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

Read: Colossians 3:20-25

Daniel plopped down on the top step and scowled. His sister, Nia, found him there. “Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, and we don’t have a gift for Mom yet,” she said. “Let’s go see what we can find.”

“I can’t,” Daniel said. “Mom says I can’t go anywhere. I didn’t clean my room right away like she told me to, and then when I did do it, she still wasn’t satisfied. I told her it was my room and it looked fine to me, so I didn’t care what she thought!”

Nia gasped. “Daniel!”

“I know,” Daniel said. “It was a dumb thing to say. She grounded me and then made me clean my room again anyway.”

“Great, now how am I supposed to get her a present?” asked Nia. “Maybe if I ask her, she’ll let you walk into town with me.”

Nia went and made her request, but when Mom said no, Nia became angry and talked back. So she got grounded too.

After dinner the next day, Daniel and Nia felt bad about not having a gift for their mom. “We wanted to get you something yesterday,” Nia explained to her, “but you wouldn’t let us go to the store.”

Dad raised his eyebrows. “So it’s Mom’s fault you don’t have a present for her?”

“Well…no,” Daniel replied slowly.

“Tell me,” said Dad, “why is it you wanted to give Mom a present in the first place?”

“Because it’s Mother’s Day, and we wanted to show that we love her,” said Nia.

“And what’s the best way to show your love?” Dad asked.

“Well, um…giving presents and stuff is one way,” said Daniel.

“And we also show people we love them by the way we act toward them.” Nia sighed. “Yesterday we didn’t act like we loved you, Mom. I’m sorry I talked back to you.”

“Me too, Mom,” said Daniel. “And I’m sorry I didn’t obey you right away.”

“I forgive you both,” said Mom.

“And so will Jesus,” said Dad. “We also disobey Him when we don’t obey our parents, but He will always forgive us and help us show our love for others through our actions.”

Mom nodded. “When you obey me, you give Jesus a present too!”

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Do you tell your parents that you love them—not only by saying it or giving them presents, but by obeying them? Or do you whine and complain and sometimes talk back when they ask you to do something? When you obey your parents, it’s like giving them a gift out of love—and you do the same when you obey Jesus. Obey Him by obeying your parents.

Today's Key Verse: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Obey your parents

Read: 1 Kings 17:2-9

Ingrid sat slumped on the couch in the empty living room. Her family was next door eating lunch before packing up the moving van.

Aunt Kristin burst in holding a plate of brownies.

“Nothing will cheer me up,” Ingrid declared, turning her back to her.

“Not even my world-famous brownies?” Aunt Kristin cried.

Ingrid shook her head. Aunt Kristin plopped down next to her. “I know it’s scary and sad to move,” she said.

“I just don’t want to move!” Ingrid exclaimed. “I know it’s because my parents are helping open a new homeless shelter in the city, but I don’t want to make new friends or have a new teacher.”

Aunt Kristin gave Ingrid a thoughtful smile. “Have I ever told you about my friend Elijah? He would be thousands of years old today if he were here eating cookies with us.”

“Is he one of your Bible friends?” Ingrid asked.

“Yes,” Aunt Kristin said. “He witnessed many miracles and got to hear God’s audible voice. But sometimes God told Elijah to do hard things.”

“Like what?”

“Well, Elijah lived in a land where it hadn’t rained for years,” Aunt Kristin said. “So God led him to a brook and provided him with food. But later on, God allowed the brook to dry up so that He could send Elijah somewhere else.”

“I would’ve been scared,” Ingrid said.

“Me too,” Aunt Kristin agreed. “But Elijah trusted God, so he knew God would provide for him in the next place. And guess what happened there? God showed Elijah a family who needed his help. Through Elijah, God even raised that family’s son back to life!”

“A miracle!” Ingrid exclaimed.

“Just think,” Aunt Kristin added, “because your family is following God’s call to a new place, you’ll be able to bless people you never would have met if you stayed here—and they’ll be able to bless you.”

“No matter where I move, God will be there,” Ingrid said, smiling. “But can I take a brownie for the road?”
Aunt Kristin handed her the whole plate. “Who knows? You might meet someone who needs one too.”

–Hannah Chung

How about you? Has God ever brought you to a new place? Maybe it was a new school, home, church, or friend group. Even though change can be scary, God will provide for all your needs no matter where you are. As you grow in your relationship with Jesus, He will help you remember that He is with you everywhere you go. Trust Him to help you be brave as He leads you where He wants you to go.

Today's Key Verse: And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (CSB)

Today's Key Thought: God provides where He leads

Read: Psalm 139:1-3

Ryan and his mom were having boiled eggs for lunch. Ryan watched the eggs impatiently as they rolled around in the saucepan. “How long do they take to boil?” he asked. “I’m so hungry!”

“Well, that depends on how you like them,” answered Mom. “Three minutes for a runny egg, and around ten minutes if you prefer them hard-boiled. I like them somewhere in between.”

Ryan nodded. “Me too! So how do you know when they’re just right?”

“I set a timer for just under eight minutes,” said Mom. “I bet you never knew boiling eggs was so complicated, did you?”

“I had no idea!” Ryan said as he buttered the toast. “If only you had X-ray vision so you could see inside the shell.”

Mom laughed. “Imagine that? All my food would turn out perfectly every time!”

“Yeah, no more burnt turkeys!” Ryan said. People were always teasing Mom about the time she overcooked the Thanksgiving turkey.

Just then, the oven timer began to beep. Swiftly, mom spooned the eggs into two egg cups. “Well, here it is. The moment of truth.” She grinned. “Let’s see how they turned out!”

Ryan cracked open the shell of his egg and plunged his spoon in. Sticky orange yolk oozed upward from the middle of the egg—not too runny, not too hard. Just perfect for dunking your toast in.

