April 26, 2026

THE PATH OF LIFE: GOD’S WAY IS THE BEST WAY

April 26, 2026

Dr. Ben Gutierrez

Hopefully, as you went about your daily life this past week, you were more alert to God’s presence as He interacted with you than ever before. Did you get tired, want to rest, go to bed, get up the next day, plan your daily schedule, think about situations that bothered you, talk to people? Were you aware God was in all of those moments? Our sermon this week is Psalm 139—one of the most beautiful reflections on God’s love for us outside of the Incarnation and the Cross. David said ‘You know when I…’ and then he listed everything we do, and states that God knows and is in all of them. The tragedy is that most people don’t think about Him in each action and therefore seldom say ‘Thank You,’ ‘Please help,’ ‘Give me grace, Lord,’ or myriad other things that can be said to Him. ‘I love You’ is a great place to start! His love for each of us as an individual should be the greatest thing in our lives. This week, strive to build your relationship with Him so that it is better than ever, recognizing His way is the best way.

Focal Passages: Psalm 139, 131:1, Jonah 1:1-3.

GOD KNOWS YOU. Know you are deeply loved by Him!

  • Read Psalm 139:1-6. How did David know God so intimately? Do you think he pursued God for the purpose of knowing Him? What was his life like as a shepherd boy, and how did that teach him how God responds when you earnestly seek Him? Read James 4:8a. What does God promise? Do you truly include Him in your daily life?
  • How well did David realize God knew him? Discuss these ways in which God knows you and talk about the meaning of the words. What did the words ‘too wonderful’ in verse 6 mean to David?
  • If you have a relationship like this with God, what are some of the areas it has changed in your daily walk? Do you think David examined his life often, so that he could pray without having anything in his life to cause God not to hear him (John 9:31)?
  • Read Psa. 66:18. What are some sins that can be in your life, causing God to not hear? Read Psalm 131:1. What are some areas that can create a wall between God and you? What does the third one mean? What will your soul have if you rid yourself of everything ungodly as it arises?
  • How do you know God loves you personally? What are some scriptures that tell you of His great love? As you live your life knowing He loves you deeply, how do you see your faith grow? As you see He never fails you, how does that help you? As you become more confident that you are His beloved child, what changes do you notice in your life?

GOD IS ALWAYS PRESENT. Don’t withdraw from Him. Draw near to Him: 

  • Read Psa. 139:7-12. What verbs does David use in verses 7-9? Why would you, as God’s child, want to flee or run from Him? Are there times when you run mentally, or don’t want to pray—just in case He would say ‘No,’ and you want to do it your way?
  • Why did David use this analogy? Could he possibly have written it for those who are running from God? Can you think of any persons in the Bible who ran from God?
  • Read Jonah 1:1-3. What was Jonah’s calling? What did God ask him to do? Why did he not want to do it (Jonah 4:2-3)? Did he really think he could run from God? Do you think he knew of David’s Psalms?
  • What are some places that David listed that one could try to run from God (but He is everywhere!)? Yet, why are most of the evil actions carried out under the cover of darkness? Do any of these examples in these verses of God’s omnipresence amaze you? Do you think those who often try to kill or vandalize others would think twice if they realized God is around everywhere, all the time?

GOD IS ALL-POWERFUL. Find your safe place with Him:

  • Read Psalm 139:13-16. Why is this such a beautiful picture of the hand of God in our birth? Did David understand the scope of what he was saying—this ‘God-breathed’ passage describing God overseeing every cell of your growth in the womb? Read Psalm 23. Is this also a marvelous picture of God leading us to a place of safety and peace? What does He restore our souls from?
  • As David reflects on the unbelievable reality of a baby’s beginning in the womb, he gets so filled with praise to God for all His attributes that he starts simply praising Him. Read vv. 14, 17-18. Why was he so jubilant?
  • David’s words of praise must remind you that there is never a time nor a place when God’s praise is out of place—you can always let your heart sing. When is the last time His praise was going through your head from one of the worship songs? Read Psalm 34:1. This should be the attitude of your heart at all times. Is it?

Close:  The praise songs before a worship service should always set the tone for our hearts, causing us to think about His love for us, and His guiding hand, knowing we can be certain His way is the best way. Have you noticed how our Sunday morning songs underscore the theme of the sermon? There are songs for every attribute of God’s character, and it is important we understand how mighty He is, how holy, how awesome, how merciful, how … We could go on as long as there is breath in our bodies, and we would never exhaust the adjectives that would apply to our loving Lord. Let us learn them so we can praise Him.

Recently, there were songs that described God as worthy of our praise. (It is even His ‘goodness’ that leads us to salvation–Romans 2:4b). The soloist ended with the words, “HE IS, HE IS, He is worthy of all blessings, and honor, and glory…” The congregation was moved by the majestic words. Are you aware that music brings calmness and peace to our hearts? That alone should show how much we need to praise Him. From the Psalms of David, we see only a fraction of the many times he was moved to praise God. Check these out, memorize them. It is not an exhaustive list, but lift Him up in praise. You’ll never regret it.

Psalm 7:17; 9:1-2, 14; 21:13; 22:22-23, 25-26; 28:7; 30:4, 9, 12; 33:1-2; 34:1; 35:18, 28; 40:3; 42:4-5, 11; 43:4-5; 45:17; 49:10; 49:18; 50:23; 51:15; 52:9; 54:6; 56:4; 57:7, 9; 61:8; 63:3, 5; 65:1; 66:2, 8; 71:6, 8, 14; 74:21; 79:13; 86:12; 106:2; 111:10; 149:1.

By Sandy Day

April 26, 2026

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