Today’s Reading:
Read Psalm 137:1-8
Do you know anyone who loves to sing? Truthfully, I’m one of those people! I sing all of the time. If I stopped singing, my friends and family would be very surprised and maybe even worried that something was wrong with me.
The Israelites used song to express their relationship with God. Song was how the Israelites would communicate to God and to others how they felt about God and HIs provision and protection. The psalmist tells us in Psalm 137 that the Israelites were so sad to be in captivity that they “hung up (their) lyres” (v.4). They stopped singing!
The Israelites were sad because of all that they had lost. They had lost loved ones and friends. They had lost most of what they owned when they were taken into captivity. They had lost Jerusalem and the temple- the places where God’s presence rested. The Israelites had a lot to be sad about. However, they also believed with confidence that while they were sad for a while, God was going to redeem them. Babylon was “doomed to destruction.” (v.8).
Application/Prayer:
How do you communicate with God? Remember, you can talk to God anytime and anywhere! You can sing to him, talk to him, or even write out your prayers to Him. Whatever you do, though, don’t stop talking to Him! Spend some time talking to Him right now and thank Him that He is always listening.
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