** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional <Nov 29, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

The Sample (Monday)

Read: 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; 1 John 4:16-19

 

"Can I go to the store with you, Mom?" Isaac asked. "I want to make sure you get my favorite cereal!" Mom laughed and agreed.

 

Shortly after arriving at the store, they met Carson, one of Isaac's classmates. "Hey, Isaac, thanks for shoveling my grandma's sidewalk when I didn't feel good yesterday," said Carson. "And thanks for helping me with my math homework too! Guess what I got on our test today? An A minus!"

"All right!" said Isaac. "How did your basketball game go?"

 

"Much better," said Carson. "Ever since you stood up for me when I missed all those free throws the other day, the guys haven't given me a rough time at all." He turned to go. "Oh! Mom says I can go to Bible club with you this week."

 

"Great!" exclaimed Isaac. "I think you'll like it."

"I'm sure I will if it's as good as you say," replied Carson, turning to leave. "See ya."

 

"Wow! I'm surprised," Isaac told his mom as they went down another aisle. "Carson wasn't interested in going to Bible club at all when I invited him. I wonder why he changed his mind."

 

Just then, they came to the place where a woman was handing out ice cream samples. "Yum!" Isaac exclaimed, taking a bite of the sample she handed him. "Let's get some of this ice cream, Mom."

 

"It looks good," Mom said. "Choose a flavor, and then we'll be ready to go."

"How can the store afford to give away so much ice cream?" Isaac asked as he debated which kind he wanted. "Look at all those kids coming to get samples now."

 

"Well, as you just proved, the samples make people want to buy the product, so the store will sell lots of ice cream today," Mom explained as Isaac decided on double chocolate. "You know," Mom added as she placed the carton in her grocery cart, "this reminds me of you. You've been a sample for Jesus."

 

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked.

 

"Carson was obviously impressed with the way you treated him," said Mom. "You've given him a taste of what it means to know Jesus, and now Carson wants to know more."

"A taste of life with Jesus," said Isaac. "That's even better than ice cream!"

-Geri Walcott

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you a sample for Jesus? Do your words and actions give others a taste of what He’s like? When you treat others with the love He’s shown you by being caring, helpful, and kind, it can make them want to know Him too. Let others sample the sweetness of knowing Jesus in how you treat them each day.

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: 1 Thessalonians 1:8 (KJV)

The word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere…for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. (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 < Jan 03, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Under His Wings (Tuesday)

Read: Psalm 91:1-4; Matthew 6:28-33 

 

Lucy glanced at her teenage sister with concern. "Sophie, how are you feeling?"

 

Sophie gave a small smile. "A little better than this morning."

 

Lucy knew Sophie was trying to be brave, but these last two weeks had been difficult on her. Sophie had a virus several months prior, and while it had not been bad at the time, her taste when she ate food gradually changed. Now, every food she ate tasted so bad that she gagged when she tried to eat.

 

Mom slowed the car to make a turn. "Girls, since we have about a half hour until we get to the doctor, how about you read our devotion for the day?"

 

"I'll do it." Lucy pulled it up on Mom's phone. "This is from Psalm 91. ‘He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.'" Lucy looked up. "What's a rampart?"

 

"It's a defensive wall--like the walls around a castle," Mom answered.

 

"So, God not only shields us, but He surrounds us," Lucy declared. Mom nodded.

 

Lucy continued to read about how baby birds find refuge under their parents' protective wings. "I love that picture," Mom mused. "I think about God covering us with His protection and love, just as we saw that mother robin covering her babies with her wings last week. Even when bad things happen, we can trust Jesus to be with us because He has saved us and given us eternal life with Him."

 

Suddenly, a giant bird swooped directly toward the front of the car. Mom gasped, and Sophie's eyes widened. "Mom, it's a bald eagle!" The three watched in amazement as the eagle flew directly over the car, then made its landing in a tree right beside them.

"I'm pulling the car over so we can get a better look!" Mom squealed excitedly.

 

The girls stood on the side of the empty back road, gazing up at the majestic eagle in the tree. It tipped its head and looked down at them with sharp eyes before raising massive wings and lifting off in flight once more.

