Cool Water on a Hot Day

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Topic: God’s Provision

Scripture: Psalm 105:41

[The Lord] opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert. — Psalm 105:41 

Introduction

When Moses was leading the Israelites through the desert after God freed them from Egypt, there were no convenience stores where they could stop to buy bottled water or juice packs or energy drinks. And there were a lot of hot, thirsty people. Exodus 12:37 says, “There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.” That means there were probably two million people in all! Where would they get enough water for everybody? After three days of traveling through the desert and finding no water at all, the people got desperate and started complaining angrily to Moses. So he cried out to God for help. Now, Moses may have been hoping that God would show them the way to a 7-Eleven store, but God did something much more wonderful than that.

Today’s devotion is about how God is able to provide for our needs. It’s based on Psalm 105:41, which says, “[The Lord] opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.” The devotion is called “Cool Water on a Hot Day.”

Devotion  

Rod and his friends sat on the steps outside his family’s brownstone apartment, trying to keep cool. The heat wave in the city made it hard to do much else. Rod had his shirt off. Pete was drinking lemonade. Nora was fanning herself with a magazine. A door slammed, and Rod looked up. “Look, here comes Michael. Hey, Mike!” All the kids scrambled down to the sidewalk.

Michael was a young fireman who lived across the street. He was carrying a large wrench, and Rod guessed what he was up to. “Hi, guys,” Michael said. “You looked hot out here. So I thought I’d help you cool off.” He crouched next to the fire hydrant on the curb. Turning the wrench, he said, “Stand back, everyone!” Water sprayed into the street, and the kids cheered. As Michael watched, grinning, they frolicked in the geyser.

God is a faithful, powerful provider. When the Israelites needed water in the desert, he made it gush out of a rock! Does your family have a need? Gather together and pray. Remind each other how God provided for his people in the past. Remember God’s promises to take care of his people always. And have faith that he’ll provide for your family now. 

Words to Treasure

God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:19

Questions

1.Again and again as the Israelites traveled through the desert, they kept complaining to Moses that there was nothing to eat or drink. Do you think they were trusting God to provide for their needs? What should they have done instead of getting angry and complaining?

Answer: they should have prayed humbly and trusted God to provide them with food and water.

2.How do you usually react when you need something and it doesn’t look like you’re going to get it? Do you get angry and complain, or do you pray humbly and trust God to provide what you need?

3.How can you tell the difference between something you want and something you need? Can you expect God to provide everything you want? How about everything you need?

For a clue, either have children look up Isaiah 58:11, which says, “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land,” or read this verse to them. Today’s “Words to Treasure” verse is also a good clue!

4.Sometimes God meets people’s needs in unexpected ways, like he did when the Israelites needed water in the desert. Can you remember a time when God met your needs in an unexpected way? What should our attitude be after we pray for something we need and as we wait for God to provide it for us?

Answer: we should trust God to give us what we need, but maybe not in a way we expect him to.

5.Once, when the Israelites were traveling through the desert, they complained about the bread God was providing for them every day. They wanted some meat! God was angry with them because of that. What does this tell you about our attitude toward the way God chooses to meet our needs?

For a clue, either have children look up 1 Timothy 6:8, which says, “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that,” or read this verse to them. The answer is that we should be content and grateful to God for what he gives us.

Consider spending some time playing a game or doing an exercise to help children memorize the “Words to Treasure” Scripture verse.

Shared by Zonderkidz with FaithGateway.

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Your Turn 

Share this devotion with your kids or kids in your care today. We’d love to hear your thoughts, too! ~ Laurie McClure, Faith.Full