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CQ Youth Sabbath School Lesson
8.8.11
The God that Was Kidnapped
monday
AUGUST 8
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One day in Kenya worshipers went to their worship place to find their god missing. Bewildered, they went to the police to file a report. The police were at a loss for words, wondering about a god that couldn’t even help himself. How wonderful that our heavenly Father will always be there whenever we come to worship Him. He still reveals His power in modern times to prove His love and presence. “It is not by inherent power that year by year the earth yields its bounties and continues its march around the sun. The hand of the Infinite One is perpetually at work guiding this planet.
It is God’s power continually exercised that keeps the earth in position in its rotation. It is God who causes the sun to rise in the heavens. He opens the windows of heaven and gives rain. . . .
“It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears, every flower blooms, every fruit develops.”1
Many people today are distracted from the worship of the one true God like the Israelites who perished in the wilderness. “From Kadesh the children of Israel had turned back into the wilderness; and the period of their desert sojourn being ended, they came, ‘even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh.’ Numbers 20:1.
“Here Miriam died and was buried. From that scene of rejoicing on the shores of the Red Sea, when Israel went forth with song and dance to celebrate Jehovah’s triumph, to the wilderness grave which ended a lifelong wandering—such had been the fate of millions who with high hopes had come forth from Egypt. Sin had dashed from their lips the cup of blessing. . . .“ ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not for His wondrous works. . . . When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer.’ Psalm 78:32-35. Yet they did not turn to God with a sincere purpose. Though when afflicted by their enemies they sought help from Him who alone could deliver, yet ‘their heart was not right with Him, neither were they steadfast in His covenant.’ ”2
Today, God invites us all to come to Him and worship Him with the whole of our hearts.
____________
1. The Ministry of Healing, p. 416.
2. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 410.
“It is by His power that vegetation is caused to flourish, that every leaf appears, every flower blooms, every fruit develops.”1
Many people today are distracted from the worship of the one true God like the Israelites who perished in the wilderness. “From Kadesh the children of Israel had turned back into the wilderness; and the period of their desert sojourn being ended, they came, ‘even the whole congregation, into the desert of Zin in the first month: and the people abode in Kadesh.’ Numbers 20:1.
“Here Miriam died and was buried. From that scene of rejoicing on the shores of the Red Sea, when Israel went forth with song and dance to celebrate Jehovah’s triumph, to the wilderness grave which ended a lifelong wandering—such had been the fate of millions who with high hopes had come forth from Egypt. Sin had dashed from their lips the cup of blessing. . . .“ ‘For all this they sinned still, and believed not for His wondrous works. . . . When He slew them, then they sought Him: and they returned and inquired early after God. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the high God their Redeemer.’ Psalm 78:32-35. Yet they did not turn to God with a sincere purpose. Though when afflicted by their enemies they sought help from Him who alone could deliver, yet ‘their heart was not right with Him, neither were they steadfast in His covenant.’ ”2
Today, God invites us all to come to Him and worship Him with the whole of our hearts.
____________
1. The Ministry of Healing, p. 416.
2. Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 410.
Written by Jared Bosire, Mombasa, Kenya
7.8.11
Covered, Undressed, and Sheltered
sunday
AUGUST 7
“All Nature Sings” (Pss. 90:1, 2; 100:1–5)
Two activities that quickly turn my thoughts toward God are listening to sacred music and experiencing nature. When I slow down enough to listen to the music in nature, I feel a great sense of reverence toward my Creator. While living in Louisiana, I was often amazed at the rich, varied sounds of nature on a hot summer evening. Within a few minutes of closing my eyes, what had previously sounded like a gentle, background hum became a loud chorus. A late evening thunderstorm would often cue a cacophony of frogs, providing a crescendo that would last well after much of the other music had faded away.
Snowshoeing above the tree line in the mountains of Colorado now provides me with a contrasting musical experience. As the sound of my labored breathing and thumping heartbeat gradually subsides, I am amazed at the ever-changing sounds of the wind, the distant cry of a bird, and from somewhere, the sound of flowing water in what appears to be a frozen world.
Each beautiful “note” of nature’s never-ending song is sounded in praise of the Creator. As the crowning act of His creation and the blessed benefactors of His redemption and love, God longs to hear our “notes” of praise above those of nature. “The Lord desires us to make mention of His goodness and tell of His power. He is honored by the expression of praise and thanksgiving. He says, ‘Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.’ Ps. 50:23.”1
Wealth Without Riches (Psalm 49)
Financial reality for most of us will be somewhat below the bottom spot on the annual Forbes’ list. Yet we convince ourselves that just a little more money will make life much better. So we pursue ever larger salaries and the corner office; and we forget that worldly wealth can be used only in exchange for worldly goods. Garth Brooks reminded us that “you aren’t wealthy until you have something money can’t buy.”2 No amount of money can buy any of God’s great blessings. Most important, we’ll never be able to afford the price of our salvation. Praise God our financial status on earth is meaningless to Him! When it comes to salvation, all that matters is where our hearts are (Matt. 6:21).
