Reading Plan: 

Psalms 103 

The Everlasting Hero 

Author: Austin Sines 

 My favorite part about writing devotions for Venture Church is the opportunity for me personally to dive into God's word more fervently. Psalms 103 will forever be a part of my foundation as a parent and follower of Jesus. When we read this psalm from David, it can be hard to pick out a specific topic to focus on. With the theme of fatherhood in mind, God gave me direction in my reading and exposed a perspective I think we fail to see most of the time. Everyone has someone important in their life, someone they would do anything for. As a parent, I can tell you without hesitation that my crazy four-year-old, Hunter is the most important thing in my life. Some of my favorite moments in life are the moments when Hunter looks up to me as his hero. For a long time, this has been my goal. To be able to teach Hunter how to be a good person and have a good life. That's what we want for our children, right? Let me tell you something that shook me to my core this morning when I was reading and praying over this scripture.  

We can't be the hero of our child's life. 

Let me tell you why and break down David's Psalm to help us understand better. In verses 1-5, David tells us not to forget what God has already done for us. God forgives, heals, redeems, satisfies, renews, and crowns us with love and compassion. The first thing we need to understand for our child's sake is that we can never truly provide these things to the extent that they need. Our efforts in these areas are only temporary and will never fulfill ours or our children's needs.  

The amazing thing about God's grace is its sustainability for us. His grace and love are everlasting. We see how evident this is in verses 6-18. This is the kind of love I want my boy to experience in his life and I know that God is the only One who can give that to him. The life that God can provide him surpasses anything that I ever could. It's easy to see and understand this when we look at God's strengths through our weaknesses. His grace is everlasting, not mine. His love endures all, not mine. This is why God needs to be the focal point of our lives, and more practically this is why:

Our children need to know God is the Hero of our life. 

Being a parent isn't easy, but it's a whole lot easier when you're doing it with purpose. My greatest joy in life right now is in the micro-moments when I get the opportunity to teach my son about God. This is a tall order and can sometimes seem like an impossible task. I love that this chapter ends in praising God because it gives us hope and relief. We can praise Him for everything. Today, let's praise Him for what He is going to do for us and in our children's life.

Reflection: 

• What has God laid on your heart today?  
• What do you need to do to better lead your family? 
  
• If you're like me, you might feel stressed because of this responsibility. I want you to know that you're not alone. One of my favorite things about this church is our resources. House Church is one of my favorite things my son gets to experience right now. Most of the conversation goes right over his head, and he might spend some days watching Daniel Tiger in the other room, but what he does know is that on Wednesday nights, we all get together for a community that is focused on a God we love and owe everything to. 
  
• Prayer: God, we thank You for everything that You have done and what You're going to do. Thank You for the love and grace You provide to us and for the hope You instill in us for our family members who might not understand You yet. You are the hero of our life and without You, we would be purposeless. Guide us Father as we continue to raise and lead our family, Lord I know sometimes it's not easy, but we pray that You make Your love and grace evident to us. 

HAVE KIDS? 

Use the content below to dive deeper into the Bible Reading Plan with your family. 

Family Application: Song of Praise 

Author: Nichole McCardle 

• Today, we are reading from the book of Psalms. Psalms is a collection of songs that the people of Israel sang when they worshipped God. We can use the book of Psalms to worship God today too! Read Psalms 103. King David wrote Psalms 103, and he gives us lots of reminders of how great God is! In this reading, we see that God is holy, heals diseases, forgives sin, is loving, created us, is slow to anger, and so much more!  
• David reminded himself of all of the great things God had done for him, and he praised God with his all. We can also remember this is the same God who has done so many great things for us too! God created you. He forgives your sins. He loves you.  
• The book of Psalms is full of praise and worship to our great God. Turn on your favorite worship song. Sing, dance, and praise God for His goodness and love. 
  
• Prayer: God, You are holy, loving, and kind! Thank You for all of the blessings You have given me! God, I praise You with my all! Amen.