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

Read: Matthew 25:31-46

Simi pouted as she placed the bag of toys beside the other cartons in the back of the minivan. “Mummy, why do we have to go to the refugee camp on a Saturday?”

Simi’s mum shut the van’s back door. “You already know why, Simi. Those children need all the love and attention they can get.”

“I know.” Simi kicked a stone into the sand as she walked to the front seat of the minivan. “But Saturdays are supposed to be for fun and games.”

Mum opened the driver’s side door. “I know you feel like you’re missing out,” she said, buckling her seat belt once they were inside. “But just think of the trauma those children have been through. Their villages were raided, houses burned, and some of them lost their parents and close family members. That’s sad, isn’t it?”

Simi nodded her head.

“So, the least we can do is put a smile on their faces,” Mum continued. “When we do, we put a smile on Jesus’s face too. There’s a verse in the Bible where He says that ‘whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Simi looked up. “I don’t understand.”

Mum smiled. “When we give food and clothes to people who don’t have any and take care of them, it’s the same as doing it to Jesus.”

Simi brightened up a bit. “Oh! Just like what we’re doing for the people at the refugee camp?”

Mum nodded. “Jesus loves us so much that He became human and sacrificed His life to save us from sin. Because we trust in Him, we’re able to show His love to others. When we make sacrifices to help others, He counts it as us doing those things for Him.”

Some hours later at the camp, Simi’s mum was serving food to a line of children while Simi stood beside her, glancing around. Then her eyes caught a baby crying. The volunteer nurse holding her couldn’t seem to calm her down.

Simi walked over. “Can I help?”

The nurse gladly released the baby into Simi’s outstretched arms. Simi cradled the baby, and she stopped crying.

Simi’s mum, who had been silently watching, beamed.

–Elo Omonkhogbe

How about you? How can you show the love of Jesus to others? Perhaps there’s someone at your school or church who needs a friend. Maybe you can help meet the needs of people in your community or another part of the world by sharing what you have and telling them about Jesus. When we make sacrifices for others to show them Jesus’s love, we’re doing those things for Him. How can you make Jesus smile today?

Today's Key Verse: Do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Show love through sacrifice

Read: Matthew 5:44-48; Ephesians 4:32

“No, not Amie! Now we’re really gonna lose!”

The entire team sighed in unison as Amie approached the plate and waited for the kickball. She hadn’t felt well all morning, and now the weight of her teammates’ disgust seemed to make her insides churn even more. Just as the teacher was about to roll the ball, Amie gasped. “Mrs. Anderson! I have to—”

It was too late. She threw up all over home plate as both teams squealed and retreated. Tears streaming down her face, Amie stumbled to the restroom as Mrs. Anderson tried to corral the howling class.

Since nobody was available to come pick up Amie, she had to wait and ride the school bus home. No one asked to sit with her. As she looked out the window, her mind replayed the words of her classmates over and over.

“Amie will make us lose.”

“Who picked her?”

“You mean you’re gonna stay the rest of the day and make us all sick?”

Amie knew it was wrong, but part of her wanted to see them get hurt. She imagined some of the meanest kids throwing up all over the principal and getting suspended.

Shaking her head, she tried to dismiss her vengeful feelings. But instead, more memories flooded her mind of all the times her classmates had ignored her or purposefully humiliated her.

“Jesus,” she whispered, “I want to forgive them. But they don’t even care that they’ve hurt me. How can I love people who like seeing me sad?”

Immediately the Bible verse she’d read that morning came to her mind. Pray for them.

Amie gulped. “Really, Jesus? Did You just say to pray for them?”

The verse repeated in her mind. Pray for them.

Still feeling angry, Amie leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window and squeezed her eyes shut. Dear Jesus, please bless my classmates. Help them do well on their tests and in kickball, and please don’t let any of them get sick. Please help me forgive them as you’ve forgiven me so I can show them Your love. In Your name, amen.

Amie opened her eyes and smiled. Jesus was helping her forgive.

–Rebekah Love Dorris

How about you? Have you ever wondered how to forgive people who don’t seem sorry for hurting you? Forgiveness isn’t a feeling—it’s an action. One of the best ways to begin forgiving others is to pray for them. Try praying the same things for your enemies you’d want someone to pray for you. Then thank Jesus for forgiving you for your sin and for empowering you to forgive others.

Today's Key Verse: But I [Jesus] say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Pray for your enemies

Read: Philippians 4:4-7

“What if I don’t make the team, Dad?” Felix asked as they hiked a rugged trail. He had spent most of their backpacking trip finding things to worry about.

“Felix, all you’ve done today is worry,” Dad said. “I could understand your concerns if we were fending off mountain lions or something, but the most dangerous animal we’ve seen was the timid gray squirrel that scurried across our path a few minutes ago.”

Felix wasn’t listening. He was too busy worrying. “What if I make the team but none of my friends do? I won’t know anyone!”

When Felix stopped to take a drink from his water bottle, Dad picked up a handful of stones from the side of the trail. As they continued walking, he reached over and slipped a rock in an open pocket of Felix’s backpack. Felix didn’t even notice.

“What if I don’t figure out the new stuff we’re doing in my math class? It’s so hard!” With each new worry Felix brought up, Dad managed to sneak a rock into his backpack.

“I’m getting kind of tired,” Felix said after a while. “What if I get too tired to finish the hike? Maybe we should turn back.”

Dad added another rock to the backpack. This time Felix noticed.

“What are you doing?” he asked. He stopped, took off his backpack, and opened it. “Dad!” he said with a groan. “My pack is heavy enough without these rocks! Why are you making it heavier?”

