Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way

Read Psalms 137-138

Head

Merry Christmas! Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Although today’s reading is not about the birth of Jesus, it very much relates to the hope and joy that are found in Christmas. Psalm 137 is all about waiting and sadness. God’s people were far from home, and their hearts were hurting. They were sad and ready for things to be right again. This is similar to the longing God’s people felt before Jesus came. For many, many years, they prayed and asked God to send them a savior for peace, hope, and rescue.

The tone in Psalm 138 is very different from the sadness in Psalm 137. In this chapter, David says God has heard him, helped him, and strengthened him. It is full of praise to God for answering prayers and keeping His promises. Just like God answered the prayers of David, He answered the prayers of His people when He sent His son, Jesus! He promised to send a savior, and He kept that promise when Jesus was born!

Heart

The circumstances and the feelings of the writers of these two chapters are very different from one another. In chapter 137, the writer was going through hard times and was filled with feelings of sadness. In chapter 138, David was thankful and happy. In both chapters, they prayed and called out to the Lord. This is a great reminder to us that God is with us in every feeling. We should talk to Him when we are sad, happy, angry, and scared. No matter how we feel, we can pray, and God will listen! When you feel happy OR sad this week, take a moment and talk to God.

Hands

When you feel happy OR sad this week, take a moment and talk to God.

Prayer:  Dear God, thank You for Jesus and the hope and joy that He has given us. Help us to keep Jesus the center of our day today. Help fill our hearts with joy and peace, and help us to share Your love with others today. We love You. Amen.