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

Read: Colossians 3:16-24

Cesar kept his distance as his dad lifted the cover from a beehive. “There sure are lots of bees, aren’t there, Dad? And they all look busy.” He grinned. “They’re as busy as bees!”

Dad smiled. “You’re right. Each of the hives has lots of them—thousands, in fact. But there’s always just one queen bee in each hive.”

“What does she do?” asked Cesar. “Rule the others?”

“Well, she’s the mother of the bees,” Dad said. “And you know how busy mothers are! But all the other bees have a particular job to do too. The forager bees collect the food. The guard bees protect the hive from intruders. There are water collectors who regulate the humidity, and plasterers who repair the hives. The scout bees alert the others of opportunities and dangers in the outside world, and there are undertakers that remove dead bees from the hive.”

“Wow!” said Cesar. “I never knew that.”

“They’re like a family,” said Dad. “In a well-run family, each person has special duties. Everyone needs to do their job to keep things running smoothly for the good of the hive.” He glanced at Cesar. “It works that way in human families too.”

Cesar sighed. He’d gotten in trouble the day before for going to a friend’s house when he was supposed to be raking leaves.

“I know it’s not easy to accept responsibility and do your work when you’d rather be doing something else,” said Dad. “That’s why the Bible reminds us that we’re not working for ourselves—we’re working for Jesus. Because we trust in Him, we’re part of His family, and He uses the work we do to benefit others—even tasks that don’t seem all that important to us.”

Cesar looked at the buzzing bees. “Kind of like how all the bees’ work helps the whole hive?”

“Exactly!” Dad said. “And He uses it to help us too. The work He gives us through parents and teachers helps us learn to be responsible and think of others, and it helps prepare us for more things He wants us to do in the future.” Dad rumpled Cesar’s hair. “Can I count on you to be responsible the next time you’re given a task?”

Cesar grinned and nodded. “I’ll be as busy as a bee!”

–Helen C. Eshleman

How about you? Do you accept responsibility when you’re given a task? Or do you complain and put it off for as long as you can? If you trust in Jesus, you’re part of His family, and He uses the work you do to show others His love—even things that seem small or tedious. Trust Him to help you do your work willingly. He’ll use it for the good of the whole hive of bee-lievers!

Today’s key verse: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Accept responsibility

Read: Psalm 91:1-6

Grandma looked up from making breakfast when Noah came into to the kitchen. “You look tired,” she said.

Noah yawned. “I was up a lot last night because of the storm.”

“It sure was noisy!” Grandma remarked as she began mixing pancake batter. “I was up some myself.”

“Did Grandpa go to the barn?” Noah asked. Grandma nodded, and Noah put on his rubber boots and went outside. He found Grandpa milking the cow.

“Good morning, Noah! You look like you could use some more sleep,” Grandpa said. “Did the storm keep you awake last night?”

“Yeah, but I’ll be fine. What can I do to help?”

“You can feed the goats,” Grandpa answered.

When the feeding and milking was done, they both went to gather the eggs. “Hey, Noah, do you see that chicken?” Grandpa asked.

Noah looked at the chicken Grandpa was pointing at and gasped. “What happened? That hen is missing a bunch of feathers, and she’s all scraped up and bruised!”

“Last night this hen’s chicks were bedded down in some tall grass outside,” Grandpa explained. “When the storm came, they were too afraid to move. Now just think, this hen could have gone into the coop and been warm and dry. However, she stayed outside in the bad weather with her wings covering her little ones to protect them. If she hadn’t done that, her chicks wouldn’t have survived!”

Noah listened wide-eyed. “Wow! She really cares for her chicks, doesn’t she?”

Grandpa nodded. “Did you know that God feels the same way about us? This chicken was willing to die to save her chicks, and God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die for us so we could be saved from sin and have eternal life with Him. The Bible even describes God stretching His wings over us, the same way a mother hen protects her chicks.”

“That’s a lot of protection!” said Noah.

“It sure is! And I’m thankful for every bit of it,” said Grandpa.

“Me too!” Noah grinned. “Do you know what else I’m thankful for?”

“What’s that?” asked Grandpa.

“Grandma’s cooking. I hope we can have breakfast soon. I’m starving!”

Grandpa laughed. “Me too! Let’s go see if it’s ready.”

–Elena Ketner

How about you? Did you know that God protects His children like a mother hen covering her chicks? Those who trust in Jesus take refuge under His wings. If you belong to Jesus, nothing can ever separate you from Him—no matter what life storms come your way. Jesus was willing to die to save you, and He will never leave you. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today’s key verse: He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge. Psalm 91:4 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: God protects His children

Read: Romans 5:3-6; James 1:2-4

“Why are we stopping?” Lucas asked as they came to a stop behind a line of cars.

“Oh no!” said Lucas. “We’ll be late! It’s bad enough being new at school, but being late and having everyone stare at me will be worse!”

“I’m afraid I’ll be late for my job interview too,” Mom said, tapping her phone. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. I’ll give them a call so they know.”

“I wish Dad was still alive,” Olivia said once Mom had finished her call. “Then we’d still be living in our old house and going to our old school with all our old friends. And you wouldn’t have to look for work.”

“I wish that too,” said Mom. “But Jesus promises to be with us through these difficult changes, and we need to trust Him.”

Just then the line of cars began moving, and they followed the car in front of them onto a bumpy gravel path. They passed workers using loud jackhammers and a huge machine digging up large chunks of asphalt.

“Why do they have to wreck a perfectly good road?” Olivia asked.

“It reminds me of our family,” Lucas said glumly. “Everything’s broken and torn up.”

