The Church of Divine Guidance Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study Group studying the book Psalms: A Guide to Prayer and Praise by Ron Klug. The Psalms are some of the most widely read and best-loved portions of the Bible. For thousands of years these songs of faith have spoken to the hearts and minds of people around the world. The Psalms are songs–music our spirits sing to the Creator. They are poems–full of vibrant imagery and strong rhythms. And they are prayers–our deepest emotions expressed to the Lord who feels with us. Most importantly, the Psalms are God’s Word to us, revealing the truth about him and our relationship with him. Study along with us by getting a copy of the book by clicking this LINK or the image of the book at the end of the study notes.
Life is full of changing situations, and for
some of us our confidence in the Lord seems to change with our moods. We may
feel confident in God’s goodness in the midst of one crisis and yet feel
fearful and doubtful as we face another.
1. What problems—physical, emotional, or spiritual—do you fear the most in your life? Why?
The only problems thaI fear today would
physical ones that restrict my mobility and independence.
Psalm
27:1-14 NIV The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be
afraid? When the wicked advance against
me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not
fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. One thing I ask from the Lord , this only do
I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to
gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me
safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set
me high upon a rock. Then my head will
be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will
sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord . Hear my voice when I call, Lord ; be merciful
to me and answer me. My heart says of
you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord , I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn
your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or
forsake me, God my Savior. Though my
father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord ; lead me in a
straight path because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise
up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the
land of the living. Wait for the Lord ;be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord .
2. What three pictures of the Lord does the psalmist mention in verse 1? What does each metaphor mean to you?
Light - The source of truth and direction -
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways submit
to him, and he will make your paths straight. - Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV, Your word
is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. - Psalm 119:105 NIV, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he
said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in
darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12 NIV
Salvation - Justified and reconciled. Since we
have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from
God’s wrath through him! For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were
reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been
reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we
also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received reconciliation. Romans 5:9-11 NIV
Stronghold - A stronghold is a fortress which
offer protection. The Lord is my rock,
my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my
shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. - Psalm 18:2 NIV He said: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress
and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in
whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my
stronghold, my refuge and my savior— from violent people you save me. - 2
Samuel 22:2-3 NIV
3. How did the psalmist respond to the troubling situations in verses 2 and 3? Why?
When the wicked advance against me to devour
me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not
fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. Psalm
27:2-3 NIV
He was confident that he will survive and win
because of what he said about the Lord in verse one. The Lord is his light,
salvation, and stronghold.
4. In verse 4 the writer stated the focus of
his life. How does the psalmist’s aim in life compare with your own?
One thing I ask from the Lord , this only do I
seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to
gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4 NIV
His focus is to stay in God’s presence.
We talked about that last week the last verse
in Psalm 23 is
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. - Psalm 23:6 NIV
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. - Psalm 23:6 NIV
In Session 4 Psalm 42 starts with the psalmist
distraught because he can't get to the temple and God’s presence.
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my
soul pants for you, my God. My soul
thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my
soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty
One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng. Psalm 42:1-4 NIV
5. The metaphors of God’s protection in verse 5 spring from the wilderness setting, which David knew so well. How would you translate these metaphors into today’s culture?
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe
in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me
high upon a rock. Psalm 27:5 NIV
Going to church today is what we do that
matches the metaphor of the sacred tent which is a reference to the Tabernacle
in the wilderness, or when it was in The Promised Land afterward.
6. How did the psalmist respond to God for his presence and protection?
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe
in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me
high upon a rock. Then my head will be
exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice
with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord . Psalm 27:5-6 NIV
With praise and worship.
7. How is the mood of verses 7–12 different from that in the first six verses?
Hear my voice when I call, Lord ; be merciful
to me and answer me. My heart says of
you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord , I will seek. Do not hide your face from me, do not turn
your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or
forsake me, God my Savior. Though my
father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me. Teach me your way, Lord ; lead me in a
straight path because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise
up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
Psalm 27:7-12 NIV
Psalm 27:7-12 NIV
The mood changes from confidence to fear. These words shift the mood entirely from
triumph to deep distress as they introduce a new situation and occasion. Even
though the psalmist has been forsaken and rejected, his trust does not fail.
From the depths of despair, he calls himself back to the patience required in
waiting for God to work out his will. - The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
8. What does it mean to “seek the face of the Lord”?
To spend time in God’s word, and in talking
with Him in prayer.
9. Verse 10 assures us of God’s love and acceptance. How is God a better parent than any human mother or father?
Though my father and mother forsake me, the
Lord will receive me. - Psalm 27:10 NIV
Human parents get frustrated sometime and make
emotional decisions. We have all heard of parents disowning their children for
various reasons. God never does that no matter what we’ve done.
10. To whom is verse 14 addressed? What is involved in “waiting for the Lord”?
Wait for the Lord ; be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord . - Psalm 27:14 NIV
Everyone who has asked something of God and
has not received an answer yet.
Here are some suggestions from Rick Warren
1. Relax your body. When your body
relaxes, it relaxes your mind. Then you’re more open and able to hear God
better. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and
know that I am God” (NIV).
2. Wait quietly. Psalm 62:5 says, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
for my hope is in him” (NLT). Busyness ramps up the RPMs in your mind. It
gets it going. Have you ever gotten your mind going so fast you can’t slow it
down? Waiting quietly allows your engine to cool down.
3. Wait patiently. “Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to
act” (Psalm 37:7). Inner calm creates the intercom to God. In other words,
it makes the connection. When you get quiet, you can focus your mind on God and
what he wants to say to you.
4. Wait expectantly. The Bible says in
Psalm 130:5, “I wait expectantly,
trusting God to help, for he has promised” (TLB). God speaks to people who
expect him to speak to them.
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