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

Read: Ephesians 4:1-6

"There goes Old Faithful!” Corbin said as they watched hot water burst from the ground and shoot high into the air. He and his sister Fiona were showing their aunt a video Corbin had made on their vacation to Yellowstone National Park. “The park ranger said the rock deep underground is so hot it heats the spring water,” said Corbin.

“And then it reaches its boiling point and boils up and shoots out of the ground,” added Fiona.

After their aunt had left, Fiona and Corbin got out a game. “You lose!” Corbin said after they played a little while. “You’re not allowed to make that move!”

“I am too!” said Fiona. But Corbin wouldn’t agree, and the two started arguing. Finally, Fiona pushed back her chair. “You make me so mad!”

“What did I do?” Corbin asked.

“Tons of things!” Fiona’s voice grew louder. “You cheat, you used my bike without asking, you embarrassed me in front of my friends, and you spilled juice on my homework. I hate you!” She ran to her bedroom and slammed the door. Then she opened it and slammed it again.

Corbin followed Mom to Fiona’s room. “You know we don’t slam doors,” Mom said. “And that angry outburst was not pretty.”

“Yeah,” said Corbin. “You erupted with more force than Old Faithful.” He grinned. “Hey, I know! I’ll call you Old Fiona.”

“Corbin, go to your room,” said Mom. “I’ll talk to you later.” When he had left, she turned back to Fiona. “Corbin does have a point.”

“But he’s mean!” said Fiona. “He’d make anybody mad!”

“We all have feelings of anger at times,” said Mom. “We need to deal with them, not just let them build up and burst out. One way to deal with your anger is to talk to the person who made you angry and explain what’s bothering you. Don’t store up angry feelings and grudges. Make an effort to make peace and be friends.”

“I don’t think Corbin would listen, so why even bother?” asked Fiona.

“Give him a chance,” said Mom. “And be willing to forgive. Remember that Jesus has forgiven you for all your wrongs and will help you forgive and love others. A loving relationship with anyone is always worth the effort.”

–Nance E. Keyes

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Today's Key Verse

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Read: Psalm 23; John 10:1-12, 27-28

Evening descended swiftly on the French Alps. Chloe snuggled closer to her dad as the two of them and her dad’s friend Jules huddled around a fire for warmth. “Another good thing about being a sheep is all that wool to keep you warm,” Chloe said.

Jules nodded. “It’s almost time to put them in their pen for the night. If I wait until it gets too dark, the wolves come out.”

Chloe’s eyes widened. “Have you ever had to fight a wolf, Uncle Jules?”

He nodded solemnly. “Fortunately, I was able to save the lamb. The sheep know they are safe when they stay close to me, just like we are safe with Jesus, our shepherd.”

“That doesn’t mean bad things won’t happen to us,” Dad interjected. “Everyone goes through darkness and tough times. But our Good Shepherd promises to be with us through every dark valley we encounter.”

“So we don’t need to fear, just like David wrote in Psalm Twenty-Three,” Chloe said softly. “Uncle Jules, what about the verse where David talks about God anointing his head with oil? What does that have to do with sheep?”

Jules grinned. “Do you think Chloe can handle this, John?”

“It’s kind of gross, Chloe,” Dad warned.

“I can handle it!”

“We have different medicine now, but back in David’s day, shepherds used to pour oil over the sheep’s heads to protect them from bugs,” said Jules.

“That’s not so gross—kind of like giving pets flea medicine.”

“But these kinds of bugs would eventually make their way into the sheep’s brains and destroy them.”

“Ewww!” Chloe shuddered. “Good thing they have a shepherd to protect every part of them—even their brains.”

“God does the same thing for us,” Jules noted. “When we listen to the truth of His Word, it transforms and renews our minds and helps keep us from fixating on what might harm us. Instead of worry, we can feel His peace. That’s why reading and memorizing God’s Word is important.”

