Sunday Scripture

 

 Time for another Sunday Scripture!  As I explained several weeks ago, I've made some changes in  my Sunday posts,  using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.  I truly hope that others are finding this as helpful as I am.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of June 9, but I will be working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this checklist first. This checklist offers us four points:  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I've been finding it so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Food prep-- for back-to-back events coming up at church on Saturday and Sunday.

2) Homemaking -- trying to catch up with home tasks and to do some decluttering

3) People --  phone calls and meet-ups, plus seeing old friends who are grieving and seeking to be a blessing to them.

[If you are following along with our study, this is the place to make a Week-at-a-Glance checklist and/or priority list for yourself!]

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to journal about our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week.  

Joys: It will be a joy to fellowship with many old friends on Saturday at a memorial service.  Sad reason, but joyful fellowship.  It will also be a joy to celebrate our 3rd anniversary as a merged church with a wonderful choir of staff from TWNE.

Worries: Not really worries, just concerns for my husband's health.  Trying to be sure we're doing what's best for him.  Also that everything goes smoothly with the two events this weekend.

Desires: Certainly that God will be glorified in the events of this week.  Also that the family of a dear saint having a memorial service for her at our church will be encouraged, comforted and blessed by our ministry to them.  And that our church anniversary on Sunday might be a wonderful testimony that will draw many to the Lord and encourage believers.

Stressors: Time and energy constraints, limitations of aging, and my hubby's skin condition.

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ... in full control of the events of this week.  You are able to provide the health, strength and energy I need for each activity.  You are even ale to expand my time and allow me to accomplish more than I think possible..

* Lord, I feel ...quite optimistic and energized for the week ahead.  I feel very thankful for this!

* Lord, help me with ... wise use of my time, especially with the food preparation I need to do and the household tasks I'd like to accomplish.

* Lord, forgive me for ... wrong, sinful or selfish attitudes that crop up from time to time.  Forgive me for wasting time occasionally, and help me to use each moment to its maximum potential.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a dear friend whose wife's memorial service is this weekend; a young couple seeking God's direction; another young couple seeking to raise their family to God's glory.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 127:1, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."  (Psalm 127:1)

O= The ESV reads: "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

Psalm 127 is one of fifteen "Songs of Ascents" -- Psalms that were sung by worshippers as they went up to Jerusalem for the great festivals -- OR possibly sung by pilgrims "on the ascending march from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem."  -- C.I. Scofield

One author wrote: "This Psalm  teaches us to depend in all our undertakings on the blessing of God. The Divine blessing is the only true source of prosperity. It should be sought on the threshold of every undertaking."

Cross-reference for "vain" -- "And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits."  (Leviticus 26:20)

Cross-reference for "except the LORD keep the city" -- "Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand."  (Psalm 121:4-5)

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures says: "All help, all protection, and all blessing come from God; without Him all labor, care, and trouble are vain."

Several sources suggested looking at Proverbs 10:22 -- "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it."

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the three questions from Fix your Focus:

* Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is sovereign over all the affairs of men.  He is the One who holds all things together.  He is our keeper.  He is the One who is to be the foundation on which we build our lives and homes.

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

I am a person who needs to build my life on the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His Word.  I am inadequate to build my life myself and would be foolish to build it on any other foundation.  I am inadequate in myself to protect myself.  Ultimately it is the Lord who protects me.

* Throughout the week, consider how these verses should affect the way you live.

I should seek to live my life as one whose life is built on the sure foundation of Christ and His Word.  My life outwardly should be consistent with my inward life.  Although I should be prudent and wise and be a good steward of my life, ultimately my protection comes from God.

One author noted that there is no prohibition here against our building or watching, but against our doing anything independently of God. If we are to succeed, we must be fellow workers with Him.

David Roper wrote in Our Daily Bread, "It’s useless to drive ourselves in anxious frenzy, “to rise up early, to sit up late” (127:2), as if success depended solely on our efforts. We must work hard and be faithful in all we do, but we must also realize that everything depends on God. He never stops working on our behalf."

Herbert Vander Lugt noted, "Some Bible scholars believe that in his later years Solomon wrote Psalm 127 out of his own bitter experience. He had discovered at last the futility of going his own way.

