PSALM 119

 

1, 2         Who is blessed/happy?

Are you happy?

If not, could it be because you’re not obeying God’s Word, the Bible, and seeking the Lord (pursuing a close relationship with Him through reading/meditating upon the Bible, talking to Him in prayer, and pleasing Him through trusting Him and obeying His Word) with all your heart/being?

 

5, 6         What would be true when the Psalmist kept God’s statutes/word?

Do you ever feel ashamed when you read the Bible or God’s commands while living in sin?

If so, what can you do about it so you don’t have to feel ashamed in the future?

 

7                     What does the Psalmist do when he learns God’s righteous judgments/word?

Why do you think He does this?

As you’re learning God’s commands/word, do you give thanks to God, and why?

 

9                     How can a young man keep his way pure?

 

Are you interested in keeping your life pure, and why?

If so, what do you plan to do about it, and how soon?

 

10           What does the Psalmist ask of God?

Have you ever asked this of God, and why?

 

11           Why did the Psalmist treasure/keep/value/memorize God’s word in his heart/mind?

Do you know, value, and remember God’s Word so well that you’ll know what dis­pleases God and, therefore, not commit sin?

                If not, what do you plan to do about it, and when?

 

12           Have you ever asked God to teach you His word, will, and ways?                             What are some ways God could do this today?

 

13                 What did the Psalmist do?

 

Do you tell other Christians about all of God’s commands in the Bible that apply to Christians, and to non-Christians the ones that apply to them?      If so , how often?

 

14           To what extent did the Psalmist rejoice in God’s testimonies/word?

To what extent do you rejoice in God’s Word and what it teaches, and why?

 

15           What does/will the Psalmist do?

 

Do you meditate on God’s Word (think over carefully how to specifically apply the Bible to your every day life)?

How often, and why?

 

16                 How does the Psalmist think/feel about God’s statutes?

How do you think/feel about God’s Word, and why?

 

17           Why did the Psalmist want to live?

Is your reason for wanting to live the same, and why?

 

18           Do you ask God to open your eyes to the truths in His Word when you’re reading it, and why?

 

20           How does the Psalmist describe his feelings toward God’s ordinances at all times?

Is this true of you?                              If not, why, and what could you do to have it be true of you?

 

21                 What did God do to the arrogant who wandered from His commandments?

Has God ever rebuked (chastised/disciplined) you for this?                      If so, how?

 

23           Even though people talked against the Psalmist, what did he do?

What do you do when people talk against you (e.g., worry, get angry, seek revenge, gossip, etc.), and why?

 

24           What were God’s testimonies to him?

Is God’s Word, the Bible, your counselor, or do you follow the advice of socially accepted, pagan, worldly intellectuals or carnal/backslidden Christians, and why?

 

27           What did the Psalmist ask of God?

 

Do you ask God to give you a clear understanding of the Bible so as to appreciate God’s wonders more (His marvelous Being and ways) so that you’d meditate on them more?                 Why?

 

30           What did the Psalmist place before him (have in his mind’s eye)?

Do you have God’s Word fixed in your mind’s eye so as to follow it at all times in all circumstances?

If not, why, and what do you plan to do to correct this?

 

31           How did the Psalmist relate to God’s testimonies?

Do you cling/adhere to the Bible in loyal obedience?                   If so, how and why?

 

32                 What does the Psalmist say that shows his eagerness to obey God’s com­mands?

 

Do you eagerly or grudgingly obey God?

If grudgingly, read 1 John 5:3.  Now what do you think?

 

33                 To what duration did the Psalmist plan to observe/obey God’s statutes?

Have you made a commitment to obey the Bible till the day you die, and why?

 

34           Why else did the Psalmist want understanding of God’s law/word?

Do you want God to give you understanding of the Bible so you can debate people in pride or so you can humbly keep/obey it enthusiastically and sincerely?

 

36           What does he ask God to incline his heart to?

Are you asking God to incline/draw/influence your heart/desire to God’s Word, and why?

 

37           Do you ask God to turn your eyes from looking at vanity (e.g., muscle man or swimsuit magazines; martial arts masters; fancy cars; expensive clothes, jewelry, homes, computers, musical instruments; etc.) and, instead, to look at what God’s Word says, and why?

 

39, 40     What does he say about God’s ordinances and precepts?

Do you hate God’s commandments because they’re too restrictive and make you feel guilty about the sins you enjoy doing, or do you long to obey them, and why?

 

42           How does he regard/relate to God’s word?

Do you trust in or doubt the Bible, and why?

 

                If you have doubts about it, what can you do to get them eliminated/dealt with?

 

45           Because the Psalmist sought God’s precepts/commandments, how would he walk/live?

                How would knowing and obeying God’s commands liberate a person?

 

46           What and how will he speak before kings?

Will you do this before your classmates, teachers, neighbors, family, em­ployees, employer, political leaders, etc., and why?

 

47           How does he feel about God’s commandments?

Is this true of you?                              How did you decide your answer?

 

50           What has God’s word done for him?

Has the Bible ever comforted and/or revived you?                        How and when?

 

51           What didn’t he do when the arrogant ridiculed the Psalmist for following God’s word?

                When people make fun of or ridicule you for obeying the Bible, do you compromise and stop obeying it, and why?

 

53           Do you ever get righteously angry at the wicked who forsake God’s law?                               If so, give an example.

