Bible Reading: 2 Peter 1:2-9

Jack wiggled impatiently as his Sunday school teacher tied a blindfold over his eyes. A big picture of a donkey without a tail was tacked on the wall, and it was Jack's turn to be blindfolded and turned around a few times before walking to the donkey and attaching a tail. This will be easy, he thought. He had noticed that the donkey was just a little to his left and about as high as his shoulders.

When he was ready, Jack took a few wobbly steps, reached out and…there! He snatched off his blindfold and couldn't believe his eyes. There stood the donkey with a tail growing right out of its nose! Jack joined in the laughter as Mrs. Gates blindfolded another boy who was ready to try.

After the game, Mrs. Gates had the kids sit down on the floor. She pointed to the donkey, which was still in place on the wall. "It would be easy to go right now and pin the tail in the right place," she said. "What made it hard during the game?"

"We were blindfolded," said one of the girls, "and we were dizzy from being turned around."

"That's right," said Mrs. Gates. "Do you know that Christians are sometimes like that too? Attitudes that keep us from doing the right thing and showing God's love to others are like spiritual blindfolds. What do you think some of those might be?"

Jack's hand shot up. "Selfishness," he suggested.

"Or being jealous of other kids," said another boy.

"Or thinking you're better than other people," offered one of the girls.

Mrs. Gates nodded. "Things that are like spiritual blindfolds to us do not belong in our lives. When we trusted Jesus as our Savior, He set us free from sin and gave us everything we need to live godly lives for Him." She opened her Bible. "The book of Second Peter tells us some of the qualities that show others our lives have been changed by Jesus. When we lack these things because we're holding on to sinful attitudes, it says we become shortsighted--as though we're wearing a blindfold. When you notice a spiritual blindfold in your life, don't let it stay there--confess it to Jesus and trust Him to remove it."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Are there spiritual blindfolds in your life--sinful attitudes that keep you from showing others God's love? Are you quick to point out others' faults? Do you always insist on having your own way? If you know Jesus, He has given you all you need to live a godly life. Confess any sinful attitudes to Him. Then trust Him to help you see others the way He does so you can show them His love.

Today's Key Verse:
If you do not have these things [godly qualities], you are blind and cannot see far. You forget God saved you from your old life of sin. (NLV) (2 Peter 1:9)

Today's Key Thought:
Get rid of spiritual blindfolds

Bible Reading: Psalm 119:162-168

Willow stood at the entrance to the flea market and gazed at the noisy scene. Vendors and customers were talking loudly to be heard, and booths full of dishes, toys, books, and furniture spread out through the whole building. "Wow! What a lot of stuff!" she exclaimed as she ran to catch up with her mother. "Are you looking for something special?"

"Aunt Helen's birthday is next week, so I thought maybe we could find a candy dish for her," replied Mom. "She likes old-fashioned things."

"Yeah, she says they have character." Willow pointed. "The booth over there has dishes." So they went to look and soon found one they liked.

"I'm ready to go," said Mom after paying for the dish. "How about you?"

"Can I look at those books first?" asked Willow, pointing toward another booth.

"Okay," said Mom, "but don't go out of this aisle. I'll look at some other things along here."

Among the old books, Willow found a big, tattered family Bible. If it's old enough, it might be worth a lot, she thought. She checked to see how much it cost and found that it was only fifty cents. So she promptly bought it and went to show her mother. "Look, Mom. Do you think this Bible is old enough to be worth a lot of money?"

"Did you check the date in the front to see when it was printed?" asked Mom.

"I didn't think of that." Willow checked the date and was disappointed to find that the Bible wasn't very old at all.

That evening, Willow showed her dad the Bible she had bought. "I thought I might be getting a priceless treasure, but I forgot to check the date to see if it's really old." She sighed dramatically. "It isn't. The good part is that it only cost fifty cents."

"Oh, but it's still priceless," Mom assured her. "It's the Word of God, which is valuable beyond measure."

Dad nodded. "The Bible tells us how we can have eternal life through Jesus, and it offers us guidance and encouragement as we go through life with Him. Mom's right--even though you can't sell it for a lot of money, you bought a priceless treasure at the flea market today."

-Harriett A. Durrell

How About You?
Do you have a priceless treasure--a Bible? No matter what you paid for your Bible, it is valuable. The paper may not be the finest, and the binding may not be the softest leather. But the Word of God--which is written inside--is priceless. It's full of God's treasure--the truth and promises of Jesus. Read it so you can discover the priceless treasure He wants to share with you.

Today's Key Verse:
I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. (NKJV) (Psalm 119:162)

Today's Key Thought:
The Bible is true treasure

Bible Reading: Matthew 23:25-28

"Mom, I got it!" announced Eva after school one day.

"Got what?" asked her brother Ben. "Is it contagious?" He moved to the other side of the room, pretending to be afraid of her.

Eva gave him a scornful look and held up a book. The picture on the jacket showed a girl in a long skirt cooking over an old-fashioned stove. Ben made a face, and Eva grinned. "It's the book I was telling Mom about that I found at our school library. It tells how to make vanity cakes like they did in pioneer times. Mom said she'd help me make some if I brought home the recipe." She turned to her mother. "Can we make them today?"

"Right after dinner," Mom said.

After the meal, Ben was put on dish duty, and Eva ran to get the book she had brought home. She eagerly opened it and flipped through a few pages. Then she closed it and looked at the cover. "This is weird," she said, puzzled. "The jacket on this book says it's about old-time cooking, but it's really about antique cars! I can't believe I didn't notice that before!"

"Hey! That might be a good book after all!" said Ben. He grinned. "I think you should do the dishes so I can read that book."

