Bible Reading: Psalm 16; John 15:8-17

Grace twirled her hair nervously as she walked up to Ms. Evie. Evie looked the same as she did months ago--only now she was in a wheelchair.

Evie looked up with a bright smile when she saw Grace. "How is it that you've grown even taller in just a few months?" Evie's green eyes sparkled and she squeezed Grace's hand.

"Hi, Ms. Evie. I'm sorry about your car accident. My parents said you won't walk again."

Evie nodded. "Unless God performs a miracle, I don't think I will."

"But--doesn't that make you angry?" asked Grace. "You're in the middle of going to college and you had so many plans interrupted. But it's weird, you don't seem angry. You look--happy!" Grace clapped her hand over her mouth. "I shouldn't have said all that."

Ms. Evie's laughter sounded like tinkling bells. "It's okay, Grace! It's refreshing to hear some honesty. Let me tell you a secret." Evie leaned forward. "I'm not happy."

"What?" Grace's eyes widened.

"I'll explain. I'm not happy about my situation, but I do have joy."

"What's the difference? I thought they were kind of the same thing," Grace mused.

"Good question! Happiness depends on our circumstances, which can change from day to hour to minute. But true joy comes from knowing Jesus. Jesus joy is my secret weapon."

Grace sighed. "It's not always easy to be joyful."

Evie shook her head. "It's not. For the first few weeks, I was mad at God, asking Him why this happened. I still feel sad about what I've lost, but I've been thinking about what Hebrews 12:2 says about fixing our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross so we could have the joy of knowing Him. Jesus loved us enough to make the ultimate sacrifice. The joy set before Him was knowing that we would belong to Him forever when we trust Him to save us. Knowing He's always with me and that He promises to give me a new, perfect body one day fills me with joy."

"I guess I'd never thought of it like that," said Grace. "I have noticed that spending time with Jesus lifts me up when I'm feeling sad. When I read my Bible and sing praise songs, it just makes me feel more--"

"Joyful?" Evie interjected.

"Yeah!"

"Sounds like you've got Jesus joy too, girl!"

–Savannah Coleman

How About You?
Have you ever thought about the difference between joy and happiness? Is there a person in your life who you could see had the joy of Jesus in them despite tough circumstances they were going through? Do you have the joy of Jesus in you to give you strength when hard times come? God promises that when we belong to Him, His joy will be in us and our joy will be full (John 15:11). Spend time in His presence and soak up the joy He offers you!

Today's Key Verse:
For the joy set before [Jesus] he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NIV) (Hebrews 12:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus gives you genuine joy

Bible Reading: Psalm 34:17-22

Aries threw her mom's cell phone on the counter and ran to her room as fast she could. She slammed the door and belly flopped onto her bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

Soon there was a knock on the door. "Aries, can I come in?" Mom asked.

"I guess so," Aries was able to get out between sobs.

Mom sat down on the bed. "I'm guessing your dad called to say he's not coming to get you this weekend like he promised," she said as she rubbed Aries' back.

Aries nodded. "He said something about having to work early on Monday. That's the third week in a row. What's wrong with me, Mom? Why doesn't he want to spend time with me?" Aries asked as more tears flowed down her cheeks.

"Honey, it's not you. I'm not sure what's going on with your dad, but I know it's not your fault," Mom reassured her.

"It's just so hard. I was really looking forward to this weekend," Aries said as she turned toward her mother and began sobbing on her shoulder.

Mom let her cry for a while before breaking the silence. "Aries, I want you to look at my cell phone." Aries sat up and looked at the phone in her mom's hand. "After you got done talking to your dad, you slammed my phone down pretty hard on the counter, but is it broken?" Mom turned the phone over, and Aries shook her head. "Why not?" Mom asked.

"Because the case protected it," Aries said.