Chloe gazed at the sheep thoughtfully. “Uncle Jules, I’ve learned a lot this week. One thing’s for sure—I’m going to listen to my Good Shepherd.”

–Savannah Coleman

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Today's Key Verse

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Read: Psalm 23; Isaiah 53:4-7

Chloe gasped as the car rounded the mountain road and the French Alps were fully displayed. “I’ve never seen anything so majestic!”

Dad parked the car next to a rustic cabin. The cabin door opened and a man with dark curly hair and a beard exited with arms outstretched. “John! Come and hug your old friend!”

Chloe hung back, watching the happy reunion until the men turned to her. “Chloe, meet my old college friend, Jules! The last time we got together you were just a baby.”

“You can call me Uncle Jules if you wish, Chloe. My, you are growing up quickly!”

“Do we really get to stay a whole week and help you care for your sheep? Dad says you have over a thousand! I read that shepherding is a difficult job. What’s your favorite part about it?”

Jules threw up his hands and laughed. “Whoa! I’m not used to all these questions. The sheep aren’t nearly as chatty.” Jules winked at Chloe. “I’m happy to tell you all about it over a nice cup of coffee.”

The next morning, Chloe was bundled and ready for a day of shepherding. After a few hours, she collapsed on the ground dramatically. “How do you not get bored, Uncle Jules?”

Jules chuckled. “It takes a certain type of personality to do this day after day, but I actually enjoy all this stillness. I have plenty of time to memorize God’s Word out here and reflect on His goodness.”

“Kind of like David did,” said Chloe. “He was a shepherd too. Didn’t he write that famous psalm about sheep?”

Jules nodded. “Psalm Twenty-Three.”

“David compares us to sheep in the psalm,” Dad pointed out. “And the Lord is our shepherd. When we had wandered away and were lost in sin, Jesus gave His life to save us, and He promises to guide us and take care of us.”

Jules pulled a small, worn Bible out of his coat pocket and opened it to Psalm 23. Chloe read it aloud through verse three. “Today we are living out this psalm!” she said. “This morning you put salt out so the sheep could follow the route you wanted them to take. Just like you lead them on safe terrain, God guides us on the right paths.”

–Savannah Coleman

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Today's Key Verse

Today's Key Thought

Read: Psalm 139:13-16; Romans 8:28-30

Alfie hoisted himself up onto a ledge of crumbling granite and collapsed on a small patch of mossy grass. “That was quite a climb!” he said as he rubbed his aching legs. “Aren’t you tired, Uncle Don? We’ve hiked a long way.”

“We’ll catch our breath for a few minutes before we head back,” said Uncle Don. He took off his backpack and set it down.

Alfie picked up some stones. “Look at this!” he said. Uncle Don knelt beside him, and they looked at the stone Alfie held in his hand. It was shaped like a triangle and came to an unmistakable point. “It’s a real arrowhead, isn’t it?” said Alfie.

“Sure looks like it to me,” said Uncle Don.

Alfie brushed the dirt and dust from the stone and held it up so that the light glinted off its edges.

“You know,” said Uncle Don, “the man who made that arrowhead carefully chiseled it, and he knew just how he wanted to use it.”

Alfie looked at his uncle. “He would have used it for hunting, wouldn’t he?”

Uncle Don nodded. “I imagine so. He would have had a specific purpose for that arrowhead, and I’m quite sure it accomplished its purpose. He probably used it to get food for his family.” Uncle Don smiled. “Can you think of any lesson we can learn from that?”

“Hmm—shoot straight when you hunt?” Alfie said with a grin. “Though that’s probably not the kind of lesson you’re talking about.”

Uncle Don laughed. “You’re right. I think this arrowhead should remind us that someone made us for a special purpose.”

“Yep,” said Alfie. “God did!”

