Studies

Where Can I Find God? (Psalm 19)

What is the most beautiful place you've ever been?

C: The world is full of amazing natural beauty of all kinds. Waterfalls, mountains, streams, beaches, sunsets, fields, deserts, birds - all of these things are great. Let's read in the Bible more about this.

Psalms 19:1-6. Q: In verse 1 it says that the heavens declare the glory of God. What does this mean? [We can see God's glory in nature.] Why do you think God did this? [That way everyone in the world can see that there is a God and that he is wonderful.] Does nature have any particular language (v.3)? [No--it speaks every language.]

Romans 1:18-20. Q: According to verse 18, what do people do? [They spoil the truth by their wickedness. People's evil makes others forget the beauty of the God we can all see in nature.] Yet according to verse 19, is God's greatness obvious? [Yes.] How can we know about God, according to verse 20? [His invisible qualities can be understood from what he has made.] Do men have any excuse to not seek God? [No--nature has made him obvious.]

C: Let's consider some things that God has made, and learn from them. Let's go back to Psalms 19.

1. The Sun. Q: What is the sun like? [It is bright. It races across the sky (Psalms 19:5). It helps everyone.] What do we learn about God from the sun? [Just like the sun rises every day, so God is always there, every day. God is bright and powerful. God is able to help everyone.]

2. Babies. Q: What are babies like? [Small. Innocent. Cute. Perfect. Like small adults, without sin.] Q: What do we learn about God from babies? [He can make something out of nothing--a baby grows from nothing! God made us innocent, but we have messed up. God made us perfect. God thinks we are cute.]

3. Mountains. Q: What are mountains like? [Big. Impressive. Cold at the top. Hard to climb. We can see them from far away.] What do we learn about God from the mountains? [He is much bigger and more powerful than us. It is hard to reach him on our own strength. If we leave him and fall, we can die, just like if we fall off a mountain.] Q: Have you ever been on a mountain and felt the presence of God? {SHARE YOURSELF and let them share.}

4. Rivers, Waterfalls and Lakes. Q: What are rivers and lakes and waterfalls like? [Clear, always flowing. They nurture people and animals with fresh water. They clean things. They make stones smooth. They are green and pretty. They have beautiful sounds nearby.] What do we learn about God from these things? [He can clean us. He makes us smooth and perfect if we let him flow over us. He enjoys life and wants us to enjoy life. Pleasure can be dangerous, though--we can fall down a waterfall, or drown in a lake.]

5. Birds. Q: What are birds like? [Fast. Pretty. Perfect. Clean. Innocent. They don't get angry or worried. Able to fly. Find food anywhere. They build nests and feed their young.] What do we learn about God from the birds? [God is perfect, just like birds. He has no defect. God takes care of them, he will also take care of us. Like Jesus said, they do not worry, so we should not worry either. Though we are small, we also like birds can fly high, see many things, and do great things. Also like birds, we should take care of our family. And like birds, we should not get angry.]

Q: Are there other natural things you think we could learn from? {Let them give examples. If they choose a good one and there is time, discuss what that natural thing is like, and what we can learn about God from it.}

C: Let's conclude by reading more in Psalms 19:7-12. Q: What does this passage say about the word of God? [Verse 7 says it is perfect. It revives the soul. It is trustworthy. It makes us wise. Verse 8 says it makes us happy and lights up our eyes. Verse 9 says it is pure to fear God. Verse 10 says the Bible is worth more than gold. Verse 11 says that there is great reward in obeying the Bible. Verse 12 says that God makes no errors.]

Q: Which would most people rather have: the Bible, or some gold? [Gold.] Yet which is more valuable? [The Bible.]

Q: In this Psalms, we see that God has revealed himself in 2 ways. What are they? [Nature, and the Bible.]

Psalms 19:13-14. Q: What was the writer's final prayer here? [Keep me from sin. Please let my mouth and heart be pleasing to you, God.] What should our attitude be? [I want to please God!] C: I want to challenge all of you: we can see God in nature, and in the Bible. Let's read the Bible and find out the truth, and get to know the God who made us. Fix up a time to study the Bible with the person who brought you today.