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

Read: Deuteronomy 8:2-5; 29:2-6

“Where are we going, Grandma?” Daisy asked.

Grandma opened the gate separating her backyard from the woods behind it.

“A place you’ll enjoy,” she replied with a smile.

As they walked through the woods, Daisy noticed little chipmunks scurrying up tree trunks, making her giggle. When the wind whistled through the piney limbs, Daisy clung closer to Grandma. “Are you sure you know where we’re going?” Daisy asked.

“Do you trust me?” Grandma replied, squeezing Daisy’s hand. Daisy nodded. “It’s just a little further,” said Grandma.

The edge of the woods opened onto a farm where sheep and cattle grazed on the grassy hills. A lamb bumbled over and put his hooves against the wooden fence.

“My friend owns this farm,” Grandma said. “I thought you would love seeing the animals.”

Daisy let the lamb tickle her fingers with his nose. “He’s so cute!” she said. “But why didn’t we just drive here? The path through the woods took forever!”

Grandma leaned against the fence. “Do you think there were any benefits to taking the scenic path?”

Daisy scrunched up her nose. “Well, we got to spend more time together.”

Grandma nodded. “I love spending time with you. What else?”

“The forest was more interesting than the main road,” Daisy added. “Oh! And I had to trust that you knew where we were going.”

“That’s right,” Grandma said. “Do you remember in the Bible when God led the Israelites in the wilderness for forty years before bringing them to the Promised Land?”

“I remember,” Daisy said. “Didn’t God know a faster route?”

“Yes, but God wanted them to learn to rely on Him,” Grandma said. “Instead of trusting God, the Israelites complained and disobeyed Him, which is why God kept them in the wilderness for so long. And through their waiting, they got to experience more miracles, such as God sending them food from heaven and keeping their clothes and sandals from wearing out.”

“It’s hard for me to wait on God sometimes,” Daisy said.

“I know,” Grandma said. “But He’s helping you learn to rely on Him too. As you follow Jesus along the path He has for you, keep your eyes open for the ways He shows you His love and grace on your journey.”

–Hannah Chung

How about you? Are you waiting for something right now? Do you wonder if God is in control when things don’t happen when you want them to? Remember that God’s timing is perfect, even when you don’t understand it. Look for ways Jesus is showing you His love and grace through waiting periods and trust Him to use scenic routes to help you grow in your faith.

Today’s key verse: In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: God’s path is best

Read: Psalm 103:12; Micah 7:19

Dad closed the trunk of the car. “Okay, everything’s packed. Let’s go!”

“Wait!” Mom called. “Aria and Nolan, please empty the trash in the bedrooms and kitchen before we leave.”

“I’ll get the bedrooms,” Aria said.

Nolan went to the kitchen and glanced at the trash bag. It wasn’t even full. I’ll empty it when we get back, he thought, and ran to claim his spot in the car.

A few hours later, they pulled into the hotel parking lot. “It looks like a windstorm tore through here,” Mom said. “Cans are tipped over with trash scattered everywhere.”

Dad nodded. “Maybe some racoons had a party.”

“Speaking of trash…” Mom looked into the back seat. “Was the garbage emptied?”

“Yup,” Aria proudly announced.

There was a long silence, and Dad looked at Nolan in the rearview mirror. “How about you?”

“It was only half full,” Nolan said. “I thought it could wait.”

“Oh no!” said Mom. “I threw out some spoiled food this morning.” She sighed. “I wish you had done what I asked you to, Nolan. In a couple days, the kitchen is going to smell like a garbage dump!”

“This reminds me of a true story,” Dad said. “Forty years ago, the city of Philadelphia had a huge garbage problem. The trash collectors went on strike, and trash piled up in the whole city and smelled horrible for twenty days!”

“Gross!” Aria wrinkled her nose.

“They decided to burn the garbage, load the ash onto a ship, and sail it away. The ship sailed to several different countries, but no one would take the ash.”

“Well, at least we don’t have that much trash in our kitchen,” Nolan said.

