** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <January 4, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Finding Faith in Forks (Monday)
Read: Psalm 46
"One more! One more!" As Nathan cheered him on, Darius carefully laid another fork on top of the pyramid. Got it!
It had started as a row of forks on the kitchen table, tines pointing down. Then the brothers set another row on top of it, the tip of each tine locking into the slots of the two forks below it. Then another row on top of that--and so on until the fork pyramid stood six levels high! It looked like a giant metal bug with pointy feelers and a long, silver tail.
Entering the kitchen, Dad held up a slip of inky yellow paper. "All right, boys, the tech has finished installing our new internet cable." He looked at the kitchen table. "What's this?"
Nathan smirked. "Oh, hey, Dad. Without Wi-Fi, we got kind of bored."
Darius nodded. "We remembered seeing this cool fork-stacking video and decided to give it a try. What do you think?"
Holding up another fork, Nathan approached the table. "I'm going to start the next level."
"Careful," said Darius. "You have to be really still..."
Nathan's hand shook, and the fork fell into the middle of the structure. Clashing and clinking, all the forks tumbled down, cascading across the table and onto the floor.
Nathan grimaced. "Oops--sorry, Dad. I didn't mean to do that."
Dad chuckled. "It's all right. In fact, I think your little fork-tress' teaches an important lesson."
Darius asked, "What's that, Dad?"
"To be still. Psalm 46:10 says, Be still and know that I am God.' That can be hard to do in such a busy, distracting world, but what you did today is a good reminder to stop and spend time with Jesus. When the internet went out, instead of feeling bored or restless, you built a "fork-tress." And we need to take time each day to stop what we're doing and remember that God is our fortress. Because Jesus has already fought and won the war against sin by dying on the cross and coming back to life, we can rest and know we're safe with Him."
"Cool!" Darius looked up at Dad. "So, what's the new Wi-Fi password?"
Dad chuckled. "It's Clean up these forks.'" -John Leatherman
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you ever take a break from all the cool things to watch or play to spend time with Jesus? Being with Him is never boring. He’s your fortress, a safe place you can always go to get away from life’s busyness and remember all He’s done for you. Take time each day to be still and listen for His voice.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
Be still, and know that I am God.
** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <December 31, 2019>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Throw Out the Junk (Tuesday)
Read: Colossians 3:5-14
"Grandpa, I get to stay up till after midnight!" Mallory said as she told her grandfather about the New Year's Eve party her friend was having. "I don't think I've ever done that before."
"Sounds great," said Grandpa. His eyes twinkled. "Have I ever told you about the New Year's Eve celebrations my great-grandfather had when he was a boy back in Italy?"
Mallory shook her head. "Did they have a parade or something?"
"Yes, and fireworks too," Grandpa said. "But what happened later that night was the most interesting part of the whole celebration." He grinned at Mallory. "My grandfather told me about it. He said his dad told him that as midnight approached, people gathered up all their junk--boxes, old clothes, worn out tools or toys, and whatever else they wanted to get rid of. There was a New Year's Eve custom of throwing out the old to make way for the new, so they simply tossed the old stuff out the windows."
Mallory laughed. "Did they really do that?" she asked. "I guess it would be one way for them to get rid of all their old junk, but I'd sure hate to be the street cleaner the next day!"
"Me too," Grandpa agreed, and the two of them chuckled as they talked about what things they might toss out the window. "I think Christians could learn a lesson from that custom," Grandpa said. "The Bible says we're new people when we know Jesus and that we should have new attitudes and behavior. But sometimes we seem to take on Christian habits--like praying, going to church, or telling others about Jesus--without getting rid of our old, sinful habits. To grow spiritually as we should, we need to get rid of the old junk.'"
Mallory nodded thoughtfully. "Like...even though I made a New Year's resolution to be nicer to my brothers, first I need to get rid of the mean way I treat them when I get angry at them?"
"Exactly!" Grandpa smiled. "Let's both make a list of some of the junk we need to confess to Jesus and throw out--not out of the window, but out of our lives." Sherry L. Kuyt
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Is there junk in your life—bad habits or sins that you need to get rid of? Are there mean thoughts or words or a bad, selfish attitude that doesn’t fit with the new person Jesus has made you to be? This is a great time of year to throw that junk out. Whatever sin there is in your life, confess it to Jesus. Trust Him to get rid of it and make room for the new you.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Colossians 3:9-10 (KJV)
You have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self. (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 <January 1, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
One Word (Wednesday)
Read: Psalm 27:4-8; Luke 10:38-42
"Stephanie loaded the last cup in the dishwasher and sighed. It was another new year, and all her friends had lofty goals to accomplish--make the cheerleading team, run a mile in a certain amount of time, learn to cook like the next Master Chef. God, I'm just so tired! Stephanie prayed silently. But I feel pressured to make grand goals like everyone else.
Stephanie's eyes were drawn to the windowsill where several rocks each had a single word written on them. She noticed a new one that said Trust. Stephanie smiled and pointed at the rock. "I see God gave you your word for the year, Mom!"
"Yes! He kept reminding me of Proverbs 3:5--Trust in the Lord with all your heart.' We've been through a lot of changes lately, and sometimes that makes me feel overwhelmed. I knew He wanted me to focus on trusting Him this year."
"Do you ever make New Year's resolutions anymore, Mom?"
"Sometimes, but after I heard about choosing one word for the year instead, it changed my perspective. Remember the story about Jesus going to Mary and Martha's house to visit?"
"Yeah. Martha was busy getting everything ready while Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to Him. When Martha got mad and wanted Mary to help her, Jesus told her that Mary had made the better choice."
