Hay Ho Blog

I realized recently that one of the deep issues of my pride is in fact a sense of entitlement that I have. I feel that I deserve respect from people, and that I am important enough to disregard other people's needs. Though I feel like I try to be humble to people, I have taken a step back to observe my actions this past week. I can really see this issue in the smallest of things such as:

1)At school, one guy didn't hold the door open for me. Instead, he just let it close on me, so that I had to open it myself. Poor poor Darrell.

2)At work, customers will often ignore me and act as if I'm just a robot that likes to hand them a steaming cup of coffee and milk. I'd rather hand them a steaming....

~~~moving along

3)At home, my roommates should keep the areas of the house clean that pertain to me. Ok, you get the point.

I realized this week that I get so caught up in wanting things to go my way, that I forget that there are 6.8 billion people on this planet. How can I possibly think that they need to worry about me...what have I done for them? If Jesus Christ can come and die for each and every one of us, and still be humble about 6.8 billion (give or take) people daily dishonoring Him, then can't I find some humility in my daily routine?

Read Romans 15:1-3. These 3 verses tell of our obligation and calling to the weak.

1 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

So if you see yourself becoming bitter at how people are treating you, hopefully these verses can encourage you.

DB

1. When someone has wronged you how should you feel about that person? What should you do?

2. What does Romans 11 teach us about Psalm 69? What is your reaction to this? How does this make you feel?

3. How were David's words and actions a foreshadowing of Christ's words and actions?

4. In the end, what does Piper say we should do with this? What does this Psalm teach us about Jesus?

For a while now I have wondered how in the world we can bless the Lord. I couldn't imagine how I could possibly bless God. Here's where my thought process was wrong, I know that when the Lord blesses me he lifts me up and gives me gifts that can only come from Him. Now how does that translate into us reciprocating this blessing? After studying more into it I came to the conclusion that to bless the Lord is entirely different than that of how He blesses us. Read this article from John Piper on what it means to bless the Lord. It helped me to understand better what I was saying when I said, "Bless you, oh Lord."

With love,
DB

1. What do verses 8, 10, and 11 say about God?

2. In this psalm, how are we instructed to respond to God?

3. What do you think it means to praise God from "my soul" and from "my inmost being?"

4. What is one way that God's love has changed you?

1. Piper summarized Psalm 51 by saying it is "about how to be crushed for our sin well." According to Piper, what were David's four responses to his sin?

2. What does David say is true about God in this Psalm?

3. What does God want from us? Refer to Ps 51: 6; 1 John 1:9; and James 5:16. What does this imply for Christian fellowship?

4. Do you have anyone (beside your spouse if you are married) who you can confess to?

5. Look at Ps 51: 16-19. Which sacrifices please God and which do not? Piper covers this point somewhat in his section on "brokenhearted joy", and Chandler did more explicitly in his 3/15/09 sermon when he was talking about true repentance. Also see Jo 4:24, or 1 Sam 15: 22, or Amos 5.