Today’s Reading:
Read Zephaniah 1:1-7; 2:1-3; 3:9,12-17
Work together as a family to build a tower using whatever supplies you can find. (blocks, boxes, etc.) Give the tower a name that your family chooses together. Take some time to admire your work. Now, knock the tower down! Completely destroy it. As you read today, sit in the midst of the “destroyed tower.”
After the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the Southern Kingdom of Judah was led by several kings who did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. King Manasseh and King Amon turned away from all that God had called them to do. Idol worship and false gods became very important to the people of Judah. God was disappointed in these choices. It made him angry.
Zephaniah was a prophet God used to tell the Southern Kingdom what was going to happen to Jerusalem and their nation because they had been disobedient. God had created a beautiful world and provided for the Israelites. Remember though that part of the covenant with Abraham was that for God to keep His promise, the Israelites were supposed to also keep their promise. They had promised to not have false gods or idol worship. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened. Zephaniah prophesied about a time when the Southern Kingdom and even their capital city, Jerusalem, would be destroyed because of their evil choices.
God was telling the people that He would destroy Jerusalem and even the surrounding nations. The good news was that God was also giving the nations a chance to turn back to Him. He was giving them a chance to start again. The destruction of the nation was going to be an opportunity for the Israelites to turn back to God and rebuild. God loved the people and although a consequence had to happen as a result of their sin, he was offering mercy with a second chance!
Application/Prayer:
Take some time to rebuild your family tower. Thank God for second chances today. He is a good Father who allows us to learn from our mistakes and start again. Ask God to help you remember that He wants what is best for you!
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