God Knows You

Read Psalm 139:1-6.

In the church I attended in college, a lot of parents used a series of questions to teach their young children about spiritual things. The first and most basic question is “Who made you?” The answer seems so obvious. Even 2-year-olds with grubby graham cracker hands can give the simple answer: “God.” But I think sometimes you and I need to be reminded of the reality of that truth: God created you.

Have you ever made something you were really proud of, like a painting or a collage? Maybe you’ve built something or written a story that you were excited about. When you create something, you know it better than anyone else does. You know the intricate details because you crafted it. That’s how it is with God. He created you, and He knows you in a way no one else can.

He knows your hopes and desires, your dreams and your fears. He knows your greatest talents as well as where you fall short.

In Psalm 139:1-6, David marveled at the God who knew his words before he spoke them, a God who even knew his thoughts. God knew everything about him, and David said that God had placed His hand upon him. God knew everything about David and still loved him.

That’s the same God who loves you. He knows everything about you and still loves you. He understands you in a way no one else ever will because He created you. Simply put, He loves you, and He wants to have a relationship with you that affects every part of your life. Let Him!

Lord, You have searched me and known me. —Psalm 139:1

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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Know Your Destination

Weekends. Christmas. birthdays. summer vacation. What do these things have in common? All of them are moments we eagerly anticipate. We get so excited for these special days to come that sometimes, when they come to an end, it’s hard for us to get back to normal life.

There is a day, though, that we wait on with even greater expectation. It’s a day that will never end, and we’ll never have to get back to life as we know it now. It’s the day that Christ returns for His children—the day our eternity with Him begins!

Read Romans 8:18-25. Meditate on verse 23.

What does Paul say about our present sufferings?

How are we to wait for God’s glory to be revealed?

Are you waiting patiently? Why or why not?

Why do we need not be discouraged when we think of the state of the world today? Explain.

What can we look forward to upon Christ’s return? (v. 23)

Do you live in anticipation of the return of Christ? If not, what changes need to be made in your life?

God created the world in a perfect condition, but because of our sin, even creation is in a constant state of decay. Through this passage, though, we learn that we have hope that it will not always be that way. One day, Christ will return for His children! And when He does, it’s going to be great! No more pain; no more sorrow. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and we, His children, will have glorified bodies. Until then, we wait patiently but eagerly, placing our confidence in Him. Be confident today. You aren’t forgotten. Wait with joy!

And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. —Romans 8:23

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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Change Your Perspective

Can you think of a time you wanted to give up? Maybe you were doing a school project, and the teacher assigned you to a group with the most difficult person in the class. Or maybe it’s your parents. They keep fighting, and even though you keep praying for them, you think they’d just be better off divorced. Whatever the case, we’ve all been in hopeless situations. Thankfully as Christians, we have a reason to not lose heart!

Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, then focus your attention on verse 17.

What does it mean that your inner person is being renewed?

How does that renewal happen?

How are our present troubles described?

What does Paul mean by the phrase “an incomparable weight of glory”? (See verse 17.)

What does this passage have to do with dealing with difficult times? Explain.

How can we keep an eternal perspective while we are living on earth? List some practical ways.

Are you in a hopeless situation? Where are you looking for encouragement? Why?

We all go through difficult times. Heartache, loneliness, and suffering are just a few of the things in this life that leave us feeling defeated and discouraged. No one is immune to tough situations, not even Christians. However, as believers, we must press on.

That’s what Paul taught in this passage. He said that even though we are beaten down on the outside, on the inside we are being renewed. God uses our temporary adversity to mold us and shape us into the image of Christ. What a glorious thing to know that in our suffering, we are being made more like Him! Instead of focusing on the difficult circumstances around you today, look to Jesus and keep your focus there. Your hope lies in Him, not your circumstances.

For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.
—2 Corinthians 4:17

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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God Isn’t You

Plans. Everyone has them. Weekend plans, college plans, vacation plans, career plans. You name it, and there is probably a plan for it. Do your plans always work out? What happens when they don’t? Do you make a plan B, or do you question everything around you?

Read Isaiah 55:8-11, considering verse 8 carefully.

What does this passage teach you about God’s thoughts and ways?

How are God’s thoughts higher and different than our thoughts?

What does it mean that God’s word doesn’t return to Him empty?

