Why can we cry out to God with confidence?

"Preserve my soul; for I am holy: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee" (Psalm 86:2).
In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:

God has promised to preserve His people (Isa. 49:8). Often in the Psalms God is praised for this quality. Here David asked for God to be his guard and watchman so that his life would be saved. In previous lessons we have focused upon the faithfulness (steadfast love) of God to those who are in a covenant relationship with Him. The word here is the same; only this time it is used of man's faithfulness to his side of the covenant. The claim of the psalmist was not a boast of superiority, but a plea of sincerity. It was a plea based upon his covenant relationship with Yahweh. It might say, “Lord, I am one of your children. I have done what you asked me to do!” Save . . . that trusteth in thee. Here again David gave God a motivational statement for answering his prayer. He claimed a unique relationship between those who trust in each other.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 53.

2016-10-29T09:00:00+00:00October 29th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: , |0 Comments

Does it make sense for a song of praise to include a prayer for help?

In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:

Psalm 40 has two quite distinct parts. Verses 1-10 are a thanksgiving Psalm; verses 11-17 are an individual lament. The NIV Study Bible draws this conclusion: “The message is that even when God answers prayer and provides relief, there will usually come a new crisis that forces a return to God as one's refuge and deliverer.”

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 34.

2016-10-07T09:00:00+00:00October 7th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: |0 Comments

What should we do after praying to God about our troubles?

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD. (Psalm 27:14)

In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:

This closing exhortation may have been self-talk, the psalmist’s instructions to others based upon what he had just experienced, or the words of a third party to the psalmist. It concludes a Psalm characterized by imperatives with three more. Wait on the LORD suggests the idea of “Don’t give up.” This is active waiting — with expectation and hope, not resignation and exasperation. Be of good courage could be paraphrased, “Be tough.” Christians are not soft-skinned weaklings. They are warriors who must expect the adversities of battle. But in the battle we must not forget our resources. He shall strengthen thine heart. There is an interesting parallel in these two lines. God is said to do for us what we are commanded to do for ourselves.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 25.

2016-09-24T09:00:00+00:00September 24th, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: |0 Comments

How do you approach God in times of trouble?

In "God's Word for Today" David Woods writes:

The faithful respond to crises by expressing faith in God. David was surrounded by wicked nations. He was distressed. Instead of uttering a panicky prayer, however, he worshiped God, and while doing so poured out his concerns and desires to God.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 5.

2016-09-03T09:00:00+00:00September 3rd, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: |0 Comments

Can we be sure of God's answer to our prayer?

In "Biblical Perspective" Gordon Snider writes:

David called for God to exert His power against David's enemies not only because of the rightness of his case, but also in judgment of their evil deeds. (The Hebrew grammar here allows us to understand verses 5 and 6 either as a request for God's action or that David was so sure that God would answer his prayer that he put the verbs in past tense although the event was still future.) In effect, David was saying, “Act in defense of your great name, as well as for my benefit.” Put out their name for ever.

Source: Studies in the Psalms: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 5.

2016-08-31T09:00:00+00:00August 31st, 2016|Categories: Lesson Highlights|Tags: |0 Comments
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