Family Time…God & Prophecy
Seeing into the future captured my attention as a child. I liked the idea of knowing about something before it happened. It was fascinating to think about! It took me awhile though to understand why God is able to tell the future. I would hear in church at Christmas that Jesus came to earth just like God said He would and as a child I wondered…how did God know that ahead of time? As I grew older and studied the bible, I began to understand “how” God knows the future. He planned all of it ahead of time and since He planned it, He can tell us what is coming next. I realized that I had to accept that God is the only True God and is sovereign and in control of all things. Once I grasped that truth, I was able to understand how prophecy works. Now, studying God’s prophecy is one of my favorite things to do. It still is fascinating!
As a Mom, I found that my son loved to talk about prophecy in the bible even at a young age and my daughter was scared of it! So, I had to tread carefully. When our family discussed Revelation in the early years, my daughter did not like discussing that life would change and bad things would happen right before Jesus returns. Now, she is fine with discussing it. But it took time and understanding that God loves you and desires good for you. Her perception of God mattered. Her trust in God also mattered. It also helped her to understand the “why” God tells you ahead about the future. In scripture, you learn that God gives you prophecy and then fulfills it to help you know that He is fully in charge. He also tells you to help you know that you are listening to the right God and He knows it will cause you to seek Him more. Learning all of that helped my daughter realize that God’s prophecy really is there to help her.
This week in your family time, I would encourage you to prepare by praying for your family and asking God to reveal to you…if anyone in your family struggles with believing God’s prophecy. Ask Him to help you teach your family about His sovereignty and His plan for each of you. God tells you in Jeremiah 29:11 that He has plans for hope and a future for His people. The key to staying calm as you study about the future today and not becoming fearful is in trusting God. In 1 John 4:18, fear is cast out by perfect love…meaning fear is cast out when you trust that God really does love you and desires the best for you. Then, spend a little time looking up prophecy that has been fulfilled in the Old Testament where Jesus was suppose to be born and in the new testament where it shows He was born. Then, look up the same about His death. The scripture references are in the leader answers. There are hundreds of prophecies regarding Jesus in the Old Testament discussing both the first and second time that Jesus comes to earth. Since Jesus is both, some prophecies show He will come as a Servant and others as a King. Many of the prophecies tell what He will do and how He will behave so each time He arrives on earth people will recognize Him. And remember some of the Old Testament passages were written thousands of years before Jesus arrived on earth. For older kids, prophecy about the future still to come or the end times and Jesus’ return can be very interesting and really keep their attention. Ask your family to share how seeing evidence of fulfilled prophecy builds their trust in God. Encourage them to continue to search God’s Word and prove to themselves that scripture and God are true.
Do you need help or prayer for your family time? Email me at SkyMoms@skyranch.org.
I will be praying for you!
Stacy Davis
Click the link below for your free copy of the Sky Ranch “Open your Eyes” Family Devotional …
https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/SkyRanch/EventRegistration.html
https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/SkyRanch/EventRegistration.html
This week we are in the 5th Month Topic and 3rd Family Time (or page 47 ) of the Sky Ranch Devotional “Open Your Eyes”…
Family Time 3:
Month 5 Topic: There is only one God…Prophecy
Talk with God: Read…Jeremiah 10:10, Daniel 2:21-22, Acts 15:16
~ Jeremiah 10:10 But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes and the nations cannot endure His indignation.
- In Jer 10:10, what kind of God is our God?
~ Daniel 2:21, 22 And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding. (22) It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.
- In Dan 2:21, what does God change, establish, and give?
~ Acts 15:16-18 “After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen, and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, (17) in order that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,” (18) says the Lord, Who makes these things known from of old.
- In Acts 15:18, when does God make things known from?
Walk with God: Discuss… God tells us that He is the only God by telling us things before they happen. This special knowledge is called prophecy. When we see prophecy like in Acts 15:16-18 actually happen, it is proof that God is Who He says He is. Discuss other prophecies that have been fulfilled. What prophecies can you think of that have been fulfilled?
Prayer suggestion… Pray that the Lord would help you understand His prophecy.
Family Time 3:
Leader Answers:
- True, living, everlasting
- Times, epochs; kings; wisdom/knowledge
- Things known from of old
- Discussion ideas: Many prophecies of Jesus were fulfilled when He arrived 2000 years ago. Look at (Jesus’ birth) Isaiah 7:14, then Matthew 1:18-25. Look at (Jesus’ death) Psalm 22:1-24, then Matthew 27:45-66. There are many more like these. Only prophecy from God is 100% accurate.
© 2011 Tori Miller and Stacy A. Davis, Inc. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment