Making Things Right

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Philemon 1-25

TO CHEW ON: "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me." Philemon 10,11



Onesimus was a slave who lived in Colosse. His master’s name was Philemon. One day Onesimus stole some money from Philemon and ran away to Rome.

After some time, perhaps after all the money was spent, Onesimus found Paul. He may have met Paul before because Philemon was a Christian and a church met in his home. Paul had probably visited there.

Soon Onesimus became a Christian too. Then he faced a big problem. What should he do about his master Philemon and the money he had stolen? If he went back, Philemon might punish him or even kill him. He would certainly be a slave again. But if he didn’t, his conscience would bother him and give him no peace.

What would you have done? Do you think it’s important to confess and make right the wrong things we’ve done to people? Why or why not?

Paul wrote Onesimus’s master a letter. In it he asked Philemon to forgive Onesimus and take him back as a Christian friend. Then Paul sent Onesimus back to Colosse to deliver the letter to his master.

"Philemon" by Johann C. Weigel, 1695

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, is there anything I need to confess or make right with someone? Please give me the courage to do it. Amen.


MORE: How the Story Ends
The Bible doesn’t tell us how this story ends. What do you think happens when Onesimus returns to Philemon?

"Onesimus and Philemon" by O. A. Stemler

Write or tell the ending to the story:

• as Philemon would tell it

OR

• as Onesimus would tell it.

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Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Bonfire

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 19:11-20

TO CHEW ON: "Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly." Acts 19: 18-19a

Paul went back to Ephesus. His powerful sermons and miracles had made him famous. God worked so mightily through him that people took clothes that Paul had touched, laid them on sick people, and they were healed.

"Healings" by Christoph Weigel - 1695

When some Jews in the city tried to heal and do exorcisms (make evil spirits leave people) in Jesus’ name, like Paul did, the evil spirits knew they were fakers. The demon-possessed people beat up the imitation healers.

"Sons of Sceva" by Christoph Weigel - 1695

God’s power working through Paul caused all the new believers to respect God very much. Instead, of covering up past sins, they publicly confess the wrong things they have done. People who were once involved in sorcery (magic and the occult) collected their scrolls and burned them in a huge bonfire.

"The burning of the scrolls" - Artist unknown

God’s presence and power still makes us aware of the sins (wrong things) in our lives. Sometimes God reminds us of wrong actions we have done (stealing, lying, gossip, cheating). At other times He makes us aware of our wrong attitudes (jealousy, hatred, fear, envy). Ask God to show you if there are any sins in your life that need a “bonfire.”

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please show me if there are things in my life that I need to confess and destroy. Amen.

MORE: Confess and Destroy1. In Paul’s day people destroyed the scrolls they had used for sorcery (witchcraft). What are some things in our lives that don’t please God which we may need to destroy?

2. Some people may argue that destroying perfectly good CDs, DVDs, videos, books and magazines is a waste. Instead, they say, you should just give them away to someone who isn’t bothered by them. What do you think?

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 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

God's All-seeing Eyes

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 5:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "With his wife’s full knowledge, he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and laid it at the apostles’ feet." Acts 5:2

Some early Christians sold their property and gave the money from those sales to help others. Ananias and Sapphira decided to do this too. But instead of bringing the whole amount, they brought just a part and kept back some for themselves.

There was nothing wrong with this. But then Ananias did a sneaky thing. He gave the money to the leaders as if it were the entire amount. He tried to leave the impression that he was giving everything, even though he wasn’t. Later his wife Sapphira lied in the same way.

But God saw their deception. He told Peter, and Peter exposed their lie. That day Ananias fell down dead when Peter confronted him with what he had done.

"Death of Ananias" by Raphael

Later the same thing happened to Sapphira. It was God’s judgment on them for trying to deceive.

"Death of Sapphira" by Nicolas Poissin-1652

PRAYER: Dear God, I cannot fool You, even if I try. Help me to be honest with myself, with others and with You. Amen.