"Our way is the path of human wisdom and self-reliance. It leads to frustration and emptiness. God’s way involves trusting Him, obeying Him, and depending on Him. It leads to satisfaction and joy—in part on earth but fully in heaven. Each day let’s choose to live God’s way."

P= "Lord, I praise You for the wisdom to be found it Your Word.   Truly You give wisdom for every aspect of life, and You give us clear direction for living our lives in a way that pleases You.  I pray that You will help me to trust and obey You, depending on You through every moment of life, realizing that I can do nothing of eternal value in my own strength.  Having built my life on the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that You will help me to work hard and do my best, living as one whose foundation is in Him.  It's in His name that I pray! Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) Breakfast out, at an iconic New Hampshire landmark, with friends on the Monday.

2) Taking some time on our own after breakfast that day to drive some scenic back roads in New Hampshire and Vermont.

3) Spending an hour with a dear friend along our route.

4) Seeing significant changes in my hubby's skin issues.

5) Getting to spend some time with dear young friends and their children on Saturday.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FASTING. We were to make a plan concerning what we would fast from, and what would be the duration and frequency of our fast.  We were also to consider how we might replace our fasted item with the pursuit of God and His Word.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

  I do intermittent fasting daily, fasting approximately 16 to 18 hours each day.  This practice absolutely does free up time for spending in God's Word and in prayer, and I take full advantage of that!

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

It is the Lord, not human effort, that makes any task successful.

We can take this encouraging thought into the coming week as we seek to serve God in His strength and not our own.

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Sunday Scripture

 Yes, it's time for another Sunday Scripture!  I'm currently using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of May 26, but I will be working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this week-at-a-glance checklist first.  [Maybe you would like to use this same checklist if you are following along with us.]

This checklist offers us four points;  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I think it would be so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Time with friends and family on Memorial Day 

2) Gifts for friends and family -- finish Abigail's blanket; send check to Dawn; order Jim's gift card

3) Time at home -- homemaking, Etsy shop, getting some extra rest.

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to journal about our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears..  Continued concerns for my hubby's skin condition, though there's been some slight improvement.

Joys: Looking forward to fellowship with friends, time at our cottage, just the joy of time at home, too.

Worries: A worrisome situation or two that I'm seeking to leave with the Lord..

Desires: My main desire for this week is that God will be glorified in its events.  I also desire to finish a handmade baby gift and to find time for listing items in my Etsy shop.

Stressors: My hubby's health needs and how best to address them.  Also the many flakes of skin that must be vacuumed up daily.  Extended family dynamics are also stressful.

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ... fully aware of all of my concerns and stressors going into this week. You are in control of and sovereign over each one.  You are the great Physician who is more than able to heal this skin condition.  You are wisdom and will give me wisdom for each situation I face.

* Lord, I feel ... still tired from the busyness of recent weeks and as if I'm not quite caught up from all of that.  I feel as if I'm still moving quite slowly and still need to pace myself.  I do feel optimistic about the week ahead, though.

* Lord, help me with ... everything that's on my plate this week.  Help me with my attitudes and with eating right and exercising to maintain my energy levels.  Help me too with getting enough sleep.

* Lord, forgive me for ...  wrong attitudes and laziness, and for failing to trust You at times.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a wayward grandson, a family with sickness in the house, a young couple seeking God's direction, and an older friend who has just returned home from rehab.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 34:19, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalms 34:19)

O= The biblical heading for this psalm is "A Psalm of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed." Concerning this, Charles Spurgeon wrote: 

"Although the gratitude of the psalmist prompted him thankfully to record the goodness of the Lord in vouchsafing an undeserved deliverance, yet he weaves none of the incidents of the escape into the narrative, but dwells only on the grand fact of his being heard in the hour of peril".

That is interesting, I think!

 C.I. Scofield titles Psalm 34 "The LORD delivers His own".

We could simply reword the verse this way: Righteous people will have many afflictions, but the LORD will deliver them out of each one.

Back in verse 17 of Psalm 34 David says, "The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth; and delivereth them out of all their troubles."

