The One Year Devotions for Kids #1 (Paperback)

Excerpt

1 JANUARY

The Broken Eggshell (Read James 3:2-10)

    "I hate you, Allen!" Tom shouted. "Don't ever come in my room again! You're a thief!"

    "Whoa, there," called Grandpa, coming down the hall. "What's all this yelling about?"

    "Tom says I stole his scissors, but I didn't," Allen called from his room. "He's a liar, and he better stay out of my room, too!" Allen slammed his door.

    With a sigh, Grandpa checked into the incident. It wasn't long before he discovered Tom's scissors on the hall table. With angry words, both boys insisted the other had left them there.

    "Quiet!" ordered Grandpa. He motioned for them to follow him and headed for the kitchen, where he placed an egg and an empty teacup on the counter. "Allen, you crack this egg into the cup," said Grandpa. The boys wondered what he was getting at, but Allen obeyed. "Now," said Grandpa, "Tom, you put the egg back into the shell again, please—just the way it was."

    Tom frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked. "That's impossible, Grandpa. You can't fix a broken egg."

    "Like Humpty Dumpty, eh?" Grandpa chuckled. Then he became serious. "The point is, there's something else like Humpty Dumpty—something that can't be easily mended. I'm thinking of feelings. You boys said some ugly things to each other. Taking words back is just as impossible as mending an egg." Both boys felt bad. "Never forget how harmful words can be," cautioned Grandpa. "God says the tongue is like a fire that cannot be put out. That's how much damage words can do. Even saying you're sorry doesn't make them disappear."

    "I am sorry, though," Tom told his brother.

    "Yeah ... well ... me too," replied Allen. "You can come in my room, if you want." D.F.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you careful about the words you speak, or do you say things before you think? Even when you say you're sorry, the other person may still remember those words you said. Ask God to help you tame your tongue.

MEMORIZE:

"Don't use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing." Ephesians 4:29, TLB

* Think before You Speak

2 JANUARY

Afraid of the Dark (Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-6)

    Kim did her best to comfort Billy, the little boy she was baby-sitting, but he was terrified. A nightmare had awakened him, and he was sure that monsters were hiding in his room. "There's no such thing as a monster, Billy," Kim said as she sat on his bed and hugged him.

    When she tried to tuck him under the covers, he clutched at her frantically. "I want my mommy!" he choked out between sobs.

    "Listen, Billy," Kim soothed, "your mommy and daddy will be home later, but you're safe with me. I'll tell you what—why don't I leave the door open and turn on the hall light. I'll be right outside the door."

    "I want my bear," Billy whimpered.

    "All right." Kim placed the scruffy teddy in his arms. She dried his tears and then quietly left the room. "Please let him sleep," Kim prayed. And after Billy called out to her for reassurance several times, he did sleep.

    Kim was tired when Billy's parents finally came home, but she perked up when they apologized for being late and paid her overtime. The extra money meant she would be able to buy the camera she'd been wanting.

    At church the next day, a missionary showed slides of his work in India. The sound of the eerie pipe music filled the room. Kim saw people, their faces twisted by fear, offering sacrifices to cruel-looking idols. Why, she thought suddenly, they're just like Billy. They're scared of the dark—only the darkness they're afraid of is the darkness of evil. They need to know there's Someone to take care of them. They need the light of Jesus. Then something occurred to her. She had money. She could give some of it to help send them the gospel. The camera could wait for a while. A.L.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you been afraid of the dark? Can you imagine how much worse it would be to be surrounded by the darkness of evil, with no knowledge that God loves you or that Jesus died for you? Think about what you can do to help send the light of the gospel to the people who live in such darkness.

MEMORIZE:

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2, NIV

* Reach These in Spiritual Darkness

3 JANUARY

In His Arms (Read Isaiah 40:28-31)

    Lesa tore open the door and stumbled down the hallway. "Mother! Mother!" she called. "Is it true?"

    "Settle down there, Lesa." Dad met her and put an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

    "David said his mom doesn't have a job anymore, and that all the plant workers have been laid off. It must be true—you're home, too!" exclaimed Lesa. "Daddy, if you don't have your job anymore, how will we pay Kari's doctor bills?"

