December 31 is a day unlike any other. As the final day of our calendar hits, it makes us look back on our last year and consider what God did, what we did, and what we might do going forward.

Looking into the rear view gives us a chance to give thanks to God for his faithfulness, to lament over various sins and sorrows, to learn from mistakes, and to seek fresh grace to walk more faithfully in 2024.

Indeed, looking back at 2023 is only good if we learn more how to walk more faithfully in 2024. And that is how we plan to spend our time together this Sunday.

As we gather for worship one more time in 2023, we come as a church family with a host of mixed emotions. But most importantly, we come to December 31 trusting that the God who saved us from our sins as individuals can sanctify us together as brothers and sisters in Christ.

To that end, we are going to look at Psalm 102 on Sunday. If you read the title, it is a song for the afflicted. And if you read the whole the thing, the affliction is something like a Mid-Life Crisis.

In the life of our church, we are also facing something similar, as questions of past, present, and future arise. Who are we? Where are we going? How are we going to get there?

While we wait on the Lord to answer some of those questions, we are going to look to the Lord from where our help comes from. And as we do, we need to learn a few things from Psalm 102.

With that in mind, let us pray for our gathering together and ask God to teach us how to look to him when we feel afflicted by the grinding days of life.

I am grateful to God for the family of faith at OBC. And I am hopeful for what the Lord will teach us in the last days of 2023 and all the days of 2024. God does not let anything happen by accident and there are many reasons to trust him as we move from this year to next. Let us gather then with hope on Sunday, for he who has brought us safe thus far will surely bring us safely home.

As the Lord allows, I look forward to seeing you Sunday.

For His Glory and your joy in Christ,

Pastor David

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Discussion & Response Questions (Psalm 102)

How would you summarize Psalms 102? What are main themes? What is the progression of the psalm from beginning to end?

What is the psalmist’s condition, and the psalmist’s future hope?

What does this psalm reveal about God’s character and attributes?

To what end does God create and save?

How does the psalmist contrast himself with God in regards to time? What might we learn from this?

What are the implications of the immutability of God?

How does this psalm speak about how God relates to His people and their prayers?

What truths in this psalm might you use to counsel someone who is discouraged?

How ought we to respond to this text?