Today’s Reading:
Read Acts 27-28
Read Matthew 1:23. What name was given to the special baby that was promised to Mary and Joseph? The angel told Joseph that Jesus would be “Emmanuel.” What does the Bible tell us that name translates to? God with us. Jesus’ birth meant that there would be a way for God to be with us – no matter what we face! We can celebrate today that the gift of Emmanuel really was a gift of God’s Presence. We never have to face sadness or challenges alone.
Remember that when we read about Paul last, he had been arrested and the leaders were trying to decide what to do with him. Paul knew that God’s plan for him was to go to Rome. So, Paul asked to be taken to Caesar, the Roman leader. Paul’s request would get him to Rome. The trip to Rome would not be an easy one though. Paul trusted that because this was God’s plan, God would be with him in the journey.
The trip to Rome was on a boat across the Mediterranean Sea. The waters were rough and there was a storm. The boat that Paul was on actually wrecked on an island and the boat was lost. Because of the weather and the timing of the shipwreck, everyone on the boat had to stay on an island for a time before they could continue their trip to Rome. There were a lot of challenges on the island- from sickness to snakebites. But God was with him! God protected Paul and even though it was not easy, eventually, Paul made it to Rome, just as God had promised him.
Sometimes, even when we are doing what God wants us to do or what He has planned for us to do, bad things happen. Even when that happens, we can trust that God is always with us and that He can and will use those bad things for our good and His glory.
Application/Prayer:
Sometimes it may be hard to believe that God is always with us because we can’t see him, right? Spend some time as a family discussing ways we know God is with us. We may not be able to see Him but there are definitely ways we can recognize His presence. Thank God that He is always with us and that He sent Jesus to be Emmanuel.
December Memory Verse:
I have treasured your word in my heart so that I may not sin against you.
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:
December memory verse coloring sheet