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

Read: Psalm 51:2; Isaiah 43:25; 1 John 1:6-9

Press, stamp! Press, stamp!

Kaitlyn’s thumb squished into the orange stamp pad, then she squashed it onto paper. Next, she pushed her finger into the yellow stamp pad, and a sunny oval appeared on the page. Soon she had a collection of colorful fingerprints, and she was ready to create designs with her black pen.

But her fingers were coated in wet, gooey ink in every color of the rainbow! She couldn’t pick up her pen without leaving bright marks all over it.

“Mom,” Kaitlyn called. “Help!” She waved ten inky fingertips in the air.

Mom arrived with a warm towel, and as Kaitlyn’s fingers washed clean, the white washcloth became stained with color.

“You know,” observed Mom, “this reminds me of something.”

“What?” asked Kaitlyn. She picked up her pen with clean fingers and began to doodle on top of the fresh, dry ink.

“When we are stained with sin, like your fingers were stained with ink, Jesus is the only one who can make us clean.”

Suddenly, Kaitlyn’s elbow was bumped from behind. The black pen in her hand wildly curved across her page. “It’s ruined!” she cried. “Hunter, it’s all your fault!”

Her little brother’s shoulders slumped.

Immediately, Kaitlyn felt remorseful. She prayed silently. She thought of how the white cloth had just removed ink stains from her hands, and she asked Jesus to forgive her harsh words and wash her clean. Then, taking a deep breath, Kaitlyn said, “I’m sorry I yelled at you, Hunter. It was just an accident.”

Hunter moved close for a little hug, then leaned against the table to watch.

Kaitlyn turned that wild black line into a swooping antenna. She dotted on black eyes and colored in larger spots to make an orange ladybug. Next, on a green print, she drew curly wool, a little face, and spindly legs to make a sweet lamb.

Soon Kaitlyn’s page filled with animals of all kinds. When she was finished, she turned to Hunter. “Would you like me to help you make fingerprint art?”

A wide smile was her answer.

–Wendy Lynne Smith

How about you? Do you need God to wash away the stain of your sin? God loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to take your guilt upon Himself. All you need to do is confess your wrongdoings and trust Him to make you clean. Jesus will forgive your sins and give you a clean heart.

Today's Key Verse: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus washes away your sin

Read: Luke 15:4-7; 19:10

“Mom!” Nia ran into the kitchen. “My lamb is gone! I’m sure I latched the door after I fed him, but it’s open now and Wooly is gone.”

“Oh dear,” said Mom. “We’d better go look for him.”

They started off, calling Wooly’s name as they searched the ditch and fields along the road. “Look,” Nia said as they approached a house not far from their own. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris are working in their garden. Let’s ask if they’ve seen Wooly.” Mom nodded, and they headed over to ask their neighbors if they had seen the lamb.

“No, we haven’t seen him,” said Mrs. Harris. “But we’ll help you look for him.” So she and her husband joined the search, leaving their work unfinished.

Mr. Harris was the one who finally found Wooly behind a neighbor’s barn, and Nia happily took her lamb home. After making sure he couldn’t get out again, she went to thank Mr. and Mrs. Harris for their help.

“I’m sorry you had to leave the work you were doing,” Nia said. “Can I help you finish it?”

“No, no, we’ll finish it tomorrow,” said Mrs. Harris. “I’m just glad we were able to find your lost sheep.”

Mr. Harris nodded. “Nia, do you remember the parable Jesus told about lost sheep? Pastor Roy talked about it at church last week.”

“Yeah,” said Nia. “The shepherd left all the sheep that were safe and went out to search for one little lamb that was missing.”

"That's right,” said Mr. Harris. “And did you know that people are like lost sheep?”

Nia nodded. “And Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He left heaven and gave His life to find us and save us.”

“Right again,” said Mr. Harris. “I hope our search for Wooly will help us remember we were all lost sheep once and should never be too busy to hunt for other lost sheep—other people who don’t know Jesus.”

