Bible Reading: John 10:27-30

When Shaun asked to see the gift his little sister had just opened, Kelsey turned away. "No," she said. "Mine."

"I just want to look at it!" Shaun said.

"Sorry, kiddo, but it is her gift," said Mom. "I'm sure she'll let you look at it later. Right now, she's in love with that little dog."

"It's a dog?" Shaun just wanted to see the small toy his grandparents had given his toddler sister for her birthday. When he got gifts, he held them up for all to see. But his sister had opened her gift and immediately gripped it tightly in her hand.

Later that afternoon, Shaun found Kelsey sitting on the couch, watching a cartoon. He sat down beside her and touched her hand. It was still clenched in a fist, the toy she had gotten barely sticking out of it. "Can I see this now?"

"Mine." Kelsey pulled her hand away from him.

"But you're watching a show!" Shaun sighed. "I just want to look at it for a minute."

"She's really attached to that thing." Mom stepped into the room. "She fell in love with it right away and doesn't want to let it go."

"I've never seen her care about a toy so much," Shaun said.

Mom sat down next to him. "I'm going to have to pry it away when it's time for her bath," she said. "That might be a struggle." She nudged Shaun's shoulder. "This makes me think of what we read during our devotional time this morning."

Shaun didn't remember what they had read. "What do you mean?"

"Remember what Jesus said about those who trust in Him?" Mom asked. "He said that no one will be able to take us from His hand."

Shaun looked to his sister and then his mom. "You think He'd hold on that tight to us if someone tried?"

Mom nodded. "I do. And He is much stronger than your baby sister. If He's clenching us in His hand like that, no one is ever going to get a hand on us."

"You think He cares about us as much as Kelsey cares about that dog?" Shaun asked.

Mom smiled. "Even more. Jesus gave His own life so we could be His, and He will never let us go."

– Emily Acker

How About You?
Have you ever cared about something so much that you wanted to hold on to it all the time and never let anyone else touch it? That's the way Jesus holds on to those who trust in Him. He sacrificed His life to free us from the power of sin and death, and He won't ever let go of us. No matter what difficulties you face in life, He will be with you and hold you tightly.

Today's Key Verse:
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (NKJV) (John 10:28)

Today's Key Thought:
God holds you tightly

Bible Reading: Hebrews 11:8-12

Jack helped Dad load the last of the boxes into the truck. Then he jumped down to the street and looked up at his house. It wasn't the largest or fanciest house on the block, but it was the only place he'd ever called home. Now his parents had accepted teaching positions at a school in Guatemala. They were moving away to an entirely new country.

The moving truck door rumbled shut behind him. "That's the last of it," Dad said, wiping his dusty hands on his jeans. He turned to Jack. "Ready to get to the storage unit?"

"Yeah, okay," Jack said.

He shuffled toward the front of the truck and climbed in. Dad started the engine, and they drove slowly down the street. They passed Jack's favorite park, where kids he knew climbed on the jungle gym and played tag in the field. "Does our new neighborhood have a park too, Dad?" he asked.

"I don't think so," Dad said. "But there's a playground at the school."

Jack swallowed a groan. A new school with kids who would probably all speak Spanish.

The red-and-white-striped umbrellas outside Mimi's Ice Cream Shoppe came into view. "Are there ice cream shops in Guatemala?" Jack asked, unable to keep the longing out of his voice.

Dad glanced over at him. "Things will be different in Guatemala, Jack, but that doesn't mean they'll be bad."

"But how do you know?" Jack asked.

"Well…" Dad stopped the truck at a red light. "It isn't always easy to see the next turn in life. But that's what faith is all about--having confidence that God will see us through each new thing. He has always taken care of us--He sent Jesus to save us from sin and has provided for us and helped us through hard times. We can trust Him to be with us and help us now." The light turned green, and Dad guided the truck onto the next road.

