Today’s Reading:
Read Leviticus 1
On Mt Sinai, God had given the Israelites some specific instructions for how to live in a way that showed obedience to Him. But remember how we talked about the fact that those laws would be very hard for the Israelites to always follow? They promised to obey, but they broke their promise. Sometimes, they disobeyed God’s rules. As we move into the next book of the Bible, Leviticus, we will begin to see what God told the Israelites to do when they broke the law, or the rules, that He had asked them to follow. Remember, God wants to be close to His people; He will always make a way for that to happen.
If an Israelite sinned, the law said that the only way to make it right or to be forgiven was for a sacrifice to be made. That offering was a sin offering and it was the act of asking God to forgive the person for their sin.
The Israelites would also give sacrifices or offerings to praise God or thank God for how He had provided for them.
The laws would help the people be closer to God. The sacrifices and the offerings would help them to be close to God again if they broke the law or were disobedient.
Application/Prayer:
Spend some time talking about what Christ followers do today to ask for forgiveness of their sin. Remember, when Jesus came, He was the ultimate sacrifice. We don’t have to have burnt offerings or sacrifices to be close to God anymore because of what Jesus did for us!
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