Unlocked: Daily Devotions for Teens

READ: JOHN 1:1-4, 9-14; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5; HEBREWS 4:14-16

Have you been rejected by your family? Jesus can relate. His own brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:5).

Have you been rejected by your friends? One of Jesus’s best friends denied that he even knew Him three times (John 18:13-27).

Do you feel alone in your hometown? Jesus was driven out of His (Luke 4:14-30).

Have you been kind to someone who showed no gratitude in return? Jesus healed ten men with leprosy, and only one came back to thank Him (Luke...

READ: ACTS 8:26-35

William Tyndale was publicly executed in 1536 in Belgium for translating the Bible from its original languages into English. When the King James Version was published in 1611, it was made up mostly of Tyndale’s translation—the translation he was executed for writing. For over 300 years, the King James Version served English speakers well. Many people still love its beautiful poetic language.

In the 1950s, a seminary graduate named Ken Taylor and his wife Margaret were raising their ten children in suburban Chicago. As they read to them from the King James Bible (KJV...

READ: DEUTERONOMY 6:1-9; ROMANS 12:1-2; 2 TIMOTHY 2:1-13, 19; 3:16

Originally, the Bible was written in three languages: most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, parts of Daniel and Ezra were written in Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek. While Jesus was on earth, He most likely spoke Aramaic.

The English language only began to form around 450 years after Christ’s ascension. And by the 1400-1500s, it was against the laws of England and the Catholic Church to translate the Bible into English. Most church services, and most Bibles, were in Latin—an o...

READ: GENESIS 12:1-8; ROMANS 8:28-39

“But I don’t want to go.”

For months I begged Mom. I didn’t want to leave our home to move to a new state hundreds of miles away. I didn’t want to say goodbye to friends and neighbors I had known forever. I didn’t want to start all over again, especially in the middle of the school year.

“Why can’t I stay here?”

But I knew why. Cancer. We had lived in Florida my whole life, but now Mom’s doctor said the Florida wea...

READ: MATTHEW 11:27-30; JOHN 1:14; 5:19-20; HEBREWS 1:1-12

Have you ever celebrated the Day of the Epiphany? While most North Americans celebrate December 25 as the big gift-giving day of the season, other cultures celebrate January 6 as the day for presents and other surprises. On January 6, the Day of the Epiphany, many people traditionally remember the day when the Magi brought gifts to young Jesus. In many Spanish-speaking countries, children leave out grass and water for the Magi’s camels the day before Dia de los Reyes (the day of kings). They awake to find their shoes filled with gi...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 3:1-11; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:19-20; GALATIANS 2:20

I’m fat. My skin is broken out. My nose is too big. I’m ugly.

Thoughts like these have haunted me most of my life, particularly during my teenage years. I often wondered what was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I look different? Sometimes, just looking in a mirror made me want to cry.

My weight bothered me most, so I tried anything to reduce it. I refused my body nourishment, exercised too much, adopted specific and irrational eating rituals, and spiraled into binge eating...

READ: JOHN 16:33; ACTS 16:16-25; ROMANS 8:28-39; HEBREWS 12:1-3

So cold. Such nasty weather. The wind is terrible. The voice in my head was full of complaints. I was ready to get inside and tell everyone just how miserable I had felt on my morning walk. I can’t do this. I frowned. How was I even going to make it inside? It was too cold.

Suddenly, a thought popped into my head: I needed to change my thinking if I wanted things to get easier. A hymn came to mind, and I started singing it in...

READ: PSALM 34:17-22

I wasn’t hiding
I’ve always been here
All of this time
There is no need to fear

I wouldn’t leave you
This is not the end
Broken as it is
Your heart, I will mend

I am always good
I have good plans for you
My gentle hand will guide
In all that you do

I am your Father
You can come to me
Always, in any moment
I will give you peace • Bethany...

READ: MARK 10:17-22; LUKE 15:11-24; JOHN 13:1-5

Duke Zeroth pounded on the cell door, then slid to the floor. Every gold piece, mansion, animal, field, and even his wardrobe—gone to pay debts. And still he owed more.

Zeroth clutched his head. Surely he couldn’t have invested everything in that partnership with Lord Drune—the traitor! Even now, Drune was duping a new victim.

Zeroth crawled onto a pile of hay. Something dug into his back as he tossed and turned. He reached into the hay, expecting to find a rock. Instead, he wit...

READ: PHILIPPIANS 3:1-11

Have you ever read Philippians 3:1-11? Paul says some pretty surprising stuff in this passage. He talks about all the good things he did—studying God’s Word, living a holy life, and obeying God’s good law—and he calls it all garbage, rubbish, or dung. We might look at passages like this and wonder, “Why on earth would Paul say that?”

By this point in his life, Paul had learned a few things about God. He encountered Jesus on the way to Damascus, and Jesus totally changed his life. Paul realized tha...

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 34:29-33; ACTS 19:18-20; ROMANS 12:1-2; HEBREWS 12:1-3

“King Josiah!” Shaphan called out as he burst into the palace. “We found this book in the temple.” The king said, “Read it to me.” When the scribe did, Josiah tore his robes and wept.

Shaphan read the Book of the Law, the story of God’s love for His people and the rules He gave to sustain His covenant with them. Josiah recognized that Jerusalem was full of sin—the breaking of God’s good rules. There were idols at every corner. So Josiah destroyed them. The next era...

READ: 1 KINGS 19:3-8; MATTHEW 9:20-22; REVELATION 21:4

Pain and illness are terrible results of the Fall, which is when sin and death entered the world. Whenever we or someone we know is affected by an illness, God wants us to pray for healing in faith that He will heal all believers in one of three ways: natural healing, supernatural healing, or ultimate healing when Jesus comes back. Jesus, who is God, is at work in all three types of healing, and we see examples of each type in the Bible.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah is suffering from...

READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18; 1 TIMOTHY 2:1; JAMES 5:13-18

You’re halfway through the story, and the heroes are stuck. Nothing is working, and the enemies are closing in. You don’t see any way of escape. But, somehow, things turn out okay. Maybe a sudden turn of events changes everything. Maybe they knew something you didn’t. Or maybe they had a secret weapon, more powerful than you or their enemies ever dreamt of.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a secret weapon, something we could pull out to help us when we just aren’t powerful...

READ: MATTHEW 28:16-20; ROMANS 10:14-15; 1 PETER 3:15-16

In the Bible, Jesus commissioned His disciples to tell people about Him. As Christians, that is our commission too. And, personally, it’s one area I’ve struggled with. You see, I’m not an extrovert. In fact, there have been times when I’ve wondered if my voice is actually being heard at all. I’ve never imagined myself as the outspoken Peter or the zealous Paul, who both spoke passionately about their devotion to Jesus and His teachings in front of large crowds.

When I was younger, t...

READ: JOHN 1:12; 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17; GALATIANS 2:20; 1 PETER 2:9

What am I? I thought as I stared down at my hand, now covered in words written in permanent ink. Cruel words, words that had been carved into my heart for years, now written all over my hands—they stabbed me, again and again, like knives in my heart.

This can’t be who I am. I thought desperately. Lazy, slow, fat, short, stupid, weak… Every word stung with fresh pain when I looked at it. Insult after insult, crawling up my fingers and over my knuckles like ugly insects.

...

READ: MATTHEW 18:15, 21-35; COLOSSIANS 3:13

Have you been hurt by something someone said to you lately? Maybe you were left wondering how they could have been so insensitive. In my own life, I recently experienced a family tragedy. To make matters worse, one of my relatives said something unkind to me.

I thought about how I should react. Should I just get angry and bitter? The verse Matthew 18:15 spoke to me: “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have wo...

READ: MATTHEW 2:1-12; LUKE 2:8-20

On the night Jesus was born, there was a lot of celebrating going on! And those celebrations continue on to this day—all around the world.

In the USA, where I live, our Christmas celebrations center around putting up a Christmas tree and a nativity scene. On the actual day, we have a big meal and exchange presents.

In Norway, they start celebrating on Christmas Eve. They generally have porridge for lunch, and one lucky person gets an almond hidden in their bowl. That person wins a pig ma...

READ: MATTHEW 2:1-12

Three wise men, three kings, three magi—who were these people? The truth is, we don’t know a lot about them. But the Bible and history together do tell us a few things.

To begin with, the Bible never says there were three. The only reason we say “three wise men” is because they gave three gifts, so historically, Christians have talked about three people. And what are they called, anyway? The technical term is magi, which is a Greek word referring to a certain group of people, possibly from Persia, who stud...

READ: LUKE 2:1-7; HEBREWS 4:14-16

Did you know that Jesus probably wasn’t born in a stable? If you take a look at Luke 2:1-7, it doesn’t say “stable” anywhere. We usually hear about Jesus being born in a stable because it says He was laid in a manger, which is where animals eat, and in our current time and place, animals live in stables. Makes sense, right?

The problem is, in the time and place that Jesus was born, animals were often brought into a special room in the house at night to protect...

READ: MATTHEW 1:18–2:6

What a fairytale! Angels, a virgin birth, a manger, shepherds, magi…it’s a great story to make us feel all fuzzy and warm at Christmas. But can we seriously believe the story of Jesus’s birth is true?

God knew the Christmas story was going to be wildly unique. In fact, He made it that way on purpose. Why? So we could know that it really is true. How? He told us about it beforehand. The Old Testament prophecies aren’t just Christmas poetry—they’re compelling evidence that the baby in the manger was...

READ: MATTHEW 2:10-11; LUKE 1:46-49; REVELATION 21:3

All the trappings of Christmas fill me with joyful expectation leading up to the day we celebrate Christ’s birth. However, last year sadness stole my joy. In mid-December, our granddaughter was diagnosed with a non-cancerous tumor on her fibula, requiring surgery and extensive physical therapy. Sad and worried, I began just going through the motions of Christmas. A week before Christmas day, my daughter-in-law’s great-aunt died—followed by the death of my cousin, who was as close to me as a brother. At that point, I felt no joy. I want...

READ: ISAIAH 9:6-7; 53:3-12; MATTHEW 1:21-23; PHILIPPIANS 2:5-11

Every Christmas, when I read about the coming of Christ, I linger over the beautiful, contrasting descriptions of how Jesus draws near to us, even though He is holy. It’s truly a profound mystery—for Jesus IS a paradox. These contrasts led me to write today’s poem (which is also a song for me personally) because at Christmas, we celebrate history’s most incredible contrast: God Himself being born, fully human, as a sacrificial Savior—while also ruling the universe as highest Lord and King. I hope meditating...

READ: LEVITICUS 19:18; ROMANS 12:14-21; COLOSSIANS 3:12-15

A friend and I returned from Christmas shopping. I checked my jewelry box. Another pair of new earrings was missing! I had been excited about wearing them to school on Monday. I told my mother, and she discovered it was that same friend, who I’ll call Josie. My heart hurt that one of my best friends was stealing from me. I had trusted her. We shared meals and secrets, but she stole from me. I was so mad I felt like I couldn’t forgive her. At school, she was alwa...

READ: ISAIAH 7:14; MATTHEW 1:18-23; 28:20

When I entered the auditorium, my stomach fluttered with nervous energy. But spotting Debbie in the audience reminded me that a friend would be there cheering me on.

During my first year at college, I was a drum major in the marching band. Then, near the end of that school year, I tried out again for the position of drum major, hoping to continue in this role.

Auditions took place in a large auditorium and were open to the public. Debbie had been mentoring me in my faith that...

READ: MATTHEW 19:4-6; EPHESIANS 5:25-33; HEBREWS 13:4-5

Christians are notoriously bad at talking about sex. We gloss over it, give incomplete information, and usually end the conversation with, “Sex is bad. Don’t do it.” So, on behalf of Christians everywhere, I want to apologize. Sometimes we struggle with awkward subjects. We make the mistake of believing that sex has nothing to do with the gospel. But God’s Word says otherwise.

