I hope that reading through the Psalms is really showing you what a huge variety of songs/prayers these are. I know that I was always tempted to think of the Psalms as a particular kind of praise and worship hymn. The verses people memorize and sing tend to be that way. But as we read through all of them we see so many different emotions and occasions. This week really shows the variety. Monday and Tuesday are about feeling like God has abandoned you and trying to remind yourself that isn’t true. Thursday and Friday are amazing songs of praise. Then Saturday is a kind of travelogue of Jerusalem and Sunday is a reflection on the fleeting nature of life. And Wednesday is a straight up wedding song! Please make it a goal to point this out to your kids so they can really see how the Psalms have something to say about all of our emotions and life events.
Monday May 25th, Psalm 43
Today’s Takeaways:
- Even when we don’t feel like it – especially when we don’t feel like it – we need to remind ourselves that God deserves our hope and praise
Today’s Talking Topic:
- Verse 5 is a very famous Psalm and is a good one for memorization. When it feels like you’re alone, you’re not alone. God will rescue you!
- When is the last time you needed to be rescued?
Tuesday May 26th, Psalm 44
Today’s Takeaways:
- Never forget that everything is possible through God. When things are bad we need to remind ourselves that God performed great deeds in the past and we can ask him to do great deeds now.
- In the middle part of this psalm everything seems to be going wrong and at the end we perhaps expect for God to hear the psalmist and answer his prayers. But it doesn’t end that way.
- Paul quotes this Psalm in Romans 8:36
Today’s Talking Topic:
- Sometimes things on the outside seem to be going wrong (or are going wrong). But the knowledge that God is with us can carry us through.
- Can you think of times in your life that you felt helpless or alone? Did it stay that way?
Wednesday May 27th, Psalm 45
Today’s Takeaways:
- There are so many kinds of Psalms. This one is a wedding song!
- Older kids note: the church has traditionally interpreted this as containing a messianic prophecy, with Christ being the bridegroom of the church. Do you see any references in this Psalm that would make you think of Jesus?
Today’s Talking Topic:
- Who do you think the song is being sung to? (The king of Israel!)
- Can you tell anything about the woman he was marrying? (She was foreign – verse 10)
- Did you know there were things like this in the Psalms? What do you think about that?
Thursday May 28th, Psalm 46
Today’s Takeaways:
- God is a source of power and a refuge in times of trouble. We started the week with a few Psalms for the times when we feel alone. Today is all about praising God at the top of our lungs!
Today’s Talking Topic:
- The song “A Mighty Fortress is our God” is a paraphrase of this song. do you recognize it from church? Watch a tradition choir version here.
Friday May 29th, Psalm 47
Today’s Takeaways:
- This is another song of great praise. It seems to be after a battle or some kind of victory. We can read it as after the fact: God came down to help his people and now he is going back to his throne.
- “God has gone up” probably refers to Mt Zion in Jerusalem. Some people think this is David bringing the Ark of the Covenant there, but we don’t know.
- The trumpets are probably shofar – ancient horns that are made of actual ram’s horns! These are blown on the holiest days in the Jewish calendar.
Today’s Talking Topic:
- Sometimes we know God is helping us. We can just sense it. But do we clap, hoot and holler when we see God at work? We should.
Saturday May 30th, Psalm 48
Today’s Takeaways:
- Mount Zion is the hill in the middle of Jerusalem. Today we call it the Temple Mount. It’s the highest point in the city of Jerusalem.
- This was the main city for the Jews. It was where the king lived. It was where the temple was. This Psalm is describing everything to see in Jerusalem and how awesome it was. It must have felt incredibly special to be there.
Today’s Talking Topic:
- Have you ever been to a really big city like New York or Washington DC? What did you see there? What did you think about it? Imagine being a kid in ancient Israel who went to Jerusalem and how they felt.
Sunday May 31st, Psalm 49
Today’s Takeaways:
- We shouldn’t think too highly of ourselves when we do something great. It’s okay to be proud of your accomplishment – but don’t make the mistake of thinking that you alone are responsible or that it will last forever.
- No one lives forever. If we put our faith in anything other than God, that thing will someday go away. So put your faith in God and it will last forever!
Today’s Talking Topic:
- What’s the thing you’re most proud of? Why are you so proud of that? How do you think others helped you accomplish that? God/mom/dad/coach/etc. Did you thank them? You should. Nothing happens on its own.
Munger Kids 