At some point in most of our lives we have wanted to stop and God, “Why?” Why me? Why this? Why now? God wants us to be honest with Him but He often doesn’t answer, at least not in the way we expect. He quietly calls us to trust Him, to believe that He is in control of our situation and remember He loves us deeply. God is never surprised. He sees how everything throughout all eternity fits together perfectly. When we have the right view of His perfect authority, we can learn to fear the Lord in good times and bad; whether having the time of your life or running for your life and hiding in caves.
FEAR: Having the right view of God’s perfect justice, grace, and authority
MEMORY VERSE: “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the LORD your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul.” Deuteronomy 10:12 (NLT)
This Week’s Finish Line: Having the right view of God means understanding His perfect authority
We are wrapping up our month talking about what it means to fear the Lord by watching David trust in God’s perfect authority before he became king. In both 1 Samuel 24 and 26, David is given the chance to do away with Saul, who has been trying to kill him, and make himself king. David was on the run for years, hiding in caves despite having been anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel. Twice he had Saul in his grasp yet refused to take his life because God had chosen Saul as king. David knew God was in complete control of his situation and had authority over everything that was happening to him. In Psalm 103:19 David writes that the Lord established His throne in heaven and rules over all. Even in the midst of hiding in caves from crazy kings we can know that God loves us and has complete authority over all.
Family Questions:
- What would you have thought of David’s actions if you were one of his followers in the cave?
- How did David show he feared the Lord? What reasons did he give for his actions?
- Do you have any situations in your life where it’s hard to believe that God is in complete control? What do you learn about God from David’s story that can help you continue to fear the Lord even when you’re in the middle of difficult circumstances?
Bring It Home: 3 Activities to Illustrate God’s Authority to Elementary Kids
1. Puzzled
Get a new puzzle and take out some of the pieces. Give your family the rest of the pieces but don’t let them see the picture on the front of the puzzle box or know they’re missing pieces. Try to put the puzzle together. Is it easy to know where the pieces go if you can’t see the big picture or don’t have all the pieces? Who is the only one who knows all and can see how all the pieces fit together? God has perfect authority and knows the “why” behind everything that happens!
2. Nothing is Impossible!
After breakfast one morning give each child an assignment (make it snow, create real flowers for the yard, put a new star in the sky, heal a sick person, etc.) You children will look at you strangely (if they don’t already do so) and say, “What?” Repeat the assignment and ask them why they can’t do it. Explain that only Jesus (who is God) can do all these things. THAT is why we obey Him. He made everything and has all-power, so He is in charge! (From D6 Family: Splink. You can sign up to receive weekly activities to do at home with your kids!)
3. Memory Verse Catch
Take your family outside and play a game of catch. The first person to throw the ball has to say the first word of the verse. The person who catches it must say the next word and then throw it to the next person. Continue doing this until you get through the whole verse. Time yourselves and see how fast you can go!
Prayer: Psalm 103:11-13, 19
Thank God for His unending love and compassion for those who fear Him. Thank Him for being the perfect authority over everything. Ask Him to help you remember who He is in the middle of difficult times. Thank Him for being right there with you even if you’re hiding in caves like David!
Talk Back
How have you seen God’s perfect authority working in your family? Have you had to walk through a hard time and couldn’t see what God was doing until after it was over? How did you use that time to teach your kids more about who God is?
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