Corona Devo 310

Middle school is hard. Remember? It's hard to fit in. It's hard to be "cool". It's hard to figure out what's happening with your body and emotions. Middle school can be rough.

(9) I have told all your people about your justice.  I have not been afraid to speak out,  as you, O Lord, well know.

(10) I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;  I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.  I have told everyone in the great assembly  of your unfailing love and faithfulness.  ~Psalm 40:9-10

Were we telling all our people about (God's) justice in middle school? I'm not sure I remember doing that. Whipping my braided pony-tail to hit a boy in the face in the library, yes, but sharing about my faith in Jesus, no. Middle school is hard. I was hard too. And so, I wish I had the testimony of telling everyone in the great assembly  of your unfailing love and faithfulness but I was not telling everyone that. Spreading notes and possibly rumors during assemblies, but I fell way-short of talk(ing) about your faithfulness and saving power to everyone in the great assembly, as the Lord well knows.

Children are indeed a heritage from the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. ~Psalm 127:3

Kids are a heritage (gift) from God.  Even though mine drive me crazy sometimes, I have come to realize that most of their crazy-traits fell right off of my (braid-whipping) apple tree.  But the goodness in them: that has nothing to do with me, it's all a heritage from the LORD (Psalm 127:3).

When I saw the big smile on our middle child's face yesterday, I thought it was the relief of finishing school for the weekend, but I was wrong.  The joy in his smile was deeper and came from his boldness in not being afraid to speak out and talk about God's unfailing love and faithfulness.    

Middle school is hard.  It's hard to fit in. It's hard to be "cool". But at the risk of all of this, he was smiling because he had not kept the good news of your justice hidden in (his) heart; (he had) talked about your faithfulness and saving power.  (He had) told everyone in the great assembly  of your unfailing love and faithfulness. (Psalm 40:10).

Well, he hadn't told everyone in the great assembly, but he was on his way. We have been taking a friend of his (that he invited) to church for a couple months. The friend has a sister, and then we started picking her up on Sunday's too. Then one Sunday the mom said she would meet us there, and now my husband and I sit with her for service while our kids have fun in God's name in youth ministries.

And all of this because a middle schooler made a decision in his heart to live out and speak out about God.
Today's smile was because he had invited another friend a couple times and today they said "Yes" to church.

9 I have told all your people about your justice.  I have not been afraid to speak out,  as you, O Lord, well know.

10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;  I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.  I have told everyone in the great assembly  of your unfailing love and faithfulness.  ~Psalm 40:9-10

Life as an adult is hard too. I would ask you to "remember", but we are living it. It's hard to fit in. It's hard to be "cool". It's hard to figure out what's happening with your body and emotions. (I almost erased this, but then I realized it applies all over again, just in new ways!) Yes, life as an adult can be rough.

Add in the Covid-climate (everyone has their own comfort level and new normalcies), and the political climate (What in the world is going on, anyway?) and being an adult today is rough.

But God's word challenges us to be even more bold in these times. As people flop and flounder like fish out-of-water, God's justice, good news, unfailing love and faithfulness is water for our souls, rehydrating our lives parched by lack-of-purpose and hope.

And even though life as an adult is hard, we must have a voice for Christ.. He will multiply the volume of our message, because It Is His Message. But He needs voices to tell of His justice...

9 I have told all your people about your justice.  I have not been afraid to speak out,  as you, O Lord, well know.

10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;  I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.  I have told everyone in the great assembly  of your unfailing love and faithfulness.  ~Psalm 40:9-10

We are no longer children who need to be spoon-fed, and if we have been sitting like students in the pews for years, it is time to stop keeping the good news of your justice hidden in my heart. We must grow up/mature, and tell the people about God's faithfulness and saving power.

People are having a hard time with isolation, disinformation, fear and depression.
Life today is hard.
It's hard to fit in.
It's hard to be "cool".
It's hard to figure out what's happening (per Covid/anxiety/age) with our bodies and emotions.
Life is rough.

We simply cannot keep the good news of your justice hidden in (our) heart.
We must talk about your faithfulness and saving power. 

Lord Jesus, today, give us the strength, courage and compassion to tell everyone in the great assembly  of your unfailing love and faithfulness.  (Psalm 40:9-10)

Blessings,  

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com/



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