“That’s right,” said Uncle Don. “You’re far more important than a simple arrowhead, Alfie, and God has a wonderful plan for your life. He created you with loving care, and He sent His Son to save you from sin and give you eternal life. He’s using all your life experiences to shape you to be more like Jesus so you can serve Him the way He wants you to. Whenever you look at your arrowhead, remember that God has a purpose for your life and will be there to guide you every step of the way.”

Alfie put the arrowhead in his pocket. “I will.”

–Christi B. Kehn

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Today's Key Verse

Today's Key Thought

Read: Luke 10:25-37; 1 John 3:16-19

After Baker and his mom got off the Ferris wheel, they joined a group of people crowding around a man with a painted face acting out various skits. Baker laughed with the crowd as the man pretended to be learning to ride a bike. But he wondered why the man didn’t say anything. “Mom, why doesn’t he talk?”

“Because he’s a mime,” Mom replied. “They never talk, but you can tell by their actions what they’re doing.”

Next, the mime pretended to wash a window. He acted as though he bumped his head on the pretend ladder. Later, he appeared to be eating an ice cream cone—and shot the crowd a look of dismay when the ice cream fell off. The crowd laughed and applauded as he acted out one scenario after another. The show ended with the mime making a sad face and waving goodbye to the crowd.

Baker turned to his mom. “Wow! He never said a thing, but I could figure out everything he was doing.”

“Actions say a lot,” said Mom. “Do you remember the story in the Bible about the Good Samaritan?”

“Sure,” said Baker. “It’s a story Jesus told about a man who needed help on the side of the road. Two people went by without helping him, and then a Samaritan came along and did all he could to help him.”

“Right,” said Mom. “And if the two people who had passed by earlier had said they cared about that man, would you have believed them?” Baker shook his head. “Jesus told that story to show how we should love others,” Mom continued. “Saying you care about someone isn’t enough—you also need to show them you care through your actions.”

Baker’s eyes widened. “So the Good Samaritan was really a mime?”

Mom laughed. “Well, I’m sure he didn’t paint his face and perform funny skits, but he did communicate his love for others through his actions. Jesus did that too by taking the punishment for our sins on the cross so we could be saved. His sacrifice showed that His words of love for us were true. Let’s let others know we care about them through both our words and our actions.”

–Annette S. Bury

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Today's Key Verse

Today's Key Thought

Read: Isaiah 48:17-18; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 John 2:3-6

"Mom, I see the parade! It’s coming!” Millie squealed with excitement and grabbed hold of her little brother’s hand. “James, get ready, because they’re going to throw candy right at us and we can put it in our bags, okay?”

James nodded and grinned. Millie looked down the street and hopped up and down in anticipation.

“Just be patient, honey,” Mom called from her lawn chair. “It will be here soon.”

Millie craned her neck to see down the street. The parade was still far away, but she could make out flags, cars, floats, and even a fire truck. She could faintly hear a drum and knew the band was marching her way.

Suddenly, she gave a little shriek of dismay. “It turned! They’re going down a different street. They’re not coming here!”

“What?” Dad jumped up and looked down the street, and Millie noticed everyone else getting up and looking around in confusion. “Come on, Millie!” Dad scooped up James, and they ran to the next block just as the parade arrived.

Millie forgot about all the confusion until they walked home afterward. “Mom, why didn’t the parade go by where we were sitting at first? Were we in the wrong place?”

Mom laughed. “No, we were on the right street. I think the person at the front of the parade got a little confused and made a wrong turn. Good thing we caught up and didn’t miss anything, right?”

“Right!” said Millie. “It was so much fun, and I got lots of candy!”

“You know, wrong turns like that can happen in our lives,” Dad said. “The people in the parade all trusted that the person in front would go the right way, but they didn’t. We can go the wrong way too by following people—like leaders or friends at school—because what they’re doing seems right but isn’t.”

Mom nodded. “There’s only one Person who can lead us the right way. Do you know who that is?”

“Jesus!” Millie and James both shouted.