Cross-reference for "many are the afflictions ..." -- "Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, but out of them all the Lord delivered me.  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,"  (2 Timothy 3:11-12)

Cross-references for "but the LORD delivereth" -- "This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and delivered him out of all his troubles."  (Psalm 34:6

"And when Peter was come to himself, he said, now I know of a surety that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews."  (Acts 12:11)

A= * Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is all-knowing and knows every affliction that His people are dealing with.  He is all-powerful and is able to deliver His people out of each trial.  He hears the prayer of the righteous when they call to Him, and He will deliver them. 

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

As one of God's people ("the righteous") I can know that I will have many afflictions throughout life.  Being a Christian does not guarantee a trouble-free life.  Trials are a fact of life and will come to all of us.

* Throughout the week, consider how these verses should affect the way you live.

I should never be surprised by trials.  Most believers are either experiencing a trial, just coming out of a trial, or just about to enter a trial.  I should remember that God has a purpose in each trial and, when His purposes have been served, He will deliver me out of each trial in His perfect timing.  I should concentrate on navigating each trial God's way, seeking to grow through it and asking for His purposes to be accomplished in it.

Warren Wiersbe says, "The psalmist does not say, 'I thought the Lord kept us out of afflictions. I thought that if I read my Bible every day and prayed and tried to obey His will, I would never have any afflictions.' Instead, he says that we will face many afflictions.

"Often, afflictions are God's tools for helping us grow. We don't really grow until we've been through the furnace, through the storm or through the battle. God is not raising hothouse plants that shrivel when the hot wind blows on them. No, He wants to raise mature sons and daughters, and that's why we have afflictions. 

"He doesn't keep us out of them. He delivers us from them. Sometimes He changes the circumstances. Sometimes He changes us. The real secret of deliverance is not the circumstance around you but the faith within you. Expect affliction, but trust God for deliverance."

P= Lord, I'm so thankful for the truths of Your Word!.  The Psalms have long been precious to me for many reasons, and this verse from Psalm 34 is an encouragement.  I know that afflictions and trials are a part of life and that You have a good purpose in each trial and affliction that You allow.  I'm thankful that You will deliver us from our afflictions and that we can trust in that promise.  I praise You for how You are working in my life, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) Strength to serve at TWNE during a very busy time.

2) Wisdom in pacing myself both at my volunteer job and at home.  Without God's wisdom, I wouldn't think to do this..

3) A couple mornings of not setting an alarm.

4) Flexibility to make some dietary changes for my hubby's health.

5) Good quality time in God's Word each day.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on SERVING.  We were to think about resources available to us and to consider how we could serve those in need this week.

Here's what we did: A phone call with Jennifer; time at the park with my young friend R. and her kiddos; a financial donation to a gift card for a recent widow.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

I will face adversity, but the Lord will rescue me.

What a great challenge for all of us in the coming week!

Sunday Scripture

For Sunday Scripture posts currently, I'm using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus. This is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of May 12, but I am working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this week-at-a-glance checklist first.  [Maybe you would like to use this same checklist if you are following along with us.]

This checklist offers us four points;  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I'm finding it so helpful!

 For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Saturday's ladies and girls brunch at church -- preparing food, bringing items to decorate with.

2) Family -- sympathy cards to extended family; talking with my NV daughter; figuring out my son-in-law's birthday gift.

3) Service -- cleaning and other prep work at TWNE, plus preparing for a ladies' Sunday School class and blogging too.

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to journal about our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week,.  Maybe a concern for my hubby's skin condition to improve..

Joys: It's always a joy to serve at TWNE and at church.  I find joy in teaching Sunday School and in blogging.  It's a true joy to spend time at our cottage.  And I'm looking forward to a joyous time at our ladies' brunch..  .

Worries: No real worries.  Just a concern that we are pursuing the best course in some matters.

Desires: That God will be glorified in the events of this week.  That believers will be edified and encouraged through Sunday School, one-on-one meetups, the brunch, and this blog.

Stressors: Tasks that won't stay done.  Irksome situations to deal with and work around.  Time constraints..

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ...in control of this week and all that it will hold.  You know all things and know each of my worries, joys, fears, desires, and stressors.  Not only do You know them all, but You are all powerful and all-wise and can work everything out for my eventual good and for Your glory.