MORE: Old Sins Lying Around?
In the Bible, God rarely punished people for sins as immediately as he punished Ananias and Sapphira. But someday God will make public the things we have knowingly covered up and tried to hide.

Have you ever told a lie? Did you get away with it? Know that God sees and knows your lie, even though nothing has ever happened to you because of it. It’s a good idea to confess it to God now and know His forgiveness.

It may be a good idea for you to also say sorry to the person you deceived. Talk to God about this. Then do what He tells you.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Dinner With a Sinner

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 19:1-9


TO CHEW ON: "Jesus ... said to him, 'Zacchaeus...I must stay at your house today'...All the people saw this and began to mutter, 'He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.'” Luke 19:5,7

What are taxes? You probably know they are amounts of money people in cities, provinces, states and countries must pay. Government workers collect this money. They use it to pay for things used by everyone - like roads, schools, firefighters and the police.

In Jesus’ time, the Roman rulers charged taxes. They got people in each neighborhood, to work for them. These people were called tax collectors. They usually charged the people more than the Romans asked. They kept the extra money for themselves. Everybody thought of them as traitors, cheats, sinners, and hated them. Zacchaeus was a tax collector.

One day Zacchaeus heard Jesus was coming to town. He wanted to see Him. But Zacchaeus was too short to see above the crowd. Besides, he didn't much like being in crowds because he was so unpopular. So he climbed into a tree and watched as Jesus and the crowd walked by.

Jesus didn’t care how the crowds felt about Zaccheus. When He came to the tree where Zacchaeus was sitting, He stopped. He called up to Zaccheaeus and persuaded him to come down. Jesus said He wanted to have a meal with Zacchaeus. Then what happened? Which three statements are UNTRUE? (Luke 19:5-9)

1. Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus to his home.
2. Zacchaeus denied that he had done anything wrong.
3. Zacchaeus offered to give a quarter of his possessions to the poor.
4. Zacchaeus offered to pay back four times the amount he’d cheated from people.
5. Jesus condemned Zacchaeus and said there was no hope for him.
6. Jesus said salvation had come to Zacchaeus’ home.

"Zacchaeus" - Artist unknown

Do you know people who have a reputation as bad as Zacchaeus's? Maybe they’re known for being mean or stuck-up or stingy. Perhaps everyone avoids them. But you can be different. You can follow Jesus’ example and be kind. You never know, God may be preparing them to meet Jesus just like he prepared Zacchaeus. God may use you to introduce them to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to show kindness to unpopular people, like Jesus did. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Tax Facts
- What kinds of taxes do you and your family pay?

- How are taxes collected where you live?

- What are some things for which your tax money is used?

- What attitude should Christians have toward the people in government and the taxes they collect?

Some places the Bible talks about government and paying taxes:

• Matthew 17:24-26

• Matthew 22:15-22

• Romans 13:1-3

• 1 Peter 2:17

ANSWERS

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Second Place

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Mark 1:1-8


TO CHEW ON: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” John the Baptist - Mark 1:7

You may have been to a concert where a little-known band or singer played first to get people in a good mood. Then later, the famous person came on stage to sing or play.

John the Baptist, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, was like that warm-up band. At first people flocked to the desert just to see him. Wouldn’t you be curious about a preacher who lived out in the wild, dressed in camel’s skin, and ate locusts and honey?

"John Preaching" - Unknown Artist

But if people came first out of curiosity, they came again to hear what John had to say. His preaching made them sorry for their sins. It made them feel like getting right with God. When they said they were sorry and decided to follow God (they repented), John baptized them in the Jordan River. Probably some of them thought he was Messiah, God’s special messenger.

"After me will come One more powerful than I." - Unknown Artist

But John knew his job was to prepare the people for Messiah. He quickly told them, “‘After me will come one more powerful than I.’” He didn’t mind that he wasn’t the most important.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to be willing to take second place if that’s where You want me. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Locust-and-Honey Special!
- Find out about locusts:
1. What family of insects do they belong to?
2. How big is a locust?
3. How would you cook it, or would you eat it uncooked?
4. How many locusts would it take to make a meal?
5. What food group does it belong to?


