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

Read: Romans 12:4-10

Cassie sat on the beach with her seagull in a cage at her side. She looked up at her mother, who was standing beside her. “I’m not sure I can let Howard go, Mom,” she said. “He’s just about the only friend I’ve got!” She sighed. “Some kids at school say I’m dumb because I have to go to special classes.” Cassie looked down. “Why can’t I be smart like other kids?”

Mom sat down and put her arm around Cassie. “You’re very smart, honey. That word doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone. Besides, our value isn’t based on what we can do—it’s based on who we are in Jesus and what He did for us on the cross. But He did also make each one of us special and give us our own gifts and talents.”

Cassie wiped her eyes. “I don’t have any gifts.”

“Oh, but you do, Cassie!” Mom said. “I believe you have the wonderful gift of being able to help others.”

“I do?” Cassie asked, wide-eyed.

Mom nodded. “You’re very helpful to lots of people. When Grandma broke her hip, you went to her house almost every day to help out. You always remember to pray for kids at school who are sick—and look at Howard.” Cassie looked down at the seagull. “Howard was badly injured when you found him,” continued Mom, “and with help from the wildlife refuge, you nursed him back to health.” Mom smiled. “The workers at the refuge said you have such a natural way of handling him that he’s even become your friend. You’ve done such a good job, and now he’s ready to be released. You’re helpful in many ways.”

Cassie shrugged. “Anyone would do those things.”

Mom shook her head. “I wish that were true, but not everyone is that sensitive to the needs of others.”

Cassie looked at Howard. “Well, Howard, how would you like your freedom?” She stood up and opened the cage, and the bird was soon in the air. He floundered a bit, then squawked what must have been a thank you and sailed out over the water. Cassie smiled. She would miss her little friend, but she was eager to see where she could use her special way with animals next.

–A.J. Schut

How about you?

Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Matthew 7:1-5; James 1:12-15

"I can’t believe it! Andrew says he’s a Christian, but I saw him looking at a bad website on his tablet today,” Zane told his dad. “He must be really weak to look at that kind of stuff.”

“So looking at websites like that doesn’t appeal to you at all?” Dad asked.

“No way!” said Zane. “I don’t have any problem staying away from that junk.”

“I’m glad,” Dad said as he put fishing rods into the trunk of the car. “Did you pack the trout flies?”

“Trout flies? I thought we were fishing for northern pike. You won’t hook one of them with a trout fly!”

Dad grinned. “I can see you know a lot about fishing bait.” He shut the trunk door. “So, what kind of bait do you need to look out for?”

“Me?” asked Zane.

Dad nodded. “Just like different fish are caught with different lures, different people are tempted to sin by different things. As you pointed out, Andrew is tempted by things he shouldn’t look at online. So what are you tempted by?”

“Um…” Zane hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Well, let’s see. Why were you grounded last week?” asked Dad.

Zane’s face grew warm. “I got upset at Macie and smashed one of her toys on the floor.”

“And you got in trouble last month for pushing down a boy at school,” said Dad. “So you have to watch out for a different lure than Andrew does—you’re often tempted to hurt others when you feel angry.”

Zane sighed. “I guess Andrew and I are a lot alike.”

“You and Andrew and every other Christian,” said Dad. “We all struggle with sin, but we’re not all tempted by the same things. So instead of judging other Christians when they’re tempted by certain sins, we need to encourage them and remind them that Jesus has freed us from sin. And if they do give in, we need to show them grace—just like Jesus does for us.”

Zane nodded. “I’ll do that next time I see Andrew looking at things he shouldn’t—and ask him to do the same for me when I get angry.”

“Good idea.” Dad opened the car door. “Okay, jump in. Let’s go get ’em!”

–Karen Ditthardt

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Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: 1 John 1:5-10

"Your mom’s calling you for lunch?” Josie asked in surprise as she talked on the phone with her cousin Olive. “You mean you haven’t eaten lunch yet? It’s almost two in the afternoon! We ate a long time ago.”

“Well, it’s only noon here in Colorado, remember?” Olive replied. “We’re in different time zones.”

“Oh, that’s right!” said Josie. “Well, I’d better go anyway—have a nice lunch.”

The girls said goodbye, and Josie hung up. Then she wandered out to the backyard where her dad was working.

“Josie, I need you to walk down to Tess’s house and pick up your sister,” Dad said as he poured fertilizer out of a bag. “It’s time for her to come home, and I’m busy with this.”

“Why can’t she just walk home?” asked Josie.

“She’s too young to walk that far by herself,” said Dad. “I’m covered in fertilizer, so I need you to go get her.”

“No, I don’t want to!” said Josie. “I’m sick of always doing everything for her. She’s so annoying!” Josie turned and hurried toward the house.