 

Sophie turned to Mom and Lucy. "I think God sent that eagle as a reminder to us. No matter what we go through, we can find refuge under His wings."

- Savannah Coleman

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you or someone you love ever gone through a difficult time? Perhaps it was something physical, like an illness or an injury. Maybe you have lost someone you love, had to move to a new place, or you are struggling emotionally. No matter what you are going through, you are not alone. God is our shelter, fortress, and shield. His presence surrounds us. Take refuge in Him.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Psalm 91:4 (NIV) (KJV)

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < Jan 04, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

Little to Give (Wednesday)

Read: John 6:1-12 

 

"Thanks for helping me make this bread for dinner, Tori," Mom said as she whisked together flour and salt.

 

"You're welcome," said Tori with a frown.

 

"What's wrong?" Mom asked. "You love baking."

 

"I was thinking about our neighbors." Tori sighed. "Ever since Jairus's dad got sick, I don't see him playing outside, and he always looks sad at school."

 

"Well, why don't we bring them some of this bread once we finish?"

 

"But we can't make his dad get better. How can baking bread make a difference?"

 

"Hmm." Mom looked thoughtful as she measured a cup of water. "It can be hard when we don't feel like what we can do is enough. Can you get the yeast?"

 

Tori carried over a jar. "What does this do in bread? It looks like dirt, and your recipe doesn't call for much."

 

"Yeast is strange," Mom agreed. "But even though it doesn't look important, without yeast, the bread would be flat and dense." She mixed a small spoonful of yeast into the dough.

 

Tori felt confused. "That's all you're using? If it's so important, why don't you need more of it?"

 

"Even though yeast is small, a little goes a long way!" Mom smiled and began kneading the dough. "It grows and makes the entire loaf rise." Mom paused her kneading. "It reminds me a bit of how you're feeling. Remember that story in the Bible about the boy who gave his lunch to Jesus?"

 

Tori nodded. "Yeah, I read about it in my devotions this morning. Thousands of people were hungry, but he only had his small lunch to share."

 

"That's right," Mom said. "Even though he didn't have much to give, he trusted Jesus with what he had, and Jesus multiplied that food to feed thousands of people! It doesn't matter how old you are or how much you have. Jesus can use the simplest, smallest actions of love to grow His kingdom--just like how a little bit of yeast makes the whole loaf grow!"

 

"Really?" Tori's eyes lit up. "Well then, maybe I'll make a card to go along with the bread to remind Jairus's family that Jesus loves them and that they can trust Him to be with them through this."

 

Mom smiled. "That's a great idea!"

 

- Abby Ciona

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you ever feel like you’re too young to make a difference or your actions are too small to help others? Know that Jesus uses even the smallest acts of love to change lives. Look for ways to help and encourage others and show them Jesus’s love. Make God’s kingdom grow!

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Luke 13:20-21 (NIV) (KJV)

[The kingdom of God] is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough

 

** Daily Devotional 에서 방송된 내용의 줄거리입니다. Daily Devotional은 Keys for kids Ministries에서 지원받은 프로그램입니다. 홈페이지 www.keysforkids.org로 들어가시면 Keys for kids Daily Devotional < Jan 07, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

No Charge! (Thursday)

Read: John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:8-10 

 

"I'm so hungry," said Casen as his dad turned the car into the drive-through lane of a fast-food restaurant. They'd spent the morning cleaning up their elderly neighbor's yard, and now Dad was rewarding Casen with his favorite lunch of burgers and fries.

 

"That will be $18.54 at the second window," the cashier told Dad after he placed the order.

 

Casen saw his dad wince. That seems like a lot, Casen thought. Even though he and his dad had worked hard and earned this treat, Casen knew money was tight.

 

But when Dad drove to the window and handed the cashier twenty dollars, she didn't take it. "No charge," she said, beaming. "The man in the car ahead of you paid your bill."

 

Dad's mouth dropped open. "That's wonderful!" he said, accepting the food with thanks. Then he drove to a nearby picnic table.

