ACA Devotional (2025)
Notes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
Hey everyone! Today, we’re going to talk about something we all feel sometimes—being scared or worried. Maybe you’re afraid of the dark, a big test, or a mean kid at school. Fear can feel big and heavy, right? But did you know there’s one special fear that can actually help us with all our other fears? It’s called the "fear of God." It’s not about being scared of God like He’s mean—it’s about trusting and respecting Him so much that our other fears don’t feel as big. Let’s look at a cool song from the Bible, Psalm 27, to see how this works!
See/Stop, Light & Salvation
See/Stop, Light & Salvation
In Psalm 27, a guy named David says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). Let’s figure out what that means:
Most of our fears in life are related to our limits as a human being. Sometimes we’re afraid because of things we cannot see. Sometimes it’s things we cannot stop.
Light: Picture this—you’re in a dark room, and you can’t see anything. It’s scary because you don’t know what’s there! But if someone turns on a flashlight, you can see, and it’s not so bad. David says God is like that flashlight—He helps us see when we’re confused or worried about what’s coming next.
Salvation: This means being saved from trouble. Imagine a superhero flying in to rescue you from danger. David says God is his superhero—He protects us when scary stuff happens, like when we feel stuck or helpless.
So, David’s asking, “If God is my light and my saver, why should I be afraid of anything?”
All Kinds of Fear
All Kinds of Fear
David had some crazy fears! He was scared of enemies who wanted to hurt him—like really bad guys.
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart will not be afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
I will still be confident.
David felt surrounded by trouble, like an army trapping him with no way out. And sometimes, people said mean things about him or even left him all alone—like his own family!
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.
11 Because of my adversaries,
show me your way, Lord,
and lead me on a level path.
12 Do not give me over to the will of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
breathing violence.
Our fears might look different, but they’re kind of the same:
Being Hurt: Maybe not by bad guys eating us (yikes!), but by bullies or people who are mean to us.
Feeling Stuck: Like when you have too much homework or problems at home that feel too big.
Personal Conflict: Arguments with friends or family that just won’t stop.
Personal Attacks: Accusations and attacks for things you didn’t do.
Feeling Alone: When people we love let us down or leave us.
David says that even with all these fears, he doesn’t have to be afraid because God is with him. And guess what? God is with us too!
One Thing Only
One Thing Only
When David was scared, he didn’t ask God to zap his enemies or fix everything right away.
Instead, he said, “One thing I ask from the Lord… to live in His house all my life and see His beauty” (Psalm 27:4).
That means David wanted to be super close to God—like best friends—more than anything else.
There’s a story about Jesus visiting two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was busy making everything perfect—cooking, cleaning, all that stuff. But Mary just sat with Jesus, listening to Him. Martha got annoyed and said, “Jesus, tell Mary to help me!” But Jesus said, “Mary picked the best thing—being with Me.”
Sometimes, we worry a lot about stuff like making friends, getting good grades, or being liked.
Those are good things, but if we care about them too much, it can make us super stressed. David said, “Even if my parents leave me, God will still care for me” (Psalm 27:10).
That means God’s love is the biggest thing, and it never goes away—even if other stuff doesn’t work out. So, we should put God first, not our worries.
How to Be Close to God
How to Be Close to God
David loved being close to God—like hanging out in God’s “house.” For us, we can do that by:
Singing: Like when we sing songs at church or at home.
Praying: Talking to God like He’s our friend.
Reading the Bible: Hearing God’s stories and promises.
When we do these, it’s like sitting with Jesus. It makes us feel safe and loved, no matter what’s going on.
Jesus had tough times too—people hurt Him, lied about Him, and left Him alone. But He trusted God through it all. Because of Jesus, we can trust God too. So, when we’re scared, we can remember:
God is our light, showing us the way.
God is our saver, keeping us safe.
Being with God is the best thing ever.
Let’s try spending time with God every day—like saying a quick prayer or reading a Bible story. It’ll help our fears shrink because God’s always with us!
