Fear of God

 
 

There is good reason to Fear God.  Prov 1:7 says fearing Him is the beginning of Wisdom. In Psalm 34:1-22, we see that a good and healthy fear of the Lord may bring God’s favor as the fear of the Lord engenders piety on our parts. However, this type of fear is not a horror of God but rather an awe or respect for God’s greatness. God will help us in our troubles if we have a fear of who He is and what He can do. We need to see God, not as our peer, but as the very thing our life depends on, because it does. God is the provider of all we are, have and do. Without Him, says Jesus in John 15:5, we can do nothing. If we live that reality, we will not be cavalier with God.

 
 

In our culture, we see fear as a negative thing and dependency on others as worse than bad. Our culture says we should all be fearless and autonomous as this makes us feel powerful. That may be a defense against other humans, but we have no such defense against God. As powerful as we think we might be, we have no strength against a Holy Omnipotent God.

 

Therefore, we should recognize and respect His Sovereignty and be glad that He is our Loving Creator. We were created in His image to love and serve Him, so respect and honor are due to Him. When we fear God, we are often put in a place where we are most fulfilled.

 
 

So fearing God? That’s a good thing!

 
 

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Thanksgiving….do it as a lifestyle

 
 

Every year we are reminded that we ought to be thankful; oftentimes we have to be reminded WHO we are thankful towards. Contrary to popular opinion, the oft laughed about prayer that I have actually heard someone pray, “Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub” is not a prayer, but rather one of the most disgusting displays of arrogance imaginable. Think about it! Who would actually say that to someone who existed and provided that food? The prayer begs the question WHO are you talking to?

Since you don’t pray to other people in the room, the question remains…who are you praying to and what do you think of that person? Additionally, what do you expect to be the result of that prayer?

 
 

I am appalled by the lack of thinking that some people exhibit. God is not some fool just waiting for people to throw up, literally, some insipid saying. He is not Homer Simpson! He is the God of the Universe. What would happen if God got insulted by that less than sincere thanks? If He withdrew His “gift” what would be said about His hospitality? Surely the moron that sent up that thanks would blame the giver for not giving more.

 
 

THIS Thanksgiving, please engage your BRAIN before stuffing your mouth. Think about people who have nothing but still praise their God. Think about your own selfishness and how you can be less selfish. I know I can be. How can you think of others more than yourself…this is what the Bible calls us to do.

When you think about the person you are praying to, think about who HE IS, not just what He’s done for you. While you are at it, think about what He has done for you and whether or not you really deserved it. Pray as if He matters in your life! Your life, ultimately depends on His response to your prayer…live a lifestyle that shows you really are thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Thanksgiving….do it as a lifestyle

 
 

Every year we are reminded that we ought to be thankful; oftentimes we have to be reminded WHO we are thankful towards. Contrary to popular opinion, the oft laughed about prayer that I have actually heard someone pray, “Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub” is not a prayer, but rather one of the most disgusting displays of arrogance imaginable. Think about it! Who would actually say that to someone who existed and provided that food? The prayer begs the question WHO are you talking to?

Since you don’t pray to other people in the room, the question remains…who are you praying to and what do you think of that person? Additionally, what do you expect to be the result of that prayer?

 
 

I am appalled by the lack of thinking that some people exhibit. God is not some fool just waiting for people to throw up, literally, some insipid saying. He is not Homer Simpson! He is the God of the Universe. What would happen if God got insulted by that less than sincere thanks? If He withdrew His “gift” what would be said about His hospitality? Surely the moron that sent up that thanks would blame the giver for not giving more.

 
 

THIS Thanksgiving, please engage your BRAIN before stuffing your mouth. Think about people who have nothing but still praise their God. Think about your own selfishness and how you can be less selfish. I know I can be. How can you think of others more than yourself…this is what the Bible calls us to do.

When you think about the person you are praying to, think about who HE IS, not just what He’s done for you. While you are at it, think about what He has done for you and whether or not you really deserved it. Pray as if He matters in your life! Your life, ultimately depends on His response to your prayer…live a lifestyle that shows you really are thankful for that.

