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

Read: Isaiah 40:28-31

Liam looked out the window of his friend Michael’s house as they finished their lunch. “Look at those trees,” he said. “They’re bending over from the wind.”

“So were we, a few minutes ago,” said Michael.

“It’s too hard to play ball with this much wind. I’m tired. We’ll have to think of something to do inside.” Liam pulled a movie out of his backpack.

Michael’s mom took their plates. “I’m sorry, Liam, but I promised your mother you’d play outside, not watch movies. I’m sure you boys can think of something to do.”

“I know!” said Michael. “You brought your rollerblades, right? I have an idea.”

The boys put on their skates, and Michael pulled four snow shovels from the shed and handed two to Liam.

“Are you crazy?” Liam asked, giving his friend a fake punch. “It’s hot out, not snowing!”

Michael smiled. “Just wait and see.” They stumped around the house to the driveway. “Hold up your shovels like this,” Michael said. He held his shovels high. A blast of wind whooshed, and Michael skimmed along the drive and onto the sidewalk. “Come on, Liam!” he shouted.

Liam held his shovels up, but nothing happened. Grumbling, he bent and struggled against the wind to where Michael stood. Just as he got there, panting, another gust sent Michael soaring. He made a wide circle and swooped over to Liam.

“Are there wings on your rollerblades or what?” Liam demanded. “You took off like a huge bird!”

“That’s what gave me the idea! In church we talked about how even kids get tired and how God gives us wings like eagles. Wings made me think of using snow shovels to catch the wind. The trick is to hold them up in the right direction so the wind does the work.”

Mom walked over carrying knee pads. “That’s what Jesus does for us,” she said. “He did all the work of saving us by dying for our sin, and He gives us strength when we grow tired. When we feel worn out from trying to do things on our own, we need to depend on Him for strength and trust Him to lead us in the right direction.”

“Cool. Thanks, Mom. Let’s go!” The boys put on their knee pads and sailed off.

–Robin Steinweg

How about you? Do you feel tired and worn out? Are there problems in your life you’re trying to fix on your own? Life can be difficult sometimes, but remember that if you trust in Jesus, He’s always with you. He is strong enough to save you from sin, and He promises to give you strength when you face hard times. Trust Him to help you through difficulties and lead you in the right direction.

Today’s key verse: Those who trust in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (CSB)

Today’s key thought: Jesus gives you strength

Read: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 John 1:8-9

Millee grunted as she helped her aunt lift the heavy dog into the tub. Titan was a giant, and it took both her and Aunt Jodie to pick him up.

Millee turned on the handheld sprayer while her aunt mixed the soaps. Aunt Jodie was a dog groomer, and a few times a year Millee would bring her long-haired dog over to Aunt Jodie’s house for a good bath and a brush.

“He’s extra gross today,” Millee warned her aunt. “He really loves rolling around in the dirt.”

Her aunt smiled as she applied a generous amount of shampoo to the dog’s long coat. “I see we have a lot of mats to work out today too,” she said, running her fingers over the thick chunks of fur around Titan’s ears, neck, and belly. “We’ve got our work cut out for us today.”

The two worked in silence for a while, scrubbing the dog’s fur and rinsing his thick coat. Then they wrapped him in a big towel, carried him to the grooming table, and kept working. Aunt Jodie ran the blow dryer while Millee struggled with the dog brush.

By the time Aunt Jodie was finished, Titan’s fur looked extra fluffy. “I always love getting the big, hairy, matted dogs to work on,” she said.

Millee looked at her in surprise. “You do? But aren’t they more work to groom?”

Aunt Jodie nodded. “Oh yes, but they’re the most fun. They have the most remarkable transformations. And they’re always the ones that make me think about the Lord.”

Millee’s eyebrows scrunched together. “What? How do shaggy dogs make you think about the Lord?”

Aunt Jodie picked up another brush and helped Millee work out the tangles. “When I’m cleaning and grooming a particularly shaggy and dirty dog, I’m reminded of what Jesus does for me. Because He died for my sins on the cross, I’ve been made clean and declared righteous, which means I’m faultless in God’s eyes. And day by day He is also washing me, cleansing me, and transforming me more into His likeness.”

Millee smiled. “And that’s an even bigger transformation than we’re giving to Titan.”

Aunt Jodie nodded. “It sure is.”

–Emily Tenter

How about you? Have you been washed and cleansed by Jesus? If you’ve trusted Him as your Savior, He has washed your sin away and made you right with God. And day by day, as He forgives your wrongs and helps you love others and turn from sin, He is making you more like Him. It’s quite a transformation! If you haven’t yet trusted in Him, you can have a clean heart and new life today. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today’s key verse: For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:14 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Jesus transforms us

Read: 1 Timothy 4:8-12

Abby was happy with herself for coming up with a good morning routine. Each morning before she went down for breakfast, she picked up her Bible from her nightstand and read a bit from it, and then she prayed. It felt good to connect with God before she even talked to anyone in her family.

Abby knew her aunt had been doing something like that for a long time, and she was the one who had inspired her. She felt a bit silly telling her about it, but when she saw her aunt one afternoon, she did just that.

“Wow! I’m so proud of you.” Aunt Hannah hugged her.

Abby blushed. “You inspired me. I know you read your Bible and talk to God every day.”

Aunt Hannah’s brows lowered as she took a seat on the porch step. “Actually, I’ve been so busy lately that I’ve been forgetting to do that.”

Abby’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Aunt Hannah nodded. “It’s too easy to become distracted by other things. But I want to get back into good habits and a good routine.” She smiled at Abby. “Thank you for telling me what you’ve been up to. Now you’ve inspired me!”

“I have?” Abby hadn’t expected that. She had just wanted her aunt to know how she had encouraged her.