“Heaven, We Have a Problem” (Psalm 73)
When the doctors told us that our daughter was born with a heart defect that required surgery, we believed the Lord could heal her. But following anointing and prayer, her condition remained unchanged. As we waited for the doctors to complete their preoperative assessment, discouragement overwhelmed me. I couldn’t understand why God had not healed her. I had hoped He would. I knew He could. I felt He should. I was doing everything I knew to be faithful to Him. I trusted His promises. But waiting to hear from the doctors, it seemed like wasted effort. Trying to live right hadn’t kept trouble away.
I was bewildered as much as I was relieved when the doctors told us she seemed to be doing well and any further intervention could wait—we could safely take her home! Had she been healed or not? If her heart was still abnormal, why was she doing so well? The questions and doubts plagued me for weeks.
After a late-night feeding, I lay in my recliner holding my four-month-old daughter, softly humming “God Will Take Care of You.” The song had been a comfort to me many times since childhood, but never had the words touched me as deeply as they did that night. As tears ran down my face, I was ashamed of how little faith I had shown, and I finally believed that God really would take care of her, no matter what.
My daughter still looks perfectly healthy. God continues to shield her from any serious consequences related to her heart defect, but He has not corrected the anatomy. What a wonderful testimony to the love of God that He can sustain us even when our hearts aren’t right!
Pass It On (Ps. 78:1–8)
We need to present to people the way in which God has led us in the past and to recount His wondrous works in behalf of His people. “We need to ‘call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions.’ ‘For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God; the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you. . . . Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations.’ ”3
REACT
1. How can you modify the pace of your life so you don’t miss opportunities to worship your Creator?
2. What can you do when life seems too dark to sing praises to God?
3. What impact, if any, can our worship have on those around us?
____________
1. Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 298.
2. Garth Brooks, “Quotes,” Thinkexist.com, http://thinkexist.com/quotation/you_arent_wealthy_until_you_have_something_money/250476.html (accessed June 7, 2010).
3. The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, March 19, 1895.
Written by Dallas Estey, Firestone, Colorado, U.S.A.
5.8.11
Language of the Soul
saturday
AUGUST 6
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Humans communicate their emotions in a variety of ways. Oftentimes, verbalizing is not enough, so we find other ways to express ourselves, such as through the various arts. Some people express themselves through words and writing; others through music or through painting, sculpting, drama, and so on. For me, it’s music. I’m not talented enough to write music, but listening to music can move me in ways nothing else can. And I’m sure I’m not alone. Music can express our joy, sorrow, anger, passion, and just about any emotion in between. Any one of us can probably think of a song that would be appropriate for any mood or occasion. Because music can touch so many of us at such a basic level, we need to be careful what types of music we listen to.
David expressed his innermost thoughts and feelings through music. The book of Psalms is a collection of his thoughts, as well as the thoughts of others, set to music. While we don’t have the actual musical accompaniment for the Psalms, we do have the words. Reading through them, we can see David’s feelings of joy and exhilaration (Psalm 100), sorrow and despair (Psalm 38), anger (Psalm 58), and contrition (Psalm 51). Almost all of these psalms were sung to God. It’s as if He were David’s confidant and best friend, and his own personal therapist. David wasn’t afraid to express everything he was feeling directly to God. Music was the language of David’s soul and an integral part of his own personal worship of God.
Today, music is still an essential part of worship. Whether it’s singing hymns of praise with an entire congregation, writing a song and performing it in the sanctuary of your own living room just for God, or simply meditating on the lyrics of a song during your quiet time with Him, music can function as a language for your soul to communicate with God. Just as David shared with God whatever was on his heart, so we can offer to God our praise, our thanks, our frustrations, our desires, and our requests. This week, as we look at worship in the Psalms, look each day for a psalm that resonates with what you’re feeling. Let that psalm remind you that, just as it was with David, God speaks your language too.
Today, music is still an essential part of worship. Whether it’s singing hymns of praise with an entire congregation, writing a song and performing it in the sanctuary of your own living room just for God, or simply meditating on the lyrics of a song during your quiet time with Him, music can function as a language for your soul to communicate with God. Just as David shared with God whatever was on his heart, so we can offer to God our praise, our thanks, our frustrations, our desires, and our requests. This week, as we look at worship in the Psalms, look each day for a psalm that resonates with what you’re feeling. Let that psalm remind you that, just as it was with David, God speaks your language too.
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