Jack thought about how he trusted Dad to drive the truck. He couldn't see the storage unit from where he sat, but he knew Dad would get them there. If he could trust Dad, he could surely trust Jesus, who died and rose again, to keep His promises.

"Dad? Can we stop at Mimi's one last time on the way home?"

Dad smiled. "Sure. One last time."

– Christa Hogan

How About You?
Is there something new and kind of scary in your future? Maybe you're moving to a new school or neighborhood, or a friend or family member is moving away. Even if you don't know how all the details will work out, God does. He loves you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you, and He promises to be with you and help you. Tell Him how you feel and ask for His guidance, then trust Him to take care of you.

Today's Key Verse:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (NIV) (Hebrews 11:1)

Today's Key Thought:
Have faith that God will take care of you

Bible Reading: Revelation 21:22-27

Willow swallowed hard. Ever since Dad had helped her set up her newspaper route accounts on the computer, she worked diligently to keep them up to date. But now she hesitated as her finger hovered over the delete key. The account on the computer screen was that of one of her customers--Mrs. Trembley. The name glowed with a special brightness--or so it seemed to Willow. As she stared at it, she tried hard not to cry. "Mrs. Elizabeth C. Trembley, 288 Fox Street, Faris, Iowa," Willow murmured. She swallowed again and then punched the key. Mrs. Trembley's name and address disappeared, and the screen returned to the program's home page. The account was gone forever--just like Mrs. Trembley.

A tear slid down Willow's cheek as Dad came into the room. "Willow, what's wrong?" he asked.

Willow gulped. "I erased Mrs. Trembley." She gestured toward the computer as she brushed a tear away with the back of her hand. "I feel so sad about it, Dad. She was the nicest person on my paper route."

Dad nodded and put a hand on Willow's shoulder. Mrs. Trembley had been a real friend to Willow, but the kind elderly lady had died of a heart attack a couple weeks earlier.

"When I pushed the delete button, I felt like I was erasing Mrs. Trembley's life," Willow said faintly.

"You told me Mrs. Trembley was a Christian, didn't you?" asked Dad.

Willow nodded. "She said she trusted in Jesus when she was a little girl."

"Then Mrs. Trembley is safe with the Lord," Dad said. "Her name is written in the Book of Life--God's record of all those who have been saved by Jesus and will live with Him forever--and it will never be deleted." Dad gave Willow a hug. "You deleted Mrs. Trembley's name from the computer, but no one will ever erase her name from God's records. She's with Jesus now, and one day He will raise her from the dead."

"I know." Willow smiled as she thought about that. She sighed, but she felt a bit better. "I'm glad. And I know I'll see Mrs. Trembley again someday, because my name is written in God's book too."

–Carol J. Brookman

How About You?
Is your name written in God's record book--the Book of Life? If it is, it will never be erased. He will never forget you or abandon you--Jesus has given you eternal life with Him and will always be with you, no matter what. If you haven't yet trusted in Jesus, do it today. (To learn more, click the "Good News!" button in the right column of this page or go to www.keysforkids.org/goodnews.) Then your name will be written in the Book of Life for all eternity.

Today's Key Verse:
Nothing impure will ever enter [heaven]… but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life. (NIV) (Revelation 21:27)

Today's Key Thought:
Those who trust Jesus have eternal life

Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 16:6-13; John 3:16-17

TAP! TAP! TAP! Two hammers thudded on the walnut shells. Ben and his dad were stripping the thick outer shells from nuts they had gathered in the woods. "Ugh!" exclaimed Ben, looking at the stains on his gloves. "It was fun picking these up, but they sure are messy!"

"Sure are," said Dad. "But just think how good Grandma's black walnut cake will taste when she uses these. It will be worth all the effort."

As they continued working, Ben talked about school. "Did I tell you about the new kid in my class, Dad? His name is Collin, and he's weird!"

"Why do you say that?" asked Dad.

"He always talks too loud, and he thinks he's such a tough guy," replied Ben. "I just don't like him."

Dad worked in silence for a while. Then he picked up another walnut and held it out. "Maybe Collin is like this nut."