    Just then, Mom came down the steps with baby Kari. Kari's eyes lit up when she saw Lesa, and she eagerly-reached out her hands. Dad let Lesa out of his bear hug so that she could take Kari. Lesa couldn't help remembering when Kari was sick and had to go to the hospital so often. She was such a quiet and dull baby then, not at all like the bright, happy baby she was now. She squeezed her little sister even tighter in her arms.

    Dad saw the tight hug Lesa gave Kari. "Lesa, whose arms are holding Kari?" he asked.

    "That's a funny question," said Lesa. "My arms are. Why did you ask that?"

    "Well," said Dad, "is she really safe in your arms? Maybe I should take her."

    Lesa looked puzzled. "But, Dad, you and Mom have taught me to be very careful with Kari. I'm in fourth grade, you know. Why don't you trust me with Kari now?"

    Dad smiled. "Actually, I do," he said. "I'll leave her with you. But think about this—you're worried because I'm out of work. I know it's a scary thought, and I'll admit that Mom and I feel a little shaky about it, too. But we decided to leave it in the arms that are holding us."

    Lesa stared blankly at her father for a minute, and then she smiled. "God's arms," she said simply. Yes, it was true. God's arms were underneath her family. He would hold them tight, no matter what happened with Dad's job. P.J.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you worried about your future? Has your mom or dad been laid off or lost a job? Remember, God knew it was going to happen before you did, and he knows what to do about it. Trust him.

MEMORIZE:

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27, NKJV

* Rest in His Arms

4 JANUARY

Mystery Soup (Read 1 Samuel 16:6-13)

    The front door slammed, signaling that John was home from school. When he didn't burst into the kitchen as usual, Mother checked on him. "What's wrong?" she asked the glum-faced boy sitting on the sofa.

    John scowled. "I have to work on a social studies project with that new boy, Stefan," he mumbled. "You should see him. His pants are too short, his socks never match, and his hair's always a mess."

    "But what makes you think he wouldn't be a good project partner?" asked Mother.

    "I just told you," grumbled John. "If you could see him, you wouldn't ask that question."

    Just then there was a loud clunk in the kitchen. They both hurried to the kitchen, where they found John's two-year-old brother, Travis, surrounded by cans from the cupboard, many with the labels peeled off. "Oh, no," moaned Mother, looking at the mess. After thinking a moment, she said, "John, you can help me. Would you tape the labels back on these cans, please? I want them done neatly."

    "But which label goes on which can?" asked John.

    "Don't worry about that," Mother said. "Just make sure it looks nice. Then let's have one that says `Corn' for dinner."

    "But, Mom," protested John, "if you just slap the labels on any old can, the outside might not match what's inside."

    "So the outside appearance isn't really important, is it?" asked Mother. She smiled at John. "That's something I think you should remember. You've already judged Stefan because of how he looks. You've slapped a label on him without knowing what's on the inside. Find out what Stefan is like as a person—don't just judge him on his looks."

    John thought about it. "Maybe I should get to know him," he decided. "But what are you going to do about those cans?"

    Mother laughed. "I guess we'll be having mystery soup for a while." S.P.Z.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you judge people by the way they look or dress? Do you label them without finding out what is inside? God doesn't judge on outward appearances, and neither should you. Try to discover what's in the heart.

MEMORIZE:

"The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7, NKJV

* Don't Judge by Appearance

5 JANUARY

Battered Bears (Read 1 Timothy 5:1-4)

    As Jenny gave her battered old teddy bear a hug before setting him on her pillow, her brother, Adam, walked past her bedroom door. "Why don't you give that ratty old thing a decent burial—in the garbage can?" asked Adam, laughing at his own joke.

    "Be quiet, Adam," shouted Jenny. "You're not funny."

    Mother appeared in the doorway. "Let's go, kids," she said. Jenny made a face. They were going to visit Great-Aunt Catherine at the nursing home. Her mind was no longer alert, and the children hated visiting her.