"That's right. People are going to disappoint you in life--I may even let you down sometimes--and it's normal to feel hurt because of it. But remember that since you're a Christian, you will always have the love of God protecting you. Jesus gave His life to save you, and He will never fail you. He is with you when you're hurting and wants to comfort you and help you." Mom kissed the top of Aries' head. "I love you, kid. I'm going to go start dinner. Why don't you come join me when you're ready?"

After her mom left, Aries took a deep breath and dried her eyes. "Dear Lord, thank You for loving me. Please help me get through this," she prayed as she headed toward the kitchen to join her mom.

–Melissa Yeagle

How About You?
Are you going through a rough time right now? Do you feel hurt because someone has let you down? Even those closest to you will fail you sometimes, but God never will. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you so you could be His child, and He promises to always be with you. When you feel hurt or are facing a hard time in life, remember that you are not alone. God loves you and will help you through it, and He'll put people in your life who can remind you of His love too.

Today's Key Verse:
God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never abandon you." (NLT) (Hebrews 13:5 )

Today's Key Thought:
God's love never fails

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:89-90, 103-106; Matthew 5:6

"How much do horses eat?" asked Jared as he and his Uncle Bill walked through the horse barn.

"A lot!" Uncle Bill replied. "It's a good thing we can put them out to pasture every day." He grinned. "Did I ever tell you about the no-feed horse?"

"No. What's a no-feed horse?" asked Jared.

"Well, I heard about a fella who figured out how to raise a horse that didn't need to eat," Uncle Bill explained. "Just imagine the money he would save!"

Jared gave his uncle a confused look. "A horse that doesn't eat? How is that possible?"

"This guy started out by reducing the horse's feed by an ounce a day," said Uncle Bill. "Then he reduced it by two ounces, and then three ounces, and so on. He did that until the horse was getting by on almost no food at all."

"Wow!" said Jared. "Then what happened?"

"Well, that's the sad part," said Uncle Bill. "One day the horse up and died."

For a moment, Jared stared at his uncle, open-mouthed. Then he saw his uncle grin, and he realized Uncle Bill was just teasing. "Uncle Bill! You're kidding me!"

Uncle Bill laughed heartily. "Yep, I reckon I am. But I really have known some fellas who were almost as foolish as that rancher. They always tried to get by with feeding their livestock as little as possible. Then they'd wonder why their cattle didn't grow like they should." Uncle Bill tugged on his hat thoughtfully. "I've known some Christians like that too," he added. "I was even like that myself for a time. I started off reading my Bible and praying and going to church regularly. Then I tapered off--I was just so busy with things on the farm, see. It took me a while to realize that my soul wasn't being fed and my spiritual life was suffering. I needed that time with Jesus and His people so He could fill me with His peace and remind me of His presence."

"Wow," said Jared. "I never considered going to church or reading my Bible to be just as important as eating food!"

Uncle Bill smiled at him. "Don't ever forget that your soul needs to be fed just like your stomach does."

–Sherry L. Kuyt

How About You?
Do you remember to eat every day? Of course you do! But what about feeding your soul? It needs Jesus just like your stomach needs food, and if you don't feed it, your spiritual life will suffer. Spend time in fellowship with other believers listening to what God says in His Word, and pray and read the Bible on your own too. Let Jesus feed your soul by reminding you of His truth, love, and promises.

Today's Key Verse:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. (NKJV) (Luke 4:4)

Today's Key Thought:
Don't neglect your spiritual life

Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:16; Colossians 2:2-3

The teacher handed out the graded test papers, placing them face down on the desks. Layla was afraid to turn hers over and instead slipped it into her notebook without looking. When the bell rang, she shoved her notebook and jacket into her backpack and headed for home.

Halfway to her house, Layla sat on a stack of tires at the corner of an auto repair shop. She pulled out her notebook and then the graded test. Just as she thought--a big red F! She wadded the test paper up and threw it in the trash can next to the mechanic's garage.

"I hate school!" exclaimed Layla as she walked into the kitchen. "Reading is too hard."

Mom looked concerned. "Isn't that special reading class helping you?"

