Bible Study - Formed with a Future

Psalm 139:13–18 KJV 1900

13 For thou hast possessed my reins: Thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well. 15 My substance was not hid from thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; And in thy book all my members were written, Which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. 17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: When I awake, I am still with thee.

Bible Study Lesson: Formed with a Future

Text: Psalm 139:13-18 (KJV)

Main Idea: God did not form you by accident, and He did not shape you without purpose, because Psalm 139 declares that the Lord personally crafted you in the womb with sovereign care and perfect wisdom. Before your days ever unfolded in time, God already saw them, wrote them, and ordered them, which means your life is not random, and your future is not uncertain to Him. Therefore, the call of God is not a guess or a gamble; it is the Lord directing a life He designed, steering a story He authored, and consecrating a servant He has already prepared.

Introduction

Sometimes the hardest part of life is not the pain, the pressure, or the problem. The hardest part is the question, “What is God doing in me right now?” When the calendar turns and a new year begins, many people feel two things at the same time. They feel hope for what could be, and they feel tension because they do not know what is next. We want God to show us the whole plan, but God often calls us to trust Him one step at a time.

Psalm 139:13-18 gives us solid ground under our feet. David is not guessing about God. He is worshiping God based on what he knows is true. He says God formed him, God saw him, God wrote his days, and God stays with him. That means your life is not random, and your future is not uncertain to the Lord. Before you ever made a decision, God was already at work in your design.

This is why this lesson matters for a series called When God Calls. Calling is not something you manufacture. Calling is something you discover as you walk with the God who made you. You live in the tension of everyday responsibilities while you are also listening for God’s direction. Psalm 139 teaches you can listen with confidence, because the God who formed your beginning is faithful to guide your future.

I. God’s Personal Formation (Psalm 139:13-14)

David starts in a very personal place: the womb. He says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). The “reins” speak of your inner life, your desires, conscience, and deepest thoughts. David is saying God shaped his inside and his outside. You are not self-made. You are God-made. That truth changes how you see yourself. Your identity is not decided by your past, your pain, or other people’s opinions. Your identity begins with the Creator who formed you.

Then David responds the right way. He worships: “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). He does not brag about himself. He magnifies God. Your life is meant to lead you to praise. When you remember that God formed you with care, you stop treating your life like it is disposable. You start seeing your body, your mind, your gifts, and your future as something to place in God’s hands. The God who made you is worthy of your worship and worthy of your trust.

Synopsis

Psalm 139:13-14 teaches that God intentionally formed your inward and outward life, and the proper response to that truth is worshipful confidence. Because God “covered” you in the womb (Psalm 139:13) and made you “fearfully and wonderfully” (Psalm 139:14), you can reject the lie that you are an accident and embrace the truth that you are God’s workmanship.

Five Theological Truths

God is the Creator of every human life, including the hidden parts. (Genesis 1:26-27; Job 33:4; Isaiah 44:24)

Job 33:4 “4 The Spirit of God hath made me, And the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”

Your inward life matters to God, and God searches it perfectly. (Proverbs 20:27; Jeremiah 17:10; Psalm 7:9)

Proverbs 20:7 “7 The just man walketh in his integrity: His children are blessed after him.”

Human worth is grounded in God’s design, not human approval. (Psalm 8:4-6; Matthew 10:29-31; James 3:9)

Psalm 8:4–6 “4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, And hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet:”

Creation truth should lead to worship, not pride. (Psalm 100:3; Revelation 4:11; Romans 11:36)

Psalm 100:3 “3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

God’s creative work supports God’s calling, because He equips what He appoints. (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Timothy 1:9; Philippians 1:6)

2 Timothy 1:9 “9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

II. God’s Purposeful Framework (Psalm 139:15-16)

David says, “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret” (Psalm 139:15). Your parents may have longed to meet you before you were born, but God already knew you. God watched over you in the hidden place. That means you have never had a moment when God was unaware of you, detached from you, or surprised by you. Even when your story feels complicated, the Lord is not confused. God sees the whole picture at the same time.