“Right,” said Mom. “When we know Him as our Savior, He forgives our wrong turns in life and makes us able to love others the way He does. We need to follow Him as He leads us in His example of love.”

–Robyn Mulder

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Today's Key Verse

Today's Key Thought

Bible Reading: Isaiah 48:17-18; Ephesians 5:1-2; 1 John 2:3-6

"Mom, I see the parade! It's coming!" Millie squealed with excitement and grabbed hold of her little brother's hand. "James, get ready, because they're going to throw candy right at us and we can put it in our bags, okay?"

James nodded and grinned. Millie looked down the street and hopped up and down in anticipation.

"Just be patient, honey," Mom called from her lawn chair. "It will be here soon."

Millie craned her neck to see down the street. The parade was still far away, but she could make out flags, cars, floats, and even a fire truck. She could faintly hear a drum and knew the band was marching her way.

Suddenly, she gave a little shriek of dismay. "It turned! They're going down a different street. They're not coming here!"

"What?" Dad jumped up and looked down the street, and Millie noticed everyone else getting up and looking around in confusion. "Come on, Millie!" Dad scooped up James, and they ran to the next block just as the parade arrived.

Millie forgot about all the confusion until they walked home afterward. "Mom, why didn't the parade go by where we were sitting at first? Were we in the wrong place?"

Mom laughed. "No, we were on the right street. I think the person at the front of the parade got a little confused and made a wrong turn. Good thing we caught up and didn't miss anything, right?"

"Right!" said Millie. "It was so much fun, and I got lots of candy!"

"You know, wrong turns like that can happen in our lives," Dad said. "The people in the parade all trusted that the person in front would go the right way, but they didn't. We can go the wrong way too by following people--like leaders or friends at school--because what they're doing seems right but isn't."

Mom nodded. "There's only one Person who can lead us the right way. Do you know who that is?"

"Jesus!" Millie and James both shouted.

"Right," said Mom. "When we know Him as our Savior, He forgives our wrong turns in life and makes us able to love others the way He does. We need to follow Him as He leads us in His example of love."

–Robyn Mulder

Read: Romans 3:22-26; Titus 3:5-7

Rosita wiped sweat from her forehead, then got back to scrubbing the pot in the sink. She was working as hard as she could to clean the kitchen before Mom got home. They’d had a fight that morning, and Rosita was sorry for the things she’d said. She sighed and scrubbed harder. I want this kitchen sparkling clean when Mom gets home from work, she thought. That’ll make up for it.

She glanced into the living room where her little brother was watching cartoons. “Hugo, bring your plate and cup here so I can wash them. And I just mopped the floor, so be careful!”

But Hugo wasn’t careful. He ran in and slipped when his socks hit the wet floor. His plastic dishes went flying into the air as he went sprawling across the kitchen, milk and crumbs raining down on top of him.

Rosita gasped. “Hugo!”

Just then the door opened and Mom walked in. “Wow,” she said. “What a mess.”

Rosita covered her face with her soapy hands and burst into tears. Mom and Hugo stared at her for a moment before Mom sent him upstairs to wash the milk out of his hair. “Rosita, what’s wrong?” Mom asked.

“I—I’ve been working hard to clean the kitchen all afternoon. I wanted everything to be sparkling clean when you got here because I felt bad about what I said this morning. I wanted to make things right.”

“Oh, honey.” Mom gave her a hug. “You don’t have to clean the kitchen to make things right with me. You’re my daughter—I love you, and I’ll always forgive you. But I know the feeling. In fact, I used to try to do the same thing with God. I thought I could make up for my wrongs by doing something right. But it wasn’t enough.”

“Because the only way to make things right with God is through Jesus, right?”

“You got it,” said Mom. “When we trust Him to save us, He forgives our sins and makes us sparkling clean.”

Rosita nodded. “I’m sorry for what I said this morning, Mom. Will you forgive me?”