    At the nursing home, they found Great-Aunt Catherine sorting through ancient photographs, as usual. Mother talked gently to her about the past while the children drew pictures. Jenny sketched a funny picture of her great-aunt and some of the other old folks and showed it to Adam, and they snickered together in the corner. They didn't notice Mother until she pulled the sketch from Adam's hand.

    Back home, Mother steered the children to Jenny's room. She took the teddy bear from the bed. "Jenny, you didn't like Adam making fun of your bear," she said. "I guess you still love it, even though its fur is rubbed off and one eye is missing, right?" Jenny nodded. "Well," said Mother, "I love Great-Aunt Catherine, even though she's old. She raised me after my parents died. It hurts me to see you make fun of her—just like it hurt you, Jenny, when Adam made fun of this bear."

    "I'm sorry," murmured Jenny. Both children were ashamed of their attitude that morning.

    "God commands us to honor and respect old people, even though they may have broken bodies and childlike minds," continued Mother. "They have spent their lives in service to their families and friends. Now it's our turn to be of service to them. Will you both please try to remember that?"

    Jenny and Adam nodded solemnly. Adam even gave the old teddy bear a gentle pat as he left the room. E.C.O.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you ever made fun of older people? Do you get impatient with the elderly members of your church or family when they cannot move fast or when they tell the same stories over and over? Proverbs 16:31 says that gray hair is a crown of glory. Treat older people with honor and respect.

MEMORIZE:

"You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man." Leviticus 19:32, NKJV

* Respect the Elderly

6 JANUARY

Allen's Allergies (Read Psalm 34:12-16)

    "Mom, the itchy spots are back on my skin," Allen said, holding out his arms. "I have bumps on my legs, too."

    "Oh, Allen," said Mother, "your allergies are acting up again. I haven't changed the laundry detergent or any of our soaps. I can't imagine what caused this reaction, can you?"

    Allen scratched his arms as he thought. "When I was over at Bob's this morning, his mom had some stuff out to the send to the mission," he said. "Bob and I dressed up in some of his dad's old camouflage clothes. I suppose they were washed in something I'm allergic to."

    "I suspect that's it," said Mother. "Go take a shower, and then we'll get your prescription refilled."

    As Allen and his mother drove home after picking up the medicine, Allen sighed. "It's hard to remember that I need to be careful about what touches my skin," he said. "We were having so much fun that I didn't even think about it." He rubbed his arms. "My allergies remind me, though," he added. "It's too bad they don't remind me ahead of time!"

    "Isn't that the truth!" agreed Mother. She smiled at her son. "You know," she added, "dressing in those clothes was innocent fun, and it's too bad you have to avoid things like that. But you do, or you get this negative reaction. There are other things that we need to be very careful to avoid, too, even though they seem like innocent fun. We need to think about the consequences before getting involved in those things."

    "Like what?" asked Allen.

    "Well, ... like watching bad TV shows, or reading dirty books, or going places where we'll be tempted to do wrong," said Mother. "Those kinds of things, like any sinful activity, will stir up a negative reaction in our lives. We need to ask the Lord to remind us to avoid things that will harm us." N.E.K.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you allergic to anything—foods, bees, medicine, weeds, soap? if so, you know it's best for you to avoid those things, Sin can cause a very bad reaction in your life as well, Try to avoid sinful things so you can avoid their consequences, too,

MEMORIZE:

"Keep away from every kind of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:22, TLB

* Avoid Sinful Activity

(Continues...)

