“We want Christ to hurry and calm the storm. He wants us to find Him in the midst of it first.”
Beth Moore
Passage
113I hate those who are double-minded, But I love Your law.
114You are my hiding place and my shield; I wait for Your word.
115Depart from me, evildoers, That I may observe the commandments of my God.
116Sustain me according to Your word, that I may live; And do not let me be ashamed of my hope.
117Uphold me that I may be safe, That I may have regard for Your statutes continually.
118You have rejected all those who wander from Your statutes, For their deceitfulness is useless.
119You have removed all the wicked of the earth like dross; Therefore I love Your testimonies.
120My flesh trembles for fear of You, And I am afraid of Your judgments.
Psalm 119:113–120 (NASB95)
"Storm and rain above the horizon | 110116-9706-jikatu" by jikatu is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Background
Quote-Wanda Elizabeth "Beth" Moore (born Wanda Elizabeth Green, June 16, 1957) is an American Anglican evangelist, author, and Bible teacher. She is the President of Living Proof Ministries, a Christian organization which she founded in 1994 to teach women to know and love Jesus through the study of Scripture. Living Proof Ministries is based in Houston, Texas.
The ministry, in conjunction with LifeWay Christian Resources, conducts more than a dozen conferences, known as "Living Proof Live", around the United States annually. Moore also teaches through her radio show, Living Proof with Beth Moore, and on her YouTube channel of the same name. She is of no relation to Baptist theologian and preacher Russell Moore.
She and her husband Keith joined the Anglican Church in North America in 2021.
Passage- The genre of Psalms is Songs and Poetry of all kinds. It is written by multiple authors; David wrote 73, Asaph wrote 12, the sons of Korah wrote 9, Solomon wrote 3, Ethan, and Moses each wrote one (Ps. 90), and 51 of the Psalms are anonymous. They were written over the span of approximately 900 years (Beginning at the time of Moses 1440 B.C. and through the captivity in 586 B.C.).
The Psalms include praises of joy, laments, blessings, and thanksgivings. They are directed at God and they help us to express and communicate ourselves to Him.
Psalms sits at the very center of the Bible. The major themes found in Psalms are Praise, God’s Power, Forgiveness, Thankfulness and Trust. “My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever” (145:21).
Lesson Notes
Opening Statement
“The devil whispered; you can’t handle the storm. I whispered back, I am the storm.” It is a statement of bravado and arrogance, but it is one we use to try and bolster our spirits. The truth is we can’t handle everything by ourselves but we weren’t designed to do it alone either.
Ask: What is truth?
Point: The rote answer is “The Bible” but stop and contemplate for a moment what that means. You can’t at once say “The Bible is truth…accept not that part.” Not with intellectual honesty.
Ask: Why do we need to be resolute in what the source of truth is?
Point: Principles. Integrity. We must have something unshakable upon which to build a foundation.
11For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
13each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
14If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.
15If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
1 Corinthians 3:11–15 (NASB95)
Ask: If we are going to state Jesus is the foundation, why do we believe that is true?
Point: The answer to this is personal for each person but Lee Strobel’s book Case for Christ is a good start as an explanation for me.
Ask: Why is it important that each of us understand and know why we accept and believe Jesus is the cornerstone?
Point: Please read the following:
13Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?
14But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be troubled,
15but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
16and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.
17For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
1 Peter 3:13–17 (NASB95)
Ask: If we are going to suffer hardship is it better to suffer knowing we did the right thing or for doing the wrong thing?
Point: Knowing we made the right decision gives us strength to endure hardship because we can say at least we made the right decisions.
Ask: Is every decision we make always the right one?
Point: No.
Ask: How do we know that?
Point: Please read the following:
10as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;
11There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;
12All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”
Romans 3:10–12 (NASB95)
Psalms 14:1-3; 53:1-3
Ask: Do we all have a defensive reaction, “that’s not me! I’m a good person?”
Point: Yes, we do. We reflexively believe we are a good person doing the right thing.
Ask: Why is that a dangerous and unscriptural position?
Point: If we are to be the New Creation in Jesus we have to admit we needed Jesus to sacrifice Himself for our salvation.
Ask: If we accept that Jesus died for our sins to wash us clean, what implication does that have for our life?
Point: Please read the following:
14For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
15and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.
16Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.
17Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
2 Corinthians 5:14–17 (NASB95)
Ask: Re-read verse seventeen above and then answer this question, “What does that mean for me today?”
Point: “…the old things passed away: behold, new things have come.” This means we cannot keep doing the things of the world that are not of God and remain in Jesus. We are a new creation, His creation bought with His blood to be what He wants us to be.
Ask: What does that have to do with a storm on the horizon and how do we prepare for the storm we see coming?
Point: The answer is in the Questions for the week this week.
Closing Statement
Today’s passage is from Psalm 119. This psalm covers the letters in the Hebrew alphabet. Today’s passage is from Samech. There are quite a few very good points of encouragement and similarities to be found in studying just the symbol. If you’d like to do that, follow this link https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/137087/jewish/Samech.htm . What does having principles grounded in truth have to do with the storm we see coming? I cannot stand in the storm on my own. I already know that. I need someone else with me in what is to come. Whether or not I have earthy brothers and sisters in Christ standing with me is secondary to whether or not Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are with me in the midst of the storm. If there is something I can do to make sure He is close by my side, I want to do it. Today’s passage, and the Questions for the Week give me things I can do so I can say I made the right decision, at least I did what I could. That gives me comfort as the wind and rain batter the boat I’m in.
Questions for the Week
Question 1 Read Romans 3:10-18 paying close attention to the second half (13-18). This second half has been reproduced at the end of the lesson including the Old Testament passages on which it is based.
Question 2 After reading and studying the Romans scripture including the Old Testament passages, contemplate that second half from the position that this tells us what not to be if we want to be one who seeks after God and righteousness.
Question 3 Re-read this week’s passage and study the things it says to do and not do in context with the Romans passage.
Question 4 In your journal write as much or as little as you are led to write about what the Holy Spirit has shown you in your studies this week.
Romans 3:10-17
10as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;
11There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God;
12All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.”
13“Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving,” “The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14“Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness”;
15“Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16Destruction and misery are in their paths,
17And the path of peace they have not known.”
Romans 3:10–17 (NASB95)
Psalms 14:1-3:53:1-3
Psalm 5:9
Psalm 140:3
Psalm 10:7
Isaiah 59:7
Psalm 36:1