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

Read: Psalm 23

Owen looked at the frail man on the bed. Grandpa’s getting so weak, he thought. I know he’s going to die soon. “Are you afraid, Grandpa?” he asked.

“No, Owen.” Grandpa smiled as he reached for Owen’s hand. “I’m not afraid to die. Jesus is with me. I’m going home to be with Him.”

Owen nodded, but he thought he’d be afraid anyway. After all, he couldn’t see Jesus!

Later that afternoon, Owen got a text from his friend Kian. “Wanna come over for a while?” Kian asked. “Mom says you can stay for supper.” After checking with his mom, Owen walked across the field to Kian’s house.

A few hours later, the boys had just finished a game when Owen glanced out the window. “It’s already dark!” he said, jumping to his feet. “I gotta go!”

As Owen started across the field, he could barely make out the path. The moon was hidden behind the clouds, casting weird shadows on the waving grass. Strange sounds came from the trees at the edge of the field. Owen’s heart thumped, and his knees felt weak. Don’t be a baby, he told himself. Shadows can’t hurt anyone.

“Owen?” a voice called from the darkness. For a second, Owen’s heart almost stopped, but then he recognized the familiar voice.

“Dad! I’m so glad to see you!” Owen said in a wobbly voice. “Or at least, I’m glad to hear you. It’s so dark, I can hardly see anything.”

“I know. I came to walk home with you,” Dad said. “I thought you might like some company crossing this dark field.” With Dad beside him, Owen felt like the shadows were friendly, and the sounds were no longer scary.

When they got home, Owen went to Grandpa’s room to tell him about the experience. “Once I knew Dad was there, I wasn’t scared anymore,” Owen said, “even though I couldn’t see him. It was almost like I could feel him with me.” He hesitated. “Is that kind of how you’re not afraid to die?”

“Exactly,” said Grandpa. “Death is like a dark shadow, and even though I can’t see Jesus, I know He’s there. I feel His presence, and with Him beside me, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Owen nodded, beginning to understand.

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Do you know someone who is dying? Are you afraid of dying yourself? For a Christian, death is like a shadow. As Psalm 23 says, you don’t have to fear death when Jesus is with you. In fact, the last verse of the Psalm tells what will happen to you if you know Jesus as your Savior. It says you will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Jesus promises to walk with you through everything, even death, and bring you home to heaven with Him.

Today’s key verse: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Christians don’t have to fear death

Read: Romans 12:1-2

“Whoa!” Vivian exclaimed when she saw the pile of things her mother had laid out on the table. “Is Gracie getting all of that for her birthday?”

Mom nodded. “Grandma brought some of it over. She found a lot of things on sale, so your little niece is probably getting more than she needs. I offered to wrap Grandma’s gifts for her.”

Vivian sat down beside her mom. “Can I help?”

“You sure can,” Mom replied.

Vivian chose a doll in a pink dress. She wrapped it in bright purple paper and tied a silver ribbon around the package. “There! That looks really pretty, doesn’t it? But do you know what I like most about presents?”

“What’s that?” Mom asked.

“What’s inside them,” said Vivian. “That’s the best part of a present.”

“I agree,” said Mom, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. “P-r-e-s-e-n-t spells an interesting word. It can be pronounced present, which is another word for gift, or it can be present, which means to give.”

Vivian laughed. “So when I give a gift, I present a present.”

Mom nodded. “That makes me think of a verse in the Bible—one that tells us to present ourselves to God.”

Vivian reached for more wrapping paper. “If we do that, are we making ourselves a present for Him? And if our lives are a present, we should make sure they’re filled with good things, right?”

“Well, actually, we have nothing good in ourselves to offer God,” Mom said. “We’re saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus’s goodness, not our own.”

“But the Bible tells us to do good things after we’re saved, doesn’t it?” asked Vivian.

“Yes,” Mom said. “When we put our faith in Jesus, He gives us His Spirit so we can show His love to others and serve Him.”