When Josie found herself sitting alone in her room a few minutes later, she wished she had obeyed her father, but it was too late now. She knew she deserved to be punished.

When Dad came to Josie’s room, she looked up sadly. “I wish we were in Colorado,” she said. “It’s two hours earlier there—just a little after twelve o’clock instead of two o’clock—so the time I got into trouble hasn’t happened there yet. When it got to be two o’clock, I would obey you instead of talking back. I wish I hadn’t done that.”

“Things that have happened can’t be made to unhappen,” Dad said. “We can’t go back in time—and even if we could, we’d still sin and make mistakes. But we can be forgiven for the wrong we’ve done. You don’t need to move to another time zone for that. When you confess your sin to Jesus, He’ll forgive you—and I will too.”

Josie jumped up. “I’m sorry, Dad!” she said. “I really am!”

Dad smiled. “Good,” he said as Josie gave him a hug. “Then you can go get your sister so I can finish with the fertilizer.”

Josie sighed. “Okay, Dad,” she said. “I will.”

–Nance E. Keyes

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Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Genesis 50:20; Psalm 66:10-12; 1 Peter 1:6-9

"Wow, look at all the flowers!” Kayla stared in awe at the field of flowers. Her family was hiking in Waterton Lakes National Park. To their left was a stunning lake surrounded by mountains and to their right was a forest filled with beautiful pinkish-purple flowers. The trees were all blackened and bare, so the true beauty came from the flowers and the backdrop of mountains.

“These flowers are called fireweed,” Mom said. “They’re called that because they grow after a fire.”

“Is that why all the trees are burnt?” Kayla asked. “Because of a fire?”

“Yes,” Dad replied. “Several years ago there was a huge wildfire here. It burned all the trees and plants. Until the rest of the plants grow back, all that’s here is the fireweed. The roots of fireweed can survive extremely hot temperatures, so it is one of the first plants to sprout up. The fire can even help it grow.”

“It’s so beautiful how these flowers can grow even after the devastation of a fire,” Kayla said. “I think it’s a beautiful example of how God works to bring good things out of bad things,” Mom said thoughtfully. “Sometimes He allows bad things to happen in our lives so He can use them for good.”

“Yeah, the fire must’ve been terrible, but God was nourishing little roots of beauty even then,” Kayla said.

Mom nodded. “That’s so true. Sometimes we can see how God is working in our lives, but often we won’t see it right away. When this wildfire was raging through the park, I’m sure people worried that a lot of the park’s natural beauty would be destroyed. But after the wildfire died down, these wildflowers sprouted up! And the park is still beautiful, even though there’s not as many trees as before. In the same way, God can use our hard times to help us grow in our faith, which is a beautiful thing.”

“That also reminds me of Jesus’s sacrifice,” Dad said. “It must’ve seemed like a terrible thing to Jesus’s disciples for Him to be crucified. But God planned it for good—it was the only way we could be saved from sin and have eternal life with Him.”

Kayla smiled. “I’m so thankful God causes beauty to flourish even after hard times.”

–Elizabeth Cooper

How about you?

Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Colossians 1:9-14

Hudson was working on his electric train set when Dad joined him in the basement. “How’s the train project coming along?” he asked.

“Good!” said Hudson. “It’s almost ready to run.”

"All right!” said Dad. “And how was school today?”

Hudson frowned. “I got in trouble for coming in late from recess again, and Miss Cooley gave me extra math homework because I didn’t do the homework she assigned yesterday.” He sighed. “Everyone’s always on my case—I wish I could just do whatever I wanted, like you and Mom.”

“Hmm,” said Dad. “Well, Hudson, let’s see how your train runs.” He reached over and pressed the start button, and the train began moving.

“Wait! What are you doing? I don’t have all the tracks down yet!” exclaimed Hudson. “It’s gonna crash!” As he spoke, the train rounded the turn and rolled off the track, falling on its side. Hudson sighed. “I knew that would happen.”

“So the train needs the tracks,” said Dad. “Otherwise it doesn’t get where it’s supposed to go, right?”

Hudson nodded. “Yeah.”

“Well, God’s path for your life is like those tracks,” said Dad. “He sent Jesus to die for you so you could have a relationship with Him for all eternity, and He is patiently building your character and shaping you to be more like Jesus so others can see His love in you. He does that for each one of His children, but when we insist on doing things our own way and disobey the people He puts in our lives to help us learn, we get off track. When that happens, we need to ask Him to forgive us and set us right again.”

Dad picked up the train and set it back on the track. “It may seem like Mom and I can do whatever we want because we’re adults, but that’s not true. We’re just farther down our life track than you are and have already learned many of the things God is still teaching you—like responsibility. But we still need His guidance and forgiveness just as much as you do.”

