October 26, 2015
Psalm 18:1-9 KJV
1 [[To the chief Musician, [A Psalm] of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day [that] the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,]] I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower. 3 I will call upon the LORD, [who is worthy] to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, [even] into his ears. 7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. 9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness [was] under his feet.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Under what circumstances did David (the psalmist) write this psalm? (v.1a-1b)
2) What had the Lord become to psalmist and what did David commit to the Lord, as a result? (v.1c-3)
3) What sorrows compassed the psalmist? (v.4-5)
4) What did David do in his distress and how did the Lord respond? (v.6)
5) How was the Lord's wrath made evident within Himself, on the earth, and in heaven, in response to David's distress?
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
6) What has the Lord done for you when you were distressed?
LIFE LESSONS
7) The Lord will always move the heavens and the earth to deliver those, who are intimate with Him, from their distress.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Isaiah 10:20-25
20 And it shall come to pass in that day, [that] the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.
21 The remnant shall return, [even] the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.
22 For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness.
23 For the Lord GOD of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian: he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.
25 For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Whom had God's people relied upon before their captivity? (v.20)
2) To whom would the remnant of God's people return after their captivity to Assyria was ended? (v.20-21)
3) What had the Lord righteously determined to do in "the midst of the land"? (v.22-23)
4) Why did the Lord tell His people not to be afraid of their enemies? (v.24-25)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
5) Have you ever wondered why the Lord has allowed certain hardships or calamities to befall you? If so, what was your conclusion?
6) If you answered affirmatively to the previous question, have you ever considered that the Lord allowed difficulties in your life to draw you closer to Himself?
7) Are you still suffering as a result of your choices that were not in keeping with God's perfect will for your life? If so, will you confess your sin and abandon your will to obey God's will for your life?
PRINCIPLES
8) God often uses our enemies (e.g., sickness, disease, or death) to draw us back to Himself.
9) God punishes, or vanquishes, our enemies for the torment caused in our lives.
10) God always reserves a remnant of His people for His glory.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Jer 32:26-35
26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
27 Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
28 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it: 29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.
30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
31 For this city hath been to me [as] a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face, 32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching [them], yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction. 34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. 35 And they built the high places of Baal, which [are] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Despite God's great love for His people and power, why was He handing them over to their enemies? (v.26-27, 30-34)
2) What would their enemies do to them? (v.28-29)
3) What abomination did the God's people commit that may have further provoked the Lord to anger? (v.35)
APPLICATION QUESTIONS
4) What sins have the citizens of the U.S. committed that may have provoked God to anger against us?
5) What sins have you committed in your own life that may have provoked the Lord to anger against you?
6) Have you confessed and repented of (turned away from ) all your sins? If not, why not.
PRINCIPLES
7) When God chastens His people He does so out of love.
8) The promises of God remain to the people of God despite the punishment of God.
9) The only way to escape God's wrath is to humble ourselves, seek the Lord through prayer, and repent of our sins (see 2 Chronicles 7:14).
