Psalm 19 can lead to some great conversations and can help us to look inside ourselves for what we are truly placing value on in this life. For students, it is harder now more than ever with social media, to travel down a path that is right but less popular. Social media could also present us with an opportunity to be a positive influence on others through our words and deeds. This type of behavior has to be taught and modeled for our students because the path of resistance has been made so attractive on our social media platforms.
As we look into Psalm 19, I picked out a few verses to look at today since there is so much to Psalm 19. I hope this Psalm and the discussion questions help you and your students think about the influence of our culture on our lives right now.
Psalm 19: 7-14 NIV
The Works and Word of God
19 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.
Takeaway:
King David, a man who clearly can buy anything he wants and does indeed have it all, lets us know that riches or the next greatest gadget or vacation is not what we should be striving for. God is our Rock and Redeemer and that should be number one in my life. Being human, I fall short of this often, especially with social media giving us a glimpse of everyone’s “perfect” lives. How great it is that God sees our faults that we try to hide and pursues us relentlessly anyways. He wants that relationship to grow and flourish. We just need to be open to receiving it.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
How refreshing it is to know that Your will and ways are perfect. I do not need to search through social media or look down the street to find out what my priorities should be. You have given me a perfect path. The path is not always easy and it’s certainly not always popular. Help me to see the path you have for me and be my Rock and Redeemer when things get hard. Give me sound advice and guidance to my students this week on these issues. Give my students the courage to follow your path and your will for their lives. There is so much vying for their attention. Let your voice be louder than all the rest. Move within me and my students and colleagues this week. Thank you for always being our Rock and Redeemer. In Your name, I pray,
-Amen
Weekly Discussion Questions for Students:
- How has social media impacted your friendships at school?
- How do you feel when someone else gets something that you wanted or that you have wanted for a long time?
- Why is it so hard to do the right thing sometimes?
- How could we support each other when it seems like others are not doing what is right?
- What is the drawback of always being connected to people online?
Praise
- Feel free to jot down anything that is going well right now in your life personally or professionally. What is going well for your students?
Requests
- Take a few moments this week to write out any prayer requests you might have for your students, their families, and yourself personally.
Praying the Psalms Over Your Students
While I am not going to have a post of every Psalm, I have picked a few that would be meaningful to me and the students and staff that I am working with this year. If you have missed the last few, feel free to check these out and share them with others!