SEARCH 167 – GOD MEETS OUR NEEDS

Key Verse

For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
— Psalm 116:8

Deliverance

Acts 12:1-11; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Peter 2:9

Pentecost empowered the New Testament church to act on their belief and witness for Christ as they faced beatings, scourgings, separation of families, dislocation of homes, and even death itself. God provided miraculous deliverances, some of which are recorded in the first ten chapters of Acts. For example, in Acts 5, we read that the angel of the Lord provided deliverance from prison for two of the Apostles. Most importantly, however, God delivered, protected and preserved His followers from evil contamination by the sin all around them. As we study this lesson, we become acutely aware that God wants to provide the same deliverance from spiritual perils for us today.

QUESTIONS

  1. Webster defines deliverance as “the state of being freed; a release or rescue.” However, deliverance to the Christian does not necessarily mean immunity from suffering, persecution, or earthly troubles. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13 and note what you think this word means for Christians.
  2. Read Psalm 24:3-5 and summarize the condition of the one who shall “ascend into the hill of the Lord,” or “stand in his holy place.” Does attaining this condition have any bearing on our right to expect deliverance? Explain.
  3. On what condition does God “deliver” one who has been disobedient? See Psalm 51.
  4. God has promised us spiritual deliverance in every aspect of our Christian lives. Next to each Scripture below write what the deliverance is from.
    Psalm 18:48
    Psalm 34:4
    Psalm 54:7
    Matthew 6:13
    2 Peter 2:9
  5. Referring to our text in Acts, Peter undoubtedly knew that Herod had killed James. When he was seized and imprisoned by the same ruler, one might expect Peter to be afraid for his life and concerned about being imprisoned. If this was so, he demonstrated a great calmness in spite of it, for verse 6 tells us that Peter was asleep. How can you account for this? How might a heartfelt belief in the promise given in Romans 8:28 bring about a parallel attitude in our lives?
  6. What important event was continuing uninterrupted while the angel was awakening Peter in the prison and telling him to arise and follow him? What might we learn from this regarding situations where deliverance is needed?
  7. Comment on why you feel God sometimes sends an immediate deliverance in answer to a sudden short prayer, and sometimes delays His deliverance until much prevailing prayer has been offered.
  8. In reference to our key verse, the Psalmist is giving praise to God for deliverance. He mentions three ways God has given deliverance. Explain these in your own words, giving specific examples of what might be meant by each in our day.
THEME THOUGHTS
With his very first breath, the newborn infant begins to grope through the maze of existence, seeking to satisfy his need for warmth and food. Every sense seems to be one of desire. But as he grows, the average person soon realizes his complex nature requires more than gratification of physical needs. He becomes aware of a need for love, for security, for acceptance, for inner peace—the principal ingredients that bring fulfillment and direction in life. The search for the satisfaction of all these needs becomes a predominant drive, a quest with only one true solution. That solution is found in God—the only One who can and will meet all of these needs. It is this thought which provides the theme for this quarter. Each lesson should be centered on the fact that God cares for us in every detail of our lives. He has promised to provide our physical needs, but even more importantly, He is concerned with our spiritual needs. With this thought in mind, we begin the series by focusing on the fact that God has provided mercy, thus opening the way for a personal relationship between God and man. Once that relationship has been established through the experience of salvation, the way is open for God to supply the other needs of those who trust in Him. As you study the succeeding lessons, use the Scripture, “All things work together for good to them that love God” Romans 8:28). We must realize that God, in His infinite wisdom, knows what is best for us. What we see as a need may, in God’s sight, be something which would not prove to be for our good. Accepting that verse as the basis for the quarter will help us see that true happiness is based on God’s control of the circumstances of our lives. We will recognize that as our trust is in Him, our needs truly will be supplied in the manner He knows is best.

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