It is a dark time in our country, with violence escalating. The killing of Democratic leader Melissa Hortman and her husband, the stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee on public transportation, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk, an advocate for Christ and conservative politics.
I didn’t know much about Kirk before the tragedy, but I’ve watched some of his interactions with students and understand why he was so influential in helping them overcome the lies in our culture.
Are we becoming like so many violent countries? Is freedom of speech being smothered? Where is the Lord in all of this?.
I had planned to begin beholding the God of All Comfort this week, and the timing is right.
So often as we look back on our lives, we can see His tender mercies in preparing us for a hard time or walking with us through it. One of my favorite phrases in Scripture is “As it happened…” As it happened, Charlie Kirk’s wife sent him Psalm 46:1 the morning of his assassination: God is our real and present help in times of trouble.
When the two grieving widows, Ruth and Naomi, came to Bethlehem and Ruth went out to glean, “As it happened” Boaz arrived just then.

This week, my daughter-in-law lost her dad, Mark, in a small plane crash. Here he is praying for a patient on a mission trip.
“As it happened” he had flown from Nebraska to Seattle to see Julie and John just a few days before, for their youngest was in a play. He also drove two hours east to see their eldest grand-daughter, Emily, who was close to him as well. I learned that he had gotten together with all of his 5 children and grandchildren in the last two months. Coincidental? No. I believe that was our God of All Comfort guiding him, for He knew the number of Mark’s days. He knew the number of Charlie Kirk’s days. He may seem silent, but He is not absent. We grieve, yet not as those who have no hope.
Yet we must acknowledge that there is much evil in the world that is hard to understand when we know the Lord has the power to stop it, but for His own reasons, is withholding it for now. To help with that, we will look together at Psalm 12, a lesser-known psalm. Mark Vroegup, the President of The Gospel Coalition and the author of the award-winning Dark Clouds Deep Mercy, preaches on it.
To access both the audio and transcript, click below, look for “Where Have All the Godly Gone?”, and then select resources. I am also including the transcript here.
https://theorchardefca.org/past-sermon-series
Sunday:
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
Monday: The Text
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why?
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help)
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort)
3) Trust (from the psalmist)
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow.
Tuesday: Grief is Not Tame and It’s Common
Listen/Read up to “The Third thing is they deal honestly…”
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame?
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it?
6. What does he say about grief being common?
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think?
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament?
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded.
Wednesday: God-Centered Grieving
Read/Listen up to pg 6 “Righteousness is gone. And the effect is he sees evil all around him.”
10. He says God-centered grieving is honest. Why do you think some Christians are hesitant to be honest about their pain or fears?
11. You may remember that Keller says: Don’t stuff, don’t vent — do pray. What three parts of a lament can help us pray well and get through the icy river of grief? (Vroegup use a U diagram)
12. C. S. Lewis, in his A Grief Observed said he never knew grief was so much like fear. Have you experienced this? Explain.
13. When ministering to someone in grief, why might it be helpful to remember that grief and fear go hand in hand?
14. What was Vroegup’s point when he said the Hebrew for the word Lord here is “yasa” or “Savior?” How has He repeatedly done this with Israel?
15. Does our salvation in times of trouble depend upon our goodness or the strength of our faith? Explain.
Thursday: Righteousness is Gone
Read/Listen up to “And then we come to the notion of trust” pon page 10.
16. As the psalmist looks at his world, what examples of faithlessness does he see?
17. How does Vroegup describe scary evil using Toy Story 3? How would childhood victims of abuse have experienced this?
18. How is our culture today overtly godless?
19. Vroegup says the first part of the promise in verse 5 is that God hears. How do you see this? Why is this helpful to know?
20. My daughter-in-law went out to the field, the site of her father’s crash, and it was pouring rain. When we buried my husband Steve it was pouring rain. Both of us thought of Psalm 56:8. What does this tell you about God even if He seems silent?
21. What else does God promise in verse 5? What do you learn about His Word in verse 6?
22. What is his point with the John Bunyan illustration?
Friday: Trust when Circumstances Do Not Change
Read/Listen to the end.
23. How do you see trust in verse 7, yet reality in verse 8?
24. What can we learn from the model of Charles Simeon?
Saturday:
25. What will you remember? What can you apply?
137 comments
Sunday:
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
August-September 2025. So many circumstances that could have kept me in the pit of discouragement. But, “as it happened”, I have been a part of this blog. The words of my sisters have been healing and encouraging. “As it happened”, my Scripture writing themes have been on the themes of peace and courage. And when I left for Phoenix for a 5-day trip, I picked up a book that has ministered to me in the past. “As it happened”, the book is Mark Vroegop’s Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy. God is faithful in His words, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” He is indeed the God of all Comfort.
Thank you, Dee, for leading us here!
Oh, Bing, I love how faithful God is, even on our most difficult days. He is the God of All Comfort. And, Amen! Thank you Dee, for leading us here! So grateful for all of you friends on this blog.
Love this Bing!
Me too❤️
So sweet!
Oh Bing, what awesome timing God has.
Sunday:
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
This last week weighed heavy on my heart with all that is going on in our country but “as it happened” I started attending a community Bible study in Psalms. The first set of Psalms we studied focused on trusting God, even when it seems evil is prevailing…no coincidence ! Our memory verse for last week was Psalm 91:2, “I say to the LORD, my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
A kiss from the King, dear Sharon!
I love it when the Spirit repeats the same thing to us.
So good, Sharon, when the Lord speaks to us, as things happen.
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
This is a hard one for me because it hurts inside so much, but here goes.
When we went to court a couple of weeks ago, I asked the Holy Spirit to cover us and to give me the words I needed, or to be present in some way. As I sat down, I wondered briefly, what Sarah did with her dog. She has this little Chihuahua dog that I do not like very much. I soon forgot about the dog and concentrated on the hearing for the next three hours.
Side note: our daughter loves animals and would never intentionally harm any animal. They love her too. I tried to get her to go into vet tech school but she couldn’t get herself together to make it work.
Back to the story…At the very end of the hearing, the judge left, and the second bailiff came in, very heated because someone left a dog in the car and he wanted to know who it was. Sarah’s husband jumped up and said it was theirs. The bailiff yelled at them and said if he had known he would have called the police because it’s against the law. It wasn’t too hot that day, but certainly hot enough in a car! The dog was ok. Thank goodness! I couldn’t believe she let that happen though. I didn’t know she was in the courtroom when I said, “I can’t believe Sarah would leave her dog in the car.” She said, “What was I supposed to do?” I said, “Your brother would have watched him.” She said, “Sure, he’s a witness for you, why would he watch him?” I was so sad that she thought none of our witnesses (she has none and we had 5 people there), who know her and the dog, wouldn’t have taken turns to help out.
The “as it happened?” Well, if you can’t make a good judgement about your dog then how can you make a good judgement about your kids? The guardian ad litem and our lawyer both saw what happened. I’m sure this will come up at the next hearing. I’m guessing the bailiff told the judge the next day. There is no way this should have happened. It didn’t make sense that Sarah would do that, and I really believe it was the Holy Spirit who coordinated it all (even protecting the dog). It hurts inside to think of the story though. Ugh.
Ohhh. Such a hard thing to witness and I’m so sorry for all you are going through and your daughter. Praying for peace in the midst of this turmoil, Laura. Praying for comfort, wisdom, and discernment for each and every interaction. May the Holy Spirit rest on you.
Laura, This is so hard for you. I am so sorry for you. To a judge and a court, it is her actions and her response to you in front of others, that will influence the upcoming decision. It would seem foolish to give custody of two young children, to someone who used such bad judgement on a pet. Amen to Chris. My prayers for you continue.
I see God’s hand in this, Laura! Showing your daughter’s lack of wisdom.
Me too, Dee!
Laura, you have been given a discerning heart regarding this situation. The enemy does not want you and the others who were present to see the foolishness of the actions of your daughter. Perhaps, she is realizing that now. Praying for your peace and resolution of this situation in God’s perfect time.
Oh Laura, we serve an amazing God who works on our behalf, just as He did in this situation and He used a dog!! I pray eyes are opened to the truth and God’s will be done…continued prayers.
Oh Laura, I have been praying for you and the court situation. For justice to be revealed and I think you are right, the Holy Spirit is there and God is in control.
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why?
I think it’s the “lying” that bothers me. I feel like we are all being lied to about anything and everything for the last 5-10 yrs. There is no real “news” anymore, that you can believe, and people online believe everything and don’t dig deep to fact check because people believe what they want to believe.
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help)
Verses 1-4
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort)
Verses 5-6
3) Trust (from the psalmist)
Verses 7-8
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow.
