June 19, 2017
STANDING STRONG IN ADVERSITY
Psalm 112
Hunter Ward
Central Truth
Only by having a good foundation in God’s Word will we be able to stand strong in the midst of adversity.
Key Verse | Psalm 112:7
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord.
(Psalm 112:7)
Psalm 112
The Righteous Will Never Be Moved
1
1
112:1
This psalm is an acrostic poem, each line beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
Praise the LORD!
Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commandments!
2
His offspring will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3
Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
6
For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
7
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
8
His heart is steady;
2
112:8
Or established (compare 111:8)
he will not be afraid,
until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9
He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever;
his horn is exalted in honor.
10
The wicked man sees it and is angry;
he gnashes his teeth and melts away;
the desire of the wicked will perish!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 112
Everyone is afraid of bad news. Whether it’s a bad physical report from a doctor or something hard emotionally, it’s never good. At times, it can even knock you off your feet, unless you have God to keep you steady.
On the football field, I have to keep myself steady as a lineman. We work on our stances for hours every week. If you lose your footing, then you are going down no matter how strong you are. The best way to keep yourself upright is having a good stance, and I think the same can be said in our walk with God.
Bad news and trouble will always be trying to knock us off our feet. The only way to remain steady is by having a "solid stance," which, when it comes to bad news, is a foundation in God’s Word. Just like in football, you need to practice to keep up your skill.
In football, I use a three-point stance, and that’s also what I do in my faith. The first point is learning God’s Word. This means keeping a consistent plan to read the Bible because it will always have the guidance and advice we need. Point two is thinking about what we have learned. Take it from me, it is so easy to just do my devotionals and then move on without really digesting what I’ve read. Take a moment and really think about it. Or several moments. The third and last point is to then apply what we’ve learned.
Remember that all of the preparation will be for nothing if you don’t apply it when it really counts. It’s always helpful to have a good community of faithful friends around you (like my small group) when trying to apply God’s Word. Whether on the field or in life, a solid stance and strong relationship with God is the key to handling adversity.
Discussion Questions
1. What is your plan to prepare for bad news by consistently reading God’s Word?
2. Think about the times in your life when you got bad news. How were you able to apply God’s Word to the situation?
3. Who do you turn to for help when bad news enters your life?