** 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 05, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

God Always Answers (Monday)

Read: Matthew 7:7-8; John 15:7 

 

Jack sighed as he finished praying, feeling discouraged and wondering if his prayers did any good. As he left his room, the scent of toast filled his nose, and he hurried downstairs.

 

"Breakfast!" Mom called.

 

Jack took a seat and began to pray but then stopped. After his last prayer, he didn't feel like praying again. Instead, he shoveled food onto his fork.

 

"What's the matter?" Mom asked.

 

Jack hesitated and then looked up. "God won't answer my prayers."

Suddenly, there came a rumble of the school bus outside. Jack grabbed his backpack as Mom gave him a kiss, whispering, "Yes, He does."

 

That whole day all Jack could think about were the prayers God hadn't answered. When he got home, he immediately headed toward the stairs.

 

"Jack, wait," Mom said, stopping him. "Please sit down." She led him to the living room. "I want you to ask me for something," Mom said.

 

Jack frowned. "Umm...can I go to my room?"

 

"No," Mom gently replied.

Jack looked over at his backpack. "Will you help me with my homework?"

"Yes, of course." Mom nodded.

"Can I have a sleepover on Friday?" Jack asked.

"For now I just want you to wait, okay?" Mom said.

Jack frowned, not sure what kind of game they were playing.

"You asked me for three things, right?" said Mom.

 

""No." Jack shook his head.

 

"That's what it's like with God," Mom said. "When we pray, sometimes God says no, other times yes, and sometimes He tells us to wait. But He always answers our prayers. We're His children, and He loves us--He sent Jesus to die for us so we could spend eternity with Him! Even though we won't always get the answer we're looking for, we can trust that He hears us and will do what's best for us."

 

Jack thought back to some of his earlier prayers. He hadn't considered that God's answer might be a no or that God may be telling him to wait. His spirits lifted as he realized that God hadn't been ignoring him. He had always answered his prayers. Hope Dougherty

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Does God ever seem silent to you? Do you pray and feel like He doesn’t answer? It can seem that way sometimes, but God is not silent. We may not always like His answers to our prayers, but He cares for us and will always listen and respond. So continue to pray, knowing that God will never leave your prayers unanswered.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 1 John 5:14 (KJV)

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (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 <January 01, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

New Skin (Tuesday)

Read: Colossians 3:8-14 

 

"Grandma! Grandpa!" called Reagan and Vinny as they ran outside to greet their grandparents, who had just pulled into the driveway.

 

Grandma gave them each a big hug. "We missed you while you were on vacation!" she said. "Did you have a good trip?"

 

"We sure did," said Vinny. "Come see what we brought home." He and Reagan led their grandparents into the living room. "Look," said Vinny, pointing to a covered glass bowl filled with green plants.

 

Grandpa went over to look. "Nice plants," he said.

 

Reagan giggled. "Look again, Grandpa," she said. "Look right there." She pointed to a small branch resting on the bottom of the bowl.

 

Grandpa peered at the branch. "Oh, I see it now," he said. "It's a chameleon, isn't it?"

 

"It almost looks like a little leaf," Grandma said in amazement.

 

Reagan grinned. "My teacher at school says chameleons have camouflage uniforms so they can blend in with their surroundings. It helps protect them from predators."

 

"Know what else we learned about them?" asked Vinny. "Their skin doesn't grow like their bodies do. When they get too big for their skin, they begin shedding it. They get rid of the old stuff, and soon they have all new skin."

 

"It's kind of like what we need to do as Christians, isn't it?" observed Grandpa.

 

Reagan and Vinny stared. "How would we do that, Grandpa?" asked Vinny.

 

Grandpa laughed. "I guess I was thinking out loud," he said. "Chameleons shed their skin when they get too big for it, and we need to shed sinful habits. Things like lying, cheating, and gossiping no longer fit us because Jesus has saved us from sin and has given us a new life. Just like a chameleon puts on new skin, we need to put on new, godly characteristics that fit who we are as God's children--things like kindness, patience, and humility."

 

"That does sound a lot like a chameleon," Reagan said.

 

Grandpa nodded. "The Bible tells us to take off the old self and put on the new self--the person Jesus has created us to be." Lucinda J. Rollings

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Has Jesus given you a new life? If you trust Him as your Savior, He’s made you a new person! That means your old, sinful ways no longer fit who you are because He’s freed you from sin and given you His goodness. It’s time to shed those old, sinful habits so others can see the new person He’s created you to be—someone filled with His kindness and love.

 

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, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. (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 02, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Lost (Wednesday)

Read: Luke 15:4-7 

 

Lila walked wide-eyed through the market. It took two hours of walking out of the Andes mountains to reach the village in the valley, so Lila rarely accompanied her mother. Now she stared in wonder at the variety of goods for sale. There were piles of produce--potatoes, cucumbers, and maize--tables filled with brightly dyed cloth, herbs to grind into medicine, crated chickens, pottery, beaded jewelry, and stacks of books. But Mama needed only the few items she and Papa did not produce on their small mountain farm--sugar, shoes, coffee, and another kettle to replace the one that cracked. She must not buy more than they and the llama could carry home.

 

"Stay here, Lila," Mama said. "I must speak with Mr. Miraz about purchasing our wool."

 

Lila waited patiently, but as the meeting with the weaver stretched long, her attention was diverted by cages of brightly colored birds. Then by the spicy aroma of cooking meat. Before she knew it, Lila had wandered out of sight of the weaver's booth.

 

When she realized she didn't know where she was, Lila began running from table to table, searching for her way back, but nothing looked familiar. "Mama? Mama?" Panic constricted her chest so she couldn't breathe. What if Mama left without her? What if she couldn't find her way home? She should have listened!

