Bible Reading: 1 Peter 1:6-9

It had not been a good week. First, Allison didn't get the part she wanted in a skit her class was going to perform. Then she hurt her arm in gym class. To top it off, she discovered that a stain on her favorite shirt hadn't washed out. "Everything's going wrong," Allison told her mother in tears.

Mom had just returned from shopping and had placed a big rectangular package, wrapped in paper, on the table. "I'm sorry, honey," she said, giving Allison a hug. "Sometimes it seems like everything goes wrong all at once, doesn't it? But don't forget that Jesus still loves you and is with you. Remember those verses we read about trusting God to work things out for our best?"

Allison sighed. "I don't see how having those things happen can do any good at all, let alone be for my best!"

Mom took a pair of scissors and began to cut a small hole in the paper covering the package. "What are you doing?" asked Allison. "What's in the package?"

"I bought a picture to hang in the living room." Mom held the package up for Allison to see. "What do you think?"

"Unwrap it so I can see it," said Allison.

"Look through the hole in the wrapping," said Mom.

Allison frowned, but she squinted and tried to look through the hole. "This little hole is way too small. I can't see enough of the picture to tell what it looks like!"

"You're right," Mom said. "But what I really want you to see is that life is like this picture."

"Really?" asked Allison in surprise. "How?"

"We can only see a small part of our lives. We see what's happening now, but not how it fits into God's overall plan. It's like we're looking at it through a small hole. But God can see the whole picture. He knows exactly what we need to experience to shape our lives into the big, beautiful picture of what He has planned. We just have to trust Him, looking forward to the day when Jesus comes again and the whole picture will be unveiled." Mom smiled at Allison. "Now go ahead and unwrap this picture. I think you'll agree that it really is beautiful."

–Richard S. Maffeo

How About You?
Do you wonder how bad things that happen in your life could possibly do any good? Keep in mind that you can only see a very small part of your life, but God sees the whole thing. He sometimes allows you to go through hard things so He can use them to help you grow in your faith. Trust Him in hard times, knowing that Jesus understands what you're going through and promises to be with you until you see Him face-to-face.

Today's Key Verse:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. (NKJV) (Proverbs 3:5)

Today's Key Thought:
God is in control

Bible Reading: Genesis 2:1-3; Hebrews 4:9-10

Declan's dad set the remote control car on a shelf in the garage. "Let's take a break," he said.

"But aren't we going to paint it?" asked Declan. They had just finished putting all the pieces together, and Declan couldn't wait to test it out. "This car's gonna look awesome in cherry red."

"We can finish up later," Dad said. "We've been putting that car together for two hours, and now it's time to rest."

"But I want to keep working on it!" said Declan.

"You know, Declan," Dad said as he shut off the lights in the garage, "even God rested after creating the world in six days. That means we should rest too."

Declan crossed his arms. "But I'm not tired."

Dad raised his eyebrows. "That's an interesting point. Do you think God rested because He was tired?"

Declan laughed. "God doesn't get tired. Does He?"

"No," said Dad, "He doesn't. But God set the example for us by taking a break after His work was complete. Jesus also told His disciples to rest after they worked, and He even took some time to relax after teaching and healing people."

Declan followed his dad down the hall to the kitchen. "But rest is boring!"

"Well, it doesn't have to be." Dad set two drinking glasses on the counter. "God gave us rest as a gift. It's supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable."

Declan sat down in a chair. "Like holidays or when you get a day off work?"

"Exactly," said Dad. "And those days aren't boring, are they?"

"No way! They're the best because we get to play board games and eat popcorn."

Declan's dad filled the glasses with ice. "Rest is also a time to reenergize and think about all God has done for us. God commands us to rest so that we remember His work--the work of Jesus and His sacrifice for us on the cross. It's His work alone that saves us, not our own efforts, and resting reminds us to trust Him in everything we do." Dad went to the fridge and pulled out a jug. "Now, how does cooling off with some of your mom's delicious lemonade after all that work on your car sound?"

Declan sat up and grabbed a glass. "That sounds great!"

–Annika Klanderud

How About You?
Do you ever get upset when you have to stop what you're working on to rest? Sometimes it's hard to take a break, but God knows what's best for us. Taking time to rest is important so your body and mind can recharge. Best of all, it's a reminder that our true rest is in Jesus, who completed the most important work of all--dying for our sins so we could be saved and have eternal life with Him.

Today's Key Verse:
Let my soul be at rest again, for the Lord has been good to me. (NLT) (Psalm 116:7)

Today's Key Thought:
Take time to rest

Bible Reading: Isaiah 64:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21

"We're freezing!" Cyrus announced as he and his brothers burst through the door.

"The three of you are covered in slush!" said Mom.

"Did you see the snowman we made?" Elim asked. "Ranny wanted to eat the carrot nose, but we wouldn't let him. We had to come inside early because he's hungry again." Elim grinned at his two-year-old brother.

"Snack?" Ransom squeaked.

Mom handed the boys bowls of apple slices. "The bath is ready! I'll wash Ranny first."

After snacks and baths, Mom hauled a bag to the living room. "What's in there?" Cyrus asked.

"Open it and see." Mom winked.

"Robes!" Elim yelled. The boys wiggled into their cozy robes, then handed Mom hers and Ransom's. "I love robe season," said Elim.

"I was just reading about robes during Bible time!" Cyrus pulled his Bible off the couch and opened it to the bookmarked page. "It's from Isaiah 61, verse 10: 'I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.'"

"What does righteousness mean again?" Elim asked.

