ELEMENTARY KIDS & FAMILIES date
4.8
[My son] has access to a great God who can provide deliverance in any difficult situation. Inspire (for parents) I was about to pull out my hair! My son and I were becoming increasingly frustrated with completing his homework. It became a nightly battle. His reading level was low, my anxiety was high, and we both wanted to be done. On this particular night, we sat and worked on his assignment for almost four hours (by the way, he is only in first grade). Most of the homework time was spent with his head in his hands and me asking him to turn on his brain.
I received unsolicited encouragement from my son’s teacher. She had noticed significant improvement in his reading and writing skills. I knew we were making progress, but the affirmation from his teacher was a great reminder that we trust in a God who delivers. Experiencing this in such a tangible way with my son gave me an opportunity to teach him that there are times when Mom or Dad can’t fix his problems. But, he has access to a great God who can provide deliverance in any difficult situation.
Finally, I realized I needed to step away. We both needed space. We took a break. Later, when I tucked him into bed that night, by Christine Szeto I specifically prayed God would help him (and me) with this monster called homework. God heard our prayers that night, because within a week, He sent us an English 16:16–35 teacher, a reading specialist, and Scripture: Acts Prison) (Paul and Silas in a concerned principal. Those few s Deliver weeks that my son and I struggled Main Point: God ur family to ned to allow yo were long—I would have preferred sig de is ce ur so This re your children hard labor over homework fights. d’s Word before Go in e tim ve ha n is for parents Because God’s pla But I cherish how quickly God attend church. children’s faith, l nurturers of their came to our aid. to be the spiritua , your children lly u grow spiritua yo as at th ow we kn In fact, after we worked lly as well. will grow spiritua diligently over the next few weeks,
Getting Started
Equip (for parents) When Paul and Silas visited Philippi on their REM EMB “If yo second missionary journey, they encountered ER v u ers a demon-possessed slave girl who “followed mou confe E s Paul and the rest of [them] shouting, ‘these belie th, ‘Jesu s with y men are servants of the Most High God, God ve in yo s is Lor our who are telling you the way to be saved’” d dead raised h ur heart ,’ and (Acts 16:17). Though her words might i that Rom , you w m fro sound positive, they were a distraction m ans i ll be t 10:9 and a nuisance. After several days, save he d.” Paul had had enough and commanded the demon to leave. That did not sit well with people. In Acts 16, they were indignant and brought Paul and Silas to the Roman officials on charges of “throwing [the] city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for … Romans to accept or practice” (vv. 20–21). Paul and Silas were aware of the painful, lonely road they would walk as ambassadors of Christ. Maybe this was the reason Paul hid his Roman citizenship from the Roman officials until after he had been delivered from jail. Perhaps Paul wanted to show solidarity with the Christians in Philippi, who would continue to suffer at the hands of hostile unbelievers. In any event, God was faithful to His suffering servants by delivering them from jail and using the situation to bring salvation to the jailer and his family. God provided for the missionaries He sent to do His work. And the first missionaries lived out the truth—that knowing God, the Deliverer, is worth the pain, the loneliness, and the suffering that might accompany the journey.
Support
(for parents & kids)
Just for fun, ask your children to choose a song to sing loudly to God this week. It could be a favorite hymn or song from the TruWorship CD, Radio the World. Join them in singing praises to the Lord. Then read the biblical account of Paul and Silas in prison in Acts 16:16–35. Explain to them that even when Paul and Silas were in jail, they still chose to sing and pray to God! Invite your children to share some things about following Jesus that feel hard for them. Make sure to share from your own life, and tell your kids a few things about following Jesus that have been difficult for you. Spend some time in prayer about these things, and ask God to remind you that He is always with you. Share with your children that what they just heard is part of The Big God Story in the Bible, and they will hear more at church this week about how God delivers. Close your time by thanking God for always glorifying Himself and for being our deliverance.
© 2011 David C. Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.