At The Movies - Day 11
Day 11: Monday, July 31
Read Psalm 13
Highlight
Psalm 13 is a succinct example of a Lament Psalm, proving that our prayers do not need to be long or complex. The Psalmist begins with the address “O LORD.” Whenever we see the word “lord” capitalized like that in the Old Testament, we should remember that it represents “Yahweh,” the personal name of God given to His people. The psalmist is using God’s relational name, which carries great meaning. Nothing in the troubles of life cancels the privilege of faith to speak directly to God in confidence of being heard! The rest of verses 1-2 make up the complaint: God is absent in the psalmist’s suffering. Verses 3-4 adjust the order by submitting the simple petition to God: answer me! Help me to see you! Then comes the confession of trust in verse 5 and the declaration of praise in verse 6.
Psalm 13 addresses one of the most painful things any follower of Jesus can experience: the pain of silence as we feel abandoned or forgotten by God. It is a gift to see that we are not alone in that experience, nor do we need to be hesitant in expressing our pain! Yet the psalmist is intentional to remind himself that God is worthy of his trust. This brings him to the point of praise, because he understands that God’s silence does not mean his absence. Ultimately, it is through prayer that the psalmist is able to listen, and in what he believed to be deafening silence from God he is actually able to hear the heartbeat of a loving Father.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Read Psalm 13
Highlight
Psalm 13 is a succinct example of a Lament Psalm, proving that our prayers do not need to be long or complex. The Psalmist begins with the address “O LORD.” Whenever we see the word “lord” capitalized like that in the Old Testament, we should remember that it represents “Yahweh,” the personal name of God given to His people. The psalmist is using God’s relational name, which carries great meaning. Nothing in the troubles of life cancels the privilege of faith to speak directly to God in confidence of being heard! The rest of verses 1-2 make up the complaint: God is absent in the psalmist’s suffering. Verses 3-4 adjust the order by submitting the simple petition to God: answer me! Help me to see you! Then comes the confession of trust in verse 5 and the declaration of praise in verse 6.
Psalm 13 addresses one of the most painful things any follower of Jesus can experience: the pain of silence as we feel abandoned or forgotten by God. It is a gift to see that we are not alone in that experience, nor do we need to be hesitant in expressing our pain! Yet the psalmist is intentional to remind himself that God is worthy of his trust. This brings him to the point of praise, because he understands that God’s silence does not mean his absence. Ultimately, it is through prayer that the psalmist is able to listen, and in what he believed to be deafening silence from God he is actually able to hear the heartbeat of a loving Father.
Reflection & Prayer
For this reading plan we will be using a tool to guide our study of Scripture that’s called the S.O.A.P. Method. It stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. We recommend you use a journal with this method and write out your thoughts on each of these areas for each day of reading. It doesn’t have to be long-winded and you don’t need a fancy journal. But for anyone that has not journaled before, the benefit is that it often helps us focus and avoid distractions during prayer and Bible study.
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture - Pick a verse or two that stood out to you and write it in your journal. Be looking for a “Holy Spirit Highlight.” What did you read and think “I needed to hear that” or felt like it was written just for you?
Observation - Now write some observations about the verse(s) or passage. What is this passage or verse saying? About God? About people? How is Jesus revealed in these verses?
Application - Now write a few sentences on how this passage applies to your life. Is there truth about God that you are to believe? A promise to receive? Is the Holy Spirit convicting you of something you need to do or stop doing in light of God’s truth?
Prayer - Now write out a prayer to God in response to this Scripture. This is a way to turn God’s Word to you back to Him. Be honest and express your heart to Him. God always listens and He delights in your prayers. (Psalm 34:15; Proverbs 15:8)
Posted in At The Movies