Sunday
June 23
1. REJOICING IN TRIALS
a. What attitude does God want us to have when things go wrong? Habakkuk 3:17, 18; Philippians 4:4.
“The children of God may rejoice in all things and at all times. When troubles and difficulties come, believing in the wise providence of God, you may rejoice. You need not wait for a happy flight of feeling, but by faith you may lay hold of the promises and lift up a hymn of thanksgiving to God.”—In Heavenly Places, p. 123.
“The Father’s presence encircled Christ, and nothing befell Him but that which infinite love permitted for the blessing of the world. Here was His source of comfort, and it is for us. He who is imbued with the Spirit of Christ abides in Christ. Whatever comes to him comes from the Saviour, who surrounds him with His presence. Nothing can touch him except by the Lord’s permission. All our sufferings and sorrows, all our temptations and trials, all our sadness and griefs, all our persecutions and privations, in short, all things work together for our good. All experiences and circumstances are God’s workmen whereby good is brought to us.”—The Ministry of Healing, pp. 488, 489.
Monday
June 24
2. REJOICING IN GOD’S LEADING
a. What attitude did David have when he was in trouble? How did God deliver him? Psalm 40:1–3, 5.
“The mercies of God surround you every moment; and it would be profitable for you to consider how and whence your blessings come every day. Let the precious blessings of God awaken gratitude in you. You cannot number the blessings of God, the constant loving-kindness expressed to you, for they are as numerous as the refreshing drops of rain. Clouds of mercy are hanging over you, and ready to drop upon you. If you will appreciate the valuable gift of salvation, you will be sensible of daily refreshment, of the protection and love of Jesus; you will be guided in the way of peace.”—Messages to Young People, pp. 409, 410.
“As we behold the beauty and grandeur in the works of nature, our affections go out after God; and though our souls are awed and our spirit subdued, our souls are invigorated by coming in contact with the Infinite through His marvelous works. Communion with God through humble prayer develops and strengthens the mental and moral faculties, and spiritual powers increase by cultivating thoughts upon spiritual things.”—The Youth’s Instructor, July 13, 1893.
b. What does God give to those who make Him their hiding place? Psalm 32:7.
c. What spiritual covering does God provide His children? Isaiah 61:10; Jeremiah 23:6.
“The Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a covering—the robe of His own righteousness—that He will put on every repenting, believing soul who by faith will receive it.”—The Upward Look, p. 378.
“If we constantly seek to follow Jesus, the blessed hope is ours of standing before the throne of God without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, complete in Christ, robed in His righteousness and perfection.”—That I May Know Him, p. 361.
Tuesday
June 25
3. REJOICING IN VICTORY
a. How did Moses and the children of Israel express their gratitude to God for delivering them at the Red Sea? Exodus 15:1, 21.
“This song and the great deliverance which it commemorates, made an impression never to be effaced from the memory of the Hebrew people. From age to age it was echoed by the prophets and singers of Israel, testifying that Jehovah is the strength and deliverance of those who trust in Him. That song does not belong to the Jewish people alone. It points forward to the destruction of all the foes of righteousness, and the final victory of the Israel of God. . . .
“In freeing our souls from the bondage of sin, God has wrought for us a deliverance greater than that of the Hebrews at the Red Sea. . . . The daily blessings that we receive from the hand of God, and above all else the death of Jesus to bring happiness and heaven within our reach, should be a theme for constant gratitude.”—God’s Amazing Grace, p. 352.
b. What does God want us to do today when He gives us victory? Psalms 98:1; 146:2.
“By beginning to sing songs of triumph and thanksgiving now, we may prepare ourselves to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb when we meet on the sea of glass.”—The Upward Look, p. 306.
c. What song will the special class of the redeemed sing in heaven? What will this class have gotten the victory over? Revelation 15:2–4; 14:1–5.
“It is the song of Moses and the Lamb—a song of deliverance. None but the hundred and forty-four thousand can learn that song; for it is the song of their experience—an experience such as no other company have ever had. . . . They have passed through the time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation; they have endured the anguish of the time of Jacob’s trouble; they have stood without an intercessor through the final outpouring of God’s judgments. But they have been delivered, for they have ‘washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ”—The Great Controversy, p. 649.
Wednesday
June 26
4. PRAISING GOD FOR DELIVERANCE
a. What is one thing God gives deliverance from? Psalm 34:4–7. How? 1 John 4:18.
“The Lord frequently permits His people to be brought into strait places, that they may turn to Him, their protector and deliverer, as a child would turn to his parents when in trouble and fear. It is no evidence that God is against us, because we are afflicted. . . . It is true that pain and death are the consequence of sin. But the Lord permits those He loves to be brought into trial, that they may learn the precious lessons of trust and faith. If trials are received aright, they will prove of the highest value to us in our religious experience. As they lead us to put our trust more firmly in God, we become better acquainted with His character.
“When the Lord has answered our prayers, and proved Himself better to us than our fears, we should not fail to express our gratitude for His mercies. Like the Hebrew host, we should praise Him for His wonderful works. Here many fail to glorify God. They do not tell of His goodness, making known to all around them that the Lord is to them a present help in every time of need.”—The Signs of the Times, March 10, 1881.
b. Who does the Lord look after? How will He protect His people in the last days? Psalm 33:18, 19.
“From His resources [God] can spread a table in the wilderness. By the touch of His hand He can increase the scanty provision and make it sufficient for all.”—Conflict and Courage, p. 226.
c. How does God provide final victory to His people? Isaiah 25:8; 1 Corinthians 15:57.
“When Christ shall come the second time, to be ‘admired in all them that believe’ (2 Thessalonians 1:10), death shall be swallowed up in victory, and there shall be no more sickness, no more sorrow, no more death!”—That I May Know Him, p. 362.
Thursday
June 27
5. REJOICING IN OUR NEW HOME
a. What future does God promise to His people? Isaiah 32:18; Revelation 21:4.
“There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.”—The Great Controversy, p. 675.
b. What has God promised us today in preparation for a glorious future? 1 Chronicles 29:11.
“Instead of mourning, weeping, and despairing, when troubles gather about us like a flood and threaten to overwhelm us, if we would not only pray for help from God, but would praise Him for so many blessings left,—praise Him that He is able to help us,—our course would be more pleasing to Him, and we would see more of His salvation.”—Life Sketches, p. 258.
“Eternal realities must be kept before the mind’s eye, and the attractions of the world will appear as they are—altogether profitless.”—That I May Know Him, p. 357.
Friday
June 28
PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. How should I view the difficulties and trials that come my way?
2. How can I grow both spiritually and mentally?
3. What significance does the song of Moses and the Lamb have for me today? To whom will this song have special significance in the future?
4. How do we often fail to glorify God?
5. As we focus our eyes upon Christ and His mission to save us, what will we discover?