* Lord, I feel ... tired.  A bit achy, like I've been doing too much.

* Lord, help me with ... the things on my plate this week.  Help me to be the best possible help to my husband during this trial with psoriasis.  Help me to use my time wisely.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I act in my own strength.  Times when I allow circumstances (or even people) to annoy me.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a young couple who need God's direction, our former pastor grieving the loss of his wife, a friend grieving the loss of her mother, and a grandson not walking with God.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 145:18, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

I had spent some time meditating on this verse in 2023, so I will be including some of that study here.

S= "The LORD is near to all those who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth." (Psalm 145:18)

O=  My Bible titles Psalm 145 thusly: "David's psalm of praise."  Scofield has given it the title "Praise to the gracious God."  All 21 verses of this psalm are filled with praise to God for all that He is and all that He has done and is doing. 

"It is David's, David's very own, David's favorite ... It is altogether praise, and praise pitched in a high key.  David had blessed God many a time in other psalms, but this he regarded as peculiar, his crown jewel of praise."

Spurgeon wrote concerning the Bible's title of Psalm 145 as "David's psalm of praise": 

Here in verse 18 David declares:

* The LORD is near to all who call upon Him in truth.

A cross- reference for "near" in verse 18 --  

"For what nation is there so great, that hath God as near unto them, as the LORD our God is, in all things that we call upon Him for?"  (Deuteronomy 4:7)

"Not only near by His omnipresence, but to sympathize and favor.  He does not leave praying men, and men who confess His name, to battle with the world alone... 'All' who place themselves beneath the shield of His glorious name by calling themselves by it, and by calling upon it in supplication, shall find Him to be a very present help in trouble." -- Charles Spurgeon

"The nearness or remoteness of a friend is very material and considerable in our troubles, distresses, wants, dangers, etc.  I have such a friend, and he would help me, but he lives so far off ... But it is not thus with you, O Christians!  who have a God so nigh unto you, who have the signal presence of God in the midst of you.  Yea, who have a God always standing by you."  --Thomas Brooks

A cross-reference for "truth" -- 

"God is a spirit; and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."  (John 4:24) 

 "To call upon God in truth is, first, to repose an implicit confidence in the faithfulness of His promise, and to look for unlimited answers to prayer from the riches of His grace in Christ Jesus.  But it is also to feel our own urgent need of the things for which we supplicate, and to realize an earnest and unfeigned concern to obtain them." -- Thomas Dale, 1853

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the questions from Fix Your Focus:  

🌿 Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is near to all who call upon Him in truth.  His name LORD is used here -- Jehovah, the self-existent One who always has been and always will be.

🌿 Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

I am a person who is in need of help, who calls upon God and finds Him near because of my relationship with Jesus.

🌿 Throughout this week, consider how this verse should affect the way you live.  

I can call upon God at any time.  I can and should sense His nearness to me at all times.  I should keep short accounts with Him so I can call upon Him "in truth" at any time.

 Spurgeon wrote,  "To pray in truth, we must have a true heart, and the truth in our heart; and then we must be humble, for pride is a falsehood; and be earnest, or else prayer is a lie.  A God of truth cannot be nigh to the spirit of hypocrisy; this He knows and hates; neither can He be far removed from a sincere spirit, since it is His work, and He forsakes not the work of His own hands." 

 It is incredibly comforting and strengthening to know that God is always near to me.  I think one of the best ways to practice His presence and nearness is simply to speak with Him often: "Thank You, Lord!" when we see Him act or give wisdom; arrow prayers when we need help or guidance; words of praise and awe when we observe His glorious creation.

P= "Lord,  I am so thankful that You make it possible for us to know You and have a personal relationship with You!  I am thankful for  Your nearness to Your children and that I may speak to You at any time.  I pray that You will help me to be able to share with others how they also may have this relationship with You.  I pray also that You will help me to encourage other believers to cultivate the closeness to You that You want for all of us to have. Help my very life to be a hymn of praise to You.  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) Strength for busy days at TWNE.

2) A fun Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra concert that our granddaughter and friends played in.  

3) Meaningful study times in God's Word.