Aunt Hannah got up and hugged her. “We all need to do that for each other sometimes. As Christians, we’re all part of God’s family, and the Holy Spirit uses the truth of God’s Word to work in our hearts and make us more like Jesus. That means we need to remind each other what Jesus did to save us and how He wants us to live. We need to encourage one another and set an example for others.”

“Even a kid like me?” Abby asked.

Aunt Hannah laughed. “Yes. The Bible says not to let anyone think less of you because you are young. You can do so much to inspire others, just like you did for me today.”

Abby had never thought of that before. She knew she wanted to read her Bible and pray each day to grow in her relationship with Jesus, but maybe she could do more to encourage others in their relationship with Him too.

–Bethany Acker

How about you? Has someone inspired you to make changes in your life that will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus? Maybe you’ve seen how their spiritual habits have helped them and you want to follow their example. God uses the encouragement and example of other Christians to work in our hearts, and He wants you to be an example for others, no matter how young you are. How can you encourage others in their walk with Jesus?

Today’s key verse: Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: You can inspire others

Read: James 1:22-25

After a delicious lunch on Father’s Day, Ophelia joined the rest of her family to watch Dad open his presents.

“Open mine first, Daddy,” Evelyn said eagerly. “I made you a picture.”

“Don’t tell,” said Ophelia, but everyone laughed as Evelyn insisted on helping her father open the package containing the picture she had drawn for him. Then they watched while he opened the rest of his gifts. Every family member had bought or made something for Dad—everyone, that is, except for Ophelia.

“These gifts are wonderful!” said Dad. “I can hardly wait to use them. Thank you all very much!”

“You didn’t open Ophelia’s present,” Evelyn said. “Where is it, Ophelia?”

Ophelia was embarrassed. Everyone was waiting to see what she had for Dad. “I—I love you, Dad, and I was going to buy or make you something, but I’ve been so busy,” she said, blushing.

Dad was very gracious. “I know,” he assured her, “and I have enough presents. Come on, let’s have some of that great-looking cake!”

That night Mom found Ophelia crying in her room. “I didn’t have a present for Dad,” she said, tears spilling onto her pillow.

“It’s okay, Ophelia. You couldn’t help it if you didn’t have time or money to get something for Dad,” Mom told her.

“I know, but…I could have taken time to make something for him,” Ophelia admitted. “You even offered to help me make him some cookies, but I just didn’t get around to it.”

“It would have been nice to do something to show your love,” Mom said. “It’s so easy to say we love someone, but love is more than words. It’s action—like God showing how much He loved us by sending Jesus to save us.”

Ophelia nodded. “I’m going to make tomorrow another Father’s Day for Dad!” she said. “I’ll, uh—oh, I know! I’ll show him I love him by cleaning out his car.”

“I’m sure He’ll love that,” Mom said. “And let’s not forget to let our actions show our love for our heavenly Father too.”

–Jan L. Hansen

How about you? Do your actions show your love for your parents and others who are important to you? It’s important to tell people you love them, but those words need to be backed up with actions. God showed us His love by sending His Son, Jesus, to die to save us from sin. We can show our love for Him in return by obeying and serving Him.

Today's key verse: Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

Today's key thought: Put love into action

Read: Psalm 143:8-10; Titus 2:11-14

Austin’s black Labrador tilted his head to one side and lifted his front paw. “No, not shake! Lie down! Can’t you learn anything?” Austin sighed. “Let’s try something else. Fetch, Baxter! Fetch!” Austin hurled a ball across the yard, and Baxter raced after it. Before it dropped to the ground, Baxter leaped into the air and caught it in his mouth. “Wow! Good dog!” Austin called, clapping his hands. “Now bring it here, Baxter!”

Baxter’s wagging tail stopped and pointed into the air. He perked his ears and stared at the other side of the yard. Then he dropped the ball and dashed after a squirrel. “This is hopeless,” Austin said, letting himself drop to the ground.

“What’s hopeless?” asked Austin’s older sister, Makenna. She sat on the grass next to him.

“I’m trying to train Baxter. I’ve been trying to teach him how to sit and shake and lie down and fetch, but I’m about ready to give up. Sometimes it seems like he’s getting the hang of it, then, out of the blue, he runs off and chases a squirrel or something.”

“Baxter’s a hunting dog, so it’s in his nature to do that,” said Makenna. She glanced at her brother. “Kind of like it’s in our nature to do the wrong thing sometimes. That’s what Pastor Pham’s sermon was about, remember?”

“Yeah, thanks for the reminder,” Austin said, thinking of something mean he’d said to Makenna the day before. He hoped God didn’t give up on him as easily as he gave up on Baxter. “Do you suppose God thinks we’re hopeless?” he asked.

“Of course not,” said Makenna. “When we were hopelessly lost in sin, God sent Jesus to save us! He promises to train us and make us grow to be more like Jesus by helping us understand and obey what He says in the Bible. And though there will be many times when we wander away from Him and do something wrong—like Baxter going after those squirrels—He never gives up on us and will always forgive us.”

Something pawed at Austin’s back. He turned to find Baxter holding the ball in his mouth. Austin smiled and patted Baxter’s head. “Want to try again?” He threw the ball, and Baxter bounced away after it.

–Debra VanDyke

How about you? Do you feel like a hopeless case—like you’ll never be able to stop doing things that are wrong? Struggling against sin is part of every Christian’s life, but don’t give up on yourself, because God never will! He sent Jesus to save you from sin and will always forgive you, no matter how many times you do something wrong. Trust Him to train you and make you more like Him—He is all the hope you need.

Today's key verse: Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me on level ground. Psalm 143:10 (CSB)

Today's key thought: God trains Christians