Then David goes even deeper: “In thy book all my members were written… when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:16). God is not chasing your life, trying to catch up. God has a framework. God’s providence means He guides, governs, and orders life according to His wisdom. This does not erase your responsibility. It reassures your heart. Even when you do not know what tomorrow holds, God has not lost control. He is shaping you through every season and using every day for His purposes.

Synopsis

Psalm 139:15-16 teaches that God knew you in the secret place and established your days with purpose. Because your “substance was not hid” from God (Psalm 139:15) and your life is written in God’s book (Psalm 139:16), you can live with humble confidence, trusting that God’s plan is wise, redemptive, and steady.

Five Theological Truths

God knows His people before they are seen by anyone else. (Jeremiah 1:5; Isaiah 49:1; Galatians 1:15)

Jeremiah 1:5 “5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”

God’s providence includes the details of life, not only the big moments. (Psalm 37:23; Proverbs 16:9; Matthew 6:26-30)

Proverbs 16:9 “9 A man’s heart deviseth his way: But the Lord directeth his steps.”

God’s plans are sure, and no one can overturn His purpose. (Isaiah 46:9-10; Job 42:2; Proverbs 19:21)

Proverbs 19:21 “21 There are many devices in a man’s heart; Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.”

God uses seasons, including suffering, to fulfill His redemptive will. (Romans 8:28; Genesis 50:20; 2 Corinthians 4:17)

Genesis 50:20 “20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

God’s guidance invites trust, not anxiety. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7)

1 Peter 5:7 “7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

III. God’s Providential Future (Psalm 139:17-18)

David shifts from God’s work in the womb to God’s care in the present. He says, “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!” (Psalm 139:17). God is not only powerful. God is personal. The Lord thinks about you. His thoughts are not shallow. They are precious. They are more than you can count. When you feel overlooked, the truth is this: you are never forgotten by God.

Then David gives one of the sweetest promises in the Psalms: “When I awake, I am still with thee” (Psalm 139:18). That means God’s presence does not clock out. It does not take breaks. God stays with His people. You will face uncertain days in the future, but you will not face them alone. When God calls you to a new step of obedience, you do not go in your own strength. You go with God’s presence, God’s promises, and God’s help.

Synopsis

Psalm 139:17-18 teaches that God’s care is constant and His presence is consistent. Because God’s thoughts are “precious” and countless (Psalm 139:17) and God remains with you when you awake (Psalm 139:18), you can walk into the future with peace, knowing the Lord is already there.

Five Theological Truths

God’s love is personal, and His care reaches the smallest details. (Matthew 10:29-31; Psalm 56:8; 1 Peter 5:7)

Psalm 56:8 “8 Thou tellest my wanderings: Put thou my tears into thy bottle: Are they not in thy book?”

God’s thoughts toward His people are good and purposeful. (Jeremiah 29:11; Psalm 40:5; Romans 8:32)

Jeremiah 29:11 “11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

God’s presence is the believer’s greatest security for the future. (Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; Joshua 1:9)

Hebrews 13:5 “5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Nothing can separate the believer from God’s faithful love. (Romans 8:38-39; John 10:28-29; Psalm 23:4)

Romans 8:38–39 “38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God’s providence leads to worshipful rest, not fearful striving. (Psalm 46:10; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 1:6)

Psalm 46:10 “10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Small Group Discussion Questions

In Psalm 139:13-14, what stands out to you about how personally God formed you, and how does that challenge the way you talk to yourself about your worth?

Where do you feel the tension most right now between living your everyday responsibilities and trying to discern God’s will for your future? (Psalm 139:16; Proverbs 3:5-6)

David says God’s thoughts are “precious” and “great” in number (Psalm 139:17). What does it look like, practically, to live like you are remembered by God even when you feel overlooked by people?

“When I awake, I am still with thee” (Psalm 139:18). What morning worry or fear do you need to hand to the Lord this week, believing He is still with you?

What is one obedient step you can take in the next seven days that would put your life more fully in God’s hands, trusting His plan and providence?

Closing Thought for Discussion

If God formed you, framed your days, and stays with you, then you can stop chasing an identity and start following a Shepherd. The question is not, “Does my life matter?” The question is, “Will I trust the God who made my life and follow Him into the future?”