Faith under Fire (Psalm 73)

Find your Faltering, Flickering, Fading Faith under Fire: "...till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood …" (Ps 73:17).

A. Faith professed (Ps 73:1). God is good.

B. Faith questioned (Ps 73:2-14). The evil of envy.

C. Faith refocused (Ps 73:15-20). A new perspective.

B1. Faith unquestioned (Ps 73:21-26). Guided by God's counsel.

A1. Faith affirmed (Ps 73:27-28). God's closeness is good.

5 books of Psalms corresponding to the Torah:

1. Book 1 (1-41). Genesis. Songs of relationship...with God.
2. Book 2 (42-72). Exodus. Songs of redemption...delivernace by God.
3. Book 3 (73-89). Leviticus. Songs of refuge. Sanctuary of God. [reflection]
4. Book 4 (90-106). Numbers. Songs of repercussion. Rebellion...against God.
5. Book 5 (107-150). Deuteronomy. Songs of revival. Renewal with God.

A Mirror to Who You Truly Are

Repay Evil for Evil

"In the old days, people demanded 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,' and to repay evil for evil. Patience was not yet on the earth, because faith was not on the earth either. Of course, impatience made full use of the opportunities the Law gave it. That was easy when the Lord and Master of patience was not here. But now that he has come and put the grace of faith together with patience, we are no longer allowed to attack someone even with a word—not even to call someone a fool without facing the danger of judgment. The Law found more than it lost when Christ said, 'Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven' (Matthew 5:44-45). This most important commandment summarizes in a word the universal discipline of patience, since it does not allow us to do evil even to people who deserve it."—Tertullian

Discovering the Gospel in Job – Tim Keller

When Your World Falls Apart (Psalm 3-7)

When Life Takes a Turn for the Worst (Psalm 3-7)

1. Psalm 3: Facing a New Day (Ps 3:5-6). You are not alone.
2. Psalm 4: Facing Another Night (Ps 4:4; 6:6). Who can I turn to?
3. Psalm 5: Starting a New Day (Ps 5:3). On pleading with the King.
4. Psalm 6: Waiting is Hard (Ps 6:1-4). The way prayer makes a difference.
• Prayers and tears (Ps 6:6-9).
5. Psalm 7: Sin and judgment. The judge is on your side.
• A Conscience without Offence (Ps 7:3-5).
• A cry for justice (Ps 7:6-11).

Let nothing disturb you

Happiness (Psalm 1-2)

How to be Happy Living in the World (Psalm 1-2). Psalm 1 is the gateway and introduction to the Psalms. It contrasts the way of life and the way of doom by emphasizing the importance of meditating and delighting in God's Word (Ps 1:2).

Ø  Is there a key to happiness? Or is it a carefully guarded secret known only to a very few special select people?

Ø  What do you think you need to be happy and to avoid unhappiness?

Wounds are Healed from the Heart, not the Head (Henri Nouwen)

Live Your Wounds. You have been wounded in many ways. The more you open yourself to being healed, the more you will discover how deep your wounds are.... The great challenge is living your wounds through instead of thinking them through. It is better to cry than to worry, better to feel your wounds deeply than to understand them, better to let them enter into your silence than to talk about them. The choice you face constantly is whether you are taking your hurts to your head or to your heart. In your head you can analyze them, find their causes and consequences, and coin words to speak and write about them. But no final healing is likely to come from that source. You need to let your wounds go down to your heart. Then you can live through them and discover that they will not destroy you. Your heart is greater than your wounds.

Love the Creator in His Creature, the Maker in what He has Made

Imagine Yourself as a Living House (CS Lewis)

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."—C. S. Lewis