Today’s Reading:
Read Jeremiah 21:10; 22:1-9; 23:1-8,24
What happens if you go outside in the rain without an umbrella? Most likely, you get wet! What happens if you leave the freezer door open all night long? Most likely, all the food in the freezer will get ruined. What happens if you jump in a pool? You will get wet! There are guaranteed consequences for a lot of actions, aren’t there? Can you think of one?
In our reading today, Jeremiah continued to tell the Israelites of the guaranteed consequence of their action of being disobedient. It was a hard message for him to deliver, but it was what God wanted the people to know. God explained through Jeremiah that when people asked why God had allowed the consequence to happen, the answer would be easy to see because of their actions.
Read Jeremiah 22:9
“They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed in worship to other gods and served them.”
Jeremiah’s message to the people was that God was going to hand them over to Babylon because of their disobedience. Along with that news, though, Jeremiah also delivered a message of hope to the people that ultimately God would deliver the people and return them to their land. God promised restoration and redemption.
Application/Prayer:
Think of a time when you’ve made a choice or a decision that has led to a negative consequence. How about a time when you’ve made a choice or a decision that led to a positive consequence? Thank God today that He can use all the circumstances in our life to bring us closer to Him. Remember, sometimes when we make a choice that leads to a difficult consequence, we have to accept that consequence and learn from our mistakes. God will forgive us AND walk with us as we face the consequences, regardless of our choices. Thank Him for that truth today!
August Memory Verse:
“Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
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:
August memory verse coloring sheet
August Fill-in the blank activity