Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids and families

Read: Luke 12:22-34 Tymeria let the rope slide slowly through her hand as she backed over the edge of the cliff inch by inch. She made her body into an L shape with her feet resting on the side of the cliff. She gripped the rope as tightly as she could through her thick left glove, even though Gavin had said she didn’t need to. The harness around her waist and legs held her up, but she hung on to the rope with her hand, just in case something bad happened. One slow step-hop at a time, she inched down the cliff wall, trying not to look down. Her hand ached as she gripped the rope. She changed her direction slightly to go around a big lump in the rock. When she looked down, she saw counselors far, far below, looking up. “Tymeria, stop squeezing the rope so hard,” Evelyn yelled. “It’s slowing you down. Hanging on doesn’t help you.” “I’m okay,” Tymeria yelled back, squeezing the rope more tightly while she took her next step. Then something went wrong. Her foot slipped. She dropped the rope and spun in the air, scraping her shoulder against the wall. But she didn’t fall. She was floating in midair, hands and feet spread wide, nothing holding her up but the harness around her waist. Apparently she didn’t need to hold the rope with her hand to keep from falling. And now her hand ached because she had been squeezing the rope so hard when she didn’t even need to! After floundering around for a moment, she propped her feet against the cliff side and started stepping downward again, this time with her hand only lightly resting on the rope. It’s just like worry, Tymeria realized. Jesus said I can trust Him, just like Gavin said I can trust the harness. But I didn’t believe him and squeezed the rope anyway. It just made my hand hurt, and it didn’t do me a bit of good. As she neared the ground, Tymeria said a silent prayer. Jesus, please help me stop worrying. I know it just hurts me and doesn’t do any good. Help me remember that You died and rose again to save me, and that no matter what happens, you’ll always hold me up. –Amy Glendinning How about you? Are you dealing with a hard situation in your life? Do you feel like you need to worry to help Jesus take care of it? It won’t do a bit of good. Jesus saved you when you couldn’t do anything to save yourself, and He promises to take care of you. That doesn’t mean bad things will never happen; it means that no matter what you go through, Jesus will always be with you. You don’t have to worry! Today’s key verse: Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12:25-26 (NIV) Today’s key thought: We can trust Jesus

Read: John 1:12-13; 3:1-7 “Who’s that guy singing?” whispered Ollie. “That’s Mr. Carson,” Joash whispered back. “He leads our Sunday school worship time.” Ollie was visiting Joash’s church for the first time, and everything was new to him. “Okay, kids, it’s the first Sunday of the month, so you know what that means—it’s birthday week!” Mr. Carson said. “If you have a birthday this month, come on up here.” “Hey, that’s you, Ollie!” said Joash. “Your birthday’s on Thursday, so go to the front. You’ll get a gift.” At first, Ollie shook his head, but when he saw that several other kids were going, he slipped out of his seat and headed up the aisle. Mr. Carson handed each of the birthday kids a goodie bag. Then everyone sang “Happy Birthday.” “Happy birthday, kids,” Mr. Carson said when the song ended. “And remember…” He cupped his hand around his ear, and the whole group said together, “One birthday won’t do—you need to have two!” After church, Ollie had a question. “What was that thing everyone said about having two birthdays?” he asked Joash. “I just had my tenth!” “Not really, Ollie,” Joash replied. “You’ve only had one birthday—the day you were born. The rest of the time you’re just celebrating that day.” “Okay, but then why would I need a second birthday?” Ollie asked. “When you were born on earth, you became your parents’ child,” explained Joash. “But we all do bad things—we sin, and sin separates us from God, who is always loving and good. The Bible says the only way we can be forgiven and have eternal life with God is to be born again—born into God’s family. That happens when we trust Jesus to save us from sin. Then we’re born again spiritually as God’s children, and we have two birthdays.” Joash looked at his friend. “Get it?” “I’m not sure,” Ollie replied. “I mean, I know I’m not always good, but I never thought about being born all over again. And I don’t really know a whole lot about Jesus. Can you tell me about Him and explain it all again?” “Sure!” Joash was delighted. “If you still don’t get it, my dad can help explain too.” “Okay.” Ollie looked at Joash. “Well, get started!” –Charlie VanderMeer How about you? How many birthdays do you have? One—or two? Your first birthday—the day you were born on this earth—made you a part of your parents’ family. God wants you to be a part of His family too. When you put your faith in Jesus, who died to pay the price for your sin, you’re born again as a child of God. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Today’s key verse: Don’t be surprised when I [Jesus] say, “You must be born again.” John 3:7 (NLT) Today’s key thought: You need two birthdays

Read: Colossians 3:12-14 “No!” Tula ran into her room and slammed the door. “She left us. I’m not forgiving her. Ever!” She dove headfirst into her pillows and burst into tears. It had been three years since Mom left. Two years since her last phone call. Now she wanted to be a part of Tula’s life again? Even though she was married to someone else and had a new baby? It wasn’t right. Dad came into the room and sat down on the edge of Tula’s bed. “I know this is hard, Tula, but your mom does love you. She wants you to know she’s sorry she hurt you.” “What she did was wrong!” “It was. But I did a lot of wrong things too, and you forgave me.” “But you didn’t leave me,” Tula said into her pillow. “Maybe not, but some of my choices hurt you just as much as your mom’s did.” The bed shifted as Dad leaned forward and grabbed a book off her nightstand. She didn’t have to look to know it was her Bible. “I wonder what God says we should do in a situation like this,” Dad said. Tula groaned. She knew exactly what God said she should do, but she wasn’t ready to stop being mad. Not yet. “She doesn’t deserve to be forgiven.” “Can you imagine what it would be like if Jesus had said that about us?” Tula shivered. Not being forgiven by Jesus? That would be awful. She rolled over and sat up. “I wouldn’t like that.” “Me neither. So, if Jesus can forgive us for hurting Him, shouldn’t we do the same when someone hurts us?” Tula thought for a moment before nodding. “Yes, but I’m gonna need help. Forgiving is hard.” “We’ll help each other,” Dad said as he hugged Tula. “And God will help us too. Because He forgave us for our sins, we’re able to forgive others. That doesn’t mean the hurt magically goes away. But when we forgive others, we allow Him to start healing our broken hearts. I think I’m ready for that.” Tula hugged Dad back. “I think I’m ready for that too.” –Jennifer Lindsay How about you? Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Forgiving someone doesn’t mean you’re saying what they did was okay. It means you’re allowing God to step into the situation and begin healing your heart and the heart of the person who hurt you. When we forgive, we’re showing others the love Jesus has shown us. Trust Him to help you forgive, even when it’s hard. Today’s key verse: And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) Today’s key thought: Forgiveness brings healing

Read: Ephesians 1:4-14 “How did your long meeting go today?” Maya asked her mom. Mom let out a big sigh as she walked to the kitchen table where Maya was coloring. “We talked with a financial advisor about important things like money your grandma left us and what your dad and I want the future to look like, especially for you.” Maya nodded. She wanted to hear what Mom had to say, but talking about her grandma made Maya’s heart hurt. She hated how sad she and her family had been for the past month, but her parents assured her it was normal grieving. “Actually…” Mom sat down at the table. “There’s something we discussed in our meeting that I wanted to talk to you about.” Maya looked up, trying not to shy away from the topic. Her mom was being brave about it, so Maya could be brave and talk about her grandma too. Even though talking about her was hard, Maya liked to remember how Grandma would paint her nails, or the summer Maya stayed at her grandma’s cottage. Mom interrupted Maya’s thoughts. “Your grandma actually left you something. It’s called an inheritance.” “An inheritance?” Maya asked. “Yes,” Mom replied, picking up a crayon and setting it to paper. “Think if it as a gift from your grandma, but one she gives later, after she’s gone to be with Jesus.” This idea brought a smile to Maya’s lips. She would have something new from her grandma even now. “Come to think of it, you actually have two inheritances!” her mother mused. “One from your grandma, and one from Jesus.” “I get an inheritance from Jesus too?” Maya asked, pausing her drawing. “Yes. Because we have faith in Jesus, He has forgiven our sins, and we are now part of His family and have eternal life with Him. Those things are all part of the inheritance we get from God.” Maya’s family often talked about Jesus, but she had never thought of Him giving her an inheritance before. After a moment, she spoke up. “Even though Grandma is with Jesus now, it makes me feel better to know she left a gift for me. It reminds me that she loves me and that I’ll see her again one day because of the inheritance Jesus has given us both.” –Naomi Zylstra How about you? Have you ever received a gift from someone who passed away? Maybe a loved one left you an item or a message that was special to you. Memories or special items from loved ones can be a great reminder of their love and how they were part of our lives. In the same way, our inheritance in Jesus is a gift that shows how much He loves us and that we are part of His family forever. Today’s key verse: Because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God. Ephesians 1:11 (NLT) Today’s key thought: Jesus gives an inheritance