Introduction
JANUARY
    1 The Broken Eggshell
    2 Afraid of the Dark
    3 In His Arms
    4 Mystery Soup
    5 Battered Bears
    6 Allen's Allergies
    7 Blind Leaders
    8 Dead Religion
    9 Plenty of Time
    10 Four Pennies nor a Dollar
    11 Something Stinks!
    12 The Dusty Doll
    13 Clean Glasses
    14 Sammy Squirrel Christians
    15 Guilty
    16 A Clean Environment
    17 Ready Brakes
    18 Suffering Persecution
    19 Good Advice
    20 20/20 Vision
    21 Science Project
    22 Science Project (Part 2)
    23 Rekindled Fire
    24 Turn It On
    25 A Cover-Up Expert
    26 Antibiotics
    27 Around and Around
    28 Bless Everyone
    29 The Puppet
    30 Alicia Finds a Way
    31 The J-Bar
FEBRUARY
    1 Pray and Pray
    2 Mrs. McGinn's New Rule
    3 Junk Food
    4 Best Friend
    5 Tight Braces
    6 The Broken Doll
    7 A Real Offering
    8 The Accident
    9 The Accident (Part 2)
    10 I Said That?
    11 Redeeming the Time
    12 Captivity
    13 Guilt by Association
    14 Saying Good-Bye
    15 Grandmother's Journey
    16 The U-Turn Sign
    17 Mending the Rip
    18 Fairy Tales
    19 Copy-Cats
    20 "Salty" Christians
    21 The Best Bullfrog
    22 One Very Small Thing
    23 Cereal War
    24 Survival Kit
    25 False Worshipers
    26 Jimmy Wants More
    27 Hardened Modeling Clay
    28 The Spider Bite
MARCH
    1 Foreign Words
    2 Dad's Coming Home!
    3 Saturday Every Day?
    4 Just like Dad
    5 False Teeth
    6 Stolen Seed
    7 Panic Messages
    8 Traffic Lights
    9 The White Cabinets
    10 Two Ordinary Shoes
    11 Cleaned Up
    12 The Silent Treatment
    13 Out of Gas
    14 Courage for Christ
    15 Sitting with Jesus
    16 Most-Loved Doll
    17 Ice Bags and Prayers
    18 The Sacrifice
    19 Spiritual Milk
    20 Moving Molecules
    21 A Home for Kitty
    22 Not My Friend
    23 Blah-Blah-Blah!
    24 Ornamental Fruit
    25 Ornamental Fruit (Part 2)
    26 Trustworthy
    27 Privilege or Punishment
    28 When I Grow Up
    29 More than a Ring
    30 Someone Is Watching You
    31 Redeeming Rosie
APRIL
    1 Hard Biscuits
    2 Something Is Rotten
    3 Kellie's Party
    4 Names and Labels
    5 A New Friend
    6 Don't Miss the Ride
    7 Four Corners
    8 Accept It
    9 Save the Planet
    10 Heavenly Wages
    11 All Shook Up
    12 Peggy's Rescue
    13 Peggy's Rescue (Part 2)
    14 Always Shining
    15 Reminders
    16 The Changeable Lizard
    17 Elephant Rides
    18 The Finished Table
    19 Personal Messages
    20 The Relay Race
    21 The Relay Race (Part 2)
    22 The Growing Boy
    23 For a Good Cause
    24 Powerful Words
    25 Green Thumb
    26 Color-Blind
    27 How Many Legs on a Sheep?
    28 Lavender Green
    29 Gone Fishin'
    30 It's Not Really Free
MAY
    1 Grounded
    2 The Brick House
    3 The Brick House (Part 2)
    4 The Brick House (Part 3)
    5 Wade's Secret Project
    6 Trusty
    7 Just like the Kings
    8 The Safety Pin
    9 Trapped
    10 In the Dark
    11 The Bottom Line
    12 The World's Best Baby-Sitter
    13 Jonathan's Bath
    14 A Dead Stick or a Living Tree
    15 Sweeter than Chocolate
    16 Like Grandpa
    17 Lessons from the Garden
    18 Junior Bridesmaid
    19 What Do You See?
    20 The Sad Night
    21 The Memory Box
    22 Riding on Clouds
    23 Puzzle Pieces
    24 Do You Hear?
    25 God's People
    26 The Needy Baby
    27 Grandma's Coming
    28 A Different Beat
    29 Cobwebs and Cables
    30 Carmel and David
    31 God's Flower Garden
JUNE
    1 A Special Poem
    2 The Woodpecker
    3 Keep Knocking
    4 Picking up the Pieces
    5 The Dirty Socks
    6 Flying Is for Birds
    7 The Bald Eagle
    8 Breakthrough
    9 Hidden Dirt
    10 Sea Lion Ears
    11 Minced Oaths
    12 The Abscessed Tooth
    13 Audible Repetitions
    14 Try It! You Might Like It!
    15 Obedient Rex
    16 Baby Birds
    17 Sand Castles
    18 Big Sister
    19 Scars to Remember
    20 Adjustments
    21 What's in the Well
    22 Run
    23 Fresh Air
    24 A Torn Sail
    25 Catch Me, Daddy!
    26 Press On
    27 A Bit of Beauty
    28 A Very Special Day
    29 Building Bridges
    30 Firmly in Place
JULY
    1 Blind Bats
    2 No More Dust
    3 The Beautiful Apple
    4 A Reason to Celebrate