“Okay, Dad,” Hudson said as he put another piece of the track in place. “I’ll trust God to help me stay on track.”

–Michael R. Chapman

How about you?

Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Isaiah 26:3; Matthew 6:25-27, 31-34

"Get in there!” said Finley, shoving her beach blanket into her suitcase.

“Are you still packing?” asked her older brother, Ian. “We’re leaving in ten minutes! Here, let me help you.” He jumped on the lid of the suitcase, holding it in place while Finley moved the zipper around the edges.

Dad appeared at the door. “I’ll take your suitcase to the car,” he said, picking it up. “Wow! Why is it so heavy?”

“Because she’s taking half the things in her room!” said Ian.

“Well, they’re important,” Finley said. “I need my hat, my beach blanket, and three swimsuits in case I can’t decide which one to wear. I need my sailboat to play with in the ocean, and I can’t build sand castles without my pail and shovel. If it rains, I’ll have my raincoat, my boots, and my umbrella. I also packed a puzzle, some games, and bedtime books. And my teddy bear in case I can’t fall asleep.”

“I think you should leave some things behind,” said Dad.

“But what if I need something and don’t have it?”

“Finley, I think something else might be weighing your suitcase down,” said Dad. “Just like you packed too many things in your suitcase, you can also pack too many worries in your head—and they can make life very heavy.”

“I thought I was just planning ahead for a good vacation,” said Finley.

“It’s good to be prepared, but there’s a difference between planning ahead and trying to control anything that could happen. That’s what worrying really is—being afraid of something you can’t control. If you unpack your worries, your suitcase will probably be lighter too.”

“But how do I unpack my worries?” asked Finley.

“By surrendering them to Jesus. He loves you so much He died for you, and He promises to take care of you. Instead of worrying about what might happen, you can have peace knowing He’s in control. Let Him carry the weight of your worries.” Dad unzipped Finley’s suitcase. “Why don’t we take a moment to pray about some of your worries now? Then we can lighten up that suitcase and start our vacation!”

–Elena Dee

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Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Psalms 8; 104:24-28

Carson loved visiting the aquarium. There was so much to see there, and he not only liked seeing the bigger fish but also the smaller ones and the other creatures that lived in the ocean. He could spend hours watching the tanks and all the different creatures that lived in them.

“Having fun?” Carson’s uncle Brett asked.

Carson’s younger cousins were running back and forth, shouting out the names of everything they saw, but Carson had chosen to stand and quietly observe the tank in front of him. Carson nodded. “This is awesome.”

“It is. Just think about God’s creativity with all of this,” Uncle Brett said. “He could have made all the fish look alike, but instead they are different colors, shapes, and sizes.”

“Yet they all live together in the ocean.” Carson shook his head. “It’s amazing.”

They continued on in the aquarium for a while before taking a break for lunch. Carson was disappointed to leave. “There’s just so much to see. I want to make sure we get to all of it,” he said with a sigh as he followed his family away from the tanks.

“We’ll see more of it after lunch,” Uncle Brett said. “And since you’re so interested, maybe we’ll have to come back again. Or better yet, maybe you and I could go snorkeling one day.”

Carson’s eyes widened. “Really?”

Uncle Brett nodded. “I always love seeing more of God’s creation. The ocean is filled with even more amazing creatures than we can find here.”

“That would be so cool,” Carson said.

Uncle Brett nudged his shoulder. “The ocean and all that’s in it is pretty amazing, but one of God’s most special creations is right here.” “Huh?” Carson glanced at him. “You!” Uncle Brett said. “God created you and your cousins and me and all people with just as much care as He did all the creatures in the ocean. But He made us in His own image, and when we were separated from Him because of sin, Jesus died and rose again to save us and give us eternal life. I think that makes us pretty special, don’t you?”

“Yeah.” Carson smiled. “But I’d still love to go snorkeling in the ocean.”

–Bethany Acker

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Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Isaiah 55:10-11; Jeremiah 18:6

Tiago held a headless clay animal in his hand. “Mom!” he wailed. “I forgot to put my animal back in the container, and the clay got all hard and dry before I could finish, so now it doesn’t have a head!”

“I’m sorry, Tiago,” said Mom. “But it’s too late to do anything about it now. It’s time for bed.”

“But my animal project is due tomorrow, and now all this work was for nothing!” Tiago groaned as he dropped the animal onto his dresser and crawled into bed.

Mom glanced at the Bible on Tiago’s dresser. “Aren’t you going to read a few verses before you go to sleep?” she asked. “I thought you did that every night.”

Tiago shrugged. “I’ve been busy lately, and I don’t understand it very well anyway.” He pulled the covers up to his chin. “I think it’d be better to wait until I’m older so I can understand it.”

Mom picked up the animal Tiago had made. “Did you know that we’re a lot like clay?”

