The ABC's of Trust
In The ABC’s of Trust from Psalms 9–10, Stephen Davey explores David’s call to remember God’s past faithfulness as a foundation for present and future trust. David begins with praise, committing to recount God’s wonderful deeds, and then pleads for deliverance from his enemies. Through an acrostic psalm, David expresses both confidence in God’s justice and frustration at the apparent success of the wicked. He describes their arrogance, cruelty, and denial of God, yet affirms that the Lord sees every act of evil and will bring judgment in His time. Ultimately, Davey reminds believers that even when God seems silent, He remains sovereign. The psalm ends with assurance that God defends the afflicted, hears their cries, and will one day right every wrong, encouraging worship and renewed faith in His perfect justice.
Songs for Future Kings and Queens
This lesson explores two psalms that reveal God’s justice and His grace. In Psalm 7, David cries out to God after enduring slander and unjust attacks. Instead of retaliating, he opens himself to God’s inspection, asking the Lord to judge his heart and use the hurtful words for personal growth. The psalm reminds us that even when vindication never comes, God uses trials to deepen our relationship with Him. In Psalm 8, David marvels at God’s majesty in creation, overwhelmed that the Creator of the universe cares for humanity. He affirms that mankind was made a little lower than God, crowned with glory and honor, and given dominion over the earth. Though sin has marred that design, the promise of co-reigning with Christ in His coming kingdom points to our future hope. Together, these psalms teach that God is both just in dealing with injustice and gracious in elevating the weak, calling us to trust His evaluation of our worth and our role in His eternal plan.
Quick to Trust … Quick to Confess
In these psalms, David writes during one of the darkest seasons of his life—fleeing from his son Absalom’s rebellion. In Psalm 3, he laments his enemies’ pursuit but quickly turns to confident prayer, calling God his shield and salvation. In Psalm 4, David shifts from fear to grace, trusting God’s righteousness and even interceding for his enemies, finding peace enough to sleep in safety. In Psalm 5, he approaches God through the sacrificial system, ultimately pointing to Christ, the final sacrifice. He asks for guidance, prays against rebellion, yet desires that all who trust God rejoice in His protection. Psalm 6 provides a sobering reality check—David delays confession of sin and suffers inwardly until he finally admits guilt, discovering that forgiveness restores peace. Together, these psalms remind us that prayer is our greatest weapon, God’s grace is always undeserved, and confession should never be delayed. Real peace comes from resting in God’s sovereignty, extending His grace to others, and trusting His readiness to forgive.
The Psalm of Coronation
Psalm 2 presents God’s eternal King, Jesus Christ, whose reign cannot be thwarted by the empty threats or violent rebellion of nations. The psalm contrasts the arrogance of earthly rulers, who rage against God, with the sovereignty of the Lord, who laughs at their futility and establishes His chosen King on Zion. While originally sung at Israel’s coronations, its prophetic significance points to the greater Son of David, the resurrected Christ, whose kingdom will last forever. God invites all people to abandon pride and rebellion, to serve the Lord with fear, and to “kiss the Son”—a symbol of reverence, loyalty, and humble devotion. The psalm ends with both warning and promise: those who resist God’s King face judgment, but those who take refuge in Him are eternally blessed. This coronation psalm calls us to daily surrender and wholehearted allegiance to Jesus, our Savior King.
An Original Book of Poetry
This lesson introduces the book of Psalms as God’s inspired collection of poetry designed to shape our hearts and lives. Psalm 1 sets the tone by contrasting the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked. The blessed person avoids the influence of ungodly companions, refusing to walk, stand, or sit in their counsel. Instead, they delight in and meditate on God’s Word, making it their constant source of wisdom and strength. Like a tree planted by streams of water, they grow in stability, fruitfulness, and endurance, even through difficult seasons. In contrast, the wicked are rootless and fleeting, like chaff blown away by the wind, with no foundation to stand in God’s judgment. The psalm calls believers to anchor their lives in Scripture, rejecting empty influences and drawing continually from the living water of God’s truth for lasting joy and spiritual prosperity.