 

54           What are God’s statutes to the Psalmist?

Do you sing the truths of God’s Word when home alone, in your car, or anywhere for that matter, or do you sing pagan, worldly tunes from off the radio, and why?

 

57           What did the Psalmist promise?

Have you ever done this, and why?

 

60           How quickly did he keep God’s commands?

How quickly do you obey God’s commands once you find out what God expects/demands, and why?

 

And are you immediately obeying Matt. 28:19, 20, and why?

 

62           Why was he going to rise at midnight?

 

Have you ever been so thankful to God for His Word that you’ve done any­thing similar to this?                       If so, what?

 

63           Who does he have as his companions?

 

Do you have as your closest friends, Christians who obey the Bible, and why?

 

66           Do you believe/trust God’s commandments to the point that you obey them because you know they’re what’s best for you, and why?

 

67                 What did it take to get him back on track in keeping God’s word after he had gone astray?

 

Has God ever afflicted/disciplined you in some way in order to get your attention and bring you back to a life of obedience?

If so, how and when?

 

71           Why was it good for him to be afflicted?

 

Has being afflicted (going through some hard time) ever contributed to your learning that what God had said in His Word was true?                       If so, give an example.

 

72           What was God’s law better than to the Psalmist?

                Which would you rather have, and why?

 

77           What was God’s law/word to the Psalmist?

                Is the Bible your extreme satisfaction, your high degree of gratification, or are sports, computers, music, food, cars, or something or someone else your delight, and why?

 

78           What does the Psalmist do when the arrogant subvert/ruin/character assassinate him with a lie?

               

What would you do if someone ruined your reputation with a lie, and why?

 

81           For what does he wait/hope?

 

Do you wait/hope for God’s word of comfort, deliverance, or encouragement when you’re in a trying/hard situation?

Or, do you try to escape the problem through alcohol, video games, fiction movies, drugs, or other things?                    Why?

 

89           What is true of God’s word?

Do you ever doubt the truthfulness of God’s Word?                   Can you stake your life on it, and why?

 

92           What kept the Psalmist from perishing in his affliction?

Has your delight in God’s Word kept you going during hard times?                         If so, how?

 

93           Why would the Psalmist never forget God’s precepts/word?

               

Has reading or meditating on God’s Word ever revived you when you were discouraged/depressed?

                If so, give and example.

 

97           How does he view God’s law/word?

 

Could you honestly say this is true of you?                   How did you determine your answer?

 

99           Why does he have more insight than all his teachers?

 

Do you have more insight (not necessarily more intelligence) than your school teachers or even your traditional church leaders? Why?

 

100         Because he has observed/obeyed God’s precepts, whom does the Psalmist understand more than?

 

Do you understand more about life in general and spiritual things in par­ticular than people much older than you, and why?

 

101         Because the Psalmist wanted to keep God’s word, what did he restrain himself from?

                Does a strong desire to obey the Bible motivate you to not sin?                                If so, how?

 

103         How does he view God’s words?

Do you view obeying/applying God’s Word, the Bible, as very desirable/pleasurable, and why?

 

105         To what is God’s word compared?

Do you use the Bible to give you direction for your life and to keep you from stumbling over bad decisions and sin as you go on in life?                                         If so, how?

 

110         Though the wicked laid a trap for the Psalmist, what didn’t he do?

If you were under great pressure to compromise your morals or beliefs, would you be tempted to do so if it meant more peaceful circumstances by doing so, and why?

 

111         What are God’s testimonies/word to him?

Is this what the Bible is to you, and why?

 

115         Who did the Psalmist tell to depart from him, and why?

 

Do you tell people who are a bad influence on you to depart from you (stop seeing and/or calling you), so that you’ll be more likely to obey God’s Word, and why?

 

129         What does he think of God’s testimonies?

Do you view God’s testimonies/commandments this way, or do you see them as repressive, fun-killers, and why?

 

131         How does he describe his feelings for God’s commands?

 

Do you have that degree of desire to know and obey the Bible?

If not, what do you think it will take for you to get this panting, longing desire?

 

136              What do his eyes do because he doesn’t always keep God’s law/word?

Do you ever cry because you don’t always obey the Bible, and why?

 

138         How did God command/give His testimonies/word?

Do you think God made a mistake when He gave any of His many commands or instructions in the Bible, and why?

 

140         How else does he view God’s word?                                Do you agree?                      Why?

 

141, 143                                How did the Psalmist view himself?

                                In spite of this, what did he do?

 

Do you focus on yourself so much that you forget the Bible because you’re so engrossed with your own problems or self-image?

 

148         Why does he anticipate the night watches?

 

Do you look forward to the late hours of the night to do this or to be involved in your pet sin(s)?

 

157         Even though he has lots of persecutors, what doesn’t he do?

 

When people are persecuting, rejecting, or pressuring you because of your obedience to God, do you compromise your standards or beliefs in order to rid yourself of their persecutions and gain their acceptance or approval, and why?

 

Or, do you get mad at God and, therefore, stop reading the Bible?

 

160         What is truth?

 

Is this what you use to measure all other views or philosophies on life as to their rightness or factualness?                    Why?

 

164         What does he do seven times a day because of God’s righteous ordinances/commands?

Is this true of you?              Why?

 

165         What do those have, who love God’s law?

If you’re not experiencing great peace, could it be because you don’t love and, therefore, don’t obey God’s Word, the Bible?