"It means being right with God and free from guilt in His eyes," Mom answered. "Remember what people had to do in the Old Testament to be righteous before God?"

"Make sacrifices," Elim responded solemnly.

"But it wasn't good enough! All the good things we do are like filthy rags compared to God's goodness." Cyrus picked up his soaked-through dirty sock with a wrinkled nose. "Then God sent Jesus to die for us! He sacrificed His own Son to save us. So, that verse in Isaiah I read was talking about God's promise to be fulfilled in Jesus," Cyrus mused.

"Exactly." Mom nodded. "Since Jesus is perfect, He became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. When we put our trust in Him, He takes our sins away and covers us with His robe of righteousness. What do we become in Jesus?"

"A new creation." Elim flapped his robe sleeves. "Ranny needs his robe, Mom!"

Mom laughed as Ransom started running around the living room in circles. "The first one who catches him gets to put his robe on him!"

–Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Has Jesus covered you in His robe of righteousness? The Bible says that all the things we do to try to make ourselves good in God's eyes are like filthy rags. The only way we can become righteous is through Jesus. When we trust in Him, God no longer sees our sins when He looks at us, but the perfect sacrifice of His Son. (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:
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (NIV) (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus clothes us in robes of righteousness

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5; Philippians 4:4-7

"Oh, Nathan, don't cry," Sydney told her little brother when he showed her his broken train. "Let's go see if Grandpa can fix it."

They took the train to Grandpa's workshop, where he checked it over. "No problem," he said. "I'll make it as good as new."

The kids hopped onto the workbench to watch. When Grandpa started bending a wheel on the train, Nathan gasped. "Stop, Grandpa! You'll make it worse."

"Don't be silly, Nathan," said Sydney. "Grandpa's fixing your train, not making it worse!" Grandpa nodded and continued his work.

"You're not doing it right," Nathan told Grandpa a moment later. "That piece has to go onto the engine--like this." He reached for the train.

Grandpa set the train down. "Nathan, why don't you play outside for a while? This is going to take some time."

"But I want my train now!" Nathan grabbed it and headed for the door.

Sydney turned to Grandpa and shook her head. "Silly kid! He gave you his train to fix and then took it back without letting you fix it."

"He'll probably bring it back soon," Grandpa said. He chuckled. "It makes me think of how we do the same thing with God sometimes."

"We do?" Sydney asked. "How?"

"By bringing our problems to Him but then continuing to try to fix them our way," Grandpa replied. "Last week you told me you were worried your parents might not be able to afford camp this summer. You said you prayed and gave it to God, right?"

Sydney looked down. "Yes. But I've still been worrying about it."

"I overheard you pestering your mom about it too," Grandpa said. "So did you leave it with God, or did you take it back?"

"I--I guess I took it back," Sydney admitted. "It's hard not to worry."

Grandpa nodded. "Worrying means we're not trusting God to handle things that are out of our control. If you start to worry, why not pause and quietly talk to Jesus? He died on the cross to have a relationship with you, and He cares about your problems. Trust Him to help you and give you His peace."

Just then the door swung open and Nathan came in and handed Grandpa his train.

–Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Do you bring your problems, worries, and needs to God in prayer? After you do that, do you start worrying all over again? Once you have brought your problem to God, don't try to take it back. Ask Him to give you peace and patience as He handles the situation. Trust Him to work things out for His glory and your good--even if it's in ways you don't expect.

Today's Key Verse:
Don't worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need. (ERV) (Philippians 4:6 )

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God with your problems

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:9-16

"Mom, why is Dad scowling?" asked Jackson as he watched Dad working at the edge of the new concrete patio he had poured. "I think the patio looks great!"

"I think so too. But the concrete is setting faster than Dad expected."

"Setting?" asked Jackson. "You mean it's already getting hard?"

"Right," said Mom. "It's easy to level and smooth cement when it's first poured, but once it's set, you can't change it. So now he has to work fast to try and get it the way he wants it before it's too hard."

"Oh. Well, I wish I could help him, but I guess I can't." Jackson picked up his baseball mitt. "Is it okay if I go to the park to practice throwing with José for a while?"

"That's fine--if you've finished the other things you need to do," said Mom. "Did you pick up your room and take the trash out? And how about your quiet time? Did you do that?"

Jackson nodded. "I knew you'd ask that, so I did all those things right after breakfast."

"Good for you," said Mom. "I'm glad you're making it a habit to do your work and to pray and read your Bible before going out to play. It's important to practice good habits now so you'll keep doing them when you're older--and spending time with Jesus is one of the best habits to practice. When we spend time with Him, He reminds us that He loves us and will always forgive our wrongs and be with us, no matter what we face in life."

Jackson watched his father frantically try to smooth the quickly hardening concrete of their patio. "Does that mean habits are like concrete and harden in place?"

"That's a good way to look at it," said Mom. "Both good and bad habits can become hardened into a person's life over time."

"And that's why you want me to set good habits while I'm young," said Jackson.

Mom nodded. "We can start new habits at any age, but the sooner we let go of bad habits and replace them with good ones, the sooner those good habits will be set in place. The best time to start practicing a good habit is today--no matter how old you are."

–Pauline Youd

How About You?
Are you forming good habits? There are lots of habits that are important in the Christian life, such as praying, reading the Bible, going to church, thanking God for everything He gives us, and confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness. But forming habits like these takes practice, so start doing them now. As you practice them, they'll begin to set and soon become a part of your everyday life.

Today's Key Verse:
Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come. (NKJV) (Ecclesiastes 12:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Practice good habits