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!