Today’s Reading:
Read II Kings 2:1-11; II Kings 4:1-7
Start off today’s devotional time by pouring water into a small cup. Talk about how many bigger containers you would need to transfer the amount of water from the small cup to a bigger cup. (This won’t make sense at first, but once you read today’s reading it will!)
God had used Elijah as a powerful prophet. He had provided Elisha for him as someone to help and someone to continue the work God had for them, even after Elijah was gone. Amazingly, Elijah was taken up into heaven in a miraculous way. Our reading tells us that a chariot came for him and took him to heaven in a whirlwind. When Elijah was gone, Elisha became the prophet that the people of God listened to.
Many miracles were performed by Elisha. God used Elisha to show His power to the people by providing for those in need and even healing people who were sick. And God provided for Elisha through the generosity of a woman’s family who gave Elisha a place to live.
The people recognized Elisha’s power and when they faced problems, they asked him for help. One woman asked him to help provide for her family because her husband had been killed. Elisha asked her what she had, if anything. She answered a jar full of oil, but that was it. Elisha encouraged her to gather as many empty containers as she could find. Once she gathered the containers, the woman took the jar of oil and began to pour it out. Miraculously, the small jar of oil continued pouring into a lot of containers. The oil ran out when the last container was full. God had provided above and beyond what the woman needed.
Application/Prayer:
How big is your faith? God provided the oil to fill all of the containers the woman had gathered. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many containers she got, but do you wonder if she wished she had gotten more containers? God filled the containers based upon how many she had gathered. Ask God to give you the kind of faith that believes He will give you over and above what you need!
June Memory Verse:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Using the daily reading prompts from George H. Guthrie’s Read the Bible for Life, here’s how to use this devotional:
- Bring your Bible! Your kids need to see that everything you are reading to them or learning about comes from an actual Bible!
- Each day starts with a reading prompt. Read the selection as a family. If your kids are readers, encourage them to read along with you.
- After you’ve read the passage, read the short devotional thought that goes along with each passage.
- Prayer and application are important any time we read God’s word! After each devotional, there is a challenge to help apply what your family has read that day.
- There is a reading for six days of the week. The last reading of the week is a Gospel Conversation Prompt to help you connect the reading from the week with God’s plan for salvation.
Other Resources:
June memory verse coloring sheet
June Fill-in the blank activity