Today’s Reading:
Read Nehemiah 11:1-4, 12:27-47; 13:1-22–; Psalm 126
Can you finish this pattern:
Red, blue, red, blue, red, ________.
Up, up, down, up, up, down, up, _______, ________.
A pattern is a series of items that repeats in a way that is easy to predict what is coming next. Did you finish the patterns with “red” and “up, down?” As you read those words, you know what came before so it is easy to guess or predict what will come next. Unfortunately, we can do the same thing with the Israelites. They continue to live out a pattern of running to God, asking for forgiveness, promising to change and then running away from God!
The celebration of the Israelites return to their covenant promise with God was unfortunately short-lived. The Israelites resettled in Jerusalem. They rededicated the wall. It looked like things were going well and that the Israelites had finally decided to follow God and God alone. Until Nehemiah left! Remember Nehemiah was an Israelite official who worked for the Persian government. He had special permission to come to Jerusalem. When the wall was finished, Nehemiah returned to his job with the Persian government. Unfortunately, when Nehemiah left, the people began to misinterpret the law. They changed the rules, and they disrespected the temple.
Nehemiah found out what was happening and once again, he returned to Jerusalem. He became very angry and actually closed the city gates so that the people could do what needed to be done to get right with God. He begged God to have mercy and to show favor.
Application/Prayer:
Spend some time today asking God to help you identify if there are any patterns in your life where you continue to make choices that don’t honor Him. Remember, when we do things God does not want us to do or we don’t do things we know God does want us to do, that’s called sin. And remember, sin separates us from God. We don’t want to be separated from God, do we? Thankfully we know that God forgives us when we confess our sins. And because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection we can be forgiven! Thank God for that today!
September Memory Verse:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know him,and he will make your paths straight.”
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:
September memory verse coloring sheet