Psalm 128 Study (Daily Encouragement)
Overview: Everyone wants to be happy, to be blessed. Too many people are willfully refusing to pay attention to the One who wills our happiness and ignorantly supposing that the Christian way is a harder way to get what they want than doing it on their own. They are wrong. God’s ways and God’s presence are where we experience the happiness that lasts. Do it the easy way: “All you who fear GOD, how blessed you are! How happily you walk on his smooth straight road!” – Eugene Peterson
Questions:
1. What was a time or area of life when you experienced God’s blessing/happiness from aligning your life with his purposes? A time when you experienced difficulty (a hard road) when you didn’t?
2. Discuss anything from Psalm 128 or the sermon that caught your attention, encourages, challenges or confuses you.
3. The word blessing means happy; receiving the benefits God’s bestows on his people; contentment and fulfillment in life. How do we experience a “blessed” life (vs/1-2; see also John 10:7-11)?
4. A well ordered life moves “out” from our relationship with God to family/others (3-4) and the wider community (5-6). In these verses, what happiness/blessing from God do we experience in these areas?
5. Verse 2 reminds us that you “shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands”. Talk about applying these avenues we have to fight for a well-ordered & blessed life:
Receive the blessing: Trust Christ
Fight sin and it’s sources: Triple threat of the flesh, the world, the devil
Walk the happy road: Live according to God’s ways and in God’s presence
Prayer
What is one thing you want to take away from psalm 128?
What is one thing the group can be praying for you about?