Daily Devotional for June 17, 2026
The Good Leader
Reid sighed happily at the sound of a mountain stream trickling nearby. “I sure love hiking!” he said.
“Me too!” said his twin sister, Nicole. “It’s so pretty out here today!”
“Yeah,” said Reid. “I’m so glad school is over for the summer so we can do this again!”
“Hey, you two, don’t get too far ahead!” Dad called from further down the mountain. The twins decided to rest and wait for their parents.
“Hey, look at that,” Nicole said, pointing to a nearby tree branch.
“What’s going on up here?” Mom asked as she and Dad came up the path and sat down on a log.
“There’s a trail of ants walking on that branch,” said Reid.
Nicole squinted to get a better look. “Why are they all following that ant in front? Why don’t they just walk wherever they want to?”
“They’re following the leader,” Dad explained. “He’s probably leading them to some food he discovered.” He thought for a moment. “We’re a lot like ants.”
Reid and Nicole looked at each other, confused. “How are we like ants?” Reid asked.
“Well,” said Dad, “these ants are trusting their leader to guide them safely, and they go wherever he goes. We need to make sure we’re following our leader with the same trust and obedience.”
“You’re talking about Jesus, aren’t you?” said Nicole.
“That’s right!” said Dad. “He’s our leader. He died for our sins and rose from the dead to save us, and we need to have faith in Him and follow and obey Him in everything we do.”
Mom nodded. “We might be tempted to follow people or chase after things that can lead us away from God and what He tells us in the Bible. But Jesus is the only right path for our lives.”
“I don’t want to follow the wrong crowd,” Reid said.
“Me neither,” said Nicole. “I want to follow Jesus!”
Mom beamed. “I’m very glad to hear you say that.” She stood up. “Let’s finish this hike so we can get some food of our own.”
“I know the way to the top,” Reid said, running to the path. “Follow me!”
Nicole laughed. “Okay, but only because I know you follow Jesus!”
–Elena Ketner
How about you?
Do you follow Jesus? Do you trust and obey Him? It may seem hard to follow Him when you’re tempted to chase after what the world has to offer or what other people think of you, but Jesus is a good leader who loves you and will lead you on the right path. John 14:6 says He is the way, the truth, and the life. Trust and follow Him.
Today's Verse
Lead me in the right path, O Lord…Make your way plain for me to follow. Psalm 5:8 NLT
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