Read: Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8 As Jonathan finished eating a caramel apple at the carnival, his mom glanced at her phone. “We only have time for one more thing, Jonathan. What will it be?” Jonathan’s eyes darted back and forth as he tried to decide what one thing he wanted to do before leaving. Straight ahead he noticed the roller coaster’s lights flashing as it looped around and around. To his right, bright red cars spun in a circle to the beat of blaring music. To his left, he saw a building with a sign that said House of Mirrors. “That’s it, Mom. I want to see that.” “Okay,” said Mom. “House of Mirrors it is.” After buying tickets, Jonathan and his mother walked through a dark, narrow hallway. He stepped into the first small room and ran to the mirror. “Mom, look at me in this mirror. I look taller than a giraffe!” “So do I,” said Mom, and they both laughed. Jonathan moved to the left and pointed. “In this mirror I look like a hippo!” They made their way through all the rooms and hallways, laughing as each mirror changed and distorted the way they looked. “That was fun!” Jonathan said as they left the building. Mom nodded. “You know what those mirrors made me think of?” “They made me think of how glad I am I don’t have to clean them,” Jonathan said. Mom laughed. “That crossed my mind too, but what I was really reminded of is how we can let our circumstances distort our image of God.” Jonathan looked puzzled. “What do you mean?” “Well, when good things happen to us, we may think of God as being loving and kind. But when life is hard or bad things happen, we might wonder if He really cares for us. The thing is, we shouldn’t use the events of our lives as a mirror to see what God is like. The Bible says He never changes. He always loves us—so much that He sent His Son to die for us. No matter what’s going on in our lives or how we feel about it, we can trust that Jesus loves us and is with us. He’s always good, and He’ll never change.” –Annette S. Bury How about you? Does your view of God depend on what’s going on in your life? When things go well, do you see Him as a loving, caring God? And when things are bad or simply don’t go the way you want them to, do you wonder if He loves you after all? He does. He loves you so much that Jesus died to save you and will always be with you. He cares for you all the time, and He will never change. Today’s key verse: I am the Lord, and I do not change. Malachi 3:6 (NLT) Today’s key thought: God doesn’t change

Read: Psalm 96:4-9 Hailey looked up from reading her Bible on the front lawn. “Amare, are you afraid of God?” she asked her brother. “No, I don’t think so,” replied Amare. “Why should I be afraid of Him?” “This verse says, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.’ What does that mean?” Just then their neighbor Hunter came along. “Hey, Amare,” he called, “get your bike and come with me. Drake dared me to climb the fence around the power station’s transformer, so I’m gonna do it.” Amare’s eyes widened. “You’d better not! My dad says it’s dangerous to go near that thing.” “I’m not scared of anything,” Hunter said. “You coming?” Amare shook his head. “No. I don’t want to get zapped. Why do you think there’s a high fence around it with all those ‘No Trespassing’ signs?” Hunter laughed. “To keep out scaredy-cats like you!” He sped off on his bike. Amare watched Hunter leave, then jumped to his feet. “I’m gonna tell Mom.” When Mom heard about Hunter’s plan, she decided to call the police department. Soon they heard sirens heading toward the power station. “Maybe seeing the police will teach Hunter to wise up,” said Hailey. “He said he wasn’t afraid of anything.” “Well, there are some things he should be afraid of,” Mom replied. “Are we supposed to be afraid of God?” Hailey asked. “One of the verses in my Bible reading today talked about fearing Him.” “We fear God in the sense that we respect, honor, and trust Him. We know He has power over everything and that, because He is good, He must punish sin.” “So, fearing God is kind of like how I respect and obey you and Dad because you’re my parents?” asked Amare. Mom nodded. “When we fear God, we see how serious our sin is and how much we need Jesus to save us from it. We see that His way is better than ours and that we need to trust and obey Him. Then, by trusting in Jesus, we can feel His peace, knowing He loves us so much that He took the punishment for our sin and will always be with us.” Hailey grinned. “So if we fear the Lord, we have no reason to be afraid!” –Barbara J. Westberg How about you? Are you afraid of God? If you’re a Christian, you have no reason to be afraid. When the Bible tells us to fear God, it means to respect His authority and the fact that He must punish sin. Even though you’ve sinned against God, Jesus took the punishment for your sin. Fear God by trusting and obeying Him. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Today’s key verse: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Psalm 111:10 (NKJV) Today’s key thought: Fear God