4) Supper out with family on Mother's Day

5) Getting together with my young friend R. last Monday.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FASTING. We were to consider fasting from something this week in order to focus on our need for God.  What could we fast from?  What would be the duration of our fast? [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

   I chose to fast from sugar Monday through Friday.  I ordinarily do intermittent fasting anyway, and use the time gained by not eating breakfast in additional Bible study and prayer.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

The Lord is near; when I call, He hears.

We can take this encouraging thought into the coming week and communicate with God often!

Sunday Scripture

 

We're continuing with our ongoing series on my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal 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 16.   Since I actually posted about Psalm 16:1-11 in February 2024 in my simple study from Rachel Wojo called Everything Beautiful, I am going to copy and paste some of that, with the new content being my prayer, some application thoughts, and answers to the Reflection Question. (You can read about that study here: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan.) So here goes:

 S=  "Preserve me, O God; for in Thee do I put my trust.
"O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to Thee;
"But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
"Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
"The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.
"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
"I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
"I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
"For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.
"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."   (Psalm 16:1-11)

O= This psalm is titled by Scofield "The path of love and joy."

The Bible titles it "Michtam of David".  I've mentioned this before, but Spurgeon notes in The Treasury of David: "Michtam is usually understood to mean THE GOLDEN PSALM, and such a title is most appropriate, for the matter is as the most fine gold."

Psalm 16 is considered to be a Messianic psalm pointing to the resurrection of Christ.

But it has a message for me as well, a message that I can take from this without doing any disservice to the Scriptures:

1) God will preserve those who put their trust in Him; they are eternally secure.
2) God is my portion and the One who maintains my lot.
3) God will give me counsel as I look to Him.
4) God will show me the path of life.
5) In God's presence there is fullness of joy.
6) At God's right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Here are a few cross-references:

"Preserve" (verse 1) -- "Keep me as the apple of the eye: hide me under the shadow of Thy wings."  (Psalm 17:8) 

"Whom" (verse 3) -- "I am a companion of all those who fear Thee, and of those who keep Thy precepts."  (Psalm 119:63)

"Lips" (verse 4) -- "And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect; and make no mention of the names of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth."  (Exodus 23:13)

"I have set the LORD always before me ... " (verse 8) -- The cross-reference here is to Acts 2:25-28 where Peter is preaching.  He quotes this verse and more from Psalm 16.

Concerning the word "trust" (verse 1) Scofield explains, "Trust is the characteristic Old Testament word for the New Testament 'faith' and 'believe'.  It occurs 152 times in the OT and is the rendering of Hebrew words signifying to take refuge, to lean on, to roll on, to wait for."

We looked at this more closely a few weeks ago -- and wow!  do these thoughts ever give greater dimension to what it means to trust biblically!

Regarding verse 2, Warren Wiersbe notes in With the Word, "You have taken a giant step toward true Christian maturity when you can say to the Lord and mean it, 'my goodness is nothing apart from You'." 

A= We can put our unwavering trust in God, knowing that He will preserve us.  God is the One who cares for me and maintains my lot.  I can be glad when I consider all that He has done for me and for all of His people.  He will continually show me the path of life as I look to Him and keep my eyes on Him.   He will help me to walk in a way that pleases Him.

Warren Wiersbe notes that this psalm highlights
* Good fellowship -- "God's people are not perfect, but we should delight in their fellowship and not in the fellowship of the world's crowd."
* Good heritage -- "Not just God's gifts, but God Himself!"
* Good counsel -- "God gives wisdom if you will ask Him.  God teaches you in the darkness as well as in the light."
* Good hope -- This passage is one of the few in the Old Testament dealing with resurrection.  It refers to the resurrection of Christ, and that is what gives us our hope."

As God's children we have so very, very much to thank Him for!

P= "Lord, how I praise You for the amazing blessings and benefits of being Your child!  There are far too many to count.  How thankful I am for Your care for me every day!  I pray that You will help me to keep my eyes on You as You show me the path of life each day.  Help me to have an unwavering trust in You through the remainder of my earthly pilgrimage, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection question: God will not abandon us!  The pleasures of the world are empty but God's joy is full.  God's presence is with us and He gives pleasure for both now and eternity.

