How is your prayer life? What is the most pressing need that you are praying for/about right now? Are you facing any situations that are humanly impossible to resolve? Where do you go with conflict, grief, sadness and even anger? Can you bring all of your emotions and all of your questions to the Lord?
D. Martin Lloyd Jones Pages 26-28 describes the Biblical Method to understanding problems and perplexities in the Christian life:
(1) Stop to think
(2) Re-state basic principles
(3) Apply the principles to the problem
(4) If still in doubt, commit the problem to God in faith
III. The Prophet's Problem with God's Answer (1:12-2:1) - In Prayer the prophet expresses three important components to powerful prayers:
A. The Prophet Declared His Confidence in God's Character (v.12)
B. The Prophet Expressed his Confusion about God's Ways (vv.13-17)
C. The Prophet Waited with Expectation for God's Word (2:1) - "At reason's end one must wait on revelation."
Conclusion: God is redeeming a people for Himself. Psalm 106 rehearses the faithfulness of God and the history of unfaithfulness of His people. The prophet knew that judgment was necessary and appropriate. He was blown away by the identity of God’s chosen instrument – Babylon. The prophet’s perspective was limited and only through seeking the Lord would he move from fear to faith.
The Children of Israel in Judah deserved God’s judgment, but lest we forget our own sinfulness, let us be reminded that we all deserve judgment/punishment for our sins. The mystery now revealed is that God came in flesh Himself to bear the punishment for our sins! The Gospel is GOOD NEWS! 2 Corinthians 5:15 and 21 allows us to embrace Proverbs 3:5-6 from this side of the cross.
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