“Do you know what’s funny?” asked Mom. “This morning I was reading the story of how God chose David from all of Jesse’s sons.”

“I love that story!” said Ryan. “David was the youngest, wasn’t he?”

“That’s right,” said Mom. “And he wasn’t even included in the lineup! David was left out in the fields to look after the sheep. But God doesn’t miss a single thing! One by one, all of Jesse’s sons came parading before Samuel—strong and tall and handsome. But not one of them fit the bill. The Bible says God wasn’t looking at their outward appearance—He was looking straight into their hearts!”

Ryan gasped. “God has X-ray vision!”

“Exactly!” Mom said with a laugh. “God sees beyond our exterior—what we look like on the outside. His eyes see our hearts and whether they’ve been made clean by Jesus.”

–Angela Jelf

How about you: Do you worry about the way you look? Do you compare yourself to others who seem taller or thinner or have better clothes? We live in a world that places so much value on appearance, but that’s not what matters to God. He’s interested in our hearts. That’s why He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us. Trust Him to remove the sin from your heart and make you clean. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

Todays Key Thought: God searches our hearts

Read: Romans 5:6-8; 2 Timothy 1:9-10

Bax scooped the wet sand with as much care as he could stand, completing the last tower on his masterpiece. Finally, he thought. He sat back and admired his creation, but only long enough for his three-year-old brother Matt to run up from the water’s edge.

“Mommy, I found a—” CRASH! Matt tripped over Bax’s bucket and fell headlong into Bax’s castle!

“Matt! Look what you did! I’ve been working on my castle the whole time we’ve been here!” Angry, Bax advanced on his brother, wielding his plastic shovel. Matt beat a hasty retreat behind their mother.

“I sorry, Bax, I sorry! Accident!” Matt cried.

Mom stepped in. “Bax, we don’t hit others. You know that Matt just tripped over your bucket. I think you can show him some grace.”

“But Mom, he ruined my sandcastle! If I had wrecked something Matt made, I’d definitely get in trouble,” Bax complained.

“Maybe, but remember what we talked about at church this week? We don’t suffer the worst consequences for the bad things we’ve done because Jesus showed us grace. He died for us on the cross and came back to life. Because of that, you can show that same kind of grace by forgiving your brother.”

“But that’s not fair!” Bax exclaimed.

“No, that’s not fair, but neither is the grace Jesus gives us. It’s not fair that God should treat us like we’ve done no wrong when we’ve certainly lied and cheated and acted selfishly.” Mom looked at him expectantly as Matt snuffled noisily.

Bax looked down at his smashed castle, then back at his brother’s red face. “I’m sorry for yelling at you, Matt. I’m sad about my sandcastle, but I know you didn’t do it on purpose. I forgive you. Can you forgive me too?”

Matt shuffled back around Mom and said, “I sorry too, Bax. I forgive you.”

“Thank you, boys,” Mom said. “And I have an idea. Let’s go up to the snack shop and get some ice cream!”

“Yes!” both boys exclaimed, and they started running up the beach, both relieved that they had been shown grace.

–Dylan Kraayenbrink

How about you? Can you think of a time when you were forgiven even though you had done something wrong? That wasn’t fair, but it was an example of someone showing you grace. God showed us grace by sending Jesus to die for our sins. When you trust in Jesus and accept God’s forgiveness, He gives you the Holy Spirit, who empowers you to give grace to others, even when it’s not fair or you don’t feel like it.

Today's Key Verse: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Forgive others

Read: Psalm 75:4-7; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

HONK! Honk-honk-HONK! The horn on Jace’s tricycle was making an awful racket. Mya clapped her hands over her ears as she came in from school. “You’re hurting my ears with all that honking!”

“Jace,” Mom said, “let Mya help you take your tricycle to the playroom in the basement.”

“But I wanna ride up here!” Jace wailed.

Mya picked up the tricycle and started for the stairs. “Blow it all you want in the basement where it won’t bother anybody.”

When Mya came back, she said, “Now I can tell you my news, Mom. I’ve been promoted to the advanced math class! Only five percent of the kids make that class.”

Mom came over to give her a hug. “Congratulations, honey!”

Mya beamed. “And my art teacher told me she wants me to enter one of my projects in a competition for kids my age. She thinks I might win an award!”

“That’s great!” said Mom. “I hope you win!”

“Me too. I think I will—the other kids’ projects weren’t nearly as good as mine. Now I just need to tell my friends! Oh, and I need to tell them I’m going to see a Broadway show with you and Dad in New York next month. They’ll be so jealous!”

“Mya,” Mom said, “that’s enough. You’re hurting my ears!”

Mya looked puzzled. “But Mom, I’m not talking that loud.”

“No, but you’re blowing your own horn, and it’s getting louder and louder.”

“What do you mean, Mom? I just want to share my news with my friends.”

“I know,” said Mom. “But there’s a difference between sharing an accomplishment or opportunity you’re excited about and bragging because you think you’re better than others. God has given you many blessings, like a sharp mind your teachers have helped you develop. But He wants you to use those blessings to point others to Jesus, not brag about how great you are. When none of us could save ourselves from sin, Jesus came and died for us. He’s the one who deserves our praise, not us.”

Mom smiled as the faint sound of a tricycle horn drifted up the stairs. “If you’re going to honk your own horn, do it in the basement.”

“No thanks,” said Mya. “I don’t want to sound anything like that!”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Do you like to hear people brag? Do you brag yourself? It’s great to accomplish something difficult or receive a special opportunity, so go ahead and be excited when that happens. But don’t brag. Thank God for the blessings He’s given you, and remember that He wants you to use your accomplishments and opportunities to show people the love of Jesus.

Today's Key Verse: Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth. Proverbs 27:2 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Don’t blow your own horn