Women in the Word

You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



4/26/2017 10:31 pm  #11


Re: Psalms

Psalm 34
 
34:2 My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD."
 
A: Let us not grasp at and hold on to other things, but grasp at knowing God, seeking God and hold on to the presence of God in our lives.
 
34:10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
 
A: Take pleasure in all that God intends for me to have and don’t take heed to those things I think I lack, but remember all will be perfectly fulfilled in His coming kingdom. He will give grace to the humble and He will quiet and still fears; He will be our source of joy; He is close to the brokenhearted.
 Discussion QuestionOh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8)
How has God proven His goodness to you in the past? What things can you recall that help give you confidence in His goodness?
 
I recall so many things, too much and too personal to type. God was good in caring for and protecting my father, and God was good in conforming my image and drawing me closer to Him. Also, I just found out that in one of the foster situations I mentioned in my discussion question yesterday the kids were able to return to their mother and things seem to be going well and they were removed from the child protective services system. So, praise God He did care for them and protect them.
 
How has God provided you with a place of refuge?
He has given me sweet fellowship and comfort and truth and He conforms my mind more to His.

 

4/27/2017 2:29 pm  #12


Re: Psalms

I will be away from a computer for the rest of the day and tomorrow, so I am posting tomorrow's post.
 
Psalm 7
 
7:17 I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.
 
O: David is not thanking God due to what God has done or the good things he has received, but he is thanking God for being upright and morally just. He is praising Him for His reputation, character, and nature like his righteousness.
 
A: We obviously should thank God for what He has done and for the good things we have; the Bible is full of verses exhorting us to do that. However, we need to also remember to thank God for who He is and to praise Him for His nature and character.

Discussion Question:
God is a righteous judge and a God who feels indignation every day. – Psalm 7:11
What is the significance of point out that God is righteous and feel indignation? Look up the word “indignation.” How does this provide you with comfort and encouragement to persevere?

 
He sees, He knows, and He will act and it also should curb any wrong behavior on our part. Although He sees us through the blood of His Son and so does not consider our sin against us, sin still displeases God and so we should not easily disrespect the blood of Christ’s sacrifice.

     Thread Starter
 

4/27/2017 2:37 pm  #13


Re: Psalms

I am going to be unable to access my computer for the rest of today and all day Friday, so I am posting the Friday Devotional now.
                                     
I will send next week’s intro email out Sunday night and will load it on the board. It will include the reading schedule, study questions, and a link to the study guide.
 
I was going to write a post about when deliverance does not look like what you expected. But, in writing that post I realized that there was too much background around the Psalms that needed to be addressed first.
 
Next week the reading is not quite as dark, but at the end of the week, I will post about God’s deliverance. Meanwhile, I hope you find this post to be encouraging and edifying.
 
Do the Promises of the Psalms Apply to Me? 
PODCAST: Do the Promises of the Psalms Apply to Me? (10 minutes)

We see a lot of promises in the Psalms, and David expresses complete confidence that God will provide physical relief and deliverance.
 
As we read these psalms and look at our own lives, we may ask, does this mean God will provide immediate relief and deliverance for me, right now? Can I claim that as a promise right now?
 
In reality, we don’t always see immediate relief or justice in this life. So, how do we reconcile what we read in the Psalms with what we see in this world and in our lives?
 
Here are 5 things to consider and pray on.

1) The Psalms are about Israel and David’s relationships with God.
That is why in some of the psalms you see God referred to as “LORD,” “Yahweh” in Hebrew. This is God’s covenant name with Israel as opposed to His general name of sovereign God, Elohim.
 
The Psalms are not necessarily specific promises to us. David was specifically anointed to be king of Israel. God supernaturally anointed David and made a promise that David would be king and forefather of the Messiah.
 
This explains why David must be physically delivered from death and oppression in his lifetime and would most certainly see his enemies defeated.
 