“We are?” asked Tiago.

Mom nodded. “The Bible compares us to clay that God shapes. When you shaped this, it took time, didn’t it? You kept working with it until it looked good. God does that with us. One way He does that is through His Word—the Bible. Even though you don’t understand everything, it helps you learn more about Jesus and what He did to save you. As you read and listen to God’s truth in the Bible, He works in your heart and helps you learn to trust and obey Him so He can shape your life into something beautiful.”

Tiago looked at the hardened clay his mom was holding. “He’ll probably do a better job shaping me than I did with that animal, huh?”

“Yes,” said Mom. “You can trust Him to shape you to be more like Jesus—and reading your Bible will help you understand more about what that looks like.” Mom set down the animal and picked up Tiago’s Bible. “So do you want to read a few verses now? You can let me know if you need help understanding them.”

“Okay,” said Tiago. “But don’t go far away. I’ll probably need help!”

–A.J. Schut

How about you?

Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Romans 8:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Trey was excited because today Grandma was finally going to teach him how to make her famous molasses bread. As Dad dropped him off and waved goodbye, Trey could already taste the rich, fluffy bread and the salty crunch of toasted oats on top.

Grandma welcomed Trey with a hug and led him into the kitchen. They used sign language to communicate because Trey was deaf. Grandma signed “flour,” “molasses,” “yeast,” and “spoon.” Trey scurried around the kitchen to find the ingredients while Grandma started mixing.

As they added more and more ingredients, a dark and gooey dough formed. Grandma placed a towel over the dough bowl before gently setting it in a sunny part of the kitchen.

“Why doesn’t the dough look like bread yet?” Trey signed.

Grandma smiled. “The dough must rise before it goes in the oven.”

That made sense to Trey. After an hour and a half, they checked the dough. It was double the size and very poofy. Grandma punched down the dough before laying it on the pan and putting it in the oven.

Trey frowned. The dough still didn’t look like bread. It didn’t look tasty at all. Did Grandma forget something?

He asked her this, and she replied, “Just you wait and see.”

When Grandma took the tray out of the oven, Trey was nervous. But the bread looked perfect, smelled perfect, and tasted even better than perfect.

As they ate, Grandma said, “You know, making bread reminds me of what it’s like to become God’s new creation.”

Trey shrugged, confused. Grandma continued. “Before we put our trust in Jesus, we are like raw, scattered ingredients—we don’t have a purpose. We are controlled by our wrong desires and deserve death because of our sin. But Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead so we could have new life and live with Him forever. Jesus gives us a purpose—to love Him and others and become more like Him. Just like the dough needs the oven to become bread, we need Jesus to be saved from sin and be made new.”

Trey nodded eagerly and took Grandma’s hand to pray. Somehow this seemed even better than Grandma’s famous molasses bread.

–Hannah Chung

How about you?

Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

Read: Romans 8:35-37; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10; 1 Peter 4:12–14

Alisha ran inside the house. “There’s a butterfly outside!” she exclaimed. “I got a picture on my phone. Do you want to see it?” she asked Devin, her older sister.

“Sure.” Devin inspected the photo. “That butterfly is beautiful,” she said as she cut into a mango.

Alisha frowned as juice hit her phone. “That mango juice is getting everywhere.”

Devin shrugged as a piece of mango flew across the kitchen. “I’m trying to keep it from splashing all over the place, but mangos are messy.”

Alisha sat down at the counter and watched her sister. “Why eat mangos then? If they’re messy, you could just not buy them.”

Devin popped a piece of mango into her mouth. “Because they taste really good, and I think it’s worth it.” She gave Alisha a smile. “It’s kind of like your school problem.”

Alisha blinked. “Your mango is like people being mean to me at school because I believe in Jesus?” she asked doubtfully.

“Kind of. Being a follower of Jesus can be messy. The Bible even tells us that—it says others might make fun of us or try to make life harder for us, like the kids at school who are mean to you. But you haven’t stopped trusting in Jesus, have you?”

Alisha looked shocked. “Why would I do that? He died for my sins so He could be with me all the time, and someday I’ll be able to spend forever in heaven with Him.”

Devin smiled. “See? Knowing Jesus is worth it. Just like the mangos.” She cut into a second mango.

Alisha ducked so no juice would hit her. “I don’t care how messy following Jesus is! Just like you don’t care how messy your mango is.” She thought about that for a moment. “I guess that makes sense. Kids at school make fun of me, but I know that Jesus loves me and died to save me, and that’s worth whatever mean stuff people say.” Alisha shrieked as a piece of mango hit her arm. “But those mangos are not worth it at all. I’m getting out of here!”

–Kimberly Brokish

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Today's Key Verse:

Today's Key Thought:

*If someone is being mean to you, talk to a trusted adult so they can help