Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: ROMANS 12:13; HEBREWS 13:2; 1 PETER 4:7-10

Did you know that all Christians are called to some sort of ministry? You don’t have to be a pastor or missionary to have a ministry—the fact is, God commands all Christians to minister to others. The word ministry basically means service. And in Galatians 5:13, all Christians are instructed to “serve one another humbly in love” just as Jesus served us. What does this service, or ministry, look like? Well, God gives each of us spiritual gifts to use to serve others in various ways, and yet there are a number of ways every Christian is called to serve (1 Peter 4:9-10). And one ministry that all Christians are encouraged to participate in is hospitality.

Hospitality is welcoming others and treating them in a warm, friendly way. Often that involves being willing to share our home and meals with guests. Hospitality is just one of the ways we show people God’s love, but it’s an important way—because hospitality reveals the heart of the gospel. Think about it. Jesus warmly welcomes each of us into His family. God calls us to Himself, gives us a home with Him, and shares all He has with us. That’s why it’s important for us as Christians to be welcoming toward others. As 1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.”

Some people welcome traveling missionaries or international students—or even complete strangers—into their homes. As a teenager, you probably don’t have a home of your own to offer others. But you could talk to your family about ways you could extend hospitality to people who need it. And maybe you can offer hospitality to your friends by inviting them over, offering them a meal or a snack, and making them feel safe and welcomed. Or maybe you could invite someone new to sit with you at lunch or in church. As you go about your daily life, be on the lookout for ways you could make others feel included and valued.

And if your family opens up your home to others, you can take part in showing hospitality. When you help prepare meals, wash extra dishes, or give up your room in order to welcome guests, you can show them the love of Jesus. Because He warmly welcomes us into His family and shares all He has with us, we have the opportunity to show others what a kind and hospitable host He is by treating them the same way. • A. W. Smith

• Can you remember a time when someone extended hospitality to you? What was that like?

• How does Jesus’s love for us enable us to extend hospitality to others?

Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9 (NIV) 

READ: MATTHEW 6:25-34

Since I was young, I’ve often had to remind myself to just consider the next moment instead of trying to figure out everything that’s going to happen in the future. The truth is, it’s all in God’s hands, so I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. I don’t have to get stressed about what I’ll be doing in an hour or how things are going to turn out today. All I need to do is live in this moment. Take it slow. Just a little at a time.

In Matthew 6, Jesus says, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (verse 34). I get too stressed when I try to take on everything at once. I quickly realize I can’t control everything I want to. And sometimes, it’s best to just let go. It’s good to know I don’t have control over everything, but God does.

My thoughts don’t always have to be on tomorrow, or further in the future, because God is already taking care of it all. As Jesus says, “Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (verse 32-33). God loves me, and He just wants me to live in the present and do what I can now, focusing on His presence with me and how He’s calling me to participate in His kingdom.

I can’t handle everything at once. I’m not capable of doing that, much as I might want to. When I try to take on too much, I get overwhelmed. I worry that the future won’t be all that I want it to be. But when I trust God with my life instead, it’s easier to feel content in this moment. And I know He will gently lead me to the next. • Bethany Acker

• In what ways do you find yourself worrying about the future? While it’s good to make plans to use our time wisely and consider how our actions will affect the future, it’s ultimately not our job to make the future turn out the way we think it should. And when we get wrapped up in trying to control the future, we may miss out on what God is doing here and now. Next time you’re distracted by worries about the future, consider bringing your worries to God in prayer, then ask Him to guide your attention to what He’s doing in this present moment.

• As Christians, how can knowing that we are forever held in God’s love—and our eternal future is already secure—free us to follow Jesus moment by moment? (Romans 8:31-39)

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Matthew 6:34 (NLT) 

READ: MATTHEW 23:27-28; EPHESIANS 2:4-10; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-9

Have you ever cut into a shiny red tomato, only to find it was all rotten in the middle? It may have looked perfect on the outside—not even a bruise. But inside, it’s mushy and not fit to be eaten. Sometimes we are like that rotten tomato. Many of us put up a good front. We may do good things—we follow the rules, read the Bible every day, volunteer at church, and help out at home. We look great on the outside!

But God sees the sin in each of our hearts. He knows what we’re really like on the inside. The truth is, all of us sin. The Bible tells us in Jeremiah 17:9, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked.” Apart from Jesus, our hearts are sinful and deceitful even when our actions look impeccable. Doing good things doesn’t make us good.

So what can we do? We can’t make a rotten tomato good, and we can’t fix our rotten hearts either. But God can. Jesus took all of that mushy, rotten sin upon Himself when He died on the cross in our place—then He was resurrected from the dead to free us from sin and death. When we stop trying to make ourselves good and instead trust Jesus to save us, He removes our sin and gives us His righteousness. He gives us new hearts, free from the decay of sin (Ezekiel 36:26).