"Yeah--a tough nut to crack!" said Ben.

"You don't know him very well yet, do you?" said Dad. He tapped the nut with his hammer. "Walnuts grow with this soft, spongy covering, and after we take that off, there's still a hard shell, so we can't see the good nutmeat on the inside. Collin may be like that. He may be quite different from who you think he is."

Ben frowned. "You mean he may just be putting on a tough act?"

"It's important to try and see others as God sees them," Dad said. "God loves each and every one of us, and He knows exactly what our hearts look like. When people are afraid or insecure, they sometimes act tough to hide their feelings." Dad finished removing the outer shell from the nut. "Have you ever done that?"

"I don't know," said Ben. "Maybe."

Dad nodded. "Well, with God's help, maybe you could get past Collin's outer shell. When you see him as someone God loves--someone Jesus died on the cross to save--it will help you be more patient and understanding as you get to know him. Then see what God does in both of you."

Ben considered how he could get to know Collin better. "He was watching us play soccer at recess," Ben said. "Maybe he'd want to join us."

–Judith K. Boogaart

How About You?
Do you have trouble liking someone because of how they act? It's possible they act that way to hide their fear or insecurity from others. Trust God to help you see that person the way He does. Remember that He loves them just like He loves you. He knows what's in each person's heart, and He can work through your love and kindness to change hearts and lives.

Today's Key Verse:
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (NIV) (Ephesians 4:2)

Today's Key Thought:
Look at others with love

Bible Reading: Titus 2:11-15

"Look at those jellyfish!" exclaimed Jude. "They look like tiny parachutes!" He leaned forward, watching the silky-looking jellyfish that were floating in one of the tanks at the aquarium.

Ashlynn nudged her way closer. "Wow!" she cried. "Look at the colors--pink, white, blue, yellow, green, purple, and even some striped ones!"

Dad was looking at the sign next to the popular exhibit. "When out of the water," he read out loud, "jellyfish look like a glob of jelly dripping from a spoon. Jellyfish are invertebrates. They have no backbone and no central brain."

Jude came over to look at the sign. "It says they float by opening and closing their bodies like an umbrella. They hardly move unless a current comes along."

That evening, the kids talked about the things they liked best of all at the aquarium. "Those jellyfish were so pretty," said Ashlynn. "It's cool how they just float along, going with the flow of the current."

"It is cool how God created jellyfish to move that way, isn't it?" said Dad. "But it's important to remember that He didn't create us to be like that."

"What do you mean?" asked Ashlynn.

"Sometimes we just want to go along with what's going on around us," replied Dad. "We go with the flow and don't think for ourselves."

"Oh." Ashlynn bit her lip. "Kind of like what I did when Brielle and Rachel were over yesterday."

Dad raised his eyebrows. "Really? What did you do?"

"Brielle and Rachel were making fun of Naomi, and I just went along with it and laughed at whatever they said." Ashlynn sighed. "Brielle and Rachel are really popular at school, and lately they've been wanting to hang out with me, so I didn't want to…" Her voice trailed off.

Dad gave a sympathetic nod. "We all do things like that sometimes, which is why we need to remember that God didn't make us like jellyfish with no backbone. Because we trust in Jesus, God has made us His children and given us the power to love others and do what's right. When those around us do things that are hurtful and wrong, we don't have to go along with them. Instead, we can trust God to help us love others the way He does and stand up for them."

–Lucinda J. Rollings

How About You?
Do you hold true to what is right? Do you defend those who are treated unkindly--even when it means standing up to your friends? Or do you just go with the flow? God didn't make you to be like a jellyfish--He gave you both a backbone and a brain! And if you know Jesus, you also have the power to obey Him and show His love to others. Trust Him to fill you with His boldness to do what is right, even when it's hard.

Today's Key Verse:
[God's grace] teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives. (NIV) (Titus 2:12)

Today's Key Thought:
Stand for what is right