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Anger at the World (God’s Creation)

 
 

Have you ever met anyone who is just angry at the world? They always seem to see their lives as a raw deal, even though they have much to be thankful for. This person is always looking for their “due”. They have the impression that life has just short sheeted them no matter what they do.

 
 

These people like anger. They like to see themselves as the victims of a cruel creation. In their eyes, life just doesn’t have enough to offer them. What fools!

 
 

They are chronically unhappy, and really when the truth be told are the most selfish people on Earth. Like the insatiable baby bird, they are always looking for life to supply them with worms. Hard work and “other” centered activity is something they avidly avoid. These people would rather cherish their angry stance toward life, because being miserable keeps them in their self justified self centered world.

I often wonder what God is thinking when we are always negative. Here, He created us in His image with a calling to glorify Him in our existence. He keeps us protected as we apply ourselves to the tasks He sets out for us. He gives us a purpose for our lives, and enables us to live out that purpose. While we may not get everything we want, we certainly do not lack what we need.

 
 

What people don’t get, I think, is that in order to BE happy, they need to find their happiness in God. Very often, what makes perpetually angry people angry is that they are really ungrateful for the blessings God HAS given them, and really do not want God telling them what makes them happy. They are constantly trying to rewrite reality with themselves, instead of God, at the center.

 
 

Ask an angry person about the last time they gave of themselves cheerfully to another person as an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven. Chances are they don’t know what that is. When these people give, they are looking for something in return. They have no joy in giving to the other, because they are more concerned with what THEY are missing out on while they do that.

 
 

This type of person is always too busy, too tired, too whatever to give of themselves. They see themselves as always the loser in relationships because their expectations of what they will receive are always unmet. These people cannot benefit from intimacy because intimacy requires vulnerability, and that would be a risk. Risking is potential loss, and angry people are always counting their losses. They never have time for blessings.

 
 

Additionally, when you ask them about their service to God, they get indignant. They just KNOW that God is letting them off the hook. Sunday is the ONLY day they get to sleep. God knows that, and so He, supposedly doesn’t expect from them what He expects from all the other humans He created. God should just let them off the hook. How dare He, they think…didn’t He create this mess? They fail to see the noose they have placed around their own necks.

 
 

How angry are you? What do you think you deserve? Look right into Jesus’ eyes, can you say that to Him with a straight face?

I hope not!

SYNT

 
 

Meditation:

 
 

Read the following Psalm. Think about David’s attitude toward God. How is the angry man different than David? What is missing?

What advice would you give the angry man on how not to have such a miserable life?

 

Psalm 41

¹  For the choir director; a psalm by David.
Blessed is the one who has concern for helpless people. The Lord will rescue him in times of trouble. ² The Lord will protect him and keep him alive. He will be blessed in the land. Do not place him at the mercy of his enemies. ³ The Lord will support him on his sickbed. You will restore this person to health when he is ill.
⁴ I said, “O Lord, have pity on me! Heal my soul because I have sinned against you.” ⁵ My enemies say terrible things about me: “When will he die, and when will his family name disappear?” ⁶ When one of them comes to visit me, he speaks foolishly. His heart collects gossip. {Then} he leaves to tell others. ⁷ Everyone who hates me whispers about me. They think evil things about me and say, ⁸ ”A devilish disease has attached itself to him. He will never leave his sickbed.” ⁹ Even my closest friend whom I trusted, the one who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. ¹⁰ Have pity on me, O Lord! Raise me up so that I can pay them back ¹¹ and my enemy cannot shout in triumph over me. When you do this, I know that you are pleased with me. ¹² You defend my integrity, and you set me in your presence forever.
¹³ Thank the Lord God of Israel through all eternity!

Amen and amen!

Psalms 41:1-13 (GW)

 
 

Prayer:

 
 

Ask God to bring to mind those things that make you angry. How does your anger insult God? How does your anger reflect selfishness on your part? Ask God to root out these sins and begin to heal them in your heart.

 
 

Activity 1

 
 

Make a “hit list” of the top 10 things that make you angry. Rate the items on the list in importance order.  Briefly describe each item as to why this item angers you, what you expect to be different and what you can do to effect that difference.

 
 

Activity 2

 
 

With each item, list how often you have prayed about it to God. Write down how He has answered. Does a lack of an answer or a no, increase your anger? Why?

 
 

Activity 3

 
 

Write a letter to God about your situation. Tell Him why you think this situation should change. Discuss why you think God is not being fair. Then, read Psalm 112. Honestly compare yourself and your attitude with the person in the Psalm. What needs to change?

Anger at Others

Psalm 7:11, Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 25:28; Nahum 1:3, Ps. 147:5)

 
 

What really gets our goat? What really makes us angry at others? Often, it is something that we cannot tolerate about someone else. What, then, is tolerance?

I can certainly tell you that tolerance is not the present cultural understanding that implies that we must agree with whatever someone else does or is. Tolerance can only exist in the tension of not agreeing with whatever that person is or is doing. A lack of tolerance shows up in anger. Very often it is the people pushing tolerance who show their lack of it toward people that don’t agree with them. They exhibit some real anger at “those people.”

 
 

So what is anger at others all about? 

 
 

There are a few things in the Bible that hint at where anger at others comes from.

 
 

Anger at others is often equated with strife. A man who is prone to anger seems to be surrounded by controversy. He likes stirring the pot and making innuendo about others. On the other hand, a man who is slow to anger seems to quell the anxiety and strife that accompanies a predisposition to be disagreeable. This man, while he is not afraid of confrontation, picks his battles wisely. He is not a hot-head; he uses his gift of reason to think through his situations.

 
 

Proverbs 29:22 says, “a man of wrath stirs up strife, one given to anger causes much transgression.”

 
 

So who is this man of wrath?

 
 

His quick temper results from his foolish attitudes about life. He is greedy and always looking out for “number one.” He is always slighted at the sins others commit against him, but is virtually oblivious to the obvious ones he commits against almost everyone in his sphere. He is dishonest and conniving as he spreads poison about those at whom his anger is targeted. He recklessly and carelessly thrusts his judgments against them. He would never confront a person to his face, because that would risk his being called out on his own behavior. This kind of person is often disliked by most people. He has nothing good to say about anything. He is, as Prov. 25:28 says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”

 
 

Conversely, the man who is not steeped in anger trusts in God. He is reminded daily that he sins and so is gracious when handling the sins of others. He is slow to attack them for things done wrong, and quickly acknowledges his own lack of ability to be perfect. This man is not quick to judge or become irritated. He is intimately aware of God’s love for him. He knows he does not deserve that love, and so he is able to give it away to others freely. He does not look for the faults of others, because he knows that God loves him in spite of his.

 
 

The man of wrath does not trust in God. He is his own God. This is precisely why he is angry. Who can be their own God? Certainly not a man who sins….and we all do that…..

See Ya Next Time

Anger at Self

Anger at Self

Psalm  25:4-12; Psalm 43

Since the Early 20th Century, there has been a theory of personality that claims we do bad things because we are angry at ourselves; however, in reality we are really good people. If only our environment, like our family or socioeconomic background, had been perfect. Then we would have made all the right choices in our lives and we would like ourselves. If we liked ourselves, we would always treat others nicely and do the right thing.

 

Nice fairy tale, but not reality.

 

According to our Maker, we are not good people spoiled by our parents and our “luck.” We are people made in the image of God, who can use even a perfect childhood and background to sin with. We aren’t angry at ourselves; we are angry at those who get in our way. We justify our anger by telling ourselves that we are just victims of our anger at ourselves.

 

One of the most ridiculous statements I hear as a counselor is “I can’t forgive myself. I know God forgives me, but I can’t seem to forgive myself.”

 

This statement, aside from being ridiculous, is really arrogant. It doesn’t make the person a victim of his high social standards. Instead, it shows that although he acknowledges God’s forgiveness of him, he lacks the insight to see that he is holding his own opinion of who is guilty and who is not over God’s Sovereignty. He fails to see that God’s grace should be enough. If God forgives him, he should let it go.

So what would make a person hold onto his anger? There are several reasons:

First, a person could feel secure knowing that they are in control of the anger, and in turn, being the one who holds the key to letting go of the anger. Second the person could like to be angry because it provides a smokescreen for other emotions. Third, if I am a victim, I don’t see myself as a perpetrator. Nice!

 

 While this person is not forgiving themselves, they are stuck in the situation, they are not moving on. This savored anger can keep a person from reaching out to others, which, is what God calls us to be doing. It also denies God’s rightful call on that person. By not accepting God’s forgiveness they are setting themselves up to be their own God. The ultimate idol worship.

 

 The next time someone says, “I just can’t forgive myself,” remember they are not sinning against themselves, they are sinning against God. They cannot forgive that one, only God can.

Anger at Self

Anger at Self

Psalm  25:4-12; Psalm 43

Since the Early 20th Century, there has been a theory of personality that claims we do bad things because we are angry at ourselves; however, in reality we are really good people. If only our environment, like our family or socioeconomic background, had been perfect. Then we would have made all the right choices in our lives and we would like ourselves. If we liked ourselves, we would always treat others nicely and do the right thing.

 

Nice fairy tale, but not reality.

 

According to our Maker, we are not good people spoiled by our parents and our “luck.” We are people made in the image of God, who can use even a perfect childhood and background to sin with. We aren’t angry at ourselves; we are angry at those who get in our way. We justify our anger by telling ourselves that we are just victims of our anger at ourselves.

 

One of the most ridiculous statements I hear as a counselor is “I can’t forgive myself. I know God forgives me, but I can’t seem to forgive myself.”

 

This statement, aside from being ridiculous, is really arrogant. It doesn’t make the person a victim of his high social standards. Instead, it shows that although he acknowledges God’s forgiveness of him, he lacks the insight to see that he is holding his own opinion of who is guilty and who is not over God’s Sovereignty. He fails to see that God’s grace should be enough. If God forgives him, he should let it go.

So what would make a person hold onto his anger? There are several reasons:

First, a person could feel secure knowing that they are in control of the anger, and in turn, being the one who holds the key to letting go of the anger. Second the person could like to be angry because it provides a smokescreen for other emotions. Third, if I am a victim, I don’t see myself as a perpetrator. Nice!

 

 While this person is not forgiving themselves, they are stuck in the situation, they are not moving on. This savored anger can keep a person from reaching out to others, which, is what God calls us to be doing. It also denies God’s rightful call on that person. By not accepting God’s forgiveness they are setting themselves up to be their own God. The ultimate idol worship.

 

 The next time someone says, “I just can’t forgive myself,” remember they are not sinning against themselves, they are sinning against God. They cannot forgive that one, only God can.

Anger at God

Songs of my Soul

PSALM 2

Anger at God.

 
 

We all get angry. It’s a fact of human nature. However, when we get angry at God our problem is whether or not our anger is appropriate. What stand do we have? What rights do we have to be angry at God?

 
 

Psalm 2 talks about the anger that man generates toward God. In reality, it is rebellion. Man, in his unrepentant state does not want to live under God’s rule and wants to be autonomous. He will often group together with others to make war against God. Man often believes that God is unfair.

 
 

God gets angry when we rebel against Him; however, His anger is much different than ours. God is aware that man cannot live apart from Him. Man is meant to be dependent on God for his very life. Man, as mad as he gets, cannot be autonomous; he will self-destruct. Knowing this, God does not act out His anger. He provides for us, His creatures, because He knows we need Him. God sends His Messiah to be our King. He is not impressed with our might and our war machines. He can defeat us with a word. Often, as in the case of a panic stricken drowning man, God has to break us for us to realize that we need Him. God is not impressed with earthly might, but as a good parent to wayward kids he still loves them; therefore, he wants the best for them. Even though these are His desires, He cannot condone their behavior.

 
 

The Psalmist knows this in Psalm 2, and is incredulous about why people would create factions against God.  How did these people lose their minds to think that they can fight God and win? Isn’t that what we do though? Don’t we get angry with God, not even thinking about, who He is or what He has already done for us? We get angry with God because we don’t understand or don’t agree with what is happening in our lives. Even if we could understand, it might not make any difference.

 
 

There is a pattern of behavior that has existed since Eden that man consistently practices. Those behavior patterns always result in rebellion. That pattern can be seen in James 1:13-15

¹³ When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil and God doesn’t tempt anyone. ¹⁴ Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him. ¹⁵ Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death.

James 1:13-15 (GW)

When we want something, we have a tendency to become obsessed. We think about it, talk about it, and dream about it. It doesn’t matter what that desire is. It could be something good, like wanting money for our ministry or wanting to give something to someone else. The desire is not as important as the strength we give it. I have seen people claim that God was going to give them something. They were so confident in their desire that it took on worship status. When it goes too far, we are trapped. When God doesn’t give us what we desire, we start getting angry at God. We think that He should have acted on our behalf. We presume upon God’s goodness then get angry at Him when He doesn’t come through. Then we start to want to do it our way. We don’t want to be dependent on Him. We slowly drift away getting angrier and angrier. So what do we do?

 
 

Psalm 2:10-12 gives us the answer. It tells us to act wisely. It tells us to serve the Lord with fear and not presumption. It tells us to cling to God’s annointed and treat Him well or we could perish. We are blessed, says the Psalmist, when we find our refuge in Him and not our desires.

  

The Difference Between Matzoh and Manna John 6:22-59

 One of the things I am most grateful to God for is my Jewish Heritage. While I am certainly a Christian, and the fact that my mother is not Jewish excludes me from saying I was born Jewish, Nevertheless, I have Jewish blood and real Jewish roots. That being said I have a real love for Jewish people and customs and when I think of Jesus, I color Him with the memories I have of my grandmother, great grandmother, aunts, uncles, and friends. Jesus becomes more real to me because I have these memories of those whom I love who were and are close to me. My grandmother introduced me to matzoh. She told me there were times in Israel’s history, on the move, when they did not have time to let bread rise. So instead, they made matzoh. Matzoh, if you don’t know, is a giant cracker. It’s flat, square, and scored. There are multitudinous ways to use it in recipes, and it forms the carbohydrate staple for anyone celebrating Passover. Matzoh is often used as the bread for communion as well. I have fond memories of my grandmother making Matzoh Brei for me when I was little. My kids love it plain, slathered with butter…good stuff! On the other hand, manna was the sticky stuff that came from the sky during the time of wandering in the Wilderness. It could be used to make things, but it didn’t keep; it spoiled over night. God gave it directly to the people for their sustenance as they wandered for those forty years. The people eventually got sick of it and grumbled that they had to eat it. This bread was nothing that they ever knew before, it had qualities they were not familiar with, nor particularly fond of, but it kept them alive. In John 6:22-59, Jesus makes some comparisons of these breads to Himself. The scene takes place with the people looking for Jesus in Capernaum. They went seeking more miracles because they had seen Him feed over five thousand people with a few loaves and a few fish. They were seeking matzoh, that good stuff that Jesus had given them. They also wanted the power to do it themselves. Think about it! If they could do the works of God, there would be no hungry or sick people. They could fix their own problems. They wouldn’t have to traipse all over after this elusive magician. They could do it themselves. Jesus knows this, and in famous Jesus style, lets them know. When they inquired of Him He said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, [i] you are seeking me, not because you saw [j] signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 [k] Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for [l] the food that endures to eternal life, which [m] the Son of Man will give to you. For on [n] him God the Father has set his seal.” John 6:26-27 (ESV) Not to be deterred, the people asked how they could do the works of God. Jesus’ response was classic: Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” John 6:29 (ESV) Frustrated then, the people asked for another way of getting what they came for, they asked for a sign. They knew about manna, and were looking for signs that Jesus was like Moses who performed miracles and wonders and produced the things they needed. They looked to Moses, a human, and not to God Himself. What they were looking at right now was God in the flesh. Jesus was going to clue them in. He said: 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:32-33 (ESV) Still looking for matzoh, and not getting the analogy, they just demanded! Sir, they said, give us this bread always. Then Jesus lowers the boom. 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:35-40 (ESV) People grumbled with aggravation. They were sure this man was a nut. Wasn’t he just a person who had parents? He couldn’t be from heaven, they knew His family. All they wanted was the means to make matzoh. He could just give them that without this entire alien from outer space talk. Jesus was not surprised. He had to teach them that their expectations were not what He was fulfilling. There was something else, something far more wonderful than matzoh or manna. It was God Himself. They didn’t get it. So Jesus explains again: Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves. 44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— 46 not that anyone has seen the Father except he who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6:43-51 (ESV) Keeping the matzoh before their faces, as usual, the people failed to see the bigger picture. Instead of seeing that God was giving them, this incredible gift of life, which the bread represented, they only saw the sticky reality of manna. They still had the carnal agenda. They missed the point again. Now they were fighting amongst themselves accusing Jesus of promoting cannibalism. My mentor always told me never to lower the bridge but always raise the water. Jesus does this in his closing statement to these people. He skips over the cannibalism part and doesn’t even address it. He gives them an explanation that requires them to use the equipment God has given them for thinking, their brains! He says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:53-58 (ESV) Jesus was not going to show them the difference between matzoh and manna. He was not going to indulge their obsession with material goods. Jesus was showing them that their relationship with Him was more important than either matzoh or manna, and if they were listening to Him instead of their grumbling stomachs, they would never hunger or thirst… So how’s your appetite? Ready for a little bread? See Ya Next Time You are free to use this study on your website or blog as long as you include the following: Rev Dr. Cheryl A Durham, Biblical Counselor, Discipleship Coach, Above and Beyond Discipleship Ministries, provides services for individuals and groups online and via teleconference. www.abovenbeyonddiscipleship.com

The Shrinking Power of David’s Sin

Reruns, just in case you forgot

 

Here’s an old post that has new questions…I will be on vacation for the next 10 days…so we will have one more oldie but goodie next week. If you have any favorites you would like to see reworked…let me know. Here it is!

 

 

 

Psalms 36: The Shrinking Power of Sin

 Have you ever met a person, who was drunk with his/her own delusions? No one else appears to see their situation the way they see it. Puffed up with their pride, they feel as if they are invincible. They believe they are untouchable, even by God. In order to believe their own lie, they must convince themselves that they are superior. Their self-flattery and manipulations are sickening. They are the type of people David refers to in verses 1-4 of Psalms 36. The person David describes is the epitome of evil. His sin of pride is the core of all sin. However, look what it does for him.

 
 

He must convince himself. He must hide what he knows from others. He must manipulate other people to go along with his schemes. His world narrows to a small circle of friends. His blatant pride pushes people away! He is caught in his own trap. In verses 5-8, David contrasts the small and shrinking power of sin, with the ever-expanding love of God.

 
 

In verse 5, David talks about God’s “steadfast love extending to the heavens.” In verse 6, God’s righteousness is compared to mountains, and His judgments to the depths of the oceans. In verses 7-8, we all see that God’s love is so big that the people of the Earth find refuge in it, and feast upon His abundant resources.

 
 

Verse 9-10 David extols God’s character and exclaims that everyone needs God to live, but God is generous to those who respect Him. In verses 11-12, David throws himself on the mercy of the Lord and asks God to protect him from the oppression of the arrogant, the hand of the wicked, and the fate of all those who do evil. The shrinking power of evil in the hand of a mighty all-loving God doesn’t stand a chance.

 

Questions:

Read Psalm 36

1. How do relate to David’s feeling of conviction?
2. What are some reactions that people have when they feel this way?
3. What is David’s reaction?
4. What is the difference between David’s attitude and some others?
5. What is your reaction to knowing that you have sinned against God?
6. Would you, like David throw yourself on the mercy of God ?
7. Why or why not?
8. If you would not what would you do?
9. Why would you do this?
10. How can you change your heart to see God differently?
11. Discuss this issue in your group
12. What are some of the ideas that came out of the discussion?