Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:11-13

"Sarah, Lynn, you need to start packing," Mom said. "The hurricane has turned and is heading this way. They're evacuating the barrier islands."

Sarah quickly jumped into action and started packing, but Lynn began to cry. "I'm scared!"

"It's going to be okay, Lynn," said Mom. "We'll be gone before the storm hits. We'll follow the escape plan and head north to Grandma and Grandpa's house."

Once the car was packed and the house was boarded up, they got on the road. The traffic leaving the islands was already backed up for miles. It was going to take a while to reach the mainland, and from there it would take another four hours to get to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Good thing Lynn and Sarah packed a lot of toys.

When they finally arrived, the girls gave each of their grandparents a big hug and then ran into the backyard to play. It felt good to be out of the car and running around again.

The next day when Grandpa was watching the news, Sarah and Lynn saw the damage the storm was doing as it ripped through the islands. Then it showed footage of people being rescued from rooftops.

"I thought everyone had to leave the islands," Sarah said.

"They were supposed to, but some chose to stay," said Grandpa.

Lynn frowned. "Why didn't they escape when they had the chance?"

"Some probably chose not to heed the warnings. Others probably didn't have a way to leave." Grandpa turned off the TV. "Did you know there's one situation where we always have the option to escape? The Bible says that whenever we're tempted to sin, God provides a way out."

"He gives us an escape plan out of temptation?" asked Sarah.

Grandpa nodded. "We have a choice to make whenever we're tempted to do something that's wrong. Do we choose God's escape plan and use the power He gives us to say no to sin, or do we choose to give in to the temptation and then face the consequences of our bad choices?"

"Well, I sure am glad Mom and Dad got us safely off the island before the hurricane hit," Sarah said.

"Me too!" said Lynn. "And next time I'm tempted to do something wrong, I want to follow God's escape plan."

-Lisa Fuller

How About You?
Have you ever been tempted to do something that you knew was wrong? God always provides a way of escape for us when we are tempted to sin. If you know Jesus as your Savior, He has given you the power to resist temptation and say no to sin. Trust Him to show you a way out, then be willing to follow His plan.

Today's Key Verse:
God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out. (NLT) (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Today's Key Thought:
Choose to escape temptation

Bible Reading: Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:28-32

"Hi, Mom," said Clara as she walked into her mom's hospital room. It seemed so strange to see Mom in a hospital bed. "You feeling okay?"

Mom nodded. "They only did tests today. The surgery isn't until tomorrow, but don't worry. I'm in very good hands." She pointed to a bag Clara was carrying. "What did you bring?"

"I brought a puzzle." Clara dumped the pieces onto Mom's bedside table. "It's just a small one, and I figured we could put it together."

"Good idea!" said Mom, and they began searching for edge pieces.

As Clara worked, so many questions filled her mind. Will Mom's surgery be really painful for her? Will it make her well? And the scariest question of all… Could Mom die during the surgery? But she didn't want to worry her mother, so she kept her thoughts to herself.

"I can't figure out where this piece goes," Clara said, frowning.

Mom smiled at her. "I'm glad you brought a puzzle. It's kind of like my life right now. Being sick and needing surgery is like that piece of the puzzle. You don't know how it fits in the picture, and I don't know where this experience fits into the picture of my life. But knowing that God promises to work everything for good and seeing how He's already put some other pieces of my life together helps me trust Him now too."

"What do you mean?" asked Clara.

"Well, one example is the way God worked when Dad lost his job," said Mom. "We couldn't understand how that would fit in the picture of our lives. Then God provided a job for him in this city where Dr. Campbell practices. He's the best doctor in the country for the surgery I need."

"God is taking care of you, right?" said Clara slowly. "And He'll take care of you tomorrow, won't He?"

Mom nodded. "Even if the surgery isn't successful, I know He'll take care of me because I belong to Jesus and will spend eternity with Him." She squeezed Clara's hand. "I don't understand how this fits into my life, but He does, and I trust Him to put the picture together for me. Will you trust Him too?"

Clara nodded. She was finally able to give her mother a little smile.

-Katherine R. Adams

How About You?
Are there events in your life that you don't understand? Take comfort knowing Jesus is with you in hard times and promises to work everything out, even though you may not understand it now. God sees the total picture of your life, and He's fitting the pieces--the events in your life--into just the right places. Even when bad things happen, you can trust Him to help you through them and bring good out of them.

Today's Key Verse:
We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (CSB) (Romans 8:28)

Today's Key Thought:
Trust God to work for your good

Bible Reading: John 10:27-29

"You look sad, Kevin. What are you thinking about?" Mom finished drying her hands on the kitchen towel she was holding and hung it back up on the rack.

"Well…" Kevin gulped. "Remember how I got saved in Sunday school a few months ago? Well, I think I might not be saved anymore! I keep doing bad things. I disobey you all the time. I lied to my teacher about my homework. I said something mean to Justin when we were playing that video game the other day. Justin says I'm going to lose my salvation if I keep doing all these bad things!"

Mom was quiet for a moment, then she said, "Let's go to the park."

Kevin wiped his nose on his sleeve and slid off the couch. He grabbed his battered stuffed kangaroo and headed to the park with his mom.

"Better leave Joey with me," Mom said when they got to the park. "You don't want to lose him on the playground."

Kevin reluctantly handed his kangaroo over to his mom for safekeeping. Then he ran off to play.

Later, at home, Kevin started crying. "Mom! I can't find Joey anywhere! I think I lost him at the park. Now he's gone forever and I'll never see him again!"

"You didn't lose him. I was keeping him for you, remember?" She pulled the stuffed animal out of her bag and handed him to Kevin.

