Trail Life Troop
NC-613
Devotional – Discernment
Opening
- Today we learned what values are, now let’s see what the Bible says about what God values.
- Read, or someone read the Teaching verse. FYI: The memory verse is further down
Philippians 1:9-10 That your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.
Devotional
Big picture Discernment - judging well
- Q: How do you know what is right and what is wrong? How do you decide what to do?
- In life, YOUR life, you need discernment to know what to do.
- Discernment means having keen insight and good judgement.
- However, sometimes, right and wrong are not easy to distinguish between.
- With God’s help, though, you can be discerning with keen insight and good judgement.
- Two things to remember about discernment are related to God’s providence:
- God is good and can be trusted. He will always lead you to do the right thing.
- God is sovereign over all history. Even when you do the right thing and things still go wrong or bad you can trust that God is in control and will work everything together for good.
- God’s providence is defined as God doing in the world what He wants to do, carrying-out His plan.
- Going back to our first question, “how do you know what is right and wrong?” Trust in God is the answer, trusting in God’s good and perfect will for you and for the world.
- Having discernment = trusting God, no matter what. You must trust that God is good even when things go wrong or don’t seem to go your way. Because His ways are higher than our ways, we don’t often see God’s larger plan.
- Do you trust strangers with important decisions? No! That is why you need a strong relationship with God. That relationship is built on daily prayer and Bible reading. He loves you and wants to know you.
- If you don’t trust God, you will never go to Him for answers to help you.
- Proverbs says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” That’s where discernment starts.
Memory Verse #2
Ask if anybody knows it yet and can say it? Read it together 2X Consider having a memory verse pamphlet for kids take home.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Topical Questions
Compare the teaching and the memory verse connections between God and discernment.
The memory verse gives us a guide to discernment: Trust in God, Lean on God, Listen to God.
- If the Bible says wisdom and discernment are found knowing God, what are non-Christians relying on?
- What does the fear of the Lord mean? Does it mean we live in fear?
- What is an area in your life that you would pray for Godly discernment?
Closing Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us so much that no matter where we are or how bad life gets You are there with us. Your love reaches to the heavens. We ask that You help these boys to trust in You. Help them to have discernment in all things. To remember to trust in Your goodness and love all their lives. We pray these requests in Your name, Jesus Christ. Amen!
