Psalm 31:1-24
For the choir director.
A Psalm of David.

In Thee, O Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never be ashamed;
In Thy righteousness deliver me.
[2] Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be Thou to me a rock of strength,
A stronghold to save me.
[3] For Thou art my rock and my fortress;
For Thy name's sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.
[4] Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me;
For Thou art my strength.
[5] Into Thy hand I commit my spirit;
Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

[6] I hate those who regard vain idols;
But I trust in the Lord.
[7] I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,
Because Thou hast seen my affliction;
Thou hast known the troubles of my soul,
[8] And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy;
Thou hast set my feet in a large place.

9] Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
My eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.
10] For my life is spent with sorrow,
And my years with sighing;
My strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And my body has wasted away.
11] Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach,
Especially to my neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
[12] I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind,
I am like a broken vessel.
3] For I have heard the slander of many,
Terror is on every side;
While they took counsel together against me,
They schemed to take away my life.

[14] But as for me, I trust in Thee, O Lord,
I say, "Thou art my God."
[15] My times are in Thy hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.
[16] Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant;
Save me in Thy lovingkindness.
[17] Let me not be put to shame, O Lord, for I call upon Thee;
Let the wicked be put to shame, let them be silent in Sheol.
[18] Let the lying lips be dumb,
Which speak arrogantly against the righteous
With pride and contempt.

[19] How great is Thy goodness,
Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee,
Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee,
Before the sons of men!
[20] Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man;
Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.
[21] Blessed be the Lord,
For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.
[22] As for me, I said in my alarm, "I am cut off from before Thine eyes";
Nevertheless Thou didst hear the voice of my supplications
When I cried to Thee.

[23] O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!
The Lord preserves the faithful,
And fully recompenses the proud doer.
[24] Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
All you who hope in the Lord.


Psalm 31:1-24

Open It

1. To you, what’s the best example of strength?
* 2. Whom would you describe as a strong person? Why?

Explore It

* 3. Why did David appeal to the Lord for help? (31:1-5)
4. What difficult circumstance motivated David to write this poem? (31:1-24)
5. What one theme unifies this psalm? (31:1-24)
6. How did David describe the Lord in this passage? (31:2-5, 16, 19-24)
7. What was at stake in David’s safety? (31:3)
* 8. What did David commit to the Lord? (31:5, 15)
9. How are the wicked described in this passage? (31:6, 17-18)
10. How strong was the conspiracy against David? (31:9-13)
11. How did David feel about his predicament? (31:9-13)
12. What defense did David have against the schemes of his enemies? (31:14-18)
13. Why did David expect God to treat him favorably? (31:17-18)
14. What did David anticipate in the future? (31:19-20)
15. What did David’s anticipation reveal about his relationship with the Lord? (31:19-24)
16. How does God treat the faithful and the proud differently? (31:23)
* 17. What final advice concludes this psalm? (31:23-24)
18. To whom are David’s concluding instructions directed? (31:23-24)

Get It

19. How is the Christian view of strength different from the world’s?
20. When have you felt the same emotions that David describes in this psalm?
21. When is it most difficult for you to trust in the Lord?
22. Where do we usually turn when we face overwhelming circumstances?
23. What do people often do when they feel overstressed or overwhelmed?
24. What does David teach us about dealing with stress through his example in this psalm?
25. What defense do we have against our “enemies”?
26. What kinds of “enemies” do you face nowadays?
* 27. What overwhelming problem or challenge do you face this week?
28. How can we demonstrate our trust in the Lord during difficult times?
* 29. What does it mean to follow David’s instructions to “be strong and take heart”?

Apply It

* 30. How can you pray this week to help you through the challenges you face?
31. What do you want to remember the next time you feel overwhelmed or overstressed?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Trusting the LORD, never ashamed.

Delivered speedily.

Blessed with God as my rock, fortress and strength.

Pulled out of the net.

Glad and rejoicing in God’s mercy.

Receiving God’s mercy when I am in trouble.

Trusting in the LORD.

Recognizing that my times are in God's hand.

Showing God reverence and experiencing his goodness.

Kept secretly in God’s pavilion.

Blessing the LORD for his marvellous kindness.

Faithful, and preserved by the LORD.

Of good courage with a strengthened heart.

Hoping in the LORD.

Psalm 30:1-12
A Psalm; a Song at the Dedication of the House.
A Psalm of David.

I will extol Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast lifted me up,
And hast not let my enemies rejoice over me.
[2] O Lord my God,
I cried to Thee for help, and Thou didst heal me.
[3] O Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol;
Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
[4] Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones,
And give thanks to His holy name.
[5] For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
[6] Now as for me, I said in my prosperity, "I will never be moved."
[7] O Lord, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong;
Thou didst hide Thy face, I was dismayed.
[8] To Thee, O Lord, I called,
And to the Lord I made supplication:
[9] "What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise Thee? Will it declare Thy faithfulness?
[10] "Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me;
O Lord, be Thou my helper."
[11] Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing;
Thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness;
[12] That my soul may sing praise to Thee, and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to Thee forever.