How is God’s word like rain and snow? Explain.

In your life, how have you seen God’s plan be bigger than your own?

Do you trust God for the perfect plan, or are you seeking your own thoughts and ways? Explain.

In this passage, God was speaking to the Israelites who were in exile in Babylon. They felt overlooked and forgotten by God. Today’s passage was God’s reminder to His people that His knowledge and power far surpassed theirs because He was God and they were not. His plans were not the same as their plans—and His were beyond their wildest imagination.

We often need that reminder, too. Much of the time, we try to make God fit into our plans instead of seeking to conform our lives and our will to His. God’s thoughts and ways are not the same as ours. He is God; we are not. He always sees the bigger picture; we only see the narrowest sliver and how it affects us. So when your plans fail and you don’t understand, trust God’s infinite wisdom and look to Him alone for guidance. He always has your best interest at heart.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not My ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration. —Isaiah 55:8

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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Through the Fire and Flood

When it rains, it pours! Your dad just lost his job. Your car needs new tires. You really want to go on that overseas school trip, but your parents said you’ll have to pay for it. And four of your friends have birthdays this month. It seems like every time you turn around, you need money. On top of that, school is crazy-busy, and you think the coach hates you. Even though you feel overwhelmed, God doesn’t.

Read Isaiah 43:1-3, stopping to read verse 2 aloud several times.

In verse 1, what can we learn about the nation of Israel?

As believers in Christ, how are we like the Israelites?

What do these verses teach you about God’s love for you?

What could compare to overwhelming fires and rivers today (v. 2)?

What fires and floods of difficulty are you going through now?

Are you looking to God for strength? If so, how is He caring for you?

What have you learned in the process?

The nation of Israel was created by God and very special to Him. God had chosen, protected, and redeemed these people. If you’re a Christian, He does the same for you because of your relationship with Christ. He loves you deeply, watches over you, and saves you. However, in His care for you, God never promised that your life would be easy. We all must walk through deep valleys and swim in treacherous waters in our lives. You don’t get a free pass from stress, sorrow, or difficulty when you accept Christ.

God does promise one thing, though. In verse 2 of this passage, God says that He will be with us, and we will neither be burned by the fires nor overwhelmed by the rivers. Hear that? Even though you will walk through difficult times, your difficult circumstances will never take you under if you trust in God. What great comfort to know God loves you and promises to be with you each step of the way!

I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you. —Isaiah 43:2

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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Why God?

Read Psalm 42:1-11.

One of life’s most difficult lessons is learning that things don’t always go the way we expect. We lose loved ones, have relationship troubles, or don’t get that thing—that place on the team, scholarship, or dream—we so desperately want. Circumstances in life often leave us feeling hurt, confused, sad, and disappointed. We often want to ask why and continually search for answers that aren’t always easy to find.

That’s how the psalmist felt when writing the passage you studied today. He was depressed. And even though he felt forgotten, the psalmist poured out his heart to God continually. He had desperately searched for God and, rather than seeking the world’s advice, looked to God for answers. These verses say he longed for God as an animal longs for water. In order to live, He needed God, just like an animal needs water. And even though the road was difficult and the answers weren’t apparent, the writer of these verses remembered God’s past faithfulness and chose to trust Him.

Just like the psalmist, we need to keep our hope and trust in God alone. We must see God as our rock and remember how He has cared for us in past situations, trusting that He will be faithful again. What about you? Are you in the middle of distress? How has God answered you in the past and shown Himself faithful? Are you searching for Him now and looking to Him alone? Even when you feel like God isn’t speaking, place your hope and trust in Him. He is faithful. Always.

I will say to God, my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?  —Psalm 42:9

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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You Don’t Have To Look Far.

Where is it?! Have you ever been looking for something that you finally realized was right there all along? Lost homework, a key, a shoe. Something was missing. You looked and looked and could not see it. Maybe you even gave up. But at some point, you found the item you’d been looking for right in front of your face. Perhaps for some, God is like that.

Read Acts 17:26-29. Check out verse 27.

What does it mean that God has determined our “appointed times” and the “boundaries” of where we live?

According to verse 27, how far is God from those who seek Him?

Though God created us all, we don’t all know Him. Why not?

Paul quoted their own poets to show them God. Which of our poets (or songwriters) could you quote to your friends to show them God?

