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 a selected passage from each Psalm too. [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 30, zeroing in on verse 5, but I chose to SOAP both verses 4-5.

S= "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of His, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.
"For His anger endureth but a moment; in His favor is life.  Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."  (Psalm 30:4-5)

O= The biblical superscription for Psalm 30 is "A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David".  C.I. Scofield titles the psalm "Praise for deliverance".

The Pulpit Commentaries offers this summary: "The particular occasion on which it was written is declared in the title to have been "the dedication of the house," by which it is impossible to understand anything but the dedication of the altar (with its precinct) on the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite, after the great plague sent to punish David for numbering the people, as related in 2Sa 24:1-25; 1 Chronicles 21:1-28. With this occasion its contents are in perfect harmony. It was probably sung at the thanksgiving service with which David inaugurated his altar."

Cross-references for "sing unto the LORD" --  "Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness."  (Psalm 97:12)

"And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to invoke and to thank, and praise the LORD God of Israel."  (1 Chronicles 16:7)

Cross-reference for "saints of His" -- "Gather My saints together unto Me, those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."  (Psalm 50:5)

Cross-references for "His anger endureth but a moment" --  "He will not always chide; neither will He keep His anger forever."  (Psalm 103:9)

"For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.  In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD, thy Redeemer."  (Isaiah 54:7-8)

Cross-reference for "in His favor is life" -- "Because Thy loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee."  (Psalm 63:3)

Cross-reference for "Weeping may endure for a night" -- "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

"For a night" literally means "in the evening".

"Joy" literally means "singing".

Cross-reference for "joy cometh"-- "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy".

A= "Psalm 30 illustrates thanksgiving, highlighting the believer's gratitude for God's involvement in his daily life." -- Daily Walk Bible

David says:

sing unto the Lord.
Give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

as saints of the Lord we are instructed to do this!

Because

God's anger endures only for a moment;
In God's favor is life;
Although weeping may endure for a night, joy comes in the morning.

"We remember, as David did, that God’s love and favor last for a lifetime. He has promised never to leave us nor forsake us. When God’s love comes into our thoughts, our feelings of sorrow and dread flee. Our mourning is turned into dancing, our garments of sackcloth and sorrow are stripped away and we are girded with gladness. We can rise to greet the day with shouts of ringing praise for His mercy, guidance, and protection. We rejoice in His holy name (30:11-12)." -- David Roper, Our Daily Bread

What a great way to apply Psalm 30:5 is suggested above.  May we truly greet each morning (and close each evening, too) with praise for God's mercy, kindness, and protection!

 P= Lord, there is so much to thank You for! I thank You for Your daily mercies and unfailing goodness, Your reassuring presence with me, Your loving favor that endures for a lifetime.  For the pardon of my sin, for bringing me out of darkness into Your marvelous light ... and for so much more!  I thank You that each day is a fresh new beginning to walk with You and praise Your name.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection Question: David was expressing thanksgiving to God for rescuing him.  After a season of darkness and weeping, joy had come!  

The mercies of God are new every morning.  Every sunrise brings the hope of a new and better day.   How does a new morning, with a fresh start, wipe away your tears and give you hope?

My response: Thinking of David's thanksgiving to God for rescuing him, I also give thanks to God for rescuing me from darkness -- the darkness of sin and a dismal future.  He has brought me out of darkness into His marvelous light, and for that I am deeply and truly thankful.

Dave Branon writes: "There is a way ... to find reasons to be thankful during even the darkest episodes of life. When the curtain of struggles seems to block out all joy, we can choose to be thankful.

One way is to look into Scripture to see all the things we have to be thankful for, which have nothing to do with circumstances. Despite our trials, we can give thanks for God’s unfailing goodness (Ps. 106:1); for God’s holy name (Ps. 30:4); for deliverance from sin (Rom. 7:24-25); for victory over death (1 Cor. 15:56-57); for God’s nearness (Heb. 13:5)."

It's such a blessing, also, to remember that God's mercies are new every morning.  Each morning also brings, as Anne of Green Gables famously said, "a new day with no mistakes in it yet."  It's a fresh start with the Lord as I seek to walk with Him each day.

That is our very surface study of Psalm 30:4-5.  Please dig deeper  into Psalm 30 for yourself.  If you, or someone dear to you, is enduring a night season of weeping, may it encourage you to be reminded that for the believer in Christ, joy comes in the morning!

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 we were to zero in on verse 4, but I chose to SOAP verses 3-4.

S= "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters.  The God of glory thundereth; the LORD is upon many waters.

"The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty."  (Psalm 29:3-4)

O= This is another psalm of David.  In my Scofield study Bible it is titled "God's mighty power."

Here David exhorts: "Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name" and to "worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness".  He goes on in the next seven verses to describe the power of the voice of the LORD.  It is upon many waters (v.3); full of majesty (v.4); it breaks the cedars (v.5); divides flames of fire (v.7); shakes the wilderness (v.8); causes deer to calve and strips forests bare (v.9).

"Psalm 29 illustrates praise, which is God-centered, focusing on God's glory as revealed in His mighty attributes and works." -- Daily Walk Bible 

Cross-reference for "the God of glory" (v.3) -- "And [Stephen] said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: The God of glory appeared unto our father, Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran."  (Acts 7:2)

In Gems From the Psalms, F.B. Meyer notes that Psalm 29 is "A perfect specimen of Hebrew poetry, giving a magnificent description of a thunderstorm, marching from north to south of Palestine ... We hear first the low, distant muttering of the thunder. The "many waters" may refer to the Mediterranean from which the storm arose . Coming nearer the tempest breaks on Lebanon and Sirion, the Sidonian name for Hermon. The cedars sway to and fro before the wild fury of the storm. Each thunder peal is accompanied by zig-zag forked lightning. The storm passes southwards to the desert Kadesh and to the rock-hewn cities of Petra."

