Bible Reading: Matthew 8:5-13

Ezra and Louie took their remote control truck out to the driveway while Mom sat on the porch. Their little sister, Ophelia, was hopping around on a pogo stick. “Mom,” Ophelia said, “I wish I had a remote control pogo stick. I could ride it, and you could make it to go up and down, up and down, all by itself. That would be fun!”

“Yeah, that would be cool!” Ezra said as he watched his sister.

Mom laughed. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. Maybe you can invent one when you grow up.”

“But I want one now!” said Ophelia.

“I have an idea,” said Mom. “When I give a command, do whatever I say. If I say to go left, you go left. If I say to go right, you go right. It’s kind of like I’m moving you by remote control! How about that?” Ophelia grinned and nodded. “Ready?” asked Mom. “Okay, go straight ahead…turn left…turn left again…now go right…back up…go forward…stop!” Ophelia bounced around, laughing as she followed her mother’s instructions. The boys joined in too, and soon they were taking turns giving and receiving commands.

That night, Mom read a Bible story about a Roman leader who asked Jesus to heal his servant. “The centurion answered and said, ‘Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.'”

“Jesus was pleased with that man’s faith,” Mom explained after she finished reading. “The servant was healed the moment Jesus said, ‘So let it be done for you.'”

“Just like a remote control!” said Louie.

“That’s an interesting way to look at it,” Mom said. “God made this world, and He controls everything in it–but not always like a remote control. He wants us to trust Him and follow His commands–just like Ophelia let me direct where her pogo stick went by following my directions. The man in the story believed Jesus was God and submitted to His authority by asking Jesus to do what he could not, knowing Jesus could do anything. That’s the kind of faith we need to have too.”

–Tait E. Powell

How About You?
Have you put your faith in Jesus? Are you listening to Him and following His commands? Or are you living the way you want? We can fool ourselves into thinking we’re in control of our lives, but God is in control of everything. You can’t save yourself or live a good life on your own–you need Jesus. Trust and follow Him. (To learn more, click the “Good News!” button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.)

Today’s Key Verse:
You, whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth. (NKJV) (Psalm 83:18)

Today’s Key Thought:
Trust and obey Jesus