The Bible is overwhelmingly clear: creation is very good, and that means sex is very good when it’s used as it was created, i...

READ: LUKE 10:38-42

I often find myself caught up wondering if I’m doing enough for God or others. The Bible tells us to do good, serve God, and love others. All these things are important, but sometimes I can forget what’s most important.

In Luke 10, Martha is in a similar predicament. Jesus and His disciples were staying at her house, and Martha “was distracted with much serving” (verse 40). She was serving Jesus and His disciples and being hospitable, which seems good! But her sister Mary was not helping her serve. Rather, Mary “sat at Jesus’...

READ: PSALMS 18:2; 73:26; 2 CORINTHIANS 12:9-10

Susannah Spurgeon was born Susannah Thompson in London, England, on January 15th, 1832. Her family often attended New Park Street Chapel, where she first trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior. There she met Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a new preacher who later became a pastor.

On January 8th, 1856, Charles and Susannah were married. After their honeymoon, her husband left to preach, often leaving her behind. He would send letters to her almost every day, often filled with things to make her laugh and saying how much he missed her. On September 20th, 1856, their...

READ: ISAIAH 9:6; LUKE 2:1-20; JOHN 14:27

“Peace on earth” is a common phrase on Christmas cards. Usually it’s accompanied by a picture of a dove or a nativity scene with Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus in a manger. As I reached my older teen years, I felt like “peace on earth” was a ridiculous thing to say. After all, evil doesn’t stop because it’s the Christmas season. People still do evil things. Sickness and death take their toll. And for many people, getting ready for Christmas day generates anything but peace. Why would anybody say “peace on...

READ: EPHESIANS 2:8-10; 1 CORINTHIANS 1:26-31

My worth is not found in how many friends I have or how many likes I get

My worth is not found in my height, my weight, or how I look

My worth is not found in my successes, achievements, grades, or awards

My worth is not found in my GPA or how many hard classes I can pack into my schedule

My worth is not found in being the star athlete, star musician, star student

My worth is not found in...

READ: ZEPHANIAH 3:17; JOHN 11:31-36; ROMANS 12:9-21

A young man sits in his home, weeping. His mourning song goes unanswered by all but the One who hears everything.

A knock on the door startles him. An older man, a fellow member of the Body of Christ, comes in the house and, without prompting, throws his arms around the young man and weeps. The young man freezes. Then, slowly, awkwardly, he places his arms around the old man. A few of his tears, freed by the tears of the old man, leak out of his eyes despite...

READ: ISAIAH 41:10-13; 49:13-16; MATTHEW 10:29-31

My cell phone was set to full volume—there was no way I would miss this call. A small tech company had expressed interest in hiring a freelance writer to create promotional material for a new app, and they were considering me.

What an impressive addition to my writing portfolio! Actually, it would be the only addition so far. I was just starting out. I could pay the electric bill and get a long overdue haircut. My mind was churning out ideas and making plans and…then the call came...

READ: LUKE 19:10; JOHN 3:15-21, 36; ROMANS 8:14-17; 1 JOHN 3:1

Oliver, the cat I adopted years ago, is asleep on the couch beside me right now. He’s gained a little weight over the years, and now he’s quite fat and happy. He’s had a wonderful life since he decided to trust us and take the gift of grace my family extended to him that week we left food out on the porch. And now he’s reaping the benefits!

But about a month after Oliver joined our family, another cat was spotted wandering around our house. H...

READ: ROMANS 3:20-24; EPHESIANS 2:8-10

Being adopted by my family wasn’t the only way my cat Oliver demonstrated a lesson of grace to me. You see, it’s common for cats to leave little presents for their humans. And when I say “little presents,” I mean dead mice that we’d find just outside the front door. Cats leave dead animals to show loyalty to the humans who take care of them—how cute is that?!

As you can probably imagine, my family had no use for dead mice. But I can’t tell you how excite...

READ: LUKE 15:1-7; COLOSSIANS 1:13-14; 1 PETER 2:22-25

I’ve learned a lot about God’s grace from my cat. I know that sounds weird, but hear me out! When I was in high school, I looked out the living room window and saw a fluffy gray cat striding through the trees in our backyard. After talking with all the neighbors, we concluded that he had no home. So, I made it my mission to give him one!

I began leaving small bowls of food out on the porch for him. I was delighted to see him...

READ: MATTHEW 1:18-25; LUKE 2:1-21

I was gifted a beautiful Advent wreath for Christmas. The ceramic candleholders depict a winter scene, with the four words that represent the four weeks of Advent labeled in gold. I must admit, for a few years the labeling bothered me. The word wonder was used for the first week of Advent instead of hope. When I hear the word hope, I think of anticipation for something to happen. When I hear the word wonder, it makes me think of feeling doubt or surprise at something beautiful and unexplainable. For me, hope...

READ: 1 SAMUEL 1:9-20; MATTHEW 28:19-20; JOHN 16:33

Sun sets.

Moon rises.

Joy dies

Within me.

Silver stars

Cool and pure.

Pain inside

Black as night.

A prayer.

No answer.

I cry out

In the dark.

You still hear,

I will not fear.

Joy comes

In the morning. • Lorna Garlets

• Have you ever felt like there was no w...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-31; COLOSSIANS 3:17; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:11

I grew up around gamers. I remember spending hours of my childhood curled up on the couch watching my older brothers, Tony and AJ, play Legend of Zelda. I admired their skill and problem-solving abilities, and I often wished I could play as well as they did.

Many people look down on video games, considering them a waste of time at best and a corrupting influence at worst. But is that always true? It’s true that we can sometimes spend too much time and money on video games, and it...

READ: JOHN 17; ROMANS 8:34; HEBREWS 7:25; 1 JOHN 2:1

All of John 17 is a prayer that Jesus prayed to the Father on the night before He was arrested. He prayed for several things, but the most prominent theme was His concern for His followers. In these 26 verses, Jesus uses the pronouns they, them, and those 47 times. Jesus was praying for the disciples. But the shocker comes in verse 20, when Jesus says, “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message…”

Do you believe the old, old story of the go...