I don’t know if a specific Psalms of lament has helped me, but even yesterday as I whispered to God to please help me in my life, I remembered that David cried to God for help too. It is comforting knowing that even God’s chosen called to Him, sometimes begging and pleading for His attention.
Sunday:
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
I’m a bit behind due to a women’s conference I attended at our church Friday/Saturday. I am working on my story, but not complete and curious if I may have opportunity to share soon. I have a neighbor I need to speak with and need prayer as there was a confrontation with my husband and this neighbor and I have made her cookies to smooth things over. She seems to be an angry person and unforgiving. The BLESS app was encouraging this morning.
AS it happened experience: one that most powerfully comes to mind is the time I had to deliver my stillborn baby at 21 weeks in the hospital after living life for a week with her inside and no signs of labor. Such a heart wrenching time. She had been fine at the 20 weeks ultrasound and no suspicion of any trouble-then suddenly odd repetitive movement that kept me awake and the next morning, no movement. Facing delivery was scary-she was my fifth baby and the thought of delivering at the hospital and not knowing what that all would entail was so scary. As it happened, the nurse we had was a Christian and requested to stay beyond her shift ending to help us to the end. She was so kind and dressed sweet Hannah in a dress my mom made her for burial. We took a couple pictures. It was bitter sweet. Then there was a hospital guild that had a gown available for her burial gown, which was perfect because a friend from church had offered to make a life size doll for us to have to remember her, which we then could put the dress from my mom on. The hospital also made a sweet impression of her feet in a heart shaped clear plastic box and closed it with a pink ribbon and a beaded bracelet with her name. This whole sweet kindness was waiting for us at the hospital. Our nurse chatted with us and we found out she also homeschooled and had things in common with us. She was so understanding and kind. The Lord could only provide such a sweet and kind staff at he hospital-the loss is still painful all these years later, but softened by the hands and feet of Christ.
Oh, Chris! My heart is breaking for you, as I read this. And yet, God was very present and brought the perfect nurse and situation to comfort you in your hour of darkness. He is worthy of our Praise. Thank you for sharing this very hard and personal story. There is so much we will never understand in this life. I look forward to the other story, when you can share.
So good you made cookies for this neighbor!
Such a sorrowful time in your life
Oh, Chris! What a bittersweet story! And so, I praise God for His wonderful provisions for you at the hospital. Such a loving gesture that only God can orchestrate. He loves you.
Chris, this post made me cry. How sad for you and how sweet that God provided in that time. Hugs ❤️
Thank you to all of you. The thing I realize I left out, was that this event also holds the memory of the time I felt closest to my husband. He was with me of course, and read scripture to me throughout my labor, which gratefully was not terribly long. To me that was the sweetest memory of our lives together, as well as the hardest, to have my husband there supporting me in our dark hours. And my sweet OBGYN, who never made it to my other deliveries because the babies came too quickly, was here for this one. I still remember the wavering of his voice when he announced, a girl. Oh, the tender mercies of God to us as we encounter life and death here on earth. It is these moments when we allow all else to fall away and see the significance of the eternal. Such intensely emotional times and they do leave a lasting impact.
Love this memory of him reading scripture to you. May that sweetness return to your marriage.
What a precious memory Chris❤️…so glad you shared.
Chris,
Thank you for telling about the Lord’s kindness during your time of loss with your baby. My husband and I also experienced extraordinary kindness from hospital staff, friends, family and our community when our baby girl died. It still moves me 44 years later.
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
As it happens, Kathy (friend from dance class) asked why I was not there and my daughter told her I was not comfortable driving at night. My road is rural, with no street lights. Kathy offered to pick me up. She called me on the phone and in our conversation. Said she was going to Bible study! 🙏🙏😊 Thank you Lord! I felt like she was a Christian, because she is different than others in our classes. A sweet new connection. Thank you Lord.
And, as it happened, my granddaughter, Sara, who lives in Spokane, has a beautiful dog, that takes part in dog shows. She was looking for a rough collie and could not find a breeder on Washington. She knew that my new friend and neighbor, Bethany, here in RI, has shown her dogs for many years. She asked me if she could contact Bethany and ask her about breeders. Bethany thought that was a great idea and they connected last week. After they talked, I got a call from each one of them telling me how wonderful the other one was! Sara is very shy, so it is wonderful to see her bloom! It also was a bonding moment for my new friendship with Bethany! Thank you Lord!
Patti, how God connects the people we love with one another! This made me think about how you connect with people so genuinely. Your interest in their interests opens up conversations that turn into great friendships. Love these two stories of “as it happened”.
Thank You Lord, for the friends You have placed in Patti’s life and the impact for You she has had in their lives.
Dear Patti, I just love your sweet stories of friendship woven into your days.
Thankful for these “as it happened.” I’m not surprised you are gaining friends for as proverbs says, “He who has friends must show himself friendly.” And you do!
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why?
God wants us to express our grief and sorrow to Him. It is a confession, even a questioning of “Why Lord?”. We see the evil ones succeed in destroying our lives, or trying to do that. We question why God does not choose to stop evil. We have to walk through these times. We cannot walk around them, or put frosting on them, or make them go away. If we walk through it, the Lord God is faithful to be with us, to send ones to grieve with us, not try to give us answers to cheer us. Just sit next to us, to hold our hand, to listen, to grieve with us, help us to know we are loved and not alone. In our crying out to God, He will bring us comfort; It is a roller coaster, but He is faithful. He is refining us. In being refined, we will have renewed compassion for others, we will have a closer relationship with God. We will trust Him with a new and stronger faith, with the unanswered prayers. We will let go of our need to control, because we realize we will never be in control and that is a good thing.
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help)
Psalm 12:1-4 Help, Lord….
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort)
Psalm 12:5-6 …”Now I will arise,” says the Lord……
3) Trust (from the psalmist)
‘Psalm 12:6-8 ….the words of the Lord are pure ….
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow.
There are more Psalms of Lament than of Praise, I believe. They have helped me, because I they acknowledge that the evil on earth, often appear to be on top and to win, yet they are very visible in the eyes of the Lord. He has His ways and they are not our ways. They are beyond our understanding. Most of our nation grieves, for a young man of God, whose goal was to give troubled young people a voice, to speak rational words to them, to encourage them showing grace, not judgement, and he was taken too soon. It is a time for lament for our entire world.
Patti, you are so right-“the evil on earth, often appears to be on top and to win, yet they are very visible in the eyes of the Lord.” Nothing escapes the watchful eye of our sovereign God. We need not fear for His eye is on the sparrow and He will work all things out for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Patti, your answer to 2A was so good and this especially stood out to me…” In our crying out to God, He will bring us comfort; It is a roller coaster, but He is faithful. He is refining us.” It stood out to me because you and others here have experienced crying out to Him, being comforted, His faithfulness and being refined…praise God!
I loved that too!
Me too!
This: There are more Psalms of Lament than of Praise, I believe. They have helped me, because I they acknowledge that the evil on earth, often appear to be on top and to win, yet they are very visible in the eyes of the Lord. He has His ways and they are not our ways.
Monday: The Text
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why?
How timely these words are now as we hear about the state of our country. How powerful our words are, and can make great boasts and promote pride and evil.
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help) The word “help” in verse 1a
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort) v.5 The Lord will arise and come to the rescue of those who malign His children.
3) Trust (from the psalmist)
v. 7 The psalmist is confident that the lord is the One who will protect him and those who need His protection.
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow.
You mentioned the steps to lament a while back, Dee, and we went over the steps of lament. That has been very helpful to me.
I have learned to turn to the Lord first before sharing my pain with others. I have learned that ultimately, I end up going to the Lord. So why not go to Him first? I ALWAYS find Him faithful, and I have learned to wait patiently on Him as never before. My joy is greater when I wait on the Lord and see His works of wonder in my life and those I love and pray for.
I love this: Go to the Lord first with my pain. He is always faithful.
Monday: The Text
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why?
The LORD sees…”. God is in control even though the world seems out of control. Yes, He is in control despite the lying, groanings of the poor, deceitfulness, flattering and boastful tongues, violence, the wicked strutting about and though evil is being praised. I am reminded of our study in Revelation…we know who wins in the end!
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help)
Verse 1, “Help, O LORD…”
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort)
Verse 5c, “Now I will rise to rescue them, as they have longed for me to do.”
Verse 6, “The LORD’S promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified 7 times over.”
3) Trust (from the psalmist)
Verse 7, “Therefore, LORD, we know you will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation,”.
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow.
