Category: Bible Journey

Reflections on Psalms 86-90

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Great God – Psalm 86 and 89 speak of our great God who is good, forgiving, loving, merciful, gracious, patient, faithful, righteous and just. Which of these things is especially meaningful to you today and why?  In response, the Psalmists want to give thanks and glory and exultation to God.  They want God to teach them.  They want to walk with him.  How will you respond?
  • Our Days – God is from everlasting to everlasting, but our days here are short (Psalm 90). How should this recognition affect the way we live?  How should it affect the way you live today?

Reflections on Psalms 81-85

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Temple – Psalm 84 proclaims the Psalmist’s desire to praise and seek the Lord at his temple. The church is God’s temple today (see Ephesians 2:19-22 and I Peter 2:4-5).  Do you have the psalmist’s desire to gather with God’s people to praise and seek the Lord?
  • Revive Us – Psalm 85 is a cry for God to revive them. God has forgiven their sins in the past, and the Psalmist’s desire is that God would do it again that they might rejoice in him.  For what sins do you need to seek forgiveness?  How do you need the Lord to spiritually revive you?  Ask him.

Psalms 81-90: Our Great God

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(86, 89) How does God compare to other gods (86:8-10, 89:5-8)?

How should we respond?

81:8-10 –

82:1-8 –

83:18 –

86:9, 89:5 –

(90) How does God compare to people (v2-4)?

How should we respond (v12)?  What does that mean?

(85-86, 89) What attributes of our great God do you find in 85:10-11, 86:5 & 15, 89:14?

How should we respond?

85:1-7 –

86:1-4, 16-17 –

89:1 –

(84, 89) Our great God is present with his people.  How should we respond to his presence (84:1-12, 89:15)?

(89) Describe the covenant our great God made in v3-4, 19-37.

In what ways does this covenant point to Jesus?

What does it mean for us?

(81-90) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Reflections on Psalm 76-80

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Great God – Psalm 77 reminds us that we have a great God. In response, we should ponder his mighty works (Psalm 77), tell of his glorious deed to the next generation (Psalm 78), and fear the Lord (Psalm 76).  What part do these responses have in your life?
  • Help – Psalms 79-80 are cries for help to God for deliverance and restoration. Asaph appeals for help for the glory of God’s name.  How would God’s help bring God glory?  For what situation do you need to cry out to God for help – for the glory of his name?

Reflections on Psalms 71-75

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Talk about God – In Psalm 71, the psalmist wants to tell of God’s righteous acts, deeds of salvation, mighty deeds, righteousness, wondrous deeds, power, and might. Is this your desire?  When do you have opportunities to do this?  How might you create more opportunities?
  • God is our portion – Sometimes we might envy the wicked like Asaph in Psalm 73. But Asaph remembers their fate.  In contrast, it is good for him to be near God, for God is his desire and portion.  Is God your desire and portion?

Psalms 71-80: Remember and Teach

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(74) What does Asaph ask God to remember in v2, 18, 22-23?

Does God forget?  What does Asaph mean?

(79) What does Asaph ask God not to remember in v8?

Can God forget?  What does Asaph mean?

(77) What does Asaph want to remember in v3, 6, 11?

Why is remembering so important?

(78) What did Israel fail to remember in v10-11, 40-42?

What actions go along with their forgetting in these verses?

How are their actions and their forgetting related?

Read v35-37.  Is remembering enough?  What must go with it?

(78) Not only are we to remember, but we are then also to teach the next generation (v4-8).  What are we to teach?  Why?

What application do we find here for parents?  For the church?  For children and youth?

(71) Go through the psalm noting each occurrence of the following words (or their synonyms): hope, refuge, praise, tell.  How would you describe his testimony?  What has God done in your life?

He wants to tell others about what God has done in his life (v15-18).  Who could you tell this week?

(73) What causes Asaph to almost stumble (v1-14)?  What is he afraid his words might do (v15)?  Where does he find his answer, and what is the answer (v16-20)?  What blessings does he have in God (v23-28)?  What application do you need to make in your life?

(71-80) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Reflections on Psalms 66-70

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Praise the Lord – Psalms 66-68 give us numerous reasons to praise the Lord. We can praise him for his past deeds – especially answered prayers (66), for his many blessings (67), for his provisions, his deliverance, and his majesty (68).  Ponder these reasons.  Where have you seen these reasons in your life?  Then praise the Lord!
  • Purpose of Blessings – Often we want blessings for our own enjoyment, but Psalm 67 takes us beyond ourselves. We should seek blessings so that God’s way might be made known on the earth, so that the nations might see God’s saving power – and then praise him.  Is that your desire?  How might that desire affect your prayers?

Reflections on Psalms 61-65

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Look to God – Psalm 61 bids us to cry out to God for help, for he is our refuge and shelter. Psalm 62 calls us to pour out our hearts to God and trust in him, for he is our refuge and fortress.  Where do you need God to be your refuge today?  Talk to him about it.
  • Satisfied – Psalm 63 tells us that God’s love is better than life and in God we find satisfaction. Psalm 65 tells us that we find satisfaction in his house; that is, in his presence.  His many blessings bring joy.  Both psalms tell us how to respond – seek the Lord and sing praises to him.  How does your life reflect these two responses?  How might you grow in these areas in your daily life?

Psalms 61-70: Seek the Lord and Rejoice in Him

On By BrianIn OT Studies

(61, 69, 70) What is David seeking in these psalms (61:1-2, 69:1, 70:1)?

Why is David confident in doing this (61:3, see also 62:1-2)?

(63) What is David seeking in Psalm 63:1 (see also 69:32, 70:4)?

What words in v1 help us understand the intensity of David’s seeking?

How might we seek what David was seeking (v2, 6, 8, see also 62:8)?

(63, 65) As we seek and find God, our response ought to be praise and rejoicing (70:4).  What divine attributes and actions lead us to this response?

Psalm 63 –

Psalm 65 –

How have you experienced God in one of these ways?

(66) For what awesome deeds of the Lord might you use this psalm as your testimony?

(66, 67, 68) As we experience and testify to God’s awesome deeds, what further goal do we have (66:4, 67:3-5, 68:32)?

(51-60) Which verse(s) or psalm especially speaks to you, and why?

Reflections on Psalms 56-60

On By BrianIn OT Reflections

Which psalm or verse especially reflects your heart today?  Use those words to talk to the Lord.

  • Responding to fear – Psalm 56 bids us to trust in God when we are afraid. Indeed God is greater than anything that can come against us so we need not fear.  Psalm 60 reminds us that he is our fortress, refuge and strength.  What brings you fear?  Will you trust in your refuge?
  • Exalted – The Psalmist exalts, gives thanks, and praises God for his great love and faithfulness (Psalm 57). How have you experienced God’s love and faithfulness?  Give thanks to God and exalt him!