In the end, we can’t make ourselves look good to God by doing good things. That might make us look good to other people, but God sees our hearts—He knows we’re sinners. We need Jesus. Only He can save us from sin and give us good hearts. Once we put our trust in Jesus, we will still struggle with sin until the day He returns, but we can rest knowing that in Him we are forgiven, and He has purified our hearts through faith (Acts 15:9). • A. W. Smith .

• When are you tempted to trust in your own good deeds to make you righteous in God’s eyes? We all fall into this from time to time, and we all need to be continually reminded of the gospel ("Know Jesus" page). Consider spending some time in prayer, asking God to help you notice ways you are trusting in your own goodness— and to recognize how you fall short. You can ask Him to help you trust in Jesus’s goodness instead, and you can thank Him for His sure forgiveness.

We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Isaiah 64:6 (NLT) 

READ: PSALMS 46:1-3; 61:1-3; MATTHEW 14:22-33; HEBREWS 13:8

You are my refuge and strength,

My strong tower in the storm.

So I do not shudder as

The clouds darken.

You promised peace

In the midst of turmoil,

Peace that does not falter,

So I stand firm as the thunder rolls.

And as the rain pours down

I remind myself of the one

Who walked upon the waves

To reach for me in the storm.

And though the wind howls and

The waters threaten to overwhelm me,

I will keep my gaze on You,

The only one who never changes. • Emily Gwaltney

• Which line sticks out to you most in this poem? Why? Can you find a verse from today’s Scriptures that inspired this line?

• What kinds of storms have you experienced lately? We all go through storms, like doubt, fear, uncertainty…upheaval in our relationships, finances, or health…or struggles with sin. But in every storm, Jesus is with us. As we fix our gaze on Him, we find peace and strength in His unwavering love for us (Hebrews 12:1-3). Jesus has already saved us from the greatest storm of being lost forever, so all the other storms we experience pale in comparison. Like Jesus reached out to save Peter when he was sinking beneath the waves, Jesus reached out for us (Matthew 14:31). He came to rescue us from sin and death by dying for us and rising again. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can look forward to the day He will return,and every storm will finally be stilled. And in the meantime, we can always find refuge in Him.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV) 

READ: PSALM 73:11-28; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18

We can ask God hard questions. In Psalm 73, Asaph’s question to God is basically, Why are the wicked so successful, while people like me who follow God experience so many hardships? Asaph finds his answer as he goes into God’s sanctuary, and God opens his eyes to three things: First, success is fleeting. Second, God is with His people on earth, holding our hand. And third, God leads His people to a glorious destiny.

We find a potent example of the emptiness of worldly success in the life of Howard Hughes, one of the most successful people in American history. He was healthy and good looking. He inherited a family fortune, invented airplanes and flew them, produced movies, owned huge amounts of real estate, dated famous actresses, and golfed alongside professionals. But earthly success did not bring peace. Hughes survived multiple plane crashes that resulted in head injuries. In his later years, he would sit naked, watching the same movie over and over again. He died sick and addicted to drugs. Even as we recognize that Howard Hughes’ legacy has shown he acted selfishly and took advantage of others, we can also have compassion for him. It seems he didn’t know the peace of having God hold his hand.

I knew a man named Pastor Brummel who loved Jesus. As he grew older, his body wore out and he could barely walk. Then, over time, his mind grew weak, and he began to tell the same stories over and over. Eventually, all he could do was sing “Jesus Loves Me” and smile at people. He died happy.

No earthly success is a good trade for the love of Jesus and the promise of eternal life with Him. We can spend lots of dreams and time on what we want, or what we want to be known for, but a relationship with God is the only thing worth living for (Matthew 16:24-26; Philippians 3:8-11). Consider what Jim Elliot, a missionary, wrote in his journal before he was killed by the very people he was trying to share the good news of Jesus with: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” • Luke Eising

• When we see the success of people who don’t follow Jesus, we can easily become bitter (Psalm 73:21). How can remembering the good news of Jesus give us perspective and hope? ("Know Jesus" page)

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:25-26 (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 73:1-15; HEBREWS 4:14-16

Usually when I hear adults pray publicly, they sound very wise. They thank God and ask for blessings, but they never complain or disagree with God. But that’s not how people pray in the Bible. Just read the book of Psalms. They tell God what’s really on their hearts. Sometimes it’s how much they love and worship God, but other times it’s how scared or sad they are, or they even tell God that it seems like He’s not being fair.