Nia thought about that. “I have a new friend at school who doesn’t know Jesus. That means she’s just as lost as Wooly was. I’m going to ask Jesus to help me tell her about Him so she can be found, just like I was!”

“Good for you,” said Mrs. Harris. “We’ll be praying for her—and for you.”

–Nancy I. Merical

How about you? Do you know any lost sheep? The Bible says anyone who doesn’t know Jesus is lost. But there’s good news! Jesus came to find and save the lost. He found you when you put your faith in Him, and He wants you to point other lost sheep to Him so they can be found too. You can do that by praying for them and sharing what Jesus has done for you. Do all you can to help bring others to Jesus.

Today's Key Verse: Your Father in heaven does not want any of these little children to be lost. Matthew 18:14 (ERV)

Today's Key Thought: Tell others about Jesus

Read: Psalm 86:12-13; 2 Corinthians 9:12-15; Revelation 5:9-14

Dominic bit his cheek as he sat at his desk and stared up at his teacher. “I’m sorry, Ms. Foreman,” he said. He looked over at his handwriting on the whiteboard that read, Dominic was here.

“Thank you for apologizing,” Ms. Foreman said. “But you knew the consequences of writing on the board without permission. I’m going to have to call your parents.”

Just then Jamey, one of Dominic’s classmates, returned from the bathroom. He and Dominic hadn’t gone to recess yet.

Jamey looked at Dominic, the board, and Ms. Foreman, then said, “Oh, that’s an easy fix.”

Jamey went to the whiteboard and quickly erased Dominic’s writing. He turned around and smiled at Ms. Forman, who laughed.

“That was an easy fix, Jamey, thank you.” She turned to Dominic. “You’ve been a good student, so let’s call this a warning. I won’t call home, but if I catch you breaking that rule again, I will. Understood?”

Dominic nodded, then followed Jamey out to the playground. He couldn’t believe it! Jamey had gotten him out of trouble.

“Thank you!” Dominic said to Jamey, but then felt like once wasn’t enough. “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” he repeated.

“Hey, man, it was nothing. You’re welcome,” Jamey said, smiling and blushing a little.

“Sorry, I just—I can’t thank you enough. I would have gotten in so much trouble if Ms. Foreman had called my mom.”

“You sound like my mom when she’s talking to Jesus,” Jamey said. “She says she can’t thank Him enough for dying on the cross and saving us from sin so we could live with Him as God’s children forever.”

Dominic thought for a moment, then remembered something his dad told him about heaven. “We’re going to thank Him forever, aren’t we? In heaven. My dad says that everyone in heaven will sing praises to Jesus forever because of what He did to save us.”

Jamey nodded, thinking. “That’s true,” he said. “I guess, with Jesus, we really can’t thank Him enough!”

–Raven Merz

How about you? Have you ever felt like you can’t thank Jesus enough for everything He’s done for you? Tell Him what you’re thankful for every day, but know that if you are a child of God, you will be able to thank Jesus and praise Him for all eternity in heaven. It’s okay that you can’t thank Him enough, because you don’t have a limited time to do it!

Today's Key Verse: O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You with all my heart. I will bring honor to Your name forever. Psalm 86:12 (NLV)

Today's Key Thought: We will thank Jesus forever!

Read: 1 Samuel 16:7; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 3:3-4

Clarissa sat looking at herself in the mirror as Tara’s words spun through her head. You’re just so plain, Tara had said. I don’t think we can be friends.

Clarissa had wanted to be friends with Tara, but not anymore. She wore name-brand clothes, had hair that was—well, perfect. And her teeth—flawless! That’s what Clarissa thought anyway. She heaved a loud sigh. “Pretty plain, huh, Snowball?” she said to her kitten. Snowball meowed beside her on the bed.

“What’s up?” Mom asked as she walked into the room.

“Just talking to Snowball about how plain I am. Tara says I’m plain.”

“Who’s Tara?” Mom asked.

