Today’s Reading:
Read Jeremiah 42-44
Parents, can you think of a time when you were blatantly disobedient growing up? Maybe you remember a time when you knew the right choice to make, but you chose to make the wrong choice anyway. Share that time with your family. Talk about the consequences of those choices.
After Jerusalem was taken captive and the temple was destroyed, there was a small group of Israelites who remained in Jerusalem. They went to Jeremiah and asked him to tell them what God would have them do. Jeremiah’s message to the remnant (small group) was to stay in Jerusalem and wait for God to restore the land to them. Unfortunately, that small group chose not to listen to Jeremiah. They left Jerusalem and went to Egypt, even though God had specifically told them not to do that. They cried out against Jeremiah and accused him of speaking lies. They made Jeremiah go with them to Egypt.
God’s message to this group of people was clear., and their choice not to listen resulted in complete destruction. Their choice to go to Egypt did not just impact the group who left Jerusalem. Their choice impacted the nation of Egypt as well. God was serious when He told the people to stay put and not leave. The Israelites, unfortunately, chose not to listen and faced hard circumstances.
Application/Prayer:
Spend some time in prayer today as a family. Commit to God to listen to His instructions and to be obedient to what He is calling you to do. Ask God to help you make a different choice than the Israelites did.
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