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Bible Study: God cares for His people

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NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.

This week’s Bible study is adapted from the YOU curriculum.

Bible Passages: Psalm 68:1-6, 19-20, 34-35

Discussion Questions:
— How do you think God sees people? Why?
— When have you felt God standing up for you? How did that affect you?
— Why is it important to know God cares for His people?

Food for Thought:

Personality tests have always been popular. For example, the Enneagram has drawn people’s interest recently. There are others, but each of them serves one purpose: to help us know ourselves better.

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Personality tests also remind us that everyone is different. After all, we serve a creative God who gives each of us a unique approach to life. But it’s easy to take that for granted. We forget about the things that make us special, so we miss out on God’s artistic display.

Read Psalm 68:1-3. Based on these verses, God basically sees two kinds of people. Either we’re His children, or we’re not. Now, He loves everyone, even those who reject Him; but His sense of justice compels Him to respond differently to each group.

That’s the picture in Psalm 68. This ancient hymn from David reminds us that God has demonstrated His power in marvelous ways through the ages. In fact, He still reveals His omnipotence through us. During a mission trip to Haiti a few years ago, some teens on our team helped install solar panels on a guest house. Why? Because in Haiti, reliable power is important. If the electricity doesn’t stay on, ministry gets interrupted. But these solar panels generate their own power, so the work can continue without a problem.

Power is a big deal in so many ways. We need electrical power to keep our lights on, but we also need God’s power to live out His plan for our lives each day. Thankfully, we serve a God who is all-powerful. He meets every need.

His power takes the form of wrath on those who deny Him. David said that when God rises up to judge His enemies, they scatter. They flee in fear and confusion. They may have bragged about standing up to Him, but their arrogance melts like wax in the hot sun.

In contrast, David said the righteous are glad. While God corrects His kids when they stray, He also stands by them and protects them. He comforts them and meets their needs. The wicked run in terror, but the godly have nothing to fear when God arises.

YOU
YOU is committed to providing a complete Bible study experience for small groups and classes. Every session is written through an urban and multiethnic lens that provides relevant, engaging and applicable studies that not only encourage and equip people, but also motivate them to mission. This flexible, non-dated, all-in-one quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans, as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For additional downloadable online teaching resources, visit LifeWay.com/YOU [3].

Other ongoing Bible study options offered by LifeWay for all ages can be found at LifeWay.com/SundaySchool [4] or ordered at LifeWay Christian Stores [5].