What have you seen God do this week?

FRIDAY QUIET TIME

It’s Friday. Let’s focus on gratitude today. Let’s start by reading Psalm 97:1–12 (NLT)

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¹ The Lord is king!
Let the earth rejoice!
Let the farthest coastlands be glad.
² Dark clouds surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
³ Fire spreads ahead of him
and burns up all his foes.
⁴ His lightning flashes out across the world.
The earth sees and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.
⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
every nation sees his glory.
⁷ Those who worship idols are disgraced—
all who brag about their worthless gods—
for every god must bow to him.
⁸ Jerusalem has heard and rejoiced,
and all the towns of Judah are glad
because of your justice, O Lord!
⁹ For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
¹⁰ You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He protects the lives of his godly people
and rescues them from the power of the wicked.
¹¹ Light shines on the godly,
and joy on those whose hearts are right.
¹² May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord
and praise his holy name!

What are 3 things you are grateful for today? (They can big or small.)

What are 1 or 2 big ideas you have learned this week? Write a few sentences about them.

THURSDAY QUIET TIME

Today is our last full day of camp. Let’s make sure today counts — it’ll be a lot of fun!

Scripture – Let’s take a look at Psalm 63.

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A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah.
¹ O God, you are my God;
I earnestly search for you.
My soul thirsts for you;
my whole body longs for you
in this parched and weary land
where there is no water.
² I have seen you in your sanctuary
and gazed upon your power and glory.
³ Your unfailing love is better than life itself;
how I praise you!
⁴ I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
⁵ You satisfy me more than the richest feast.
I will praise you with songs of joy.
⁶ I lie awake thinking of you,
meditating on you through the night.
⁷ Because you are my helper,
I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings.
⁸ I cling to you;
your strong right hand holds me securely.
⁹ But those plotting to destroy me will come to ruin.
They will go down into the depths of the earth.
¹⁰ They will die by the sword
and become the food of jackals.
¹¹ But the king will rejoice in God.
All who swear to tell the truth will praise him,
while liars will be silenced.

Observe

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When David wrote this, enemies were out to destroy both his life and reputation. They spread rumors about him and tried to kill him. David’s forced into hiding in the desert. Though David lacked water and protection, he uses these needs to reflect on his more desperate need for God. His body pants for lack of water, but his eyes scan the wasteland for any sign of his Lord (Psalm 63:1). He knows God can quench his thirst better than any spring.

In his longing, he remembers the times when he saw God’s glory and power (Psalm 63:2). He saw God fight on his for him in battle. And he experienced God’s blessing and presence when God’s ark was stationed in his city (2 Samuel 5:24, 6:13-14). Thoughts of God fill David’s mind even in the late hours of night (Psalm 63:6). To him, God is not only a strong protector, but a beautiful lover. God’s love is better than life (Psalm 63:3). God can satisfy him with his presence. David is confident that he will spend all his life praising the generous hospitality of the God who satisfies him so fully (Psalm 63:4-5). 

No matter his circumstances, David does not try protect himself. God has always helped him when he’s needed it. And he trusts God to continue to shelter him from desert heat and hide him from his enemy eyes (Psalm 63:7-8).

David knows God will not let him stay on the run forever. He knows God will soon silence the lies of the enemy.

Apply

Everybody goes through hard things in life. What is something you can do to remind yourself of God’s goodness and faithfulness to you in the midst of difficult circumstances?

David mentions that he meditates on God’s word. Do you have a favorite Bible story or verse?

Pray

“Dear God, thank you that you are good and faithful no matter what I’m going through. Please help me to never lose sight of the fact that you are always for me and working everything together for my good (Romans 8:28).”

WEDNESDAY QUIET TIME

Wow, we’re already halfway through camp! Today is such an important day. Let’s take what we learned yesterday about SOAP and try it out with Psalm 15.

Scripture – Check out Psalm 15. David is asking, “God, who get’s to be near you?”

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¹ Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
² Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
³ Those who refuse to gossip
or harm their neighbors
or speak evil of their friends.
⁴ Those who despise flagrant sinners,
and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
and keep their promises even when it hurts.
⁵ Those who lend money without charging interest,
and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever.

Observe – Let’s take a few minutes to understand what Psalm 15 is saying.

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This psalm opens with a question about who can dwell with God (Psalm 15:1). The rest of the psalm is David’s answer to his own question.

