5/25 Psalm 34 - Hope for the Broken Hearted

Feeling discouraged? Needing to be reminded of God's promises for you? Join us in today's study in a super-encouraging psalm that is sure to bless your time in God's Word.

DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS:

1. What did the podcast mean when it said that this psalm, and others like it are part of a class of genre called “Gnomic Literature”? How do we handle this kind of literature and these kinds of promises? Why do we tend to let “exceptions” cause us to lose faith in God’s universal principles?

2. The opening lines of this psalm say something along the lines of: "A psalm of David when he feigned madness before Abimelech, who drove him away and he departed." What did the podcast explain about the inspiration behind these statements regarding the background and setting of certain psalms?

3. Looking at verse 1, when does David declare that he will bless the Lord? What guidance does this give us about the frequency of how often we praise the Lord? Are there any changes that you need to make in order to be a person who “blesses the Lord at all time” and “whose praises are continually in your mouth?”

4. In verse 2, what does David call us to join with him in doing? How might you fulfill this exhortation in your life today?

5. Verses 4, 6 and 7 all give reasons for David to praise God and magnify Him. What are they? Why should these things cause us to praise the Lord more?

6. The podcast paused to focus on the Angel of the Lord that is mentioned in verse 7. Who is He and what does He do?

7. What attribute of God are we to see in verses 8 & 9? What should this cause us to do? When you face adversity, is this something you do easily or struggle with? Why?

8. Verses 12 & 14 show us the path of life that puts a person in position to receive these promises. What does this path look like? Are you on that kind of path?

9. Who is the Lord listening to in verse 15? How would this kind of person be living if they were in your life situation?

10. In verses 17 to 19, what do we learn about God’s watchful care over the brokenhearted and afflicted?

11. Glance over verses 6, 6, 15, 18, 17 and 20. What does the Lord do for His people in these verses? As you live your day in light of these promises, how can you be the kind of person that receives this watchful care of God?

The Key Chapters Bible Podcast is a daily, 15ish minute podcast that goes over the key chapters of the Bible, one per day, explaining how it fits into the overall message of God and how it relates to our lives now. Jump in today or start back in Genesis 1!

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