“No, but sin is like garbage we can’t get rid of ourselves,” Dad replied. “But unlike that ship, we know someone who’s always willing to take it away if we ask Him.”

The answer was easy. “Jesus,” Nolan said. “We can confess our sin to Him, and He’ll take out the trash and make us clean.” He sighed. “I’m sorry I messed up and didn’t obey you. I’ll take out the trash the minute we get home.”

Dad grinned. “By then, you’ll need a fly swatter, mask, and gloves!”

–Matt Shoemaker

How about you? Is there a stinky sin weighing on your heart? Do you have trash in your life that needs to be taken out? Ask Jesus to remove it. He died and rose again to save you from sin and is always willing to take out your trash. When you confess your sin to Him, He will gladly forgive you and take it far away!

Today’s key verse: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Jesus takes our trash

Read: Romans 12:9-13

Hannah gave herself a quick look in the mirror while Faith twirled around in her new skirt. “Girls!” Mom called. “Our company is almost here!” The sisters giggled and raced down the hall.

A few minutes later, Mrs. Kelly arrived with her daughter Brittany, who was about the girls’ age, and Brittany’s little sister, Samantha. The girls brought Brittany to their room to play, and Samantha toddled after them. The first thing little Samantha did when she entered the girls’ room was give Faith’s new stuffed kitty a big squeeze.

Faith gasped. “Samantha! No! Please put my kitty down!” She took it from Samantha’s hands and placed it out of her reach.

Ten minutes later the girls were having a tea party when Samantha accidently bumped into the table and the carefully placed dishes came crashing down. “Samantha!” Hannah said sternly. “You’re ruining everything!”

“I’ll take her back to Mom,” Brittany said quietly. She took her younger sister by the hand and led her out of the room.

While Mrs. Kelly changed Samantha’s diaper, Mom came to check on her daughters. “How’s it going in here, girls?”

Faith sighed. “Brittany’s nice and all, but her baby sister is messing up all our stuff!”

“Yeah!” Hannah chimed in. “She even almost broke my favorite pony!”

“Girls, do you remember the verse we learned this morning? First Peter 4:9?”

“‘Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling,’” the girls mumbled together.

Mom nodded. “Jesus sacrificed everything so He could welcome us into His family, and hospitality is one of the ways we show His love to others. Do you think the way you were acting toward Samantha was very hospitable?”

The girls looked at the floor and shook their heads.

“Well, how can you make this right?” Mom asked.

“Wait and see!” Faith said with a grin.

When Brittany and Samantha walked in a minute later, the girls knelt down beside Samantha and offered her two of their favorite stuffed animals. “Pet her head, Samantha,” Faith said, holding out her stuffed kitty. “She’s so fluffy.” Samantha pet the kitty’s head and giggled.

Mom beamed and headed for the door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go share my favorite chocolates with Mrs. Kelly!”

–Savannah Coleman

How about you? Is it hard for you to share your special toys and treats when others come to visit you? A great way to practice hospitality is to remember two things: 1) People always matter more than things, and 2) God gave us everything we have so we could use it to show others His love. When we open our homes to others, it opens our hearts to them as well.

Today’s key verse: Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Practice hospitality

Read: Mark 2:13-15; John 3:36

Reagan peered out the window, wearing her soccer uniform and munching on a sandwich. Dad’s car pulled up and honked. It was Dad’s week to watch her.

“Bye, Mom!” Reagan hollered. She slung her bag over her shoulder and ran outside.

“Dad! I learned something so cool!” Reagan said, plopping her bag at her feet. She balanced her sandwich on one knee while she buckled up.

“Oh yeah?” Dad asked. They rolled past the neighbor’s sunflower garden.

“What’s that?”

“See those sunflowers? Did you know they’re edible from root to petal? They’re used for all kinds of stuff! Like making sunflower oil, for one thing.”

Dad nodded. “I use that to cook with sometimes.”

“But the coolest thing about them is heliotropism!” Reagan continued. “That’s a fancy word for how a plant grows in response to sunlight. It’s easy to see in a sunflower, ‘cuz they actually follow the sun’s movement—like solar tracking! It helps the plant’s growth rate and use of light. Isn’t that the coolest?”