"Right!" Mom said. "She had chosen the one thing that mattered--Jesus. While resolutions are important, I found it easy to get caught up in trying to make myself better' and do more' instead of remembering that Jesus saved me and made me a new person. I needed to take a step back and focus on Him."
Stephanie picked up the Trust rock. "Do you have any more of these cool rocks, Mom? I want to start one this year and tell my friends about it."
"Sure do!" Mom rummaged through a drawer. "Has God given you a word already or do you need to pray about it some more?"
"Oh, He already let me know." Stephanie grinned. "My one word this year is Be. This will remind me that I don't need to do more and add more things to my list--I just need to be with Jesus in each moment He gives me."
-Savannah Coleman
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you struggle with the need to do more, be more, or keep up with everyone else? It’s good to learn new things and make goals for yourself, but don’t lose perspective of what really matters—Jesus! He saved you from sin and gave you a new life. Because of His sacrifice, you’re already enough. As you go about your activities this year, put your focus on Him.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Psalm 27:8 (KJV)
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek. (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 <January 3, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
A Christian Tree (Thursday)
Read: Psalm 92:5-7, 12-15
The holidays were officially over. Several Christmas trees with forgotten bits of tinsel had been placed along the sidewalks, waiting to be hauled away. On a drive home from their grandparents' house, Maya and her brother Logan counted them. "Eight," Maya announced.
"Nine," Logan corrected her. "A man back there just tossed out another one." Maya glanced back and nodded.
"You know what, Mom?" said Maya. "Madison says her family doesn't believe in Christmas or Jesus."
"That's too bad," said Mom. "I feel sorry for her."
"I don't!" said Logan. "She's rich!"
"Yeah. Madison has a big house and lots of nice clothes and even her own brand-new smartphone," Maya said with a twinge of jealousy.
"She may have lots of stuff," said Mom, "but people like her remind me of those withering Christmas trees we're seeing along the sidewalks."
Lucy couldn't believe her ears. "Mom! Madison doesn't look anything like a withering tree. She's pretty!"
"Yes, of course she is," said Mom. "Our Christmas tree looked pretty too, but it was actually dying. It began to die the moment it was cut off from its roots. And we need to be rooted in Jesus--otherwise we're cut off from God and eternal life. Our lives may look great, but life on earth lasts only a little while. But when we're rooted in Jesus, we're like sturdy trees that keep growing year after year. Jesus gives us life and makes us grow." As she turned into the driveway, Mom added, "Let's look for ways to help Madison and her family understand who Jesus is and pray they'll come to trust Him as their Savior."
Maya nodded thoughtfully. "I was jealous of Madison instead of feeling sorry that she doesn't know Jesus. I need to pray for her and show her His love. I want her to be a sturdy Christian tree rooted in Jesus!"
"So do I," Mom said as they got out of the car. "There's nothing in this world anyone could have that compares to knowing Jesus. That's why we need to pray for unbelievers and help them see the joy we have in Him." - Suzanne M. Daly
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you jealous of people who have things you wish you had? Jesus tells us not to envy others because He is all that can satisfy us. If you know Him, you have more than anything this world can offer. Without Him, our short lives on earth wither away like Christmas trees cut off from their roots. Trust Jesus as your Savior. Then pray for those who don’t know Him and show them the life He’s given you.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Psalm 92:12 (KJV)
The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.
** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <January 5, 2020>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**
Needed Protection (Friday)
Read: Ephesians 6:10-17
While visiting his grandparents, Baram woke up one morning to a thick blanket of snow outside the window. He had never seen snow before, and he could hardly wait to play in it. He jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen. "Grandma!" he yelled. "It snowed! Can I go outside?"
"Right after breakfast," replied Grandma, "but you need to dress warmly."
Baram ate and got dressed quickly, then headed for the front yard where Grandpa was busy shoveling. Snow was piled everywhere. "Want to make a snowman?" Grandpa asked when the walks were cleared.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Baram, and they quickly got to work.
Baram had a great time learning how to roll the snow into big balls for the body and a smaller one for the head. He learned how to stack them on top of each other and mark a mouth, nose, and eyes. He ran into the house, and Grandma gave him an old scarf and hat for the snowman.
When Baram and Grandpa came in later, Grandma was sitting by the fireplace, reading her Bible. "Are you cold?" she asked as she got up to fix them a snack.
Baram shook his head. "Good," said Grandma. She watched as he peeled off his warm winter clothes. "You remind me of something I just read in the Bible."
"What was that?" asked Baram.
"Your hat, mittens, coat, and boots protect you from the cold and wind," Grandma began.
Baram grinned at his grandmother. "I didn't know that was in the Bible."
Grandma laughed. "It isn't, but the point is that you needed plenty of clothing for protection against the weather, and Christians need the armor of God to protect them from the devil. Just like your hat protects your head and your gloves keep your hands warm, each piece of God's armor protects us in a different way against the lies Satan tries to get us to believe. We need it to help us remember that we belong to Jesus and to not give in to temptation." Grandma put two steaming cups of cocoa on the table, then picked up her Bible. "Why don't we read about God's armor while you two drink your hot chocolate?"
Baram nodded, then picked up his mug and took a big slurp. -Josie Scott
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Are you putting on the whole armor of God? As you read today’s Bible passage, think about each item. God compares truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God to various pieces of armor soldiers needed. You need God’s armor to protect you from Satan’s lies. Each day, ask God to help you put on His armor and use it to stand against Satan.
TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Ephesians 6:11 (KJV)
Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. (CSB)