PSALMS
summer in the
Dear MHBC Family,
I am so excited to begin our summer series in the Psalms.
Psalm 119 tells us that we are to meditate on and
memorize God’s Word. I’ll be honest—I've made many
excuses for why I don’t meditate like I should, and I
certainly don’t memorize Scripture as easily as I did when I
was a kid. But we are clearly called to both meditate on
and memorize the Word of God.
It is my prayer that, through our study in Psalms, we will
grow in these disciplines together.
This booklet has been created to help us do just that. It’s
not another devotional book. Rather, it’s designed to guide
you with simple questions that encourage you to “be still
and know that He is God.” You may choose to journal your
thoughts or jot down notes, but the main goal is to quiet
our minds and allow God to speak through His Word.
Each week, you’ll hear the chapter preached on Sunday,
and then use this booklet to meditate on that same
passage and begin memorizing part of it throughout the
week. The following Sunday, we’ll recite the memory verse
together in the Worship Service.
I encourage you to find someone to join you on this
journey. Let’s grow in our love for God’s Word this summer
as we meditate on it and hide it in our hearts.
Pastor Steve
HOW TO MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD
Saint Benedict introduced what they called Lectio Divina (or
Divine Reading). A practical guide to mediating:
Silence
Take time to be silent: prepare to communicate with God as He
expresses Himself to you in the passage of Scripture you have
chosen. After a period of quiet, ask God’s help as you enter this
session of meditative prayer.
Read
Read a short passage of Scripture aloud several times slowly.
Allow its words and meanings to sink into your soul.
Meditate
Meditation is like chewing. It is slow and thorough. Write notes
about what you see in this passage. Make connections between
the various sections. Ask yourself, “What do these words from
God say?” “What do they mean?” Place who you are and what
you do next to this passage and ask God to examine you.
Continue to write your findings.
Prayer
Pray using the passage as an outline for your prayer. Read the
passage phrase-by-phrase, responding to God after each
phrase or verse.
Contemplation
Wait in stillness once more. Ask that God bring to your mind any
areas of your life that you need to shape more closely to His
design as revealed in this passage. Contemplate God’s love and
power as it is revealed here.
Live It Out
What precisely ought you to be believing, thinking, and doing as
a result of this passage? Journal your thoughts!
HOW TO MEMORIZE GOD’S WORD
“Let us Labor to memorize the Word of God-for worship and
for warfare. If we do not carry it in our heads, we cannot savor
it in our hears or wield it in the Spirit.” John Piper
Practical ways to memorize Scripture.
1.Read the Passage out loud multiple times
2.Write the passage down
a.Put it on 3X5 cards that you can carry with you, put on
the dash of your car, or on the mirror in your
bathroom.
3.Listen to it-Listen to it on a Bible App
4.Say the Verse to someone.
5.Pray and ask the Spirit to help you remember it.
6.Review It-Look at it multiple times a day rather just one
time for a larger period of time. Look at it daily and make
it a regular habit.
I am going to encourage us to meditate on one chapter from
Psalms each week. Read the chapter at least once every day
throughout the week. We will include questions to help you
meditate on the passage and allow the Spirit to speak to you
through it. Each week, there will be a portion of the chapter
that I encourage us all to memorize. We will recite that
passage together during our Sunday morning worship
service.
Let’s get started!
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
Monday: What does it mean to be blessed? How has God
blessed me? Meditate on how God gives you joy!
Tuesday: Where do I get my counsel? What results have I
seen from getting counsel that was not Biblical? What is the
progression of the contact with the wicked and types of the
wicked? Where do you need God’s counsel in your life right
now? Meditate and pray for God’s direction!
Wednesday: Where do I find my delight? What does it mean to
delight in the law of the Lord? How much do I meditate on
God’s Word? Meditate on Matt 5:2-11! How is God changing
me to live in His Kingdom?
Thursday: What are the differences between what the
righteous and wicked are like? What does it mean to bring
forth fruit in its season? Meditate on God’s fruit in your life!
Friday: Why will the wicked not stand in judgment? Why will
the sinner not stand in the congregation of the righteous?
Meditate on the hope of God’s forgiveness!
Saturday: Can I really be righteous? How can one become
righteous? Meditate on the truth that the believer has Christ’s
righteousness!
WEEK 1 | JUNE 8-14
Meditate: Psalm 1
Memorize: Psalm 1:1-6
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
Monday: What unifies the world’s political leaders? Does the
opinion by the rulers of the world impact our trust in God?
Meditate on whether I am allowing the world to impact my trust
in God.