 

Then she felt Mama's touch on her shoulder. "Lila, there you are."

 

Lila threw herself into her mother's arms. "I was so afraid! I thought I'd never see you again."

 

"Hush, child. You know I wouldn't have stopped searching until I found you." Mama swayed, rocking her back and forth. "You know, Jesus loves you this same way. He's the Good Shepherd who goes looking for every single lost sheep. Sin separates us from God, but Jesus died for our sins so we wouldn't have to be separated from Him anymore. He wants to bring you back and see you secure in God's arms."

 

"Does it feel this safe there, Mama?" Lila asked.

 

Mama smiled. "There's no safer place to be, because Jesus will never leave you. Once He's found you, you'll never be lost again." Michelle Isenhoff

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you lost? The Bible says sin has separated us from God. We need Jesus to find us—only He can save us from our sin. Scripture says heaven celebrates every time a lost sinner is found. What about you? Jesus wants to give you a home with Him forever. Has He found you, or are you still hiding? Trust in Him today so you won’t be lost anymore. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE:  Luke 15:6 (KJV)

Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! (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 < January 04, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Grandfather’s Will (Thursday)

Read: Romans 8:16-17; 1 Peter 1:3-5 

 

Mr. Washington, a lawyer, opened a folder and cleared his throat. "The last will and testament of Norman Philip Kinsner," he read. "I, Norman Philip Kinsner, being of sound mind..."

 

What a strange thing for Grandpa to say, Emmery thought. She glanced around the lawyer's office. She missed her grandfather so much. Everyone looked very solemn, and even the children were quiet.

 

"To each of my grandchildren, I leave $5,000 to be used toward their education," read the lawyer, and Emmery's eyes widened. Wow! All that for me? She could hardly believe it. Mr. Washington was still reading. "To my grandson Tanner, I leave..."

 

And so it went. Grandpa had remembered everyone--and all the children had received something special to help them remember their grandfather.

 

"Can we go to the farm, Dad?" Emmery asked as they got into the car after saying goodbye to the other family members. "I want to see Princess!" Grandpa had left his horse to her.

 

Dad nodded. "We'll do that," he said. "I want to pick up Grandpa's Bible. I'm glad he left that for me." So they headed to the farm, where Emmery petted her horse while Dad went to get the Bible he had inherited.

 

Back home, Emmery asked to see the Bible. She carefully leafed through the brittle pages of the old book. "The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," she read aloud. "That's something like what Mr. Washington said this morning," she told her mother. "I think he called Grandpa's will a testament, didn't he?"

 

Mom nodded. "That's right. It's an important document telling what your grandfather left to each of his family members--what they inherited. The New Testament is an important document too. From it, we learn that those who put their faith in Jesus become members of God's family. They also have a valuable inheritance--everlasting life with Jesus--waiting for them."

 

"And everyone can have it, right?" asked Emmery.

 

"Right," said Mom. "Jesus shares His inheritance with all of God's children. It's a gift given to anyone who trusts in Him." Barbara J. Westberg

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you a child of God with an inheritance in heaven? Each one of us has sinned and does not deserve that rich inheritance, but Jesus died and rose again so we could become part of God’s family. As God’s children, Jesus shares that inheritance with us. It’s a greater treasure than anything you could inherit on earth. Claim your inheritance of eternal life by trusting in Jesus. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Romans 8:16-17 (KJV)

We are children of God…heirs of God and joint-heirs with 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 < January 06, 2021>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Back to the Beginning (Friday)

Read: Romans 12:16-21

 

"What is wrong with this thing?" Morgan exclaimed. "These numbers won't balance. Tomorrow when I turn in the treasurer's report for our club, everyone will think I'm dumb--and Kimberly will be so happy!"

 

"Why would a mistake in your report make her happy?" asked Dad. "I thought you two were good friends."

 

Morgan hesitated. "Well, we sort of had a disagreement. We both wanted to be the club treasurer. I got elected, but she still tried to tell me how to do the job. I finally informed her I'd do things my own way. We haven't spoken to each other since."

 

"That's too bad." Dad scanned over Morgan's report and pointed to some numbers at the top of the page. "I think you need to start right back at the beginning and carefully add these again."

 

Morgan sighed. "All right, but I don't see how that will help. I used a calculator." But she got busy and began checking her work. "I found my mistake, Dad!" she exclaimed after a few minutes. "At the beginning of this column, I subtracted one of the numbers instead of adding it."

 

"You know, Morgan," Dad said, "I think it would be a good idea to go back to the beginning of your problem with Kimberly too."

 

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

 

"Think about when your problem began. Should you have done something differently? I agree it was wrong for Kimberly to try to take over the job you were elected for, but maybe there's a part of the equation that's missing."

 

Morgan bit her lip. "Well, I may have told her I was elected because no one in the club liked her," she replied. "It's not true! But I was angry she was trying to do my job, so I said it because I knew it would hurt her."

 

Dad pointed to Morgan's treasury report. "Now that you've found the mistake in your report, you can fix it. And your friendship with Kimberly is like that too."

 

"You mean, I need to tell her I'm sorry?" asked Morgan.

 

Dad nodded. "And tell Jesus you're sorry too. He forgives us for all our sins, and He'll help you right this wrong so you and Kimberly can be friends again." Jan L. Hansen

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you had a fight with someone? Is your relationship suffering because of it? Think back to what happened. Are you sure it was all that person’s fault—or did you say or do unkind things too? Ask Jesus to show you what you might have done wrong, then go to the other person and talk it over. Don’t carry old grudges. Admit your mistakes and forgive so your friendship can be restored.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 2 Timothy 2:24 (KJV)

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all. (NKJV)