So interesting!  So dividing flames of fire refers to forked lightning!  And we have all seen or heard of storms that lay entire swaths of forest bare,  What an amazing picture of a powerful storm these verses present!

Even though this little study does not go as far as the ending verses of the psalm, these are very much worth a mention.  Verses 9a-11 say:"...and in His temple doth every one speak of his glory.  The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever.  The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace."  God's strength is seen in the storm and also in the blessed peace that follows the storm.

F.B. Meyer continues, "In the Temple the gathered worshippers respond to the challenge of nature, and say, 'Glory! Every whit of it uttereth glory'.  He adds, "Oh that every whit of the inner temple of our hearts, and of the spiritual temple of the Church--each nail, and thread, and splint--might utter that same cry, 'Glory to God in the Highest'!" 

A= I love the idea that "every whit of the inner temple of our hearts" might utter the cry "Glory to God in the highest!".  Oh that we would grasp the truth that we are to do ALL to the glory of God!

"Where the word of a king is, there is power, but what imperial voice shall be likened unto the majestic thunder of the Lord?" -- C.H. Spurgeon

"Make it a pattern in your praying that before you get caught up in your own concerns, you get caught up in God's greatness.  Then you, like the psalmist, will be both praising and thanking the Lord." -- Daily Walk Bible

P= "Lord, I cannot even begin to praise You for Your majesty and power -- only a part of Your glory as revealed in Your attributes and works!  How awe-inspiring it is when we hear Your voice in the midst of a powerful storm.  I praise You that we can look to You in our own personal storms and know that You are sovereign over them.  We can actually hear Your reassuring voice: "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid." Help me to hear Your voice above the noisy world we live in as well as the noise of my own emotions.   I thank and praise You in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection Question: In this Psalm, David speaks of hearing the powerful voice of God, through nature, over and over.  It caused David to worship God.

We live in a noisy world.  Technology runs 24/7.  How do you hear God's voice and see His power on display in nature -- and how does that speak to your heart?

My response: One of the ways I love the most is to sit on rocks near the ocean and listen to the surf crashing against the cliffs.  It never fails to remind me of God's power, sovereignty, and majesty.  In addition, the regularity of the tides always speaks to me of God's order, constancy, and faithfulness.

Thunderstorms like the one described in this psalm, not to mention typhoons, hurricanes, tsunamis and other extreme weather events also show His amazing power and His ability to destroy as well as to create.

And that's a very general look at Psalm 29.  Please dig into this psalm more deeply on your own if you get a chance.  I know you will be blessed as you consider the voice of the Lord.

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!

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 25:5, but I chose to SOAP verses 4, 5, and 8.

S= "Show me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths.

"Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me; for Thou art the God of my salvation; On Thee do I wait all the day,

"Good and upright is the LORD; therefore will He teach sinners in the way."  (Psalm 25:4-5, 8)

O= In the Scofield study Bible, C.I. Scofield titles Psalm 25 "A plea for defense, guidance, pardon".  

Cross-references for "show me Thy ways" (v. 4) -- "Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face."  (Psalm 5:8)

"Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies." (Psalm 27:11)

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

"Make me to understand the way of Thy precepts; so shall I talk of Thy wondrous works." Psalm 119:27)

"Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee."  (Psalm 143:8b)

Cross-reference for "truth" (v.5) -- "For Thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth."  (Psalm 26:3)

Cross-reference for "good" (v.8) -- "For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."  (Psalm 100:5)

Cross-reference for "teach" (v. 8) -- "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." (Psalm 32:8)

A= Like David, I should desire to be taught by the Lord even in difficult times.  I should pray as David did: 

Show me Your ways;
Teach me Your paths;
Lead me in Your truth;
FOR
You are the God of my salvation.
You are good and upright and therefore
You will teach sinners in Your ways.

It is God's ways, God's paths, God's truth that I must be led in.  And God will do this because He is the God of my salvation.  He is good and upright and therefore He can be trusted to teach His ways to sinners like me.

Dennis Fisher, writing in Our Daily Bread, notes: "Wanting to be a teachable follower of God, David looked to his Redeemer for direction.  His heart's desire was to wait on God with dependent faith throughout the entire day."

Obviously, that should be my desire as well.

P= "Lord, how thankful I am that in Your grace and kindness You teach me Your ways.  Like David, I can and do pray to be led and taught in Your ways, Your path, and Your truth.  The result of going my own way will be completely useless and worthless in the end, so I pray that You will give me wisdom to make every moment of my remaining years of maximum usefulness to You.  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection question: David lifted his heart to God during difficult times.  He desired to be taught by the Lord during his season of waiting.

A mature believer desires to be taught by the Lord.  How are you being taught by the Lord and what have you learned by waiting on God to guide you?

My response: I definitely desire to be taught by the Lord and I feel that He is teaching me something new every day.  I've learned that God has a good purpose and lessons to teach me in all that He allows in my life -- and that His bottom-line purpose is always for me to continually grow in Christlikeness.

That's my very simple study of Psalm 25;4-5 and 8.  I hope it was a blessing!