Questions for Group Discussions:

Text: Psalm 102
Theme: The search for permanence in the midst of transience

Open the Scriptures
– What does the honesty in this Psalm teach you about a relationship with God?

– Do you relate to the mental pain we see in this Psalm?

– Philip Yancey says “Pain redeemed impresses me more than pain removed.” What does this statement mean in light of suffering and pain?

– What does the decisive shift in verse 12 teach us? 

Have you ever experienced a shift in thinking like this (moving your focus off of your own misery and up to God)?

– Read vs 17. What does this teach us?

– Dwell on verses 26-28. What do you see? How can you rest in this security?

Open your Lives
– As Eric Liddell lay dying of brain cancer, his final words were, “It’s complete surrender.” What does it look like in your life to be completely surrendered to God?

– Reflect on a time in your life when you felt overwhelmed by pain or suffering. How did you find hope or stability in that situation?

–  How does the message of Psalm 102 encourage you to trust in God’s eternal nature during times of struggle?