Family Devo: PSALM 46: A SONG ABOUT GOD'S STRENGTH

Read the text and briefly discuss it together. Some discussion-starter questions are provided. Then read the closing text as a guide to your family prayer and finish by praying together and singing a hymn.

Psalm 46 is a special song some Israelites who lived a long time ago wrote with the Holy Spirit’s help. The song tells everyone to trust in God no matter what is happening around them. Here's what it says in simple words:

God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So we will not be afraid if the earth shakes, or if the mountains fall into the sea. We will not fear even if the oceans roar and foam, or if the mountains shake at the raging sea. Think about this. There is a river which brings joy to the city of God. This is the holy place where God Most High lives. God is in that city, and so it will not be shaken. God will help her at dawn. Nations tremble, and kingdoms shake. God shouts, and the earth crumbles. The Lord of heaven’s armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our protection. Think about this. Come and see what the Lord has done. He has done amazing things on the earth. He stops wars everywhere on the earth. He breaks all bows and spears and burns up the chariots with fire. God says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations. I will be praised throughout the earth.” The Lord of heaven’s armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our protection. Think about this. (ICB+)

God is our safe place and our strength. He is always there to help us when things get tough. So, even if the world feels like it's falling apart, we don't need to be scared. 

There's a river that makes the city of God happy. This river is about God being right in the middle of His city, making sure it's safe and happy. All who trust in God for their salvation are the citizens of God’s city (Rev 21:1–4; Heb 12:22–24). God tells us to be still and know that He is God. He promises to be famous all over the world. And He promises to be with us, like a strong fortress.

Here are three main points from these teachings:

1. The Lord looks after you to make sure you have what you need (like food and rest).

2. He gives you new strength when you are tired and weak.

3. He plans a good future for you. He wants you to have hope that, in the end, everything will be okay, and you’ll have a home with Him forever.

Discuss:

• Why do you think it's important to remember that God is our refuge and strength when we face problems?

• Imagine you're feeling very worried or sad. How can remembering Psalm 46 help you feel better?

• What does being still and knowing God mean to you? How can you practice this in your daily life?

This week, we learned a little bit about one of the Bible’s Psalms of restoration. Let’s say a prayer together and promise the Lord we will always trust in His strength as our strength. 

—JLP

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BEING & RAISING "CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR"

Image
I wrestled in prayer for years, trying to become like an ancient "son of Issachar." They "understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chr 12:32 NET), so they wisely supported King David. Today's "sons of Issachar" understand AD 2024 and know what the church and Christian families should do. The church is "spiritual Israel," continuing the storyline and covenants we read about in the Old Testament. Fulfilled in Christ, they now find expression through the New Covenant in His blood. Israel's mission was to bring Christ into the world. Ours is to bring Him back (2 Pet 3:11–12). This is fundamental. Jesus is King and the loyalty of the world, church, family, marriage, and individual is due Him. Humanity's duty at all these levels is to serve Him faithfully and loyally. Only when individuals are faithful will marriages and families be. The church cannot be unified and focused on the mission if the member families are broken. An...
Read more

Friday Family Devo: WEAR GOD'S ARMOR!

Image
Read the text and briefly discuss it together. Some discussion-starter questions are provided. Then read the closing text as a guide to your family prayer and finish by praying together and singing a hymn. As we learned in last week’s devo, there’s a war going on in our world between good and evil. God is good, and all who want to be good must be on His side. God doesn’t expect us to fight without His help, though, so read Ephesians 6:10–20 together and then think about these things: When we're fighting for what’s true and right, we need to remember, we’re not alone. God gives us His strength to make us able to keep on keeping on. In fact, He promises never to leave us (Hebrews 13:5). All He asks of us in return is to trust and obey Him.  Pray for protection! Evil spirits serve Satan and somehow tempt people to evil and deceive many in the world. We can’t see them, but God can, and He can keep us safe. All we have to do is ask Him to, James 4:2 says so. A little later in James 4, i...
Read more