Our Hope When Pastors, Politicians & Predictors Fail Us
The leaders we trust to care for us sometimes fail us. What is our hope when pastors, politicians, and predictors (like pollsters) fail us? That’s the question we’ll answer in Session 4 of Discovering Hope in the Psalms, with Jean E. Jones
Here’s how this will work:
- Watch this week’s video session above.
- Once you watch the video, answer the questions in the discussion section of this page. The questions relate to both the previous week’s study in the book as well as the video content. We hope these interactions will be both challenging and encouraging!
- After the video, we will let you know the personal study assignment for the next week in your Discovering Hope in the Psalms devotional book. That’s it!
Before next week, complete Chapter 4—Psalm 23: The Hope of the Lord’s Good Care in your creative devotional study book. See you next week!
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Discussion Questions
After watching Our Hope When Pastors, Politicians & Predictors Fail Us, please answer the following questions in the comments below.
- What one thought stuck out to you in this week’s video? Why did it stand out?
- What one thought stuck out to you from this week’s chapter? Why did it stand out?
- Question 34, page 79: (a) What can you tell others about God’s ways and how to return to him? (b) Consider the greatness of God’s salvation and how he’s forgiven you. How would you praise God to others for these mercies?
1) Even the godliest leaders fail sometimes, so failures shouldn’t surprise me. My hope is in the kingdom to come. There, Jesus will rule in perfect righteousness and justice!
2) David’s complete confidence in God’s willingness to forgive those who turn from sin amazes me. God’s grace amazes me, in fact. It’s mind boggling.
3a) Confess your sins and turn from them. Ask God to forgive and cleanse you.
3b) I praise God that he’s offered me mercy. He forgave my sin & cleansed me. He has worked in me to enable me to sin less and to become more like Jesus. How wonderful!
#1. The part that hit home with me was about when christians let you down. You mentioned about some prophesying and their prophesy coming out wrong. I had listened to some of them, they said God told them Trump would win in the election, and although I guess it’s not over yet, pending what they ultimately find out about cheating, but… I wanted them to be right even though I’m not possitive they’re wrong yet. It appears they may be wrong. I haven’t forgotten what Deuteronomy says about if a prophet really is from God, or not. It made me sad because in all other things when they spoke they seemed legit about Jesus. Without me remembering Deut. I could be fooled. But one thing I’ve always said and told my kids is “people will let ya down. Keep your eyes on Jesus, He’s the only one that won’t”
#2. I’m also amazed at the Grace of God and His willingness to forgive. I shed a few tears in this weeks lesson, I’m in awe of God’s goodness and the fact that He let’s us come to Him. I especially took notice of the words of Jesus in John 13:10. It’s gonna help me answer my last question.
#3.(a) I’d start with John 3:16 (b) I would express it as I did in #2. I would (and am) telling others in a card, well more like a flyer. I was so taken with John 13:10 I made Christmas cards this year and I added that verse in it. Patti Shattuck Rosenthal put a letter from Jesus on facebook and I used her letter on the card and on the back of the card I put the plan of salvation. I don’t ever remember seeing a tract that tells people what to do if they fall, so I included that part too. In hopes of helping people see how awesome and loving and merciful God is. By rights He should kick us to the curb, but because of His unfailing love, he doesn’t.
Hi, Yvonne–
1) I always think of that verse too. I recorded the video right after the election was called, before all the challenges came up. Still, it saddens me that there are so many mistaken prophecies today.
2) Yes, that amazes me! I am in awe that the Lord God gave the sacrificial system as a means of offering people mercy. How wonderful he is.
3) Wow, I love this. Did you take a picture? If so, can you post it on FB and tag me?
I don’t know how to tag, I can ask my daughter in law how, or email ya
Email is great! I’ll tag you instead.
Yvonne, thanks for emailing your card. Wow! It’s amazing. I had to convert it to images to post it, and it’s now posted it in the Facebook “Discovering Hope in the Psalms” group. I tagged you, so you should receive a notice. I tried to tag Patti too, but couldn’t. Thanks so much for sharing this. May the Lord greet new and returning believers through this gift of yours!
I liked the reminder from psalm 146 that this type of behavior is nothing new, it really is no surprise to God! It makes me more greatly appreciate the patience and forbearance of God, as for thousands of years the vast majority of humanity has been egregiously sinning against him. I also loved the pointing us to the new and better Shepherd!
Learning more in depth about the humility in king Davids response was very interesting and encouraging to me, and something I was not really aware of. Learning that even after he was confronted and acknowledged his sin, he could have just hung out in the palace but chose to allow God to bring something good out of his mistake. So it was very fascinating to learn more about that, I was not aware of that.
a It is never too late to repent and turn to God! God meets us where we are at, perhaps God knew the best possible way to get David to recognize and admit and repent of his wrongdoing, by getting him all riled up by Nathans story about the sheep.God having Nathan go to David with that story shows how incredibly merciful God is, as I think God knew that is what it would take for David to do an about face, although the consequences are still going to be there, God showed incredible mercy when David repented.
b I became a Christian during my college years, when someone invited me to a church. I have been so grateful for Gods incredible mercy toward me, by walking with and guiding me day by day.
Hi, Sarah!
1) That encourages me, too.
2) I agree: David’s response is a model for all of us.
3a) Yes! And that mercy is available to all.
3b) Awesome.
Thanks for sharing, Sarah!