Today’s Reading:
Read 2 Samuel 5:1-10; I Chronicles 11:3; I Chronicles 12:38-40; Psalm 133
It was finally time! ALL of Israel decided it was time to anoint David as King. David became the King of Israel. The Israelites said, “The Lord also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people, Israel, and you will be ruler over Israel.’” (v. 2) Finally, David became the King, and he led his people to work together to defend Israel.
In today’s reading, we read how David UNIFIED the people of Israel. Unified is a big word, isn’t it? It means being together or working as a team. David took all the warriors, soldiers and leaders of Israel and led them to take over the city of Jerusalem, which became known as the City of David. 2 Samuel 5:10 says, “David became more and more powerful, and the Lord God of Armies was with him.”
Remember how we compared the Psalms that David wrote to his journal? When you read Psalm 133, you can see David’s gratitude for the UNIFIED people of Israel. Psalm 133:1 uses the word, “harmony”, which is another way of saying working together or being unified. David knew that it was “delightfully good” when the people worked together.
Application/Prayer:
Using a picture your family chooses, work together to cut the picture into puzzle pieces. Then work together to put the picture back together! Talk about how when we work together it makes big tasks seem easier. This may be a great opportunity for conflict resolution! Sometimes working as a team might lead to conflict. Commit to working together as a team to finish the puzzle but to also work through or resolve any conflict that might come up along the way. Thank God for harmony and unity.
April Memory Verse:
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:9-10
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:
April memory verse coloring sheet
April Fill-in the blank activity