What does the phrase “fearfully made,” mean?
What is the meaning of verse 15?
What does verse 17 mean?

Respond: Write a prayer asking God to give you answers to your questions and understanding of his message to you through the Psalm.

Dear God, as I read this passage, I often get lost and have no idea what a lot of this means. But I pray that you would give the patience and guidance in order for me to understand and see from a different perspective what your words are saying in this passage. Amen. 

I guess the psalm does give us hope, because it explains how God understands what we’re going through and he also  knows our mental state.

Respond: Write a couple of sentences letting God know how you feel about this.

I feel that it almost gives me a sense of comfort, knowing that God understands what I’m going through. It’s also relieving because I can talk to him whenever and he’ll fully understand.

I’m able to recognize 1 deepening towards God, and the other one moving away from God. Currently, I would have to admit that currently I’m moving away from God at the moment.

Respond: Let God know what it would take for you to stop going in the deepening away from him OR let God know what would help you continue in the deepening towards him.

I think with all the school chaos and a lot of my personal insecurities, it makes it really tough for me to focus on God. I really try my best to get to a closer relationship with God but it becomes so hard to stay focused and stay diligent with God’s Word.

The righteous man :
- planted by streams of water
- yields its fruit in its season
- he prospers in all that he does

The wicked man :
- withers
- are like chaff that the wind drives away
 
I would have to say that the righteous man is more appealing to me because of how the righteous man seems more stable and matured in God.

Respond: Write a short prayer asking God to help you deepen your appreciation of his word.

Dear God, give me patience and appreciation for me to understanding what you’re saying. I pray that even though it’s complicated and confusing, I wouldn’t give up on trying to understand. 

Versus 5-6 elaborate and go into more a type of deepening of the word. Throughout the entire Psalm, we see a sort of synthetical dynamic in the story. “God knows the way of the righteous, means that he truly is righteous. The way of the wicked will perish because the wicked don’t have God’s help. The wicked person also doesn’t have a stable source to depend on such as God.

Respond: Ask God to develop a growing intimacy with the way of the righteous within you OR ask him to grow a desire to grow in the way of the righteous within you.

Please help my God to develop my understanding and desire to learn your ways. 

The lives of the wicked and sinners probably don’t live like God or the righteous. I think that their foundational motivation in their lives would be “worldly things,” such as fame, money, popularity, things like that.

Respond: Write a prayer asking God to show you how he is better than, more beautiful than, and more loving than anything and anyone else.

Dear God, please help me understand and try to comprehend the best I can. Help me to lean on you and depend on you when I need something.

It becomes very ironic the way that he describes YAHWEH compared to the kings, because the kings believe that they’re all so powerful, but God is so much greater than all of them. It becomes ironic because the kings don’t realize this yet. Personally, God is thing almighty guy that watches over all of us every day which is comforting.

Respond: Write a couple of sentences asking God to help you see him as the psalm describes him to be.

Please help me God see you the way that you would like me to see you. It has recently been very difficult lately with everything going on, so please help me endure through this and give me strength to finish well. 

The Anointed One will be an all-powerful, wise king. He’s a strong king that rulers over everything. God promises Judah that he would be a ruler over many generations and other kings. This escalates the promise God made to Judah because it brings his kingdom faster with a better leader.

Respond: Using the concepts from this psalm, write a haiku praising Jesus, the Anointed One.

5 Jesus, Praise the Lord
7 Be open, he’s at your door 
5 God is your best mentor 

In the last section of Psalm 2, it fascinated me how it said, "serve the Lord with fear." The Psalmist tells us to be wise with our actions and emotions. 

Respond: Write a couple of sentences asking God to help you develop a heart of submission to his son, Jesus.

Dear God, help me to develop a heart of patience and submission to Jesus. It often becomes so difficult to truly focus on the things that really matter, but give me the wisdom and focus to look at you through all things. 

