Bible Studies

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The Psalms
Psalm 52 – Olive Tree Theology
Key Verses: (NCV)

• 1: “Mighty warrior, why do you brag about the evil you do?” – David is talking about Doeg, mighty warrior who boasts of his exploits and victories in war.
  
  
• 3: “You love wrong more than right and lies more than truth.” – Doeg was very good at what he did but being talented and gifted does not turn wrong into right.
  
  
• 5: “But God will ruin you forever. He will grab you and throw you out of your tent; He will tear you away from the land of the living.” – God knows truth and honors righteous living. On the other hand, those who choose to do evil will be punished.
  
  
• 6-7: “Those who do right will see this and fear God. They will laugh at you and say, ⁷’Look what happened to the man who did not depend on God but depended on his money.” – Success breeds a variety of false gods but seeking wealth and power as a top priority is a very common downfall.
  
  
• 8: “But I am like an olive tree growing in God’s Temple. I trust God’s love forever and ever.” – An olive tree lives for a very long time and when nurtured in the protection of a loving gardener, it will flourish.
  
  
• 9: “God, I will thank you forever for what you have done. With those who worship you, I will trust you because you are good.” – Experiencing God’s love and grace reveals His goodness.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Are you boastful? Have you accomplished great feats and performed miraculous deeds? Do you take pride in what you have done? Have you wondered what the source of your success is? If your victories are a fulfillment of God’s purpose for your life, do you wonder why He has chosen to bless you so? Why would He lift you into the limelight and bring glory and honor to your name? Do you wonder what He expects from you? Do you see if you do not share His blessings but keep them for yourself, instead, that you could be as wrong and evil as Doeg in David’s psalm?
  
  
• What do you love? Are you greatly passionate about a hobby or special interest? Have you wondered why? Does it provide you with a few moments of recognition, acceptance, or success? Does it provide you with an escape from the rigors of life? David suggests that we must be careful with what we love. Do the things you love take you towards God or away from Him? Do others come to know God through this love? Or does it cause them to wonder if you truly are a Christian?
  
  
• Are you thankful? What has God done today for you to cause you to be thankful? Did it cause you to pause and worship Him? Did it give you a new insight into His glory? Did you grow closer to Him? Did you feel His presence or hear His whispering voice? If you are not experiencing God’s love first hand, then what is wrong? David says that those who do right and grow in their dependence on God will experience Him in their lives. Are you seeking God? Do you depend on Him for your every need? Are you praying and worshipping Him with your every breath? Have you given yourself over to His nurturing care so that you can be like an olive tree in His garden?
  

Promise of the Gospel:

David suggests that there is more to life than simply believing in God. When that is all we have in our relationship with God then we usually turn and seek fulfillment in other arenas. We become proud and boastful to overcome the emptiness we feel inside. We turn to evil ways because we know of no other. Living a holy life and doing what is right becomes meaningless unless we feel and know God as a result. Dependence on God is more than belief. It is a life-style of turning to Him with every aspect of our lives. The more of this we do the more we find that we are being cared for like a gardener tends his garden. David’s description of good and evil provides us with a clear understanding what living a holy life should be like.

FUMC Devotionals

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