Daily Lesson for Wednesday 21st of February 2024

Psalms 141:1-10 is a prayer for protection from temptations from within and from without. The psalmist is not only endangered by the schemes of the wicked (Psalms 141:9-10) but also is tempted to act like the wicked. The first weak point is self-control in speech, and the psalmist prays that the Lord will keep watch over the door of his lips (Psalms 141:3). This image alludes to the guarding of city gates that, in biblical times, protected the city.

Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com

The temptation is also whether God’s child will yield to the counsel of the righteous or be lured by the delicacies of the wicked (Psalms 141:4-5). The psalmist depicts his heart as a primary threat because there the real battle happens. Only unceasing prayer of complete trust and devotion to God can save God’s child from temptation (Psalms 141:1-2).

Psalms 141:1-10:4 depicts the progressive nature of temptation. First, the heart is inclined toward evil. Second, it practices evil deeds (the meaning in Hebrew underlines the repetitive character of the action). Third, the heart eats of the delicacies of the wicked, namely, accepts their evil practices as something desirable.

Likewise, in Psalms 1:1 the temptation comes to prevent God’s child from walking in the Lord’s way by causing him to walk with the wicked, stand in the path of sinners, and, finally, sit with the scornful. Sinners, wicked, and scornful: we are not to be like them or let them lead us away from the Lord.

These psalms describe the progressive, alluring, and cunning character of temptation, which underscores the fact that only total dependency on the Lord can secure one’s victory. They stress the importance of the words that one speaks, and listens to, amid temptation. The end of both the wicked and the righteous should teach the people to seek wisdom from God (Psalms 1:4-6, Psalms 141:8-10). Yet, in both psalms, the final vindication of God’s children remains in the future. This means that the believers are called to patiently trust God and to wait upon Him.

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For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:9-12 NKJV 

Inagine you are in the Twighlight Zone and you are having a conversation with your teenage self. What would you tell yourself? Here are just a few things I would tell the 15 year old version of me. 

Be kind to your parents and family elders. You won’t understand their struggle until you are older and they are gone. Once you understand it will be too late to tell them you get it now, because they will be gone. 

Image © Pacific Press

Be kind to your teachers who act like they are superior and so much smarter and better than you. They want you to think they have it all together and have arrived, but they are actually fighting insecurities and battles that go back to their own childhood. They cover it up well now so you can’t see it. But when you get older you will look back and see it. But it will be too late to do anything about it, because they will be gone by then. 

Be kind to your peers. When you get older you will hear stories about how they were abused at home or at school in ways you can’t even imagine now. When you find out 20 or 30 years later, you will wish you had been kinder to them while you were growing up. You will tell yourself, If only I had known what they were going through I would have been more kind to them. Then you will realize you didn’t need to know what they were going through in order to be kind. You could just be kind. 

Savor every bite of your grandmother’s cooking. You will never taste anything that good for the rest of your life.

Don’t stop writing in your journal. Your life may seem routine and mundane now but it will help you see things about yourself later that will help you grow.

Eat healthy food now, so when you get older, healthy food will be your comfort food. 

Don’t worry about making stupid mistakes in front of people. The people who see your silly mistakes are just as human as you are. You don’t need to impress them. 

Oh and just so you know, the kid you just made fun of in class will be at the airport at 2 am to pick you up, when you fly back home in about 35 years to see your mother right before she dies. 

Also, you know you are pretty sure you know who made that generous anonynmus donation to your tuition? Well you’re wrong. Its actually someone you would never guess in a million years. So just be kind to everyone. 

I know you were humiliated when the teacher caught you cheating on that test. Don’t worry, she does not think any less of you. The only way she knew you were cheating is because that’s how she cheated when she was in school and got caught. She knows you will never do it again, She’s an honest person now, and she knows you are too. 

Learn how to manage your money wisely. Don’t let yourself feel inferior to those who may have more than you. Your self-worth has nothing to do with your bank account. Pay cash. If you can’t afford to pay cash for it, then you certainly can’t afford to pay interest on it as well. You can do without it until you can pay cash for it. 

Find the beauty in people. By the time you see the beauty in a flashing star it’s already gone. People are flashing stars too. Don’t wait until they are gone before you realize how beautiful they are. 

By the tine you realize how short life is, it will mostly be gone.  Use your time wisely.

When you get older, there will be this thing called the Internet and Sabbath School Net. You’re going to love writing for Sabbath School Net, and you will meet a lot of wonderful people doing so! 

Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator…… Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.  Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it……Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 NLT

One last thing: Don’t worry about the future. Everything will turn out way better than you even dreamed possible! 

So, if you talked to your younger self, what would you have to say? Please do tell. 

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Daily Lesson for Tuesday 20th of February 2024

Meribah is the place where Israel tested God by challenging His faithfulness and power to provide for their needs (Exodus 17:1-7; Psalms 95:8-9). Psalms 81:1-16 makes an intriguing reversal and interprets the same event as the time when God tested Israel (Psalms 81:7). And, by their disobedience and lack of trust (Psalms 81:11), the people failed God’s test.