Vivian held up the present she had just finished wrapping. “So it’s not enough to just look good on the outside, like we’re wrapped in pretty paper. When we present ourselves to Jesus, He makes us good on the inside. That’s the kind of present God wants.”

“That’s right,” said Mom. “It’s what’s inside that counts.”

–Eunice C. Matchett

How about you? Has Jesus made you good on the inside? Or are you trying to make yourself look good on your own? You have nothing good in yourself, but when you trust Jesus as your Savior, He gives you His goodness and makes you a truly pleasing gift to God. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Then you can let others see His love and goodness in the way you live.

Today’s key verse: Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. Romans 12:1 (CSB)

Today’s key thought: Jesus makes you good

Read: Matthew 5:14-16

The evening was cool and clear. The earthy smell of the forest filled the air, and stars shone brightly through the trees. A group of boys and their teacher lingered around the dying campfire at their youth group retreat. “Wow!” Joshua said, craning his head back. “The stars are really bright tonight.”

Enoch looked up toward the sky. “They just look brighter because there are no other lights around,” he said. “They stand out more against the darkness.”

“I see a firefly,” said Joshua. “Look! Over there.” He pointed toward a tree a few feet away from the fire. The light of the firefly flickered in an on-and-off pattern.

“Maybe he’s sending a message in Morse code,” Enoch said. “Quick, Josh, figure out what he’s trying to say.” The boys laughed as they watched the firefly blink on and off.

Mr. Bardot, their teacher, looked thoughtful. “Fireflies are amazing little creatures,” he said. “And they have a good lesson to teach us as Christians. Can you guess what it might be?”

The boys were silent for a moment. “I know!” said Enoch. “That we need to let our lights shine for Jesus.”

“Yeah,” said Joshua. “But not the way fireflies do.”

“Why not?” asked Mr. Bardot.

“Because whenever our lights are shining, they help draw people to Jesus. So we want them to shine all the time, not flicker on and off.”

Mr. Bardot nodded. “Good thinking. What things might keep our lights from shining?”

“I think our lights flicker when we’re unkind or selfish or do things we know are wrong,” Enoch said quietly. “Like lying to our parents or cheating on a test.”

“Or saying something mean to someone,” added Joshua.

“You’re right,” said Mr. Bardot. “Doing things like that doesn’t show others Jesus’s light and the love He’s put in our hearts.”

“So how can we keep our lights for Jesus from flickering?” asked Enoch.

“By depending on Him to help us reflect His love in all we say and do,” said Mr. Bardot. “He loves us so much that He gave His life for us, and He gives us the Holy Spirit so we can shine the light of His love to others. Let’s rely on Him to help us shine brightly as steady lights in the darkness.”

–Linda J. Dahlin

How about you? Does your light for Jesus shine all the time, or does it flicker on and off? Do you consistently treat others with kindness, or only if they’re your friends or you’re in a good mood? When you put your faith in Jesus, He gave you the Holy Spirit so you can show His love to others in everything you say and do. Let His light shine through you so others can see His love for them.

Today’s key verse: Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Be a steady light for Jesus

Read: 1 Peter 5:5-11

Whiskers, Lincoln’s kitten, leaped into the air and batted the shoestring Lincoln was swinging back and forth. “I don’t care how nice Todd is, no one can ever take Dad’s place,” Lincoln told Uncle Shawn. “I don’t want a stepfather.” He sighed. His dad had died a few years before, and now his mom was getting remarried.

“Todd isn’t trying to take your dad’s place, Lincoln,” said Uncle Shawn. “He’s a good man who loves your mom, and he wants to be there for you too.”

“I don’t care,” Lincoln said. “He’s not Dad, so he might as well stop trying to make me like him.”

When Whiskers got tired of the shoelace, he jumped up onto Lincoln’s lap and purred. Lincoln smiled and petted the kitten’s head.

“How long ago did you lose your first cat?” Uncle Shawn asked.

