Today’s Reading:
Read II Kings 8:16-19; II Chronicles 21:1-22:9
To fully understand what happened in today’s reading, we need to have a quick review. Open your Bibles to I Kings 16:29-33 and read about what happened when Ahab was king of Israel. Ahab introduced Baal worship to the Israelites. Remember, Ahab “did more to anger the Lord God of Israel than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” (I Kings 16:33). Next, read II Chronicles 18:1. We read that Jehoshaphat, the King of Judah, made an alliance with King Ahab through marriage. This friendship or alliance was not God-honoring and in our reading today we will see the consequences of what happens when choices are made that don’t honor God.
King Jehoram was the King of Judah and his wife was King Ahab’s daughter. Jehoram did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. II Chronicles 21:11 says, “He led Judah astray.” As a result, the prophet Elijah was given a word from the Lord to share with Jephoram. Elijah told Jephoram that because he had not honored God and had walked in the way of the King of Israel instead of the Kings of Judah, Judah was going to be struck with horrible affliction. Basically, some bad things were going to happen to the kingdom of Judah. King Jephoram died and the sons who took over as kings in his place also did not follow in the ways of the Lord.
The Kingdom of Judah suffered greatly as a result of the choices of King Ahab and King Jehoshaphat.
Application/Prayer:
Consequences for negative behavior are not fun, are they? However, they are important. A consequence for a negative choice helps us to strive to make better choices. Spend some time praying today and asking God to help you make the right choices- choices that honor Him- so that you don’t have to deal with the negative consequences.
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