memory verse

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A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE PSALMS The psalms, like all Scripture, are inspired and given by God (2 Timothy 3:16). And yet, each psalm originated with a human author as a prayer or praise to the Lord. The psalms are diverse, composed as the responses of God’s people to Him. The psalms include laments, psalms or praise, wisdom, thanksgiving, reflections on God’s mighty acts, celebrations of God’s revelation, and worship. The book of Psalms reflects a long process of collection. For a thousand years, poets wrote these poems while people recited and collected them. Gradually editors incorporated smaller collections into larger collections, shaping five collections into the one book of Psalms.

and New Testaments, and the themes addressed in the psalms are further developed in the New Testament. The psalmists wrestle with many of the big questions of life and offer vastly different perspectives. Some of the poets quietly accept their problems, while others wrestle with God, question Him, or become exasperated. As readers, we identify with both the struggles and the celebrations of these authors. Their words bring validation to much of our human experience, and give us a new vocabulary with which to talk to God.

The title Psalms for the collection comes from the Greek word psalmos (“song”) which translates the Hebrew mizmor, a word frequently found in the titles of individual psalms. Jesus and the apostles loved the book of Psalms. They often quoted from it, and beyond that, they lived out of it. These ancient prayers and praises of Israel provide a bridge to cross between the Old

MEMORY VERSES

HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE

For each week, we’ll have a suggested memory verse. You can write these on note cards and leave them around your house, write them with a dry-erase marker on your bathroom mirror, or use any other method to internalize these passages. You’ll find that as you memorize passages, they will come to mind in helpful times!

Our hope for this “Summer in the Psalms” series is to provide opportunity over the summer months for us to spend time together in Scripture. We chose the “calendar” format for this study guide so that it’s easy to hang in your home and be reminded these passages and your discoveries throughout your week. Each week, we’ve provided summaries, additional scripture, memory verses, family activities, and then a worksheet for further study. The worksheets have three columns:

FAMILY ACTIVITIES Each week, we’ll also have a suggested family activity. Use these as opportunities to talk about the Psalms with your children. THEN... Embrace the whimsy!

INSPIRATION: The first column is to copy down, word-for-word, the exact psalm we’re studying. This provides opportunity to more deeply interact with God’s word. (If we’re studying a long psalm, pick 15 verses to transcribe.) EXPLANATION: The second column provides space for us to write down a few of the verses in our own words. This helps us understand the deeper meaning of the verse and how to communicate its’ truth in our own language. APPLICATION: In the third column, we have the opportunity to apply this passage to our lives. Spend a few minutes reflecting on the passage and how you can apply it to your week ahead. We pray that this series is a rewarding experience for our community!

PSALM 1 1

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. 4 But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. 5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. 6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

3

This wisdom psalm sets the tone for the whole book of Psalms. The psalmist strongly contrasts the happiness of the godly with the condemnation of the wicked. This idealization of the godly person highlights the Lord’s expectations of his people and especially of the coming Messiah.

They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

FAMILY ACTIVITY Plant a tree or flowers in your yard or a nearby park. Talk with your family about what trees need in order to be healthy. THEN... Eat some fresh fruit!

The people of Israel did not live up to this ideal, and neither did the kings of David’s dynasty. Not even the best of them could bring in the triumph of righteousness described here. In the New Testament, the apostles use the Psalms to describe the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah, confirming that Jesus alone could fulfill the ideal of “the godly person.” Only Jesus could please God and secure redemption, happiness, and peace. Psalm 1 introduces the hopeful anticipation of the final hallelujah (Ps. 150), when the Lord will remove all evil from His creation and prosper His children.

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • •

Jeremiah 17:7-8 Nehemiah 1:7 John 10:14 2 Timothy 2:19

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 8 1

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. 2 You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. 3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— 4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? 5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority— 7 the flocks and the herds and all the wild animals, 8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and everything that swims the ocean currents. 9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

4

Psalm 8 celebrates God’s creation and the dignity of the ideal human being. Instead of the world of enemies, wicked people, and distorted justice that is presented in Psalms 3–7, this psalm promotes an image of the world as God originally created it. A weary person can envision a place of dignity in God’s world...

What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?

FAMILY ACTIVITY On a clear night this week, go outside and look at the stars. Talk about how big God is and the role He’s given us to care for the earth. THEN... Play with glowsticks or sparklers!

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • •

Psalm 89:11 Hebrews 2:6-8 Genesis 1:26, 28 1 Corinthians 15:27

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 51 1

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. 5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. 6 But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there. 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. 9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. 13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. 14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. 15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. 16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. 18 Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

10

This moving prayer for restoration asks for God’s favor, mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing. Out of a broken spirit, the psalmist confesses and accepts responsibility for his sin, then petitions God to remove his guilt and renew him inwardly. The psalmist then recommits himself to a lifestyle of wisdom and joy in the service of God and others.

