Thursday Thoughts for Parents

This post is based on C.J. Mahaney's sermon, A New Year's Expectation, given on January 8, 2016.

The second half of Psalm 27 reminds us that even for those who seek after God there are times of difficulty and darkness. David feels fear and even worries that God might abandon Him. But in the end, he remembers God’s love for him and resolves to wait on the Lord’s provision and anticipate His goodness.

Read Psalm 27:7-12

In verses 7-10 David worries that God is not hearing his prayers and he wonders if God has deserted him.

  • Why do you think God doesn’t immediately answer all of our prayers in the way we want them to be answered?
  • Have you ever felt like your prayers were unanswered?
  • How should we respond when God doesn’t immediately answer our prayers?

Re-read verses 13 and 14. In these verses David moves from fear and anxiety to confidence in God. 

  • What do you think changed in David’s heart between verses 7-12 and 13-14?
  • In the end, David is confident that he will see God’s goodness to him in this life. Do you believe this is true for you as well? What can we do to grow in our expectation of God’s goodness to us?

Because we know Jesus, we have an even greater reason than David did to hope in God. On the cross, Jesus was utterly abandoned in our place so that we might never be forsaken by our Father.

  • What does the Cross teach us about how much Jesus loves us?
  • Read Romans 8.31-39. If you are in Christ, will he ever “cast you off” or “forsake you”?

[post written by Rich Humphrey]