Psalm 30:1-12

Open It

* 1. In what ways are you self-reliant, and in what ways do you depend on others?
2. When was the last time a friend helped you through a difficult circumstance, and how did you feel about depending on others for support?

Explore It

3. How did David introduce his reason for praising the Lord? (30:1-3)
4. What images did David use to describe how the Lord delivered him? (30:1-3)
* 5. What does this psalm celebrate? (30:1-12)
6. How did God respond to David’s cries for help? (30:2)
7. What instructions did David give to God’s people? (30:4-5)
8. What does this psalm say about God’s character? (30:5)
9. What did David remember about the Lord’s deliverance and how he felt about it? (30:6-12)
10. What sinful attitude was David guilty of when circumstances were going well for him? (30:6)
* 11. How did the Lord remind David that He was the one who gave David his security? (30:7)
12. What caused David to lose his sense of security and self-reliance? (30:8-10)
* 13. To where did David turn for help? (30:8-10)
14. Why did David want the Lord to save him? (30:9)
15. How did God answer David’s prayer? (30:11-12)

Get It

16. How does our culture value self-reliance?
17. When can self-reliance be a negative characteristic?
18. How does this passage change your perception of God and His character?
19. What should motivate us to praise the Lord?
* 20. What new insights have you learned about trusting God?
21. When have difficult circumstances prompted you to turn to the Lord, instead of depending on your own strength?
22. How has God delivered you in the past?
23. Why is it tempting for us to trust God only during certain times in our lives?
* 24. How can we learn to depend more on the Lord, no matter what our circumstances?
25. What does it mean for you to depend on the Lord rather than on your own strength?
26. How do you plan to follow the instructions in this psalm?

Apply It

27. What difficulties or challenges do you face in the coming week?
* 28. What action could you take to depend on the Lord (rather than yourself) for strength to face the upcoming challenges in your life?
29. What other person could you encourage with what you have learned about security in God?

AFFIRMATIONS

TODAY I AM ...

Extoling the LORD
Lifted up above my foes.
Healed.
Singing unto the LORD and giving thanks.
Blessed with joy in the morning.
Never moved in my prosperity.
With my merciful LORD as my helper.
Dancing, girded with gladness, not mourning.
Thanking the LORD for ever.

Psalm 29:1-11
A Psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord, O sons of the mighty,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
[2] Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name;
Worship the Lord in holy array.
[3] The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
The God of glory thunders,
The Lord is over many waters.
[4] The voice of the Lord is powerful,
The voice of the Lord is majestic.
[5] The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
[6] And He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
And Sirion like a young wild ox.
[7] The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire.
[8] The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
[9] The voice of the Lord makes the deer to calve,
And strips the forests bare,
And in His temple everything says, "Glory!"
[10] The Lord sat as King at the flood;
Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
[11] The Lord will give strength to His people;
The Lord will bless His people with peace.


Psalm 29:1-11

Open It

* 1. What effect does nature have on your everyday activities?
2. What benefits have you gotten from spending time outdoors?

Explore It

3. Who should proclaim the majesty and power of God? (29:1-2)
4. What does the psalm summon people to do? (29:1-2)
5. On which of the Lord’s attributes does this passage focus? (29:1-11)
* 6. How is the Lord described in this poem? (29:2-11)
7. What does the psalm writer reveal about God’s character? (29:2-11)
8. How does nature proclaim the glory of God? (29:3-9)
9. What role does the Lord play in His creation? (29:3-9)
10. How powerful is the voice of the Lord? (29:3-9)
* 11. Why is the Lord worthy of praise and worship? (29:3-11)
12. Where do God’s people find comfort? (29:10-11)
* 13. What does the Lord provide for His people? (29:10-11)
14. What specific blessing did the psalm writer recognize as coming from the Lord? (29:11)

Get It

15. What does nature reveal to us about the character of God?
16. What have you learned about God’s character from this passage?
17. How does it make you feel to ponder the awesome power of the Lord?
18. Practically speaking, what does this psalm instruct us to do?
* 19. How do you plan to follow the advice of the psalm writer?
20. How have you seen nature proclaim the glory of God?
* 21. How should we be involved in proclaiming the glory and power of God?
22. How do you think your perspective of life would be altered if you spent more time worshiping and praising God?
23. How does this psalm encourage you to face the challenges in your everyday life?

Apply It

24. What action can you take today to depend on the strength of the Lord rather than on your own abilities?
25. What could you do this week to “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name”?
* 26. When could you spend some time this week observing the power of God in nature?


AFFIRMATIONS
TODAY I AM ...

Giving unto the LORD glory and strength.
Giving unto the LORD the glory due unto His name.
Worshiping the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Listening for and hearing the voice of the LORD - which is: upon the waters powerful full of majesty breaketh the cedars and maketh them skip like calves divideth the flames of fire shaketh the wilderness maketh the hinds to calve discovereth the forests.
Receiving strength from the LORD.
Blessed with peace.