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

12

FAMILY ACTIVITY Talk about forgiveness with your children. Model for them what it looks like to confess and be genuinely sorry. THEN... Have each person write one mistake down on a piece of paper, fold it into a paper airplane and throw it out the window!

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • •

Psalm 32 Acts 3:19 Ephesians 2:3 Matthew 5:8

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 30 1

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. 3 You brought me up from the grave, O Lord. You kept me from falling into the pit of death. 4 Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 When I was prosperous, I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” 7 Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered. 8 I cried out to you, O Lord. I begged the Lord for mercy, saying, 9 “What will you gain if I die, if I sink into the grave? Can my dust praise you? Can it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear me, Lord, and have mercy on me. Help me, O Lord.” 11 You have turned my mourning into joyful

dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, 12 that I might sing praises to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

11

This individual thanksgiving psalm opens in praise to the Lord for His salvation, then contrasts God’s favor with His anger, and ends with a transformation from mourning to dancing.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.

FAMILY ACTIVITY It’s OK to be sad, and it’s OK to ask God hard questions. Talk about one thing that has made you sad. Comfort each other with words of encouragement. THEN... Go out for ice cream!

David may have written this psalm when he dedicated Araunah’s threshing floor (which became the future site of the Temple), after God stopped the great plague He had used to discipline David. The serious illness mentioned in 30:2–3 may refer to an illness David experienced or to the plague itself.

OTHER SCRIPTURES • Psalm 25:2 • Jeremiah 31:4 • Psalm 6:2

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 148 1

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise him from the skies! 2 Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all the armies of heaven! 3 Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you twinkling stars! 4 Praise him, skies above! Praise him, vapors high above the clouds! 5 Let every created thing give praise to the Lord, for he issued his command, and they came into being. 6 He set them in place forever and ever. His decree will never be revoked. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you creatures of the ocean depths, 8 fire and hail, snow and clouds, wind and weather that obey him, 9 mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, 10 wild animals and all livestock, small scurrying animals and birds, 11 kings of the earth and all people, rulers and judges of the earth, 12 young men and young women, old men and children. 13 Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great;

his glory towers over the earth and heaven! 14 He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones— the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord!

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

13

This psalm calls for the whole created order to praise the Lord because He has honored His faithful people. All creation is like a majestic symphony or a great choir composed of many harmonious parts that together offer up songs of praise to the Lord.

Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven!

FAMILY ACTIVITY Walk around the inside of your home and share with each other the things you’re grateful for. THEN... Celebrate God with a dance party!

Each part (independent, yet part of the whole) is caught up and carried along in swelling tides of praise. This is a picture of how we as believers should praise God—individually, yet as part of the great choir of believers worldwide. Are you singing your part well in the worldwide choir of praise?

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • • •

Psalm 102:19 Job 38:33 Genesis 1:7 Ecclesiastes 12:1 Revelation 5:12

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 62 1

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. 3 So many enemies against one man— all of them trying to kill me. To them I’m just a broken-down wall or a tottering fence. 4 They plan to topple me from my high position. They delight in telling lies about me. They praise me to my face but curse me in their hearts. Interlude 5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. 7 My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. 8 O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Interlude 9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind, and the powerful are not what they appear to be. If you weigh them on the scales, together they are lighter than a breath of air.

Don’t make your living by extortion or put your hope in stealing. And if your wealth increases, don’t make it the center of your life. 11 God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; 12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people according to what they have done.

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

1

This psalm expressed confidence in the king and offers prayer for him. The king rests in God despite his difficulties. Although his deceptive and powerful adversaries push hard against him, he remains undaunted. He encourages himself and his people to trust in God and to see their human adversaries from God’s perspective, where they appear frail, fleeting, and deceptive.

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him.

FAMILY ACTIVITY Sit together in silence for 30 seconds. Talk with each other about what “trust” means. THEN... Play the “trust-fall” game!

10

The psalmist shows that prayer can release our tensions in times of emotional stress. Trusting God to be our rock, salvation, and fortress will change our entire outlook on life. No longer must we be held captive by resentment toward others when they hurt us. When we are resting in God’s strength, nothing can shake us.

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • •

Psalm 37:39 Isaiah 40:15 Romans 2:6 Psalm 59:17

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 139 1

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. 2 You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. 3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. 4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. 5 You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! 7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! 8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. 9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. 11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day.