- Find out about honey:
1. Where does honey come from?
2. What is special about it?
3. What food group does it belong to?





Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.  

Soap and Fire

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Malachi 3:1-5

TO CHEW ON: "But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? for he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." Malachi 3:2,3a

"Malachi" by J. James Tissot

Ezra’s revival soon cooled. The joy of being back in Jerusalem evaporated. Life was hard for the exiles. They didn’t get rich quickly, as some had thought they would. Many felt disappointed with God. Their disappointment showed in the way they no longer respected Him. Instead they lived to please themselves.

No longer did the Levites teach the truth. Men divorced their aging wives and married beautiful young foreign women to take their places. People lied, cheated workers out of wages and were mean to immigrants. That’s when the prophet Malachi came on the scene.

“God will return to His temple one day,” he said. “He will come suddenly and purify His people, like soap washes clothes clean or a searing fire burns impurities out of gold and silver.”


Through Malachi God told the people that He saw their careless living and were aware of the ways they broke His laws. Malachi gave them a warning to change their ways. But if they didn’t have a change of heart on their own, they could be sure that God would clean things up – and it wouldn’t be pleasant.

God still works in the two ways we see here. His patience shows in the way He sends warning after warning before judging us. But someday His patience will run out. Then we will see His judgment – as strong as soap and as hot as fire. If there are things in our lives that God doesn’t approve of, let’s take advantage of God’s patience. Let’s confess our sins to Jesus and accept His forgiveness now so we don’t have to fear His coming later.

PRAYER: Dear God, please show me the things in my life that don’t please You. Help me to deal with them now. Amen.


MORE: Soap
Through books and the internet find out about soap.

- What ingredients are used to make soap?



- How does soap make things clean?

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 Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A New Start

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ezra 9:5-15


TO CHEW ON: "Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed: 'I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to you, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens.' " Ezra 9:5,6

Ezra and the people were overjoyed when they reached Jerusalem. There were cheers, tears of joy and hugs as old friends met again and families got re-acquainted. But it took only one meeting with the leaders for Ezra to find out that things here were far from perfect.

“The men have again begun to marry idol-worshiping women,” the leaders told him. “Even the priests and Levites are doing this.”

Ezra was shocked, terribly disappointed, and afraid. He tore his clothes, pulled hair from his head and beard, then sat on the ground in silence.

Why hadn’t the people learned their lesson? Would God now need to punish them again? Or would He give up on them and wipe them out altogether?

Soon others who were also loyal to God joined him. They sat there all day.



Finally in the evening Ezra got on his knees to pray. He raised his hands and cried out, “We’ve sinned. You told us not to become like the idol-worshiping people in the land, but we’re doing it again. Please forgive us and don’t destroy us completely.”



When onlookers saw Ezra’s reaction, they realized how serious their sin was. His prayer reminded them of how God wanted them to live without compromise. That day many decided to turn from their sinful ways. That day was the beginning of a new start with God in Jerusalem.

How easily we become like the Israelites and slip back into old habits and sins. But we don’t need to stay in them. We can ask for God’s forgiveness like Ezra did. We can stop our sinful habits and again live to please God. If we repent, God will give us a new start too.

PRAYER: Dear God, I have slipped back into old habits of ______. I want to turn back and follow You again. Please give me a new start. Amen.



MORE: Revival
When people who once followed God come back to Him, we call it a revival. A revival can happen to one person at a time. It can also happen to many people at once and affect whole churches, towns, cities, and countries. Ezra’s revival happened about 2500 years ago. Many revivals have happened since then. Below is a list of some of them. Pick out one and using books and the internet, find out how that revival started and what happened.

- the Welsh Revival - 1904

- the Azusa Street Revival - 1905

- the Hebrides Revival - 1949

- The Indonesian Revival - 1965

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Prison Prayers

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 33:7-13

TO CHEW ON: "And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." 2 Chronicles 33:13

“The Assyrians are coming!” A messenger blurted the news to King Manasseh.

