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Bible Study: July 21, 2019


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 MasterWork curriculum.

Bible Passages: Psalms 54, 56, 57

Discussion Questions:
— What is your most common response to frightening situations — fight, flight, freeze or faith? What would it take for you to more quickly move to a more desired response?
— David faced distress and perhaps even depression, but he did not reflect doubt in God. How is that possible?

Food for thought:

The United Nations estimates 70 million people worldwide qualify as refugees forcibly displaced from their homes. In some of the more violent parts of the world, the displaced flee at a rate of one every two seconds. Of that 70 million, 24.5 million have abandoned not only homes but their country of citizenship as well. On a broader scale, one of every nine Christians globally, a total of 245 million, live in places where persecution is a way of life. An average of 11 per day are killed for their faith.

David understood what it meant to flee for his life, to be constantly on the run and facing government-sponsored persecution. In 1 Samuel 21, even his place of refuge was hostile toward him as he fled from Saul and sought solace in the land of the Philistines, his sworn enemies. If Saul didn’t capture and slay David as a traitor, David would likely be killed by Philistines, whose champion Goliath David had killed years earlier.

You and I probably can only imagine, and poorly at that, the refugee experience. Likely not even any of our family or friends have been forced from their homes or persecuted for their faith. But most of us have times in our lives when we seek to flee some place, person or situation, or we feel emotionally exiled from any parcel of peace on this planet. Did David leave us any words of wisdom as he wandered the Judean outback, any insights of inspiration?

As a matter of fact he did, and this week’s session looks at three collections of his testimony in Psalms 54, 56 and 57. In these psalms from David’s exile, we find confessions of his fear and feelings of being overwhelmed before those who sought his life.

But we also find David voicing his trust in and dependence on God. He not only looked for God to intervene in his situation, but also pledged his worship to the One whose mercy is great. What are you fleeing? Why not join David in the comfort of the psalms in the midst of exile?

MasterWork
MasterWork is an ongoing Bible study curriculum based on works from a variety of renowned authors and offers pertinent, practical messages that adults will find uplifting and enriching. The list of authors and their books to be studied in upcoming months can be found at www.lifeway.com/masterwork.

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

    About the Author

  • Staff/Lifeway Christian Resources