Just because we are believers that does not mean we get to experience a trouble free life.  But sometimes we focus too much on what our faith is costing us and we forget all the benefit!  List below some of the benefits and pleasures of being a child of God.

My response:  I jotted down a quick list, all that I had space for.  Here it is:

* We can come to Him in prayer, anywhere, anytime.

* We can be assured that He will provide for all of our needs.

* We know that He will never leave us or forsake us.

* We can boldly say that He is our helper.

* God has a plan and purpose for each one of our lives.

* Jesus is interceding for us in heaven.

* God promises to be our refuge and hiding place.

* We have a home awaiting us in heaven and are citizens of a heavenly country.

* God is conforming us to the image of His Son.

* He cares for us and we can cast all of our cares upon Him.

* He keeps us in perfect peace as we stay our minds on Him,

* He gives us strength for the demands of every day.

In addition, there are all of the benefits mentioned in the quote from Wiersbe in the Application section above.

And there is our study of Psalm 16.  I hope it was a blessing!

A quick note:  Recently I've sensed God prompting me to temporarily step away from the series on Psalms I've been working through for my Sunday Scripture posts.  Instead, I am going to be working through a guide called Fix Your Focus, from Daily Grace Co.  Hopefully you have all read my post concerning this change and how God led me to it.  

(I'll still be working on my personal study of Psalms and will write and schedule the posts for future Sunday Scripture posts in 2026.  However, from March 16 and forward I'll be posting about Fix Your Focus on Sundays.

Hopefully some of you would like to join me!

 

Sunday Scripture

 We're continuing with our ongoing series on my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal 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 will attempt to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 15.   There are only 5 verses, so I chose to SOAP them all.  Here we go!

S= "LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle?  Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?

"He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart,

"He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor,

"In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honoreth them that fear the LORD: he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;

"He that putteth not out his money to interest, nor taketh reward against the innocent.  He that doeth these things shall never be moved."  (Psalm 15)

O= Psalm 15 is simply titled headed "A Psalm of David".  Scofield titled it "The man who abides with God". 

 Psalm 15 is nearly identical in wording to verses 3-5 of Psalm 24:

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?  Or who shall stand in His holy place?

"He who hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

"He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

There are also similarities to Isaiah 33:14-16:

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.  Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?  Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

"He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that restraineth his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 

"He shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the strongholds of rocks.  Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be pure." 

Psalm 15 is very simply constructed.  

Verse 1 asks two questions:

* Lord, who shall abide in Your tabernacle?

* Who shall dwell in Your holy hill?

Verses 2-5 list eleven ways the person who walks with God will live.

Verse 5 ends with a summary that the one who does these things will never be moved.

Cross-reference for "tabernacle" (v.1) -- "I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Thy wings.  Selah."  (Psalm 61:4)

Cross-reference for "holy hill" (v.1) -- "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion".  (Psalm 2:6)

Cross-reference for "walketh uprightly" (v. 2) -- "Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his way shall fall at once."  (Proverbs 28:18)

Cross-reference for "worketh righteousness" (v.2) -- "Blessed are they that observe justice, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."  (Psalm 106:3)

Cross-references for "truth" (v.2) -- "These are the things that ye shall do: Speak every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates."  (Zechariah 8:16)

"Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."  (Ephesians 4:25)

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds."  (Colossians 3:9)

Cross-references for "backbiteth not" (v.3) -- "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor; I am the LORD.  Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not allow sin upon him.  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the LORD."  (Leviticus 19:16-18)

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile."  (Psalm 34:13)

Cross-reference for "taketh up a reproach" (v.3) -- "Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness."  (Exodus 23:1)

Cross-reference for "sweareth to his own hurt" (v.4) -- Jephthah had vowed a foolish, shortsighted vow unto the Lord: "If Thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace ... shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." 

As it turned out, it was his daughter who came out to meet him, and "when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter!  Thou has brought me very low ... for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back."  (Judges 11:35)  Certainly a pertinent example of someone swearing to his own hurt!

