Today’s Reading:
Read Numbers 13:1; 13:17-20; Numbers 14:6-9; Numbers 14:20-24
Imagine your family is stranded on an island. Does that sound fun or scary to you? If you were on an island together, what would the good news be about that situation? (unlimited swimming, a tropical island experience!) What might be some bad news about that situation? (do you have enough food and drink?). The Israelites were ready to enter Canaan – or so they thought. Their entrance into the Promised Land was met with both good news and bad news and they had to decide what to do.
The Lord told Moses to send 12 men to Canaan. Their job was to see the land and help the Israelites know what they might be facing when they entered. The report the men brought back was not a good one. Ten of the men reported that the people in Canaan were bigger than they were and stronger. The Israelites were very sad to hear this news.
Two of the men who went into Canaan were Joshua and Caleb. They had a very different report than the first 10 men. They said that the land was good land and they reminded the Israelites that “if the Lord is pleased with us; he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and give it to us.” (Numbers 14:8)
Joshua and Caleb’s words were not accepted by the Israelites. They continued to believe they should not go into Canaan, even though God had promised them the land. This made God very angry. And as a consequence, God told Moses that only Joshua and Caleb would be able to enter the land. God was going to stop the Israelites from going into Canaan until all of the adults who had come out of Egypt were not alive anymore. They would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years.
Application/Prayer:
Have you heard of a “trust fall” before? Have one of your parents stand behind you. With your eyes closed, fall backwards into their arms. Do you trust that they will catch you? Knowing your parents love you, helps you trust that they will catch you. The Israelites should have had that same trust in God. He had provided for them time and time again. Thank God for the way He provides for you.
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