Dad chuckled at Reagan’s enthusiasm. “Sounds like you’re really into sunflowers.”

“I am! You know why I think they’re so cool?” Reagan asked as she took another bite of her sandwich. “Brehcuzz—”

“Hold on!” Dad said with another chuckle. “Chew your food first. Then you can tell me all about it.”

Reagan swallowed. “Sorry. ‘Cuz in church, I learned we’re supposed to fix our eyes on Jesus and follow Him. Well, Jesus is God’s Son, right? So following the Son of God is like sunflowers following the sun in the sky. We can be Son-followers! Jesus gives us life by shining His light on us and making us grow.”

Dad pulled the car into the soccer complex and parked. “Hmm. That’s some sermon, Reagan. You know I don’t go to church, but it sure sounds like you’re excited about it.”

“I am! Sunflowers are so cheerful—and I want you to have the joy of knowing Jesus like I do. You could be a Son-follower too, Dad.” Reagan looked across the parking lot. “Oh! There’s my coach. Gotta go!”

Reagan shoved the rest of her sandwich into her mouth, grabbed her soccer gear, and hopped out of the car. Dad watched her run to catch up with the rest of her team.

–Pearl Allard

How about you? Have you experienced the joy of knowing Jesus? Like sunflowers following the sun as it moves across the sky, Christians follow the Son of God. He fills us with His light and makes us grow to be more like Him. When others see His light and joy shine through us, they might want to be Son-followers too! You can become a Son-follower today by trusting in Jesus. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today’s key verse: [Jesus] saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Matthew 9:9 (NKJV)

Today’s key thought: Follow God’s Son, Jesus

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:5-8

“Tell me, kids—if something good happened to you, would you keep it to yourself?” Mr. Miller asked his class at church.

“No!” came the answer as all the kids shook their heads.

“We like to share our good news with our friends, don’t we?” Mr. Miller continued. “Yet when it comes to the greatest news of all—Jesus saving us by dying for our sins and coming back to life—we often keep that a secret. Why do you suppose that is?” This time, no one could answer Mr. Miller’s question. “If we know Jesus, we need to tell others about Him,” said Mr. Miller. “Let’s bow our heads a moment and ask the Lord to give each of us the name of a friend who needs to hear about Him.”

The children sat quietly, and a name came to Dominic’s mind. Oh no! he thought. Not Thatcher! He’ll never listen!

After class, Dominic talked with Mr. Miller about it. “Look out the window,” Mr. Miller said. “See the tree growing in the middle of those huge rocks on that hillside? How do you think it got there?”

Dominic shrugged. “I guess a seed from another tree fell there and took root.”

“Do you think the parent tree worried about how hard the rocks looked when it let the seed drop?” Mr. Miller asked. Dominic shook his head. “That’s right,” said Mr. Miller. “The tree just let the seed fall, and God did the rest. That’s what we need to do too. We need to tell others about Jesus so the seed of His good news can fall. Don’t worry about how it takes root. That’s God’s work, and He can handle it.”

Dominic still looked uncertain. “Thatcher’s my friend, but I feel like he’s just gonna laugh at me if I try to tell Him about Jesus.”

“It can be scary to tell our friends about Jesus when we don’t know how they’ll respond,” Mr. Miller said. “But remember that God loves Thatcher and has the power to save him, and He’ll be with you the whole time. Pray for Thatcher, and ask Jesus to give you an opportunity to let him know what He’s done for him. He’ll help you spread the seed of His good news in Thatcher’s heart.”

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Are you afraid your friends won’t listen to you if you tell them about Jesus? It can be scary, but trust Jesus to help you spread the seed of His good news. Faithfully pray for friends who don’t know Him, and watch for opportunities to talk about Jesus and what He’s done for you. Leave the rest up to God—He’s the one who makes the seed take root.

Today’s key verse: I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NLT)

Today’s key thought: Tell friends about Jesus