Truth 101 Class

  Psalm 90 is the first psalm in Book IV. It is a prayer of Moses as he contrasts the eternity of God with the brevity of human life.  Moses recognizes the sins of Israel in the wilderness and asks for God's restoration.  The closing prayer is for God's favor to establish the work of their hands.  Following are some reflections that may be beneficial to consider when meditating on this psalm: Verses 1-2 What is my response when I contemplate the privilege of being able to abide in the eternal God our "dwelling place"? Verses 3-6 In what ways does knowing life on earth is short compared with the eternity of God shape my perspective? Verses 7-11 How does sin affect my relationship with God? Verse 12 Since God is the source of all wisdom, what does it mean to "get a heart of wisdom"? Verses 13-17 What are the joys of a restored relationship with God? How might the work of my hands be "established" by God? If you would like to meditate on this psalm th

  Psalm 89 is the last psalm in Book III.  Verses 1-18 focus on the glory of the LORD, 19-37 on the Davidic Covenant, and 38-51 on laments.  Then, verse 52 concludes Book III with a doxology.  In this last section, the psalmist is having difficulty understanding present circumstances, because they seem to conflict with the covenant promises that he praised God for in verses 1-37.  However, he also recognizes that the people have sinned and broken the covenant.  Thus, he appeals to God's steadfast love and faithfulness.  By closing with praise, he acknowledges, as in the beginning of the psalm, that God can be trusted to fulfill His promises because of who He is forever. Following are some reflections that may be beneficial to consider when meditating on this psalm: Verses 38-45 When are times I have struggled to understand difficult circumstances? How does keeping the eternal perspective help us through challenging times? Verses 46-51 In what ways does the gospel message provide an

  Psalm 89 is the last psalm in Book III.  Verses 1-18 focus on the glory of the LORD, 19-37 on the Davidic Covenant, and 38-51 on laments.  Then, verse 52 concludes Book III with a doxology.  This middle part of the psalm shares similarities with the narration in 2 Samuel 7:4-17 of the words God gave the prophet Nathan to speak to King David. The eternal promises of the covenant are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Following are some reflections that may be beneficial to consider when meditating on this psalm: Verses 19-28 These verses describe promises God made in His covenant to David.  Through my covenant relationship with the LORD, what are some of the promises on which I can stand firm? Verses 29-37 These verses show that while there are consequences to David's descendants breaking the covenant, yet God will remain faithful and will not remove His steadfast love.  In what ways does God's discipline still reflect His love for us? Verses 36 & 37 describe the sun an

  Psalm 89 is the last psalm in Book III.  Verses 1-18 focus on the glory of the LORD, 19-37 on the Davidic Covenant, and 38-51 on laments.  Then, verse 52 concludes Book III with a doxology.  The first part of the psalm sings of the steadfast love and faithfulness of the LORD forever.  God's glory is seen through His wondrous works of creation and His might over enemies.  His people are blessed! Following are some reflections that may be beneficial to consider when meditating on this psalm: Verses 1-4 This psalm is sometimes referred to as the Covenant Psalm.  For a psalm on the covenant of the LORD, why do God's attributes of steadfast love ( i.e., unfailing love, lovingkindness, mercies ) and faithfulness ( i.e., fidelity, truth ) even more so inspire praise forever? Verses 5-14 In these verses, all creation joyously gives praise to God.  Joining in with all creation, what can I praise God for today? Verses 15-18 Based on these verses, what are some characteristics of those

  Psalm 88 is another song of the Sons of Korah.  Heman was likely the Kohathite who, listed with Asaph and Jeduthun in 1 Chronicles 25:1 and 2 Chronicles 5:12, was a worship leader. This is considered one of the darkest psalms.  It is a prayer from a troubled lonely soul in the midst of deepest despair crying out to God from the pit of death, having experienced the wrath of God due to his sins.  This psalm uncharacteristically does not end in praise.  So the psalmist is still in darkness waiting for the light of hope yet to come, praying "day and night" in faith. Following are some reflections that may be beneficial to consider when meditating on this psalm: Verses 1-18 When are times I may feel like my troubles keep crashing onto me like continuous and overwhelming ocean "waves" (v. 7)? During times of deepest darkness, even when I feel like I have not received any answers, why should I continue to seek God in prayer (verses 1,2,9,&13)? In church tradition, th