Scripture:
Psalm 1:1-2 (vs. 2 for littles)
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.”
Welcome
We all have a complicated relationship with rules. There are rule followers, rule breakers, and rule spectators (rules for thee, not for me!) I confess I have often classified myself as a rule bender- stretching the boundaries of what is allowed but always ready to offer an explanation, albeit a lousy one, for my actions. As adults, we can be constantly frustrated when the rules we set in place are not respected. As I type this, my children are upstairs, wandering between rooms, after I clearly instructed them to stay in their own rooms to nap. The frustration stems from the fact that we know the rules that we set in place are for the good of our children, but children often don’t have the vision to see the value of our rules. This is such a humbling metaphor as we think about the law that God has given us. Psalm 1:2 instructs us to delight in and meditate on the law of the Lord. We can delight in the Lord’s law because the boundaries that it provides do not restrict us, rather they help us to live a fuller life walking in His Spirit. (see John 10:10)
Specifics and Logistics:
As we consider these verses, here is what each age group is focusing on in the devotional…
Littles: Littles are looking at the importance of rules and why we can be thankful that God has given us rules in the Bible.
Bigs: Bigs are considering how we might delight in God’s law and learning to confess our reactions to portions of God’s law that are a challenge to us.
Grown ups: Grown ups are doing all of the above and praying for a desire and a conviction to follow God’s law.
User Update:
When we talked about rules with our children, we saw that they had a good understanding that rules are put in place for their safety. They know they can’t go in the street without a grown up because we want to keep them safe. In our discussion, we also realized they lacked the understanding that rules are put in place for them to live more fully. We do not let them eat candy for breakfast, not because it’s dangerous, but because we want them to have sustaining energy for their morning. We then made the parallel that God’s law in the Bible is there to protect us and enable us to live more fully.
As we were wrapping up, I asked “What can we remember about God’s rules?” Rather than a verbal reply, I look up to see Anonymous Rector A smacking Anonymous Rector B across the chest. Between the hitting and the bickering over the candy bowl (not breakfast time mind you), I can’t tell you for sure what all was gleaned in the Rector house this Sunday, but we can rest in the sufficiency of God’s word. As it says in Isaiah 55:11,
“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Have a great week!
Anne
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