This Psalms study is another from Good Morning Girls. These are simple studies but I got so much from them. I like to use the SOAP method of Bible study, and the journal from GMG uses a very similar method. I find it a real blessing whether I am studying shorter passages or longer ones, and I hope that you will give this method a try if you haven't ever done so.
This week's study is from Psalm 112. The particular verse to zero in on was verse 6, but I chose to study verses 5-7. I also thought that in this case it was important to include verse 1, so I wrote that out at the top of my journal page:
"Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in His commandments." (Psalm 112:1)
S= "A good man ... will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved forever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD." (Psalm 112:5-7)
O= Verse 1 sets the tone for the entire psalm. We're exhorted to praise the Lord and we're reminded that the blessed man is the one who fears the LORD and delights in His Word. This person will then be able to guide his or her affairs with discretion. He will have a heart that is firmly fixed on God and will be able to trust God fearlessly, even in the face of trouble and difficulty.
A= Fearing God and delighting in His Word gives me the wisdom to live life in a way that pleases Him. Life right now is upside down and backwards, yet I still need to live life with discretion. In my lifetime, in this country, there has never been a more challenging environment in which to be a believer. I need to stay my mind and heart on God and move forward.
P= "Lord, I thank You that You are my steady Rock. I pray that You will help me to cling to You in these uncertain times, delighting greatly in Your Word and staying my mind on You. I pray that You will give me the wisdom I so desperately need to live my life in a balanced way in an unbalanced world. Thank You for all You'll do, in Jesus' name, Amen."
This particular lesson had a reflection question (many of them do, in this study, but sometimes I end up answering them in my SOAPing of the verse) that I'll share my answer to.
Question: When trials come, the depth of our roots in God are revealed. How deep are your roots? Is there an area where you have been shaken? If you have slipped, return to God and go deeper with Him. He loves you and wants to be your steady rock.
My answer: My roots are deep. I have not, by His grace, been shaken. Life can be scary right now as we see so many of our liberties being threatened and so many of our citizens believing lies. Yet we need not fear trouble. God is with us, and He will see us through anything that we may face.
I hope that this simple little study will be a blessing to someone else today!
OH yes, this is an excellent selection of verses for study and for our times today. You are spot on in your analysis and reflection of these words in light of today. I, too, have not been shaken, but I am greatly concerned for the direction our nation is headed and for the division and strife we see developing more and more each day. Praying for our nation is at the top of my prayer list each day, and praying that we, as believers in Christ, will be able to continue to stand strong in the face of much opposition in the days to come. Thank you for this timely post today. Have a blessed day of worship and praise in God's house today. Amen.
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