(Screwdriver, plywood, and screws teach us along with Samson that God’s Spirit gives us incredible strength.)
The Lord gave us the blueprint of His Word to architect our family on Jesus Christ.
Going through the Bible with your family…
Weekly Scripture:
Judges 13 & 15
Story:
"Samson"
Application:
God’s Spirit Makes Us Strong.
Summary:
The Philistines ruled the Israelites for 40 years when the Angel of the Lord came to Manoah’s wife, who had not given birth to any children and told her she was going to have a son. Her son was to live to the Nazirite vow and this included never cutting his hair. Manoah requested of God that the Angel of the Lord return and speak to him. After this the baby was born and named Samson. When Samson grew up he found he had GREAT strength whenever the Spirit of the Lord came upon him. One time Samson caught 300 foxes and set fire between their tails and burned the Philistines crops. The Israelites delivered Samson bound to the Philistines. However, God gave Samson incredible strength and he broke free from the ropes, picked up the jawbone of a donkey and killed one thousand Philistines. Afterwards, Samson was very thirsty and he asked God for water. The Lord split the ground and made water flow for Samson.
Focus:
That our children will learn that God’s Spirit has not changed and just as strong, if we will just depend on Him through obedience to God’s Word.
Finding Christ:
We have another manifestation of the Angel of the Lord who is the preincarnate Christ.
Live the Lesson:
You will need a power screwdriver, plywood, and a few screws. Remove the battery power pack from the power screwdriver. Ask you children to each take a turn attempting to use the powerless screwdriver to turn a screw into the plywood. Very difficult, if not impossible for a child.
Now show them the battery. Explain to them this battery pack is a lot like what the Holy Spirit is for each of us. It is power, just as the Spirit is our power from God.
Put the battery pack in the screwdriver and now show them how easily the screws go into the wood. Clarify to them how when we are obedient to God’s Word and yield ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit, He too can be our strength and help us to do things we could never do in our own strength. Whether that is to love the unlovely, to forgive a trespasser, to witness to a stranger, to overcome a strong temptation, or to give to another out of our own need. We can do all things through Him who strengthens us.
For more free family devotional resources visit www.familyblueprint.org
Memory Verse:
"The Lord is the strength of my life." Psalm 27:1
Prayer:
Dear Lord, please help us to yield completely to the power of Your Holy Spirit that we may be strong where we would otherwise be weak.
Living the Life:
This week discuss with your children how the Holy Spirit can help us achieve God’s will by giving us power from on High.