Leadership Ministries Worldwide

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Weekly Scripture Studies

Zeal for God’s Name

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If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
    Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries misuse your name.
Do I not hate those who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.
Psalm 139:19-22 NIV

David suddenly turned his attention from the Lords wonderful work in our lives to the wickedness in the world. He was keenly aware of evil people whose activities opposed Gods purposes. Indeed, wicked men had tried repeatedly to thwart God’s plan for his own life. David prayed passionately for God to judge the wicked, and he ordered these violent men to stay away from him.

David called on God to remove the wicked from the world so that His righteousness and love could flow freely. He prayed specifically against the bloodthirsty men who opposed God’s people and opposed the purpose and plans God had for them. They hated God’s people so viciously because they themselves hated God.

David declared his unwavering loyalty to God, stating plainly that he hated those who hated the Lord. Besides that, he grieved or was disgusted by their opposition to God. David’s hatred of the wicked was motivated by his zeal for the Lord. He despised the wicked so strongly because he loved the Lord so passionately. He viewed God’s enemies as his own enemies.

When Christ came, He gave us, His followers, a new command to follow with regard to our enemies: we are to love and pray for our enemies. Why? Because God desires for all people to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). At the same time, we are commanded to stand against all evil and wickedness. While we are on a mission to win every lost person to Christ, we are also warned about friendship with the world. Ultimately, we should remember that our enemies are not flesh and blood but are instead powers and rulers of darkness. 

As followers of Christ, we need to constantly seek the balance that Jesus spoke about: to be in the world, but not of the world. That is, we are to be a part of the world so we can reach people for Christ and uphold righteousness, but we must not let the evil of the world pull us away from obedience to God.

This balance is also stated in the saying, “Hate the sin but love the sinner.” We are to stand strongly against everything that is opposed to God and His truth. But while doing so, we are to show the love of Christ to all who are a part of those things. We are to do everything possible to reach them with the life-saving gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

The Father of Lights

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Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.
Psalm 139:7-12 NIV

The Lord is with us at all times in order to guide and support us. David understood this as well as anyone, and he sensed God’s purpose in pursuing him wherever he went. Once again, David refers to God’s gracious hand. We are secure in God’s right hand, a symbol of His mighty power.

God’s constant presence also protects us in darkness and lights our way. The darkness does not cover or hide us so that God cannot see us. When night falls, the Lord can still see us, because darkness is not dark to Him. for He is light. In our darkness, He gives us light, brightening our way.

Darkness is a symbol of doom as well as a symbol of evil. In the darkest times of our lives—the most painful trials and the most difficult challenges—God is with us. The light of His glorious presence guides our way, brightens our heavy spirits, shows us there is nothing to fear and gives us hope.

The light of the Lord also drives away any evil forces that gather around us. When light appears, darkness disappears. Likewise, when we allow the light of God to penetrate our sinful souls, He drives out the darkness that is within us—the sinful power of our corrupt human nature.

Just as with the Lord’s omniscience, His omnipresence should motivate us to live holy and righteous lives. The realization that God is present when we sin should serve as a powerful incentive to do what is right instead. This is even more true for us today than it was for God’s people in Old Testament times, for God’s Spirit now actually lives within every genuine believer. The reality of the indwelling Spirit’s presence should sober us when we are wrestling with our sinful nature and tempted to do wrong. When we sin, we are dragging God’s Spirit along with us. It is not just that God is there witnessing what we do; He is within us. When we defile our bodies with sin, we also bring shame to the Holy Spirit who lives in our bodies.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18 NIV

The God Who Sees Us

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You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.
Psalm 139:1-6 NIV

Living with constant awareness of God’s omniscience is a key element to the Christian walk. The fact that the Lord knows everything about us—down to the smallest detail—should both comfort us and motivate us to live pure and righteous lives. It should also convict us greatly. Before we speak an untruth, dwell on an impure thought, or commit a sinful act, our awareness that God knows about it may deter us from sin.

Do not be deceived into thinking you can sin and get away with it. Even when no other human being is watching, God is. His all-seeing eye catches everything we do, and we are fully accountable to Him. Remember Achan (Joshua 7), who thought no one would know when he disobeyed God by taking a portion of Jericho’s spoil. No human eyes witnessed his treacherous deed, but the Lord saw him, and Achan paid for his sin with his life.