Our study on lament was so helpful to me that we did here on this blog and helped me lament the death of our son after so many years. I learned (through the Psalms) that it is ok to cry out to God, share our heart even when it’s anger and many other emotions. God wants us to turn to Him in our sorrows. But I also learned that out of our sorrow or whatever the circumstances are, to not to stay there but press into God, remember His faithfulness, He is our hope and give Him praise.
Sharon — love your testimony on the importance of the lament.
Amen to Dee, Sharon. Love this: I also learned that out of our sorrow or whatever the circumstances are, to not to stay there but press into God, remember His faithfulness, He is our hope and give Him praise.
Sunday:
1. Share an “as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort. – We have some very dear friends that came for a quick and short visit to our home last week. They needed to get away as Tim, has lung and liver cancer and the outcome is bleak, though we pray for complete healing. Deb, his wife, and I talked about a lot of things and sometimes I just listened and let her talk and cry. There are some things they are trying to figure out what to do and how to handle things financially. One item was the camper they have that is down at a campground in Alabama. She was saying she will have to sell it, and I know she really isn’t ready to do that, she loves going down to camp. I felt God putting a message on my heart about their camper. I called her over the weekend to see how Tim’s appointments went, and she also started talking about the camper and how the owners of the campground told her to not sell it yet, to just wait. She started crying when she told me the campground was going to comp them the rental fee through March. I felt the time was right to mention what Joe and I had talked about, and it was to buy their camper, leave it at the campground, so she could still enjoy it, and we would take over the rest. She cried again. She had been praying to God what to do with the camper and how she should proceed. “As it happened” the campground owners and Joe and I were there to comfort Tim and Deb in their time of need.
Julie, this gave me goosebumps…what a wonderful friend you are!
That’s so kind Julie! I’m sure she is really grateful for you and your friendship. I’m sorry about her husband. I will pray for complete healing. 🙏🙏🙏
What a blessing to your friend!
Love this act of love, Julie.
Oh, Julie! I am sobbing with joy, reading this. What beautiful tender hearts you and Joe have for Jesus and for your dear friends. So much love.
Julie, what a great gift for your friend. And the timing is so “as it happened”. The Lord is good. He had been watching over Tim and Deb all this time. I thank God for your willingness and Joe’s to help in this very practical and kind way.
Monday: The Text
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why? – WOW, what a great Psalm after the week we have had in America. God sees it all. He sees what everyone is doing and saying, how they are acting out against Him and His Word and his Creation. The Lord is rising up against these things and is using His followers to do it. He is not standing down, he is not afraid and with Him, we should not be afraid either.
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help) – verses 1 – 4 are cries out to the Lord revealing what the unfaithful ones are doing.
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort) – verse 5 God is showing he knows what is happening and will not tolerate it anymore. He is going to rise up against the enemy and provide us with safety.
3) Trust (from the psalmist) – verses 6 – 8 The Psalmist believes the word of the Lord and knows and trusts his creator. He knows the promises of the Lord are true and that He will never leave us to fight alone.
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament, share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow. – I remember doing the study in Lamentations on this blog and it was so helpful. It helped me to know that it’s ok to cry out to feel pain and to be anxious, but I need to turn my pain and anxiousness over to the Lord and know that he will rescue me from my pain. I have to give him the glory and always trust Him and wait upon His timing. He will never fail us.
Love your confidence, Julie.
Amen to Chris, Julie! The God who sees! Our God reigns!
Monday: The Text
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why? Verse 5, “Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan, I will now arise,” says the Lord; —-The Lord waited until this moment, but is now coming to the rescue!
“I will place him in the safety for which he longs.”
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help) verses 1-4
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort) verses 5-6
3) Trust (from the psalmist) verses 7-8
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow.
During a prolonged time of deep sorrow, I turned to Psalm 42. The song made after this Psalm is such a comfort, “As the Deer.” https://youtu.be/sVoQjxVGy-0 I sang this with my dad while he was suffering dementia in his last days and unable to get out of bed. I remember we studied a message here, by Michael Reeves on Psalm 42, where he encouraged us to talk to our souls when we are discouraged. Psalm 42:5, “Why are you downcast, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” There was a time when I needed to read this Psalm daily and multiple times a day to keep away discouragement and grief/depression. It’s been a while, but it is good to read it again.
Thank you for the link to that beautiful song, Chris.
Tuesday: Grief is Not Tame and It’s Common
Listen/Read up to “The Third thing is they deal honestly…”
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame?
The emotions that are expressed through crying out to the Lord for help and being surprised by the disappearing of the godly, lying, deceit, violence and the oppression of the poor.
I was quite surprised by my own emotions upon hearing of the assassination. I was numb for most of the evening from just feeling overwhelmed that this happened…how?
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it?
Grief is unlike any other human emotion as it brings on many different emotions that are so strong that you wonder if you can go on. It comes from a place in your heart that sometimes surprises you. To quote Mark Vroegup…”it’s unyielding, unwieldy and unpredictable.” I really like the word unwieldy as it describes it so perfectly…it is difficult to carry, an almost unbearable weight!
6. What does he say about grief being common?
Everyone in their lifetime is going to experience grief.
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think?
I think that honest wrestling helps you work through your grief whereas unhelpful brooding puts you in a prison of grief.
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament?
He knows that our suffering will cause grief and that we will question why and even blame Him. He knows the extent of our emotions and has given us these psalms as permission to ask tough questions, cry out to Him and how to handle our grief in a healthy way.
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded.
In the recent event. I didn’t know Charlie Kirk but I had seen him in action and he was so bold in proclaiming his personal relationship with Jesus Christ and sharing the gospel. He was always so calm in debating the younger generation and showed kindness and respect. God and I had a talk, and I said above being in the Psalms was perfect timing and God did respond😊
Your answer to 7 and 8 are so true.
I had similar feelings about the assassination — only the 8th political assassination in our country. It truly could be a “turning point.” I like The World ad Everything In It and they had some good thoughts this morning about whether we are going to continue to use violence or discussion to change the world. Those who celebrate what happened, or lie about things he said, are supporting violence.
Love your entire post, Sharon. The grief is beyond words. We are at a turning point, a crossroads. So thankful for many turning to God and church. I pray that truth and peace will reign. Frank Turek had a wonderful post about Charlie; they were close friends and together that day.
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame?
There is lying, deceit, and boasting. The Lords says He has seen violence and the oppressed.
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it?
Grief is emotional and sometimes we don’t know if we can carry on. It’s unyielding, unwieldy, and unpredictable. It happens when you least expect it.
6. What does he say about grief being common?
We are all susceptible to it. It is not unique. If you live long enough you will be hurt. We need to prepare now for those moments.
Monday: The Text
2. Read Psalm 12 aloud to yourself.
A. What stands out to you and why? verse 4 stood out to me because this is a prevailing attitude, I see/hear it all the time. No one seems to control their speech, posts online, or comments on twitter, etc. Everyone has to voice an opinion trying to persuade/influence others. KJV “..with our lips we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” I am so weary of all the noise.
B. Vroegup describes 3 parts to this Lament — see if you can identify them with the verse references:
1) Cry (for help) vss. 1-4 David is asking for help. He hears/sees lying men all around and the lack of faithful men.
2) Promise (from the God of All Comfort) vs. 5 God hears the prayer/complaint of the needy and will help them.
3) Trust (from the psalmist) vss. 6-8 David trust in the pure word of the LORD. He trusts the LORD’s promises.
3. If you are familiar with psalms of lament. share how they have been helpful to you in times of sorrow. Psalm 73:23-26 and the promise of God to be with me continually. “My flesh and my heart faileth..” (perfect description of me when my daughter died in a car accident) “..but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” I held on to this portion of scripture whenever I felt as if I could not go on or had depressing thoughts/fears about the future. ( especially vs. 26). I knew I could trust the Lord to help me.
Cheryl, I hear you: I am so weary of all the noise. And the verses from Psalm 73 are so spot on. I need to have those verses ever before me, especially nowadays.
I agree with you both.
Love this post from Cheryl who has truly clung to the Lord in immeasurable grief.
Dear Cheryl, Your journey of faith through this immense loss is powerful. Thank you for sharing these verses from Psalms. He truly is our portion and strength.
Tuesday: Grief is Not Tame and It’s Common
Listen/Read up to “The Third thing is they deal honestly…”
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame?
Grief is brought about by the seeming senselessness of happenings (no one is faithful anymore, flattering lips), it cuts deep ( the needy groan, the poor are plundered). Grief has different sources, and human help seems far off.
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it?
It happens when you least expect it.
6. What does he say about grief being common?
“Every single one of us in this lifetime, if you live long enough, you are going to be hurt, someone’s going to do you wrong, you’re going to lose something, someone’s going to die. You’re going to experience pain.”
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think?
