Sunday Scripture

Again today for Sunday Scripture we're continuing my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal I'm using here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP each Psalm too, though some of them are longer so I will likely only do a selected passage from many of them. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I've been attempting to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 28, zeroing in on verse 7, but I opted to SOAP verses 6-7.   

S= "Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications.

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped.  Therefore, my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise Him.  (Psalm 28:6-7)

O= Back in verse 1, David said he would cry to the LORD, his Rock.  In verse 2 he asks God to hear the voice of his supplications.  

In verse 6, he praises the Lord for hearing the voice of his supplication -- for answered prayer!  In verse 7 he states:

* The LORD is my strength.

* The LORD is my shield.

* My heart trusts in Him.

* I am helped.

THEREFORE

* My heart rejoices greatly.

* I will praise him with a song.

Cross-reference for "my shield" -- "But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head."  (Psalm 3:3)

Cross-references for "trusted in Him" -- "In the LORD put I my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?"  (Psalm 11:1)

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he that trusted in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about."  (Psalm 32:10)

Cross-reference for "song" -- "I will praise the name of God with a song; and magnify Him with thanksgiving."  (Psalm 69:30)

David said, "My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped."  

"As far as feeling goes, David is already 'helped'.  He feels himself delivered out of his peril.  Therefore, he says, my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song -- literally, out of my song -- which is explained to mean 'out of my store of song' -- will I praise Him.  He is ready to offer thanksgiving for a mercy not yet received."  -- The Pulpit Commentaries

A=  The Lord is my Rock.  I can cry to Him in times of trouble as David did, and know that He will hear me.  He is my strength and my shield.  As my heart trusts in Him, He helps me.  [The Pulpit Commentaries notes that David says "I am helped" -- that he sensed God's help even while he might have still been in danger.]. 

I can rejoice in this (and in so much more that He does for me), and can praise Him with a song! 

P= "Lord, what a blessing it is to understand that even when we don't see You working in our situations, You are in fact still working behind the scenes to protect and care for us and to work out Your perfect will in our lives.  How delightful is David's thought that he could praise You 'out of his store of song'.  I too have a store of 'psalms and hymns and spiritual songs' out of which to praise You.  May I always be quick to do so!  I pray in the praiseworthy name of Jesus!  Amen."

Reflection question: David learned to trust God in difficult situations, even when the Lord wasn't answering his prayers.

Think of a time when you felt like God was being silent.  How did God eventually help you?  How can that encourage you today as you wait on God to answer your prayers?

My response: I can recall a few situations like this, and some of them were truly horrible.  In the end, the Lord provided wisdom and other people to help, even turning situations in such a way that something others intended to hurt us actually worked to help us.  it worked to our advantage instead of harming us.  This is something that only God can do.  

This definitely encourages me today.  God is always working in situations even though we can't see what He is up to.  The answer will come in His timing.  

And that's our very, very simple study of Psalm 28:6-7.  Please dig more deeply into this on your own if these simple thoughts are a blessing.  There is always so much more to learn!

Sunday Scripture

 

Again today for Sunday Scripture we're continuing my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal I'm using here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP each Psalm too, though some of them are longer so I will likely only do a selected passage from many of them. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I've been attempting to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 26, zeroing in on verse 13, but I opted to SOAP verses 13-14.   

S= "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 
"Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He will strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the LORD."  (Psalm 27:13-14)

O= In the Scofield study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles Psalm 27 "Triumphant Faith".  

Cross-reference for "the goodness of the LORD" -- "And He said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee,  and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."  (Exodus 33:19)

Cross-references for "the land of the living" -- "I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living."  (Psalm 116:9)

"I cried unto Thee, O LORD.  I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living."

Twice in verse 14 we're instructed to "wait on the LORD".  The phrase brackets the instructions to be of good courage and know that the Lord will strengthen our hearts.

Cross-references for "wait on the LORD" -- "Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land.  When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."  (Psalm 37:35)

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him."  (Psalm 62:5)

"Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD; and He shall save thee."  (Proverbs 20:22)

Sometimes it can be so hard to wait on the Lord to see how He will answer prayer and work in our lives.  We are tempted to pray, "Answer me speedily, O LORD, my spirit fails!"  (Psalm 143:7). But waiting on the Lord strengthens our faith and helps us to become stronger and more mature as Christians.

"When we become frustrated with God's apparent delay in answering our prayer ... remember that He is interested in developing faith and perseverance in our character." -- Dennis Fisher, Our Daily Bread

Cross-references for "Be of good courage" -- "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD."  (Psalm 31:24)

"Be strong and of good courage; fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."  (Deuteronomy 31:6)

"Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  (Joshua 1:9)

A= David said that he would have lost heart in the midst of his difficulties if he had not believed he would live to see God's goodness.  He advises those in similar circumstances to 1) wait on the Lord; 2) Be of good courage -- and God would strengthen their hearts. 

It seems that David is saying he would have lost heart if he had not believed he would see God's goodness and strengthening hand in this lifetime.  

"The psalmist's expectation was not necessarily deliverance from bad circumstances but the hope of seeing 'the goodness of the LORD.'  That's something we can see even in times of trouble.  No matter what your situation, you can find evidence of God's goodness -- so keep looking for it with hope."  -- Herbert Vander Lugt, Our Daily Bread

P= "Lord, how I praise You that even in times of trouble we can always look for Your goodness -- and we will always find it.  You are always good, all the time, and You always have a good purpose in all that You allow to touch our lives.  What an encouragement that it in the midst of this earthly life!  I thank and praise You for Your goodness, in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection Question: David was in a dangerous situation because of evildoers who wanted to take his life.  But David believed.  He believed that he would see the goodness of the Lord, in the midst of his struggles and so he had courage to wait on the Lord.

