Today’s Reading:
Read I Kings 17; I Kings 18:1-2; 15-19; 22-39; I Kings 19:3-21
Today start out your time together by playing the whisper game. One person thinks of a message to share with the other members of your family. Whisper that message to one other person in your family. Continue whispering the message until everyone has had a chance to hear the whispered message. Now, everybody says out loud the message that you heard whispered. Did you hear it correctly?
Elijah was a prophet that God used as a messenger to the people in Israel. Elijah had a big job- he had to tell King Ahab that God was not going to bless his reign because of the choices King Ahab had made to create altars for Baal worship. Israel was dealing with famine and drought. It was a rough season. But, God was faithful to provide for Elijah. He provided food and drink for him through a spring, some ravens, and a widow and her son. God had called Elijah to do a big job but he also had given him what he needed in order to do that job.
The people in Israel were worshiping Baal. Elijah wanted them to see that Baal did not have the power that God had. Elijah challenged the Baal worshipers to create fire and rain in the middle of a drought season. The Baal prophets could not do that because Baal is not the one true God. God brought rain and fire and Elijah showed the people of Israel that God was the one true God. God provided for Elijah once again.
Even though Elijah had seen God provide, he still had moments of fear. When Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife, threatened to kill Elijah, Elijah got scared! God wanted Elijah to see and know that He was with him so he had Elijah go to a mountain. On the mountain, Elijah experienced a great and mighty wind, an earthquake and a fire – but God was not in any of those. Instead, God showed Elijah his presence through a soft whisper of his voice. Elijah knew God was with him.
Application/Prayer:
How do we hear God’s voice today? Talk about the ways your family can hear the voice of God as you walk through each day. Thank God for his provision and his presence!
June Memory Verse:
“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
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:
June memory verse coloring sheet
June Fill-in the blank activity