Beatitude 1: Depend on God
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Memory Verse
God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!
This week’s verse is all about dependence. But what does it mean to depend on God?
Dependence means that you can trust him to take care of you. In Luke 12:22-28, Jesus tells us that we should trust him to care for us because we can see how God takes care of the birds and the flowers.
But depending on God means more than just trusting him. It also means asking him for advice. We know this because Jesus was always asking God for guidance. Think about the many times in the Bible where he slipped away to pray, like in Luke 6:12-16. In this passage, Jesus is about to pick his twelve best friends. Instead of eenie-meenie-miney-mo-ing the decision, he left everyone behind and prayed an entire night, asking God who he should choose. Then, in the morning, he returned and picked his 12 disciples.
Just like Jesus, we need to depend on God and ask him for advice before making big decisions, like who we will be friends with, what we will do for after-school activities, or which shows and movies we will watch.
Can you think of one way to practice relying on God this week? It doesn’t have to be a big decision. Sometimes, the best way to learn how to depend on someone is to start small.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for being there for me. Help me remember to talk to you before making big decisions, even some little ones. Please forgive me for the times when I thought I could do it all on my own. In Jesus’ name, Amen.Related Resources
Christina Van Starkenburg
Christina Van Starkenburg is an award-winning freelance writer and author of The Key Thief and One Tiny Turtle: A Story You Can Colour. In her free time, she enjoys reading, dancing, and exploring the world with her husband and three kids. Visit her at www.christinavanstarkenburg.com to read more.