Today’s Reading:
Read Exodus 1
Remember Joseph? What are some things you remember that happened with Joseph? Where did Joseph and his family end up at the end of our study in Genesis? Remember, we learned about how Joseph brought his family to Egypt to live with him there. His family were all descendants of Abraham, so they were God’s chosen people, the Israelites. (all from the family of Jacob, the grandson of Abraham). That’s important for us to remember as we begin to read Exodus.
The Israelites were living in Egypt and their family had grown a lot! The country of Egypt was full of Israelites. Joseph died, but his people stayed in Egypt and God blessed them. When a new king or Pharaoh rose to power, he did not know Joseph. But he did realize that there were a lot of Israelites in his land and he was scared they would take over.
The new Pharaoh decided to do something to stop the Israelites from getting too much power. He actually made the Israelites become slaves and they had to do hard work and were treated unfairly. He also wanted their families to stop growing so he ordered that all of the baby boys that were born into Israelite families be thrown into the Nile. Isn’t that horrible?
It is sad to read about what began to happen to God’s chosen people. But, just like Job, we need to keep reading so we can see how God provided for the Israelites. Remember, he promised to always be with them, and we know that God never breaks his promise!
Application/Prayer:
Thank God today for being a promise keeper! Make a list of ways God provides for your family and thank Him for that provision.
February Memory Verse:
“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
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:
February memory verse coloring sheet