February 29 | Moses Disobeys

Today’s Reading:

Read Numbers 13:1; 13:17-20; Numbers 14:6-9; Numbers 14:20-24

Have you ever been really thirsty? Try eating a couple of crackers but don’t drink any water after you eat them. Read today’s devotional, we will tell you when to get a drink!

The Israelites were wandering in the wilderness, specifically the Wilderness of Zin, and they ran out of water. Again, instead of trusting that God will provide for them, the Israelites became angry and they complained to Moses and Aaron.

Moses and Aaron asked God for help. God told Moses to get the people together and to speak to the rock and it would bring water. Yes, you read that right! God told Moses to SPEAK to the rock and water would come.

Moses had seen God do this before (Read Exodus 17). Moses gathered the people together. However, instead of speaking to the rock the way God had instructed, Moses struck the rock with his staff. Water came from the rock.

You can have a drink of water now! God knew what the Israelites needed, and He knows what you need, too!

Even though water came from the rock, Moses was disobedient and did not follow God’s specific directions. God told him to speak to the rock. What did Moses do instead? He struck the rock with his staff. The punishment? Sadly, Moses would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land with the Israelites.

God expects complete obedience. As much as He loved Moses, there had to be a consequence for Moses’ disobedience.

Application/Prayer:

What is the one thing Moses did that he was not supposed to do? As a family, talk about the importance of obeying God’s commands. What do you think about Moses being unable to go to the Promised Land? Allow your kids to wrestle with this! Sometimes consequences are hard. Remind your family that even though God forgave Moses for the disobedience, there were still consequences that had to be faced. We can be forgiven and still have to experience the consequences of our actions.

February Memory Verse:

“For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12

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.