Psalm 34:1-8, 19-22
Your Story
Talk about a time when God delivered you from your fears or used troubles in your life to make something good happen.
My Story and the Bible Story
Our youth group had a saying that we used to end our meetings each week: “God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!” Good is good all of the time. It doesn’t matter what is happening in our lives, good or bad, because God is always good. Psalm 34 reminds us of that.
Read Psalm 34:1-8, 19-22. From The Message: “I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise. I live and breathe God; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy: Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out. God met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears. Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray. Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him…Disciples so often get into trouble; still, God is there every time. He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken. The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good. God pays for each slave’s freedom; no one who runs to him loses out.”
David reminds us to bless God every chance we get. David’s life wasn’t perfect by any means. His best friend’s dad, Saul, was like a father to him, but wanted to kill him because he knew that David was destined to be king. He had to run from Saul to stay alive. David made some big mistakes in his life. And several of David’s children died. But still David says that he will praise the Lord every chance he gets, because no matter what, God is always good. David reminds us that we can run to God no matter what happens. And God will be there, every time. God doesn’t expect us to get ourselves out of our own messes. Instead, God is right there beside us, helping us up and turning something good out of our troubles. God has saved us and redeemed us and continues to help us. Because of all of that, like David, we are called to praise God every chance we get. No matter what is happening, the God of the universe is there. We don’t have to hide what we feel or what we have done because God knows all of it. God will calm our fears and pick us up when we fall. Our God is always there. Praise the Lord!
Discussion and Action
• Talk about ways to praise God this week. What does it mean to bless God every chance we get?
• Ask your children to talk about their fears. As a family, talk about how God can calm their fears.
Prayer
Praise the Lord for who He is! Thank Him for always being there and for helping us.
Jessica Asbell is currently serving as the Minister to Children at First Baptist Church of Roswell, GA. She has worked with children in various capacities at several churches, including Winter Park Baptist in Wilmington, NC, First Baptist of Decatur, GA, and Highland Hills Baptist in Macon, GA. She has a Master of Divinity from McAfee School of Theology and a BBA from Mercer University. In her spare time she loves to read, watch movies, and of course spend time with her sweet kitty, Lucy.
