Christmas in the Psalms
Sunday, December 18, 2022
How & when is the word “blessed” typically used in Christian circles? Do you ever feel it is misused?
Let's consider what God's Word says about living a “blessed” life. Read Psalm 84 together.
According to this passage, what is a truly “blessed” life? (i.e. Life with God; see v.2, 3, 10).
Share about a time in your life when you really felt “blessed”/ close to God.
According to Psalm 84, how can we experience the blessed life?
When we lift our praises to Him for who He is (v. 1-4)
When we find our strength in Him when we are weak (v. 5-8)
When we put our trust in Him for our needs (v. 9-12)
What are some practical steps we can take to draw near to God more regularly, whether individually or as families? (i.e. singing hymns with our children at home, memorizing Scripture to preach truth to ourselves, praying Scripture like Psalm 84 over needs that arise, etc.)
If a fellow Christian says to you, “I'm going through a trial right now, so I must not be blessed by God,” how would you respond to them? (see v.11 – God still loves and blesses us in Christ even if He withholds desirable / good things, see Ephesians 1:3-4; Romans 8:28, 1 Pet. 1:6-7; 2 Cor. 5:4-9)
How does Psalm 84 connect to Christ and Christmas? (i.e. temple language, see John 2:19; altar / sacrificial language, see Hebrews 10:11-14; Psalmist longs to draw near to God, but at Christmas, God drew near to us, so that we might be with God forever, see Matthew 1:23).
Let's spend some time using the language of Psalm 84 to praise and pray to God. Also, feel free to select a praise song or Christmas hymn for your group, print out the lyrics (or text out a website for the lyrics - Hymnary.org can be helpful) and sing together as a group.