My husband, Glenn, is sharing these daily lessons for our West Huntsville family as we are necessarily (because of the virus) spending less time physically together in worship, study and fellowship. We may be “socially distanced,” but we’re a close-knit family and we want to keep it that way! One way to stay on track together, spiritually, is to think about a common passage and make applications for our lives together even when we are unable to assemble as frequently. I’m sharing these daily family lessons here for those in other places, whose families (or even congregations) might benefit from a common study in these uncommon days of semi-quarantine. There are Family Bible Time guides included, as well. You can adapt, shorten or lengthen them according to the ages of kids (and adults) in your family. Blessings.
From Glenn:
My Favorite Proverbs: Choosing good companions (Prov. 13:20).
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed.”
No one is perfect in this old world, but there’s a big difference between one who fears God and one who does not. Psalm 14:1 unflinchingly calls some people fools: “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’”
In the history of mankind, perhaps the greatest example of making bad companion choices involves the Israelites moving into the land of Canaan. They were commanded by God in plain terms to drive the Canaanites out of that land. This expression of God’s anger came with this caution: “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.”
What God told them to do, they did not do:
“But the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem; so the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem to this day” (Jud. 1:21).
“Nor did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; so the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them” (Jud. 1:27).
“Nor did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco or the inhabitants of Sidon, or of Ahlab, Achzib, Helbah, Aphik, or Rehob” (Jud. 1:31).
Here was the sad consequence of disobedience:
“I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’” (Jud. 2:1-3).
“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel” (Jud. 2:10).
This is the reason parents of teens are concerned when their teens are running with kids who drink, or use drugs, or play video games which contain immoral material or have become sexually active. It is also a critical reason why marrying someone who isn’t a Christian is eternally dangerous. It is predictable that we will be somehow influenced and drawn away from our commitment to Christ. Where do you suppose Lot’s daughters learned the atrocities they committed with their father? From their Dad? No (2 Pet. 2:8). Apparently, they were influenced by their vile friends in Sodom.
Today, think about not only the friends you now have, but also what kind of friend you are. There are two kinds of friends; friends around whom it is easy to be good, and friends around whom it is easy to be bad.
Pray for wisdom as you work to be the right influence on all your friends.
Bible Time with Glenn and Cindy
Tonight’s family Bible time comes from 2 Samuel 12:15-23, the sad conclusion fo the David and Bathsheba union. Read these verses and relate them to your children, emphasizing that David fasted and prayed for the baby for seven days, until he died. Also relate that the servants were afraid to tell David that the baby was dead, because he was so distraught about the impending death. They were surprised when he got up, cleaned up and began eating upon learning that the baby was dead. Talk about why he did this. (He was fasting and praying in case God would change His mind, but when he knew that the death prophecy was fulfilled, David knew he had to get up and live his life so that he could go to heaven and see his son.)
- Review once more the three super-powers of God that make Him sovereign.
- In view of these three things, did God know for sure the baby would die even before the baby became sick? Was he with the baby when he died? Was He also with David when the baby died? Was He also with Bathsheba at the time of the baby’s death? Was he there with the servants who discovered that the baby was dead? Was he also on His throne in heaven? Did God have the power to make the baby well, if that had been His will?
- What was the first thing David did after cleaning himself up? How important is it for us to keep on worshipping God faithfully, even when we have hard days or when we have failed in some area of our lives? For small children, talk to them about how much we are missing worshiping with the rest of our congregations during the COVID days and how very much we want to gather together to worship again. “Do you miss your Bible class and your teacher?” Ask them to help you sing some of the songs they sing in Bible class. Have them call their teacher and tell her that they miss getting to come and worship with her. Have older children write a letter to one of the elders (or leaders, in cases where there are no elders) and tell him that they are missing the assemblies and that they appreciate the elders’ work to try to bring us back together for worship.
- Pray with your children and pray that very soon the Christians will get to come together for worship again.