Image © Educational Concepts Collection at Goodsalt.com

The reference to Meribah conveys a twofold message. First, God’s people must not repeat the mistakes of past generations. Instead, they are to trust God and to walk in His way (Psalms 81:13). Second, although the people failed the test, God came to their rescue when they were in trouble (Psalms 81:7). God’s saving grace in the past gives an assurance of God’s grace to new generations.

Psalms 105:1-45 shows that the trials were God’s means of testing Joseph’s trust in God’s foretelling of his future (Genesis 37:5-10, Psalms 105:19). The Hebrew tsarap, “tested,” in verse 19 conveys a sense of “purging,” “refining,” or “purifying.” Thus, the goal of God’s testing of Joseph’s faith was to remove any doubt in God’s promise and to strengthen Joseph’s trust in God’s guidance.

The goal of divine discipline is to strengthen God’s children and to prepare them for the fulfillment of the promise, as shown in Joseph’s example (Psalms 105:20-22).

However, rejection of God’s instruction results in growing stubbornness and hardening of an obstinate person’s heart.

“God requires prompt and unquestioning obedience of His law; but men are asleep or paralyzed by the deceptions of Satan, who suggests excuses and subterfuges, and conquers their scruples, saying as he said to Eve in the garden: ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ Disobedience not only hardens the heart and conscience of the guilty one, but it tends to corrupt the faith of others. That which looked very wrong to them at first, gradually loses this appearance by being constantly before them, till finally they question whether it is really sin and unconsciously fall into the same error.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 146.

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The beautiful picture on the front of our lesson pamphlet brings us our theme hymn for this quarter with it’s two variations in melody: 
Hymn 552/546 – The Lord’s My Shepherd.

Psalm 67:4 – O, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!

Our studies so far this quarter are summarized in Sabbath afternoon’s introduction:
Hymn 109 – Marvelous Grace creating in us a clean heart to live by faith: 
Hymn 517 – My Faith Looks Up To Thee and we are then blessed knowing that 
Faith Is The Victory – Hymn 608

“The life of faith is maintained by walking in the law of God” says Sunday’s study: 
Hymn 444 – I’m A Pilgrim and then we find 
My Faith Has Found A Resting Place – Hymn 523. “The Psalmist delights in the law because the law assures him of God’s faithfulness,” says Psalm 119:77, 124: 
Hymn  100 – Great Is Thy Faithfulness.

 Savior, Teach Me – Hymn 193 is what Monday’s study portrays for us in our daily living and learning.

 With all the pitfalls and failings in today’s society, the Blessings of Righteous Living (Thursday) comes with 
Peace, Perfect Peace – Hymn 463. Ellen White, in Great Controversy p. 675 says we “shall find a home” as does 
Hymn 420 – Jerusalem My Happy Home and 
Hymn 436 – The Homeland, where we will have peace forevermore.

 To learn unknown hymns, you will find the accompaniment music for each one at: https://sdahymnals.com/Hymnal/

 Another great resource is for when there is a hymn you wish to sing but can’t find it in your hymnal. Go to https://www.sdahymnal.org/Search and in the search bar type a special word in that is in the hymn. I am sure you will be amazed at the help you will be given.

  2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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Key Thought: Wisdom for righteous living is gained with God amid temptations and challenges. We need an ongoing commitment to walk in faithfulness to the Lord.
February 24, 2024

1. Have a volunteer read Psalm 81:7,8; 95:7-11; 105:17-22.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point is in this passage.
2. What does Divine testing involve in these texts?
3. Personal Application: What has been your own experience with how sin hardens our hearts? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of you relatives states, “.How and why should we keep God’s commandments? What blessings do we get for obeying Him? How would you respond to your relative?

2. Have a volunteer read Psalm 119:1-16.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. How did Christ demonstrate the power of God’s word in His life?
3. Personal Application: What do you think happens when people conscientiously and constantly reject God’s teaching? Share your thoughts
4. Case Study: One of your friends states, “Christ kept the commandments because He was God. The Bible tells us since we are sinners, we can’t keep God’s commandments/ He died on the cross to forgive our sins – past, present, and future. We focus on the cross, not on the commandments.” How would you respond to your friend?

3. Have a volunteer read Psalm 141.

1. Ask class members to share a short thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What does the Psalmist pray for?
3. Personal Application: How does the cunning and progressive character of temptation afflict our souls and cause us distress? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: One of your neighbors states: “Why do the unrighteous and non-Christian seem to be doing very well? Why would their lives seem more desirable than those who diligently follow God?” How would you respond to your neighbor?

4. Have a volunteer read Psalm 1:1-3; 112:1-9.

1. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text is.
2. What blessings are promised for those who revere the Lord?
3. Personal Application: Why is the death of Christ on the cross the guarantee of the promises of what God has in store for us? Share your thoughts.
4. Case Study: Think of one person who needs to hear a message from this week’s lesson. Tell the class what you plan to do this week to share with them.

(Truth that is not lived, that is not imparted, loses its life-giving power, its healing virtue. Its blessings can be retained only as it is shared.”Ministry of Healing, p. 148).

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