How does your belief that God is good comfort you in the midst of your fears and trials? 

My response: It is incredibly comforting.  Knowing that God is always good, and that He always has a good purpose for trials in the lives of His children, makes all the difference in how I handle trials.

This has been a very shallow dive into Psalm 27.  As always, I encourage you to dig into this deeply meaningful psalm on your own!

Sunday Scripture

 

Again today for Sunday Scripture we're continuing my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal I'm using here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP each Psalm too, though some of them are longer so I will likely only do a selected passage from many of them. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I've been attempting to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 26, zeroing in on verse 3, but I opted to SOAP verses 1-3.   

S= "Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity.  I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide. 

"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; test my heart and my mind.

"For Thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth."  (Psalm 26:1-3)

O= C.I. Scofield titles Psalm 26 "David's integrity".  

Cross-reference for "judge me" (v.1) -- which reads "vindicate me" in the ESV -- "The LORD shall judge the peoples; judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me." (Psalm 7:8)

Cross-reference for "walked" (v.1) -- "But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be merciful unto me." (Psalm 26:11)

Cross-reference for "trusted" (v.1) -- "In the LORD put I my trust; how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?  (Psalm 11:1)

Cross-references for "examine" (v.2) -- "Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just; for the righteous God testeth the minds and hearts." (Psalm 7:9)

"Thou hast proved mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tested me, and shalt find nothing.  I purpose that my mouth shall not transgress."  (Psalm 17:3)

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts."  (Psalm 139:23)

Cross-reference for "test" (v. 2) -- "For Thou, O LORD, hast tested us; Thou hast tried us, as silver is tried."  (Psalm 66:10)

Cross-reference for "loving-kindness" (v.3) -- "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep His covenant and His testimonies." (Psalm 25:10)

Cross-references for "truth" (v.3) -- "Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth; unite my heart to fear Thy name." (Psalm 86:11)

Hezekiah prayed, "I beseech Thee, O LORD, remember now, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight.  And Hezekiah wept very much."   (2 Kings 20:3)

I was curious to find out why the KJV, which I am using for this study, translates the last word of verse 3 "truth" and the ESV and some others translates it "faithfulness."  

One clue might be in Isaiah 25:1, which reminds us, "Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth."

I found another clue in Believer's Bible Commentary, which tells us, "David had indeed conducted himself with moral integrity ... he had always kept the Lord's lovingkindness before him and had walked in faithfulness to God's Word."

And yet another in the Amplified Bible's rendering of this verse, which reads:
"For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked [faithfully] in Your truth."

A= David confidently asked God to judge him, prove him, examine him, and test his heart and his mind.  He knew that as he walked in God's faithfulness and truth, his steps would not slide.  He kept God's loving-kindness in the forefront of his thinking.

David said that he had walked in God's truth, avoided sinful entanglements, and spent time worshiping with others.  In the same way, believers should seek to live by biblical principles, guard against ungodly influences, and worship regularly at a Bible-believing church. 

"The integrity David wrote about should be a goal for us as believers in Jesus.  As we grow more and more like the One we worship, our lives will be marked by truth and right thinking.  Each day we should ask God to help us live a life of integrity."  -- Dave Branon, Our Daily Bread

P= "Lord, I thank You that it is Your faithfulness that enables me to walk faithfully in Your truth.  Help me to do this every day -- to seek to live by the principles of Your Word, to guard against ungodly influences from any direction, to worship with fellow believers and in my own personal quiet times.  I praise You for Your faithfulness, in the name of the One who is faithful and true, Amen."

Reflection Question: The word "walk" is repeated multiple times in this Psalm.  David resisted evil by walking with the LORD.  

What does it mean to walk in faithfulness and how are you displaying this in your life?

My response:  I think walking in faithfulness could be defined as living a life of integrity as described in the Application section.  All of this will help us to walk in faithfulness, but I think we need to recognize that ultimately it is God's faithfulness to us that enables us to walk in faithfulness to Him.  

"Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it."  (1 Thessalonians 5:29)

That is an exceedingly brief look at Psalm 26:1-3.  As always, please dig deeper on your own if you have time.  It is mind-boggling to consider all that can be gleaned from the study of Psalms.

A few goals for August

 So July got completely by me and no "official" goals were set.  However, that doesn't mean that nothing was accomplished.  Lots and lots got done.  Sadly, things were so busy and happening so fast that I didn't get to record or blog about any of it.  One thing I did do, speaking of blogging, was to post every single day of July in my Christmas blog, for Christmas in July.  I also had many, many orders in my Etsy shop during July.  And now,  here are some goals for August.

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week

* Post in this blog as often as possible 

* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible

* Continue planning and making Christmas gifts and decor

* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones

* Continue studying and preparing for my Sunday Scripture blog posts

* Read through the August passages of the Daily Walk Bible

* Get together with friends and extended family while our NV family is visiting

* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating

* Get early light each morning

* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home

* Drink enough water each day

* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

*  Do a lot of cleaning and decluttering at our home in preparation for our NV family's visit

* Continuing preparing for and teaching a ladies Sunday School class

* Plan for and enjoy an August visit from our Nevada family

* Work at our volunteer jobs as needed, including a few days of cooking

* Prepare and freeze food ahead of time for the above ministry opportunity 

* Clean the church 3 weeks out of the five

* Seek to encourage friends by email and phone chats

* Figure out finishes for some completed cross-stitch and embroidery projects

HEALTHY HABITS FOR AUGUST:  Drink more water/get more sleep/exercise daily/intermittent fasting/limit carbs/get morning light

WORD FOR 2026: Intentional

And there you have it -- a few goals for August 2026!