Today’s Reading:
Read Micah 5:4-5,7-9; 6:1-7,8; 7:9-10, 11-20
After you read from Micah today, jump ahead to Matthew 2:5-6. Ask someone in your family to read those verses out loud. They should look familiar to you! These verses in Matthew reference the prophecy from Micah recorded in Micah 5.
Micah told the Israelites that a leader was coming from the town of Bethelehem. He explained that this leader would be their shepherd and their peace. The Israelites received these words as a promise of how God would fulfill HIs covenant with them.
However, the prophecy in Micah 5 was about more than just what would happen when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It also prophesied about what will happen when Jesus returns. Ultimately, Micah’s words told the Israelites that a savior was coming that would bring victory for God’s Chosen People.
Micah’s message from God was one of hope but it was also one of pain. Micah told the people that there would be consequences for their disobedience. He explained that what God wanted the people to do was to “act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8). Micah outlined for the Israelites what their purpose should be and how they should honor God as they walked out His plan for their lives.
Finally, Micah promises complete restoration for God’s chosen people. While Micah clearly explained that the Northern Kingdom and Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom would be attacked by the Assyrians and then by the Babylonians, Micah also promised that because of God’s character and his faithfulness, He would not forget the Israelites and he would have compassion on them.
Application/Prayer:
Talk about what it means to “act justly, to love faithfulness and to walk humbly with your God.” Make a list of ways your family can demonstrate following those words of encouragement found in Micah.
July Memory Verse:
“Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.”
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:
July memory verse coloring sheet
July Fill-in the blank activity