Today’s Reading:
Read Ezekiel 25
Can you think of a time when you’ve done something wrong and you have had to experience a consequence because of the wrong choice? Maybe you were disrespectful to your parents, and you lost a privilege as a result. When your parents disciplined you, did they stop loving you? Absolutely not! As parents, we discipline because we love you! We want what is best for our kids.
In our reading today, Ezekiel brought a message to the surrounding nations who did not defend Israel when the Babylonian nation took them into captivity. Even though God was angry because of the Israelites disobedience, He still loved them, and He defended them. Ezekiel’s message to the surrounding nations was that God was going to allow their nations to face unrest as well. The Israelites remained God’s chosen people and even through their disobedience, God continued to defend them.
Often, God is referred to as our Heavenly Father. He was that for the Israelites as well. He disciplined them and He loved them. Actually, He disciplined because He loved them. God continued to defend the Israelites and provide for them even as they face the consequences of their disobedience.
Application/Prayer:
Take some time to thank your parents for the way they discipline you and help you to learn the difference between right and wrong. It may not be easy to do- but remember, they discipline because they love you! Thank God for giving you adults in your life who love you and guide you in the right direction.
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