In Your Likeness

J.J. Stark

February 2016

Week 5

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study (IBS)

In Your Likeness

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”

– Psalm 17:15

In Psalm 17, David constantly praises the Lord’s awesome power along with recalling and reminding God of all the times He (God) has saved him from many perils over the years, all to the glory of the Lord.  Throughout the chapter David turns to the Lord asking, calling out, and even imploring God to continue bestowing His loving protection on him in the trials he was going through.  In verses 5 – 9, David says, “⁵Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.  ⁶I have called upon You, for You will hear me O God; incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.  ⁷Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them.  ⁸Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, ⁹from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.”  Constantly I need to be reminded of this reliance on the Lord, daily asking “⁵Uphold my steps in Your paths, that my footsteps may not slip.”  This is humbling, admitting that I can’t do anything without Him, and that it’s on His paths that I’m walking, and not my own.  I can only ask that my footsteps won’t slip!!  Oh that I would have a faith and peace like that of David.  Of anyone to live on earth, he (and Job) had the right to be angry at God for the things he went through in his lifetime – being chased by King Saul and a hand selected elite army, running and hiding for his life through that, a son later on rebelling against him, and the list can go on!  He very easily could have just quit and denied his faith, and blamed everything on God.  Yet throughout all of this turmoil, David still is in awe of the Lord, finding comfort and peace in Him – an un-tainted view of God’s unwavering majesty and all of His creation, as seen in verse 15, “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”  No matter what my situation, mood, or actions – good or bad – I have reason to be content and joyful, and to worship Christ: I’m created in His likeness!  David crafted these words in Psalm 139:14, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.”  What else needs to be said?

Application:  Today, I will remind and encourage at least two people that they are made in the likeness of God by listing three of their best character traits.