Reviving The Soul

Reviving the Soul

Psalm 19 (NIV)

1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. 3There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.ƒn4Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.

In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, 5which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.

7The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb.

11By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

INTRODUCTION: What do you do with an ¡§Alexander¡¨ kind of day?

One of the all-time great children’s books is "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." It is about a boy around 8 years old named Alexander who has one of those days where nothing goes right.

He says, "I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there’s gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

At breakfast Anthony found a Corvette Sting Ray car kit in his breakfast cereal box and Nick found a Junior Undercover Agent code ring in his cereal box, but in my breakfast cereal box all I found was breakfast cereal. I think I’ll move to Australia.

In the car pool Mrs. Gibson let Becky have a seat by the window. Audrey and Elliot got seats by the window too. I said ’I was being scrunched,’ I said "I was being smushed.’ I said, ’If I don’t get a seat by the window I am going to be car-sick.’ No one even answered. I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

At school Mrs. Dickens liked Paul’s picture of the sailboat better than my picture of the invisible sand castle. At singing time she said I sang too loud. At counting time she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen? I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

I could tell because Paul said I wasn’t his best friend anymore. He said that Philip Parker was his best friend, and that Albert Moyo was his next best friend and that I was only his third best friend.

’I hope you sit on a tack,’, I said to Paul. ’I hope the next time you get a double-decker strawberry ice cream cone the ice cream part falls off the cone part and lands in Australia.’

There were two cupcakes in Philip Parker’s lunch bag and Albert got a Hershey bar with Almonds and Paul’s mother gave him a piece of jelly roll that had little coconut sprinkles on the top. Guess who’s mother forgot to put in desert.

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. That’s what it was because after school my mom took us all to the dentist and Dr. Fields found a cavity just in me. ’Come back next week and I’ll fix it,’ said Dr. Fields. ’Next week,’ I said, ’I’m going to Australia.’

On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car, Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and when I started crying because of the mud, Nick said I was a crybaby and while I was punching Nick for saying crybaby my mom came back with the car and scolded me for being muddy and fighting.

’I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,’ I told everybody. No one even answered.