Morningview Family Worship Week of July 4, 2010
Psalm for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 146 (ESV)
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
4 When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.
5 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!
Scripture Memory for the Week: Psalm 146:3-5
Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God
Praying through the Psalms
Day 1 ~
Read: Psalm 146:1-4
Consider:
For Adults: This psalm both begins and ends with “Praise the Lord!” which is the one-word-sentence in Hebrew, “Hallelu-yah.” The psalmist calls all who hear to worship the one true Sovereign God as the sure hope for those who are suffering or oppressed. As you meditate upon this psalm this week, examine your heart to see if there are things other than Christ from which you are looking for security. Consider verse 3 and resolve to make the LORD your only hope.
Older children: How do you think we are tempted to put our trust in things and people (even leaders) other than God? What do these verses tell us about trusting in heroes or leaders over God?
Younger children: Have you ever been given a toy that broke right after you started to play with it? How did (or how would) that make you feel? Were you disappointed? Did you know that sometimes we are tempted to trust in our leaders or other people to save us rather than God? Does the Bible say (v.3) that we should do this?
Family Application: Talk together about all of the things that people put their hope in other than Jesus? Talk about why we are tempted to hope and trust in things that we see or things that may bring temporary joy and how important it is to remember the truth of who God is whenever we find ourselves doing so.
Pray: Praise God today for His sovereign reign over all the universe and for how only He is a sure hope of salvation. Pray that He would help you to not trust in things that are temporary and passing away.
Meditate: Write this week’s memory verses on a white board in your home and/or on index cards that each family member can carry with them during the week.
Day 2 ~
Read: Psalm 146:5-7
Consider:
For Adults: This section of the psalm frames the great contrast between placing vain hope in earthly powers (as described in verses 3 & 4) and placing one’s trust in the living God. As one reads these remaining verses of this psalm, the excellencies of God’s character are unfolded to him and thus the reasons for trusting in Him are made clear. As you meditate on this psalm this week, let the character of God again lead you to worship Him and rest in Him as your sure hope and comfort.
Older children: Why do you think that governments of cities, states, and nations almost always have a police force? How are police supposed to uphold justice and why is that so important? How does God “uphold justice for the oppressed?”
Younger children: Did you know that “blessed” means something like “happy,” “joyful” and “content?” How does trusting in God make people “blessed?”
Family Application: Talk together about the attributes and acts of God that we see here that prove God is worthy of our trust. Consider how each of God’s attributes here both show His glory and comfort for His people.
Pray: Use your time of prayer today as an occasion to worship God specifically for the attributes we see in these verses. Consider giving each member of the family a different attribute to praise and thank God for as you pray together.
Meditate: See if anyone in the family can quote this week’s memory verse. Make new note cards of any of the cards from day 1 that may have been lost.
Day 3 ~
Read: Psalm 146:8-9
Consider:
For Adults: In these concluding verses, the psalmist crescendos his litany of God’s excellencies as upholder of justice, healer of the blind, and liberator of the captive. Why do you think a proper understanding of the cross is so important to help us love and celebrate God’s justice rather than to flee from it in fear and terror? Why must the work of the cross be applied even (and especially) here when we read that God loves “the righteous?”
Older children: These verses say that God set prisoners free. Can you remember a new testament story where God did this (literally)? What “prison” does the Bible say that all mankind is bound to because of Adam’s sin? How does God set prisoner’s free in this way? How did Jesus set prisoners free (as he promised)?
Younger children: Have you ever heard the stories of how Jesus healed the blind and returned their sight? Did you know that God is full of compassion and that He loves to help those who call out to Him in their need? Can you think of something that you should pray about this week for God’s help?
Family Application: Talk together about how God is both a glorious savior to the righteous and yet a terrible enemy to the wicked. Talk together about the cross, the gospel and how God invites His enemies to become His children.
Pray: Praise God today for how He reigns, bringing both salvation to all the needy who call upon Him and terrible retribution upon all those who delight in evil and injustice. Pray that God would magnify His own praise in your heart and that you would more faithfully and boldly speak the gospel to all those held prisoner under the power of sin.
Meditate: See again if anyone in the family can quote this week’s memory verse. Talk about any ways that this verse has encouraged or taught you this week.
Hymn of the Week
http://nethymnal.org/htm/g/f/gfathers.htm
