Saturday, November 21, 2015
Psalm 47 KJV
1 [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.]] O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph. 2 For the LORD most high [is] terrible; [he is] a great King over all the earth. 3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet. 4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah. 5 God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God [is] the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding. 8 God reigneth over the heathen: God sitteth upon the throne of his holiness. 9 The princes of the people are gathered together, [even] the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth [belong] unto God: he is greatly exalted.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What are the people of God encouraged to do in this psalm? Why? (v.1-5)
2) What else are God's people to do? Why? (v.6-8)
3) Who is gathered before the Lord? Why? (v.9)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What do you do to exalt God?
LIFE LESSONS
5) God is worthy to be exalted above every living creature, and every power on this earth.
6) The Lord is exalted when people praise and worship Him.
7) The best way to exalt God is through living a life of worship unto Him.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Psalm 147:1-11 NIV
1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! 2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. 5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. 6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the LORD with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. 8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. 10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior; 11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What is good for the people of God to do? Why? (v.1-6)
2) How else are we to minister to the Lord? Why? (v.7-9)
3) What does the Lord take pleasure and delight in? (v.10-11)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What do you do to minister to the Lord?
LIFE LESSONS
5) We minister to the Lord by praising and worshipping Him for all that He does in our lives.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
2 Samuel 22:1-7 NIV
1 David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; 3 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. 4 "I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and have been saved from my enemies. 5 The waves of death swirled about me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. 6 The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. 7 "In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What did David do after the Lord delivered him from his enemies? (v.1)
2) What did David sing about the Lord? (v.3-4)
3) What did the king sing about his season of testing and trial against his enemies? (v.5-6)
4) What did David do when he was overwhelmed by his enemies and how did the Lord respond? (v.7)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Has anyone ever attacked you, your character, or your integrity?
6) If so, how did you respond?
LIFE LESSONS
7) Our best offense against the destruction that our enemies attempt to inflict on us is to praise the Lord.
8) There is no need to fight against our enemies. When the Lord is on our side, He will fight for us.
9) Praise is a spiritual weapon.
Monday, July 20, 3015
Psalm 13:1-6 NIV
1 For the director of music. A psalm of David. How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? 3 Look on me and answer, LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 4 and my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. 5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. 6 I will sing the LORD's praise, for he has been good to me.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What were David's questions to the Lord? (v.1-2)
2) What did the David request of the Lord? Why? (v.3-4)
3) What did, and would, the psalmist do for the Lord? Why? (v.5)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Have you ever felt that the Lord's presence was far from you? If so, how did you respond?
LIFE LESSONS
5) Though we may not sense His presence, the Lord is true to His promise to never leave us.
6) The Lord deserves our trust, in every situation, because of His faithfulness.
7) The Lord deserves our praise because He has not given us what our sins deserve.
Monday, March 23, 2015
Psalm 67 KJV
1 [[To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm [or] Song.]] God be merciful unto us, and bless us; [and] cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. 3 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. 5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. 6 [Then] shall the earth yield her increase; [and] God, [even] our own God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist desire from the Lord for himself and the people of God? Why? (v.1-2)
2) What does the psalmist want the people of God and the nations to do? Why? (v.3-6)
3) What does the psalmist expect the Lord to do for His people and all the people of the earth? (v.7)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) Why do you need the Lord's mercy and blessing this day?
LIFE LESSONS
5) All people, saved and unsaved, need God's mercy and blessing. That happens as His people praise and exalt Him.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Psalm 108:1-6 KJV
1 [[A Song [or] Psalm of David.]] O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory. 2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I [myself] will awake early. 3 I will praise thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. 4 For thy mercy [is] great above the heavens: and thy truth [reacheth] unto the clouds. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth; 6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save [with] thy right hand, and answer me.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does David tell God? (v.1)
2) What will the psalmist do for the Lord? Why? (v.2-4)
3) What is David's desire for the Lord? Why? (v.5-6)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) When do you typically set aside time to praise and worship God?
5) Why have you selected that time to exalt Him?
6) What typically happens when you do not set aside personal devotion time for the Lord?
LIFE LESSONS
7) We dedicate the first minute, or hour(s), of our day to the Lord because our lives and times belong to Him.
8) When the Lord is exalted first, He orders what remains of our day.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Hebrews 13:6-15 KJV
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. 7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of [their] conversation. 8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. 10 We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. 11 For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. 12 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. 13 Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. 14 For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. 15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Because the Lord has promised to never leave us or forsake us (v.5) what can His children do? (v.6)
2) Who are we to remember and follow? (v.7)
3) What does the writer of Hebrews say about our Lord Jesus? (v.8)
4) What is the writer's warning to believers? Why? (v.9)
5) What altar does the new testament believer have that old testament priests cannot partake of? (v.10)
6) What are the differences and similarities between the old testament sacrifices and the new? (v.11-12)
7) What do new testament believers bear when we go to Jesus and depart from the religious rituals of the old testament? Why? (v.13-14)
8) What are our sacrifices to God? (v.15)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
9) What teachers has the Lord blessed you with to teach you God's word and serve as your examples of faith?