READ: GENESIS 12:1-9; HEBREWS 12:1-3

I grunted as I gazed through the viewport. Black space. Tiny white dots in the distance. Nothing new here. I side-eyed my dad. This was his fault. He acted like he knew where we were going. As he looked up from the blinking lights of the console, the silver commander’s tattoo on his bald scalp gleamed in the near darkness. “Still not speaking to me, Tai?”

I fingered one of my braids. He’d named me Tai—Swahili for eagle. I was born to fly, he always said. Born to explore...

READ: ISAIAH 1:18; ACTS 3:19; 1 CORINTHIANS 6:11; EPHESIANS 3:18-21

It’s almost impossible to describe snow to someone who’s never experienced it. When I was asked to explain snow once, I was at a loss for words. The nearest I came was confectioners’ sugar. But that’s not even close! Snowflakes don’t have any taste, they’re cold, they fall from the sky, they’re not sweet, and they can’t be bought in a box at the grocery store. And imagine a fort made of confectioners’ sugar. Not possible!

If I were to try again, I might say each s...

READ: JEREMIAH 29:1-14

Jeremiah 29:1-14 is one of my favorite passages in the Bible, and, if I’m being honest, one that I struggle with a lot. In this passage, most of Israel had just been taken captive by the Babylonians, who were pagans and had been enemies of Israel for a very long time. After the Israelites were taken captive, some prophets started saying God would come to their rescue quickly, defeating Babylon and restoring the Israelites’ freedom very soon.

But God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to say these predictions were lies, and the...

READ: JOHN 15:5; ACTS 17:13–18:5

Waiting is the worst. Or maybe I’m just the worst at waiting. Especially in the high school years, “real” life seems far away and dreams look distant. It’s easy to think about what we want to do and how we want to serve God in the future. It’s way harder to live that out now.

A few years ago, I saw a need at my school and decided that, no matter how small my platform, I’d let God work through me to meet that need. It was amazing to see God wor...

READ: LUKE 15:1-3, 8-10; 19:10

Cadlyn’s hand froze as she reached up to push her hair back, hovering over the empty space where the coin should have been. Her heartbeat quickened, and her fingers fumbled in her haste to pull the headdress off. Elegant silk and silver coins shone up at her. Cadlyn’s heart sank. It was as she had feared: a coin was missing. Nine silver coins like full moons embroidered into the headpiece, and one empty circle of thread.

How could it have fallen out? What will I tell Jorar? she silently crie...

READ: MATTHEW 28:6; LUKE 15:1-7; ROMANS 3:23-24; 1 PETER 2:24

We are all human and we all sin, so, until we see Jesus face to face, there will be times when we mess up.

When we stumble, slip, and fall, sometimes it seems impossible to find our way back. We let our failures keep us from going back to our forgiving, loving God, giving them far too much influence in our lives. Have you ever thought any of the following?

God could never love me after everything I’ve done.

He’ll never take me b...

READ: READ: PSALM 91; JOHN 1:14; 14:1-6, 15-23; REVELATION 21:1-7

During my first Thanksgiving break in college, I spent the weekend at my roommate Jade’s house. Her mom made delicious food and drinks, including a Thanksgiving punch called “Jade’s Specialty.” Their warm welcome greeted me with love. They were the closest thing I could get to a home away from home. On Thanksgiving night, Jade handed me her phone as I was eating my garlic butter roasted turkey. The phone showed a picture we’d taken before we started our Thanksgiving feast. It was me, standing in the middle...

READ: 1 THESSALONIANS 5:15-18, 23-24; HEBREWS 13:5

For as long as I can remember, my grandma has had a little hand-stitched sign in her home that reads: “There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.” As a child, I loved that sign. And as I grew into adulthood, I began to understand just how meaningful it was.

My grandparents lived out true gratitude. Their lives were not easy, and yet, in the middle of trials and times of having little, they were so thankful. Why? Because they knew that whatever happened—no matter how difficult or unc...

READ: MATTHEW 1:22-23; ROMANS 15:4; HEBREWS 13:5-6; 2 PETER 1:3-4

Growing up, I was surrounded by God’s promises. In church, with friends, and at home, I heard people say things like “God will never leave you,” or “God has good plans for you.” I could even find these promises in the Bible, but I was still a bit skeptical. After all, God’s promises—especially in the Old Testament, like the ones mentioned above—were given to specific people in specific situations, so how could I be certain they applied to me? I had seen people take Scripture out of context o...

READ: LUKE 23:43; HEBREWS 3:3-6; 11:13-16

Home, sweet home, The volatile, the vile memories Of tears, and shrieks, and all the while The place meant to be safe is anything but, And the place meant to bring warmth… Freezing, we are exiles.

Exiles battered by the pounding rain of Bruises and divorce, of foreclosures And, of course, the silence that wraps us In a home sweet homely hug.

Home, sweet home, How sweet the sound of Thy kingdom come and heavenly bound. No tears, no screams…just light beams, Reflecting off the golden streets.

READ: MATTHEW 20:25-27; LUKE 10:1-9; PHILIPPIANS 2:3-8

Have you ever tried to be impressive to gain friends? Sometimes we operate under the mistaken belief that being stronger, smarter, or funnier than those around us will draw others to us. In reality, positioning ourselves above others often creates space between us and them—Jesus cautions His disciples against doing this. After all, healthy relationships are foundational to the kingdom He is building. Faith comes from hearing the message, and no one wants to listen to someone who is constantly signaling I’m better than you through their attitudes and...

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31–11:2; EPHESIANS 5:1-2; PHILIPPIANS 3:17; 4:9

I recently had the opportunity to play cello with my old high school orchestra as an alumni. Before the concert, our director held multiple alumni rehearsals, and I went to all of them. But an old cellist friend of mine was only able to come to one, and on that day we shared a music stand. As we started the first song, something in my brain told me to follow what he was playing. But as I did, my own playing became more messy and hesitating. We laughed about how he should pr...

