For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
When things were going great for King Rehoboam, something sad happened: he forgot all about God. But God doesn't give up on him.
Today's Story
For a while, King Rehoboam followed God, and his kingdom grew big and strong. But when he became strong, he made a sad mistake. He forgot all about God and stopped following Him. And the people followed his bad example.
So trouble came. A powerful king from Egypt, named Shishak, marched up with a huge army and took over many of the cities.
Then God sent the prophet Shemaiah to the king and the leaders. “You left me,” God told them, “so now you can see what happens without my help.”
When the leaders heard that, they did the right thing. They humbled themselves. They said, “The LORD is right. We were wrong.”
And God saw their hearts. “Because they have humbled themselves,” God said, “I will not destroy them. I will show them kindness.” God did not take everything away. He was merciful, even when they had not been good.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- It can be really hard to say “I was wrong.” When was a time you said sorry? How did you feel afterward?
- Rehoboam forgot God when everything was going well. Why do you think it is easy to forget God when things are good?
- God was kind to the leaders the moment they humbled themselves. How does it feel to know God forgives us when we turn back to Him?