 

As they ate, Casen asked, "Dad, I don't get it. Who paid for our lunch?"

 

"I don't know. He drove away too quickly. I've heard of people doing that, but it's never happened to me before. They call it ‘paying it forward.'"

 

"What's ‘paying it forward?'" asked Casen.

 

"Sometimes people feel blessed and they want to share it. So, they pay for a stranger's food or coffee, or they do some other kindness. Then later, the person who received the blessing will pay it forward to someone else."

 

"Wow, I can't believe anybody would do that for a stranger," said Casen.

 

They ate quietly for a few minutes. Then Dad said, "You know what? I said nobody's ever paid it forward to me, but someone did. Someone very important paid it forward, and His enormous gift changed my life and yours forever."

 

Casen thought about it, then asked, "Are you talking about Jesus?"

 

"Exactly. We didn't know Him, so to us it was like we were strangers. But for us, He became human and laid down His life so that all who trust in Him can be forgiven for their sins and receive His free gift of salvation--no charge! That's really paying it forward."

 

Casen grinned. "And we pay it forward by loving others the way Jesus does and sharing what He did for them. That's pretty cool."

 

"It's phenomenal," Dad said. "Fist bump?"

 

"Fist bump."

 

-Teresa Ambord

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you ever given away something you loved to benefit another person? Or done a kindness for a stranger? It feels good to help even if you do it secretly, but that doesn’t make it easy. Imagine how much greater Jesus’s sacrifice was when He left heaven to live as a man and suffer and die for our sins. That was truly paying it forward. How can you share the blessing of knowing Him with others?

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Romans 5:8 (KJV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (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 < Jan 08, 2022>에서 다시 들으실 수 있습니다.**

 

The Greatest Enemy (Friday)

Read: John 11:17-25; 1 Corinthians 15:26 

 

Addison put her laptop away as tears welled up in her eyes. Her grandma had died from COVID-19 a few days ago, and Addison couldn't stop crying. How could this happen? she thought. A few weeks ago Grandma was fine, and now she's gone.

 

When Addison walked downstairs, the mood was somber. Her mom and brother sat on the couch, talking quietly. When they saw Addison, they stopped, seeing her tears.

 

"Oh, honey." Mom got up from the couch and wrapped Addison in a hug.

 

Addison sniffled. "I just can't believe she's gone. The hospital wouldn't even let us see her before she died! Why did this happen?"

 

Mom smoothed back Addison's hair. "I don't know, sweetie. But I do know that Jesus is with us. He grieves with us, and He also offers us hope."

 

"What kind of hope?" asked Addison. "Grandma is dead. How could there be any hope?"

 

"The Bible tells us death is our greatest enemy," said Mom. "But Jesus defeated this enemy for us when He died on the cross and then rose from the dead. Even in grief, we have hope because we know that when Jesus comes back, He will get rid of death once and for all. He'll resurrect those who trust in Him and give us bodies that will never get sick or die, and we'll live with Him for all eternity!"

 

"But I'm still sad," said Addison. "Knowing Jesus beat death doesn't take away my sadness."

 

Mom nodded. "Feeling sad is normal. You loved Grandma a lot, and it's okay to be sad and miss her. You can even talk to Jesus about these feelings. The Bible calls God our Comforter, and because Jesus became human to save us, He understands our grief. He is there for us when we feel sad, or mad, or have so many feelings we don't even know what to say."

 

"I feel a little bit like that right now," said Addison.

 

"Do you want me to pray with you?" asked Mom. "I've been doing a lot of that this morning."

 

"Yeah, I'd like that," Addison answered as they took each other's hands and bowed their heads.

 

-Naomi Zylstra

 

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you lost someone close to you? Many people have lost a family member or friend due to COVID-19. Grieving for a lost loved one comes in all kinds of forms, and it’s normal to feel sad and need time to grieve. The good news is that Jesus understands our grief and promises to end death forever one day. If you are grieving, go to Him. He is big enough to handle all of your feelings, good and bad.

 

TODAY'S KEY VERSE: Revelation 21:4 (KJV)

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (NIV)