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

Read: Psalm 139:7-12

Peyton loved her new baby brother, Josiah, but lately it seemed like Mom and Dad didn’t have time for her anymore. She and her mom used to do things together, just the two of them. But now all Mom seemed to be able to do was focus on Josiah. He had some health problems that required much of her parents’ time.

When Dad got home from work, he and Peyton went outside to play ball. “I’ve been working on writing a song about Jesus!” Peyton said. “I’ve been practicing it in my head. I hope I don’t forget it.”

“That’s great!” said Dad. “Would you like some help writing down the music for it?”

“That would be great!” Then Peyton’s smile turned to a frown. “Mom said she didn’t have time to help me with it today. She was really busy with Josiah again.”

Dad stopped throwing the ball and thought for a moment. “We’ve been busy with him a lot these days, huh? Your mother and I knew you would have to share us with your little brother, but we never want either of you to think you’re not important to us or that we don’t have time for you.”

“I know,” said Peyton. Then she smirked. “I just wish we had a machine that would duplicate you and Mom so you could be there all the time for both of us!”

Dad laughed. “You know, even though we can’t do anything like that, our heavenly Father can! He is always there for us, all the time. We can go to Him in prayer whenever we feel lonely or need help with something, knowing that He loves us so much that He sent Jesus, His own Son, to die for us and make us His children.”

“That’s a great thought, Dad! So even when you and Mom have to help Josiah, I can have peace knowing God is right there with me.”

“That’s right!” said Dad. “But always let Mom or me know when you need some time with us. We want to be there for you too.” Dad tossed the ball to Peyton. “Now, as we finish our game, I want to hear that song you’ve been working on!”

–Jonathan Wiles

How about you? Have you ever felt like you have to share your mom or dad with your brothers or sisters? Maybe someone in your family has health issues or other problems and needs extra attention. Your parents can’t always give you their help or attention when you want it, but your heavenly Father can. Go to Him whenever you have a problem or feel sad. He always has time for you, no matter what!

Today’s key verse: God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: God always has time for you

Read: Daniel 12:3; Philippians 2:12-16

The dark sky over Star Mountain Camp rumbled with thunder.

“Macaroni and cheese, everybody freeze!” Sam, the camp counselor, called out over the rowdy summer campers. It had been raining all week, and everyone was getting restless.

“For this next game, I’ll need volunteers,” Sam announced. Hands shot up all over the rec room. “You and you,” Sam said, pointing to twin brothers Aiden and Connor.

Choruses of “No fair!” and “I was first!” rose up from the grumbling campers.

“Okay, change of plans,” Sam said. “I think what everyone has is a case of the rumble-grumbles. It’s becoming an epidemic!”

“What’s a leopard-demic?” asked one of the younger campers.

“Epidemic,” Sam corrected. “It’s something that spreads—like a bad rash.”

“Ewwww,” said the campers.

“So that’s something we want to fix fast, right?” Sam asked them. Young heads slowly started to nod.

“Who remembers our Bible verse for the week?” asked Sam.

The twins raised their hands. “You, then you,” Sam said, pointing to each of them.

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing,” Connor began.

“So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation,” Aiden continued. “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”

“I want everyone to follow me,” Sam said, leading the way outside. He pointed at the sky as the group huddled together in the cool night air. “Check out the stars!”

Gazing at the sparkling sky far above them, murmurs of “Wow!” and “Awesome!” drifted up from the campers.

“That’s how Jesus wants you to shine—here at camp, when you go home, at school, wherever you are,” Sam told them. “How do you think you can do that?”

“I guess one way is to remember everything Jesus has done for us instead of grumbling,” Connor suggested.

“And that He wants us to love and encourage one another,” Aiden said thoughtfully.

“Right,” said Sam. “Remember, if you belong to Jesus, you reflect Him—just like those stars in the night sky.” He paused.

All was calm. All was bright.

“Hey!” Aiden exclaimed suddenly. “The sky stopped rumbling!”

Connor grinned. “And the campers have stopped grumbling.”

–Kelly Hope

How about you? Do you find it easy to grumble or argue instead of being loving and encouraging to others? Remember that those who trust in Jesus shine like stars that stand out in the night sky. When you feel the rumble-grumbles coming on, remember that you belong to Jesus, who died to save you and fills your life with His love and blessings. Then trust Him to help you reflect His light.

Today’s key verse: Do everything without grumbling or arguing…Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky. Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Don’t grumble

Read: Jeremiah 18:3-6

“What are you making, Grandpa?” Elena asked, walking over to the porch swing where her grandfather was shaving slivers from a small block of wood.

Grandpa held it up to show her. “There’s an eagle trapped in this wood, and I’m setting it free.”

Elena looked closely at the block in his hands and then up at Grandpa. “I don’t see anything in there.”

Grandpa smiled. “Oh, it’s there all right.” He turned the wood block in his hand. “I’ll show it to you later this evening.”

When they all sat down to dinner that evening, Grandpa placed a newly carved eagle beside Elena’s plate.

“There you are, young lady,” he said with a wink. “There’s the eagle I set free from the wood.”

Elena’s eyes grew wide with amazement. “Wow!” she said. “It’s so pretty!”

“I want you to have it,” Grandpa said. “And whenever you look at it, I want you to remember that Jesus has done the same with you.”

“Jesus made me like this eagle?” Elena asked.

Grandpa nodded. “You couldn’t see the eagle in the block of wood this morning, but I could. I freed it from the wood and carved it into a special creation. It doesn’t look like an old block of wood anymore, does it?”