READ: 1 KINGS 3:5-12; ROMANS 12:2

God did an amazing job when He created humans. Our brains alone are made up of about 86 to 100 billion nerves that communicate in 100 trillion connections, controlling all of the systems in our bodies and allowing us to communicate, think, and reason.

But, because our world has been broken by sin, sometimes our brains give us the farthest thing from wisdom. Especially when we get overwhelmed, our thoughts run wild, often telling us things that simply aren’t true—about who we are, who God is, and what’s going on around us. An...

READ: MICAH 7:18-20; ROMANS 8:31-39

Have you ever wondered if your sin is more than God could forgive? You’re not alone. We’ve all had moments when we’ve felt and seen the darkness in our own hearts and minds and wondered, How could God still love me? Sometimes we might feel as though God only forgives us because Jesus paid for our sin at the cross—so, you know, He kind of has to. But maybe He doesn’t like it. Maybe our sin has made God weary.

In the Old Testament, the biblical a...

READ: DEUTERONOMY 10:18-19; 27:19; GALATIANS 3:28; REVELATION 7:9-10

At various times throughout US history, my nation has been shamelessly racist: enslaving African Americans, killing and relegating Native Americans to reservations, interning Asian Americans, etc. And while America has worked to put an end to these horrible practices, today we live in a time that continues those abuses with more subtle prejudices: off-color jokes, fear mongering, and hatred toward immigrants. Sadly, many Christians all around the world fall into these kinds of racial and ethnic stereotypes as well, treating people of different ethnicities with suspicion and cruelty.

This...

READ: PROVERBS 17:1; PHILIPPIANS 4:10-13; 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-19; JAMES 3:13-18

Cheerful colored cloths hung from candlelit windowsills and plump pumpkins crouched like friendly gnomes near doorways. The courtly procession was traveling through a village on the way to the autumnal feast. Around Crispin were other people wearing fine silks walking along to the lilting music of minstrels. Yet he felt anything but joyful.

Glancing at his companions, dressed in rich attire but wearing no smiles, Crispin knew they felt the same. They quarreled constantly in court. And when they did get along, it was only because the...

READ: NUMBERS 12; MICAH 6:4; HEBREWS 2:10-18

If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we can know that God is always at work in our lives, forming us to become more and more like Jesus through our relationships and experiences. This is not always an easy process, especially when it comes to family relationships. Your sister can feel like a best friend and ally on Monday, but by Friday you could be at odds. Your brother can have you in a headlock during an argument, but then work seamlessly with you on an important project later that same da...

READ: 2 CHRONICLES 32:1-22; MATTHEW 4:1-11

At one time in Israel’s history, the army of Assyria came to invade Jerusalem, and the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, was sure that this Israelite God would be as easy to defeat as the gods of the other nations surrounding it. He laid siege to Jerusalem, then used fear tactics. He sent threatening letters to King Hezekiah of Judah and sent officers to yell threats at the Israelites standing on the city walls, directly addressing the people in their own language.

Sennacherib did this “to frighten and discourage them in orde...

READ: PSALM 25:1-5; ROMANS 8:35-39; REVELATION 6:9-11

I’ve been reading the book of Revelation recently, and Revelation 6:11 is one of the verses that’s really stuck with me. Though it describes John’s vision of events that haven’t yet taken place, it still feels very relevant. The martyrs described in this verse are waiting in heaven for the Lord to punish those who had killed them because of their faithfulness to Him on earth. Rather than acting in that moment, however, God waits. The time for Him to enact justice hasn’t come yet.

Even tho...

READ: PSALM 46; JOHN 16:33; HEBREWS 4:14-16

I have heard that peace is like a river of serenity.

I have heard that the Lord is the giver of tranquility.

If peace can be revealed through the raindrops of a raging storm,

Why does the thunder never stop? It leaves my heart feeling torn.

My friends are gone. I’m alone in the dark. No peace can I find.

Fear holds me as a slave. I feel like I am losing my mind.

My hear...

READ: ROMANS 3:21-26; EPHESIANS 2:1-10; 3:14-21

Have you ever sat and watched a pendulum clock? The rhythmic back and forth motion can be mesmerizing, even relaxing.

Many things have been likened to the swing of a pendulum. Most of them are not relaxing but instead refer to constant change. Clothing, for example, is compared to a swinging pendulum. This year, women’s pants are wide, and in a few years they will be skinny once again. Popular colors also follow the swinging pendulum. For a while, many new homes had various shades of gray inside, bu...

READ: ISAIAH 49:15-16; ROMANS 8:35-39

Have you ever wondered, “Where is God now? Doesn’t He love me?” Isaiah 49:15-16 presents one of the most beautiful expressions of God’s everlasting love in all of Scripture. God contrasts His love with one of the closest of human bonds: that of a mother with her nursing child. As unlikely as it is, a woman could forget her child. Yet God says He will never forget us. Then God says He has inscribed us—some translations even say “tattooed” us—on the palms of His hands!

Why is this signific...

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 13; 1 JOHN 4:19

Gunshots—they were distant, but the sound jolted through Kor’s body like bolts of lightning. He knew with every shot, another of his comrades could fall.

CRACK! His friend Finn was going to be a doctor.

CRACK! Mika dreamed of being a professional athlete.

CRACK! Zade just wanted to get home.

In the trenches, Kor always thought about how many were lost, praying that he wouldn’t be next.

“Fight the good fight, Kor,” his dad had said before boarding the military jet.

“The...

READ: PSALM 96:2-3; MATTHEW 28:19-20; ROMANS 10:9-15

When I was a young teen, I really wanted to go on a mission trip. And I mean really wanted—I read missionary biographies, researched unreached people groups (communities who have never even heard of Jesus) and was sure that when I grew up, I too would serve God in some far-off place. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work out that way. In my first few years of high school, I tried to go on four different mission trips—but each time, for one reason or another, when the plane left...