Almost Happily Ever After
This final chapter of Job shows that his story does not end with a fairy-tale “happily ever after.” Though God restores Job’s health, wealth, and family, Job will never forget the pain of loss or the silence of heaven. Instead, he emerges with deeper faith and perspective. God publicly vindicates Job by rebuking his three friends for their false counsel and commending Job as His servant. Remarkably, Job is asked to pray for them, showing his own grace and forgiveness. God doubles Job’s possessions, restores his family fellowship, and grants him long life, but the true lesson is not in material blessings. The greatest truth is that Job was never alone. Even when invisible, God was present, near, and sovereign over every moment of suffering. The book closes reminding us that suffering for the faithful is temporary, but God’s presence and ultimate blessing are eternal.
Dragons and Dinosaurs
In this final section, God draws Job’s attention to two extraordinary creatures: Behemoth and Leviathan. Far from being mere hippos or crocodiles, their descriptions suggest massive, untamable creatures—likely dinosaurs and even a fire-breathing dragon. God highlights their unmatched strength and terrifying power to remind Job that if He can create and control such creatures, He certainly governs all events in Job’s life, no matter how fierce or incomprehensible they seem. This is not meant to frighten Job but to assure him: the Creator’s purposes cannot be thwarted. Humbled, Job confesses his smallness, repents, and acknowledges God’s sovereign wisdom. The lesson concludes that when faced with unexplainable suffering, our hope is not in understanding every detail but in trusting the all-powerful Creator who shapes, controls, and redeems every circumstance for His purposes.
A Trip to the Zoo
In this lesson, God takes Job on a “field trip to the zoo,” pointing to lions, ravens, ostriches, and eagles as examples of His creative wisdom and providential care. Each animal, from the mighty lion to the foolish ostrich, displays God’s intricate design and purpose. Through these illustrations, God reminds Job that if He provides for animals—even the ones that seem odd or insignificant—He will certainly care for humanity, whom He values even more. The point is clear: God’s ways may seem mysterious or even strange, but His wisdom is perfect, His care is constant, and His control is absolute. Job’s response is silence, humbled by the realization that the Creator’s knowledge and sufficiency far surpass human understanding. This lesson calls believers to trust God’s providence, especially when life feels confusing, knowing that the One who sustains creation also lovingly sustains His people.
Water, Earth, and Sky
In this passage, God finally speaks directly to Job, not with explanations but with a series of profound questions—seventy-seven in all—designed to reveal His power as Creator and Sustainer. God points Job to the foundations of the earth, the vastness of the planet, and the boundaries of the sea, asking if Job had any role in their design or control. He reminds Job that He alone commands the dawn, stores the snow and hail, and directs lightning and rainfall to bring life to the earth. Even the stars and constellations—Pleiades, Orion, and the Big Dipper—move under His sovereign hand. God’s message is clear: Job may not understand the reasons for his suffering, but the One who created and governs water, earth, and sky has full control over every detail of creation and history. This lesson teaches that peace in suffering does not come from answers, but from resting in the power and wisdom of the Creator who holds all things together.
A Word From God at Last
After thirty-seven chapters of silence from heaven, God finally speaks to Job out of a whirlwind. Instead of offering direct answers to Job’s pain, God challenges him with seventy-seven questions about creation—covering the earth, seas, stars, and animals. Far from humiliating Job, these questions remind him that God’s wisdom, power, and control far exceed human understanding. The lesson emphasizes that the greatest comfort in suffering is not explanations but the assurance that our Creator governs everything. If God is powerful enough to create the universe, He is powerful enough to control it, direct our lives, and prepare our eternal home. True peace in suffering comes not from quick solutions but from trusting the faithful Creator who holds all things together.