“No,” Elena said, picking up the sculpture. “Now it’s a beautiful eagle!”

“Right,” said Grandpa. “And that’s what Jesus does for us. He died on the cross and rose from the dead to save us, and when we put our faith in Him, He sets us free from sin and makes us new people. We’re no longer blocks of wood but new, beautiful creations. But sometimes we lose sight of that when we face difficult circumstances or make bad choices. That’s why I made you this eagle—to help you remember that you’re a beautiful sculpture in God’s hands. You can always trust Him to forgive your mistakes and guide you in His plan for your life.”

Elena looked at the eagle again. “Thank you, Grandpa,” she said. “I’m going to put this on my dresser where I’ll see it every day!”

–Richard S. Maffeo

How about you? Did you know that, if you trust in Jesus, you’re like a beautiful eagle carved out of wood? You’re no longer stuck in a block of sin—He’s set you free and has made you into something new. The Bible compares God to an artist—a potter—molding you into something beautiful. Trust Him to forgive you when you mess up and to guide your steps as you live your life as a new creation.

Today’s key verse: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Jesus makes us beautiful

Read: Psalm 119:129-133

“How about this pair, Mom?” Lizzie asked. She slid the glasses onto her face and peeked in the eye doctor’s mirror.

“Those look nice on you.” Mom held up another pair. “But try these frames on first before you decide which ones you want.”

“Isn’t it funny,” Lizzie said as she stared at her reflection, “how much we care about how the glasses look when they’re actually just to help me see!”

“That reminds me of something I read in my Bible this morning,” Mom said. “Remember what happened when your old glasses broke and you went to school without them?”

Lizzie nodded. “I tripped on the steps because I couldn’t see.”

“Right. Well, just like glasses, we need God’s Word to help us see clearly. The Bible helps us see how much we need Jesus to save us from sin and shows us how to live as God’s children. But our glasses can’t help us if we don’t wear them.”

Lizzie thought of her Bible sitting at home on her nightstand. She left it out because she liked the way her new pink Bible looked with her pink room decorations, but she hadn’t opened it in quite a while.

“I guess the Bible won’t do me much good if I don’t read it,” Lizzie said. “I’m going to try to start reading some verses every day.”

Mom smiled. “That’s great! As we read God’s Word, He’ll use it to shape our hearts and help us focus on Jesus and the hope we have in Him.”

Later that week Mom and Lizzie returned to the doctor’s office to pick up her new glasses.

“Wow!” Lizzie said as she looked around. “Having new glasses really makes a difference!” She remembered how earlier that week she had read a verse about showing God’s love to others during her devotions. When she had felt angry at school because of a friend’s mean words, she reminded herself of the verse. It helped her not say something mean back. Mom was right, she thought. God used His Word to help me see what He wanted me to do in that situation. Lizzie smiled and reached up to touch her new frames. Just like glasses.

–Jessica Kleeberger

How about you? Have you ever needed to get glasses? It’s fun to pick out nice frames, but the true purpose of glasses isn’t to make you look good—it’s to help you see! Our Bibles shouldn’t be decorations either. They are God’s special words that tell us the story of Jesus and how He died and rose again to give us eternal life. Through the Bible, we can clearly see our need for Him and how He wants
us to live.

Today’s key verse: How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.
Psalm 119:9 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: God’s Word helps us see clearly

Read: Psalm 37:3-7

Something was rubbing against the chain when Lyle tried to ride his bike, and with his mom’s medical bills piling up, there was no way his family could afford a new one.

“Dad said he would fix that.” His sister’s voice came from behind him as he started to work on the bike himself.

“He’s looking over the budget again,” Lyle said. “He never has time.” Lyle tugged on the wheel with all his might, and his mouth dropped open when he broke it right off the bike. “Oops.”

“Lyle!” his sister exclaimed. “Now it can’t even be fixed.”

Lyle put a hand over his face. “I should have waited for Dad.”

That evening Lyle’s dad peeked into his room. “I just saw your bike. What happened?”

Lyle sighed. “I was trying to fix it.”

“I told you I would take a look at it.”

“I know, but you were so busy,” Lyle said. “You have Mom to take care of, and you’ve been trying to figure out how you’re going to pay the bills…”

Dad stepped into the room. “I have been busy. Life has been hard for all of us. I’m sorry.”

“I was trying to fix it by myself and I ended up making things worse,” Lyle said. “I don’t know if you’ll be able to fix it anymore.”

“I’ll look at it.” Dad walked across the room. “You know, bud, you’ve got me thinking about something your mom has been telling me. She said that her sickness and our finances are out of my control. She sees me trying to fix things and tells me I need to stop, that I need to put it all in God’s hands.”

“Because He’s our heavenly Father and knows best?” Lyle asked.

“Right.” Dad smiled. “He’s our Father because He loves us so much that He gave His Son to die for us. He sent Jesus to save us from sin because we could never do it ourselves.” Dad sat down on the bed. “I mess up when I try to handle things on my own. I need to trust Him.”

Lyle nodded. “I hope I didn’t mess up the bike forever.”

“Why don’t we go take a look at it together?” said Dad. “And maybe we could ask God to show us what to do too.”

–Emily Acker

How about you? What do you do when you have a problem and don’t know what you should do? Do you ask God for help and wait for Him to take care of things? Or do you try to handle everything on your own? God loves you and cares about everything you’re going through, and He wants you to come to Him for help. Instead of trying to fix things yourself, ask Him for help and trust Him to know what to do.

Today’s key verse: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)

Today’s key thought: Trust God and wait for Him