On the other hand, God’s omniscience should serve as a great source of comfort. Nothing that happens to us escapes God’s attention. He is fully aware of every trouble, trial, and threat we face. He is constantly watching over us, guarding and protecting us at all times. We can rest peacefully and walk fearlessly through life knowing that His loving, careful eye is always on us.

Search Me

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You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.
Psalm 139:1-6 NIV

Every day, multitudes of people around the world hear the news that they have cancer or some other disease that puts their lives at risk. In many cases, no symptoms presented themselves to warn the people that something was wrong. In the majority of cases, though, specific symptoms led the doctors to their diagnoses. Still, other individuals who are obviously sick go undiagnosed for years despite a battery of tests.

While x-rays, scans, and other marvels of modern technology reveal much of what is underneath our skin, doctors still find it necessary sometimes to perform exploratory surgery. In exploratory surgery, a doctor opens a person up for the purpose of seeing clearly what cannot be seen otherwise. This is the only way to get to the root of the problem.

Psalm 139 is an exploratory journey of sorts. In it, David celebrates the omniscience and omnipresence of God. He proceeds to discuss how wonderfully and carefully we are made by our Creator who loves us deeply and forms us according to His glorious plan for our lives. Then, suddenly, David jumps to a different subject: his hatred for his wicked enemies. Having established that God knows everything about us, David closes with a strange request: he asks God to explore him within to reveal if he has any hidden sins, any secret sins he may not be aware of. In essence, David asked God to perform spiritual exploratory surgery on him, to probe him deeply and painfully to reveal any spiritual cancers or disease within him.

Scripture states a frightening truth: we cannot fully know the wickedness and deceit that lie within our sinful hearts. We are totally capable of thinking we are right when we are actually wrong. We do not always recognize the sin in our own lives. Furthermore, we may think we have suppressed and even defeated certain feelings and desires when they are destroying us without our being aware of them.

For all these reasons and more, we need to follow David’s example and open ourselves up to God, earnestly desiring that He search us within.

Trust in God

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"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"                                                                                                                                                  Psalms 56:3-4

David had unwisely placed himself in a situation that intensified his fear: not only was Saul seeking his life, but Achish and the officials of Gath were also considering what to do with him. David confronted his fear with unwavering trust in the LORD and by praising the LORD for the reliability of His Word. Years earlier, God had chosen and secretly anointed David to be Israel’s future king. Now, David was buoyed by the confidence that God would fulfill that which He had promised. Secure in God’s sovereign plan for his life, David determined that he would not fear what mortal man could do to him. No human being could overrule God’s purpose for his life.

Trusting in the Lord like David did can eliminate any fear you have. Praising God and relying on His Word produces resilience and trust in God that will give you confidence that His ultimate purposes for your life will prevail even in the state of fearing particular outcomes.

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie ten Boom

Study Questions

  • What can you do to praise God amidst fear?

  • Do you believe God’s purposes are good?

  • Resilience and trust in God’s purposes takes intentionality. Be intentional with going before God this week in prayer. Pray that he would change your fears into praises.

Other Verses: Hebrews 13:6; Psalms 100:1-5

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Through the Darkest Valley

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"Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."                                                                                                                                                                             Psalms 23:4

Some scholars think the valley of the shadow of death was the name of an actual valley, an extremely dangerous one, through which shepherds and their flocks were forced to cross. Valleys are symbols of the darkest times of life. The valley of the shadow of death speaks of life’s gravest circumstances, fearful occasions when death is a real possibility. David testified that he was not afraid to walk through life’s darkest valleys. Although he was defenseless in himself, he was not alone in the peril: his Shepherd was with him. The LORD would protect him and keep him close to His side. David was comforted— turned from fear and terror—because his Shepherd was skillfully armed with His rod and His staff.

David was fearless in the valley because he knew his Shepherd would protect him from all deadly threats, including his own waywardness. His Shepherd would keep him close to His side in the darkness and would be with him through every step until he passed safely through to the light on the other side.

Study Questions

  • Are you walking through some sort of valley right now? Have you sought comfort from God?

  • Do you trust that your Father has you close to his side and that you are protected by him always?

  • Do you see the light on the other side of your current dark time or fear?

Download the free PDF of this section of Psalms in the The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible to continue your study:


Download the PDF