“Only the most popular girl in school, with the fanciest clothes, hair to die for, and perfect teeth. Everybody wants to be her friend, and I thought I wanted to be her friend too, but today she told me I was too plain.”

Mom hugged Clarissa tight. “You are my beautiful daughter—both inside and out.” She opened the Bible app on her phone. “And remember, Clarissa, in First Samuel 16:7, God says, ‘People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

Clarissa thought about that as she looked at herself in the mirror again. “I want God to be pleased when he looks at me.”

“He already is, because when He looks at you, He sees Jesus. When you trusted Jesus to be your Savior, you became a child of God, and the Holy Spirit now lives inside of you. Jesus has given you a new heart, which means you can show others His love and kindness—and those traits make you a great friend to people. You are far from plain. You are God’s beloved child, and He created you just how He wanted you to be and has given you a special purpose.”

“To be a good friend to people?” Clarissa asked.

With a nod, Mom added, “And to love people the way He loves you. Why don’t we ask Him to help you remember that next time you feel insecure?”

Clarissa nodded, and she and Mom prayed together while Snowball purred.

“Thanks, Mom. I feel better now,” Clarissa said as she gave her mom a hug.

–Lisa Fuller

How about you? Do you ever compare your appearance to how others look and what they wear? In the Bible, God reminds us that He cares more about our hearts than He does about our hair or clothes. What does your heart look like? Has it been made new and beautiful by Jesus? (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Instead of comparing yourself to others, trust Jesus to help you love them with the beautiful heart He’s given you.

Today's Key Verse: You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God. 1 Peter 3:4 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Jesus makes your heart beautiful

Editor’s note: This story’s subject matter may not be suitable for young children.

Read: Deuteronomy 18:10-12

Mom had tears in her eyes as she put down her phone. “Maria, Daniel, I’m so sorry, but Jalen died this morning.”

Daniel tried to comfort his younger sister as she began to cry. Jalen was their friend and next-door neighbor, and he had been sick for a long time. “At least he became a Christian at camp last summer,” Daniel said. “That means he’s with Jesus now.”

Several weeks later, Maria and Daniel walked home from school with Jalen’s sister, Audra. “Did you know that people who die can still talk to you?” she asked excitedly. “It’s true!” she insisted when she saw Maria frown. “Tomorrow my parents and I are going to a séance. That’s a meeting where there’s a medium—a person who contacts spirits of people who have died. The medium said she might be able to contact Jalen’s spirit so we can talk to him!”

Daniel and Maria gave each other worried looks as Audra waved goodbye and walked to her house. When they got home, they told Mom what Audra had said.

“I can only imagine the pain she and her parents must be feeling right now,” said Mom. “But the Bible says trying to contact people who have died is wrong. Only God has power over the dead; going to a medium who claims to be able to communicate with people’s spirits is an attempt to take that power for ourselves. The Bible tells us to have nothing to do with those kinds of things. Instead, we need to bring our pain and sadness to Jesus and trust Him to comfort us and give us peace.”

“But Audra and her parents aren’t Christians,” said Maria. “They don’t know Jesus or trust in Him.”

Mom nodded sadly. “For people who don’t know Jesus, death is a very scary thing. But as Christians, we don’t have to be afraid of death because Jesus freed us from sin and death when he died for us and rose again. When someone we love dies, we need to remember that only Jesus holds power over death and trust Him to be with us in our sadness.”

“It does make me feel better to know Jalen is with Jesus now,” Daniel said. “Let’s pray that we can help Audra and her parents know that too.”

–Agnes Livezey

How about you? Has anyone ever tried to get you to do something they say will allow you to communicate with someone who’s died? Don’t believe it. Only God has power over people who have died, and He forbids trying to communicate with them. Instead, tell Jesus what you’re feeling and depend on Him to help you through your pain and sadness. He saved you by defeating death on the cross. Trust only Him.

Today's Key Verse: I [Jesus] am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave. Revelation 1:18 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Only God holds power over death