“It does feel like that,” said Mom. “But think about this—the people in charge at city hall have plans for this road. They’re allowing it to be broken up and worked on because they know that after the construction is finished, it will be better. And Jesus has plans for our lives. He’s leading us through a very difficult time, but it’s often during times of sorrow and hardship that we get to know Him better and become more like Him.”

“But I still don’t see why He’d take Dad from us,” Olivia said sadly.

“I don’t either,” said Mom. “But I do know that He understands what we’re going through because He experienced suffering and death when He came to save us. He is always with us, and we can trust Him to help us rebuild our lives.” She smiled in the rearview mirror. “Will you trust Him with me?”

Olivia and Lucas looked back at her and nodded.

–Violet E. Nesdoly

How about you? Is it hard to believe anything good can come from the disappointment or pain you’re going through? Road construction makes a better road. Remodeling results in a better building. And trusting Jesus in difficult times leads to a stronger faith. Remember that He’s always with you and will use hard times in your life to make you stronger, wiser, more patient, and more compassionate—more like Him.

Today’s key verse: You know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. James 1:3 (NLT)

Today’s key thought: Trust Jesus in difficulty

If you’re going through a tough time right now, find an adult you can talk to about it.

Read: Philippians 4:4-7

“What an awful day!” said Sophia after school. “Why do I have to have Mrs. Hilton for a teacher? She’s a grouch, and nobody likes her!”

“It sounds like this would be a good time to remind you of the verses we read for devotions this morning,” Mom said. “‘In everything give thanks,’ remember? Because Jesus saved us and is always with us, we can have an attitude of praise and thankfulness to God, no matter what situation we find ourselves in.”

“Yes, but…” Sophia looked doubtful. “It’s pretty hard to have an attitude of praise in Mrs. Hilton’s class.”

“It may be hard at times, but Jesus still wants us to thank Him and trust Him in hard situations,” Mom replied. “He often uses them to teach us important lessons.”

“Oh, I’m sure I’ll learn lots of lessons in Mrs. Hilton’s class,” Sophia muttered. “Lessons like sit up straight, no talking during class, stay in your seats, blah, blah, blah!” She sighed. “I really don’t see how I can give thanks for being in Mrs. Hilton’s class. It’s just too much!” She collapsed into a chair with a loud huff.

Mom sat down next to her. “Sophia, I think you’ll do a lot better in Mrs. Hilton’s class if you change your attitude. Instead of complaining and focusing on the negative, remember that Jesus loves Mrs. Hilton and died for her just like He did for you. Trust Him to help you show her His love in your attitude. Treat her with respect, and look for nice things to say about her.”

“Nice things about her? I can’t think of any,” said Sophia.

“Ask Jesus to help you think of some,” said Mom. “Pray for Mrs. Hilton too, and look for ways you can encourage her and show her kindness. I think if you do that instead of complaining, you’ll find it much easier to give thanks for being in her class—and you might even learn something too.”

Sophia sighed. “Okay,” she said after a moment. “Actually, she is pretty good at explaining math. I guess God knows I need help with that. I’ll ask Him to help me remember to be thankful and show Mrs. Hilton His love.”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Are you dealing with a hard situation right now? Are you struggling to get along with someone? It can be hard to have a thankful attitude in the midst of difficult circumstances, but when you remember that Jesus gave His life to save you, you can give thanks in every situation. Thank Him for always being with you, and trust Him to use the difficulties you’re facing to help you grow and show others His love.

Today’s key verse: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Develop a thankful attitude

Read: Luke 10:30-35; John 15:12-13

As Victoria stepped off the school bus, she caught a glimpse of her best friend—at least, her best friend in elementary school—staring stonily out the window. Now part of the popular group, Melissa didn’t even look at Victoria. She hadn’t even seemed to notice her the whole first week of middle school.

Inside, Victoria slipped off her backpack and slumped on the couch. She stared around at her house, then at her shoes, still scuffed from last year. If only I had a new wardrobe and lived in one of those big houses like the other kids, she thought.

Just then, the sound of gravel crunching announced that Mom had pulled in. Victoria headed outside to help get Dad out of the van.

As she pushed his wheelchair up the ramp, Victoria looked back at her tired mother, her arms loaded with groceries. Victoria’s throat tightened as she realized how loyal her mother was, choosing to care for a husband who’d never walk or talk again. If only Melissa were as faithful to her friends, she thought.

As they dried dishes that night, Victoria told Mom about her first week back at school.

“How’s Melissa?” Mom asked. “I haven’t heard anything about her yet.”

Victoria’s face fell. “Melissa doesn’t talk to me anymore.”

Mom studied her. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. She hasn’t spoken to me once since school started. She walks past me with her friends like I’m a stranger.”

Mom placed a mug in the cupboard. “I’m so sorry, honey.”

Victoria lowered her voice so Dad wouldn’t hear. “I keep wishing Melissa were as good a person as you are, Mom. You stayed with Dad after the accident, and you’ve never once complained.”

Mom’s eyes grew moist. “I haven’t always been so loyal, honey. In fact, when I was younger, I treated a friend just like Melissa’s treating you now.”

Victoria stared at her. “How’d you change?”

“By realizing that Jesus would never stop loving me. Once I accepted His love—love that made Him willing to die for my sins—I was able to love others the way He did; not for what they offered, but for who they were.” She put an arm around Victoria. “Jesus’s love never fails, and you can share His love with Melissa by showing her you’ll always be her faithful friend.”

–Rebekah Love Dorris

How about you? Have you ever been rejected by a friend? Not much is as painful as wondering why someone who once loved you no longer does. While you can’t force someone to like you again, you can pray for them and help them know the unfailing love of Jesus. He knows how it feels to be rejected, but He never stops loving us. Trust Him to help you be a faithful friend like Him.

Today’s key verse: Love one another as I have loved you. John 15:12 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Love others like Jesus