Read: Romans 12:9-21; Galatians 5:22-23 Aria curled up on the couch with her new book. “I’m almost done reading this already,” she told her brother. “It’s about a princess who didn’t know she was a princess!” “How can that be?” Brayden asked. “If I were a prince, I’m pretty sure I’d know it!” “She was kidnapped as a baby,” Aria explained. “But even after her family found her, she didn’t act like a princess. Her parents wanted her to live in their huge palace, but she wanted to stay with people she knew, so she kept on living in an old shack. The king and queen bought her beautiful new clothes, but she didn’t want to wear them. She just kept wearing her old ones, which were ragged and dirty.” “Sounds like an interesting book,” said Mom. “And you know, we sometimes act that way ourselves.” “We do?” asked Brayden. “I don’t wear raggedy old clothes,” said Aria. “Besides, I’m not a princess.” “Actually, in a way, you are,” Mom replied. “And Brayden is a prince.” Aria giggled. “And Dad’s a king, and you’re a queen?” Mom shook her head. “No, I’m a princess too, and Dad is a prince. Because we trust in Jesus, we’ve been adopted into God’s family. We’re His children, and He is a King—not just any king, but the King of kings!” “Oh yeah!” Aria said. “I knew that.” “As children of God, we’re His heirs,” continued Mom. “Jesus shares His blessings with us and promises us eternal life with Him. But sometimes we forget to embrace the new life He’s given us. We act as if we don’t know we’re children of the King and go back to our old sinful ways.” “Well, how is a prince—or princess—supposed to live?” Brayden asked. “The way the King does,” Mom replied. “We need to live in a way that shows others Jesus’s love. But we can’t do it on our own. The Holy Spirit makes us become more like Jesus. He gives us characteristics called the fruit of the Spirit. As His fruit grows in our lives, we act more like the princes and princesses we are.” “I’m glad He helps us live our new lives,” Aria said. “I don’t want to go back to a shack when I can live in the palace of the King of kings!” –Tanya Ferdinandusz How about you? Did you know that, if you trust in Jesus, you’re a child of the King of kings? Does your life reflect this? Or do you keep trying to go back to old sinful habits that no longer fit with who you are? Let go of your raggedy old ways and embrace the new life you have in Jesus. Trust Him to grow the fruit of His Spirit in your life and make you become more like Him. Today’s key verse: We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 (ERV) Today’s key thought: Live like a child of the King

Read: Luke 4:1-15; John 10:7-10 Riley rummaged through the tackle box until she found the shiny silver lure her dad wanted. “Is this the one?” Dad took it from her hand. “Yep. That’s it.” He grinned. “As soon as Mr. Fish sees this, he’ll gobble it up.” Riley beamed. “Then we’ll catch him and gobble him up, won’t we?” Dad nodded. “We sure will.” After tying the lure to the fishing line, Dad cast it into the lake. “Want to reel this in and see if we can catch a fish?” “Next time,” Riley said. “You catch one first.” “Okay.” Dad turned the reel. “Hey! I think I’ve got a bite!” “All right!” Riley clapped her hands as Dad reeled in a big fish. “Wow! Are we going to eat it tonight?” she asked as Dad reached for the flopping fish. Dad grinned. “You know it!” He threw the line out again. “Do you know why that shiny thing you gave me is called a lure?” Riley shook her head. “Not really.” “To lure something means to attract it, and that thing attracts fish,” Dad explained. “It looks good to them and tricks them into thinking it’s good to eat, but when they grab it, they’re caught.” He handed Riley the fishing rod. “Did you know that Satan often uses lures to trick and trap people?” Riley began reeling in the line. “He does?” “Yep, but not the kind we use,” said Dad. “Satan often tricks people by making sin look attractive. He may get you to think it’s harmless—even fun. But don’t fall for it. Just like a fishing lure, in the end, sin only leads to death. That’s why Jesus had to die for us—to take the punishment for our sin so we could have eternal life with Him instead of being separated from God forever. When you’re tempted to sin, remember that Jesus resisted temptation and conquered Satan and death for you. He saved you and makes you able to see Satan’s lures for what they really are—lies—so you can turn to the true life you have in Him instead.” Riley finished reeling in the line. “No fish this time,” she said. “I guess they resisted the lure.” She cast the line out again. “I’ll trust Jesus to help me do the same thing!” –Richard S. Maffeo How about you? Did you know that Satan uses lures to get people to sin? He’ll do his best to trick you into doing something wrong. Don’t fall for his lies. Even though he may make sin look attractive and fun, it only leads to destruction. If you know Jesus as your Savior, He has saved you from sin and given you eternal life. When you’re tempted to sin, trust Him for the strength to say no. Today’s key verse: Humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 (NLT) Today’s key thought: Resist the lure of sin

