Bible study

Will You Be Angry Forever? - Psalm 79:1-8

After the city of Jerusalem was sacked and God’s temple burned to the ground, the survivors continued on amidst the destruction wondering when God was going to let up on his anger, and maybe look at everyone else who’s done wrong. Why me? Why us? What about them? The natural process of grief takes us through feelings of both humility and the whataboutism that tries to deflect accountability. By Pastor Lars Hammar

O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.

2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the air for food, the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.

3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.

4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.

5 How long, O LORD? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?

6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name.

7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.

8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.

Psalm 79:1-8

I Will Utter Dark Sayings - Psalm 78:1-8

Are we embarrassed or ashamed of trying to tell the story of God’s work in our lives to our kids? Do we worry about eye rolls and accusations of “pushing religion”? We’re not alone, and this is not new, but something that’s as old as the Bible itself. The Psalmist tells us to bring back the stories of God’s work in our lives and teach them to the young generation. By Pastor Lars Hammar

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,

3 things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us.

4 We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

5 He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children;

6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children,

7 so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

8 and that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.

Psalm 78:1-8

I Meditate on Your Work - Psalm 77:11-20

In the heat of the moment it can feel like what we are going through is eternal, insurmountable, and will never change. But the moment can obscure our sense of context, and cause us to forget the work that God has done in our lives in the past. Remembering this can give us the patience to see life in the long run, and get through with hope. By Pastor Lars Hammar

11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.

12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.

13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?

14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.

15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.

17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.

18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.

19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.

20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 77:11-20

You Keep My Eyelids Open - Psalm 77:4-10

When you wake up in the middle of the night, your mind can begin processing all the repressed stress and anxiety you’ve been pushing aside in the busy-ness of the day. It can, however, be a time when God is showing you your self, and giving you the chance to really reflect on and come to terms with your self, and just be, honestly and authentically. By Pastor Lars Hammar

4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.

6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:

7 "Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?

8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?" Selah

10 And I say, "It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed."

Psalm 77:4-10

I Groan When I Think of God - Psalm 77:1-3

Sometimes our conversations with God are less than upbeat, and instead of being pleased with God we’re so frustrated that we get sick of even thinking about him. Our nights are not resting in peace, but bitter and inconsolable. We’ve all been there, and so has the Psalmist. Psalm 77 puts to words what you might be going through, and gives a voice to spiritual struggle. By Pastor Lars Hammar

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.

2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.

3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah

Psalm 77:1-3

Cup of Foaming Wine - Psalm 75:2-9

If wickedness didn’t feel good, if it didn’t give us a payoff, if we didn’t somehow enjoy it, we wouldn’t do it. Nobody thinks of themselves as bad people, yet we gladly take in the things that harm us. In the Bible, the image of a cup of wine is used to describe God’s will – for good or bad, for judgment or praise – that we drink in gladly and feel accordingly. By Pastor Lars Hammar

2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.

3 When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady. Selah

4 I say to the boastful, "Do not boast," and to the wicked, "Do not lift up your horn;

5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck."

6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;

7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.

8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed; he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.

9 But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

Psalm 75:2-9

Envy of the wicked - Psalm 73:1-14

While we would like to believe that the world rewards the kind and pure-hearted with prosperity and success, and punishes the arrogant and cruel, we all know that, too often, the exact opposite is how it works. Why are we so drawn to people who are mean, cruel, arrogant – jerks? Why do we envy them, instead of standing against them? Why do we make them popular and try to emulate them? It’s not God’s will. It’s our human nature. In this Psalm the writer reflects on the inherent injustice of how people are, and confesses to almost falling into envying the wicked as well.

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You Made Me See Troubles - Psalm 71:19-21

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Is it only God's job to show us the comforting things, the things that make us feel good about ourselves and our beliefs? Or is it also God's job to push us to see things we don't want to, things that are painful and difficult, to push us out of our apathy towards being more loving and conscientious people? Reflection on Psalm 71:19-21 by Pastor Lars Hammar

From My Youth You Have Taught Me - Psalm 71:17-18

For long-time and life-long believers, the walk of faith is the walk of life, and that walk is often full of struggles with both God and the church. But through it all we remain faithful to the God who loves us, and have a great treasure in wisdom to share with those new or unfamiliar with the faith by witnessing to that struggle. Meditation on Psalm 71:17-18 by Pastor Lars Hammar of Lord of Grace Lutheran Church of Marana, Arizona.

17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power

Psalms 71:17-18

I Have Been A Portent - Psalm 71:7-11

What do you do when you become for others the personification of what they fear, the image of the change that they perceive as a threat? It's not your doing, just who you are in their minds? The Psalm prays through keeping faith while being the object of scorn and attack. Meditation on Psalm 71:7-11 by Pastor Lars Hammar of Lord of Grace Lutheran Church in Marana, Arizona.

7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.

9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.

10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.

11 They say, "Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver."

Psalms 71:7-11

God is My Rock - Psalm 71:1-3

When things are forever changing, and life feels out of control, God is the one unchanging, and forever loving, relationship that anchors us through it all, giving us confidence and peace of mind to deal with new things without fear. Meditation on Psalm 71:1-3 by Pastor Lars Hammar of Lord of Grace Lutheran Church.

n you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.

2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.

3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.

Psalms 71:1-3

God Hears the Needy - Psalm 69:30-36

God is the God of the oppressed, the downtrodden, the ones who did not inherit wealth, and have been forced to suffer under systems they cannot control. Instead of shaming the oppressed, God stands by their side. Meditation on Psalm 69:30-36 by Pastor Lars Hammar of Lord of Grace Lutheran Church of Marana, Arizona.

32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

33 For the LORD hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds.

34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them.

35 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall live there and possess it;

36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall live in it.

Psalms 69:32-36

Do Not Hide Your Face From Me - Psalm 69:16-29

God does not turn away from us when we have been wrongly accused or dishonored. God does hide from us when the world has shamed or insulted us. Instead, God turns his face towards us, sees us, and remains with us in the loneliness that comes from being ostracized. Meditation on Psalm 69:16-29. By Pastor Lars Hammar of Lord of Grace Lutheran Church.

16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

17 Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress-- make haste to answer me.

18 Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies.

19 You know the insults I receive, and my shame and dishonor; my foes are all known to you.

20 Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.

21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table be a trap for them, a snare for their allies.

23 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.

24 Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them.

25 May their camp be a desolation; let no one live in their tents.

26 For they persecute those whom you have struck down, and those whom you have wounded, they attack still more.

27 Add guilt to their guilt; may they have no acquittal from you.

28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

29 But I am lowly and in pain; let your salvation, O God, protect me.

Psalm 69:16-29

Rescue Me From the Mire - Psalm 69:13-15

When life has overtaken me, and I don't feel like there's any way to get out, we can pray to God for the rescue. In a mire, all your efforts come to nothing as your feet get stuck, and only someone else can get you out. Meditation on Psalm 69:13-15 by Pastor Lars Hammar of Lord of Grace Lutheran Church in Marana, Arizona.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help

14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.

15 Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me.

Psalm 69:13-15