Dad shrugged. “It’s not much different from what you’re doing yourself, is it?”

“I’m not picking up rocks!” Felix said.

“No, but worrying about every little thing is kind of like carrying a load of rocks. It just makes you tired and doesn’t solve anything.” Dad took off his backpack. “Let’s take a break. We’ll dump the rocks from your backpack, and I think it would also be a good time to pray and give your burdens to Jesus. Don’t you agree?” Felix nodded. “Good,” said Dad. “He gave His life to save you and promises to take care of you. When you remember that, you’ll be able to live life without being weighed down by worries.”

–Mike Dize

How about you? Do you spend a lot of time worrying? Has it ever helped you? Instead of fretting about things you have no control over, go to Jesus with your worries. He’s in control of everything, and He loves you and cares about every detail of your life. Trust Him to handle the problems you face and to give you wisdom. Then you can live without the burden of worry weighing you down.

Today's Key Verse: Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Give your burdens to Jesus

Read: Psalm 25:6-7; 1 John 1:9

Jacki and Blake waited anxiously in line with their uncle at High Seas Tees—the best mini-golf course in the entire world. Blake stretched himself tall to see to the front of the line when he noticed a sign that read: Mulligans $2, all proceeds go toward field trip funds!

“What’s a mulligan?” Blake asked Uncle Lee.

“It’s a redo in golf,” Uncle Lee answered. “The first attempt doesn’t count on your scorecard; it’s like it never happened. You might ask for one if a gust of wind messes up your shot or the ball lands in an obstacle. Or if you just take a terrible swing.”

Jacki laughed. “Might need to buy some for Blake!”

“Hey!” Blake scowled at his sister. “I’m going to win the whole tournament!”

“How about I get one mulligan for each of us,” Uncle Lee said. “That way we each have a redo swing.”

The kids nodded and soon got their clubs, balls, and scorecards. On a particularly difficult hole, Jacki swung off the tee, but her ball sunk into a shallow pool of water. Jacki groaned.

“Use your mulligan,” Uncle Lee offered.

Jacki fished her ball out of the slimy water, shook it off, and set it back at the start as if her mess-up never happened. Just as she was about to hit the ball, Blake shouted, “I know what this reminds me of!”

Startled, Jacki swung off course again, and her ball landed back in the pool.

Blake gasped. “Sorry, Jacki! I just wanted to say your mulligan reminded me of forgiveness.”

Jacki crossed her arms in frustration. “You couldn’t have waited until after I swung?”

Uncle Lee chuckled. “You’re right, Blake. When you use a mulligan, it wipes your score card clean, much like how God wipes our sin away when we confess our wrongs to Him. Jesus died to pay for all our sin so we could be forgiven and have a redo whenever we need one.” Uncle Lee looked at Jacki. “God also wants us to forgive each other.”

Jacki sighed. “I forgive you for messing up my shot, Blake.”

Blake grinned. “I’ll give you my mulligan for free.”

“Oh no,” Jacki said, a smile growing on her face. “I’m winning fair and square.”

–Zoe Sherman

How about you? Have you ever done something and wished it never happened? Although we can’t go back in time and change our past, God offers us forgiveness when we sin and wipes our record clean. He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that we can always be forgiven. Tell Him what you’ve done wrong and He will forgive you so you can start over.

Today's Key Verse: I will forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:34 (NLV)

Today's Key Thought: God forgives sin

Read: Psalm 139:3-12

“I’m scared, Mom,” River said. “What if Dad never comes back?”

“I don’t know if he’s going to, River. I don’t know how things will work out.”

River’s stomach hurt. It had been hurting a lot since his dad stormed out of their house weeks earlier. “It’s just you and me?”

“You, me, and God.” Mom tapped her computer screen. “And I need to find a job.”

Things went from bad to worse that evening when the power went out. River stumbled his way through the house, calling for his mom.

“I’m in here.” Suddenly Mom appeared in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t know why they would cut it off like that…I told them I would pay soon…”

“You didn’t pay the bill?” River asked.

“I don’t have the money right now,” said Mom. “I’m sorry.”

“It won’t come back on tomorrow?”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Mom sighed. “We’ll be okay.”

River tried to look around, but he couldn’t see anything. Darkness from outside filled the house. He heard a sound in the corner of the room. “I’m really scared, Mom. I don’t like the dark.”

“That was just the house settling,” Mom said. “It does it all the time, but we don’t think anything of it when it’s light in here. Do you know who can see in the dark?”

“Not me,” River said.

“Me neither,” Mom said. “But God can. The Bible says that both dark and light are the same to Him. He can see now like if the lights were all on.”

“Really?” River asked. “He can see if there are any bad guys in here?”

Mom chuckled. “Yes. And there aren’t.” She rubbed his back. “God is light. Our light. When we were lost in the darkness of sin, Jesus came and died for us so we could have the light of His love in our lives. He sees us now, and He can see the future too. He knows what’s going to happen with your dad, and He promises never to leave us. We can trust Him.”

“Everything is so scary right now,” River said.

“I know, but God will take care of us.” Mom pulled him close. “Always.”

–Emily Acker

How about you? Are you scared of the dark? Not being able to see what’s around you can be scary—and that’s true in life too. Perhaps you’re going through a difficult situation and don’t know how it’s going to turn out. Remember that even though you can’t see the future, God can, and He cares about you. Trust Him to be your light in the darkness and take care of you in every situation.

Today's Key Verse: The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God sees in the dark