“Snowbunny? A few months ago,” Lincoln replied sadly.

“That’s what I thought, so I’m really surprised to see you treating Whiskers the way you do,” Uncle Shawn said. “You’re just as nice to him as you were to Snowbunny.”

Lincoln frowned. “So? What’s wrong with that?”

“Don’t you miss Snowbunny?” Uncle Shawn asked.

“Of course,” said Lincoln. “But Snowbunny is gone, and now I have Whiskers. He’s a different cat, but he’s special in his own way, and I’m glad I have him.”

Uncle Shawn nodded. “I understand, and I think it’s a bit similar to your situation with Todd. I don’t think Todd is trying to be the same as your dad. He knows you loved your dad and would never try to take his place. But if you give him a chance, I think you’ll be glad to have him as part of your family. More than that, since he knows Jesus, he’s already part of your Christian family. God puts other Christians in our lives because He loves us and wants us to show His love to one another. I’m sure Todd will do that for you and your mom, and you can show Todd God’s love in return by giving him a chance and respecting him as your stepfather.”

Lincoln looked at the kitten purring in his lap. “Okay, Uncle Shawn,” he said. “I guess I can do that.”

–Susan Arcand

How about you? Do you have a stepparent? Most stepparents try very hard to fill a difficult position. They know they can never replace your mom or dad, but they can be a wonderful presence and help in your life, especially if they know Jesus. Remember that Jesus is with you in all the changes you face in life and trust Him to help you show His love to stepparents.

Today’s key verse: Be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Respect stepparents

Read: Matthew 5:43-44; Galatians 6:9-10

Nora let the door bang shut just as her brother reached it. “Well, thanks,” Lloyd said sarcastically.

“You never hold the door open for me,” said Nora.

“You never hold the door open for me,” echoed Lloyd.

Nora scowled. “Don’t copy me.”

“Don’t copy me.”

“Stop it, Lloyd!” yelled Nora.

“Stop it, Lloyd!” came the echo. Nora ran to her room and slammed the door.

As Nora and her friend Zoe walked home from the bus stop the next day, Zoe’s brother Tracen caught up with them. “How’d you do on the spelling test, Zoe?” he asked.

“Great!” Zoe replied. “I got all the words right!”

“Awesome!” Tracen started running to catch up with a friend. “I’ll make popcorn when we get home!” he yelled over his shoulder. Zoe grinned and waved as he left.

Nora looked at Zoe. “Are you and Tracen always so nice to each other?”

“We used to fight a lot,” said Zoe. “But we’ve been learning about Jesus at church and how He loves us so much He died for us and wants us to love others and live in peace. That means caring about other people’s feelings, even when they’re not nice to us. So I tried it, and Tracen did too, and it really made a difference! Sometimes we forget, but we get along a lot better now.”

Maybe I should try that with Lloyd, Nora thought.

Lloyd arrived home just as Nora ran up the steps, so she held the door open for him. “What’s wrong with you?” he asked.

“Nothing,” replied Nora.

“Nothing,” Lloyd repeated. Nora just laughed and went to her room.

At dinner, Nora handed the potatoes to Lloyd before taking some herself. “How was school?” she asked.

“Terrible,” said Lloyd. “I don’t get multiplication.”

“I’ll help you tonight if you want,” Nora offered.

Lloyd was startled. “Why?”

“Because I want to,” Nora replied. Lloyd gave her a strange look, and Nora could hardly believe it when he passed the chicken so she could take a piece first. Thank you, Jesus, she prayed silently. Please help us learn to live in peace.

–Janice M. Jones

How about you? Are you kind to your brothers and sisters? Or do you tease them or treat them badly—especially when they treat you the same way? It’s not easy to be kind to someone who’s not being kind to you, but Jesus can help you bring peace to your relationships. Trust Him to help you show His love to your brothers and sisters and bring peace to your home.

Today’s key verse: Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14 (CSB)

Today’s key thought: Be a peacemaker at home