People who can enter God’s presence are righteous (Psalm 15:2a), honest (Psalm 15:2b), clean tongued (Psalm 15:3a), loving (Psalm 15:3b), and caring (Psalm 15:3c). They hate evil (Psalm 15:4a) and fear God (Psalm 15:4b). People who experience God’s presence have integrity (Psalm 15:4c), are generous (Psalm 15:5a), and protect the innocent (Psalm 15:5b).

In short, the people who can come close to God are those who genuinely serve him. God is looking for people who keep his law, reflect his character, and pursue holiness.

This prayer was most likely prayed as Israelites made trips to the temple during certain holy days (Deuteronomy 16:16). That’s why David talks about staying in God’s tent and hanging out on his holy hill (Psalm 15:1).

The hope is that this song will lead them to turn form their sins. If there is evil within them, they can make it right before getting to the temple. 

Apply – How does this change us?

So, like those who first heard this psalm, we should also use this psalm to reflect on own hearts. Do we walk blamelessly, speak truthfully, refrain from gossip and insults, hate evil, and love well? Do we meet the qualifications laid out in Psalm 15 that will allow us to draw near to God?

Obviously, none of us are perfect. That’s why we need Jesus! Anyone to truly trusts in Jesus will be treated by God as if they perfect like Him.

Pray

“Dear God, help me to see you today. Help me to want to be closer and closer to you. As I put my trust in Jesus, help me to live for you. Amen.”

TUESDAY QUIET TIME

Chances are, you use soap every day … at least, we hope you do 😉 The letters SOAP are also a great way to interact with the Bible! Here’s what we mean …

S – Scripture. Start your time today by reading the verses below. You may need to read them slowly or even more than once to fully pay attention to it.

O – Observation. Take a little time and notice any words, phrases, or ideas that pop out to you. Ask yourself, “What is the big idea here?”

A – Application. Ask yourself, “What will I do in response to what I’ve read and observed? How will this truth impact my day?”

P – Prayer. End your time in prayer. Ask God to help you carry the new truth with you.

Ready to give it a try? Here we go!

Scripture – Psalm 1

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¹ Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
² But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
³ They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
⁴ But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
⁵ They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
⁶ For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

Observe – What words or phrases stick out to you?

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Here are a few thoughts to consider …

Psalm 1 deals with how we can be blessed, and how we can be in a happy and right relationship with God (Psalm 1:1a). This is a big deal.

Psalm 1 separates the world into two categories: the righteous and the wicked (Psalm 1:6). The righteous are those who are right with God, while the wicked are not.

What’s the difference? Where they are planted.

The wicked are described as living and working in evil. They walk in guilt, take their stand on wrongdoing, and finally plant themselves in pride (Psalm 1:1b). They believe this way of life will make them thrive, but it actually only leads them to wither and die.

That is why the wicked are described as chaff. Chaff is the worthless and dead part of a stalk of grain that is easily blown away by the wind (Psalm 1:4). They are like dandelion fuzz destroyed with a single breath.

But the righteous are pictured as a healthy, fruit-bearing tree because they are planted by a stream of water (Psalm 1:3a). They are not chasing what they think will make their lives thrive. Instead, they are resting in what God says will make them thrive: God’s law (Psalm 1:2). The “law” refers to the first five books of the Bible. This psalm tells us that meditating on God’s Word brings life and thriving.

Being blessed (or prospering, as this psalm calls it) is to be by the stream. This tree always has healthy leaves and puts out its fruit in season because it constantly draws nourishment from the stream. He or she prospers because they’re living a life informed by God’s Word.
The wicked wither because they aren’t connected to the source of life (Psalm 1:5). The righteous flourish because they are deeply rooted.

Apply

Ultimately, Jesus is the stream of life from Psalm 1 (John 7:37). Blessing comes to those who plant themselves next to him. This isn’t done through striving, like the wicked who walk, stand, and sit. We plant ourselves in Jesus by resting, trusting, and believing in who Jesus is (John 7:38).

Don’t walk in your own strength. You will wither. Trust in Jesus and you will thrive. Don’t stand on what you can do. You will dry up. Plant yourself in what Jesus has done for you, and you will flourish. Don’t sit stubbornly in your own pride. You will die. Rest humbly in Jesus and you will live.

What do you think you need to do in response to this scripture? Does anything need to change?

Pray

Take a few minutes and pray. Here is a sample prayer you that you can make your own:

“Dear God, thank you for your truth today. Please open my eyes to see your for the blessing that you are. Help me to see Jesus as the stream by which I can be planted and grow today. Help me to grow in you. In Jesus name, Amen.”

What do you want to see God do this week?