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Chapter 11 of 18

Study Two: What Is Promised

Study Two: What Is Promised

STUDY TWO

What Is Promised

Read Psalm 23

The picture of the Eastern shepherd with his robes and staff, the flock of sheep, the stony path through the ravine, the dark valley, and the grassy place with the quiet pool are so remote from our lives as to seem no more than a romantic painting from another country and another age. We live in towns and cities and suburbs. Our days are full of perplexities far removed from the things that bother rams and ewes and lambs. We muddle along through the thousand decisions of an ordinary day. Some are trivial. Others are important. A student has to decide where to go to college, what to major in, whom to marry, what job to prepare for, where to find that job. After college he or she must decide where to live, how to pay for the house, the car, the furniture, the things that seem so much more indispensable than green pastures.

Is it reasonable to expect today the guidance of the God of the pastures of ancient Israel? Has he ever made any promises that I can get hold of? Is there anything that applies to my needs this Tuesday? Are the promises relevant?

The Wrong Approach

Key thought: Sometimes we come to God confident and, we think, well-informed and well-equipped. We know what we need—a yes or no answer, please, to a simple question. Or perhaps a road sign. Something quick and easy to point the way. What we really ought to have is the Guide himself—someone who has been there before and knows the way.

  • Read the story of the two young Americans on pages 27–28. What was wrong with their approach?
  • Describe an occasion when you took the wrong approach to seeking God’s guidance. What happened as a result?

    • The Bible Is Relevant

    Key thought: The Bible is relevant—more relevant, more accurate, more trustworthy, more totally applicable to my “case” as a human being than anything a person, no matter how welltrained, can tell me. It is the place to begin. It is the foundation, the only sure one.

  • Read 2 Timothy 3:16. What does Paul mean when he says that all Scripture is inspired or God-breathed?

    In what four ways is Scripture profitable, according to Paul?

    How does each of these ways teach us that the Bible is a trustworthy guide?

  • C. S. Lewis said, “All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.” Apply this comment to a situation in your life.

    • The Valley of the Shadow of Death

    Key thought: If we actually experience the valley of the shadow, everything but the Living Word of God may then look utterly irrelevant. The question of relevancy at such a time is turned completely over. Perhaps then, for the first time, we know ourselves to be sheep in need of a shepherd. He is our Shepherd. He is there. He hasn’t, for a single moment, forgotten his job.

  • Read Psalm 46. To what is God compared?

    What promises does this psalm make about God in our times of trouble?

    How does knowing that God is a fortress comfort you?

  • God’s Word is always relevant. How does it become particularly relevant during times of crisis?
  • Describe a recent crisis in your life. How did God’s Word help in your time of trouble?

    • The Promises of the Bible

    Key thought: The Bible contains thousands of promises, a great number of which concern guidance. Nearly every one of the sixty-six books has some word about how God led someone or how he promises to lead those who want to be led.

  • Read Isaiah 42:16. At times you may feel like a blind person, unable to see the path ahead. What does this passage promise you?
  • At other times you may feel all alone, unsure of yourself and your future. What special promises does Deuteronomy 31:6 provide for you?
  • Are you afraid of failing in an undertaking? Examine Psalm 56:13 and describe its promise of God’s guidance.
  • Perhaps you are undergoing persecution of one sort or another. Read Psalm 3. What does it say about God’s ability to deliver you?
  • Are you fatigued, too weary to go on? Exodus 33:14 and Matthew 11:28 contain a special promise for you. What is this promise?

    • A Matter of Trust

    Key thought: The Bible contains plenty of evidence that God has guided people. He is willing to guide me. He has been at it for a long time. His hand reaches toward me. I have only to take it.

  • Read the story of the travels along the jungle trails of Ecuador on pages 32–33. How is trusting a human guide like trusting in God?

    How is it different?

  • Proverbs 3:5–6 tells you to trust in the Lord. What will he do for you if you trust in him?

    • Applying God’s Truth to Your Life

  • What are your most important daily concerns? How can you more effectively seek God’s guidance in dealing with them?
  • Identify some of your long-range goals and describe how trusting in God’s guidance will help you shape those goals.
  • Review Psalm 23. List three ways in which the promises of this psalm assure you of God’s guidance in your life.

    • To Do This Week

    Read Psalm 23 every day. Take one verse each day and ask the Lord to show you how the promises of that verse apply to a specific situation in your life. Pray that the Lord will give you the courage to trust in his guidance in that situation.

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