Tuesday: How does this passage describe God’s reaction to
those in rebellion against him? Meditate on the power and
sovereignty of God?
Wednesday: What does “You are my Son” teach about who
Christ is? What is Christ’s inheritance? Meditate on Christ’s
deity and how its impact on the command for us to take the
Gospel to the ends of the earth!
Thursday: How does this passage shape your understanding
of God’s judgment? How does this affect the way we worship
and obey him? Meditate on the power of God over his creation!
Friday: What does it mean to “serve the Lord with fear and
rejoice with trembling?” Meditate on the reverence and fear we
should have before God!
Saturday: Meditate on what it means to take refuge in Christ!
WEEK 2 | JUNE 15-21
Meditate: Psalm 2
Memorize: Psalm 2:7-12
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
Monday: Who would you describe as your foes? When do you
feel attacked or feel there are challenges that are trying to
weaken your faith? Meditate on your struggles in your life! How
have you responded to them.
Tuesday: How does David’s prayer reveal his faith? Is prayer a
source of strength during your trials? Meditate on being honest
and praying to God about your struggles!
Wednesday: Think about the idea of God being your shield?
What does that mean and how has it worked itself out in your
own life? Meditate on prayers God has answered and the fact
that God answers prayers!
Thursday: What causes you to lose sleep? What is your
response when sleep doesn’t come easy? How should we
respond in faith? Meditate on God being the sustainer of his
people!
Friday: How is God faithful when people hurt us? Meditate on
God’s faithfulness.
Saturday: What does it mean that salvation belongs to the
Lord? Meditate on the blessings of God in your life!
WEEK 3 | JUNE 22-28
Meditate: Psalm 3
Memorize: Psalm 3:1-6
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
Monday: What characteristics of God led him to answer
David’s prayer? Meditate on God’s righteousness and grace!
Tuesday: Am I ever tempted to go after “vain words” and
“lies?” Why must we know that God sets apart the godly for
himself? Meditate on God hears us when we call to him!
Wednesday: What is the correct response to times of distress
rather than sinful anger? How does our trust in the Lord affect
our actions? Meditate on how you are trusting the Lord this
week!
Thursday: How does David contrast the wicked and the
righteous? How does self-reflection help us trust and have
peace in the middle of adversity? Meditate on your responses
to adversity.
Friday: Where does my joy come from? What is David’s
contrast of joy? Meditate on what really brings you joy! Is your
joy found in God or in earthly stuff?
Saturday: What does true peace look like in my life? What
does it mean that the Lord makes me dwell in safety? Meditate
on having the peace of God in your life!
WEEK 4 | JUNE 29-JULY 5
Meditate: Psalm 4
Memorize: Psalm 4:4-8
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
Monday: How does David demonstrate his trust every day?
When did David pray and spend time with God? Meditate on
the details of your time with God! How can you make it a daily
habit? How can you have a closer walk with God?
Tuesday: What does this passage teach us about God’s
response to evil? Meditate to see if there is any sin or
wickedness that I need to repent of and have God remove from
my life!
Wednesday: What characteristics of God guided David in his
worship and his walk? How did David approach God? Meditate
on the greatness of God and my reverence for him!
Thursday: What are the characteristics of the wicked?
Meditate and see if I exhibit any of these characteristics!
Friday: How is God our refuge, protection, and shield?
Meditate how God has been your refuge!
Saturday: The result of God being our refuge is our rejoicing
and singing for joy? Meditate by singing praises to God! How
will you share your joy in Christ with others?
WEEK 5 | JULY 6-12
Meditate: Psalm 5
Memorize: Psalm 5:4-8
QUESTIONS FOR MEDITATION:
Monday: What does the Bible say about the anger and wrath
of God? (Nahum 1:2-6; Rom 1:18, 2:5; Jn 3:36) Why do you
think David uses “rebuke” and “discipline” for his suffering?
Meditate on how God disciplines his children!
Tuesday: What does David ask God for in his prayer? How has
God shown grace to you in suffering? Meditate on how God’s
has shown his grace in your life!
Wednesday: What does the phrase “how long?” reveal about
David’s hope? What was the reason that David asked God to
deliver him? Meditate on your reasons for asking for God’s
deliverance in your suffering!
Thursday: What are the dead not able to do? How do we use
our praise to worship God while we are living? Meditate on
ways that you can worship God in praise today?
Friday: Are you honest with God about your struggles? How
broken does David seem in this passage? Meditate on the last
time you were this broken before God!
Saturday: What brings David hope? Meditate on God hearing
and accepting your prayers!
WEEK 6 | JULY 13-19
Meditate: Psalm 6
Memorize: Psalm 6:1-5