READ: MALACHI 3:1; 4:5; MARK 1:1-3; LUKE 1:11-17

The book of Malachi in the Bible contains an oracle, or a message from God. The name Malachi means “my messenger,” and it’s the last book in the Old Testament. It’s God’s final message to His people before 400 years of silence.

By the time the prophet Malachi came on the scene, about a century had passed since the first Israelites returned from the seventy-year exile in Babylon. This exile was a consequence of their disobedience and unfaithfulness to God.

Shortly after their return to Jerusalem...

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 1:1-5; 6:3-10; 10:3-5

"God won’t give you more than you can handle,” many well-meaning people have said. However, when you’re going through that dark night of the soul—such as the death of a loved one, an unexpected diagnosis, or other deep pain—this saying does not ring true. Why does God allow these hard things we don’t, and may never, understand? Is He even still good?

Whenever I read the words of the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 6, I feel comforted. He endured so many hard things for the sake of Christ, i...

READ: ROMANS 5:1-11; EPHESIANS 2:1-10; TITUS 2:11-14

God’s ability to rescue and transform is incredible. “I once was lost, but now am found,” wrote John Newton in his famous hymn “Amazing Grace,” and these striking words weren’t simply for dramatic effect. Newton had experienced God’s grace—His undeserved kindness— firsthand, and his story is a beautiful example of God’s power.

Newton was born in England in 1725. His mother was a Christian, but after her death, he spent much time at sea with his father and abandoned his mother’s godly teachings. Eventually, he joined...

READ: PSALM 119:10-16, 50-52, 103

I used to have crippling anxiety during violin recitals because I put too much pressure on myself to nail every note in front of an audience. No matter how well I knew the music, my fingers, arms, and legs would shake uncontrollably. Instead of playing the beautiful flowing melody I spent months learning and rehearsing, my performance would be choppy and somewhat screechy. It would crush me every time.

But I finally learned how to tackle this anxiety—I would memorize my music. Through the process of memorizing, I would know th...

READ: PSALMS 32:1-11; 139:7-10; JEREMIAH 17:7-8

Sometimes, when God seems silent, it’s easier to ask, “Where is God?” than to consider what the silence really means.

There are so many stories in the Bible of God working through people in major ways. Moses led thousands out of slavery, Joseph saved entire nations from starvation, not to mention Jesus—God in human flesh—made the way to save the world from sin and death.

What we often ignore are the stories before the story. God took Moses to the wilderness of Midian before sending hi...

READ: EPHESIANS 1:17-19; 2 PETER 3:18; 1 JOHN 5:20

In fifth grade, I wrote a report on Eleanor Roosevelt. For weeks I studied her, read many resources about her, and wrote down all kinds of information and facts about her. I even had to dress up like her to make my presentation to the class. By the end of all that research, I felt like I knew just about everything about her.

But even with all of my fact-gathering, I didn’t really know Eleanor Roosevelt at all. I knew about her, but I didn’t know her personally. I di...

READ: MATTHEW 12:46-50; MARK 6:4; JOHN 1:12-13

If anyone understands messed up families, it’s Jesus.

Imagine the ridicule He could have received growing up when His neighbors and friends assumed His mother had Him out of wedlock (Matthew 1:18-25). People at school might have muttered about how neither Jesus nor Mary deserved to live. Their cruel words could have rivaled some of the insults I received from bullies in middle school.

Or the fact that His father, Joseph, likely died before He began His ministry. With few occupations available for widows back then, ta...

READ: PSALM 16; HEBREWS 13:5-6

Moment by moment

He is always there

Never have to worry

Don’t have to be scared

Moment by moment

He sees my pain

He gives me comfort

I cannot explain

Moment by moment

He shows He cares

I am a sinner

But my life, He spared

Moment by moment

He is always good

I can rely on Him...

READ: 2 CORINTHIANS 3:16-18; PHILIPPIANS 1:6-11; 1 JOHN 3:1-3

When you were younger, did you ever think gemstones came out of the ground perfectly cut and polished? I did. It shocked a younger me to learn that, when gems are mined, they come out looking like small, lumpy rocks—dusted with grime and seemingly fit to be tossed aside.

People are like that too. We’re covered from head to toe with the dirt and grime of sin. And, though many of us may appear clean on the outside, we’re all equally grimy deep down. From the be...

READ: MARK 7:20-23; ROMANS 3:10-18, 23-24; 1 TIMOTHY 1:15-16

It didn’t matter how good people tried to make themselves look. The mirror never lied. Not to Amiah. She could see a person’s true image in their reflection. And what she saw were monsters.

She didn’t know why no one else saw them, but the monsters were always there, flickering across sheets of glass and curves of metal. A spoon at a restaurant would betray the maniacal rage of a friendly waitress, her yellow, blood-rimmed eyes popping out of her head. A subway window would...

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 8

Halloween can be a controversial time for Christians. While some view Halloween as a celebration of all that is dark, demonic, and evil, others view it as a community-building opportunity to share Jesus with their neighbors. Both sides have valid points, so which one should we pick?

The origin of Halloween is definitely worrisome. It was a pagan holiday, believed to be a day when spirits came to earth to wreak havoc. To avoid being haunted, people would disguise themselves so that the spirits wouldn’t recognize them. Halloween has long been linked wi...

READ: MATTHEW 28:18-20; 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6-8; 1 PETER 3:15-16

Sharing our faith can be exciting, especially if someone is eager to listen. How can we do this well? Here are some tips:

First: Be prepared. The Bible tells us we should always be ready to explain our hope (1 Peter 3:15). If we want to bear witness to the good news of Jesus, it’s important to be investing in our relationship with God and continually deepening our understanding of our faith. Regularly reading God’s Word, talking with Him in prayer, and gathering with His people will help us b...