We can find a place of safety when we lament. Because we come to SAFETY, that is God, we can wrestle honestly, and He will listen. Unhelpful brooding, I believe, can lead to focus on self, which will only bring us to a downward spiral instead of what God wants us to find and have, that is, Himself.
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament?
They identify what we feel and what is going on inside our souls. In other words, they put to words what you are feeling when you’re in the crucible of grief.
God wants us to come to Him at times of grief. He welcomes our lament.
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded.
I was talking to a very good friend yesterday about the state of our nation and of our young people nowadays. At our prayer time, we cried out to God for our sorrow, pain, and confusion about what these bring. We shared our discouragement and our tears over the “dark clouds” that we feel. Then we brought to mind God’s promises of His faithfulness to every generation and thanked Him for it, and closed with thanksgiving for His sovereignty and His peace that passes all understanding, leaving our todays and our futures in His hands.
You are living out what Keller said: Don’t stuff, don’t vent, but pray your tears.
Love your entire post, dear Bing. I agree with Dee!
Tuesday: Grief is Not Tame and It’s Common
Listen/Read up to “The Third thing is they deal honestly…”
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame? – When I read the Psalms, I see so many crying out to God for some reason or another.
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it? – Most of the book of Psalms is made up of Psalms of lament. They are crying out to the Lord in their pain and suffering
6. What does he say about grief being common? – He said that we will all experience grief and sorrow in some form in our life, if we live long enough. Something that brings us sadness will come during our lifetime.
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think? – When you lament of your pain, you cry out, you tell God how bad you feel, but then you turn your thoughts around and start focusing on the One True God who will be with you through it all. You glorify Him because you know that he will see you through your pain and you praise Him for that. You don’t sit and drown in your sorrows.
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament? – God knows we will have pain and sorrow and grief. He’s given us these psalms to let us know it’s ok to cry out, it’s ok to be in pain, but we can’t stay there. We have to come to a place where we find His peace that surpasses all understanding.
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded. – I’ve mentioned this before, but it is the most powerful time of my life as a Christian and it constantly reminds me that God was and is with me always. I was a single mom, crying out to God because of the financial struggles I was having. I even opened up my checkbook and raised it to heaven and said “Do you see this, Lord? There is nothing here, I need your help to pay my bills.” The Lord responded by providing the job that I had interviewed for and things started to turn around. God is good, God is faithful, all the time.
Great testimony, Julie.
Wednesday: God-Centered Grieving
Read/Listen up to pg 6 “Righteousness is gone. And the effect is he sees evil all around him.”
10. He says God-centered grieving is honest. Why do you think some Christians are hesitant to be honest about their pain or fears?
They want to appear strong and in control. Maybe being stoic makes them seem more spiritual.
He says “believers equate struggling with sinfulness.”
11. You may remember that Keller says: Don’t stuff, don’t vent — do pray. What three parts of a lament can help us pray well and get through the icy river of grief? (Vroegup use a U diagram)
Cry, that’s where it starts.
Promise, that’s where it sort of terminates.
Trust as it comes back up.
12. C. S. Lewis, in his A Grief Observed said he never knew grief was so much like fear. Have you experienced this? Explain.
I’m not sure if I’ve experienced this other than the fear of it happening again. When our daughter was born I didn’t bond with her for fear that I would lose her too.
13. When ministering to someone in grief, why might it be helpful to remember that grief and fear go hand in hand?
I know that Vroegup says that what’s going on within a grieving person is scary to them and that the psalmist is scared. I’m not sure I understand this so I’m hoping how others answer this question will help me. It’s hard for me as I have never connected grief to fear.
14. What was Vroegup’s point when he said the Hebrew for the word Lord here is “yasa” or “Savior?” How has He repeatedly done this with Israel?
He said the idea is someone’s stuck, and then to “yasa” them means you deliver them and make them safe. God is our deliverance in times of grief.
Noah and the ark, David and Goliath and being delivered from Egypt.
15. Does our salvation in times of trouble depend upon our goodness or the strength of our faith? Explain.
No, our salvation doesn’t depend on our works but rather the work of Christ on the cross.
That’s so interesting about not bonding with your daughter when she was born for fear of losing her too. That can be true with friendship too — fear they will move away, die…and then our lives are dark and lonely. Good time to speak to your soul.
So true Dee and good reminder about speaking to your soul!
Wednesday: God-Centered Grieving
Read/Listen up to pg 6 “Righteousness is gone. And the effect is he sees evil all around him.”
10. He says God-centered grieving is honest. Why do you think some Christians are hesitant to be honest about their pain or fears? – I think for some it shows their weakness. That they don’t have everything together and they are struggling. People don’t want to admit these kinds of things.
11. You may remember that Keller says: Don’t stuff, don’t vent — do pray. What three parts of a lament can help us pray well and get through the icy river of grief? (Vroegup use a U diagram) – You start with ‘cry’ – to ‘promise’ – to ‘trust’. Cry is a longing for help from the circumstances of life. The promise is that God will save us. That is what He does. Because he will save us, we can put our trust in Him every time we have pain and suffering.
12. C. S. Lewis, in his A Grief Observed said he never knew grief was so much like fear. Have you experienced this? Explain. – I have, when Joe was diagnosed with Prostate cancer I started with the ‘how am I’…, ‘what if’… ‘what am I going to do’…. these thoughts started creeping in right away and I had to stomp on them and push them down. I had to focus on God and His Word that he would provide all that I needed, when I needed it. When I did that, His peace came back to me and the fear left.
13. When ministering to someone in grief, why might it be helpful to remember that grief and fear go hand in hand? – Grief and fear go hand in hand because the ‘normal’ you knew is no longer what you have. Things may have changed, and you need to figure out what to do now, how to handle things on the new path you are on. It takes time to get used to a new routine and sometimes we fight it because of it being new, we don’t like change. We like the comfort of the old ways, but we need to remember that with the new way, God is still with us.
14. What was Vroegup’s point when he said the Hebrew for the word Lord here is “yasa” or “Savior?” How has He repeatedly done this with Israel? – Over and over again, God saved the Israelites from themselves, from the enemy and brought them to safety. Even after they forgot quickly what he did for them. God kept his promise of deliverance and saved them each time. Because God doesn’t change in any way, his deliverance is always there for us, we need to see it and grab a hold of it.
15. Does our salvation in times of trouble depend upon our goodness or the strength of our faith? Explain. – Salvation is a gift from God if we choose to make him Lord and Savior of our lives. So, we didn’t need anything to get salvation, and we don’t need anything, we don’t need faith for him to deliver us from grief. I think growing in faith is part of our sanctification process. We don’t have it all stored up; we grow and gather more faith each time we see the promises of God fulfilled.
Julie, your answer to #13 is so good and true. Very helpful in giving me understanding in how grief and fear go hand in hand. Thank you!
Tuesday: Grief is Not Tame and It’s Common
Listen/Read up to “The Third thing is they deal honestly…”
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame? Heart cry to God for help; seemingly at a loss to understand what is happening
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it?” It’s unyielding, it’s unwieldy, it’s unpredictable. It happens when you least expect it. Grief is not tame.” This was so true for me when Mary died. It was akin to having a very heavy weight bearing down on me. I found it difficult to even walk. It was so very frightening to wonder if I would always feel this way. As to its being unpredictable, also true. Just when I thought I was “okay,” something would trigger my sadness, and the tears would flow. I started calling them “grief attacks,” and learned to just allow myself to feel sad and pray.
6. What does he say about grief being common? “The reality is, every single one of us in this lifetime, if you live long enough, you are going to be hurt, someone’s going to do you wrong, you’re going to lose something, someone’s going to die.”
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think? I think it’s because these psalms show honest grieving/anger (crying to God). The psalmist never stays there though; the emotions are fully expressed/spent and there is a recognition that the LORD hears/answers. It’s akin to the calm after a storm, and then hope/trust blossom forth. How many times I have cried out to the Lord in anger or confusion, then was quiet enough to hear the Holy Spirit, that still, small voice and been comforted.
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament? It tells me that God understands my emotions/situations completely, and that He sees/knows everything that is happening in my life.
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded. When I had my first brain MRI, the neurologist scheduled a “roundtable” discussion with other doctors. I was invited to attend and had expectations of getting some solutions. Not one of the doctors present gave any indication that there might be a treatment or even a diagnosis. I was labelled as having a “slowly progressive cerebellar brain disease.” This was a low point in my life resulting in tears. It was after the tears were spent that I could hear the Lord telling me, “It will be okay. I have other plans for you.” I believed/trusted Him. My “disease” made me more aware of elderly people (I was 40 at the time) and increased my love and patience for others.
