 11, 13, 17-18)  How is the gospel of grace tied to a life that desires to “keep his covenant” (Ephesians 2:8-10)?

Today’s passage: Psalm 102

Helpful thoughts:

• This is a psalm of lament.  The writer is suffering, crying out to God, and striving to see their suffering in the context of God’s purposes in eternity.
• Verse 10 could be an acknowledgment of personal sin and its consequences or perhaps a simple awareness that everything is under God’s control.  Either way, the psalmist is aware that God is sovereign and can make the suffering stop and has chosen to allow it to continue.
• Our sufferings and our successes come and go.  We change frequently (And by God’s grace, we progressively become more like Christ).  But, God never changes.  He is the same forever.
  • Our hope in the future does not rest in the faithfulness of man.  What hope would that be?
  • Our hope in the future depends on the immutability of God.  He is good.  His promises are sure.

Questions to consider:

1. Did anything the psalmist write surprise you?  Was there anything you might think twice about before saying it to God?  What does the presence of lament in Scripture teach us about our ability to approach the Lord and His patience with us in our suffering?
2. If we are thinking of something critical or despairing and instead of saying it, we pray a peaceful happy prayer, is God not aware of what is in our hearts?  What does being honest with God do for our own souls and thinking process?
3. Why is the immutability of God (God never changes) such an important doctrine?  How does it make Him different than us?  How does it ground our hope and faith?

Today’s passage: Psalm 101

Helpful thoughts:

• This psalm was written by David as he prepared to become king over Israel.
• David desired to practice what he required.  He wanted to possess a heart of integrity and he wanted to employ people with hearts of integrity (Verse 2 and 6).
• One of God’s intended purposes for government in this world is to punish evil (1 Peter 2:14).

Questions to consider:

1. Just because we know David did not keep these hopes/commitments perfectly, does that mean it was wrong to write them down and aspire to follow them?
2. What would make David’s commitments good or bad?  What would make them wise or foolish?  His passion?  His feelings or his heart?  Or God’s revealed Law?
3. Did David keep these commitments?  Was David without sin?  What is his standing and righteous record in eternity (By God’s grace)?  (Psalm 3:8)

Today’s passage: Psalm 100

Helpful thoughts:

• The service God calls us to is not a begrudging service.  We get to serve with gladness!
• Goodness is, “The doctrine that God is the final standard of good, and that all that God is and does is worthy of approval.” – Wayne Grudem
• God has made us.  We are His.  AND, God has redeemed us.  We are His!
  • 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Questions to consider:

1. What important truths about God are written in this psalm?  What are we to know about Him?  What does that knowledge necessitate in response?
2. Though it would be right for the entire world to serve and praise God right now, when will this psalm be truly followed?  When will the whole world worship the Lord?
3. How does verse 3 simplify our perspective and enable us to have joy in service in the midst of the stress of life?  When we are tired, stressed, aggravated in our service, what kinds of things are we thinking about that elicit those emotions?  How could the picture of being sheep in God’s pasture possibly alleviate those struggles?

Today’s passage: Psalm 99

Helpful thoughts:

• Just as praise and joy are fitting given the victory the Lord provides (Psalm 98), trembling at His power is also a fitting response.
• The Lord is set apart from all His creation (Holy).  There is no one like Him!
  • For a good read on the holiness of God, check out this book by R.C. Sproul.
• The Lord executes (Administers) justice and righteousness (Verse 4).  And the Lord forgives and avenges wrong-doing (Verse 8).

Questions to consider:

1. Why is God’s name “Awesome?”  What truths about God inspire awe and worship?
2. What does verse 9 call on the reader to do in response to who God is?  Why is this right?  How does right exaltation and worship of the Lord change your perspective and actions in the every day/every moment of life?
3. How does God administer both justice AND righteousness?  How does the Lord both forgive AND avenge sin?  What role did Jesus Christ (Our King and Suffering Servant) play in making these apparent contradictions possible? (Galatians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Today’s passage: Psalm 98

Helpful thoughts:

• We sing and we shout triumphantly because the Lord has won the victory!
  • Because our faith rests in the Lord’s victory, the church can/should be a place of joy and eager expectation.
  • “Where the benefits received are infinite, the praises cannot be extravagant.” – W.S. Plumer
• The whole earth is welcomed to join the victory celebration.
  • Ephesians 2:11-16
• Christ’s coming and the pursuit of holiness and righteous judgment will result in everlasting joy.

Questions to consider:

1. In this world, should we ever feel like the Gospel is let-down or a sad reality?  What is the difference between giving a reason for the hope in us (Apologetics, 1 Peter 3:15) and being apologetic (“Sorry”) about what we believe?  What can our posture be toward the world and one another in the church?
2. If holiness brings a state of joy, then who is missing out on all the “fun?”  Are Christians missing out on all the joy the world is having or is it the other way around?  If we aren’t experiencing any joy in Christ, what may be true of the gravitational pull of our hearts and desires?
3. How does the reality of the grace we received in salvation through Christ make this celebration all the sweeter?  If we had simply achieved a “good-enough” status, what would be the nature of our celebration?  What all do we have to celebrate in truth? (John 5:24, Revelation 21:1-5)