It also explains the strong rebuke of his enemies when we see him calling for God to destroy them. These enemies were not enemies of David but were enemies of God. They were trying to thwart God’s plan of salvation and blessings through the Messiah according to His covenant with Israel and David.
 
You will see this foreshadowing of the Messiah in some of the psalms, especially some of the Davidic psalms where the line between David and the Messiah seems to be blurred.
 
Psalm 16:10 reads, “for you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption.” Well, David died and his body did see corruption. This is an example of Messianic foreshadowing where the psalmist conflates David with the Messiah.
 
In Acts 2:22-31 Peter confirms that this psalm referred to the Messiah.
 
Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
 
Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
 
We also read in Psalms 34:20 this week, “He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” The foreshadowing of the Messiah not having bones broken is also shown in Exodus 12:46 with the Passover. Israel was to break no bones of the Passover lamb. This was fulfilled with Jesus as seen in John 19:32-36.

2) The Psalms do have application for us today.
The Psalms point us to the principle about God and His character. They give us an example of worship, praise, and adoration. They are a window into the human heart dealing with emotions, worship, and relationship with and dependence on God.

3) The promises of Psalms also have application for us.
The Psalms show us principles of how God acts for His people. Although I previously wrote that the Psalms were not specific promises to us, but promises to David and Israel, we are grafted into these promises through the Messiah.
 
John Piper pointed out two passages that illustrate this point: Isaiah 55 and Psalms 18.
 
In Isaiah 55:1-3 God calls those who thirst to come to Him and He will save them. Verse 3 reads, “give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.”
 
God will make a new, everlasting covenant with those who come to God, and He will do so because of His love and promises to David.
 
The NLT (this is a looser translation and should be considered as commentary, not direct translation) reads, “Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.”
 
Psalm 18:50 is even more specific. “Great salvation He brings to His king, and shows steadfast love to His anointed, to David and his offspring forever.”
 
Remember that the Messiah came from the line of David and that we are grafted into the line through Christ. So, we are adopted offspring of David, and therefore, God’s promises for David are for us as well.

4) God’s promises to us ultimately have an eternal component.
In addition to God’s promise of an eternal kingdom through the Messiah, God also promised David a temporal, earthly kingdom where David would sit on an earthly throne. Therefore, it was certain that God would physically deliver David in David’s lifetime to ensure that God’s plans and purposes would be fulfilled.
 
Those of us grafted into the new covenant have not been promised an earthly kingdom.
 
Jesus says in John 18:36 that His kingdom is not of this world.
 
Luke 17:20-31 reads, “Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he answered them, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you."
 
So, currently, Jesus’ kingdom is not a physical manifestation, it is amid us; He came to rule and reign in our lives and in our hearts to free us from the power of sin and to rebirth us as children of God.
                                                                                                                                                    
Jesus will have a kingdom that is visible, but that is a future fulfillment. In Luke 19, the parable of the 10 minas shows this idea of the king going away and coming back to establish his kingdom. That is what Jesus will do, He will return to establish His kingdom. Luke says that Jesus told this parable because the people “supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately,” Luke 19:11.
 
So, the full manifestation of Jesus kingdom has not yet appeared. So, we will not see an earthly fulfillment of all the promises of the kingdom until the complete fulfillment of the kingdom.

5) What then should I take away from the Psalms?
Take courage, that God will deliver. Take comfort in God’s closeness, that He hears you, He knows you, He is near to you, and He cares for you. Find refuge in His promises, experience His love as you realize that it is safe to pour out your feelings and emotions to Him; the good ones, the ugly ones, and even the questions and fears. Share your heart with Him and seek His truth wherever the path leads. Look with hope to your future deliverance be it in this life or the next, as David looked to his temporal deliverance.

     Thread Starter
 

4/30/2017 9:04 pm  #14


Re: Psalms

Post your input below the introductory posts.
Week Two Overview
This week we will be reading psalms thought to be written by David during the time period chronicles in  1 Samuel: 23-27.
 