Oh my — what a terrible medical meeting. So glad you knew the Lord.
Cheryl Ann, thanks for sharing…your trust and faithfulness to the Lord is such an encouragement to me.
Oh my! That must have been difficult! God is so good.
Oh, Cheryl, how frightening. So thankful you heard the Lord’s reassurance.
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think?
There are people who are defined by their pain. They are always in pain (the brooders).
I think the Psalms gives them an “outlet” of sorts. It’s a place to speak their pain and get it out of their system.
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament?
He is letting us know we are not alone. He is also recognizing that grieving will happen because bad things will happen in our lives. He is giving us a way to suffer through our pain. He loves us and wants us to know that.
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded.
I guess the one quick thing that comes to mind was a few weeks ago. I usually pray and ask for help with the grands. Sometimes they are difficult. lol My friend called my husband and offered to watch the kids for the day!
Love your simple story at the close.
10. He says God-centered grieving is honest. Why do you think some Christians are hesitant to be honest about their pain or fears?
Because they don’t want to admit they are troubled. They are Christians for goodness sake! They shouldn’t have pain or fears. They should have control over their pain/fears, right? At least that’s what I thought in my darkest hours.
11. You may remember that Keller says: Don’t stuff, don’t vent — do pray. What three parts of a lament can help us pray well and get through the icy river of grief? (Vroegup use a U diagram
The cry, the promise, and the trust.
Listen/Read up to “The Third thing is they deal honestly…”
4. How from the psalm can you see that grief is not tame?
It is a prayer of pain that is so deep you don’t know if you can survive it.
5. What does Vroegup have to say about it?
Grief is I like no other emotion and it comes from deep in your soul. It is unyielding, and unwieldly and unpredictable. It is a battle.
6. What does he say about grief being common?
It is good to learn about before it happens, so that you can anchor your heart in truth.
7. He asks the question: “How do you distinguish between honest wrestling and unhelpful brooding?” This is where the psalms of lament come in. Why, do you think?
It is a battle, do not get stuck in it. Press into God and His Word. Psalms of lament are the largest group of Psalms. They help us process pain and grief.
8. What does it tell you about God that He provides these psalms of lament?
The Psalms of lament express and mirror our own pain and emotions. They put into words how devastated we can feel in our grief.
9. If possible, share a time when you lamented and the Lord responded.
I have lamented a lot in the past few years. My pain in watching my husband’s body and mind weaken was so hard. I grieved before and after he went to be with Jesus. His soul did not perish and he is with Jesus, but the pain of loss is a journey. My tears flow often and this week has been hard because it marked 2 years since Ronny went home to Jesus. The world seems to be spinning out of control, but I see God’s hand and I continue to Praise Him, love Him and seek Him. I will not despair or live in denial. I will walk through the pain. I join Bing in praying my tears and thanking God for His goodness!
In another sermon by Mark Vroegop, he said that a lament is a prayer of pain that leads to trust. I love that!
“but I see God’s hand and I continue to Praise Him, love Him and seek Him. I will not despair or live in denial. I will walk through the pain. I join Bing in praying my tears and thanking God for His goodness!”
Praying for you Patti. 💕
You are living this out Patti — showing how not to get stuck in that icy river of grief.
12. C. S. Lewis, in his A Grief Observed said he never knew grief was so much like fear. Have you experienced this? Explain.
I think so. I have grieved over the years after my mom died. In the same thoughts, I wonder if I will die the same way. It is a fear. Or, sometimes I wonder if my husband will die before me. When I have a thought like that I also have a thought of “who will plunge the toilet???!” I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. It’s a joke between him and me 😉. Seriously, I do wonder how I would make it on my own without him.
13. When ministering to someone in grief, why might it be helpful to remember that grief and fear go hand in hand?
I guess you have a heads up that they might be afraid too. You could comfort them to let them know you are always available for talking or _______ if they need someone.
Love your sense of humor, Laura. I have found that grief and fear go together. I have to stay in the Word, to remind myself that I have no need to fear, that is from the enemy.
(I just realized. I skipped Wednesday’s questions )
Well, it made me pause later in the day. I didn’t mean to be insensitive at all. I hope I didn’t hurt anyone (especially you) with my words. Sometimes I don’t think before I speak and ugh! I regret after. George and I are funny like that, we poke each other on things we know will “get” us. I like that part of our relationship. You are right about it being from the enemy too.
Oh, Laura! There was nothing insensitive that you wrote! I agree with Bev! You are a delight and a breath of fresh air!😘
Laura, You are a delight. 😊
16. As the psalmist looks at his world, what examples of faithlessness does he see?
He sees godless people, he sees lies, half truths, falseness and flattery.
17. How does Vroegup describe scary evil using Toy Story 3? How would childhood victims of abuse have experienced this?
There is a big soft bear, who appears to be nice, but he is evil. Nice evil is the worst kind. It is evil that disguises itself as good, with syrupy words, filled with lies and half truths. For childhood victims of abuse, they would spot this quickly and be terrified. I am thankful, I did not see that movie.
18. How is our culture today overtly godless?
This week is sadly an example. Good and God are condemned in schools and public places., and even in some churches. Evil is prevalent everywhere now, disguised as current culture.
19. Vroegup says the first part of the promise in verse 5 is that God hears. How do you see this? Why is this helpful to know?
God hears, God knows. The God Who sees our pain. “Now I will arise,” says the Lord. The Lord will set him in safety. We know that God is aware of everything that happens. He will be with us in His way. He will keep us in His care. He is in charge. We know that God will make this right, though we do n it know how. Maybe our example will draw others to Jesus, and encourage them.
20. My daughter-in-law went out to the field, the site of her father’s crash, and it was pouring rain. When we buried my husband Steve it was pouring rain. Both of us thought of Psalm 56:8. What does this tell you about God even if He seems silent?
God weeps with us in our sorrow and pain.
21. What else does God promise in verse 5? What do you learn about His Word in verse 6?
God will give us the safety and peace we long for. We will be refined as fine silver in the furnace. He will do it His way. We need only to trust.
22. What is his point with the John Bunyan illustration?
God will not let us be imprisoned in our despair. Our key is the Son of God, Jesus, and the His Word, the Bible, the scriptures. He is trustworthy.
Sunday:
1. Share an”as it happened” experience in your life, or a recent time with the God of All Comfort.
—I love this quote by Vroegob.
“God’s Word is an inexhaustible resource for spiritual endurance.”
And his # 3 observation of the 4 final conclusions. He said:
“Third, lament can and should lead us to the promises of God. And the question we have to
ask ourselves is, where does lament lead you? This is a critical question because lament
could lead you to self-centeredness that ends up being bondage and misery. Or you could
see that lament could lead you to God-centeredness that leads to hope and comfort. This is
a world of difference. And oh, I hope that you could get this into your soul because you could
actually be free while still in pain.”
—This morning I took time to read through Vroegup’s sermon. And then I read through all the comments so far. They are amazing testimonies. You women sharing your hearts about your griefs, your fears and your struggles. This group is amazing to me as I consider how we are all on this journey together through life. Grief has come hard into each of our lives at some point in time but we have found our God to be faithful and He carries us through. We listen to each other and lift each other up, encourage one another. It is beautiful to be part of it.
Because I haven’t posted anything this week while traveling I finally had time while doing laundry today and did a recap of this week’s stories.
-Bing/ You started this week’s comments off by sharing a great “as it happened “ experience.
The last few months have been a huge struggle for you and God seems to have put the right resources in the right place at the right time for you. It is delightful to see the timing concerning Mark Vroegop’s book.
-Patti / Your answer to question #2 in your assessment of Psalm 12 was so insightful knowing what you have been through since the death of your sweet husband.
You wrote “God wants us to express our grief and sorrow to Him. It is a confession, even a questioning of “Why Lord?”. We see the evil ones succeed in destroying our lives, or trying to do that. We question why God does not choose to stop evil. We have to walk through these times. We cannot walk around them, or put frosting on them, or make them go away. If we walk through it, the Lord God is faithful to be with us, to send ones to grieve with us, not try to give us answers to cheer us. Just sit next to us, to hold our hand, to listen, to grieve with us, help us to know we are loved and not alone. In our crying out to God, He will bring us comfort; It is a roller coaster, but He is faithful. He is refining us. In being refined, we will have renewed compassion for others, we will have a closer relationship with God. We will trust Him with a new and stronger faith, with the unanswered prayers. We will let go of our need to control, because we realize we will never be in control and that is a good thing.”
Yes “We have to walk through these times.”
-Sharon / Your experience of learning to practice lament over the death of your son. Your comment is so good.
