Today’s Reading:
Read Ezekiel 43:1-12
Set a timer for 60 seconds. Challenge your family to create a timeline of the temple beginning with David’s desire to build the temple and ending with the destruction of the temple that we have read about in Jeremiah and Ezekiel. (Hints for Help- Read I Chronicles 23; II Chronicles 7:11; II Chronicles 36:19; Ezekiel 10)
Ezekiel had a vision that God’s presence left not only the city of Jerusalem but specifically the temple. (Ezekiel 10) The temple was an important landmark for the Israelites. Built as a replica of the tabernacle that the Israelites in the wilderness crafted, it was the place where God’s presence rested. The Israelites would travel to Jerusalem to be at the temple because it what were God was. Sadly, the destruction of the Israelite nation also led to the destruction of the temple and Ezekiel had a vision of God’s presence leaving the temple.
In Ezekiel 43, Ezekiel had another vision of God’s glory returning to the temple. Ezekiel’s message changed from one of destruction to one of repair and restoration. God’s message was that in time he would reunite the nation of Israel and His presence would once again rest in a new temple. Ezekiel’s vision even showed him what that new temple would look like. God was promising His return.
Application/Prayer:
Read I Corinthians 6:19-20. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we know that today our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God is with us. We don’t have to travel to a temple or a holy land to be in God’s presence. The sin that once separated us from God has been forgiven and we have access to His presence every day. Thank God for that truth 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