The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Psalm 7, 27, 31, 34, 52
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 5: Kings and Prophets: God shapes a kingdom people
Background Information: Psalm 7, 27, 31, 34, 52
These were desperate times for David–disorienting days of running, hiding, persecution and fear. He had gone from a simple shepherd boy, a nobody, to a man thrust into the national spotlight with a murderous king seeking his death. In these Psalms he turns to the Lord and tells himself the truth. He is confident that the pit being dug for him will entrap the one who digs it (Psalm 7:15). He is certain that he will see the Lord’s goodness in the “Land of the living,” he need only wait for the Lord and have courage (Psalm 27:13,14). We see that David’s unjust suffering is a foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus. On the cross, the Lord cried out, “Into your hand I entrust my spirit” (Psalm 31:5). In Psalm 34, David expresses his relief when his feigned insanity worked. Imagine the stress of pretending to be insane when your life depended on it. It was a sort of “Hail Mary” attempt that miraculously worked, but David gave the credit to God, not to his own acting ability. Psalm 52 is David expressing his guilt, grief, and anger in response to the wicked Doeg. David felt terrible remorse that he had been partially responsible for the carnage that Doeg had inflicted on an entire community (1 Samuel 22:22). How did David deal with his guilt and anger? He took it to the Lord. He knew that Doeg would someday face the justice of God. In all of this, David “preached the truth to himself.” Today, in all that you face, preach the gospel to yourself. Tell yourself the truth and do not listen to the emotions and rogue thoughts that tell you God is not good or just. You will see the goodness of God in the land of the living and beyond. Trust him today.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for God to give Joey & Lia ability to learn language as they live overseas. Pray for opportunities today to share the gospel with Buddhists around them.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.