“Our study on lament was so helpful to me that we did here on this blog and helped me lament the death of our son after so many years. I learned (through the Psalms) that it is ok to cry out to God, share our heart even when it’s anger and many other emotions. God wants us to turn to Him in our sorrows. But I also learned that out of our sorrow or whatever the circumstances are, to not to stay there but press into God, remember His faithfulness, He is our hope and give Him praise.”
Yes! “press into God, remember His faithfulness, He is our hope and give Him praise.”
-Chris / Your story of the very hard experience of delivering your stillborn baby Hannah and the gracious way God provided for you and you said:
“The Lord could only provide such a sweet and kind staff at he hospital-the loss is still painful all these years later, but softened by the hands and feet of Christ.”
Yes, only the Lord provided “but softened by the hands and feet of Christ”.
-Cheryl Ann / When your daughter Mary died. You talked about your “Grief attacks.” I’m sure everyone here related to that.
Psalm 73 is precious to my husband and I. When Terry’s dad was dying of cancer we were to meet in his hospital room with the doctor to make decisions on surgery or not. At 5 in the morning the clock radio came on with a song with words from Psalm 73. “The Lord is the strength of my life, He is my portion. His nearness is for my good.” We had never heard the song before and looked for it later but could not find it anywhere. I still remember the tune. We both believe God prepared it just for us that morning. Terry read the verses later to his dad.
-Laura / Your story of the experience in court concerning Sarah and her dog. I agree with Dee it seems God had a hand in the incident. But my heart aches for you in the grief of your whole situation with Sarah. As you clearly see this group will continue in prayer for God’s will to be done but asking for you to be comforted and encouraged by God’s faithfulness. As Patti said life is a roller coaster but God is faithful to us and refining us for our good.
-Julie / what a blessing to read about your generosity and wonderful act of grace to your friends by buying their camper.
Your fears associated with Joe’s cancer. Your answer to question 13. Is so good.
“Grief and fear go hand in hand because the ‘normal’ you knew is no longer what you have. Things may have changed, and you need to figure out what to do now, how to handle things on the new path you are on. It takes time to get used to a new routine and sometimes we fight it because of it being new, we don’t like change. We like the comfort of the old ways, but we need to remember that with the new way, God is still with us.”
Yes God is still with us!
Dee, How beautifully you weave this all together with your own personal experiences, profound teaching resources and resulting questions to challenge us to think through the Scriptures.
This week’s material is so rich.
I think you get it how much we love and appreciate you! God is using you here!
I read everyone’s comments after I write mine, so I don’t really hold them up as a body/discussion. Seeing all these comments listed together is just, wow, I don’t even have a word for it. Thank you for taking the time to compile this list, Bev.
Oh Bev — thank you so for this whole post! Taking time to encourage so many.
Amen to Cheryl and Dee, dear, Bev! Amen to how much we love and appreciate Dee and how she is uses her gifts so beautifully for God and His kingdom! Thank you so much for your encouragement!
Bev, you are a trouper to bring this all together so succinctly for us! It is wonderful reading for sure. Thank you!
This is beautiful. Thank you, Bev. Amen to all of this. It is so rich. I’ve come back this morning to try to finish as life has gotten me off track this week. I’m so glad I came back to it.
Thursday: Righteousness is Gone
Read/Listen up to “And then we come to the notion of trust” pon page 10.
16. As the psalmist looks at his world, what examples of faithlessness does he see?
Neighbors lie to each other.
They speak with flattering lips and deceitful hearts.
17. How does Vroegup describe scary evil using Toy Story 3? How would childhood victims of abuse have experienced this?
One of the toys is a bear called O Huggin Bear who you think looks nice and huggable and then you find out he’s evil with a one eyed baby walking around with him. He is scary and he’s freaky because he’s nice evil.
Trusting and feeling safe with someone who turns out not to be so nice, a liar and deceitful with flattering lips.
18. How is our culture today overtly godless?
Selfish, justify killing babies in the womb, no regard for human life…
19. Vroegup says the first part of the promise in verse 5 is that God hears. How do you see this? Why is this helpful to know?
When He says, “I will now arise.”
We need the assurance that God does hear.
20. My daughter-in-law went out to the field, the site of her father’s crash, and it was pouring rain. When we buried my husband} Steve it was pouring rain. Both of us thought of Psalm 56:8. What does this tell you about God even if He seems silent?
He keeps track of all my sorrows. He’s collected all my tears in His bottle. Recorded each one in His book.
God knows what’s going on.
21. What else does God promise in verse 5? What do you learn about His Word in verse 6?
“I will place him in safety for which he longs.”
His words are pure, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground.”
22. What is his point with the John Bunyan illustration?
The key to escape doubt and despair is the promise of God’s word.
Wednesday: God-Centered Grieving
Read/Listen up to pg 6 “Righteousness is gone. And the effect is he sees evil all around him.”
10. He says God-centered grieving is honest. Why do you think some Christians are hesitant to be honest about their pain or fears?
Because at times people think that when we struggle, we are actually sinning or that we have a spiritual problem.
11. You may remember that Keller says: Don’t stuff, don’t vent — do pray. What three parts of a lament can help us pray well and get through the icy river of grief? (Vroegup use a U diagram)
Cry (“where it starts” downward and going down to the depths of despair), Promise (“where it terminates”, an anchoring to the promises of God), and Trust (upward return, “where it comes back up”). We can cry out to God with our pain, look at His promises of truth in His word, and trust that He is at work. I have always loved Tim Keller’s series on praying your… (doubts, fears, tears, etc). And I also liked the visual of a “U” diagram, Dee.
12. C. S. Lewis, in his A Grief Observed said he never knew grief was so much like fear. Have you experienced this? Explain.
When my Dad passed away and my mom was left a poor widow, my grief turned to fear for her protection and provision. The ”what ifs” kept coming to mind. Two months after my father died, Richard and I got married, and after 2 more months, we left for the U.S. But the fear was real, and I have to continually ask God to help me overcome my fear for her. My mother never remarried, but I have seen God provide for and protect her.
13. When ministering to someone in grief, why might it be helpful to remember that grief and fear go hand in hand?
So we don’t hurry the process of grieving. It takes time, and both need to be addressed and prayed for. And because inside is a scary reality for those who are grieving. There is growth when you are “in the bottom of the bottom of the bottom of the bottom”.
14. What was Vroegup’s point when he said the Hebrew for the word Lord here is “yasa” or “Savior?” How has He repeatedly done this with Israel?
This word was used 350x times in the Old Testament. The meaning is to take somebody who is in a position of insecurity, or a position where they fear for their safety, distress, and then bring them to a position of safety, thereby delivering them. So, the idea is someone’s stuck, and then to “yasa” them means you deliver them and then make them safe.
He used the example of how God saved Noah, Abraham, David, and the Israelites from Egypt and then continued to save them. It is the message of the gospel: Jesus saves!
15. Does our salvation in times of trouble depend upon our goodness or the strength of our faith? Explain.
No. It is all by grace. Ephesians 2:8-9
He saved us while we were yet sinners. Romans 5:8
The U is a good way to remember!
Wednesday: God-Centered Grieving
Read/Listen up to pg 6 “Righteousness is gone. And the effect is he sees evil all around him.”
10. He says God-centered grieving is honest. Why do you think some Christians are hesitant to be honest about their pain or fears? They’ve been told that if you have real faith you won’t be fearful or depressed, so maybe they are afraid of criticism. You have to be vulnerable to be honest. They might think, “can I trust this person?”
11. You may remember that Keller says: Don’t stuff, don’t vent — do pray. What three parts of a lament can help us pray well and get through the icy river of grief? (Vroegup use a U diagram) Cry (vent to the Lord) Promise (remember who the Lord is and what he has already done) Trust (trust/hope in Him, He is in control, He will help)
12. C. S. Lewis, in his A Grief Observed said he never knew grief was so much like fear. Have you experienced this? Explain. I think I’ve already mentioned this, the fear of wondering if I would always carry the burden of grief, in some form, for the rest of my life.
13. When ministering to someone in grief, why might it be helpful to remember that grief and fear go hand in hand? It reminds us to be tender with the grieving person, to listen without giving trite advice or discounting their fear.
14. What was Vroegup’s point when he said the Hebrew for the word Lord here is “yasa” or “Savior?” How has He repeatedly done this with Israel? “yasa” means to save/deliver out of danger and put the person into a place of safety. Rescue from the Egyptian bondage, Israel and Philistine (David and Goliath) anytime when God pulled Israel back from idolatry (example: Hosea)
15. Does our salvation in times of trouble depend upon our goodness or the strength of our faith? Explain. Our salvation in those difficult times is only from the Lord and does not depend on us. I have heard it said, “You have to be strong for your children, husband, family etc.” But that is not true, it’s when we are at our weakest and humbly cry out to God, that He delivers. The indwelling Spirit gives you peace, guidance, and comfort. I believe in those times that the Lord gives us His strength and the grace needed at that moment.