READ: DEUTERONOMY 31:6-8; PSALM 23; MATTHEW 28:20; JOHN 8:12

My father wheeled me out of the outpatient infusion center where I had just received my first iron infusion. I watched the bare walls and bleached floor pass by in a watery blur. By the time my dad pushed me into the box-shaped hospital entryway, now empty of people, I was crying and holding my purse like a teddy bear.

Parking my wheelchair near the sliding doors, my dad paused. “Are you okay?”

I didn’t know what to say. Did he want me to explain how I had...

READ: HABAKKUK 3; ROMANS 8:28-39; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:18

What are you most grateful for? It’s often easy to praise God for joyful blessings, but sometimes we forget we can also be thankful in suffering.

In the book of Habakkuk, God announced His severe judgment on the rebellious people of Judah. The prophet Habakkuk was devastated. God would send the dreaded Chaldeans, and the effect of their brutal attacks on Judah would be complete destruction, ruin, and captivity. The prophet lamented to God, and God answered him with three assurances: His grace would protect the righteous who live by...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; JOHN 14:6; 1 JOHN 5:19-20

They blare in our headphones, they shine out from our devices: defining voices of this world. They come subtly, yet suddenly. They echo as a whisper, yet in our minds they resound as a shout. They avert our gaze off of where it should be, redirecting our focus onto worthless lies. The voices of this world try to define who we are.

We get distracted by these voices that try to tell us who we should be, so much so that we start to believe that their lies aren’t...

READ: PSALM 18:19; ISAIAH 43:4; ZEPHANIAH 3:17; 1 JOHN 4:9-10

If you’ve ever had a pet you loved, or saw your favorite animal at the zoo, or had the opportunity to hold a beloved baby in your arms, think about what it felt like when you looked at them.

When we truly delight in an animal or a baby, we don’t need anything from them. We don’t expect anything from them, except to just be themselves. Even though they can’t do anything for us, we love them anyway, and we enjoy the time spent together.

An...

READ: HEBREWS 2:17-18; 4:14-16, 1 PETER 5:7-10

God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him. Think about that. God tells us to spill out all our wants, needs, emotions, dreams, troubles, joys, and thoughts to Him. We might be tempted to think God only wants us to confess our sins, ask for direction, and thank Him for our blessings when we pray to Him. But that’s not the case. God offers Himself as a safe outlet where we can vent, cry, and be fully ourselves.

When we pour out our hearts to God, we...

READ: PSALM 51; MATTHEW 18:21-35; EPHESIANS 4:32

I witnessed my father and mother fighting at a very young age. As the years went by, I learned that my father was not only a gambler but was also unfaithful to my mother over and over again.

As I grew up, my hatred for my father grew. He was not sorry for his faults. He was self-centered and insensitive, which made me abhor him all the more, even though I was his favorite child. And though I was studying in a Christian school where forgiveness was being taught, I...

READ: MATTHEW 6:19-33; COLOSSIANS 3:2-4; 1 TIMOTHY 4:8

I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve had a six-pack (abs, not sodas) on and off for about twenty years. Exercise has become part of my lifestyle. But something I realized about ten years ago was that my weight training had become an obsession. It slowly moved from low priority, to medium priority, to high priority, and finally to, “Life, get out of the way, because I’m working out no matter what!”

This is called an obsession. Even if you don’t work out, obsessions come in many form...

READ: PSALMS 25:1-5; 32:8; ISAIAH 30:21; JOHN 8:12

God is the one who guides my way,

Directs my path, and leads each day.

I want to go where He takes me,

Even in times when I can’t see.

The road for me is dark ahead.

He takes me by the hand and says,

“I know the path that you should take.

Trust me for the right choice to make.”

So I press on, holding His hand,

And wit...

READ: JOHN 20:24-29; ACTS 17:10-12; PHILIPPIANS 1:9-11

We all have doubts and questions from time to time. Does God exist? Are heaven and hell real? Does the Bible actually teach what people say it does? Did Jesus really rise from the dead? Maybe it’s questions from a friend that make us doubt. Maybe it’s something we hear on social media, in a movie, in a book, or from a teacher. Or maybe it’s just our own wondering hearts.

Let me assure you: it’s absolutely okay to doubt. It can even be good! Fa...

READ: PSALM 139:23-24; 2 TIMOTHY 1:9-13; 2:19-26

As a kid, one of my jobs after dinner was to clear the table and help wash the dishes. Many of my mom’s fancy dishes couldn’t go into the dishwasher but had to be washed by hand. I can still remember the feeling of having finally rinsed them and put them on the drying rack, only to discover there were some spots I had missed. Bits of dried food would be left under the brim or deep in some crevice, and the dish would have to be washed again. The...

READ: LUKE 9:10-17; ROMANS 5:5; 1 THESSALONIANS 3:12

Do you like leftovers? I love them. I would prefer to take leftovers as my lunch over a sandwich any day! When I was growing up, I remember my grandmother would designate one day of the week to have “must-go” casserole for supper. That meant she would take all the leftovers from the week before and make some sort of casserole—it was always something unique. Personally, I’m thankful for leftovers because it means that my family has more than enough to eat.

The amazing thing about today’s Scripture...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; MARK 6:30-44; LUKE 5:16; 6:12-13

Have you ever heard the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand? If you’ve spent a lot of time in Sunday School or youth groups, familiar stories like this one can be easy to skim over. But when I reread Mark recently, I found my eyes drawn to the verses just before this miracle.

It’s fair to assume that Jesus and His twelve apostles are exhausted. They have been so busy they haven’t even had a chance to eat. So Jesus tells His disciples, “Come with me...

READ: MATTHEW 14:25-33; HEBREWS 12:1-2

Lemarti woke up on the third day doubting his purpose here in the treehouse village. As a dendrology intern he felt lonely and useless. Was he wasting everyone’s time? Sure, he’d studied trees in his classes the past couple years, but these people had been researching—and living in—the forest for generations. Every day he discovered more things he still had to learn, and he felt like he just couldn’t keep up. He growled into his pillow, “How do I think about everything, Lord? What do I focus on? How do I...