    5 Proper Care
    6 It Takes Two
    7 The Prison Breakout
    8 In God's Care
    9 The Christian Bouquet
    10 TLC For Tippy
    11 Night Vision
    12 An Unkind Prank
    13 Baseball
    14 Baseball (Part 2)
    15 The Sleeping Flamingo
    16 Sandspurs
    17 Different Weather
    18 Eric's Echo
    19 God's Helping Hands
    20 Adopted by God
    21 Two Different Directions
    22 Fuzzy No More
    23 Soap Bubbles
    24 Redemption Policy
    25 Transplanted for Strength
    26 Randy's Giant
    27 The Filter System
    28 The New Neighbor
    29 Paper Grandpa
    30 Swimming Upstream
    31 The Auction
AUGUST
    1 Old Unreliable
    2 Flying Lessons
    3 Harvest Time
    4 Learning to Forgive
    5 God's Helper
    6 Following Instructions
    7 A Growing Boy
    8 What Color?
    9 The Book Pass
    10 Spooked
    11 The Full Cup
    12 Batting Champion
    13 The Pesky Kitten
    14 Come into My Parlor
    15 Busy Signal
    16 Reserved Seats
    17 The Form Letter
    18 Caught in the Current
    19 Made to Last
    20 The Kite
    21 "Burry" Interesting
    22 The Ant Farm
    23 The Homing Pigeon
    24 A Hole in the Roof
    25 Fish Ears
    26 Open Your Mouth!
    27 The Smoking Wick
    28 Am I Lost?
    29 Chameleon Christians
    30 Eagles
    31 The Sunflower Dilemma
SEPTEMBER
    1 Special Delivery
    2 Go for the Gold
    3 Quick as a Bunny
    4 Hitting the Mark
    5 No More Weights
    6 Disobedient Duke
    7 Things to Remember
    8 Camouflage
    9 The Spark Plug
    10 Granny's Helper
    11 The Nail and the Toothpick
    12 Dynamite
    13 Chad's X Ray
    14 Storing Up Wisdom
    15 A Big Friend
    16 Alternate Life-styles
    17 Darkness and Light
    18 Making Biscuits
    19 Hilary Agrees
    20 Gretchen's Gift
    21 Sun Catchers
    22 Current Issues
    23 The Discontented Puppy
    24 Paul Revere
    25 The Birthday Gift
    26 The Right Fight
    27 Big Deal?
    28 The "Borrowed" Book
    29 An Important Test
    30 Robins on the Net
OCTOBER
    1 A Heavy Load
    2 Mount Trashmore
    3 Essential Attire
    4 A Gift for Mrs. Morgan
    5 The Right Source
    6 Old and Wrinkled
    7 Every Other Weekend
    8 Robert's Robot
    9 Two Mirrors
    10 Laura's Accent
    11 Instant Replay
    12 A Guilty Secret
    13 Tina's Pity Puddle
    14 God's Jewels
    15 God's Jewels (Part 2)
    16 God's Jewels (Part 3)
    17 The Dimmer Switch
    18 Beautiful Feet
    19 Christy and the Spiders
    20 Good Listener
    21 Poor Ricky!
    22 The Broken Promise
    23 Computer Printout
    24 Merging Traffic
    25 The Way Home
    26 A Bigger Tree for Travis
    27 An Hour Early
    28 9-1-1
    29 Switch Channels
    30 Balancing Act
    31 Light in the Darkness
NOVEMBER
    1 Helpful Light
    2 Broken Beads
    3 Memory Quilt
    4 The Box of Paints
    5 The Best Team
    6 The Flower Kit
    7 Words and Actions
    8 Temper Tantrums
    9 Hamburger for Babies?
    10 Double Topping
    11 The Soldier's Story
    12 A Puppy for Lisa
    13 The Shark's Bite
    14 The Want List
    15 Stair Steps
    16 Basketball Blues
    17 The Fastest Balloon
    18 The Blank Page
    19 The Measuring Stick
    20 The Oyster and the Pearl
    21 Deleting Mrs. Trembley
    22 Vera's Sadness
    23 Super Glue
    24 Missing Guests!
    25 Songs of Thanksgiving
    26 A Little Syrup
    27 A Way to Visit
    28 The Coach's Voice
    29 The God of Ninevah
    30 The God of Ninevah (Part 2)
DECEMBER
    1 On Earth, Peace
    2 Beware of Little Foxes
    3 Special House, Special Person
    4 A Wonderful Gift
    5 Too Big a Bite
    6 No Sissy
    7 Dial-A-Fortune
    8 The Worrywart Hamster
    9 Popcorn Tongue
    10 Inside-Out Times
    11 Enough Love
    12 The "Who Cares" Attitude
    13 Poinsettia Bouquets
    14 Pearl Diving
    15 Words and Actions
    16 Blanket of Peace
    17 Daddy's Girl
    18 "Old Fogey"
    19 The Dual Thermometer
    20 Two Kinds of Kernels
    21 The Clean Slate
    22 Whose Fault?
    23 Not Dummies
    24 A Christmas Tradition
    25 Candy Cane
    26 The Silly Monkey
    27 Daily Bread
    28 All One Team
    29 Hot Cookies and Ski Trips
    30 Bumper Stickers
    31 Something Inside
Index of Topics
Index of Scripture Readings
Index of Memory Verses