“Of course.” Mom grabbed a mop from the closet. “And now I’m going to make this kitchen sparkling clean!”

–Courtney Lasater

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Today's Key Verse

Today's Key Thought

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; James 1:2-6

"I’m not sure I can catch this wave,” Caleb yelled to his uncle as the ocean waves roared. The wind was getting stronger, and it was hard to hear. Dark clouds rolled in from above, blocking the sunshine. Caleb gripped the edges of his surfboard. This surfing lesson wasn’t going well. He wanted to do what his uncle taught him and stand up on his board and ride the wave, but it seemed impossible. “Uncle Luke, I’ve slipped three times, and my arms are exhausted from paddling! I don’t think I’m strong enough.”

Uncle Luke swam over to Caleb. “Let’s take a break, and then I’ll help you. I know it’s scary, but trust me—I’ve been surfing a long time and know what I’m doing. Can you do that?”

Caleb nodded. They bobbed on their boards for a minute before Uncle Luke continued. “You know, Caleb, life is hard sometimes, just like surfing. When scary doubts build up, or the winds blow and it’s hard to hear God’s voice, we can share our fears with Jesus. He wants us to have faith in Him instead of ourselves. He is perfect, and we can always trust Him because He gave His life to save us and promises He will never leave us.”

“Thanks for the reminder, Uncle Luke,” Caleb replied with a smile. “Sometimes life makes me feel even weaker and more exhausted than surfing does!”

“We all feel that way sometimes,” Uncle Luke said. “But when we look to Jesus to help us through hard times in life, the Holy Spirit strengthens us. Just like when I push you into the waves, hold onto your surfboard and look up, not down. Okay, ready to paddle?”

“Yeah!” Caleb replied. This time, he trusted his uncle’s advice and focused on that instead of his doubts. He paddled hard and slowly stood up in the air. He caught a wave!

Caleb popped out of the water with a smile, “Hey, Uncle Luke! Thanks for reminding me that I don’t have to doubt. When I’m afraid, I can trust in Jesus.”

–Grace Thomas

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Today's Key Verse

Today's Key Thought

Read: Matthew 18:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"Mom, I’m really worried about Charlotte,” Anna said as she sat down at the table. Charlotte and Anna were best friends and did everything together.

“What’s going on?” Mom asked as she added ingredients into the mixer.

“Well, she’s been having a lot of headaches lately. I’m worried there might be something seriously wrong with her. What if she has cancer or something?”

Mom plopped a scoop of raw cookie dough onto a tray. “It sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of worrying about this.”

“It’s all I can think about, Mom! I’m just so afraid something bad is going to happen to Charlotte. I can’t imagine life without her.”

Mom brought the tray of cookie dough to the table and sat down. “Have you prayed about it?” she asked.

“Um, well—no,” Anna said.

Mom sighed. “Well, I’ve been pretty worried too lately. Tomorrow is your school bake sale, and I’m worried these cookies won’t get baked in time!”

Anna glanced at the clock. “Mom, you have plenty of time. They don’t take that long to bake—just put them in the oven.”

“I guess I could, but I’d rather just sit here and worry about it,” Mom said.

Anna gave her mom a puzzled look. “Mom, you’re being silly!”

Mom smiled. “You’re right, it’s silly to sit here and worry when there’s something I could do about the problem. But you’re doing the same thing. You’re not helping your friend at all by worrying about her. You can help by doing something about it and praying for her.”

Anna knew her mom was right, and the two took a moment to pray for Charlotte. Then Anna helped bake the cookies and bag them up for the sale.

The next day Anna came home smiling. “Mom, guess what! Charlotte’s mom took her to the doctor yesterday, and it turns out she’s been having headaches because she needs glasses—not because she’s dying from some disease.”

Mom smiled. “So all that worrying for nothing?”

Anna nodded. “You were right, Mom. I should have done something about it and prayed for her in the first place.”

–Melissa Yeagle

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