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

Read: Matthew 6:25-34

“Mrs. Melton sure is going to like the dinner we’re taking to her,” Kehlani said, buckling her seat belt and peeking at the rolls under the bread cloth.

Mom smiled. “I think so too. Her hands must be full with the new baby.”

Kehlani put both hands firmly on the warm bowl of rolls. “Mom, will I have a baby when I grow up?”

“I don’t know, honey,” Mom replied. “Only God knows that.”

“But I want to know. I want Him to tell me now.” Kehlani stared glumly out the window as they approached a stop sign.

“Turn right at the next intersection,” said a voice on Mom’s phone, and Mom did as instructed.

“Didn’t we pass the library the last time we drove to the Meltons’?” Kehlani asked, twisting in her seat to look back at the intersection. “Is the map on your phone wrong?”

“No. It knows where it’s taking us,” Mom assured her. “The Meltons moved to a new house last month, remember?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot.” Kehlani leaned back. “Good thing your phone knows where to go. It tells you each direction just when you need it.”

Mom nodded. “It’s a little like what God does. He directs each turn in our lives—just one turn at a time.”

“But how does He give directions?” asked Kehlani. “Through the Bible?”

“Yes, often through the Bible,” Mom replied. “And sometimes He uses other things to point us in the right direction. Like…a phone call telling us someone is in the hospital might also tell us to pray for that person or go visit them.”

“Turn left,” the voice broke in.

“When I’m driving, I don’t need to know all the turns right away. All I need is the next turn,” said Mom. “We don’t need to know all the turns in life either. We just need to remember that God will reveal each next turn in His perfect time. He’s our heavenly Father who sent His own Son to die for us and make us His children, and we can trust Him to guide us through all of life’s turns.”

Kehlani grinned as the car wheels crunched on a gravel driveway. “I think I know my next turn—taking these rolls in to Mrs. Melton!”

–Laura Raborn

How about you? Do you wonder what kind of job you’ll have when you grow up? Or where you’ll live? Or who your friends will be? God knows every detail of your future, but you don’t have to know it all now. What direction does He have for you today? Is it to help out at church, or to be there for a friend in need? Trust Him to show the turns you should take, one by one.

Today’s key verse: Do not worry about tomorrow. Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Trust God for life’s next step

Read: Jeremiah 23:24; Hebrews 4:13

Mark and Sarah ran home. “Dad!”

Dad was in the kitchen. “Did you record videos of ducks at the park?”

“Sarah and I…” Mark panted, “saw…a crime!”

Sarah handed Dad his phone. “A lady’s purse was stolen!”

“This is serious,” Dad said. “You two are eyewitnesses. What happened?”

“We set your phone on a bench and started the video,” Sarah said. “Then we put bread out for the ducks and hid.”

“Someone yelled,” Mark said. “We looked and saw a guy grab a lady’s purse and run away. He never saw us, but we saw him!”

“The thief ran into the parking lot,” Sarah said. “He jumped into a pickup truck and sped away.”

“A red Ford,” Mark said, nodding.

Sarah shook her head. “A rusty brown Chevy.”

Dad grabbed a pen and paper and began writing. “What did he look like?”

Mark fanned his sweaty T-shirt. “I’ll never forget him as long as I live—he had brown hair and a beard.”

Sarah looked at Dad. “He only had a mustache.”

“And he had a tattoo of a compass on his arm,” Mark said.

Sarah pictured it in her mind. “It was an anchor.”

“I hope the purse-snatcher won’t get away,” Mark groaned.

Dad tapped his Bible. “I’m sure he’s hiding, but who can’t he hide from?”

“That’s easy,” Mark said. “God!”

“Right,” Dad said. “The Bible tells us He sees everything we do—both good and bad. Humans can’t see everything, and we often get the details wrong. But God sees us perfectly and knows every detail of our lives. He knows we all do wrong things, but He loves us so much that Jesus died to save us. We can’t hide anything from Him.”

“Wow, God’s the ultimate eyewitness!” Mark said.

Dad held up his phone. “You said you had the video running the whole time?”

Seconds later they watched the clip—and every detail of the purse-snatching was there. Even a clear shot of the man’s face—and his truck.

“The camera caught everything,” Mark said. “But God sees every detail even better!”

Dad dialed 9-1-1. “Hello, I’d like to report a crime.”

–Matt Shoemaker

How about you? Have you ever tried to hide something you did? Some people think that because they can’t see God, He doesn’t see them. That’s not true. Even if our sins are not seen by others, God sees them. He doesn’t miss anything, ever. He sees everything clearly and in exact detail—and even when we sin, He still loves us. Instead of hiding your sin, confess it to Him and He will forgive you.

Today’s key verse: Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Hebrews 4:13 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: God sees everything

Read: Colossians 3:12-14; Hebrews 12:14-15

Jackson Henry! Had Dad really called out that name to be in their small group nature walk tomorrow? Nolan was still mad at Jackson for goofing around and breaking his compass on their last church campout. Renewed anger filled Nolan. He stomped off to the cabin.

A few minutes later, Dad opened the door. “Come with me. I want to show you something.” Dad’s tone left no room for argument.

Sighing, Nolan scuffed across the floor to the door then followed Dad down a trail.

Dad stopped by a large rock and pointed toward the top of a tall tree. “See that spruce tree with the orange yellow clump on its branches?”

“Yes.” Nolan looked intently at the tree. “Is it some kind of nest?”

“No. The tree is diseased with a fungus commonly called broom rust. The mass created by the disease looks like the bristles of a straw broom.”

Nolan studied the bristled mass. “Why don’t the forest rangers treat the tree to kill the disease?”

“They can’t. Once a tree is diseased, there is no cure.”

“That’s too bad,” Nolan said.

