Today’s Reading:
Read Exodus 19:4-5; Exodus 20
“You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine…”
These are the words God spoke to Moses as he was commanding Moses to remind the Israelites about the covenant he had made with Abraham. God was renewing that covenant with the Israelites. As he met with Moses, he gave the Israelites some important rules or commandments that they would need to follow in order to keep their part of the covenant or agreement.
You’ve probably heard of those rules as the “10 Commandments.” They were written as guidelines for the Israelites to follow so that they could honor God and so that God would bless them. Following these commandments would help the Israelites live closer to God, even though because of sin they were separated from God.
Remember when we read in Genesis about Adam and Eve and the sin they committed? That sin was what separated man from God. God is perfect and can’t have sin anywhere near him. God wanted to provide a way for the Israelites, his Chosen People, to be near him. The commandments he gave Moses for the Israelites were a way he was doing that.
Application/Prayer:
Make a list of the 10 commandments. Talk about which one might be the hardest for you to follow. Thank God that he sent Jesus so that when we mess up and maybe disobey a commandment, we can be forgiven! (Note to parents- explain the commandments with words your kids will understand. Adultery might not be something they understand, but loving your wife or husband faithfully they totally will comprehend!)
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