Bible Reading: Psalm 9:7-10; Jude 1:20-22

“Want to come check on a house with me?” Braxton’s dad asked. Braxton didn’t really want to, but he climbed into his dad’s truck. His dad was a building contractor, and Braxton used to love seeing the houses he was building. But after his mom died, he didn’t find it exciting anymore.

They made their way to a messy yard. The ground was muddy with a big hole in it. “This doesn’t look like a house,” Braxton said.

Dad smiled. “Not yet, but it will. Trust me.”

Braxton went with his dad again the next day and there was concrete in the hole. “Is that a basement?” Braxton asked.

“Sure is,” Dad said as he walked around the edge of it to inspect the work.

A few days later, Braxton was surprised to see the wooden outline of a house set up over the basement. After a while, he started to look forward to his visits.

On the day they arrived to see men putting on siding, Braxton grinned. “Every day something new is done, and soon it will be ready to be lived in.”

“Pretty cool, right?” Dad said. “As builders, we get to add to a house a little each day. As Christians, we can see our faith be built up like that.”

Braxton turned from the house and stared at his dad. “Huh?”

“It’s been hard to trust God since your mom passed away, hasn’t it?” Dad asked. “Our lives were messy like this lot before the house was built.”

Braxton hugged himself. “Everything changed.”

“Little by little, though, we have learned to trust Him again,” Dad said. “God has been taking care of us and building up our faith. That basement was like the first sign of us trusting God again when we remembered that Jesus, who died and rose again to save us, is still here with us and promises to make everything right one day. Each time the house had something added to it was similar to how God continued to show His love to us–like when He sent Grandma to help us and when He showed us it’s okay to be happy again.”

“I miss Mom,” Braxton said.

“Me too.” Dad hugged him. “But I still want my faith and trust in God to be built up.”

–Emily Acker

How About You?
Have you ever had to trust God through an especially hard time, such as the loss of a parent, grandparent, or friend? It can be hard to trust Him at times like that and can even feel like you’re falling away from Him. But God still loves you, and His promises are still true. If Jesus has saved you, nothing can separate you from Him. He will continue to care for you and build your faith in Him.

Today’s Key Verse:
Build each other up in your most holy faith…and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. (NLT) (Jude 1:20-21)

Today’s Key Thought:
Trust God to build your faith