The last line of Psalm 2 acts as a conclusion for the first 2 Psalms because it explains a bit about those who take refuge in him and those who do not take refuge in him. The structure of the Psalm would be inclusio, due to the fact that it’s repeating the same idea over and over, so that the audience is more likely to remember. (Sandwhich) In Psalm 1, the word refuge is centered around the idea of putting our trust and faith in him, so that we may be safe within God. By putting our worries onto God, it relieves us spiritually and emotionally, so that we may be able to live for him. God is initially calling us to take refuge in him and put our trust, worries, faith, and everything onto God. 

Respond: Write a couple of sentences talking to God about your response to these 2 psalms.

Dear God, though these Psalms may be a bit confusing for me, I pray that I really take these Psalms to heart. Help me to spend more time in your word and stay focused on you through the storm. By truly reflecting upon these words and applying it to my life, I pray that you give me the patience and effort to stay consistent in your word and stay strong through prayer. Amen.

God is with us at all times and is always there whenever we need him. In addition, it describes the Lord as pure, righteous, but also a servant king. It was personally fascinating of hearing the distinctions between the purity of God and the sinfulness of the Psalmist.  I think that I can reflect upon my own sinful nature and truly understand how God is the only solution that can cure me.

Respond: Write a couple of sentences to share with God your thoughts about this psalm.

Honestly God, this Psalm becomes very difficult and frustrating for me to understand. Due to the fact that there’s simply so much going on for me to comprehend at once, it becomes a bit overwhelming. Give me the patience and understanding to to focus and break this passage down, so that I can apply it into my life. 

Creation is making things beautiful and also allowing us to God’s handiwork and incredible design through creating these things we see everyday. As Creation is essentially revolving around God, we can infer that Creation is created in the Image of God in a sense. I believe that as a Christian, you’re able to have a deeper sense and appreciation for what God had made, especially the things around us. But on the contrary, many people doesn’t hear what this passage is saying because they don’t fully depend and know God enough, in order to appreciate and love him fully.

Respond: Write a couple of sentences describing to God what Creation is telling you about him.

I realized that Creation is a tool in which God used in order to exploit his beauty and creativity. Also for us humans to enjoy everyday and be thankful that we’re apart of his journey. Through the metaphors in the Psalm, they compare Creation to valuable items such as “flowing honey,” or “fine gold” it focuses on the value of the incredible amount of value in these simply yet beautiful pieces of Creation. Through all of these incredible designs, it shows a glimpse of God’s beauty. 

The Psalmist explains that scripture massively benefits the person reading it as it explains how it "replenishes the soul, enlightens the eyes, & is much sweeter than honey." The Psalmist uses these incredibly specific pieces of imagery in order to help us understand that the scripture gives us something that nothing else can give us. I personally think that the Bible is helpful but very tough to read. I feel that it takes lots of concentration and deep comprehension that can only be developed over time, in order to fully soak in what the Bible is saying.   

Respond: What could you compare God’s word to? Write down a few things using the pattern of the psalm.

I would compare God's word to something along the lines of a card written by someone very wise. God's words are truly unlike anything else, which is something that is not easily understood. It takes much time to sit in God's word and think about how this makes sense. Then the tougher part is applying it to your life.  In the Psalm, I recognized patterns such as lots of repetition. Lord, I know you understand my struggles. I know you understand my pains. I know you understand my happiness. I know you understand my frustration. I know you understand me. Help me as I journey through this tough game of life.   

I would say that this Psalm is honestly reassuring and comforting in the sense that is explains how God is always in control and how everything revolves around him. This is very encouraging just to know and understand that God’s has everything under control, even when it may seem like he doesn’t.

Respond: Write a couple of sentences to God praising him for the difference he makes in your life

Thank you God for making a difference in my life. Though it may be tedious and annoying at times, I pray that you help me understand and apply all that I’m learning into my life, so that I may become a better person and Christian.

God’s teleology is that the man must be equipped for every good work. Before this, I thought that God’s purpose was to create and shape our understandings of how we ought to live our lives. After reading this passage, I’m able to recognize the Bible more as a tool and guidebook, rather than a manual or instruction booklet. Especially by changing this perspective of the Bible, it completely shifts my understanding and reading of his Word.

Respond: Write a haiku capturing the main idea of this passage.

The guide throughout life
God is our greatest teammate
The Bible is a tool