“I agree. You know, that same type of thing happens to people. Our feelings get hurt or a possession gets broken, and instead of forgiving the offender, we carry a grudge. Holding a grudge causes bitterness to fester and grow inside of us. Over time, it shows on our faces and in our actions—kind of like that fungus on the tree.” Dad raised his brows. “I saw your reaction after I read Jackson’s name. I’m confused. I thought you forgave Jackson when he apologized for breaking your compass.”

“I tried,” Nolan said. “But I feel angry when I think about my compass or when Jackson’s around. I’m not sure how to get rid of the bad feelings.”

Dad put a hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “Unlike the infected spruce tree, Christians have someone who can cure our spiritual diseases, like grudges. Jesus died so you could be forgiven for all your sins, and He can heal your heart. Trust Him to help you forgive others and replace those feelings of anger and bitterness with love. Have you asked Him to help you forgive Jackson?”

“No, but I will.” Nolan bowed his head and began to pray.

–Rose Ross Zediker

How about you? When someone wrongs you, do you dwell on the incident and harbor ill feelings toward that person? God tells us to forgive as He forgives us. He doesn’t dwell on our past mistakes because Jesus, God’s Son, died on the cross for all our sins. Forgiving can be hard, but if you depend on God to help you, He can replace the bad feelings in your heart with His love.

Today’s key verse: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Trust God to help you forgive

Read: John 3:14-17

“Wow!” Henry said as he scrambled aboard the helicopter. “This is so cool!” He and his friend Owen were taking a helicopter ride with Owen’s Uncle Shane, who was a pilot for an emergency helicopter service.

Henry sat down in one of the seats. “I never thought I’d get a chance to ride in one of these!”

Uncle Shane chuckled. “I always have eager passengers. Take my last one, for example. A couple of young guys were mountain climbing near here, and one of them fell over the edge of a cliff and landed on a ledge. He was trapped in an odd spot where no one could climb down to help him, so my partner and I had to fly in to rescue him. Now there was an eager passenger!”

“How did you get him out?” Henry asked. “Was there room to land?”

“No,” replied Uncle Shane, “but this helicopter has a lot of special equipment, like that rescue basket you see over there.” He pointed to a long wire mesh basket attached to a rope. “While I hovered the helicopter over the spot, one of my partners went down in the basket to the man on the ledge. He got him into the basket and brought him back up into the helicopter. That man was even more happy to be on board than you are.”

The boys strapped themselves into their seats. “You know, we’re something like that mountain climber,” Uncle Shane said as he flipped some switches on the console. “He was helpless to save himself, and we’re helpless sinners who aren’t able to save ourselves either.”

“Yeah,” said Owen. “That rescue basket was the only thing that could save him that day, and Jesus is the only one who can save us, right?”

“Exactly,” said Uncle Shane. “He came down to earth and died on the cross to save us. He’s the only one who can rescue us from sin and bring us into the safety of eternal life with Him.”

“So we should be even more thankful than that mountain climber was,” Henry replied. “His life on earth was saved for a while, but Jesus saves us for all eternity.”

“That’s right,” said Uncle Shane. He revved up the helicopter’s engines. “Now, prepare for takeoff!”

–Harry C. Trover

How about you? Did you know that Jesus came to earth to rescue you from sin? He paid the penalty for your sins on the cross so you could be saved. He is the only one who can rescue you from eternal death and give you eternal life. Trust Him as your Savior and know you are safe with Him. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today’s key verse: Everyone who believes in him [Jesus] will have eternal life. John 3:15 (NLT)

Today’s key thought: Only Jesus can rescue us from sin

Read: John 21:15-17

“Why do we have to do this?” Grayson pinched his nose as he eyed his uncle’s barn.

“We’re helping out for a few days,” Mom said. “Come on, the sheep are waiting.”

Grayson dragged his feet as they walked over to the barn. Mom led the way to a pen of dirty, wooly sheep. She held out a handful of dry food, and all the animals raced over to her.

“You’re going to let them eat off your hand?” Grayson made a face.

Mom giggled as one of the sheep ran its thick tongue over her hand. “It’s actually fun.” She glanced back at Grayson. “If you don’t want to feed them, you can get them water. We need to take care of them to help your uncle while he’s recovering from surgery.”

“Uncle Bill’s never done anything for us,” Grayson muttered as he turned away.

Grayson filled a bucket with water and carried it to the sheep’s pen. He tried to pour it carefully into their trough, but it still splashed, and he let out a scream as dirty water got on his legs.

“You can shower when we get home,” Mom said. She smiled as one of the sheep stuck its nose in the trough. “Did you know that Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him, all in a row?”

Grayson’s forehead wrinkled. Why was his mom suddenly bringing up a Bible story?

“Each time Peter said that he did, Jesus told him to care for His sheep.”

“Jesus had sheep?” Grayson stared at his mom.

“He didn’t mean actual sheep,” Mom said. “He meant people that He died on the cross to save. People like me and you. People like your uncle Bill.”

Grayson sighed. “So by caring for Uncle Bill’s sheep, we’re caring for Jesus’s sheep too?”

Mom nodded. “Caring for Uncle Bill’s sheep shows that we love him, and it shows that we love Jesus too. He loves Uncle Bill and wants us to show him His love by helping him.”

Grayson looked at the dirty animals before reaching for his mom’s bucket of feed. “If this shows that I love Jesus, okay.” He grabbed a handful of food. When he held it out and the sheep moved from his mom to him, he couldn’t help but smile.

–Emily Acker

How about you? How often do you do something for someone simply because you want to show them God’s love? Jesus says that when we care for others and show them the same kind of love He has shown us, we’re doing those things for Him (Matthew 25:31-40). Is there someone who you could do something for today to cheer them up and show them God’s love?

Today’s key verse: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Show love by caring for others