Bible Study - Emotions (1) - Walking in Grief - Psalm 116:1-9. 15-17 - December 6, 2020

 

Bible Study – Emotions (1) – Walking in Grief – December 6, 2020

This is lesson one in our series entitled, “When Emotions Rise.”

Our focus scripture is Psalm 116:1-9, 15-17.

GOD restores us with HIS grace and compassion.

This is lesson one of six lessons:

-         Walking in Grief

-         Shaking off Fear

-         Embracing Joy

-         Redirecting Anger

-         Overcoming Worry

-         Weathering the Blues

Our scripture is taken from Psalms. What are Psalms? Many Psalms are outward expressions of internal struggles. So, what does that mean for us? To many, it means journaling is a good way of taking internal struggles, praises, daily life and getting them outside of our minds. When we read what has been running through our minds, it helps us to focus and analyze externally what is bugging us internally. Often, it helps to bring clarity to some of the issues we face and struggle.

We may have an issue with a person who has deceased. It helps to write that issue on paper along with what we would have told that person if he or she were alive. Either read it to ourselves or out loud and then destroy it if it is something bad. If it is something good that we wish we had told the person while that person was alive, then keep it. Consider the matter closed.

Our first lesson in this series focuses on grief. Certainly, during these days, grief is among us as we face the ravages of the virus and life itself.

I know when I received the call, that no parent ever wants to receive, “our son” had died unexpectedly. We, as parents, plan to outlive our children. We are their caretakers.  

I recall, early one morning, sometime after our eldest son had fallen down a flight of steps and was killed instantly. My heart was heavy. I screamed out to GOD and said, “I hate death!” No sooner than those words left my lips, the voice of GOD spoke and said, “So Do I and I do something about it! I sent my son to earth to give HIS life for all who place their faith in HIM that they will have eternal life.” My frustration with physical death switched to seeing the wisdom from GOD. I switched frustration and helplessness to embracing the life that only GOD provides through faith in JESUS. Yes, death is a terrible blow whenever it comes. Sometimes, it is sweet relief when a loved one has suffered. But joy is restored when we know that the person is a Christian and that one day, we will join him or her in eternity, if we are Christians.  

Many respond to grief in many different ways. Some shrink away from GOD and others, some face it with the hope that is in JESUS. The common denominator is we will all die one day. To which, some say, “I know that and am Spiritually ready but I will catch the next train.” 

Let’s read Psalm 119:1-4:

Thanks to God for Deliverance

¹ I love the Lord because he has heard
my appeal for mercy.
² Because he has turned his ear to me,
I will call out to him as long as I live.

³ The ropes of death were wrapped around me,
and the torments of Sheol overcame me;
I encountered trouble and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“Lord, save me!”

Notice the beginning. “I love the LORD.” Why? “Because HE has heard my appeal for mercy. Because HE has turned HIS ear to me, I will call out to HIM as long as I live.” These statements come from a life that has experienced the reality of the One True GOD. The psalmist had a personal relationship with GOD through experience and developed a personal relationship. Consider that was before JESUS and how much more is that personal relationship available to us since the Passion of JESUS. After the ascension of JESUS, HE sent the Holy Spirit to earth to occupy every Spirit-born Christian as a guarantee of Sonship and Daughter ship.

The ropes of death entangle most every human. What is beyond physical death? The psalmist thought about how he missed the mark in serving the righteous GOD of the universe. He knew that punishment awaited him. We read despair. He knew that he did not measure up to GOD’S requirements. He was doomed! Until the thought came to him, “Then I called on the name of the Lord:”
“Lord, save me!”

The Psalmist was tangled in the ropes of death and the torments of Sheol. Sheol and Hell are not the same place. Sheol is the place of the dead. It is the place of the unrighteous dead. It is a place of captivity, darkness, silence, humiliation, corruption and despair. WHO saves us from such a place? When we accept JESUS as our Savior, HE paid the price for our sin, in full. GOD declares the person who places his or her faith in JESUS righteous and free from the consequence of sin, which is eternal death.

As you recall the words of the Apostle Peter as recorded in Matthew 14:25-31:

²⁵ Jesus came toward them walking on the sea very early in the morning.^[i] 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost!” they said, and they cried out in fear.

²⁷ Immediately Jesus spoke to them. “Have courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter answered him, “command me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ He said, “Come.”

And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strength of the wind,^[j] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!”

³¹ Immediately Jesus reached out his hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Salvation from the clutches of death and punishment has been in the hands of GOD and will always be in HIS hands. That is why HE sent HIS One and Only Son, JESUS, to earth to die once and for all who will place their faith in JESUS. JESUS was and is the only perfect sacrifice that GOD accepts for the atonement of sin. No human can be good enough, work hard enough or sacrifice their own life to atone for their sin. GOD demands perfection and no human is perfect or sinless.

As in the words over a restaurant in small town in Alaska, “Take it or leave it.” It was the only restaurant for a number of miles. And it was very good.

When we search for GOD, we find HIM and this psalmist discovered truth in GOD. Have you discovered truth in GOD through faith in JESUS? If not, why not? Write a psalm to GOD. This psalmist did as we read on.

Let’s read Psalm 119:5-9:

⁵ The Lord is gracious and righteous;
our God is compassionate.
⁶ The Lord guards the inexperienced;
I was helpless, and he saved me.
⁷ Return to your rest, my soul,
for the Lord has been good to you.
⁸ For you, Lord, rescued me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
⁹ I will walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

We get to see the heart of the psalmist toward GOD. So, what do we learn?

“The LORD is:

-         Gracious. Righteous and compassionate

-         Our GOD guards the inexperienced – the psalmist had experienced GOD’S help when he was helpless, GOD came to his rescue. This built confidence that GOD had his best interest in mind.

-         The psalmist could rest in that fact because the psalmist had experienced times when he was helpless and GOD saved him from death. His eyes from tears, his feet from stumbling.

-         What had this confidence resulted in this psalmist life?

-         He will walk with confidence before the LORD upon earth without fear but with great confidence that GOD walks with him 24/7.

How does a person experience such confidence? Often, it is from being subjected to uncertain times along life’s journey and seeing GOD at work in his or her life. What does that mean to the person who places his or her trust in GOD? It means in our darkest hour he or she trusts in GOD who cares for us. In particular as we face physical death, in whom do we place our trust as we read on---

Let’s read Psalm 119:15-17:

¹⁵ The death of his faithful ones
is valuable in the Lord’s sight.
¹⁶ Lord, I am indeed your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your female servant.
You have loosened my bonds.

¹⁷ I will offer you a thanksgiving sacrifice
and call on the name of the Lord.

What had the psalmist learned from his walk with GOD? It was that, his faith and trust in GOD was unshakable. Notice the confidence the psalmist has in his relationship with GOD:

-         LORD, I am indeed YOUR servant, why? He was a servant born of a servant in the house of his master. The psalmist was the servant of GOD. It was GOD who had taken the tangles of death from him. GOD had freed him from the clutches of death.

-         This palmist saw GOD WHO was worthy of adoration and offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving.

-         The palmist could confidently call upon the name of the LORD.

-         All who sought the LORD as he had done could sing with great confidence the Hallelujah chorus!!!

-         When the shackles are removed from our minds by GOD, we realize the magnificence of HIS authority over sin and death through faith in JESUS.

What have you discovered about the one true GOD through faith in JESUS? If not, now is your opportunity. The journey is magnificent and the rewards are out of this world.  Blessings!!!