Bible lessons for persons with cognitive disabilities
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Psalms 19 part 2 "The law of the Lord" (© Jeff McNair)
Begin by asking people how they sat or stood or walked this past week (see Psalms 1 lesson). I told them to hold up the card with the picture at the top that best illustrated which of the three they did this past week.
In Psalm 19:7-11 there are several words used that mean the same thing as the word "rules." I will read each verse, and see if you can tell me the word in the verse that means the same thing as the word rules.
The law of the Lord is perfect reviving the soul. That's right, the word is law.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy making wise the simple. That's right, the word is statutes.
The precepts of the Lord are right giving joy to he heart. That's right, the word is heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant giving light to the eyes. That's right, the word is commands.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure, they are altogether righteous. That's right, the word is ordinances.
OK, lets think through each of these phrases. The law of the Lord revives the soul. What if you saw someone who was having a heart attack, what would you do? Some people may answer CPR. When you do CPR, you help someone who is dying to come back. You revive them. Gods rules revive us, they give us life when we didn't have life. But the verse says that God's rules revive our soul. The lead us to salvation which is life.
The statutes are trustworthy. They make simple people wise. That is, if you know what the Bible tells you to do, even if you are not a very smart person, you will be thought of as wise because you know what the Bible says. You become as trustworthy as God's rules become. People will come to you and think of you as a person with wisdom because you know what the Bible says.
The precepts are right. They give joy to your heart. You know, doing what is right gives a Christian joy. There is joy in doing what is right. You don't need to have people applauding for you, or even telling that you did a good job because it is reward enough to do what is right. It makes our heart joyful.
The commands of the Lord are radiant. What does radiant mean? It means it like glows, or gives off light to the eyes. I am reminded of the verse that says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). God's rules lead us. They tell us what to do and how to live.
The ordinances are sure they are altogether righteous. God's rules can be counted on. They are a "sure thing." They are more precious than pure gold. I am reminded of the commercials for buying gold that are on right now. They say that gold has never been worth nothing. It has always had worth. God's rules will always have worth like gold. But they are also like honey. One characteristic of honey is that it never goes bad. It is always good, always sweet. Not only are God's rules sweet, they can be counted on to be so.
There are many examples you might give for each of the above sections. Try to make each section as practical as possible.
Finally is the foreboding verse 11. It says, "By them your servant is warned." Turn to one of your students and say, "What would it mean if I said to you, 'I warn you, don't do that.'" It means he is in trouble. If we do not keep God's rules, we will have trouble in our lives directly related to not keeping God's rules. For example, if I steal from someone, nobody will trust me and I may end up going to jail where many other bad things would happen to me. If I have sex before I am married, I degrade myself, I risk becoming pregnant and in a situation I would not choose to be in, and I risk a variety of diseases. If I don't keep God's rules, I can expect that bad things may happen to me. God's rules are a warning to me.
But verse 11 also says, "in keeping them there is great reward." If I keep God's rules that doesn't mean I will never have any troubles. But it does mean that I will have less troubles because I will not face the troubles I would face by not keeping God's rules. By being obedient, there is great reward in having a less troubled life and in being obedient to God.
Finally, by obeying God's rules, I benefit my soul (it is revived), my mind (I become wise), my heart (I have joy), and my eyes (I see what I should do). God's directions are given to bless us, to help us.
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© Jeff McNair