"Not really." Layla sat in a chair with a sigh. "The teacher is nice and all, but nothing seems to change. I feel so dumb!"

Mom smoothed Layla's hair away from her face. "You're not dumb, Layla. I know you want to do better with your reading, and I'm proud of you for working so hard. Reading is an important skill to have in life, and I'm glad you want to learn how to do it well." Mom smiled thoughtfully. "Did you know there's something even more important to have in your life--something you can't learn on your own?"

Layla shook her head. "What's that?"

"Wisdom," answered Mom. "Wisdom lets us know what is true and right and shows us how to apply that truth to our lives."

"How do we get wisdom?" asked Layla.

"I was hoping you'd ask," said Mom with a grin. "The Bible tells us to ask God for wisdom, and He will gladly give it to us."

"So, I just need to pray and I'll be smarter?" Layla asked, looking confused.

"Being wise is more than being smart and knowing information--it's about knowing God's truth and trusting in Him. In order to have wisdom, we need to have faith in Jesus. Then, as He works in our lives through the Holy Spirit, we will grow in wisdom and in our knowledge of Him."

"I'm glad God gives us wisdom when we ask for it," said Layla. "I'm going to pray and ask Him to help me with my reading too!"

–Bonnie Carr

How About You?
Do you wish you were smarter? Do you have questions you can't figure out the answer to? While it's important to study in school and learn new things, you'll never have all the answers. Only God does, and knowing Him is more important than knowing anything else. Ask Him to give you wisdom, and He will help you see how much you need Jesus. When you know Him as your Savior, He will help you grow in wisdom and understanding.

Today's Key Verse:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (NIV) (James 1:5 )

Today's Key Thought:
Pray for wisdom

Bible Reading: John 4:7-14

"Hey!" said Zoe. "What's wrong with the water?" She turned the kitchen faucet knob as far as she could, but all she got was a sputtering sound. She groaned. "I'm so thirsty!"

"When I got home from work, I found a notice on the door saying the city water department would be working on our street today," said Mom. "If I'd known earlier, I would have filled some containers. There's still some juice in the fridge."

Zoe grabbed the juice and poured all of it into a large glass. She chugged it greedily, then smacked her lips. "That was good."

"Did you save any for Mikey?" asked Mom, looking up from a pile of mail.

Zoe looked at the empty juice container. "Whoops."

When Zoe's brother Mikey got home a few minutes later and found out there was nothing to drink, he groaned and staggered to a chair. "Water! Water!" he cried weakly.

Zoe laughed. "You don't have to be so dramatic about it."

Mom went to answer a knock at the door, and a minute later Molly, their next-door neighbor, walked in with a gallon of water. "I thought you might be needing this," she said.

Mikey eagerly poured water into a glass and drank it, then sighed with satisfaction. "Oh, thank you, Molly," he said, clasping his hands together. "You saved my life!"

"Oh, brother!" groaned Zoe. "Here we go again!"

"Well, a person dying of thirst can be saved by getting a drink of water," said Mikey. "Isn't that why Jesus is called the Living Water? Because He can save people who are dying?"

"That's a very good point," said Mom. "People have a spiritual thirst that's even greater than the thirst for water. We have a thirst for love, for joy, for forgiveness--

for God. A drink of water can save us from physical death, and Jesus, the Living Water, can save us from spiritual death. But what if you hadn't taken the water Molly offered you, Mikey?"

"I'd still be thirsty," said Mikey.

Mom nodded. "The same thing goes for us if we don't take the Living Water that Jesus offers. It's free and brings everlasting life--but only to those who accept it!"

–Trudy VanderVeen

How About You?
Do you ever feel unsatisfied with life, even if you have a lot of good things going for you? Do you have a thirsty soul--a spiritual thirst? Jesus can satisfy that thirst. He can quench your soul's deepest desires and fill your life with peace, hope, and joy. He can save you from spiritual death and give you eternal life. Trust in Him, and He will satisfy your soul. (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:
But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. (NLT) (John 4:14)

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus satisfies thirsty souls