Cross-references for "putteth not out his money to usury/interest" (v.4) -- "If thou lend money to any of My people who is poor among you, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury."  (Exodus 22:25)

"Take thou no interest from him, or profit, but fear thy God, that thy brother may live with thee."  (Leviticus 25:26)

"Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; an interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of anything that is lent upon interest."  (Deuteronomy 23:19)

"He that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between God and man."  (Ezekiel 18:8)

"In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord GOD."  (Ezekiel 22:12)

Cross-references for "nor taketh reward against the innocent" (v.5) -- "And Thou shalt take no bribe; for the bribe blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous."  (Exodus 23:8)

"Thou shalt not distort justice: thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous." (Deuteronomy 16:19)

A= Warren Wiersbe summarizes the application for this psalm so well: "God's children have open access into His presence through the work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-25).  He is our High Priest and Advocate in heaven, and He welcomes us.  We come on the basis of His righteousness, not our own.  But we had better be sure we have experienced the cleansing of Hebrews 10:22 before we rush into His presence."

"Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."  (Hebrews 10:22)

P= "Lord, how I thank You for this psalm!  Although I seek to walk blamelessly every day, there are those inevitable times when I mess up and do (or more often say) something stupid.  I thank You that there is always a way back and an opportunity to start anew.  I pray that You will help me to keep short accounts with You and have victory over sin in my life hour by hour, even moment by moment.  I thank You for how You will help me, in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection question: David lists eleven ways we should live if we want to have sweet fellowship with God.  

Which of these stood out to you as something you need to work on in your life?

My response:  I began by jotting down the list of eleven ways to live:

🌲 walk blamelessly

🌲 do what is right

🌲 speak truth in our heart

🌲  do not slander with our tongue

🌲  do no evil to our neighbor

🌲 do not take up a reproach among friends

🌲  despise vile persons

🌲  honor those who fear the LORD

🌲  swear to our own hurt and do not change

🌲 do not put out our money at interest

🌲  do not take bribes against the poor.

As for what stands out as something I need to work on in my life,  I chose the first way: Walk blamelessly.  I seek to do this always, but I can so easily slip up in little things.

Warren Wiersbe explains, "This psalm helps us examine our walk, our work, and our words (v.2).  The inventory includes our relationship with others (v.3-4), how we keep our promises, and how we use our money (v.5)."  He adds, 

"Meditating on this psalm and pondering these 'qualifications' could help us deepen our relationship with God."

And there is our Sunday Scripture!  Hope it was a blessing!

Sunday Scripture

 

We're continuing with our ongoing series on my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal 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 will attempt to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 14.   There are just seven verses, and I chose to SOAP verses 1-4.  Here goes:

S= "The fool has said in his heart,  There is no God.  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. 
"The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
"They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
"Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge?  Who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD."  (Psalm 14:1-4)

O= The biblical heading for this psalm is "To the chief Musician, A psalm of David."  C.I. Scofield has titled Psalm 14 "A portrait of the godless."

David is definitely presenting a picture of the godless.  In verse 1 he describes them as 

• fools who say in their hearts that there is no God

• corrupt

• having done abominable things

• doing no good

David then pictures God as looking down upon humanity from heaven to see if there are any who understand their need to seek Him.

Verse 3 describes what God sees from His lofty vantage point:

• They are all gone aside

• They have altogether become filthy

• There are none that do good.

David describes them as 

-- workers of iniquity

-- who have no knowledge

-- who devour people as they would bread

-- who don't call upon the name of the Lord.

The wording of Psalm 14 is very close, nearly identical, to that of Psalm 53. 

Warren Wiersbe notes that this psalm presents a contrast between the generation of the wicked and the generation of the righteous, with the first group described at the beginning of the psalm, and the second group made up of those who've trusted the Lord and seek to know Him and His will.

Wiersbe sees the second group in verses 5-7, so I will show you those verses even though I'm not actually SOAPing them:

"There were they in great fear, for God is with the righteous.  You shame the counsel of the poor, but the LORD is his refuge.  Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!  When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad."

