** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <August 11, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Hungry Again? (Monday)

Read: John 6:28-37

 

"When are we going to eat?" Henry asked as he and the others in his Sunday school class hiked down a trail in a national forest. For weeks the class of sixth-grade boys had been planning this outing--a couple days of backpacking, cooking over a campfire, and sleeping under the stars. "My stomach has been growling for an hour," Henry said.

 

"Mine too," said Connor. "I hope we stop soon."

"It won't be too long now," Mr. Larson assured them, and soon they came to the place where they were going to set up camp. "This is it, boys," said Mr. Larson.

"Good! When do we eat?" Henry asked again.

 

Mr. Larson smiled. "We'll start a fire right away, and then we'll fix supper. You can all help gather wood for the campfire."

 

The boys got to work, and soon they were eating beef stew from tin mugs. "Yum! This tastes better out here than it does at home!" declared Connor, and everyone agreed. After supper, they played games and told stories around the fire.

 

"Do we have any more food?" asked Henry after a while. "I'm hungry again!" "Me too," echoed several other boys.

 

Mr. Larson nodded. "Okay. We'll have a snack in a few minutes, but first, let's have some spiritual food," he said, getting out his Bible. "Who can remember the Bible verses we've studied in class so far this year?"

 

The boys began to recite the verses and were doing fine until someone said, "I am the Bread of Life." Everyone moaned in hunger.

 

"Okay, okay!" Mr. Larson laughed. "We'll eat. But while you eat your snacks, I want you to think about something. How do you think you'll feel when you wake up in the morning?"

 

Several voices gave the same answer. "Hungry!"

Mr. Larson nodded. "That's because the food we eat only satisfies us for a short time. But when Jesus calls Himself the Bread of Life, He means He can satisfy our spiritual hunger forever. The grace, peace, and life we have through Him will never end."

 

Mr. Larson pulled some fruit, cookies, and crackers from his backpack. "Okay, boys," he said. "Let's eat!" Raelene E. Phillips

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you eat when you feel hungry? Even if you do, it’s probably not long before you feel hungry again, is it? Do you ever feel hungry—or empty—deep down inside? Do you try to fill up feelings of loneliness or restlessness with TV, friends, or lots of activities, but still feel empty? Jesus is the Bread of Life. He’s is the only one who can satisfy our spiritual hunger. Trust in Him today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: John 6:35 (KJV)

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. (NLT)

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <August 10, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

The Coffee Can (Tuesday)

Read: 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

 

"Close your eyes, Eric, and tell me what this smells like," said Aria. Her brother did as directed, and Aria held a stack of papers under his nose.

 

Eric sniffed cautiously. "Coffee," he said, making a face. He opened his eyes and stared. "Wow! I thought you had a cup of coffee in your hand! How did those papers end up smelling just like coffee?"

 

"I've been keeping them in this old coffee can," Aria said, holding up a big aluminum can.

 

"Too bad," said her brother. "Now those papers stink!"

 

Aria looked at him in surprise. "You don't like the smell of coffee?"

 

"Of course not!" said Eric. "Do you?"

 

"I don't like the taste--Dad let me try his once, and it was really gross--but I love the smell!" Aria held the papers to her nose and breathed in deeply.

 

"Yuck!" said Eric. "Keep them away from me."

 

Dad, who was on his computer in the corner of the room, looked up. "It can be really hard to get rid of strong smells like coffee," he said. "At least Aria likes that smell, so she can continue to use the coffee can to store things."

 

Eric scrunched up his nose. "I just don't get how someone could like that smell."

 

"That reminds me of a passage in the Bible," said Dad. "In the book of First Corinthians, Paul says that the lives of those who have been saved by Jesus are like a sweet fragrance that rises up to God. But to those who don't know Jesus, it's not a fragrance--it's a stench. Because they aren't willing to admit they're sinners, the truth of Jesus dying for their sins is like a bad smell instead of a good one."

 

Aria nodded. "One of my friends used to laugh at me when I talked about Jesus, but then she decided to trust in Him too!"

 

"Yes," said Dad. "When God works in someone's heart, He can open them to the fragrance of His love. That's why we need to keep sharing His love with others and praying for them--so they can smell the sweet aroma of Jesus in our lives." Holly F. Cepeda

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Did you know that Christians are the fragrance of Jesus? He fills us with His love so others will be drawn to the sweet aroma of His salvation. But to some, the reality of sin is a truth they don’t want to believe, and they turn away like they would a bad stench. But God can change any heart. Keep showing His love to those who don’t know Him, and pray He would open their hearts to His sweet aroma.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 2 Corinthians 2:15 (KJV)

We are to God the fragrance of Christ. (NKJV)

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <August 13, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

The Free Gift (Wednesday)

Read: John 3:14-17

 

"I can't wait to choose a new book to buy with my birthday money!" Abigail said, her brown eyes sparkling as she and her mom walked toward Sheldon's, a new children's bookstore that was opening that day in town.

 

Outside the store, Abigail stared at the window display with a collection of

colorful new hardbacks and photographs of the authors. A crowd of people dashed passed them to the door. Abigail and Mom waited for them to go by before stepping inside. When they entered the store, a bell jangled and a man bustled toward them.

 

"Congratulations!" he said excitedly. "Welcome to Sheldon's. I'm Mr. Sheldon, the owner. I'm pleased to announce that you're our one hundredth customer today and will receive a free gift to celebrate our grand opening."

 

"A free gift?" Abigail exclaimed. "I can't believe it! If we hadn't let all those other people pass, we wouldn't have won."

Mr. Sheldon handed her a small token. "With this prize token, you can choose five free books today and have a snack at our caf."

