What is your favorite book you’ve ever read? Was it a nonfiction account of a historical event? A book of poems? Maybe it’s a piece of classic literature that uses its words to transport you to a different time and place. The Bible is all these and more! When we know that God loves us no matter what, we see His Word for what it is – an incredible reminder of that love and a trustworthy tool that reminds us that our relationship with the Lord should be at the top of our list of priorities.
LOVE IS...
MEMORY VERSE: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
This Week’s Finish Line: Knowing God loves us helps us trust His Word!
Josiah became king when he was eight years old, following his dad and his grandfather who did not love God or trust His Word. When Josiah was 26 years old, some of his friends were cleaning out the temple and they found something that changed their lives forever. They found a scroll from the Book of the Law of the LORD that was written by Moses. Bible scholars think it was the book of Deuteronomy! When Josiah heard the words in God’s law, “he tore his clothes in despair…For the LORD’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord.” (2 Chr. 34:19, 21) Before they found the scroll, Josiah had already been seeking God and tearing down idols in the land. But now, finding the scroll was such a big deal because it told Josiah of God’s love for him and how to respond to that love. You see, there were a lot of laws (“rules”) in the scroll, but they weren’t written to get people in trouble. They were a love letter from God to tell the people how to live. Josiah read the scroll to the people and the bible tells us that “throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the LORD, the God of their ancestors.” (2 Chr. 34:33)
Family Questions:
READ 2 CHRONICLES 34:14-21, 29-33
- Look at verse 14. What was found when they were fixing and cleaning out the temple? (The Book of the Law of the Lord that Moses wrote.) Why do you think this was a big deal? (Back then not everyone had a copy of the Scriptures. Usually only the king, the priests, and other special people would get to read them.)
- Reread verse 21. What made King Josiah so sad? (God had given them the book because He loved them so much. The people had forgotten that, so they were not reading it or following what God said was good. God had a right to be angry with them.)
- What did King Josiah do? (Read God’s Word to ALL the people) What did Josiah promise to God? (Obey Him and His Word with all his heart and soul.)
READ DEUTERONOMY 7:6-9
- What do you learn about God in these verses? (God chose Israel and saved them because He loved them, not because of anything they had done. He keeps His promises, is always faithful, and His love never ends.)
- What do these verses tell you that God wants us to choose to do? (He wants us to love Him back and one way we can do that is by trusting and following His word.)
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: Meal Time
Over dinner this week, talk to your kids about idols you may have in your lives. In our story this week, King Josiah trusted God’s word and tore down the idols that were in Judah. An idol is anything we make more important than God. We might not have idols that are statues, but we can all make something more important than God. What are some idols that you make more important than God? Sports? Grades? Stuff? Relationships? Opinions of others? God loves you so much and wants to be most important in your life! Talk together about how you can start to tear down some of your idols today so you can love God with all your heart, soul and strength.
Friend: Drive Time
As you drive, look around and point out things that people (or maybe even you, yourself) make into idols. Ask your kids if any of these things can really love you back or always keep you happy. Who is the only one who can perfectly love you? (God!) Talk about some truths about God that you remember from His word to help you put God first in your lives this week.
Counselor: Bedtime
Thank God for the gift of His Word and that you can read it for yourself. Ask Him to help you love Him back by trusting and following His word. Pray specifically that your love for others would be patient and kind. Sound familiar? Check out this month’s memory verse (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a) for more ways to pray!
Coach: Anytime
Grab a stack of index cards and write 2-3 words from the memory verse on each card. Shuffle the cards together and see if you can put them in the correct order. Do it again, but time yourself to see how long it takes. You can even have a competition within your family to see who can do it the fastest!
Prayer
Pray and thank God for loving us no matter what! Thank Him for giving us His Word and that we can trust him! Praise Him that you are fearfully and wonderfully made!
Looking Ahead
Next week, we will be continue in the month of February with our character trait, LOVE. We will be talking about how knowing God helps us love others.
Subscribe here to start getting our monthly email to stay in the know with everything going on with Watermark Kids!
Image via Flickr Creative Commons