READ: MATTHEW 6:8; PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7; 1 PETER 5:7

The other day, I was so frustrated. I had misplaced three things that were important to me and my family. One was my bank card. I always put it back in my purse, but for some reason it wasn’t in there, and neither was my paycheck, which I hadn’t taken out since I got it. Finally, the last thing was my earbuds. I know, I know—they aren’t that important in the grand scheme of things, but I start most mornings with a walk while listening to my favorite music, and these earbuds were a gift, so losing them had some emotional weight too. I hadn’t been robbed, so I knew these three things were around my house... somewhere.

After a few days, I was ready to give up. It was early morning; I was about to miss another walk. Finally, I remembered God cares about what I care about…but I hesitated. What I cared about, especially my earbuds, weren’t important to the rest of the world. However, I took it to God and let Him know how minor I knew these things were before I asked for His help to find them.

Within five minutes, I found my earbuds! I then had a peaceful walk that boosted my day. After walking, I had an idea where my check might be. Remembering my purse had fallen once, I realized it was possible that it fell out. I found my check hidden under something on the floor! I checked my jacket pockets for my bank card and found it immediately.

After I gave my small problems to God, He turned things around within a few hours. He always wants us to ask Him for help. We might think our lives are miniscule compared to the things He must be dealing with right now, but in truth, God cares for every little thing we care about—because He cares for us. • Jordyn Johnson

• Can you think of a time you asked God for help with something? What happened?

• Why do you think we often try to fix our problems on our own before going to God? Consider taking some time to talk to God about whatever you need today, even if it seems small.

• As Christians, we will experience times when we ask God to help us in a particular way, but He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we hoped. Why can we still rest knowing that God loves us and will provide for us? How does Jesus give us this assurance? (If you want to dig deeper, read Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:28-39; Philippians 4:11-13; Revelation 21:1-5)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)