Kevin grabbed Joey and squished him to his chest. He was so happy his favorite little friend wasn't lost!

"Kevin," Mom said, "remember how you were asking about losing your salvation? This is a good illustration of how salvation works. When you trusted Jesus as your Savior, He forgave your sins and gave you eternal life as a child of God. That's what salvation is--the promise that we have been freed from sin's power and will live with God forever as His people. If you had to keep your salvation safe all by yourself, you would lose it. But Jesus not only gives us salvation for free--He is also the one who keeps it for us! You can't lose your salvation because Jesus is holding it for you."

-Kristi Van Winkle

How About You?
Are you afraid of losing your salvation? Do you worry that if you do too many bad things you won't be a Christian anymore? Your salvation is not based on anything you do--it's a gift from God, and you don't ever have to worry about losing it! You're God's child now, and nothing will change that. When you do something that's wrong, He will forgive you and help you do better. Jesus is the one who holds your salvation, and He promises to keep it safe.

Today's Key Verse:
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. (CSB) (John 10:28 )

Today's Key Thought:
Jesus holds your salvation

Bible Reading: Romans 12:9-18; Galatians 4:6-7

"Mom, who do I look like?" asked Avia while her mother braided her hair.

"Who do you look like?" repeated Mom. "Well, let's see." Mom gently tugged on Avia's hair. "Duck," she said.

"I look like a duck?" Avia laughed, knowing Mom meant for her to tip her head so she could braid the hair at the bottom of her neck.

Mom laughed too, then took a long look at both their faces in the mirror. "Actually, that's an easy question. You look more like your father--more so every day." Avia's father had died when she was very small. "You remind me of your dad so much. You not only resemble him in appearance; you act like him too. You eat just as fast as he did," Mom teased as they walked to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

"Isn't it weird that I hardly knew Dad, but now I look like him and act like him?" Avia asked as she set the table. "You always say I like the same foods he did--asparagus and beets and even sandwiches with pickles and peanut butter on them! I wonder how come I'm so much like him when he's not here for me to copy?"

"I believe you do those things naturally because Dad is a part of you. He's passed on some of his characteristics to you--like similar taste buds," said Mom as she poured apple juice. "You also act like him in other ways because you've heard stories about him and have started doing some of the same things he used to do--like seeing how many old cars you can spot on a road trip." She smiled at Avia. "It's kind of like what happens when someone becomes a child of God."

"You mean because He's our heavenly Father, but we don't see Him--just like I don't see Dad?" asked Avia.

Mom nodded. "We don't see God, but we act like Him because the Holy Spirit--who is God--lives in us. We read about God in the Bible and see glimpses of Him in the lives of other Christians. And we talk about what He does in our lives." Mom squeezed Avia's hand. "With God's help, we become more and more like our heavenly Father every day!"

-Dawn E. Maloney

How About You?
Can others tell that God is your heavenly Father by the way you live? Do your words and actions make it easy for people to identify you as a child of God? Today's Bible reading lists a number of things that describe how God's children should live. Trust the Lord to develop these characteristics in your life so others will see your heavenly Father in you.

Today's Key Verse:
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. (NLT) (Ephesians 5:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Live like a child of God

Bible Reading: Psalm 25:1-5; Lamentations 3:24-26

"I don't really see the use of praying about things," Abigail said as she hobbled to the refrigerator one morning. "I've been praying my sprained ankle would heal, but God hasn't answered my prayer." She rummaged around in the fridge. "Where's the orange juice?"

"I'm afraid we ran out," said Mom. "But there are some oranges in there--why don't you squeeze one of those?"

Abigail shook her head. "That takes too long," she said, shutting the refrigerator door. "I'll just buy some from the vending machine at school."

"Mom!" Jude called out from the family room. "The internet's not working again!" Mom and Abigail heard him get up to restart the wireless router. "This thing is so annoying," he grumbled loudly.

Abigail groaned. "That router needs to be replaced. Even when it does work, the internet's really slow. It took me forever to look up facts about mammals for my science homework last night."

"Really?" said Mom. "It took you forever?"

"Well, twenty minutes."

Mom smiled and shook her head. "It sounds like our gotta-have-it-now culture is giving you and Jude an instant gratification mentality." She eyed Abigail thoughtfully. "And judging from what you said a few minutes ago, it sounds like that attitude might be creeping into your prayer life too!"

Abigail frowned. "What's an instant gratification mentality?"

"It's when we're so used to having things right away that the smallest delay becomes unacceptable to us--like having an internet connection that's not lightning-fast or taking a few minutes to squeeze an orange," Mom explained. "It can make us think God should answer our prayers instantly too."

Abigail shrugged. "Okay, but we're supposed to expect answers, aren't we?"

"Yes, but asking God for answers to prayer isn't the same as looking up answers to homework on the internet," said Mom. "God's timing doesn't always match ours--He is much more patient than we are. Jesus patiently walks with us through the difficult circumstances we face in life--such as a sprained ankle that needs time to heal--so we can learn to trust Him and become more like Him. When we remember how patient and caring He is with us, we can be patient and wait for His answers. They'll come when the time is right."

-Tanya Ferdinandusz

How About You?
Do you have an instant gratification mentality? Do you always want things right now--if not sooner? There's nothing wrong with using modern conveniences that save us time and effort, but God's timing is different from our fast-paced world. Trust Him to help you be patient like He is as you bring your requests to Him in prayer and to answer at the time He knows is best.

Today's Key Verse:
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; I wait for you all day long. (CSB) (Psalm 25:5)

Today's Key Thought:
Wait for God's answers