Here is some background of those events to assist us in understanding the psalms we will be reading.

Background
A town, Keilah, was being attacked by the Philistines, so David went into battle to save the town, and the town was liberated. When Saul heard that David was in Keilah he went there to capture David. However, God revealed to David that the people of Keilah would give David over to Saul. So David fled into a barren wilderness area. While hiding there, another group, the Ziphites, told Saul where David was. As Saul was closing in on David, the Philistines raided the land and Saul had to turn back to fight them. So, David was delivered and escaped.
 
Twice David had opportunities to kill Saul, once while Saul was sleeping, and once when Saul was in a cave relieving himself. Both times David refused to kill him and did not allow any of his men to harm Saul. He cut off parts of Saul’s garment and in the second incident took Saul’s spear. He calls to Saul from afar and shows him these things, to prove that he could have killed him and did not. This proves him innocent of the desire to assassinate Saul.
 
We also see two incidents of weakness in these passages. The first is where David become angry when mistreated and almost wipes out a man’s family but is restrained in doing so.
 
Blessed be your discretion, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodguilt and from avenging myself with my own hand! 1 Samuel 25:33
 
In the second incident, David becomes fearful that Saul will succeed in killing Him and flees to Philistine territory. To keep the favor of the Philistine king, David would raid neighboring peoples and let the king think he was raiding towns in Judah. To keep the truth a secret, he would wipe out all the inhabitants of the towns he raided.
 
Then David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand." 1 Samuel 27:1

Last edited by TBG (4/30/2017 9:04 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

4/30/2017 9:06 pm  #15


Re: Psalms

Week of May 1
This Week’s Reading Assignment

Post your input below this post.
S.O.A.K. any verse of your choosing.
Optional Study Guide: Psalms Week 2 Study Guide

Monday
Reading: Psalm 63
Optional Study Guide: Monday
Verse of the Day: Psalm 63:1
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Discussion Question: How can we cultivate a thirst and hunger for God in our lives and hearts?

Tuesday
Reading: Psalm 54
Optional Study Guide: Tuesday
Verse of the Day: Psalm 54:6
With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O LORD, for it is good.
 
Discussion Question:
What does it look like to present yourself as a living sacrifice?
Psalm 51:17 - The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”(ESV) “the sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” (NLT) “I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice.” (The Message)

NOTE: NLT is a loose translation that should be considered commentary and not be suited for in-depth study. The Message is NOT a study translation, but a loose translation where they have shared some of the things in the passage that stood out to the translator. It should be used as commentary and one partial and potential interpretation.

Wednesday
Reading: Psalm 57
Optional Study Guide: Wednesday
Verse of the Day: Psalm 57:9
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations.

Discussion Question: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalms 57:9-10)
 
What ways can you share your thanks for God with others and praise God to others? David thanks and praised God for His love and faithfulness. What things can you praise and thank God for other than physical blessings?

Thursday
Reading: Psalm 142
Optional Study Guide: Thursday
Verse of the Day: Psalm 142:5
I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."

Discussion Question: Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul. Psalm 142:4

How can we be more engaged in the lives of others to prevent them from feeling alone and uncared for?

Friday
Reading: Psalm 17
Optional Study Guide: Friday
Verse of the Day: Psalm 17:15
As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Discussion Question: James 3:5 says that the tongue is small, yet it boasts of great things and can set a great forest ablaze by its small fire. Name a time when either you or someone else set a fire by your tongue and what you learned from that.

Last edited by TBG (5/03/2017 9:07 am)

     Thread Starter
 

5/01/2017 3:16 pm  #16


Re: Psalms

​Looking forward to this week's study. ~ Stacey

 

5/02/2017 10:05 am  #17


Re: Psalms

gracefullyovercoming wrote:

Looking forward to this week's study. ~ Stacey

Yay! Glad you were able to get back online!