Cross-references for "fool" (v.1) -- "Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed Thy name. " (Psalm 74:18)

"Arise, O LORD, plead Thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily."  (Psalm 74:22)

We see Job describing his wife as this sort of a fool:  "Then said [Job's] wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity?  Curse God, and die.  But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh.  What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?  In all this did not Job sin with his lips."  (Job 2:9-10)

Cross-reference for "there is no God" (v.1) -- "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts."  (Psalm 10:4)

Cross-references for "corrupt" (v.1) -- "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."  (Genesis 6:5)

"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth."  (Genesis 6:11-12)

"There is none that doth good" (v.1) is cited in Romans 3:10 -- "As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one."

Cross-reference for "looked down from heaven" (v.2) -- "For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth."  (Psalm 102:19)

"Understand" (v.2) may also be read "act wisely".

Cross-reference for "understand" -- "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" (Romans 3:11)

Cross-references for "seek God" (v.2) -- "Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you, while ye are with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found by you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you."  (2 Chronicles 15:2)

"Nevertheless, there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the idols out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God."  (2 Chronicles 19:3)

Cross- reference for "they are all gone aside" (v.3) -- "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."  (Romans 3:12)

Cross-reference for "filthy" (v.3) -- "How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water!"  (Job 15:16)

Cross-references for "knowledge" (v.4) -- "They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are out of course."  (Psalm 82:5)

"For my people are foolish; they have not known Me.  They are stupid children, and they have no understanding; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."  (Jeremiah 4:22)

Cross-references for "who eat up my people" (v.4) -- "There is a generation, whose teeth are like swords, and their jaw teeth like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men."  (Proverbs 30:14)

"Pour out thy fury upon the nations that know Thee not, and upon the families that call not on Thy name; for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate."  (Hebrews 10:25)

"Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail."  (Amos 8:4)

"When the wicked, even mine enemies, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell."  (Psalm 27:2)

Cross-references for "call not upon the LORD" (v.4) -- "Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations that have not known Thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon Thy name."  (Psalm 79:6)

"And there is none that called upon Thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee; for Thou hast hidden Thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities."  (Isaiah 64:7)

A= The person who says in their heart that there is no God is a fool indeed.This psalm has so many similarities to Romans 3!

Wiersbe points out that this Psalm pictures both the generation of the wicked and the generation of the righteous.  He notes that the generation of the wicked "is composed of people who are 'practical atheists'.  God is not in their hearts, no matter what they may say and do outwardly.  They can live without God!  They disobey God and exploit people made in the image of God. They are corrupt and so they do corrupt things."

Concerning the generation of the righteous, Wiersbe notes that these people call on the LORD "and He answers (v.4).  God dwells with these people (v.5), protects them (v.6) and gives them joyful hope (v.7).  This group may not be large, but it is precious to God, and the future of God's program rests with it."

Wiersbe asks, "Of which group are you a member?  Have you made your allegiance known?"

My thoughts: I'm in the "generation of the righteous", thanks to Jesus' substitutionary death.  If not for His unspeakable sacrifice on my behalf, I would be in the generation of the wicked.  Yes, people know of my allegiance to God and His people.

I'm so thankful that God brought me to the place of understanding the futility of life apart from Him.

P= Lord, how I praise You for drawing me to Yourself and for saving me.  How I praise You that You dwell with me, protect me, lead and guide me, and give me joyful hope every day!  I can confidently call to You in times of need, knowing that You hear and answer.  I cannot praise and thank You enough for bringing me into "the generation of the righteous".  Help me to be a light to those who don't yet know you.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen.

Reflection question: David reflects on those who reject God and calls them fools.  It's interesting to note where they deny God -- it's in their hearts.  Verse 2 says the Lord is looking down from heaven to see if there are any who seek Him.  

We may have a lot of intellectual knowledge about God but ultimately our decisions are made by the loves and passions of our hearts.  How is your heart today?  Is it seeking God or seeking pleasure -- and how can you align your heart with the heart of God?

My response:  I too found it very interesting that it's their hearts where fools deny the existence of God.  My heart is to seek God rather than pleasure, but of course there are those times when other things get in the way.

It seems to me that the best way to align my heart with God's heart would be to be sure I'm spending quality time in His Word and in prayer, communicating with Him and getting to know his His heart.

And there is our study of Psalm 14.  I hope it was a blessing!