Scripture: Psalm 1:4-6 (6 for littles)
“Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”
Welcome
After an unfortunate incident in a bounce house, we are awaiting results for a potential broken bone for our daughter. It is only her finger, and she is fine. This minor injury, along with some recent bodily ailments common to young children including eczema, scraped knees, and stomach woes, have prompted some interesting conversations in our house recently as our children get frustrated with their bodies. They are each processing the reality their body may not always heal or grow in a way that they would choose. As annoying (and trivial) as their ailments may be, they do not change God’s love for them, nor His presence with them. Subsequently, we have had some neat conversations about heaven and the expectancy we can have for our heavenly bodies.
As we look at the second half of Psalm 1, the Psalmist speaks of the end result for the wicked: ultimately they will be unable to stand in the judgment and their path will lead to destruction. In contrast, the Lord promises to watch over the way of the righteous. “Watch over” indicates continual presence with us and care for us. Even if in the present, the wicked seem to prosper, and even if in the present, you don’t see any end in sight to your trial, the Lord promises to look over your way. Rather than focusing on how we would serve judgement from God’s seat, we can trust His sovereignty even in our broken world. We can thank Him for His unmerited grace and favor as we walk through life’s struggles under His watchful care.
User Update:
Despite Mark and my desire to have a devotional void of Paw Patrol figurines, the six Rectors and the six Paw Patrol Rescue Wheels Racers, set down for our devotion. Focusing on verse 6, we discussed what it means to be righteous, a term we realized our children did not know. Then we spent most of our time discussing how to know if what you are doing is righteous. One child looked at us and asked, “Mom and Dad, do you guys always know when God is speaking to you?” My husband inadvertently laughed out loud, as our child had no idea what a loaded question he had asked. We talked about the guidance that scripture and the Holy Spirit give us to know what is right. Then the same child followed up with “So God puts ideas in our brains to know what to do?!” In many respects I believe he is correct- the Holy Spirit can put people and plans on our heart. Then we must hold these ideas up to scripture to make sure they are from the Lord and consequently, we are able to walk faithfully into what He has called us. I pray that we would slow down and look out for ~ideas in our brain~ from the Holy Spirit whether that be
-to encourage a family member/ coworker
-to confess a sinful habit
-to use your God given gifts at church or in the community
Thank you Lord that you watch over us always, may we seek to live according to your Word. Next week we will begin to walk through Psalm 8.
Have a great week!
Anne
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