“Maschil of Asaph”
What is the difference between complaining at God and crying unto God? The difference is rooted to our attitude – whether or not we have a spirit of confident faith in Him.
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Outlines in Psalms
“Maschil of Asaph” What is the difference between complaining at God and crying unto God? The difference is rooted to our attitude – whether or not we have a spirit of confident faith in Him.
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Outlines in Psalms
“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.” Psalm 11:1a – “In the LORD put I my trust.” (Note: The two questions of this psalm are significant for the flow of thought in this psalm.) I. The challenge against the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:1b) II. The conflict for the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:2) III. The concern of the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:3) IV. The confidence of the Lord’s trusting servant. (Psalm 11:4-7) Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to two previous outlines: In the Day of My Trouble - Psalm 77 But I Will Remember - Psalm 77:10-12 In Psalm 77:4-9 the psalmist Asaph cried out and complained, saying, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.” As we have noted in a previous outline (see above), through this complaint we understand that the psalmist had come to a place of utter discouragement and depression. In addition, we understand that the foundational reason for the psalmist’s discouragement and depression was that he had come to a place of doubting and questioning the gracious, merciful, and faithful nature of the Lord his God. Yet by the end of this psalm, the psalmist had come to a completely different place, to a place of comfort and courage through whole-hearted trust in and praise of the Lord his God. The turning point for this change began with the opening confession of verse 10 – “And I said, This is my infirmity.” Herein the psalmist acknowledged and confessed the sinfulness of his attitude against the Lord. Yet what was the path by which the psalmist originally came to the place of utter discouragement and depression? This path is revealed in the steps of Psalm 77:2-3. According to the opening portion of verse 2, the psalmist had indeed sought the Lord through prayer – “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord.” Yet this involvement in prayer did not bring relief to the psalmist’s attitude; for in the opening portion of verse 3, he declared, “I remembered God, and was troubled.” Why did seeking the Lord through prayer not bring relief? It did not bring relief because although the psalmist involved himself in the practice of prayer, his heart remained focused upon the troubles of his life. This then was the psalmist’s path to utter discouragement and depression: Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to a previous outline: In the Day of My Trouble - Psalm 77 In Psalm 77:4-9 the psalmist Asaph cried out and complained, saying, “Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.” Through this cry and complaint, we understand that the psalmist had come to a place of utter discouragement and depression. In addition, we understand that the foundational reason for the psalmist’s discouragement and depression was that he had come to a place of doubting and questioning the gracious, merciful, and faithful nature of the Lord his God. Yet by the end of this psalm, the psalmist had come to a completely different place, to a place of comfort and courage through whole-hearted trust in and praise of the Lord his God. So then, what brought about this change? The turning point of the psalm is found in verses 10-12. Outlines in Psalms
“To the chief musician, to Jeduthun [praising, celebrating], A Psalm of Asaph.” I. The Cry of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:1-3) II. The Complaint of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:4-9) III. The Confession of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:10a) IV. The Commitment of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:10b-12) V. The Confidence of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:13-15) VI. The Comfort of the Lord’s Servant (Psalm 77:16-20) Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to three previous outlines: And Forget Not All His Benefits - Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O My Soul - Psalm 103:1-2, 20-22 Bless His Holy Name - Psalm 103 The two themes that tie this central portion of Psalm 103 together are as follows: (1) the mercy of the Lord that He displays toward us, and (2) the fear of the Lord that we are to maintain toward Him. Psalm 103:8 – “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” Psalm 103:11 – “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” Psalm 103:13 – “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” Psalm 103:17 – “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children.” Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to two previous outlines: And Forget Not All His Benefits - Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O My Soul - Psalm 103:1-2, 20-22 Psalm 103:1 – “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” I. Bless the Lord because He bestows spiritual benefits. II. Bless the Lord because He executeth righteousness and justice. III. Bless the Lord because He is abundantly merciful and gracious. IV. Bless the Lord because He is everlastingly faithful. V. Bless the Lord because He is the sovereign Ruler. Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to a previous outlines: And Forget Not All His Benefits - Psalm 103:1-5 Psalm 103:1-2 reads, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” Psalm 103:20-22 reads, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.” Outlines in Psalms
Psalm 103:1-2 reads, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits [the benefits of spiritual revival]:” I. He Remits (Forgives) All the Guilt of Our Iniquities. (Psalm 103:3a) II. He Removes the Affliction of His Chastening Hand. (Psalm 103:3b) III. He Redeems Our Lives from Our Sin’s Destructiveness. (Psalm 103:4a) IV. He Restores Our Walk to His Blessed Fellowship. (Psalm 103:4b) V. He Renews Our Souls in Abundant Spiritual Life. (Psalm 103:5) Outlines in Psalms
Psalm 100 – “A Psalm of Praise” I. Serve the Lord with Gladness. (vs. 1-2) II. Why? Because He Is God. (v. 3) III. Give Thanks unto the Lord. (v. 4) IV. Why? Because He Is Good. (v. 5) Outlines in Psalms Psalm 123 – “A Song of Degrees” I. The Position of Faith Psalm 123:1 – “Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens.” II. The Patience of Faith Psalm 123:2 – “Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us.” III. The Prayer of Faith Psalm 123:3 – “Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.” IV. The Problem to Faith Psalm 123:4 – “Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.” Please share this post with others:
Outlines in Psalms
This outline is a companion to a previous outline: Our Heart Is Not Turned Back - Psalm 44:9-26 I. The Record of Past History (vs. 1-3) II. The Response of Confident Faith (vs. 4-8) III. The Reality of Present Tribulation (vs. 9-16) IV. The Refusal to Forsake the Lord (vs. 17-22) V. The Request of a Troubled Soul (vs. 23-26) Outlines in Psalms
Psalm 13:1 reads, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” Sometimes the trials, troubles, and tribulations of life grow so great and continue so long that our hearts are moved within us to cry out unto the Lord – “How long? For ever?” How long will it be before our Lord grants us deliverance? Must we suffer forever? This was just how David felt in the case of Psalm 13. Yet although he began with this complaint in his heart, he ended with confidence in the Lord. Outlines in Psalms
Psalm 44:17-19 reads, “All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant. Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way; though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.” Psalm 44:9-26 presents a scenario wherein the Lord our God had brought his faithful servants into a place of fiery trial and testing. Yet it is of significance that this psalm does not end as do so many of the other psalms, with a proclamation of the Lord’s merciful deliverance or with a prophecy of the Lord’s merciful deliverance in due time. Rather, this psalm simply ends with the continuing cry of the Lord’s faithful servants for merciful deliverance. Even so, in Psalm 44:23-26 the cry is lifted up, “Awake, why sleepest thou, O Lord? Arise, cast us not off for ever. Wherefore hidest thou thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the earth. Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.” Indeed, this is just how this psalm ends. Yet this portion of Psalm 44 ends in this fashion, without a proclamation or prophecy of the Lord’s merciful deliverance, specifically because it does not set its focus upon the Lord’s merciful deliverance. Rather, this portion of Psalm 44 sets its focus upon the faithful response of the Lord’s servants while under fiery trial and testing. Outlines in Psalms
Psalm 30:5 reads, “For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Only as we walk in the favor of our Lord's fellowship can we experience and enjoy the abundant Christian life. Therefore, it is important that we not walk in self-confidence; for the Lord our God "resisteth the proud, but giveth grace [favor] unto the humble." (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Proverbs 3:34; Psalm 138:6) |
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