Darkness and light are the same to you. You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! 19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! 20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. 21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate

MEMORY VERSE

SYNOPSIS

1

In this wisdom psalm, the psalmist opens every aspect of his being, character, behavior, and speech to God’s examination. As hard as life is, he wants to ensure his own growth in wisdom so that he does not come under God’s judgment of the wicked.

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.

FAMILY ACTIVITY Have everyone write a list of their favorite characteristics of one another. Take turns reading them aloud. Talk about how God knows where we are at all times, and that we can never hide from His love. THEN... Play “hide-and-seek”!

13

you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? 22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Further, the poet recognizes that he cannot escape from the Lord. His sense of stress disappears when he considers the Lord’s loving care for him, even before birth. He then invites the Lord to continue examining him as he walks in the path of wisdom.

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • •

Psalm 44:21 Hebrews 4:13 Romans 11:33 Jeremiah 23:24

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 22 23

1

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? 2 Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 Our ancestors trusted in you, and you rescued them. 5 They cried out to you and were saved. They trusted in you and were never disgraced. 6 But I am a worm and not a man. I am scorned and despised by all! 7 Everyone who sees me mocks me. They sneer and shake their heads, saying, 8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord? Then let the Lord save him! If the Lord loves him so much, let the Lord rescue him!” 9 Yet you brought me safely from my mother’s womb and led me to trust you at my mother’s breast. 10 I was thrust into your arms at my birth. You have been my God from the moment I was born. 11 Do not stay so far from me, for trouble is near, and no one else can help me. 12 My enemies surround me like a herd of

bulls; fierce bulls of Bashan have hemmed me in! 13 Like lions they open their jaws against me, roaring and tearing into their prey. 14 My life is poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. 15 My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead. 16 My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; an evil gang closes in on me. They have pierced my hands and feet. 17 I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat. 18 They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing. 19 O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid! 20 Save me from the sword; spare my precious life from these dogs. 21 Snatch me from the lion’s jaws and from the horns of these wild oxen. 22 I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters. I will praise you among your assembled people.

MEMORY VERSES

SYNOPSIS

26

The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy.

All previous laments pale in comparison with this outcry against the enemy and God’s abandonment. The psalm contains two main sections: the lament (22:1–21) and praise for redemption(22:22–31), which leads naturally into Psalm 23. The apostles saw in this psalm an expression of the sufferings of Jesus Christ, who ultimately fulfilled the purpose of David’s humiliation, rejection by people, and divine abandonment.

FAMILY ACTIVITY

The psalmist alternates between reflections on his present dire circumstances and memories of the Lord’s past faithfulness; he ends with a prayer for rescue.

Look through old family photos. Talk about how one of your relatives OTHER SCRIPTURES has had a positive impact on your life. • Matthew 27:46 • Mark 15:34 THEN... As a family, write a letter • Psalm 71:5–6 to someone thanking them for the • Psalm 40:9–10 special role they’ve played in your lives!

Praise the Lord, all you who fear him! Honor him, all you descendants of Jacob! Show him reverence, all you descendants of Israel! 24 For he has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned his back on them, but has listened to their cries for help. 25 I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. 26 The poor will eat and be satisfied. All who seek the Lord will praise him. Their hearts will rejoice with everlasting joy. 27 The whole earth will acknowledge the Lord and return to him. All the families of the nations will bow down before him. 28 For royal power belongs to the Lord. He rules all the nations. 29 Let the rich of the earth feast and worship. Bow before him, all who are mortal, all whose lives will end as dust. 30 Our children will also serve him. Future generations will hear about the wonders of the Lord. 31 His righteous acts will be told to those not yet born. They will hear about everything he has done.

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...

PSALM 23 1

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. 3 He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. 4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. 5 You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. 6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

MEMORY VERSES

SYNOPSIS

1

This psalm of trust and confidence in the Lord has been a favorite of God’s people for generations. It expresses assurance of God’s presence in the midst of adversity. It evokes images of the Good Shepherd and of the messianic banquet.

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. 2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams.

FAMILY ACTIVITY Go on a hike through the woods. If you find a brook or a small stream, stand quietly beside it and listen to the water. Talk about how God provides for us. THEN... Invite friends and family over for a cookout!

Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance, and protection. The New Testament calls Jesus the good shepherd (John 10:11). As the Lord is the good shepherd, so we are His sheep—not frightened, passive animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow one who will lead us in the right places and in right ways.

OTHER SCRIPTURES • • • •

John 10:11 1 Peter 2:25 Revelation 7:17 Psalm 25:6–7

INSPIRATION

Choose up to 15 verses to transcribe from this week’s Scripture (word-forword) in the column below.

EXPLANATION

Write down a few of these verses in your own words.

APPLICATION

How can you specifically respond to God’s Word this week? Think of one thing you can do this week to apply this passage to your life...