WordLive - Year OneSample

Prepare: What do you most love about the Lord? What is it about his nature that delights you? Tell him now.

Desperate for help
Although the psalmist begins by relating a time when he waited patiently, that does not describe his present state of mind. Right now he is desperate for God’s help (vs 11,12); his patience has run out (vs 13,17).

Does that sound familiar? (It does to me!) No matter how many times I have experienced God’s help, the next difficult period never seems easier to deal with.

Look back
When everything gets too much (v 12), when we are at the end of our tether, then it’s time to do what the psalmist does – look back. Remembering God’s goodness in the past helps him to persevere and trust God in the present.

God is not fickle. He doesn’t decide to help one day and then ignore us another. God does not change. He always listens (v 1), always loves (v 11) and acts for our good (v 2). What have past experiences taught you about God?

Honouring God
Even in his distress the psalmist made listening to God (vs 7,8) and honouring God (vs 5,8–10) a priority. We have even more reason to honour God for we know exactly what the Father, Son and Spirit have done to rescue us from sin and death and give us new life.

Respond: Jot down what you have learned about God through past experiences. Then pray about any present worries in the light of what you know about the Lord.

http://www.wordlive.org/Session/Classic/2012-10-28