Excerpt

1 JANUARY

The Broken Eggshell (Read James 3:2-10)

    "I hate you, Allen!" Tom shouted. "Don't ever come in my room again! You're a thief!"

    "Whoa, there," called Grandpa, coming down the hall. "What's all this yelling about?"

    "Tom says I stole his scissors, but I didn't," Allen called from his room. "He's a liar, and he better stay out of my room, too!" Allen slammed his door.

    With a sigh, Grandpa checked into the incident. It wasn't long before he discovered Tom's scissors on the hall table. With angry words, both boys insisted the other had left them there.

    "Quiet!" ordered Grandpa. He motioned for them to follow him and headed for the kitchen, where he placed an egg and an empty teacup on the counter. "Allen, you crack this egg into the cup," said Grandpa. The boys wondered what he was getting at, but Allen obeyed. "Now," said Grandpa, "Tom, you put the egg back into the shell again, please—just the way it was."

    Tom frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked. "That's impossible, Grandpa. You can't fix a broken egg."

    "Like Humpty Dumpty, eh?" Grandpa chuckled. Then he became serious. "The point is, there's something else like Humpty Dumpty—something that can't be easily mended. I'm thinking of feelings. You boys said some ugly things to each other. Taking words back is just as impossible as mending an egg." Both boys felt bad. "Never forget how harmful words can be," cautioned Grandpa. "God says the tongue is like a fire that cannot be put out. That's how much damage words can do. Even saying you're sorry doesn't make them disappear."

    "I am sorry, though," Tom told his brother.

    "Yeah ... well ... me too," replied Allen. "You can come in my room, if you want." D.F.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you careful about the words you speak, or do you say things before you think? Even when you say you're sorry, the other person may still remember those words you said. Ask God to help you tame your tongue.

