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TEXT: Psalm 1
SUBJECT: Kids’ Sermon #45: The Lord Knows
Listen up, kids!
This is the second Sunday afternoon of the month and time for another sermon, especially for you. For the last several months, we’ve studied Psalm One. Now, we’ll finish it, the Lord willing, but before we do, let me ask you a few questions:
You’ve done ver well answering the questions out loud, but here’s one I want you to answer silently—don’t speak up about it, but just answer it to yourself: Are you happy? I don’t mean are you happy in the sense that you laugh all the time or just got your allowance, but are you happy in the way Psalm One means it?
If you’re not, you can be. But only in God’s way. And that’s the way of holiness. The longer you try to be happy your way, the less happy you’ll be. That’s true, not because I say so, but the Lord does, and
"God cannot lie".
THE QUESTION
Psalm One has said a lot about happiness, but there’s one thing it hasn’t explained yet. It hasn’t told us why the godly person is happy.
It’s not because godly people are always better looking or smarter or better at sports or more popular than other people, for that’s not true. It’s also not because they have perfect parents or brothers and sisters, because they don’t. Godly people have the same problems that others have: we get sick, we feel lonely, friends move away, people we love die, and all the rest. Psalm 34:19 says,
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous".
So why is the godly person happy? That’s the question.
THE ANSWER
The answer is found in the first part of v.6,
"For the LORD knows the way of the righteous…"
The godly person is happy because the Lord knows his way. Now, let me tell you what this means:
It does not mean the LORD is aware of the godly person or knows where he is, what he’s doing, and so on.
The Lord knows all these things about His children, of course—but He knows that much about everyone else too. No one and nothing escapes the attention of the Lord. Proverbs 15:3 says,
"The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
keeping watch on the evil and the good".
The Lord knows everything about everybody—good or bad, in thought, word, and deed,
"God will bring every work into judgment—
including every secret thing—whether it be
good or whether it be evil".
The Lord is aware of the righteous, but that’s not what it means here.
"The Lord knows the way of the righteous" means He keeps an eye on them for good.
Sometimes, you may wish your parents weren’t keeping an eye on you. But other times, you’re glad they are. Think about when you’re sick, lying in bed with a high fever, maybe. Then, it’s good to know they’re not off at work, but have stayed home to keep an eye on you.
Let me tell you a story about my childhood. About forty years ago, my mom and I went shopping. The store was huge, and I was excited to be there, and before you know it, I lost my mom! I was never so scared in my life—a big store, full of strangers, miles away from my home! I panicked…
Until I looked down the aisle and saw Mom. Though I’d lost her, she hadn’t lost me. I was wandering all over the place, but she was keeping an eye on me.
That’s what the Lord does for the righteous—He keeps an eye on us for good!
And that’s why the godly person is happy. Whether he’s a man, woman, or kid, he knows His Father in Heaven is watching him in love.
THE CORROBORATION
That is what our verse teaches—and the rest of the Bible too. Here’s a small sample,
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole world, to show
Himself strong on behalf of those whose
Heart is loyal to Him" (II Ch. 16:9).
"For He looked down from the height of
His sanctuary; from heaven the Lord
Viewed the earth, to hear the groaning
Of the prisoner" (Ps. 102:19-20).
"But He knows the way that I take",
(Job 23:10).
"The angel of the LORD encamps around
those who fear Him, and delivers them",
(Psalm 34:7).
"As a father pities his son, so the LORD
pities those who fear Him", (Ps. 103:13).
"Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your Presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold You are there.
If I take wings of the morning, and
Dwell in the uttermost part of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, surely the darkness shall fall
On me, even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day; the darkness
And the light are both alike to You",
(Psalm 139:7-12).
Why is the righteous person happy? Because the Lord’s eye and ear and heart are on him all the time, wherever he goes, whatever the circumstances. The Lord is there—and He loves him!
THE CHALLENGE
Do you want the Lord to be there for you? Do you want Him to keep you out of trouble? Do you want Him to help you when you are in trouble? Do you want Him to hear your prayers? If so, you’ve got to be "righteous".
Psalm One does not say,
"The Lord knows the way of the wicked".
No! It says,
"He knows the way of the righteous".
The eyes and ears and presence of God are not comforting to the ungodly! No, they guarantee his doom. But the seeing and hearing and nearness of the Lord are sweet to the righteous—because they mean he’s safe.
How do you become righteous? Only by repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ. Not just believing there is such a Person as Jesus Christ—Satan believes that—but by trusting Him to save you.
If you become righteous through faith in Christ, how do you live? You live in obedience to His Word. Not perfectly, of course—no one does that, but Christ. But you want to know His will, you try to obey it, and when you don’t, you confess your sins to the Lord and try to do better.
That’s what a righteous person is and what he does. And that’s the kind of person who is happy—now and forever.
Now, you become happy. And the love of God be with you! Amen.
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