February 15, 2026 – A Study of Matthew – Trusting God

Trusting God

Deuteronomy 8:1-5 – New International Version (NIV)

¹ Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the Lord promised on oath to your ancestors. ² Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ³ He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. ⁴ Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. ⁵ Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the Lord your God disciplines you.

What was the reward for following “every command” (verse 1)?

How long had the Lord led them “in the wilderness” (verse 2)?

What was the testing in the wilderness to reveal (verse 2)?

What did the Lord do after humbling the people and causing them to hunger (verse 3)?

What were they supposed to learn in the wilderness (verse 3)?

How long did their clothes last (verse 4)?

What had the Lord been doing (verse 5)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about trusting God?

Matthew 14:13-21 - New International Version (NIV)

¹³ When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. ¹⁴ When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.

¹⁵ As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”

¹⁶ Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

¹⁷ “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered.

¹⁸ “Bring them here to me,” he said. ¹⁹ And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. ²⁰ They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. ²¹ The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Where did Jesus go (verse 13)?

How did Jesus react to the “large crowd” (verse 14)?

Why did the disciples want Jesus to “send the crowds away” (verse 15)?

What did Jesus want the disciples to do (verse 16)?

What resources did the disciples have (verse 17)?

What did Jesus tell the disciples to do with the resources (verse 18)?

What did Jesus do before he gave the loaves to the disciples (verse 19)?

How did the people feel after they ate (verse 20)?

How many ate (verse 21)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about trusting God?

In your opinion, how are the people receiving the manna in the desert in Deuteronomy 8:1-5 and the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14:13-21 similar?

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 - New International Version (NIV)

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

²⁷ So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. ²⁹ For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. ³⁰ That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹ But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment. ³² Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.

What did Paul do with what he “received from the Lord” (verse 23)?

What are we to do “in remembrance” of Jesus (verse 24)?

What is “the cup” (verse 25)?

How can we “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (verse 26)?

Who will be “guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (verse 27)?

What should “everyone” do before eating the bread and drinking from the cup (verse 28)?

How can people “eat and drink judgment on themselves” (verse 29)?

Why are many “weak and sick” (verses 29 and 30)?

How could the Corinthian Christians “not come under such judgment” (verse 31)?

What would this discipline help us avoid (verse 32)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about trusting God?

In your opinion, how can the testing and discipline of the Israelite people in the desert that Moses spoke of in Deuteronomy 8:1-5 be compared with the self-examination that Paul says each Christian should do before remembering Jesus with the bread and wine in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32?

In your opinion, how should the generosity and compassion of Jesus in feeding the five thousand in Matthew 14:13-21 shape our understanding when remembering Jesus with the bread and wine as discussed in 1 Corinthians 11:23-32?

Titus 3:3-8 - New International Version (NIV)

³ At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, ⁵ he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. ⁸ This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

What were we “at one time” (verse 3)?

When did “God our Savior” save us (verses 4 and 5)?

How did He save us (verse 5)?

How was the Holy Spirit “poured out on us” through Jesus Christ (verse 6)?

What do those who are saved have hope of (verse 7)?

What are those who have “trusted in God” to devote themselves to (verse 8)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what does this passage teach us about trusting God?

In your opinion, how are the salvation of the Israelite people as described by Moses in Deuteronomy 8:1-5 and the salvation of Christians as described by Paul in Titus 3:3-8 similar?

In your opinion, how are the compassion and mercy of Jesus proclaimed in both Matthew 14:13-21 and Titus 3:3.8?

In your opinion, how does Titus 3:3-8 help us understand what we are to remember when we follow the instructions of 1 Corinthians 11:23-32?

In your opinion, what do these passages from Deuteronomy, Matthew, 1 Corinthians and Titus help us understand about why we need to go to God in all circumstances?

In your opinion, how do we feed the hungry today?

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)