What does verse 29 teach you about God’s divine nature?

As Paul spoke to the people of Athens, he pointed out that they had gotten something right: there is a God. Paul explained to them that there is one true God who gives us life and determines how long that life will last. More than that, Paul promised that if we seek God, we will find Him. And finding God isn’t like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. God has made it easy for anyone to find Him. He is not far.

The truth is, we’re all looking for something. And the only something that truly fills is God. As Augustine, an early Christian theologian, once put it, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord.”

All around you, people are searching for Jesus—and they may not even know it yet. You can help them find Him because He isn’t far.

He did this so they might seek God, and perhaps they might reach out and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. —Acts 17:27

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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The Answer

Spiritual or religious? That seems to be a question a lot of people are asking today. There are many who claim to be spiritual but not religious. Apparently, people have redefined the terms, making “spiritual” things seem much more personal and private, while religion is seen as something much more public. People do not want to be associated with public church life. As a result they have created their own personalized religion without a church. Know anyone like that?

Read Acts 17:22-25, and ponder verse 22.

Where was Paul, and to whom was he talking?

How were the people religious?

Can you be religious and not be a Christian? Explain.

What did the inscription say? Why is that important?

What are the “unknown gods” of today?

Do you know anyone who says he or she is spiritual but is not into religion or Christianity? Where is he or she seeking answers?

How will you reach out to that person with the Truth this week?

The people Paul was talking to were trying to cover all their bases. They figured there might be a god they missed, so they made a statue to it as well. They were very spiritual, but they were also very confused. They were searching for answers that only Jesus could provide, but they were looking in all the wrong places.

So how do you reach out to “spiritual,” searching friends? Help them encounter the one true God. Just like Paul did all those years ago in Athens, you can introduce them to the One who knows the answers they’ve been searching for.

Then Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus and said: “Men of Athens! I see that you are extremely religious in every respect. —Acts 17:22

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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Spend Time

Look-alikes. There’s a rumor that the longer a couple is married, the more they begin to look like each other. When you live in the South long enough, you develop a Southern accent. There are even pictures on the Internet of people who look like their dogs! (Creepy.) All those things aside, the point is this: when you spend a lot of time with someone, that person rubs off on you. You begin to become more and more alike.

Read Acts 4:8-13, looking especially closely at verse 13.

Why were the disciples being questioned?

What was their response?

What did the crowd of people recognize about Peter and John?

How did the crowd know that Peter and John had been hanging around with Jesus?

Do the people around you ever recognize that you’ve spent time with Jesus? Why or why not?

In today’s passage, Peter and John were in trouble. They had healed a man and were being questioned about it by people who weren’t exactly fans of them or their faith. The religious leaders were astounded by Peter and John. They knew that Peter and John were uneducated, normal guys, but their explanation wasn’t. The crowd recognized that these men had spent time with Jesus.

Jesus had rubbed off on them. They had been around Jesus so much that they spoke like Him, acted like Him, and loved like Him. Want to help people know God? Spend time with Jesus and let Him rub off on you.

When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. —Acts 4:13

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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Want to see God? Look to Jesus.

Pictures. Photographs. Portraits. Digital images. Think about your favorite picture of yourself. Why do you like it? What does it say about you? What are you doing in it? Does it say anything about your family or what you believe is most important? Explain.

Read Hebrews 1:1-3, and stop to think about verse 3.

According to these verses, how did God reveal Himself in “these last days”?

How much of an expression of God is Jesus?

What does this passage have to do with knowing there is a God?

Do these verses indicate that Jesus is a good picture of God?

What does Jesus’ earthly life tell us about God?

Some people find faith difficult because it involves believing in Someone we can’t see. But as today’s passage points out, while we don’t have a photo of God, He has revealed Himself to us through Jesus Christ. If you want to know what God is really like, read about Jesus’ life here on earth. Discover His character. See how He treated people. Understand why He came to earth and what He came to do. Seek Jesus. The clearest picture you have of God is Jesus, a Man who loved and served others and gave Himself up—even unto death—for our well-being. He is God! Today’s key verse says He is the exact expression of God’s nature.

So, what is God like? Jesus.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of His nature, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. —Hebrews 1:3

Adapted from ec magazine. © 2010 LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Used by permission.

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