Manasseh called his priests and told them to pray to the gods, check the omens, and make sacrifices. But not to the God of heaven. For Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son and Judah’s king, was not like his dad. Instead of worshiping God, he rebuilt hilltop shrines where people went to pray to statues of Chemosh and Baal.

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

He sacrificed his own sons to idols, was deeply into witchcraft and even built idol altars in the temple. God had tried to talk to Manasseh and the people, but they refused to listen.


The sacrifices Manasseh made that day did no good. He was captured by the Assyrian generals, chained and taken to prison in Babylon. There, in a dungeon and all alone, he had time to think. He remembered the things his father Hezekiah had taught him. He knew what he had done was displeasing to God. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe God would still take him back.

One day he cried out to God. He told God how foolish he had been. He begged God to save his life and set him free.



Soon after the prison keeper unlocked his cell and sent him home. Oh joy!! Now he knew that God was real and powerful. When he got back to Jerusalem, he demolished the idols, shrines and altars. He cleaned up the temple. He told the people that from now on, they were to worship only the Lord God of Israel.

Sometimes God uses hard things like sickness, accidents, tragedies and facing the consequences of our choices to bring us back to Him. How much better to serve God all along than to risk such problems. But then, better the problems that bring us back to God than being separated from Him forever and ever.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for using even troubles to bring us back to You. Amen.

MORE: God’s Invitation
Over and over in the Bible, God invites us to come back to Him if we have gone away. 1 John 1:9 is such an invitation. Can you fill in the missing words from this verse. Use the word bank, below, if necessary.

If we 1. ___ our sins, he is faithful and just and will 2. ____ us our 3. ____ and 4. ____ us from all unrighteousness.

Word bank:
sins   purify
confess   forgive

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

God Wants Us Back

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Hosea 14:1-9

TO CHEW ON: "Return, O Israel, to the Lord you God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: 'Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may offer the fruit of our lips.'” Hosea 14:1,2

Hosea was another prophet to Israel at this time. God asked him to do more than just talk to the people. Even his life was an object lesson of what God was like.

“Go marry a woman who won’t be true to you,” God told him.

So Hosea married Gomer, a prostitute. They lived together and had children. But Gomer left Hosea and had affairs with other men.

This made Hosea sad. God told him, “Your wife is just like the Israelites. She left you just like they left me to worship idols.

The Israelites going to worship idols

I don’t want you to divorce her. Instead, you are to take her back.”

Hosea paid money and took his wife back into their home. Then God said to him, “Tell the Israelites that what you did is a picture of what I will do for them. Just like you took your wife back even though she had left you, I’ll take the Israelites back if they’ll come back to Me.”

That is still God’s message to us today. Even if we once loved Him but have turned away and are now doing our own thing, God will always take us back.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for loving us even when we go away from You. Thank You for always accepting us back Amen.

MORE: Coming Back to God
If you or someone you know has gone away from God, this verse from Hosea tells how to come back to Him. You might want to memorize it.

Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously that we may offer the fruit of our lips.” Hosea 14:2

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Loving Enemies

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Jonah 3:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened." Jonah 3:10

God did ask Jonah to go to Nineveh again. This time Jonah said “yes.”

When he got to this large city, he walked around, shouting: “If you don’t stop being wicked and violent, God will destroy in you in forty days. Instead fast, put on sackcloth and pray to God. Pray hard. Who knows, God might still spare you.”


Jonah was secretly wishing God would destroy Nineveh. It was the capital city of the country of Assyria. The Assyrians were known for their cruelty. They had often been mean to the people of Israel and Judah

But the people of Nineveh were not mean to Jonah. They didn’t tease or laugh at him. Instead, they listened. Even their king came out to hear what Jonah had to say. Then he did exactly what Jonah said. He told all the people to do the same.

In the days that followed, these people showed that they were truly sorry. They changed so much that after forty days God didn’t destroy them after all.


Still today no one is too hard for God to save. Our race, color or sex doesn’t stop God from loving us. Even the horrible things we’ve done in the past can’t keep Him from loving us. Instead He looks at each of our hearts. He will save anyone who comes to Him with a heart that is truly sorry.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You that You love and can save anyone. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Nineveh
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. The Assyrians were known for the cruel way they treated their enemies and the people they won in battle.