Last edited by TBG (5/02/2017 10:06 am)

     Thread Starter
 

5/02/2017 10:28 am  #18


Re: Psalms

Psalms 63

So much in this Psalm, where does one start?

Scripture: 63:1
O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.


Observation
earnestly - with purposeful, determined, and sincere intent
faint - yearn, long for

Application
Do I really seek God with purposeful, determined intent or do I just stick Him in as routine? Even if we only have 10 minutes to read a verse or two, is it with a purposeful heart intent on knowing Him and His truth? Are we determined to be close to Him and connect with Him?

Do I look to God to quench my thirst or do I try to do that elsewhere?

My friend said something like those who stay hydrated recognize when they are thirsty. Those who are not used to being hydrated, do not recognize that they are thirsty and tend to confuse thirst with something else.

The more we drink deeply from God and allow that relationship to satisfy us - the more we will crave Him. When we have a longing or unmet emotional need, we need to recognize that it is really a thirst for intimacy with God. We need to go to Him and let Him quench our thirst and satisfy our heart.

Do we yearn and long for God alone? It is easy for us to get caught up in chasing other things.
1 Samuel 12:21 And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.

Scripture 63:3
Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.


Do I choose God's love and presence over life and my vision for life?

John 6:68 Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

To whom and to what can we turn other than God; He has the words of eternal life.

If God's love is better than life, then how should this effect me:
1) thoughts - think about God, service, and giving myself away a lot more than I think about myself, my desires
2) attitudes - let things roll off my back because my concern and heart are elsewhere
3) anxieties - have peace because I would not care about what happens, I know with confidence that God is always with me and loves me
4) hopes - hope in God, hope in closeness and relationship with God, hope in Him working, don't hope for things I want and hope in my abilities
5) dreams - not spend so much time dreaming because I know God is better than all my earthly dreams; I would spend more time in worship, thanksgiving and prayer for others
6) moods - at peace, centered, things of world are unimportant - peace and joy in presence and love of God
7) goals - would be held loosely, bathed in prayer, and submitted to God




 

     Thread Starter
 

5/03/2017 9:14 am  #19


Re: Psalms

Tuesday, Psalm 54

When I am misjudged, disrespected, or treated unfairly, know that God will save, God will defend and make things right by His justice. I don't have to get defensive or act for myself. I need to surrender it to God.3 For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah
When I don't set God before me by allowing other things to get in the way of my gaze of Christ, this leads me into traps and away from God's will and away from surrendered obedience. Gazing on other things blocks my view of Christ.

Discussion Question:
What does it look like to present yourself as a living sacrifice?
Giving all aspects of myself and my life to be used for God's purposes. Being willing to do what He wants me tod do and go where He wants me to go even if it's is not what I desire for myself. Living for what makes God happy, not what I enjoy. Evaluating my day based on if God was pleased, not if I was pleased.

     Thread Starter
 

5/03/2017 9:37 pm  #20


Re: Psalms

Wednesday, Psalm 57

57:2    I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. 
God will fulfill His purposes for me, not mine.

57:3  He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness! 

God saves because His love is unending, consistent, never-ending, and unfailing. He saves because He is always faithful.

57:5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!
How can I honor (exalt) God and bring honor to God with my life?
How can I allow His splendor to show in me, my heart, and my life?

57:7  My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!
I need to work on the discipline of having a consistent heart and mind filled with praise.

Discussion Question: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. (Psalms 57:9-10)
 
What ways can you share your thanks for God with others and praise God to others? David thanks and praised God for His love and faithfulness. What things can you praise and thank God for other than physical blessings?


This is challenging. People don't want you to always be talking "Jesus" talk to them if they are not believers. Maybe the best way is a life of humility where you don't live like you are taking pride in your own abilities but are grateful for the opportunities and circumstances that have come your way. And when the time presents itself to share what God has done for you, not the "blessings" but how He has changed your heart, attitudes, perspective, and what He has done for you in the storms and trials.

     Thread Starter
 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum