Bible Study Notes 1/28/2025
WORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ©2025
Journey in the Psalms: Prayer, Praise and Promise
Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton – Conley Hughes, Jr., Senior Pastor
Quiet Time: Tracy M. Summer, Psalms: An All-In-One Study on God’s Song Book
Lesson 2 – Parts 1 & 2
Tues., 21 & 28 Jan. 2025
Journey Lesson 2: From Correction to Confidence – In the Psalms we can journey with people who are much like us, who encounter difficulties. As the person grapples with their varied situations, we can hear and observe their concerns which are transparent and true. Often pain and discomfort can affect us regardless of the good we do. (Read, Job 2:10, NLT). Some of the pain people experience is the result of the misstep or sin they’ve committed. It is in these times that a person is vulnerable to the attacks of others, and subject to physical and emotional challenges. What we observe in the Scriptures is that all pain and failures does not result in… permanent loss. The lesson we learn is that during our most difficult times, we can still affirm our hope in a God who can forgive us and place the disjointed pieces of our lives back together. This idea of a God who “hears our prayers” is a theme we will see throughout the Psalms. An early instance of this thought is found in Psalm 6. God will recompense us, and deals with the adversaries who harm us. David is the author of Psalm 6:1-10. The major thoughts in the Psalm are outlined as follows:
Verses Observation
1. Pleas and cries for help from God’s disciplining.
2-3. David explains his troubles.
4-5. David’s urgent plea; immediate need.
6-7. Actual description of David’s suffering.
8-10. David’s confidence that God is listening to him.
In Psalms: An All-In-One Study of God’s Song Book, Editors Tracy Sumner and Carey Scott… comment: “David’s whole body is afflicted with pain. David is sick and sick of being sick – worn out from groaning and weeping…He knows that God can heal him… He asks the Lord to bring an end to the chastening he knows is a big part of his suffering… David expresses his hopeful heart for he along believes in God’s unfailing love.” (p. 11). When we follow God’s instructions, our miseries can be eradicated. (Read, Ps. 119:91-92, NLT).
Journey Lesson 2, Part 2 – There hardly is anything in the Old Testament that does not have implications for us in our Christian journey. The writer has spoken here in Psalm 6 of difficulties associated with some of his own missteps, resulting in being disciplined by God. he also acknowledges the fact that some of his adversaries have attacked him without cause. Every aspect of our suffering in life is not attributed to something we’ve don wrong; but each time we’re tested through discipline that God approves, we can become more mature. The Scriptures tell us that the testing we encounter in life is for our “good. Often the analogy is used of a parent disciplining a child, to emphasize God’s investment in our good. (Read, Deuteronomy 8:5, NLT). In ancient times it was inconceivable that a parent who truly loved their child, would not discipline them if the erred in some way. Sadly, reasonably consistent discipline does not happen often with many parents in our current age. At the turn of the last century (1900’s) a noted Swiss anthropologist visited America and observed that “homes were in order, and children were joyfully obeying their parents.” Several decades later he returned, only to find that “parents were pliably obeying their children.” The responsibility a parent had in correcting their children toward good and healthy behavior spoken of in the Scriptures, was to be modeled after the relationship God has with we who are His children, (Read, Proverbs 3:11-12, NLT). This notion continued in the Christian era, and it was hardly imagined that a person’s character could be matured without godly instruction, as with parental guidance for a child. (Read, Hebrews 12:7-8, NLT). Early Christians were alarmed at trials and testing as they journeyed in life. Some of these believers assumed because they were Christians, their lives would be met with little difficulty. Peter wrote these anxious believers to encourage them to understand that while God does not exempt a Christian from trials, He uses suffering, calamities, and tests to mature us, and make us stronger. (Read, 1 Peter 4:11-18, NLT). It is character that counts!
Key Idea:
What We Believe!:
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a
light to my path!”
— Psalm 119:105
Key Verses:
Job 2:10, NLT
10 “…Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad? So in all this Job said nothing wrong…”
Psalm 6:1-10, NLT
1 “O Lord, don’t rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your rage. 2 Have compassion on me, Lord, for I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. 3 I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until you restore me? 4 Return, O Lord, and rescue me . Save me because of your unfailing love. 5 For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave? 6 I am worn out from sobbing. All night I flood my bed with weeping, drenching it with tears. 7 My vision is blurred by grief; my eyes are worn out because of all my enemies. 8 Go away all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. 9 The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord will answer my prayer. 10 May all my… enemies be disgraced and terrified. May they suddenly turn back in shame.
Psalm 119: 71:72, NLT
71 “My suffering was good for me. for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. 72 Your instructions are more valuable to me than millions in gold and silver.”
Psalm 119: 91-92 NLT
90b “Their hearts are dull and stupid, but I delight in your instructions. 91 “Your regulations remain true to this day. For everything serves your plans. 92 If your instructions had not sustained me with joy, I would have died in my misery.”
Psalm 37:4-5, NLT
4 “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you.”
Deuteronomy 8:5, NLT
5 Think about it. Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.”.
Proverbs 3:11-12, NLT
11 “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline and don’t be upset when He corrects you. 12 For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights.”
Hebrews 12:7-8, NLT
7 “As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as His own children. Whoever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? 8 If God doesn’t discipline you as He does of His children, it means that you are illegitimate and not really His children at all.”
1 Peter 1:7, NLT
7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
1 Peter 4;12-16, NLT
12 “Dear friends, don’t be surmised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad – for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world. 14 If you are insulted because you bear the name of Jesus Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious of God rests upon you. 15 But if you suffer it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by His name!
Psalm 6:6, NLT
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.”
Related Posts
See AllWORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ©2025 Journey in the Psalms: Prayer, Praise and Promise Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton – Conley...
WORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ©2025 Journey in the Psalms: Prayer, Praise and Promise Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton – Conley...
WORD ALIVE! BIBLE STUDY ©2025 Journey in the Psalms: Prayer, Praise and Promise Concord Baptist Church of Boston in Milton, MA – Conley...
Comments