Your God Knows - Includes Six-Session Video Series: 6 Tough Questions for an Omniscient God (A Study of Nahum and Beyond)

By Lisa Whittle

This powerful Bible study about God’s faithfulness explores Nahum—a rarely studied collection of prophetic poems—to remind us that God is ever-present and always working, even when we feel alone or discouraged.
 
Throughout history, God has said to His people: “I see you. I know you. And I will make this right.” This is a crucial message for women today, as we so deeply need to rest in an all-knowing God who can handle what is happening in the world and in our lives. In Your God Knows, Bible teacher and bestselling author Lisa Whittle draws on Scripture throughout the Old and New Testaments as she helps answer six critical questions for our times:
 

• Am I forgotten?
• How does good come from bad?
• Do my desires and dreams matter?
• Am I generationally blessed or cursed?
• Will God make wrong things right?
• Will I be okay?

 
This interactive, video-based companion to Lisa’s book, God Knows, addresses your most pressing questions while immersing you in the truth of God’s promises so you can know deep in your soul that a sovereign God understands your pain—and will one day make all things new.
 
Presented by Esther Press: Books for Courageous Women
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: David C Cook
• Release date: Oct 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9780830785384

Lisa Whittle

Lisa Whittle is the author of nine books and several Bible studies, including Jesus Over Everything and The Hard Good. She is a sought-out Bible teacher for her wit and bold, bottom-line approach. She is the founder of two online communities: Ministry Strong for ministry leaders and Called Creatives for writers and speakers, and host of the popular Jesus Over Everything podcast. She's a wife, mom, lover of laughter, good food, and the Bible, and a self-professed feisty work in progress.

Book preview

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YOUR GOD KNOWS

Published by Esther Press,

an imprint of David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

Integrity Music Limited, a Division of David C Cook

Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2RE, England

Esther Press, David C Cook, and related logos are trademarks of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,

no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form

without written permission from the publisher.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture quotations marked CSB are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers; CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991, 1995 by

American Bible Society. Used by Permission; ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved; KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. (Public Domain.); NASB are taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org; NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved; NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The author has added italics to Scripture quotations for emphasis.

ISBN 978-0-8307-8537-7

eISBN 978-0-8307-8538-4

© 2023 Elisabeth R. Whittle

The author is represented by Alive Literary Agency, www.aliveliterary.com.

The Team: Susan McPherson, Stephanie Bennett, Judy Gillispie,

Leigh Davidson, James Hershberger, Susan Murdock, Angela Messinger

To the precious souls who will invest in these Bible study pages:

May you walk away knowing how much your

God knows you, has you, and loves you.

Acknowledgments

Why Nahum? A Message from Lisa

Studying Your God Knows

Study Guide FAQs

Biblical Timeline

Session 1 Question:

Day 1: Video and Outline

Day 2: Setting the Stage with Nahum

Day 3: What Is False? What Is True?

Day 4: The World and Your World (Macro/Micro)

Day 5: Why God’s Omniscience Matters

Session 2 Question: How Does Good Come from Bad?

Day 1: Video and Outline

Day 2: Setting the Stage with Nahum

Day 3: What Is False? What Is True?

Day 4: The World and Your World (Macro/Micro)

Day 5: Why God’s Omniscience Matters

Session 3 Question:

Day 1: Video and Outline

Day 2: Setting the Stage with Nahum and Habakkuk

Day 3: What Is False? What Is True?

Day 4: The World and Your World (Macro/Micro)

Day 5: Why God’s Omniscience Matters

Session 4 Question:

Day 1: Video and Outline

Day 2: Setting the Stage with Nahum and Ezekiel

Day 3: What Is False? What Is True?

Day 4: The World and Your World (Macro/Micro)

Day 5: Why God’s Omniscience Matters

Session 5 Question:

Day 1: Video and Outline

Day 2: Setting the Stage with Nahum, Noah, and Jonah

Day 3: What Is False? What Is True?

Day 4: The World and Your World (Macro/Micro)

Day 5: Why God’s Omniscience Matters

Session 6 Question:

Day 1: Video and Outline

Day 2: Setting the Stage with Nahum

Day 3: What Is False? What Is True?

Day 4: The World and Your World (Macro/Micro)

Day 5: Why God’s Omniscience Matters Leader’s Guide

As We Close Out This Study …

Leader’s Guide

Notes

Thank you to Sarah Farish and Morgan Strehlow for your research and input on this project. I love you both, dearly.

A special thank you to Sarah for additional commentary on Nahum and using your years as a Bible study teacher to be my eyes on this project, as well as the studier’s best advocate.

Hi, friend. You might as well know the truth. I love my book readers, but my Bible studiers are especially dear to me. For you to show up here and invest in these pages can only mean that you long for more of God and His Word. Me too.