 

"Thank you," Abigail said in disbelief. Mom nodded in agreement--she looked as stunned as Abigail.

 

They wandered all over the beautiful new store, browsing all the different books available before selecting five free ones.

 

"I never expected this at all," Abigail said, biting into a delicious blueberry muffin at the caf. "I can't wait to tell everyone."

 

"Me neither," Mom agreed, sipping her coffee. "The owner was so kind."

 

Later that evening, when Dad got home from work, Abigail told him the good news about her free gift.

 

"That is wonderful news," said Dad. "It reminds me of another free gift--the amazing gift God has given to us. It seems too good to be true, but He has given us the free gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus. We don't deserve it and could do nothing to earn it, but God freely offers it to everyone because He loves us. We just have to accept it."

 

As Abigail walked to her room to read one of her new books, she smiled and thanked God for the most precious gift of all--salvation through Jesus. Cindy Lee

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you ever been surprised by a free gift? Maybe someone gave you a prize without you having to do anything to earn it. The good news is that God offers us the most precious gift of all—salvation and eternal life through His Son, Jesus. We don’t deserve it, but He gives it to us freely because He loves us. Accept His free gift today.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: John 3:16 (KJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <August 14, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

When Lightning Strikes (Thursday)

Read: Romans 5:1-5

 

BOOM! A clap of thunder shook the house, and rain began to pour down. "That sounded awfully close," said Camila in a shaky voice. "I hate storms."

"I know," Grandma said. "When I was your age, I'd go hide under the covers. I felt safer if I didn't have to see the lightning."

 

"Why can't it just rain without all the thunder and lightning?" Camila asked. "Well," said Grandma, "did you know that when lightning hits the ground it breaks down nutrients in the soil so plants can use them?"

 

"Really?" asked Camila.

 

Grandma nodded. "That means lightning plays a part in helping plants grow." She smiled. "Isn't it great that God takes even things that seem bad to us and uses them for a good purpose?"

 

Camila looked at her grandmother. "Well, sure, but storms can do damage too. So I hope you don't expect me to like them."

 

Grandma laughed. "No, we don't have to like them," she assured Camila, "but we can be thankful that they bring about something good." She winced as a flash of lightning was closely followed by a loud roll of thunder. "Storms of life can be that way too--the difficult things that happen to us. When we get hit by problems, we can trust God to help us grow as we go through them."

 

"Do nutrients come from them too?" Camila asked.

 

"In a way, they do. Difficult times often help us see that we need to rely on Jesus for help and strength," Grandma explained. "We grow spiritually as we learn to trust and lean on Him."

 

"I can see that's good," said Camila. "But it doesn't make it any easier when you're in the storm, does it?"

 

"Oh, but it does," said Grandma. "It makes it easier when we know Jesus is right there with us. It helps to remember that He'll not only see us through but will somehow use our difficult experience to help us grow to be more like Him."

 

Camila sighed. "Okay," she said, "but I don't have to like those kinds of storms either, do I?"

 

Grandma smiled. "No. Just remember that Jesus will help you through them and promises to use everything you face for good." Christine Keller

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you going through a hard time right now? Are you in the middle of a storm? Perhaps you or someone you love is struggling with illness, or you feel like you’ve lost all your friends. If you know Jesus, you’re not alone, no matter what storm comes your way. He’s right there with you. Talk to Him about your problems and trust Him to bring good out of every situation.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Romans 5:3-4 (KJV)

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. (NIV)

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <August 16, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

God's Never-empty Next (Friday)

Read: Psalm 23

 

Paige looked at the bird's nest her dad had found on the ground in the backyard. "What kind of bird made it?" she asked.

 

"Looks to me like a robin's nest," Dad replied. "It's empty now, but I bet it once held a family of chirping baby robins."

 

"Cool!" said Paige. "Can I have it?"

 

Dad nodded, and Mom came over to examine the nest more closely. "What are you thinking about?" Dad asked when he saw Mom looking at the nest thoughtfully. "Do you want a robin's nest too?"

 

"No," Mom said. "I was just thinking about you and Paige and the twins and the lovely nest God has provided for us."

 

"Nest?" Paige asked in surprise. "What nest?"

 

"Our home is like a nest--a nest for a family of people," Mom explained. "Just like the baby robins, you and your brothers will leave our nest, Paige. Before we know it, you'll go off and start your own lives."

 

"Not right away, I hope," said Dad, giving Paige a hug.

 

"No." Mom laughed. "But growing up and leaving home is all part of God's plan for children." She smiled at Paige. "When you kids leave, we'll miss you."

 

Paige looked at the nest again. "I'll miss you too. It sounds kind of exciting to go off on my own, but I'm glad I won't be leaving for a while. I still need you to take care of me."

 

"And even when you do leave, you won't be on your own," said Dad. "Since you trust in Jesus, you won't ever leave God's nest. He gave His life so you could be part of His family, and He will always be with you and take care of you. In the Bible God gives this us this promise--'I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go.'"

 

"That's a good verse for all of us to remember," said Mom. "God is with you kids and will watch over you while you're here in our family's nest and also when the time comes for you to leave it. And He's with Dad and me and will watch over us too. All of us are in His nest, where He will take good care of us." Jorlyn A. Grasser

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you wonder if you’ll ever be able to get along without your parents? Most people look forward to being on their own, but it can be kind of scary too. But if you trust in Jesus, you will always be in His nest. He will watch over you when you leave your family’s nest and start your own life. No matter where you go, He will be with you and take care of you.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:  Genesis 28:15 (KJV)

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go. (NIV)