Psalm 59 Im so excited about our study! I love to read of the humble shepherd/valiant warrior King David.

I am amazed by his heart-driven pursuit of God. Gods mercy, grace, instruction and tender heart towards David draws me in and beckons me to run towards Him, seeking to understand and know more and more of Who my God is. My prayer is that through this study, we will gain wisdom, not to store away, but to give away to anyone who doesnt know God and who has never given their life to the saving message of the Gospel. Join me in the run Day One: 1) So, lets start off with a little history. We have to get to know the spiritual state of Gods chosen people to understand Gods choice of David as their king. Dive into 1 Samuel 8:1-22. How would you describe the hearts of the people? 2) What did they have to say about Samuel and his sons? 3) In Samuels displeasure, he went to the LORD. Think about Gods response. Why did He decide to give the people a king? 4) In what ways (specifically) did the people reject God? 5) Quick app: Have you ever desired something beyond what God was giving? In what ways was that desire a rejection of Him? Day Two: 1) Today is going to be a really big reading day. I want you to see the progression rise and fall of Saul. Lets read chapters 9-10, 13 and 15. As you read, write down anything that stands out to you about God, Samuel, Saul and the people. 2) Sauls disobedience cost him everything, the kingdom, his reputation, his family and most importantly, his relationship with God. Chapter 15:28-29 record the consequences of Sauls actions. By what name does Samuel refer to God and how does the Truth of this name demonstrate the very power the people rejected? 3) Did you catch the reference to David in these verses? Day Three: 1) Chapter 16 of 1 Samuel reveals Gods choice of king for His people. As you read verses 1-13, what do you discover about the character and nature of God in His method of choosing David? 2) David and Sauls difficult relationship is established in the second half of chapter 16, moving into the great victory of David over Goliath in chapter 17. (Oh! Theres so much I want to show you here! But it will have to wait for our discussion! ) Take a look at 1 Samuel 18:7-9. What is Sauls reaction to the praise David receives? 3) And so it begins. David, chosen by God, anointed to be king, must submit to God and wait until the time He allows before he takes the throne. As David waits, Saul seeks to kill him. David suffers fear, frustration and true persecution as he waits. Chapter 18 explains the increasing violence of Sauls efforts to get rid of David. The violence escalates in chapter 19. Read verses 9-24 and record what happens as Saul sets out to kill him. 4) If you were David in this situation, what would be your cry to God? Day Four: 1) Today, we move to the Psalm that David wrote during the time of Sauls hunt for him. Lets read Psalm 59 and remember the events leading up to the

circumstances surrounding this heart cry of David. 2) Take the time to walk through the Psalm again and record everything you learn about God through Davids words. Remember to finish the sentence, My God is 3) While David certainly does not reveal every characteristic about God, nor can he fully explain a God Who is Indescribable, he is writing in the power of the Holy Spirit, recording the very breath of God. The words we read reveal the characteristics of God that David discovered in a time of great suffering. 4) Circle one or two of the truths you discover about God and tell why they mean the most to you. Day Five: 1) Today well dig a little deeper into the meaning of the Psalm. Spend some time using cross-references and record your findings. 2) Using a concordance, find the Hebrew meaning of words like the action words that David uses in his plea to God. For example, verse one in my NKJV says, Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me. I would look up the underlined words and find out what David meant when he asked God to be his Deliverer and Defender. Also, verse 8 is an intriguing verse which says, But You, O LORD, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision. I want to know what it means for God to laugh so I would look that up and also take a look at my commentary to better understand what causes Him to laugh in this context. 3) As you record the information you find, continue to remember where David is and under what circumstances he is learning these things about God. Does the knowledge of Gods revelation of Himself in times of suffering help you to face any given situation with confidence in Him? How? As youve studied this week, youve spent a good deal of time getting to know David and what a formidable opponent he faced in Saul. God used the evil intentions of Saul to bring about good in the life of David and in our lives centuries later through a deeper understanding of Who God is. Although God certainly is not using us to write Scripture, He is writing His story in and through our lives. As we continue our journey with Him, He has promised to draw near to us when we draw near to Him and to grow us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:18) Look for Him, notice Him, see Him at work and follow hard after Him no matter what. It will be more than worth it.