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

Read: Psalm 23:1-6 Madison’s dog nuzzled up against her hand, whining anxiously. Madison closed her history textbook and looked down. “What’s wrong, Buddy?” she asked, even though she knew Buddy couldn’t answer. Then she heard thunder booming in the distance. Buddy perked up his ears, then whined again. Madison looked out the window at the dark clouds piling high as rain began hitting the glass. A bolt of lightning flashed across the sky. Madison bent down to stroke Buddy’s head. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s just a storm. You’re safe inside.” Buddy whined some more. Madison sighed. She needed to study for her big test tomorrow. Her heart beat faster just thinking about it. “Come on, Buddy, you’re fine.” Madison picked up her book again, feeling sick to her stomach. She always had trouble remembering all the dates and places, then she’d panic, which made it even harder to think. She hoped she wouldn’t forget everything she studied. Mom walked into the room. “What’s wrong?” she asked. Madison sighed again. “Buddy’s scared of the storm, but I need to finish my homework.” Mom nodded. “Buddy’s always been scared of storms.” She thought for a minute. “What are some things that scare you, Madison?” Madison looked up, surprised. “I’m scared of heights. Remember when Dad wanted me to go down that big water slide, but I couldn’t even make it up the stairs?” She paused. “And sometimes I’m scared to take tests. I worry I won’t remember everything and will get a bad grade.” “So who do you go to for help?” asked Mom. “Well, sometimes you and Dad. You help me study.” “And that’s good. But there’s someone else you can also go to.” Mom reached down and patted Buddy’s head. “Isn’t it interesting that Buddy knows to come to you for comfort? That’s how Jesus wants us to think about Him. He wants to be our first option for peace and comfort. When we come to Him with our fears, He comforts us and reminds us that He’s in control and will always love us and be with us no matter what happens.” “So, since I’m worried about my test, I should pray about it?” Madison asked. Mom nodded. “I think that’s a great idea.” –Abigail Singrey How about you? What scares you? Is it spiders, the dark, or meeting new kids at church or school? Maybe you freeze up with fear, or maybe you get a funny feeling in your stomach. Whatever worries you have, you can bring them to Jesus. He won’t think they’re silly. When we pray to God about whatever is troubling us, He will calm our worries and let us know He’s with us. Today's Key Verse: Give all your worries to Him because He cares for you. (NLV) 1 Peter 5:7 Today's Key Thought: Pray about your problems

Read: John 19:28-30 Evan breathed deeply through his nose as he walked into the kitchen. “Yum!” he said, walking over to where his older sister was working. “Lemon pie!” “Oh no, you don’t!” said Zoe, shooing him away with her spatula. “This is nowhere near finished.” “Okay, but I’ll be waiting for it,” Evan said, then headed upstairs to do homework. When he came back later, Zoe had poured the filling into the pie shell. “Can I have some pie now?” he asked. Zoe shook her head. “It’s still not finished,” she told him. “It’s lemon meringue pie, and it doesn’t have any meringue on it yet.” Evan checked back one more time before dinner. “It’s finished now,” Zoe told him, “but you can’t have any yet. I baked it for dessert tonight.” After dinner, Zoe finally brought the pie to the table. Evan scooped up and swallowed every bit on his plate. “Now the pie’s really finished,” he said, patting his stomach. “It’s all gone.” For devotions that night, Dad read from the Gospel of John. “‘It is finished.’ Those were the last words Jesus said on the cross,” Dad said, closing his Bible. “Sounds a lot like some of the words being said in the kitchen this afternoon. A couple of times I overheard Zoe tell Evan that the lemon pie wasn’t finished yet. Finally, she said it was finished, but even then it didn’t do Evan any good. Why not?” “Because I didn’t eat any of it,” replied Evan. “Her fault, not mine!” “I don’t doubt it,” Dad said with a smile. “Well, Jesus came to earth to take the punishment for our sin. On the cross, He finally said, ‘It is finished.’ His work was done. But a lot of people are missing the full benefit of His finished work. Why?” “Because they haven’t trusted Him as their Savior,” Zoe said after a moment. “Right,” said Dad. “To enjoy the finished pie, we had to take it for ourselves and eat it. And to enjoy the benefit of Jesus’s finished work—the joy and peace of having a relationship with God that lasts for eternity—we have to receive it for ourselves. We have to believe in Jesus and trust Him to save us to become a child of God.” –Hazel W. Marett How about you? Have you received the benefit of what Jesus did for you on the cross? Are you trusting Him to save you from sin and give you eternal life? He finished the work of purchasing your salvation, and He offers it to you right now. Receive it for yourself by trusting in Him. (To learn more, go to https://new.keysforkids.org/goodnews.) Today's Key Verse: Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. (NIV) John 1:12 Today's Key Thought: Accept Jesus's finished work