Jesse Tree ~ Days 14 and 15

I'm losing some momentum -- mostly because all the STUFF of Christmas is getting in the way... As I'm going into stores, I'm praying to find the items on my list easily and quickly... It sounds silly as I write it, but those prayers were answered this morning and I praise Him for it! May your lists to "TO DO's" be quickly, easily, joyfully turned into your list of "DONE's" and ALL for His glory!


December 14
“When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is it you, you troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.’” 1 Kings 18:17,18

Today’s symbol: Altar

Ideas to do and talk about:
*Read an account of God raining down fire on Elijah’s dripping wet altar from 1 Kings 18 in a children’s Bible. James 5:17 states that “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently…” It was not Elijah that performed the miracle but God so that the people said, “The LORD, He is God!” May our acts of faith bring others to say the same…
*When Elijah was called by God, Israel was not following God as King. They prayed to and worshiped the Baals (which were basically statues). Remember how God had warned Israel about kings through Samuel…
*Color the altar ornament. We will color piles of rocks to turn the modern looking altar to what it might have looked like in the story.
*Thank God for going to great lengths to have a relationship with us and for sending us messengers to speak Truth to us in our sinfulness.

December 15
“ ‘Say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: On what do you rest this trust of yours?...’” 2 Kings 18:19
Hezekiah prayed: “ ‘So now, O LORD our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone.’” 1 Kings 19:19

Today’s symbol: Tent

Ideas to do and talk about:
*I could not find an account of King Hezekiah in a children’s Bible so click here for a summary I found online
*It is one thing to trust the Lord in matters that affect only you, but King Hezekiah had great faith that God would save not only himself but his people, too. From one of the boys’ favorite shows, “The battle is the Lord’s!” Battles we face truly are the Lord’s. We have our part to play in them, but our part usually is the adding of our weakness to His strength. What battles are you facing now? Give them to the Lord in prayer…
*How does the tent ornament fit in? Well, when people got up and saw that the angel of the Lord had struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians, the king of Assyria quickly departed…probably leaving his tent behind!