- Using books and/or the internet, find out some of the things the Assyrians did to conquered people.

- Do you blame Jonah for wanting God to destroy them?

- Are there people who have mistreated you and whom you wish God would destroy instead of save?

We need God to help us love our enemies, just like Jonah needed God to help him love the Ninevites.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Repent = Change Direction

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Joel 2:12-19

TO CHEW ON: "Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity." Joel 2:13

Suppose you did something bad like got mad at your little sister and hurt her. Now you feel really sorry. You wish you hadn’t hurt her and you’re also worried that you might get punished.

1. What thing from the list below will convince your parents you really are sorry and won’t do it again:
a] you cry
b] you apologize to your sister
c] you promise to never hurt your sister again
d] from now on treat your sister with kindness.

Though crying, apologizing and making promises might convince your parents you’re sorry, they’ll know you’re really sorry by watching how your actions have changed.

When the people of Judah stopped following God and again worshiped idols, they were like a kid who had done something wrong. Prophet Joel told them God was going to punish them by sending locusts and drought. But there was still a way to avoid this punishment. It was by coming back to God and showing Him they were truly sorry and had changed inside.

In Bible times, some ways people showed they were sorry was to cry, fast (not eat food) and tear their clothes. But God told the people He wanted them to do more than that. He wanted them to tear (“rend”) their hearts and be sorry in the deepest part of them.

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

An inside change like this is called repentance. It means we not only say we’re sorry, but show by our actions that we’re turning away from our bad way of acting. We’re changing directions and won’t do the bad thing again.

Would God stop the locusts and the drought if He saw the people were really sorry and had repented?

2. What things did Joel say God would do if the people changed their ways (Joel 2:13, 18-19):
a] take pity on his people
b] be gracious and compassionate
c] send new crops
d] make slaves of them all

God is still the same today. When we do wrong things, to others or to Him, we need to do more than just say we’re sorry. We need to show it by changing directions in repentance. When we do, God will forgive us. He may even soften or take away the punishment our wrong actions deserve.

PRAYER: Dear God, ________ is something I need to repent of. Help me to change my actions. Amen.


MORE: Signs of Sorry
People in Bible times showed their feelings of being sorry, sad, or repentant in several ways.

Weep - People would cry - like we do.

Sackcloth: They wore sackcloth, a cloth woven of goat’s hair. It was dark, coarse and very itchy, especially when they wore it next to their skin.

Rend clothes: Sometimes people ripped their clothes, especially on first hearing sad news.

Ashes: Sometimes people put ashes on their heads and sit in an ash pile.

How do you show feelings of being sorry, sad or repentant?

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Prophets and Plagues

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Joel 1:1-4 and 10-14

TO CHEW ON: The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Joel 1:10

Which people do we go to, to find out what might happen in the future

weathermen   scientists   prophets

I’m sure you’d agree that in our time we may go to weathermen and scientists, but we don’t often go to prophets. Even in Bible times people sometimes made fun of what prophets predicted. Yet God chose to speak through these ordinary men who didn’t speak their own ideas but said what God told them to say.

Joel was such a prophet. He lived in Judah around the time Joash was crowned king. He had seen the way King Jehoram and Ahaziah and then Queen Athaliah had turned the people away from praying to God.

When Joash became king, Joel hoped that things would be different. And they were for a while. As long as Priest Jehoiada was alive Joash followed his advice and honored God. But after Jehoiada died, Joash stopped worshiping at the temple. He put up Asherah poles and soon the land was filled with idols again.

One day God gave Joel a message for the king and people of Judah. He told them to come back to Him because if they didn’t, bad things would happen to their crops and land.


1.What bad things did Joel predict? (Joel 1:1-4):

a] Plague of locusts
b] Flooded harvest
c] Mildew
d] Dried up harvest

2. What should the people do to show God that they were sorry for ignoring Him and worshiping idols? (Joel 1: 13,14)

a] Fast
b] Live in caves
c] Gather to pray
d] Cry out to God

Through Joel God told the people about an important connection. Their obedience or disobedience would decide whether God would bless and protect their land and crops – or not.

