I. WHO IS GOD?

4. The God Who is with Us

Read Psalm 139:1-24; Acts 7:1-60

We have been considering God’s holiness - noting that it means that he is totally separate from the limitations and sinfulness of his creation. But that does not mean that he is disinterestedly distant. He did not create the world and then step back and let it run. He remains vitally involved in every aspect of life: watching, sustaining, directing, controlling.

Read Psalm 139 carefully. It shows us in a personal way what God’s involvement in people’s lives means.

1. Did David understand his birth as a natural biological occurrence? (Psalm 139:13-16)

2. What does David say that God knows about him? (Psalm 139:1-4)

3. How does David understand the unfolding of the events of his life? (Psalm 139:16)

4. How did David respond to the realization of God’s constant presence and involvement in his life? (Psalm 139:6,14,17,18,23,24)

Read Acts 7 carefully. Stephen was the first Christian martyr. Just before he was stoned to death, he made a remarkable summary of the history of the Jewish nation. While David’s testimony is personal, Stephen’s points to God’s active involvement in every aspect of a nation’s history as it unfolds.

5. Abraham was the first Jew. What did Stephen understand about the origins of the Jewish nation? (Acts 7:2-6)

6. Joseph’s brothers badly mistreated him. Yet he was ultimately able to save them from starvation. How does Stephen interpret this event? (Acts 7:9,10) Compare this with Joseph’s interpretation (Genesis 45:5-8; 50:20) and Paul’s statement in Romans 8:28.

7. Who appointed Moses as ruler of Israel? (Acts 7:35,36) Compare this with Psalm 2:1-6; Daniel 2:20,21; 4:34,35; Romans 13:1. Who is controlling history?

8. What position does Stephen see Jesus as currently occupying? (Acts 7:55,56) Compare this with Colossians 1:15-20; 1 Timothy 6:13-16.

God is still ordering the events of history. Nothing ever takes him by surprise. He is working his purposes out; our part is simply to obey him. Are there events in your life (like Joseph’s mistreatment by his brothers) which are hard to understand? Spend time praising him that the passages you have studied reveal that God has remained in charge, and will ultimately bring his good purposes about.

Are you anxious about the state of the world? Spend time praising the One who sits on the throne and laughs at the futility of man’s rebellion.