Do you ever have days when you mess up over and over? Days you make the same mistake you promised yourself you wouldn’t make again? Are you ever worried that one of these days God will just get frustrated with you and stop loving you? God has always and will always be faithful, not because of anything WE do but because of who HE is. 1 John 4:10 tells us that love, real love, is from God and He showed it to us by Christ’s sacrifice for us. Because of His sacrifice, no matter the sin, when we confess, He will forgive (1 John 1:9). Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from God’s love. God will always do what He promises and nothing we do can get in the way of His perfect plan. Although we will sometimes have consequences for our actions, we know that God’s faithful love will never fail.
CONSISTENCY: Doing what pleases God each time, every time, for a long time
MEMORY VERSE: “You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully. Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees. Then I will not be ashamed to compare my life with your commands.” Psalm 119:4-6 (NLT)
This Week’s Finish Line: God is Faithful even when Our Actions are not Consistent
In Exodus 14, the Israelites found themselves between the sea and a fast approaching army. They had just celebrated God setting them free from 400 years of slavery in Egypt. They witnessed God’s might as He brought the most powerful nation in the world to its knees. Yet now, trapped between two seemingly immovable obstacles, they are afraid. They doubt God, His plan and His power. They forgot that God will always be faithful to do what He says He will do and He promised to deliver them from Egypt and bring them to the Promised Land. Despite Israel’s inconsistent actions towards Him, He parted the waters of the Red Sea so they could escape on dry land. God then used those same waters that protected the Israelites to destroy the Egyptian army and set His people free… just like He promised He would.
Family Questions:
- Read Exodus 14 with your family. How do you see God be the Hero of this amazing story? How does He show His power?
- When the Israelites saw the Egyptians coming, how did they fail to trust God? What did they do? Did God stay faithful to them?
- Do you ever feel like you’ve done something or could do something that would make God not love you? What was it? Which verses could you use to combat those lies?
- How does it make you feel knowing that God’s love doesn’t depend on anything you do?
Bring It Home: 3 Activities about God’s Faithfulness Despite Our Failure
1. Act it Out
Reenact Exodus 14 with your whole family. Give each person a role to play (Israel, Moses, Egyptians, God). Use a bed sheet as the “Red Sea” that stops Israel from escaping and that “God” can use to blow out of the way and then cover the Egyptians. As you read through the story, have everyone act out their parts. Talk with your kids about their favorite part of the story. How did God stay faithful despite Israel’s inconsistent actions? How does He still stay faithful with us today?
2. Love Never Fails
Find time to spend one-on-one time with each of your kids doing something that is uniquely special to them. Use that time to remind them how much you love them and how grateful you are to be their parent. Ask them if they think there’s anything they can do that will make you stop loving them. Talk about what they say and what it means to ask for and give forgiveness. Explain to them that if you, an imperfect and inconsistent parent, will always love them, how much more our perfect and faithful Father God will always love them!
3. Parting the Red Sea
For this craft you will need red and brown construction paper, tape or glue, scissors and markers. Tape or glue the red paper to the top of the brown paper along both short ends. Cut the red paper in half down the center from one long side to the other. Next make 1″ slits along both sides of the red paper. Have children roll each slit up and tape or glue to make the paper look a little like water rolling up. Write this month’s memory verse, Psalm 119:4-6, in the center of the brown paper. You could also use blue paper for this, as water, but the red color will help them to remember the name of the sea and today’s story.
Prayer
Thank God for being faithful despite your inconsistent actions. Thank Him that His love for us doesn’t depend on anything we do. Ask Him to help you remember who He is when you’re tempted to doubt His goodness and love for you.
Looking Ahead
Next week we jump into a new month talking about Humility. What does it mean to live with the right understanding of who God is, who I am and who you are? You can get a head start on the month but looking at our memory verse, Philippians 2:3-4.