September 16 | Returning to Jerusalem
Today’s Reading:
Read II Chronicles 36:22-23; Ezra 1-3
Often people say that something they are waiting for is “worth the wait.” What is the longest you have ever waited for something? I love going to amusement parks. I do not love waiting in the long lines for rides! I love ice cream cones, but again, I don’t love standing in long lines at an ice cream shop waiting for my turn to get my ice cream cone. Riding my favorite ride or enjoying my favorite ice cream are worth the wait! The Israelites had been waiting for a long time for the promises that the prophets had made to come true. In our reading today, we see how the Israelites wait to return to Jerusalem is finally ending.
The Persian Empire had defeated the Babylonian empire. And as a result, the Persian King, Cyrus, was allowing the Israelites who had been in exile to be able to return to their homeland. Not only was he allowing them to return, but they were also able to begin the process of rebuilding the temple. The Israelites had waited a long time, close to 70 years. God was making a way for them to return.
Read Ezra 3:11.
“They sang with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord! For He is good; his faithful love to Israel endures forever.”
After years of waiting, the Israelites began the promise of going home and they were thankful for God’s provision.
Application/Prayer:
Waiting on God to answer prayer is not always easy, is it? Ask God to help you to be faithful in the waiting! Remember to always trust that God’s timing is best. We can trust Him, even if we have to wait for His answer.
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.”
- 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
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