Family Worship #7
Family Worship Guide
Sunday, April 26, 2020
SING
READ
Psalm 27:1-14 (ESV)
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
LISTEN
WATCH
ASK
The Theme of Psalm 27
Q: Why would Allen Gardiner say as he is dying, "I am overwhelmed with a sense of the goodness of God"?
A: Allen Gardiner saw the goodness of God as ultimately the presence of God. You see he had that “one thing” who was God, therefore, he had nothing to be afraid of.
Q: What were some of the trials David mentions that he faced in Psalm 27?
A:
- He was pursued by enemies. (vv2-3)
- He was shut out from the house of the Lord. (v 4)
- He was abandoned by his parents. (v10)
- He was subject to slander. (v12)
Psalm 27 starts on a powerful note of triumph and it builds up from there. This is David’s recognition that God’s strength is made perfect in his weakness.
Four Ways to Overcome Fear in Your Life
Pastor Kevin said that there are four ways to overcome fear in your life.
Q: What is the first way to overcome fear in your life?
A: By reminding yourself of the reasons why you should not fear (v1).
“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?”
–Psalm 27:1
Q: David mentioned three reasons why he did not fear. What are they?
A:
- God is light.
God’s light is the answer to fear for David. - God is salvation.
David trusted in God’s deliverance. - God is his stronghold.
David believed that God’s shelter was the greatest refuge.
Parents, remind your children of the fact that although David mentioned he would not fear, his problems were still a reality—they were still present.
In verse 2 David describes his enemies as cannibals wanting to eat his flesh, but he states, “it is they who stumble and fall.” He describes his enemies as encamping around him, but he states, “my heart shall not fear.” He mentions that wars rise against him, yet he will be confident.
“David’s deep personal relationship with God enables him to face life even in its most threatening forms without fear.“
Q: What is the second way to overcome fear in your life?
A: By recognizing the source of your confidence (v4-5).
“4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.”
–Psalm 27:4-5
Q: What was David's source of confidence?
A: The presence of God.
David says that his soul’s desire is after one thing. This one thing describes his single purpose:
“One thing have I asked of the Lord,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to inquire in his temple.”
–Psalm 27:4
Parents, ask your children what is their greatest passion in life.
If they answer with good things, encourage them that when God becomes their greatest passion then they will be able to enjoy their other passions better.
“Worship is the key which opens the door to an enriching life.“
Q: What is the third way to overcome fear in your life?
A: By depending on God’s care for you as father.
“6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9 Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.”
–Psalm 27:6-12
Q: What did Pastor Kevin mention is the reason people's attention is directed to verse 10?
A: Because being forsaken by a parent is one of the greatest pains in life.
Parents remind your children of these stats listed by the Huffington post titled “America’s Abandoned Children.”
Each year 40,000 new infants are placed in foster care,
25% of individuals who end up in prison spent time in foster care,
30% of people who are homeless spent time in foster care.
People are drawn to these verses also because they see an example of a good parent. David turned to God’s care as his father.
Q: What are the four things David sought after concerning God's parenting of him?
A:
- He seeks to be heard.
“7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
–Psalm 27:7-8 - He seeks acceptance.
“Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation!”
–Psalm 27:9 - He seeks guidance.
“Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.”
–Psalm 27:11 - He seeks protection.
“Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.”
–Psalm 27:12
Q: What is the fourth way to overcome fear in your life?
A: By waiting on the Lord.
“13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!”
–Psalm 27:13-14
In the midst of our pandemics, fears, or troubles, we must learn to wait on the Lord. One of the ways that we can wait on the Lord is to pray to the Lord. Prayer causes us to slow down, to depend on God, and it gives us great confidence in God.
PRAY
–Pray for God to continue to work in the lives of your children so that they can be saved. If they are already saved, pray that they will continue to find their identity in Christ.
–Pray that God will help you to overcome your fears.
–Pray that Christians will continue to share the Gospel to the lost in this time.
–Pray that God’s people would not grow weary in this time but will continue to trust God.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Again, we’d like to direct your attention to our resources page for more info on family devotions.
Here are some coloring sheets, a word search puzzle, and a handwriting sheet that you can print out for your child. These are all meant to be aids to help you with your child(ren). Feel free to print some of these or all of these, whatever will work best for your specific child and his or her age.