READ: JOHN 1:9-13; ROMANS 8:16-17; 1 JOHN 3:1-3

Have you ever heard someone say they were “created to be” an artist or an athlete or a leader? Growing up, I believed I was created to write because it brings me so much joy and allows me to encourage others. Perhaps there’s something you enjoy doing that has come to feel central to your identity too.

But what if we weren’t created to “do,” but to “be”?

The problem with basing our identity around any earthly thing is that when that activity or relationship isn...

READ: ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8; ROMANS 8:28-30, 38-39; 2 CORINTHIANS 4:4-10

Here it is. Autumn. We see the first of the leaves beginning to change color. Even as they glow and look beautiful, the sight of them may fill some of us with a sense of dread. We know that as soon as the leaves fully change, they will begin to fall from the trees. Then the branches will be bare, the weather will turn chilly, and nothing will seem nearly as pretty or fun.

But as the season changes, we don’t have to lose hope. God ca...

READ: PHILIPPIANS 4:4-13; COLOSSIANS 3:1-4; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

No one understands! I’m a failure—useless. People would be better off without me. I didn’t want to feel like this, but the thoughts came anyway. Would anyone notice if I was gone?

Have you ever felt like this—hopeless and discouraged? If you’re a child of God, Satan is going to want to stop you. What better way to stop you from serving God than to make you feel useless and like a failure? But what does God say in His Word?

In 1 Thess...

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-27; GALATIANS 5:13

Whether we have known Jesus for a long time or a little while, we are part of His body—the church— because He saved us through His death and resurrection. But we may mistakenly think we can’t do important things in the church until we’re adults. Thankfully, I wasn’t even a teen yet when I learned that was not true.

I grew up in a very small church, so small that there were never enough adults to do everything. That was good for me—when they let me become a Sun...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-30; PSALM 139:13-16; EPHESIANS 1:4-8; 5:1

I stare at my face in the lake below.

I watch the ripples of the water grow.

A precious human made by God above

On whom He pours out His unending love.

Who am I to serve the powerful King,

The creator God over everything?

Why did He choose me? I don’t understand

What He thought when He chose me with His hand.

But then, in my heart...

READ: JOHN 8:1-11; ROMANS 3:23-24; 8:1

Unable to speak, the woman felt fear pulse through her as heavy hands pushed her toward the temple.

“We’ll see what the teacher has to say about this,” one of the religious leaders jeered. Despite the scorching heat and the sun shining in her eyes, the woman was cold. Not like this, she thought. A foolish mistake, and I’m paying for it with my life. Too shocked to cry, she felt her heart beat frantically. No escape, she thought, shivering as she turned away from the prying eyes surround...

READ: ROMANS 6:1-23; 8:1, 11

There’s nothing worse than feeling stuck in an endless cycle of sin. These sin cycles steal our life, slowly consuming us until we don’t even recognize ourselves.

Pornography is a sin that is very difficult to give up, feeding the cycle of frustration and self-hatred. Thankfully, there is one who can break that cycle.

Jesus helps you break the power of pornography, or any sin in your life, in a few ways. First, He offers forgiveness to those who know Him. Because Jesus lived a perfect life—then took o...

READ: GENESIS 1:26-27; 2:24; MATTHEW 5:27-30; 6:22-24

Most people do not realize how harmful pornography is. For many, porn consumption is considered a normal part of adolescence, and some say that it’s a healthy expression of sexuality. And God wants us to be healthy, right?

Well, yes, He does. And that’s exactly why He warns us in the Bible that lust, in any context, is a sin. And sin is damaging. Whenever we lust after a person, we are dehumanizing somebody who has been made in God’s image. We are taking that person and, i...

READ: LUKE 15:11-32; JOHN 8:30-36

The walls of Andrew’s cell were closing in on him. Only this time, it was no figure of speech. He had heard of other prisoners being crushed by their prison cells, and it terrified him.

Since he was a boy, Andrew had never known anything but the Prison of Self. He had been born there, along with everyone else who comes into this world. From ancient times, this dungeon had housed countless people, young and old, rich and poor. But now, for Andrew at least, time had run out.

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; ROMANS 8:1-2; GALATIANS 5:1

Have you ever felt weighed down by this world? Like you were a slave to the sin and pain of the past? I’ve been down that road too. And all it led to was anxiety and exhaustion, the exact opposite of what God wants for His people.

Every day, I’d wake up fearful, feeling as if I still hadn’t been cleansed from some sin in my life—dragging the past into the future. There was no rest or peace in me, only a vicious cycle of pain and...

READ: COLOSSIANS 2:6-10; 1 CORINTHIANS 2:12-16; 1 JOHN 4:1-6

One summer, I was a bored 13-year-old who needed something to do. So, I decided to offer piano lessons at my family’s home. After all, I’d had almost two years of piano instruction myself—though I wasn’t taking lessons or even practicing much at the time. My grandmother had given us her out-of-tune piano; I could teach kids to play on that. I’d created a summer job!

I haphazardly made a sign and planted it at the end of our driveway miles out in the countr...

READ: PROVERBS 27:17; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:10-18; HEBREWS 10:24-25; 1 JOHN 1:7

We serve an incredibly intentional God. Even though God alone can satisfy our needs, He still designed us to be in Christ-centered community. The most natural place to seek that community is in a local church. But what if the youth group feels exclusive or there aren’t many teens in the congregation?

As a teen, church was a lonely place for me. It was difficult to connect with other teens during the service, and most of them didn’t attend my school. At youth group, it felt like...

READ: MATTHEW 11:28-30; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1–7:4

One of the things I like most about autumn in New England is the county fairs. They have something for everyone. Blue ribbons for quilts and pies. Unusual poultry breeds and lop-eared bunnies. Giant pumpkins. Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, skateboarding, and live bands. Pigs racing for Oreo cookies. And food. Lots of food. Caramel apples and barbecued chicken and warm apple crisp.

But for me the most interesting part is the pulling contests. I can sit for hours watching farmers urge their teams of horses or oxen to pull increasingly heavy loads of...