Psalm 57-8.24.22
Scripture
Psalm 57:7-11
7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
Observation-What does it say?
King David wrote this Psalm when he was hiding in a cave from Saul, who was after his life!
Understanding-What does it mean?
King David’s heart remained steadfast in the Lord, through worship, even in the midst of scary circumstances.
Saul wanted to destroy David’s life and not just take everything from him, but actually kill him! What did he do in response? He took refuge in the Lord and worshipped Him!
Life Application
Worship through it!
Worship is not a feeling based activity. We worship because He, the King of Kings is worthy! We worship because He is our rock and stronghold in times of trouble. We worship because His love and faithfulness is great…It reaches to the heavens and the skies as verse 10 states. He is our refuge, strength, and ever present help in any trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
This song relates to this Psalm and also Psalm 36! King David seems to write with a theme. https://youtu.be/0OBRvxrzhqs
What is a worship song that you’ve been praising God with lately?
-Michelle Gaddi
James 1-8.23.22
SCRIPTURE:
James 1:19-21
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral fifth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."
OBSERVATION:
James, the brother of Jesus was a leader in the Jerusalem church. He wrote this letter expressing his concern toward his dearly loved brothers and sisters in Christ regarding their behavior.
He highlighted 3 areas: sinful anger, immorality, and indifference to needy people.
UNDERSTANDING:
As we hear The Word of God and pray that the Holy Spirit will help us want to obey it, He will help us want to put it into practice. The key to attaining right Christian behavior is hearing the Word and obeying it! James exhorted his fellow Jewish believers to be doers of the Word, NOT JUST HEARERS!
LIFE APPLICATION:
When I hear and receive the implanted Word, I am allowing it to renew my mind, and when my mind is renewed, I become transformed, and am more in tune with God's voice.
I pray as my love for the Lord continues to grow, and as I receive the implanted Word into my heart, that I will become a better listener to God and to others, and that I will be better at putting His Word into practice.
-Robin Orefice
Psalm 55-8.22.21
Scripture
Psalms 55:22 NLT
“Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”
Observation-What does it say?
In this psalm, David is surrounded by his enemies. His enemies are threatening him, hunting him down and to top it all off, one of his closest friends has betrayed him. David is overwhelmed with his troubles. So what does David do? He cries out to God.
Understanding-What does it mean?
Forget 911. I’m calling God for help!
When I was in the U.S. Marines, we were known as America’s 911 Force. The number 911 has always been associated with the phone number you call in case of an emergency. So, it has always been embedded in us since we were kids to dial this number whenever we were in trouble and in need of help. From the sounds of things in this psalm, David needed to dial 911. It seemed that everyone was out to get him. Even someone he thought he could trust, (his best friend), had turned his back on him during David’s most desperate time of need. So what’s David to do?! I’ll tell you what David did. David “brings out the big guns.” David calls out to God. You see, David knew that nothing was too big or too small that God couldn’t handle. David had seen God’s faithfulness time and time again, not only for himself, but for his people, (the Israelites ), before him. So if the God of the universe is on your side, what’s stopping you from calling out to Him?
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” -Romans 8:31b
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”-Philippians 4:6-7 NIV
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”-1 Peter 5:7
“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.””-Matthew 11:28-30
Life Application
When’s the last time you called out to God?
There are so many verses in the Bible that encourage us to turn to God for anything and everything! He is there waiting for us with open arms. He is never too busy for us. He desires that intimate relationship with each and everyone of us. He is a friend we can call during the good times and the bad times. So don’t just call on Him whenever we need something. But also call on Him to seek what He needs from us. It’s a relationship. It takes the both of us. Love is a two way street. God desires to bless us and do the “heavy lifting” if we are to seek and trust Him. So seek Him. Trust Him. See how much He loves us. His love will never fail us.
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”-Lamentations 3:22-23
-Moses Gaddi