Righteousness
At snack time, talk about God’s desire that we “hunger” and “thirst” for righteousness. Discussion point: The role of confession, obeying God’s Word and the Spirit.
As parents, we so often hear our children ask for a drink of water or a snack. Use these requests as a cue to talk about “hungering and thirsting for righteousness.” Each time you serve a drink or a snack, use it as a reminder to ask God to put a hunger and thirst for righteousness in your hearts.
Questions for discussion
- Who gives the plants a drink when they are thirsty?
- How does God water the plants?
- The Bible compares rain to God’s Word. How are they alike?
- Can righteousness really rain down from heaven?
- Does drinking rainwater make you righteous?
- Could you eat the pages out of a Bible to become righteous?
- Read Psalm 119:9-11. How can we make sure righteousness “grows” in our hearts?
Key concepts
God provides water so thirsty plants can grow. God also gives us water and food to satisfy our physical needs, but He wants us to “thirst” or desire righteousness in the same way that we crave water when we are thirsty. God’s Word tells us that He will bless us and fill us when we hunger and thirst for righteousness. Reading the Bible is one way we can learn about avoiding sin. The other way we can become righteous is through confessing our sins and asking God to send His Holy Spirit to live in us, to teach us to live righteously.
Relevant Scripture
Psalm 135:6-7 “The Lord does whatever pleases Him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths. He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses.”
Isaiah 55:10-11 “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 45:7-8 “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the Lord, have created it.”
Psalm 119:9-11 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
- Acceptance
- Adaptability
- Attentiveness
- Christmas
- Compassion
- Confidence
- Consideration
- Contentedness
- Cooperation
- Courage
- Courtesy
- Discernment
- Easter
- Faithfulness
- Forgiveness
- Generosity
- Gentleness
- Gratitude
- Harmony
- Honesty
- Humility
- Joy
- Kindness
- Obedience
- Patience
- Perseverance
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Reverence
- Righteousness
- Self-control
- Thanksgiving