10) How else is your heart established in the Lord (i.e., by works of the flesh, or by grace)?
11) Where do you make your sacrifices to the Lord?
12) What are your sacrifices to the Lord?
LIFE LESSONS
13) The Lord blesses the seeking heart with teachers who not only teach God's word, but live it.
14) The only acceptable altar to God is the altar of the heart.
15) The sacrifices that the Lord will not refuse are "a broken spirit and a contrite heart".
Friday, December 12, 2014
Deuteronomy 32:1-7 KJV
1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways [are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right [is] he. 5 They have corrupted themselves, their spot [is] not [the spot] of his children: [they are] a perverse and crooked generation. 6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? [is] not he thy father [that] hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? 7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) It is believed that Moses is the author of the first five books of the Bible. What does Moses ask of the heavens and earth? (v.1)
2) How does Moses describe his doctrine and speech? Why? (v.2-3)
3) How does Moses describe God? (v.4)
4) How does Moses describe the people of God? (v.5)
5) What does Moses ask of God's people? (v.6)
6) What does Moses encourage God's people to do? (v.7)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) What do you do to show the greatness of our God?
8) Do you know of anyone who does not honor the Lord? If so, what do you do to help them?
9) What has the Lord done for you through your spiritual leaders?
LIFE LESSONS
10) We exalt God through our words, as well as our deeds.
11) Those who do not know the Lord are not able to honor Him.
12) The Lord blesses spiritual leaders to share His goodness with His people.
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Revelation 19:1-8 KJV
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2 For true and righteous [are] his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. 5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. 6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. 7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What will the multitude of people in heaven say about our Lord? (v.1)
2) What will our Lord have done to cause His people to praise Him? (v.2-3)
3) Who will fall down and worship the One who sits on the throne? (v.4)
4) What will the voice that comes from the throne of God say to His servants? (v.5)
5) How did the voicess that praised the Lord sound to the Apostle John? (v.6)
6) Why were the multitude praising and worshipping the Lord? (v.7-8)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) Who do you think the great whore is and why?
8) How will the bride of Christ be arrayed at the marriage of the Lamb?
9) What do you believe that you will be clothed in on that Day? Why?
LIFE LESSONS
10) The Lord will avenge the blood of those marytred for His sake.
11) People of every nation, kindred, tongue, and tribe comprise the bride of Christ.
12) The fine linen that Christ's bride will be arrayed in represents the good works of His saints.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Psalm 33:1-9 KJV
1 Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: [for] praise is comely for the upright. 2 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery [and] an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. 4 For the word of the LORD [is] right; and all his works [are done] in truth. 5 He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. 7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9 For he spake, and it was [done]; he commanded, and it stood fast.
OBSERVATION QUESTION
1) What are the righteous to do? (v.1a-3)
2) Why are the righteous to do these things? (v.1b, 4-5)
3) How does the psalmist describe the Lord? (v.6-7)
4) Who, and/or what, should stand in awe of God? Why? (v.8-9)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) When do you, typically, praise the Lord?
6) Why do you praise God?
7) How often do you praise Him? Why?
LIFE LESSONS
8) In every situation, good or bad, the Lord deserves our praise!
9) God Almighty created the heavens and the earth, He is worthy of our praise!
10) God is sovereignly in control of every thing, He is praise worthy!
11) God alone is to be feared (revered), praise Him!
Monday, November 24, 2014
Psalm 42:5-11 KJV
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and [why] art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him [for] the help of his countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. 7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. 8 [Yet] the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song [shall be] with me, [and] my prayer unto the God of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 10 [As] with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where [is] thy God? 11 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist ask himself? (v.5a,11a-b)
2) How does the psalmist encourage himself? (v.5b,11c)
3) What does the psalmist purpose to do, though his heart is heavy? (v.6)
4) In Who, or what, does the psalmist hope when distressed? (v.7-8)
5) What are the psalmist's petitions to the Lord when in deepest sorrow?(v.9)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What has filled your heart with deep sorrow, recently?
7) When your heart is overwhelmed to whom does your heart cry out?
8) In whom, or what, do you place your hope when your situation seems hopeless?
PRINCIPLES
9) Praising God, in times of distress and adversity, lifts our spirit.
10) We can encourage ourselves by remembering what the Lord has done for us in the past.
11) In deep sorrow, or distress, we can always share our hearts cry with the Lord.
12) When our hearts are overwhelmed, God commands His lovingkindness to wash over us.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Isaiah 42:10-16 KJV
10 Sing unto the LORD a new song, [and] his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. 11 Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up [their voice], the villages [that] Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. 12 Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare his praise in the islands. 13 The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. 14 I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, [and] refrained myself: [now] will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once. 15 I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. 16 And I will bring the blind by a way [that] they knew not; I will lead them in paths [that] they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What are the inhabitants of the earth to do for the Lord? (v.10-12)
2) What will the Lord do in response? (v.13)
3) What does the Lord declare that He will do? (v.14-16)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) How do you glorify the Lord?
5) Why do you give glory to Him?
6) How has the Lord responded to your praise in recent months?
PRINCIPLES
7) Praise, in the midst of adversity, is our greatest weapon against the enemies of God.
8) Though He is longsuffering, the Lord will be merciless toward the wicked.
9) The Lord will never forsake those who put their trust in Him.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
Psalm 65:1-5 KJV
1 [[To the chief Musician, A Psalm [and] Song of David.]] Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed. 2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. 3 Iniquities prevail against me: [as for] our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away. 4 Blessed [is the man whom] thou choosest, and causest to approach [unto thee, that] he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, [even] of thy holy temple. 5 [By] terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; [who art] the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off [upon] the sea:
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What waits for God, according to David? (v.1)
2) What does David say will come to God? Why? (v.2)
3) What prevailed against David? How would God help him? (v.3)
4) Who does David say is blessed? Why? (v.4)
5) What will God do for His people? Why? (v.5)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What are your reasons for praising the Lord?
7) How do you know that your sins have been forgiven?
8) What do you do to enter into the presence of the Lord?
PRINCIPLES
9) The Lord is not far, or distant, from any of His people.
10) The Lord is the initiator of all true worship.
11) The presence of the Lord is our refuge.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Psalm 57:7-11
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. 8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I [myself] will awake early. 9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. 10 For thy mercy [is] great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. 11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: [let] thy glory [be] above all the earth.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist proclaim? (v.7)
2) What has the psalmist purposed to do? (v.8-9)
3) Why will the psalmist do what he has written of in Scripture? (v.10)
4) What does the psalmist desire for the Lord? (v.11)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) What do you do to exalt the Lord?
6) Why do you exalt the Lord?
7) What does the mercy of God mean to you?
PRINCIPLES
8) The Lord's greatness is worthy of exaltation.
9) The mercy of God is deserving of praise.
10) The glory of the Lord covers the earth because His goodness is limitless.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Psalm 56:8-13
8 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: [are they] not in thy book? 9 When I cry [unto thee], then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God [is] for me. 10 In God will I praise [his] word: in the LORD will I praise [his] word. 11 In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me. 12 Thy vows [are] upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee. 13 For thou hast delivered my soul from death: [wilt] not [thou deliver] my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What does the psalmist ask the Lord? (v.8)
2) Why did the psalmist expect to happen when he cried out to the Lord? Why? (v.9)
3) What would the psalmist do in response? (v.10)
4) What was the psalmist's attitude toward the Lord? (v.11)
5) What else would the psalmist do unto the Lord? Why? (v.12-13)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) How sincere (truthful) is your relationship with the Lord?
7) What is more important to you, your relationship with the Lord, or your relationship with other people? Why?
8) What do you typically praise the Lord for?
PRINCIPLES
9) When we cry out to God, He will deliver us from the hand of our enemies.
10) We can trust the Lord with our fears and our tears.
11) God is merciful and full of compassion.
12) You enemies cannot do anything to you, unless the Lord allows them to.
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Isaiah 12:1-6
1 And in that day thou shalt say, O LORD, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
2 Behold, God [is] my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH [is] my strength and [my] song; he also is become my salvation.
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
5 Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this [is] known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great [is] the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) "In that day" why will the people of God exalt the Lord? (v.1)
2) Why will the people of God trust in the Lord, according to this verse? (v.2)
3) What will the people draw from in their jubilence? (v.3)
4) What else will God's people say about the Lord "in that day"? (v.4)
5) What will God's people do "in that day" and why? (v.5-6)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) How do you express your thanksgiving to the Lord?
7) What do you tell others about the Lord when you are rejoicing in Him?
8) How do you worship the Lord when He has blessed you unexpectedly?
PRINCIPLES
9) The Lord will not stay angry with His people forever.
10) The Lord is our Savior and Deliverer and He is worthy to be praised.
11) The redeemed of the Lord cannot be lukewarm about our Awesome God.
Monday, August 11, 2014
Psalm 71:17-24
17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto [this] generation, [and] thy power to every one [that] is to come.
19 Thy righteousness also, O God, [is] very high, who hast done great things: O God, who [is] like unto thee!
20 [Thou], which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, [even] thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) What had God done for the psalmist and when? (v.17)
2) What does the psalmist ask of the Lord and why? (v.18)
3) What does the psalmist declare about the Lord? (v.19)
4) What difficulties has the psalmist endured from the Lord? (v.20)
5) What confidence does the psalmist have in God despite his difficulties? (v.21)
6) How will the psalmist worship the Lord in spite of his troubles? (v.22-24)
7) What does the psalmist believe will happen to his enemies as he worships God? (v.24b)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
8) How do you typically interact with the Lord when you're facing trouble?
9) How do you typically respond to those who trouble you (your enemies)? Please descibe one such instance.
10) Have you ever praised and/or worshipped the Lord when you were troubled? If so, what happened?
PRINCIPLES
11) The best response to trials is praise!
12) The Lord often allows hardships to test our hearts!
13) Our enemies are often defeated when we praise God in the midst of our calamities!