What do you think – are obedience and blessing still connected in our time?

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to see and understand the consequences of the way I live my life. Amen

MORE: Locusts
Find out through books or the internet about Locusts:
1. Where do they live?
2. What do they eat?
3. How small or big are they?
4. How can a locust become a plague?
5. Are there still locust plagues today?


Answers


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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

A Change of Heart

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 12:1-14


TO CHEW ON: "Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed there was some good in Judah." 2 Chronicles 12:12

We left the story of Rehoboam a while back. He was the son of Solomon who said he would be a mean and bossy king. Ten tribes didn’t want Rehoboam to be their king. They chose Jeroboam to be king and were called Israel. We have been following what happened in Israel (King Jeroboam, King Ahab, the prophets Elijah and Elisha).

Meanwhile back in Jerusalem, Rehoboam ruled over the two tribes that stayed loyal to him. The part of the land he ruled was called Judah.

Rehoboam soon became a strong king in Judah. He forgot all about God and worshiping Him until King Shishak of Egypt started invading. In no time Shishak had captured all the nearby cities and was just outside Jerusalem.



Scared Rehoboam and his advisors were huddled in the city trying to decide what to do next when a prophet came to them. “You have abandoned God,” the prophet said to Rehoboam.“Now He is leaving you to Shishak.”

This made Rehoboam even more frightened. That day he decided to follow God again.

A little later the prophet returned. “God says because you have turned back to Me, I won’t destroy you through Shishak. But you will have to serve him. That way you’ll learn the lesson that it’s better to serve Me than the king of another land.” God saw Rehoboam’s honest change of heart. Because he decided to return to God, God kept him from being destroyed by Shishak.


Like Rehoboam you may have left God out of your life. Don’t be like him and wait for God to get your attention through a dangerous or hurtful situation. Come back to God now and find out how He is a better boss than anyone or anything.


PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for giving us warnings and second chances. Amen.

MORE: A Second Chance.
When Rehoboam had a change of heart, he changed his mind and began to follow God. Then God gave him and his people a second chance.

- Tell about a time you changed your mind. ___________

- What things caused that change? __________________

- Did that change lead to a second chance for you? ______ In what way?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

The Way Back

Today is MOTHER'S DAY!  Have you thanked your mom (or caregiver)

for all the things she does for you?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 7:11-22

TO CHEW ON: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

After Solomon had finished the temple, he built a luxurious palace for himself. One night when both those projects were done, God appeared to him again.


“I heard your prayer and chose your temple,” He said. Then God gave Solomon some advice. “Keep my laws like David your father did. Worship only me. If you do this, kings will always come from your family.

“But if you turn away from me and start worshiping idols, bad things will happen.”

1. Pick out the three bad things God named in 2 Chronicles 7:20:

A. I will send Israel back to Egypt to be slaves.
B. I will uproot Israel from my land.
C. I will reject this temple.
D. I will burn your palace.
E. I will make this temple an object of ridicule.

Then God told Solomon if he and the people went away from God, there was a way back.
2. Unscramble the words, below, that tell how Solomon, the Israelites and us how to come back to God if we stray (2 Chronicles 7:14):

A. lebmuh evlesshmte : __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

B. ypar: __ __ __ __

C. ekes my ecfa: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

D. nrtu mfro icwkde aswy: __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

Do you feel far away from God? Do the four things God told Solomon long ago. They are still the way back to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, the wrong things in my life make me feel far away from you. Help me to admit I’m wrong, to pray, to find out what pleases You, and to stop sinning. Amen.

MORE: Repent
When we follow God’s advice to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14, we repent.

1. Look up the word “repent” in a dictionary. What does it mean?

2. Using a Bible concordance or the internet, find three Bible verses with the word “repent” in them. Write out your favorite on a paper and put it up where you can see it and read it often.

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.