This Life Group season runs from September 15 – December 8, 2024.
Special instructions. For this week’s Life Group questions it would be useful to have a printout of Psalm 25. A PDF is available here (CSB translation), however any translation will work. You may also mark up your own Bible if you prefer.
The theme of the first week of Advent is Hope. In a moment you will read Psalm 25. First read this quote from the Swiss reformer, Theodore Beza (1519-1605).
”This psalm presents a model for the daily prayers of the church and every saint. In it three things are requested, and indeed from faith focusing on the promises already revealed to us and confirmed by past experiences. The first is the free forgiveness of sin. The second is that we would be governed by the Holy Spirit in the remaining course of our life. The third is protection against our enemies’ injustices. These three things correspond to the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer in which we request to have our sins forgiven, not to be led into temptation and to be delivered from evil.*”
- Have someone read Psalm 25 out loud and see if you find these three divisions. Where would you mark the separation of sections? You are free to disagree with Dr. Beza if you like (he could be wrong).
- Take a second look. For the next few minutes, silently read and mark up the text. Where do you see God’s character described? What words and phrases are used to describe God’s actions towards humans?
- How do you see God’s character and action drawing people towards his presence?
”Although the psalmist frequently repeats the same thing, asking that God would make him know his ways and instruct him in them and lead him in his truth, there is no redundancy in these forms of speech. Our adversities are often like mists which darken the eyes, and everyone knows from experience how difficult a thing it is—while these clouds of darkness continue—to discern in what way we ought to walk. But if David, so distinguished a prophet and endued with so much wisdom, stood in need of divine instruction, what shall become of us if, in our afflictions, God does not dispel from our minds those clouds of darkness which prevent us from seeing his light? As often, then, as any temptation may assail us, we ought always to pray that God would make the light of his truth to shine on us, lest, by having recourse to sinful devices, we should go astray and wander into devious and forbidden paths.**”
- Read the quote from John Calvin (1509-1564. Another Swiss reformer who was really French). Calvin describe God’s actions in keeping us from temptation and sin. What language in the Psalm shows how God actively guides us away from evil?
- Hope is found by keeping our eyes on God’s presence and promises in the midst of temptation, sin, and evil. What helpful hints do you see in the Psalm that can aid you in avoiding temptation?
- Lastly and importantly. Using the language of this Psalm, what is one word of phrase that you can pray this week that asks God to either keep you from temptation or lead you towards his presence?
*Paraphrase of Psalm 25. Herman J. Selderhuis et al., eds., Psalms 1–72: Old Testament, vol. VII, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), 202.
**Commentary on the Psalms. Herman J. Selderhuis et al., eds., Psalms 1–72: Old Testament, vol. VII, Reformation Commentary on Scripture (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), 203.