Read: Luke 19:1-10; Romans 3:23-24
“Hey buddy, what’s wrong?” Dad asked when it was time for Nolan’s bedtime prayers.
“It’s Grandpa,” said Nolan. “He doesn’t believe in Jesus. That means he’s not going to heaven.”
“He needs to have a relationship with Jesus,” said Dad. “Shall we pray for him?” Nolan nodded, and he and his dad prayed for Nolan’s grandfather.
The next morning Dad took Nolan and his sister on a walk in the woods. As they went along, colorful leaves rustled under their feet. “A lot of leaves are still falling,” said Nolan. “They’re gonna get trampled on.” He grinned at his sister. “I bet I can catch more before they hit the ground than you can.”
“You’re on!” said Liliana. So as they walked, they tried to catch every falling leaf.
“Okay, let’s count them,” Nolan said as they headed back home.
“All right.” A few moments later, Liliana grinned. “I’ve got seventeen!”
“So do I!” said Nolan. “We rescued a bunch of them, didn’t we?”
Dad smiled. “I’m glad you were able to rescue those fallen leaves. It reminds me of what Jesus does—He rescues fallen people.”
“Fallen people?” asked Liliana. “I know Jesus found Zacchaeus in a tree, but he didn’t fall from it.”
“No, but he was fallen in other ways. Zacchaeus was a lost sinner, but Jesus saved him and changed him. All people are fallen sinners—we all fall short of God’s perfect standards by doing wrong things, so Jesus came to rescue us. And He wants those of us He’s already saved to help bring others to Him so they can be rescued too.”
“People like Grandpa,” said Nolan. “I know Jesus can save him, but Grandpa’s already pretty old. We pray for him a lot, but what else can we do to help bring him to Jesus?”
Liliana looked at the leaves in her hand. “Let’s press these leaves and put them in different places around the house. We can pray for Grandpa every time we see one of them.”
“Okay,” said Nolan. “We could also invite him to the program at church next week.”
“And help him rake his yard!” said Liliana.
Dad nodded. “Those are good ways to help him know how much Jesus loves him—and how much we love him too.”
–Steve Hulet
How about you?
Do you have family or friends who don’t believe in Jesus? Share His love with them through your words and actions. Jesus came to save people who are fallen and lost, and if you’ve been saved by trusting in Him, He wants you to be part of the process as He rescues others. He loves your family and friends even more than you do, so don’t give up. Keep reaching out to those who need Jesus.
Today's Key Verse:
For the Son of Man [Jesus] came to seek and save those who are lost. (NLT)
Luke 19:10
Today's Key Thought:
Reach out to those who need Jesus
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Drilling and Filling
Read: Leviticus 19:17-18; Matthew 5:43-48
After school Declan walked to the nearby dentist’s office where his mom worked as a receptionist. “Hi, Mom,” he said as he walked in. He plopped down onto a chair in the waiting room while she got ready to leave. His book bag slid to the floor beside him, and he gave it an angry little kick. Mom noticed.
“What’s wrong, Declan?” she asked as they headed for the car.
“I don’t like Isaiah,” said Declan. “In fact, after what he did at school today, I hate him!”
“Whoa!” said Mom. “Hate is not a word I like to hear. What happened?”
“Isaiah threw an eraser and hit Aaliyah in the back of the head. Since I sit right behind her, she thought I did it and told Mrs. Cramer. I told Mrs. Cramer I didn’t do it, but she didn’t believe me, and I had to stay in during recess. After school Isaiah tried to apologize, but it was too late then. He should have admitted he did it right away!”
Mom looked at Declan thoughtfully. “Sounds like you need a filling.”
“A filling! What does this have to do with teeth? Besides, I just had a filling. My teeth are fine!”
“What did the dentist do when you had that cavity?” Mom asked.
“Well, first she drilled out the decay, and then she filled the space with a special material,” said Declan. “But why are we talking about fillings? What about Isaiah?”
“I was thinking of the problem you’re having with him,” said Mom. “It seems a lot like the problem you had with your tooth. They both need drilling and filling. Isaiah was wrong, but I think you need to drill the decay—the hate—out of your heart and fill the space with forgiveness.”