In 2018, I was at the height of longing for two specific things from God: reprieve from mental exhaustion and answers for my pressing questions and concerns. I was experiencing terrible night terrors—the kind that wake you up in the darkness, grip you with their tentacles, and leave you in a puddle of fearful sweat. I was carrying the weight of the struggles of many people who had shared their hard stories with me. I was worrying about everything. My justice meter could not bear to have my hands tied for things I wanted to try to fix.

So I began to ask God some questions.

Will You make wrong things right—and ifYou will, when will You?

Will my family and I be okay, even in the midst of this chaotic world?

Do my desires and dreams even matter—or is life just about survival?

Instead of giving me a clear-cut answer, God prompted me to read the Old Testament book of Nahum. I was frustrated at what seemed pointless, since I knew the general idea of Nahum, and I expected it to feel anything but relieving. But isn’t a seemingly random moment like this what often happens? God mines more gold below the surface than we can imagine. He knew that in the months of pulling apart verses, pouring over commentaries, and reading and rereading the scant three chapters of this little-discussed book, He would bring me the comfort, relief, and—in some measure—answers that were needed to ease my troubled mind and heart about life.

This study you are about to experience is the result of my own personal study journey. I pray that as you spend time in these verses, you too will experience comfort … relief … and answers.

I know you have questions for God. I know your days are full of worries and whys. But I also know God’s sovereignty is at work in your life.

Let Jesus love you, guide you, teach you, and maybe even surprise you through this study.

Dive in. Your God knew that in this moment in your life, you’d somehow find yourself here.

As I look back on my time of personal study, my season of questions for God (and ones I’ve heard many of you ask as well) tended to group into six categories. For that reason, I’ve organized this Bible study into six main questions.

We will study each of the six questions over the course of six sessions (or weeks), further broken down into five days. The first day is watching the video and completing the accompanying outline (as a group), and the remaining days are for you to complete on your own.

It Will Look Like This

Day 1 (group or on your own): Video and Outline. Start each session by watching the video and completing the outline. (Preferably together as a group if you are group studying, but can be done individually. See the Leader’s Guide in the back for additional guidance for your group time.) There should be plenty for you to unpack from this lesson.

Day 2 (on your own): Setting the Stage. Gain a little more context by looking at Scripture, most often the Old Testament book of Nahum.

Day 3 (on your own): What Is False? What Is True? Look at assumptions related to the session question and what culture tells us, and then use Scripture to seek out reality.

Day 4 (on your own): The World and Your World. Investigate the question from a larger view (macro) and then zoom in for its impact on a personal level (micro).

Day 5 (on your own): Why God’s Omniscience Matters. Understand how God knowing all connects to the issue at hand.

After the Session (on your own): What Do I Do Next? This is where each session concludes, with action steps to put into practice what you’ve learned.

Try to complete a day’s study each day (and a session each week) to keep up your momentum.

Your God Knows Can Be Studied Individually or as a Group

If you study Your God Knows as a group, your group should be guided by a leader. The Leader’s Guide is in the back of the book for your convenience.

If you study Your God Knows individually, you will simply omit instructions to group leaders and engage with the entirety of the material yourself. Consider sharing what you are learning with your friends!

Additional Tips for Personal Study

On average, plan for each day’s session to take thirty to forty-five minutes.

Always start a new session by watching the video and using the outline for taking notes (with or without a group).

The most effective flow is to follow the days in order.

Additional Tips for Leading Group Study

Seek to keep every gathering at one to one-and-a-half hours.

Watch the video together, when possible. If not, have your group members watch on their own in advance and then pick up with discussion, per the Leader’s Guide.

To take off some pressure, keep in mind that your role is to facilitate, not teach. The videos will teach, and then you can simply lead through the suggested questions and Scripture provided in the Leader’s Guide. If you’re a seasoned leader and feel comfortable, dive into other helpful, supportive discussion.

Don’t feel the burden to be one another’s counselors. Offer counsel as the Lord leads, but encourage each other to seek professional help when needed.

More leader tips, as well as the full Leader’s Guide, are located in the back of this book.

How do we access the videos?

For your convenience, you can easily access the videos with your copy of the Your God Knows study guide; check out the QR code (and link) on page 17 for streaming video access. Watch the corresponding video from your phone or computer to begin each session. If you’re doing the study with a group, each participant will have access to all the video teachings with her study guide.

Do we need to buy the book God Knows

to participate in the study?

No, the main book is optional. Although the study guide has been created to work independently, you’re encouraged to also have a copy of my book God Knows because, together, they complete a fuller picture of how God’s omniscience impacts your life. Every session of the Bible study connects you to the coordinating chapters of the book to help you get the most out of your study time.

What is the best way to memorize the memory

verses at the beginning of every chapter?

We highly suggest the Memory Verse Repetition Model for memorizing