For example, in Psalm 73 a guy named Asaph has a problem. He’s doing what’s right, but his life is hard and painful. Meanwhile, the guys who don’t care about God are healthy, rich, popular, and successful. So Asaph asks, Is serving God worth it? Why do I try so hard to be good and I don’t get anything for it? Why is there so much pain and suffering in my family?

The truth is, many of us have these same questions, but we might be embarrassed to say them aloud to our pastors or parents or even to God. Questions like these seem “unchristian.” But believe me, when you pray, the only embarrassing thing is trying to hide what you’re thinking from God. He already knows all our thoughts before we even think them.

The thing is, tough questions about God unsettle us. They make us doubt, and we stew on them. But God can handle whatever we pray to Him. He isn’t scared by our tough questions, our doubts, or even our accusations against Him (Mark 4:35-41; John 20:24-28).

So take your toughest questions to God. Journal them, pray them, bring them out of the dark parts of your heart and into the light. God will answer. When you pray to God like this, you don’t always get the kinds of answers you’re expecting, but you will find His peace. • Luke Eising

• What kinds of tough questions do you have about God, the Bible, the world, etc.? Have you ever voiced these questions to other people or to God? Consider taking some time to be honest with God and tell Him the truth about whatever is on your mind.

• God welcomes our tough questions, and He is eager to reveal more and more of His truth and love to us. He does this through His Holy Spirit, His Word (the Bible), and His people (the church). Who are trusted Christians in your life who could help you seek God through your tough questions by praying and digging into the Bible through the lens of the gospel ("Know Jesus" page)?

Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies? Psalm 42:9 (NLT) 

READ: 1 SAMUEL 16:1-13; PSALM 139:14; ISAIAH 60:1

Every single day we are bombarded with social media posts, pictures, and videos of friends, actors, models, singers, and superstars. And seeing these images can lead to thoughts of not being enough. We see so many people every day, and often the first thing we do is compare ourselves to them. And that is so sad.

Because of this constant comparison, we often walk around with zero confidence. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When we truly understand who we are in Christ and find our worth in Him and how preciously and carefully He created us, we may start walking around a little taller with a brighter smile and a new pep in our step. It just makes us happy to know we are clothed in His beauty and righteousness. It’s more than just confidence in ourselves; it’s a confidence in who we are in Christ and who He has created us to be.

Just listen to these verses for a moment: Isaiah 60:1 says, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” And 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height…The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”

Do you see what God says is more beautiful than perfectly styled hair or perfectly applied makeup or the most stylish outfit? It’s His glory rising upon us. It’s a heart that is seeking after God. It’s a quiet, gentle, and meek spirit (1 Peter 3:3-4). It’s the new heart Jesus gives us when we put our trust in Him (Ezekiel 36:26).

This is an easy truth to forget. So, if it helps, you could write this down: “Though people may discredit me based on my looks, the LORD who sees my heart loves me and will work through me in ways I could never imagine. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at my heart, and only a heart saved by Jesus, cleansed by His blood, is truly beautiful.”

Dear reader, I hope you know how truly precious and beautiful you are in your Creator’s eyes. I think something we all need to remember is this: A heart in God’s hands overflows with a beauty that is shown in joy, compassion, and hope. • Mary Garner

• If you know Jesus, your heavenly Father sees you with overwhelming love and joy. When you struggle to see yourself as God sees you, what Bible verses could help you remember the truth?

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 (NIV) 

READ: MATTHEW 4:16; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:5; 1 PETER 2:9

Darkness. That’s all I can see. There used to be so many dazzling lights—my friends, my family. They’re all gone now. I’ll probably never see them again. My own light is dimming. The Shadow keeps reaching closer and closer. I gave up fighting him long ago. The Shadow could overtake me anytime, but I think he enjoys watching my fear slowly turn to despair and defeat.

Elyon, where did you go? Why did you leave us? It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken to Elyon. I vowed I never would again, not since everyone’s lights went out. I guess old habits are hard to break. I open my eyes one last time, deciding I would prefer to know when the Shadow finishes me off. But what my eyes see astonishes me. The very fact they see something other than the Shadow is odd. There, way off, is a…light? I must be imagining this. It can’t be.

“Why do you doubt what you know to be true?” That voice! Just the sound of it brings tears to my eyes. Can it really be you? “Yes, my child. I have never left you. You merely needed to look.” I suddenly feel a warmth stir inside of me. Looking down, I gasp in shock. My light! The Shadow around me starts swirling in anger. But The Light swells even brighter in response, causing the Shadow to shriek away, my fear going with him.

