Trials come the way of all people, and sometimes God has clear reasons why He has allowed them into our lives. Join us today as we continue our study in Psalm 119 and learn how God used trials in his life to draw him to greater spiritual maturity. DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. The focus of this passage is on walking through trials. Are you going through any trials right now? If so, what? 2. The podcast mentioned that Psalm 119 is the longest prayer in the Bible. What do you notice about this prayer? How is it different than how you pray? 3. In verse 57, what does it mean for the psalmist to say that the Lord is his "portion"? While you might not use this precise language, is this how you walk with the Lord? 4. Verse 57 ends with a promise that the psalmist is going to keep God's Words. How does he keep this promise in verses 58, 59 and 60? 5. Verse 65 continues the downward tone of this psalm (it won't turn back up until verse 89). In what ways does this section show us that the psalmist, himself, has endured much pain and difficulty? How does the psalmist respond to these difficulties? Where have you had similar difficulties in life? In what ways can you follow the psalmist's example? 6. What does the psalmist seek in verse 66? Why does he need this to walk through trials in a spiritually healthy way? 7. In verse 67, what was the psalmist's spiritual condition, before his affliction? What was his condition afterwards? What is the psalmist's own estimations of his afflictions in verse 71? Why do you think this transformation happened? How do trials have a way of transforming us? 8. What kind of example does the psalmist want to be in verse 74? How about verse 79? In your own life, what spiritual principles are you modeling for others to follow? 9. In verse 81, what is the psalmist waiting for? How is this particularly poignant, in light of the podcast's explanation of the phrase, in verse 83, of being like "a wineskin in the smoke"? 10. What kinds of struggles does the author have with people in verses 84, 85, 86 and 87? How might a godly person still have these kinds of struggles with other people? 11. How does verse 89 reflect a shift in tone? Where is the psalmist focused now? What impact would this focus have on his joy? 12. In verse 92, what role did God's Word have in preserving the author? Why would it have this kind of role? Does it have this role in your life? 13. Look over verses 92-95, what does the psalmist say about how he interacts with God's Word? What would similar interactions look like in your own life? 14. In verses 99-100, what are the benefits of his study of God's Word? Have you ever seen these kinds of spiritual realities your own life, or in the people around you? 15. Verse 105 is a famous verse for teaching how to walk according to God's Word. What did the podcast say about how "lamps" worked back then? How was this a helpful picture of what it means to walk according to God's Word? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.