Read: Psalm 103:2-6, 8-12 Hudson sat down at the kitchen table and watched as his little sister, Violet, tried to staple several pieces of paper she had colored into a book. “When I was your age, I had to push with all my weight on the stapler,” he said. Suddenly, Violet stood, chair scraping, launched her project into the trash, and stormed to her room. “I’m right here if you want”—Violet slammed her door—“help,” Mom said. She rescued the book from the trash and examined it. Violet had managed to staple it three times in the middle, but couldn’t figure out that to flip it open like a book, it had to be stapled on the side. Mom knocked on Violet’s door. “Come in,” Violet said with a huff. “I know a way to fix your book,” Mom said. “Do you want help?” Violet nodded and followed Mom to the kitchen. “I tried, but I can’t do it!” she wailed. Mom walked to a drawer and opened it. “Sometimes parents know things kids don’t,” she said, pulling out a staple remover. “Oh yeah, I’ve seen those before!” Violet said, her face brightening. Mom removed the center staples and helped Violet re-staple the sides of the papers. “It’ll have some small holes in it, but it will still work great.” Violet hugged her book and then hugged Mom. Hudson grinned. “That’s like what God does for us, huh, Mom? He rescues us from the trash and makes us work right again.” Mom smiled and hugged both her kids. “You’re right, Hudson. God can rescue us and repair any mess we’ve made, no matter how big it is. We all do things that are wrong, but God is always there to forgive us and help us when we mess up. Nothing is beyond His repair.” “Does God have a giant staple remover?” Violet asked. Hudson and Mom both laughed. “No, Violet, He has something better,” Mom said. “Jesus died in our place to rescue us from sin and make us new people. When we trust Him as our Savior, He forgives our sins and His Holy Spirit empowers us to live life God’s way.” –Pearl Allard How about you? Do you feel like your life is beyond repair? Maybe you’ve done so many things wrong that you feel like a mess no one can fix. No sin is beyond God’s forgiveness, and no person is beyond His repair. He sent His Son, Jesus, to rescue you from sin and death, and He will make you a new person and always be there to help you. Trust in Him. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Today’s key verse: He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. Psalm 103:4 (NLT) Today’s key thought: No life is beyond God’s repair

Read: Matthew 25:14-30 Every afternoon for an entire week, Sebastian got out pencils, paints, and poster board as soon as he got home from school. “I want to win the art contest at the city library,” he told his dad. “I love to draw things.” On the day of the judging, Sebastian waited anxiously for the judges’ decision. Finally, they nodded in agreement. Then one of them put a third-prize ribbon on one of the posters. It wasn’t Sebastian’s. The second-prize ribbon went on another poster, but it wasn’t his either. Sebastian’s stomach twisted in a knot. Finally, a judge picked up the first-prize ribbon, walked over to a poster, and attached it to a corner. Sebastian blinked to hold back tears as he realized he had not won a prize. “I’m giving up on art,” Sebastian told his dad after the contest. “Really?” Dad rubbed his chin. “Do you know who Babe Ruth is?” “Sure,” said Sebastian. “He was a famous baseball player in the 1920s. He’s probably the most famous player in the history of the sport.” “Right,” said Dad. “He was the first one to hit sixty home runs in a season, but did you know he also struck out a lot of times?” “He did?” “Yep,” said Dad. “What made him a good player was that he kept swinging the bat when others would have gotten discouraged and given up. Persistence is needed in everything—whether it’s swinging bats or painting pictures.” Sebastian sighed. “I guess you’re telling me I shouldn’t give up on art, huh?” Dad nodded. “God gave you your love for drawing and painting so you could use it for Him—not earn recognition for yourself. You may win prizes for your art one day, and that would be great, but that shouldn’t be the reason you do it. Instead of quitting, keep enjoying and developing the ability God has given you and use it to point others to Jesus.” “Well, I did see a flyer at school yesterday that said they need volunteers to help with facepainting at the preschool’s family night next week,” Sebastian said. “Maybe I should take a swing at that.” “That’s a great idea,” said Dad. He grinned at Sebastian. “Batter up!” –Carolyn E. Yost How about you? Are you patiently developing the talents God has given you? It can be frustrating at times, and there may be some things He only wants you to do for a while and then move on. But don’t give up something you enjoy just because you’re not getting prizes or recognition. God gave you that talent so you could use it to help others and show them His love. Trust Him to help you keep on swinging! Today’s key thought: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Matthew 25:21 (NIV) Today’s key verse: Patiently develop talents