“Drill out the hate?” asked Declan. “How can I do that?”
“You need a much more powerful tool than a dentist’s drill,” said Mom. “You need prayer. Only Jesus can help you get rid of the hate and forgive Isaiah.” Declan sighed and didn’t say anything. “Pray about it and trust Jesus to help you love and forgive Isaiah, Declan,” added Mom. “I’ll be praying for both of you.”
–Dorothy R. King
How about you?
Do you find it hard to forgive people who have wronged you? It’s not easy, but with Jesus it can be done. Pray and tell Him how you’re feeling, and trust Him to replace any hate in your heart with love. Remember that He loves you so much that He died for your sins so you could be forgiven. He loves everyone that much—including those who have wronged you. Trust Him to help you show them His love by forgiving them.
Today's Key Verse:
But I [Jesus] tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly. (ERV)
Matthew 5:44
Today's Key Thought:
Drill out hate with prayer
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No Matter How Small
Read: Matthew 7:7-11
Brecken was doing his homework on the couch when his dog, Winston, brought his toy over and set it at Brecken’s feet. Brecken picked it up and threw it into the kitchen. Winston immediately ran after it and brought it back. This time Brecken threw the toy a little harder, and it landed in the middle of the kitchen table. Winston ran to the table, looked up, and began to whine. He then began to run back and forth between the table and Brecken.
“I think he’s trying to ask you to get it down,” Mom said.
Brecken got up and grabbed the toy. “Here you go, Winston,” he said as he threw it toward the couch. Winston ran to get it and then took off down the hall, squeaking it loudly.
Brecken went back to the couch and pulled out his math book. “Ugh! I don’t get this,” he said a few minutes later.
“Do you need some help?” Mom asked.
Brecken tossed the math book onto the floor. “It’s no use. My teacher already tried to explain it to me, but I still don’t get it.”
“Have you tried praying about it?” asked Mom.
“I think God has bigger things to worry about than my math homework,” Brecken said.
Mom smiled. “Why did you get Winston’s toy for him earlier?” she asked.
Brecken shrugged. “I knew he was upset he couldn’t reach it and was asking me to get it. But what does that have to do with my math homework?”
“Well, just like you wanted to help Winston because you care about him, God wants to help us with our problems—no matter how small,” Mom explained. “Because Jesus already took care of our biggest problem of all by dying for our sins, we can go to Him with any problem we have. He cares about the problems you’re having with math and wants you to ask Him for help. That doesn’t mean you won’t still struggle with math, but He can give you the strength you need to keep at it. He wants you to go to Him for help with all your problems.”
“Even math problems?” Brecken picked his math book up off the floor and smiled. Then he bowed his head to pray.
–Melissa Yeagle
How about you?
Do you ask God for help with all your problems? Or only if it’s something really big? Jesus definitely wants to help you with the big problems in your life, but He wants to help you with the small ones too. He loves you so much He died for you, and He cares about everything you’re going through. Ask Him for help with all your problems, big or small.
Today's Key Verse:
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (NKJV)
Matthew 7:7
Today's Key Thought:
Pray about all your problems
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Play Tryouts, Hearts, and a Tin Man, Oh My!
Read: Luke 6:43-45
Willow slammed the door and threw herself onto her bed sobbing. It wasn’t fair! She had practiced just as hard as Lailani did for the play tryouts at school. While her best friend was chosen for the lead part as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Willow was just one of the many Munchkins in Munchkinland who might get to sing about lollipops.
Knocking softly on the door, Mom came in and sat down beside Willow. “Your brother told me what happened.” She leaned over and gave Willow a hug. “You know, I think my favorite character in The Wizard of Oz was the Tin Man.”
Willow sniffed. “Why?”
“Well, he wanted a heart so he could feel things. Can you imagine living life without feeling things?”
Willow shook her head. “But my heart doesn’t know how to feel right now.”
“That’s why we need to keep close watch over our hearts,” Mom said. “There’s a Bible verse that talks about guarding your heart above all else because every single thing you do flows from it.”
