Family Devotions (cont.)
2. God Is Patient
Read aloud: “But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love” (Nehemiah 9:17).
Say: Nearly 70 years after the Israelites’ exile in Babylon, God restored them to their homeland—Jerusalem! He provided all they needed to rebuild their Temple and the walls around the city.
Then when they heard the Book of the Law again after so long, the people confessed their sins. They stood for hours, repenting for all the ways they’d turned from God. Then they celebrated his goodness, mercy, and patience. No matter how many times they turned away, God’s patient love never wavered or went away!
Let’s make today a celebration of all God has done in our family’s life! God patiently gives us his love and mercy—time and time again.
Think & Talk
Ask: What’s the first thing you like to do when you get home after being away? Why?
Read & Do
Read Nehemiah 9:17 once more. Then bake something that you can’t wait to eat! While it bakes (or even just toasts) talk about what it means to be slow to become angry. When might God want us to show that kind of patience?
Say & Pray
Nehemiah 9 is filled with God’s people telling their history with God—all the ways he’d been faithful to them (despite their faithlessness). Pray together and thank God for his hand in your family’s story. Talk about specific things you’re thankful for in the past.
Fun Fact
The book of Ezra tells about God’s people returning to Jerusalem after decades in exile. The phrase “the God of heaven” is used nine times in the book—that’s more than any other Bible book! This title for God shows God’s sovereignty over any kingdom or leader.
These simple family devotions are adapted from two take-home pages in Group’s new All Together Sunday School series of lesson books. The lessons are thoughtfully sculpted for when you have kids of all ages in one room. For more ideas and insights for the families you serve, check out these posts!
This article was originally published on ChildrensMinistry.com, © Group Publishing, Inc.