I know this is true from Cheryl:
I believe in those times that the Lord gives us His strength and the grace needed at that moment.
I heard a speaker, perhaps Corrie ten Boom, say He doesn’t give you peace for the things you fear might happen, but only when they happen. However, I am wondering if perhaps that isn’t true if we talk to our souls about those future fears, like “Will He provide for me?”
Thoughts?
Oh, I agree about speaking to our souls when anxious and getting peace.
14. What was Vroegup’s point when he said the Hebrew for the word Lord here is “yasa” or “Savior?” How has He repeatedly done this with Israel?
The point is that the entire theme of the Bible is really, “God saves.” He loves us and He sent Jesus to save us! Thank You Lord!! He has saved the Israelites over and over again. He brought them out of Egypt, He sent Jesus…even Jesus’ name means “God with us.” He has repeatedly saved us.
15. Does our salvation in times of trouble depend upon our goodness or the strength of our faith? Explain.
Not at all! God saves us even when we are wayward, He doesn’t save due to worth or value (even though they are both worthy and valuable). He saves because they make much of Him and His glory.
I realized that I didn’t answer the second part of question 14. But, it brings up a dilemma in the answer concerning our modern times. Yes, God has repeatedly saved Israel over and over again from the Old Testament, to Jesus in the New Testament. But many young people today don’t really understand the Bible well nor do they understand history well. So here is my dilemma…two, maybe 3, of our children seem to be siding with the Palestinians in this battle overseas. They believe that Israel is the bad guy. I personally have not thought a lot about what’s going on other than when the attack originally happened to Israel on October 7. I believe Israel has the right to defend itself. I don’t believe that the Palestinians are run by a good group of people, ever since the 70’s and Yasser Arafat. They are run by terrorists. So it has me really thinking a lot. Does God want the Israelites to completely destroy the Palestinians? Take no plunder? Just like in the OT, where the king was killed because he saved some for God? The Israelites are OT believers so they would believe this, right? They don’t believe in the NT, and Jesus being the Messiah, so turn the other cheek wouldn’t fit for them.
Then there’s the case of the Messianic Jews… How do they feel about what’s going on? A colleague, myself, and my husband too actually, have been talking about this today. My colleague believes that perhaps we agree with Israel, however we don’t pay their way. But if that happens, then couldn’t Israel be defeated? But, God wouldn’t allow it right? I have so many questions about how I feel about this situation that I ended up scheduling a meeting with my pastor Tuesday afternoon. I just don’t know what is right. I’m trying to put myself in the position of the Israelites. It’s awful what’s happening to the Palestinians, but then again, why do they keep “voting in” terrorists to lead them? Or, is it kind of like in Russia, where your vote looks like it counts, but it doesn’t really count? Such a hard topic. We haven’t really discussed it here, but it’s really affecting many around our country and I think dividing us.
When my husband and I were talking about it this morning and the Old Testament saving of Israel over and over again, I kept singing the song “Joshua fought the battle at Jericho…”Grace got up and went to the bathroom and I heard her singing it too, ha ha ha!
Laura, There is a Bible scholar named, Don Stewart, that has a site called “Educating our World.” He has free downloads about the truth of the conflict in Israel. He has a daily message on You tube, He explains the history of the Israel /Palestine conflict. Amir Tsarfati is a Christian pastor, who lives in Israel. He travels all over the world talking about the scripture, truth, history and the conflict. He is on Telegram. There are other legit pastors who study this, but you have to be cautious who you listen to. Jack Hibbs has also studied the history and has excellent sermons on it. The news channels in our country do not always give accurate news.
Thank you for these resources Patti! I will check some out.
I didn’t realize Grace was living with you!
You bring up a complicated question. Sometimes God tells people take no plunder, other times to take the plunder of the Egyptians.
I know God has a plan for the Jews, but I don’t know what it is. I do know that we are grafted in and He has a plan for us too. I know we are asked to pray for Israel. Much is a mystery to me.
Did you think I was talking about Sarah (our daughter) or Grace our grand daughter? We have Grace and Cooper with us. Sarah is living in NYC.
It is a mystery, Dee.
Laura, such a mystery, and it is wise of you to ask questions. May God give us all the wisdom we need regarding the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Friday: Trust when Circumstances Do Not Change
Read/Listen to the end.
23. How do you see trust in verse 7, yet reality in verse 8?
When he says, LORD, we know…You will protect the oppressed, preserving them forever from this lying generation.”
“ Even though…the wicked strut about, and evil is praised throughout the land.”
24. What can we learn from the model of Charles Simeon?
To remember to persevere through hard seasons…”every day you give up, you get up, you find the promise of God’s Word, you bank your life on it.” The next day you do the same thing again and “do that over and over and over.”
Do you remember Winston Churchill’s most famous graduation speech?
He said: “Never give up, never give up, never give up.” Then he sat down. I agree with that way you put it Sharon — don’t give up on God’s promises. Ecclesiastes 3 shows there are times to give up — I have a guest here now who finally gave up on her unfaithful husband of 30 years.
Yes, but when do you know it is the right time to finally give up?
Only by the Spirit, Laura!
Dee, I had a friend in that same situation who finally gave up on her marriage as her husbands continued infidelity left her no choice, but she continued to press into the Lord and His promises.
Yes — I had a friend fly in for this weekend who finally finally divorced her unfaithful husband of 30 years — she waited til the children were grown but he was still being unfaithful
Sharon, I am late in keeping up with the rest of this week’s questions. But this one from Charles Simeon caught my attention: ” Every day you give up, you get up, you find the promise of God’s Word, you bank your life on it.” The next day you do the same thing again and “do that over and over and over.”
I firmly believe that God’s promises will never fail us, so we persevere without giving up. We continue to trust in God, and as Dee said, it is only through the Spirit that we do it. And when the time comes when giving up something is His will, then we don’t give up on His promises to sustain us through the pain of it.
Thursday: Righteousness is Gone
Read/Listen up to “And then we come to the notion of trust” pon page 10.
16. As the psalmist looks at his world, what examples of faithlessness does he see?
, The faithful seem to have disappeared, lies and hypocrisy, rebellion against the LORD.
17. How does Vroegup describe scary evil using Toy Story 3? How would childhood victims of abuse have experienced this?
Scary evil is when someone appears to be kind/friendly/good, who smiles at you, is actually evil.
Victims of abuse know this when someone who is supposed to love/care for you treats you kindly and then turns around and uses you for an evil purpose (sexual, physical, emotional).
18. How is our culture today overtly godless?
Things that were once taboo publicly are now acceptable. Foul language, nudity, intimate relations outside of marriage, adultery, etc.
19. Vroegup says the first part of the promise in verse 5 is that God hears. How do you see this? Why is this helpful to know?
Throughout the Bible God says, “I hear or I have heard,” and then He acts. In verse 5 (For these reasons (oppresion, sighing) “I will arise…
I will set him in safety..”
It’s helpful to know that the LORD hears my prayer, that He loves/care for me.
20. My daughter-in-law went out to the field, the site of her father’s crash, and it was pouring rain. When we buried my husband Steve it was pouring rain. Both of us thought of Psalm 56:8. What does this tell you about God even if He seems silent?
He sees our tears and does not turn away or say “Stop crying!”
AT the graveside service for Mary (3 months after she died) it was raining lightly. At the time I thought, “God is crying, too.” That was a fanciful thought, but knowing that the Lord was with me in my sorrow was truth that I could speak to my soul.
21. What else does God promise in verse 5? What do you learn about His Word in verse 6?
He promises to put us in a safety from those that are ungodly, that mock us. His Word is pure and true (interesting that David refers the silver being refined SEVEN times, # for perfection).
22. What is his point with the John Bunyan illustration? The point is we already have the things that will answer/alleviate the problems we see/face around us – the written Word of God and His Promises in Christ Jesus.
From Cheryl:
AT the graveside service for Mary (3 months after she died) it was raining lightly. At the time I thought, “God is crying, too.” That was a fanciful thought, but knowing that the Lord was with me in my sorrow was truth that I could speak to my soul.
What a lovely thought.
Love that thought from Cheryl. I so believe God cries with us.
Yes, Cheryl. I believe God cries with us, too.
16. As the psalmist looks at his world, what examples of faithlessness does he see?
No righteousness at all.
17. How does Vroegup describe scary evil using Toy Story 3?
Those who appear nice on the outside but are really evil inside. I never saw the entirety of that movie but apparently there was a daycare owner who seemed so kind but then was really bad inside.