“What do you mean?” Willow asked, sitting up and wiping the rest of her tears away.
“Your words and actions show what’s really in your heart,” Mom explained. “We all experience difficult feelings in life, but we need to make sure they don’t take control of our hearts and make us act in ways that are wrong. That’s what it means to guard our hearts.”
“So what should I do about the play tryouts and Lailani?” Willow asked.
“Pray,” Mom said. “Jesus understands your feelings because He experienced human feelings too, but He never sinned by letting them take control. Share your feelings with Him and pray that He would help you guard your heart and know what to do next.”
Closing her eyes, Willow prayed and asked Jesus to help her guard her heart and treat others in a loving way even though she felt sad and upset. Then she had an idea. “Can I invite some friends over to watch the Wizard of Oz movie so I can get a head start on being the best Munchkin I can be?”
“Lailani too?” Mom asked.
Willow smiled and nodded. “Lailani too.”
–Kelly Hope
How about you?
Have you ever felt sad or upset by something? Maybe you worked hard for something but it didn’t turn out the way you wanted, or someone said or did something that hurt your feelings. It’s okay to feel bad about those things, but don’t let your feelings take control of your heart and determine how you treat others. Jesus understands how you feel, and He will help you guard your heart so His love can flow from it into your words and actions.
Today's Key Verse:
Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. (NIV)
Proverbs 4:23
Today's Key Thought:
Guard your heart
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Lemonade, Anyone?
Read: Romans 8:18, 28-31
Carson tried to stay out of the movers’ way as they carried furniture into the apartment, so he stood in the corner and frowned. “Why the long face?” asked one of the men who was helping.
“I don’t like this apartment,” said Carson. “I miss having my own yard.” He didn’t add that he didn’t know anybody in the neighborhood and would have to go to a new school.
The man nodded. “Well, you know what they say—when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”
“Lemonade?” asked Carson.
The man smiled. “Yeah, you know—make the best of whatever happens. It may seem like a sour lemon, but it can turn into something sweet.”
Carson sighed. He sounds like Mom, he thought. She’s always saying God works things out for good.
Carson went outside and noticed a boy sitting on the steps. “Hi,” Carson said, and the boy glanced up. He looked like he had been crying. “What’s wrong?” Carson asked.
“I don’t like it here,” the boy replied. He had a strong, musical accent. “Bad things happened in my country, so my family left. But everything is different here, and my English is not good.”
“Sounds fine to me.” Carson sat down on the step beside his new neighbor. “I haven’t moved as far as you, but I’m new here too. I have to start school on Monday and don’t know anyone.”
The boy looked at Carson. “I can walk to school and eat lunch with you,” he said.
“Really?” Carson smiled. “And I can help you with English and anything else you have questions about.”
A smile spread across the boy’s face. “Want to play ball?” he asked, pulling up a soccer ball from the side of the step.
“Sure!”
As they kicked the ball around, Carson thought his new home might not be so bad after all. Maybe Mom and the moving guy are right, he thought. Maybe God is making lemonade out of the lemons I got—and the ones my new neighbor got too. I don’t know what God has planned for me, but I’m glad He helped me make a new friend.
–Matilda H. Nordtvedt
How about you?
Is there a lemon in your life—something that’s hard for you? God isn’t allowing that circumstance into your life in order to hurt you. He uses everything we go through to make us more like Jesus so we can know Him better and share His love with others. Trust Him to use hard situations for good so others can see Jesus in your life.
Today's Key Verse:
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)
Romans 8:28
Today's Key Thought:
Make the best of circumstances
About Keys for Kids - daily devotions and Bible stories for kids
Keys for Kids is a daily storytelling show based on the Keys for Kids children's devotional. Hosted by Zach, this podcast combines Scripture readings with captivating stories that illustrate essential Biblical principles. With Zach's creative voices bringing characters to life, listeners embark on a faith-filled journey. Tune in to discover the keys to growing in faith and understanding God's love. Produced by Keys for Kids Ministries, this podcast is a treasure trove to help young hearts grow closer to God.
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