"Somehow it got the wrong jacket on it," Mom said, looking at the book. "I guess this proves the old saying, 'You can't tell a book by its cover.'" She smiled at the kids. "And that goes for people too!"

Ben gave her a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"People sometimes put on a good cover too," Mom explained. "We might go to church and do all sorts of good things. Those who see us may be fooled and think such nice people must be Christians. But God knows what's inside. He knows whether or not we've trusted Jesus and really are Christians or if we're just pretending to be something we're not."

"Well," said Eva, "compared to that, getting fooled by the cover on this book isn't so serious, but we won't be making those cakes tonight."

"So does that mean I get out of doing dishes?" asked Ben hopefully.

"It means you get some help," said Mom. "Let's all get at it."

-Hazel W. Marett

How About You?
Do you do things that make you appear to be something you're not? Others may think you're a Christian because you go to church, behave nicely, and talk about God. But God knows if you really trust Jesus as your Savior. If not, stop pretending. He sees the real you. Trust in Him today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page.)

Today's Key Verse:
You [God] know each heart, for you alone know every human heart. (CSB) (1 Kings 8:39)

Today's Key Thought:
You can't fool God

Bible Reading: Psalm 126:2-6

"Stop crying, Maddie." Lizzy frowned at her sister. "You're not a baby."

"I want Mommy," the little girl said, burying her face in their dad's shoulder.

Lizzy stomped her foot on the floor. "Crying isn't going to help anything!" She didn't want to think about their mom. She was in the hospital getting better. It was easier just not to think about it.

"Lizzy," Dad said. "Go get me an empty bottle, would you? From the recycling?"

"A bottle?" Lizzy frowned, but she turned and did what her dad asked. "What are you going to do with this?" She held out an empty water bottle.

"I'm going to try to catch Maddie's tears," Dad said.

"What?" Lizzy's eyes widened, and she noticed that her sister stopped crying to turn and look at their dad.

"I'm going to try to catch them so I can remember them," Dad said.

Maddie giggled. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, Dad, what do you mean?" Lizzy moved to the couch.

"The Bible says that God notices our tears and remembers them." Dad smiled as he put the bottle up by Maddie's cheek, and the girl giggled. "The Bible talks about God catching our tears in a bottle."

"It does?" Lizzy wrinkled her nose. "Why would He do that?"

"Because He loves us, and He cares when we cry," Dad said, lowering the bottle from Maddie's face. "There's nothing wrong with crying. We all cry sometimes. Jesus understands that, and He wants to comfort us."

"But…" Lizzy shook her head.

"Even I cry when I think about your mom and the accident. When I think about her all alone in the hospital." Dad let out a long breath. "She'll be out soon, but it's okay to be sad while she's gone."

Dad kissed the top of Maddie's head before reaching out and pulling Lizzy to his side. "God isn't going to be mad if you cry. He cares about you. Jesus will see your tears, and His heart will be sad along with you." He rested his head against hers. "God loves you much more than I do, even, and He loves your sister and your mom."

-Emily Acker

How About You?
Do you feel embarrassed when you cry? Do you feel like you're making people angry or that you're going to be teased? God wants you to know that it is okay to cry and that He is with you and caring for you when you do. Don't hold back your tears. Share them with Jesus so He can comfort you.

Today's Key Verse:
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (NLT) (Psalm 56:8)

Today's Key Thought:
You can cry

Bible Reading: Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 14:29-31

"Zane, your bus is coming," Mom called. "Don't miss it again today."

"I'm almost done, Mom," Zane called back from his room.

"Zane, the bus is here. Hurry!"

"I'm coming, I just have to--" Zane heard the roar of his bus leaving without him. He trudged into the kitchen. "I'm sorry, Mom," he said, knowing she'd have to drive him to school again. That meant bundling up his little sisters and getting them strapped into their car seats.

On the drive to school, Mom asked, "What were you doing that made you late?"

"I had a lot to pray about," Zane answered. "Uncle Marty lost his job, and Grandma's sick…and other stuff too."

"Okay," said Mom. "But you can pray anywhere, on the bus or walking to class."

"I know Jesus hears me wherever I am," said Zane. "But I like to pray like Grandpa does--by his bed every morning. He told me kneeling is a way to show that Jesus is King. That's cool!" Zane paused. "Plus, I notice that sometimes Jesus answers Grandpa's prayers really fast!"

Mom smiled. "I remember Grandpa praying on his knees when I was growing up," she said as they pulled up to the school. "Let's talk more about this tonight."

At dinner, Zane told his dad why he'd missed the bus that morning. "Zane, I want to be sure you know Jesus hears your prayers because you're His child and He loves you, not because of where and when you pray," Dad told him. "He's delighted to hear your voice. And He answers prayers when the time is right, not because we rush Him." Dad leaned back in his chair. "You know, one of my favorite Bible stories is about a man who got a speedy answer to his prayer, even though he wasn't kneeling. Peter walked on the water to Jesus, but when he looked away, he started to sink and cried out, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately, Jesus rescued him."

"Cool!" Zane said. "I'm glad we can pray anywhere and Jesus hears us. But if I start earlier, can I still pray by my bed before school?"

"Of course! It's good to get into the habit of praying every day," said Mom. "Just don't miss the bus!"

-Teresa Ambord

How About You?
Have you ever wondered if praying a certain way would make God hear you and answer your prayer? God hears you no matter where you are--you can pray to Him anytime! And remember that prayer is about talking to Jesus and sharing your heart with Him, not trying to coax Him into answering a prayer the way you want. Spend time praying every day, knowing God hears you and will answer in the way that's best.

Today's Key Verse:
In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. (NIV) (Psalm 18:6)

Today's Key Thought:
You can pray anywhere