I run to embrace The Light, and as soon as I touch Him, The Light spreads like a wildfire—consuming every corner of darkness, until nothing but the Shadow himself remains. There is nowhere left for him to hide. I watch as even he is eventually consumed by The Light, exploding into a million fireworks. But instead of fading, the embers grow brighter. They’re back, all of them. Every light that had been snuffed out, is back. “The Shadow was blinding you to the truth. Their lights were never extinguished, merely hidden.” • Jessica Lutz

• Can you think of a time when it felt like God had abandoned you? Sometimes the darkness of the world can be overwhelming. But Jesus is The Light. He came into our dark world, and through His death and resurrection, God “has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins” (Colossians 1:12-14). Jesus’s light is always shining in this dark world, and if we know Him, even death cannot extinguish our light. He promises to always be with us and to raise us to eternal life. (John 1:1-14; Romans 8:35-39; 1 Corinthians 15:26)

“I [Jesus] am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12 (NLT) 

READ: PSALM 139:23-24; 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; HEBREWS 4:12-16

Do you know why dentists take x-rays of our teeth? Even though dentists and dental hygienists look for cavities while they clean people’s teeth, some small cavities can’t be seen with just the human eye. So, by using an x-ray, dentists can find cavities before they’re visible on the surface. Then they can fill those small cavities to make sure the problem doesn’t get any worse, saving us from more painful issues in the future.

X-rays are a big help because they show us things in our bodies that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. In a way, the Bible does that too. Through His Word, God examines our hearts and shows us our need for Jesus. As we read or listen to the Bible, He shows us where there’s sin in our lives—and He also points us to the remedy.

The truth is, a lot of sin in our lives can remain hidden—even hidden from ourselves! But when we examine ourselves through the lens of the Bible, we realize how desperately we need a Savior. Seeing our own sinfulness is never easy. In fact, it can be deeply painful. But it’s more painful to let sin stay hidden in the darkness, where it will grow and cause more and more damage. We can only find freedom by bringing our sin into the light and letting Jesus deal with it (Ephesians 5:8-14). Because He loves us so much, Jesus went to the cross for us, giving up His life so we could be forgiven. Then He rose from the dead, and now His Spirit lives inside everyone who puts their trust in Him. He delights in helping us walk in His good ways, leaving our old, sinful ways behind and instead doing what’s right.

So as we read the Bible we can be on the lookout for what God might want to say to us. Like an x-ray, Scripture reveals things inside us that we can’t always see— things like cruel thoughts and selfish desires. It shows us sin in our hearts, and it also tells us about Jesus and how He died and rose again to save us from sin. As soon as we recognize our sin, the best thing we can do is confess it to God. Then walk forward in freedom, following our loving Savior. • A. W. Smith

• Have you ever been convicted of a sin while reading the Bible? As you read today’s Scripture passages, consider asking Jesus to show you what you need to give over to Him today.

• It can be helpful to confess our sin to trusted Christians who can remind us of Jesus’s love and grace and encourage us to walk with Him. Who is someone in your life you can be honest with?

For the word of God is alive and active…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) 

READ: EPHESIANS 4:20-32; 6:10-18; 1 PETER 5:6-10

What would you say is the most dangerous animal in the world? Sharks, lions, snakes? If we look at the number of humans killed each year by these predators, we find that sharks kill about a dozen humans per year, lions kill more than 100, and snakes kill over 100,000. But the deadliest animal by far is the mosquito. Unlike many dangerous animals, they live in close proximity to humans and bite unprovoked. These annoying little insects don’t seem like they could cause much damage, but in some parts of the world, they carry malaria and other diseases that have killed a lot of people. It’s estimated that mosquitos cause over 700,000 human deaths per year. That’s way more than sharks, lions, and snakes combined.

Thinking about mosquitos can help us remember that we need to watch out for dangerous little things in our lives too. It’s not always the big things that discourage us—like family problems or a serious illness. The seemingly small frustrations of daily life, like running late or getting a bad grade, can have an effect on us too.

In our disappointment or irritation or fear, we’re often tempted to lash out at people, numb out on social media, or sin in any number of ways. But God calls us to a different way. The Bible says, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9). The Bible compares the devil to a roaring lion, but the devil often uses little things to try to get us to sin and to forget that God loves us. Sometimes the little problems are the ones that can wear us down to the point we make a hurtful remark or give in to other temptations.

The best way to stand firm against the enemy and resist his mosquito-like temptations is through prayer. When we take time to remember that Jesus loves us, that He extends forgiveness to us, and that He wants to help us with every problem we face—no matter how big or small—it changes how we respond to the painful things we experience. The truth is, we don’t have to go through any difficulty alone. We can talk to Jesus about all of them. He promises to be with us through all the big things, and all the small things too. • A. W. Smith

• Do you notice how little things can affect you? When all the small irritations pile up, what helps you focus on Jesus?

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