How would childhood victims of abuse have experienced this?
The parent looks good on the outside but abuses the child when alone.
18. How is our culture today overtly godless?
The way people dress, speak, and put their faith in material things.
19. Vroegup says the first part of the promise in verse 5 is that God hears. How do you see this? Why is this helpful to know?
He says that He hears us in several Psalms Vrogup mentions. It helps to know the pain is not being wasted. It is a good reminder when I am low. I can go and read these and remember His goodness to me.
20. My daughter-in-law went out to the field, the site of her father’s crash, and it was pouring rain. When we buried my husband Steve it was pouring rain. Both of us thought of Psalm 56:8. What does this tell you about God even if He seems silent?
I don’t think I would have put it all together, myself. I love the idea that these are God’s tears for you and Julie, and others. This would be His touching you at that time.
21. What else does God promise in verse 5?
God will help fight his (our) battle. A promise has been made to him.
What do you learn about His Word in verse 6?
It is pure, true, and endures forever.
22. What is his point with the John Bunyan illustration?
We have the keys to our grieving and freedom from it. It is Jesus and His Word. It is a sure promise to us.
Joining in a little late here.
Like Bing, ” as it happened ” I had picked up my copy of Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy recently and placed it by my bible, sensing I needed to revisit this book that you introduced to us a few years ago Dee.
That is a God sighting.
Saturday:
25. What will you remember? What can you apply?
This is such a timely Psalm for today and appreciate your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit Dee in doing this study. There are several things that I will remember…
1. The psalmist cries out to the Lord for help. (Verse 1)
2. The psalmist knows that the Lord will deal with the evil in His way and time. (Verses 3,5,7)
3. The psalmist knows that the Lord’s word and promises are pure. (Verse 6)
I do like the U diagram…
Cry, that’s where it starts.
Promise, that’s where it sort of terminates.
Trust as it comes back up.
Dee I thought of you when I read this verse from Hebrews 13:7, “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.”
I have learned so much from what the Lord has given you over the years through this blog, you have challenged me in ways I didn’t realize I needed and I thank the Lord for your faithfulness.❤️🙏
Oh Sharon, thank you. I have such a dark heart but I do appreciate your encouragement.
Thursday: Righteousness is Gone
Read/Listen up to “And then we come to the notion of trust” on page 10.
16. As the psalmist looks at his world, what examples of faithlessness does he see? – He sees that righteousness is gone and there is nothing but evil around. An evil that appears to be sweet and caring, but inside, deep in the heart it’s pure evil.
17. How does Vroegup describe scary evil using Toy Story 3? How would childhood victims of abuse have experienced this? – The bear has a name that you would never expect evil to come from it. It’s Lots O Huggin Bear. This bear appears to be nice, but evil is his motive. He will try and drag you in with his niceties, and once you have been drawn to him, the evil will prevail. I have never experienced childhood abuse, but I would think it is the same way. The child trusts the person because of them being nice and loving and seem to care about them, but then the evil appears, and the child doesn’t know how to handle that. The trust they had has been broken and they are afraid to say anything. So, as they grow and new people come into their lives, they are scared that it will all happen again. So, they trust no one and grow up being alone.
18. How is our culture today overtly godless? – To me, and this is my opinion and not meant to offend anyone, is that they are trying to change what God has created. They want to change themselves in a medical way thinking God didn’t know what he was doing when they were created. There are some, who may not change their bodies, but think that this is ok, that these people need to be able to make their own choices and be who THEY think they should be. They don’t think twice about what the long-term effects may be, or even the biggest thing is that God made them perfect in their bodies at the time of their conception. The greatest gift God gave to us, life, has no meaning to it. They don’t care about their own bodies, and they certainly don’t care about others who may not agree with them in some way.
19. Vroegup says the first part of the promise in verse 5 is that God hears. How do you see this? Why is this helpful to know? – The first promise is that God has heard. In our obedience to Christ, we cry out to him with our troubles, with our struggles. It’s ok to do this, he told us to lay our burdens down. I see this promise as being true, it’s happened to me. I cried out, He heard, and I was ok. If people can just make that first step and cry out to God, and wait for his promise to come to them, they will be more inclined to make it a habit of crying out to God first, every time something comes up. Because once you do it and receive the promise of God, you remember that, and things that you struggle with have a different way of feeling. You may still be afraid or have some righteous anger or feel grief, but you also can find the peace of God in the midst of it all. But we need to allow that peace to take first place in our hearts, and when we do this, that places God there too.
20. My daughter-in-law went out to the field, the site of her father’s crash, and it was pouring rain. When we buried my husband Steve it was pouring rain. Both of us thought of Psalm 56:8. What does this tell you about God even if He seems silent? – God is not silent, He is always with us. He always sees, hears and feels our pain. I remember a time, one winter, I was probably 18 or 19 and I got stuck in a huge tire rut trying to turn the corner. My dad had previously told me some things I could do if that ever happened, so I tried one. I took the floor mats out of my car and put them under the tire to get some traction, and it worked. I got home that night from work and my Dad told me he was watching me from the window and was just getting ready to come out and help me, but I did it. I think this is what God does too. He gives us lessons in life, scriptures that we recall, so we can pull them out and use them when we need them. He will never let us fall; he’s watching us and hears our cries of pain, and He will come to our side when we need to feel his presence but will watch with love to see if we remember what he had taught us.
21. What else does God promise in verse 5? What do you learn about His Word in verse 6? – The other promises in verse 5 are that God will provide the judgement we are seeking, or that God will make us feel safe through the hardship we are in, or God will walk before us and make the path right. Verse 6 is reiterating to calm our heart that God’s words are pure and true.
22. What is his point with the John Bunyan illustration? – I just bought this book and when life calms down, I look forward to reading it. I think the point is that we can stay and bury ourselves in our sorrow and grief, or we can carry it to the next level and remember the promises of God are there waiting for us. But we need to walk to them and grab a hold of them. We won’t be able to grab hold of God’s peace if we don’t let go of the grief and suffering. They need to be moved to another level. Grief and suffering will still be there, and they are very real, but they can soften, and God’s peace will overcome them.
Friday: Trust when Circumstances Do Not Change
Read/Listen to the end.
23. How do you see trust in verse 7, yet reality in verse 8? David is trusting in the true Word of God, the promises which are everlasting, but the circumstances surrounding David have not changed.
24. What can we learn from the model of Charles Simeon? Don’t let circumstances deter you from trusting the Lord. Stay in the Word, seek His will, and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It’s obvious to me that Charles Simeon stayed because that is what the Lord impressed upon his heart. It’s dangerous to “lean on your own understanding.” I’ve seen so many people just leave a congregation because they didn’t like something or someone (church hopping). I’ve always trusted that if the Lord led me somewhere, He is the only one who can tell me when to leave. This might be a trite example in comparison to Simeon’s life, but even in small things, I need to be faithful.
Friday: Trust when Circumstances Do Not Change
Read/Listen to the end.
23. How do you see trust in verse 7, yet reality in verse 8? – God will keep his promises, but we need to believe that He will. We have to believe it, claim it and own it. If we don’t think these promises are ours to have, we will linger and stay in our suffering, and peace won’t come to us. I am not minimizing pain, sorrow, grief or hardships in any way. I’ve been there with these, but we don’t have to let them consume our hearts and minds. We can claim the promises of God for ourselves and when we do, they will lessen, and we can then see the goodness of God through them all.
24. What can we learn from the model of Charles Simeon? – We can’t stop believing and trusting God. Our answers to our pain and suffering may not come right away, hopefully they do, but most likely it will be a time of waiting and seeking God. We need to be persistent, get up each day, seek God and find his comfort in His Word. As long as it may take, this needs to be our daily routine.
Saturday:
25. What will you remember? What can you apply? – Thank you, Dee, for this blog, and for this timely message. We can’t give up! Trouble is here and sadly I think it is here to stay, but this Psalm and many other scriptures tells us that God is with us. He hears us and will respond. He will pour out judgement as judgement is needed, but our cries are not going unheard. He watches and waits and will act.
23. How do you see trust in verse 7, yet reality in verse 8?
He gives us the promise of His help but the reality is that we will still suffer.
24. What can we learn from the model of Charles Simeon?
We should never give up. We should remember the promises of our dear Lord. He is with us through it all. He loves us through it all. We read His Word and know it well. We talk to Him and believe He will help, and He will. Thank You Lord for giving us hope in Your beautiful story that saves us.
Saturday:
25. What will you remember? What can you apply?
I really like the U diagram, Dee! I made a little diagram with the steps of lament to remind me whenever I need to lament. It seems that I am doing that often nowadays.