Deuteronomy 8:2–5; Psalm 139:7–10; Philippians 2:5–11

Bible Studies for Life
Chair and Armstrong Professor of Religion, Department of Religion, Samford University

The Case for God’s Involvement
Deuteronomy 8:2–5; Psalm 139:7–10;  Philippians 2:5–11
In our contemporary society, we have grown accustomed to instant access to information. During a summer trip in the Atlanta area, I found myself at a standstill on the interstate and I was able to access information on my BlackBerry about a wreck and make alternative travel plans. In the midst of our Christian lives, when we “walk by faith and not sight,” we may not have access to specific directions about the decisions we make. But we are assured by the Scriptures that God is directly involved in our lives, and we can have confidence that He is interested in blessing our spiritual journey.

God Is Personal and Present (Ps. 139:7–10)
Psalm 139 overwhelms believers with a sense of awe that God is present with them wherever they may travel. When David spoke of “making my bed in Sheol,” he was using an Old Testament expression to speak of the place of the dead. Even in death, which can be a frightening experience, we can know that God’s presence will never abandon us. So, in another Psalm, David could declare with absolute confidence, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me!” The word that David used for “lead” in this passage means “to lead or direct someone down the right path.” It is used of God’s leading Israel through the wilderness. We may not be able to directly trace God’s leading in every step we take in life. But we can be confident that as we are open to His leading, He will direct our ways in “paths of righteousness” (Ps. 23:3).

God Guides and Provides (Deut. 8:2–5)
This is exactly what Israel discovered when God led them through the wilderness. It wasn’t an easy experience, because it involved being “tested” and exposed the people’s weaknesses of faith and thus “humbled” them on many occasions. But through it all, they learned to trust, not in their own resources but in God’s provision. Sadly, like us, they were not always content with God’s provision and complained when His provision of manna became something they took for granted, and eventually this led to complacency and disobedience. Their experience of physical hunger and thirst was intended to draw them closer to God and help them trust in Him, not only for their physical, emotional and social needs but also spiritual sustenance. So, in Hebrews, this incident is used to warn Christians not to drift away from their commitment to Christ but to live closely to Him on a daily basis.

God Is Present in History (Phil. 2:5–11)
The greatest manifestation of God’s presence with us was the Incarnation of our Lord, when the Word became flesh and lived among us. Paul reminds us that the One who shared the same divine essence as the Father and the Holy Spirit and was in the “form of God,” sharing in the divine equality of deity with other members of the holy Trinity, humbled Himself and became human. Paul indicated that our Lord did not use His position, His place of dignity and splendor, of being equal with God for His own advantage but “humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant … becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.” Paul wrote these words as a Roman citizen to the city of Philippi, a Roman colony where many members of the military retired. He knew that although he might face death by execution, the one form of execution he would never have to endure was crucifixion, which citizens never experienced. Such was the love of God for sinful humankind that Christ was willing to endure the worst of all possible deaths to remind us of His involvement in our lives. Paul knew that Jesus in His risen power and glory is still concerned for our lives. He involves Himself in our concerns as the One who prays for us as our Great High Priest. Hebrews dwells on this, pointing to our Lord’s experience as a human being, who endured all sorts of trials and temptation and is thus able to sympathize with us in our experiences, having been “tempted in every way that we are, apart from sin.”