The Word of God for your mental health
“People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray.”
1. Write or think about a time in your life when you had to accept discipline?
2. What are some of the hardest aspects for you about making mistakes?
3. What is one way you could lean into a lesson in your life right now rather than try to reject the lesson?
“The LORD will not let the godly go hungry, but he refuses to satisfy the craving of the wicked.”
1. Do you take this verse to be literal (talking about physical hunger) or figurative (talking about a spiritual type of hunger)?
2. What are the things that your body or soul crave?
3. What is one thing you could ask God for that would fill you up today?
“Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.”
1. What distracts you from focusing on just what God has placed in your own path?
2. What path or directions has God laid out for you in this current season of your life? What is one thing he wants you to focus on?
3. What are some ways you can avoid evil in your life?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
1. In what area of your life do you find it hardest to trust God?
2. What does it mean practically to “seek God’s will”? How do we do this?
3. What is one path or step God has told you to take in this season of your life?
“The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the Lord, and may everyone on earth bless his holy name forever and ever.”
As we have explored this Psalm, I have been so struck by the overwhelming goodness of God as we have explored these ancient songs together. Remember, if we believe the Bible’s claims about itself (including the way Jesus interacted with the Old Testament scriptures such as the book of Psalms), we acknowledge that this is no ordinary song book. God breathed his very self into these words in order to reveal his innermost nature to us.
What do we know about God from today’s passage? We know he wants you to know him. He hears you. He wants to rescue you. He protects you and destroys the evil around you. Yeah, I think he deserves a whole lot of praise for that. We owe him everything. And we can never repay it.
Here’s your freedom for today: God is closer than you can imagine. He exudes love for you. He is pouring his Spirit into you. When you honestly seek him, you will find him. He makes himself known so that you do not have to jump through a whole bunch of hoops to get to him. Jesus embodied the full nature of God, so if you like him then you like God. He’s not just next to you, holding your hand today. No, he’s woven himself into the very fabric of your being. Live as one with God today and let his protection and care fill you to a place of freedom.