Today’s Reading:
Read Leviticus 19:1,36-37
Celebrating is a lot of fun, isn’t it? What’s your favorite holiday? Spend some time sharing with your family what your favorite holiday is. Mine is definitely Christmas. I love to celebrate Jesus’ birth and be with family and friends. It is such a special time. In Leviticus 23, God was setting up specific days for the Israelites to remember and celebrate as “holy days.” (Can you guess where the word “holiday” comes from?)
God wanted to be sure that first the Israelites took a day to rest. Remember when God created the world, He did that in 6 days and on the 7th day, He rested. He was setting an example for His people to rest. The first holy day that God established was the Sabbath which he commanded his people to observe once a week. Every 7 days they were supposed to stop and rest.
God also wanted His people to remember. He set up several days for the Israelites to celebrate and remember how God had provided for them. Passover was a celebration that happened once a year that helped the Israelites remember how God brought them out of Egypt. God set up other special feasts and celebrations as well. He gave instructions on how the people should celebrate each of them.
Application/Prayer:
Why do you think God wanted His people to take a day to rest? Read through Leviticus 23 and make a list of the festivals and celebrations you read about. Brainstorm ways your family celebrates God’s provision throughout the year.
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