MEMORIZE:

"Don't use bad language. Say only what is good and helpful to those you are talking to, and what will give them a blessing." Ephesians 4:29, TLB

* Think before You Speak

2 JANUARY

Afraid of the Dark (Read 2 Corinthians 4:3-6)

    Kim did her best to comfort Billy, the little boy she was baby-sitting, but he was terrified. A nightmare had awakened him, and he was sure that monsters were hiding in his room. "There's no such thing as a monster, Billy," Kim said as she sat on his bed and hugged him.

    When she tried to tuck him under the covers, he clutched at her frantically. "I want my mommy!" he choked out between sobs.

    "Listen, Billy," Kim soothed, "your mommy and daddy will be home later, but you're safe with me. I'll tell you what—why don't I leave the door open and turn on the hall light. I'll be right outside the door."

    "I want my bear," Billy whimpered.

    "All right." Kim placed the scruffy teddy in his arms. She dried his tears and then quietly left the room. "Please let him sleep," Kim prayed. And after Billy called out to her for reassurance several times, he did sleep.

    Kim was tired when Billy's parents finally came home, but she perked up when they apologized for being late and paid her overtime. The extra money meant she would be able to buy the camera she'd been wanting.

    At church the next day, a missionary showed slides of his work in India. The sound of the eerie pipe music filled the room. Kim saw people, their faces twisted by fear, offering sacrifices to cruel-looking idols. Why, she thought suddenly, they're just like Billy. They're scared of the dark—only the darkness they're afraid of is the darkness of evil. They need to know there's Someone to take care of them. They need the light of Jesus. Then something occurred to her. She had money. She could give some of it to help send them the gospel. The camera could wait for a while. A.L.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you been afraid of the dark? Can you imagine how much worse it would be to be surrounded by the darkness of evil, with no knowledge that God loves you or that Jesus died for you? Think about what you can do to help send the light of the gospel to the people who live in such darkness.

MEMORIZE:

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." Isaiah 9:2, NIV

* Reach These in Spiritual Darkness

3 JANUARY

In His Arms (Read Isaiah 40:28-31)

    Lesa tore open the door and stumbled down the hallway. "Mother! Mother!" she called. "Is it true?"

    "Settle down there, Lesa." Dad met her and put an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?"

    "David said his mom doesn't have a job anymore, and that all the plant workers have been laid off. It must be true—you're home, too!" exclaimed Lesa. "Daddy, if you don't have your job anymore, how will we pay Kari's doctor bills?"

    Just then, Mom came down the steps with baby Kari. Kari's eyes lit up when she saw Lesa, and she eagerly-reached out her hands. Dad let Lesa out of his bear hug so that she could take Kari. Lesa couldn't help remembering when Kari was sick and had to go to the hospital so often. She was such a quiet and dull baby then, not at all like the bright, happy baby she was now. She squeezed her little sister even tighter in her arms.

    Dad saw the tight hug Lesa gave Kari. "Lesa, whose arms are holding Kari?" he asked.

    "That's a funny question," said Lesa. "My arms are. Why did you ask that?"

    "Well," said Dad, "is she really safe in your arms? Maybe I should take her."

    Lesa looked puzzled. "But, Dad, you and Mom have taught me to be very careful with Kari. I'm in fourth grade, you know. Why don't you trust me with Kari now?"

    Dad smiled. "Actually, I do," he said. "I'll leave her with you. But think about this—you're worried because I'm out of work. I know it's a scary thought, and I'll admit that Mom and I feel a little shaky about it, too. But we decided to leave it in the arms that are holding us."

    Lesa stared blankly at her father for a minute, and then she smiled. "God's arms," she said simply. Yes, it was true. God's arms were underneath her family. He would hold them tight, no matter what happened with Dad's job. P.J.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you worried about your future? Has your mom or dad been laid off or lost a job? Remember, God knew it was going to happen before you did, and he knows what to do about it. Trust him.

MEMORIZE:

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Deuteronomy 33:27, NKJV

* Rest in His Arms

4 JANUARY

Mystery Soup (Read 1 Samuel 16:6-13)

    The front door slammed, signaling that John was home from school. When he didn't burst into the kitchen as usual, Mother checked on him. "What's wrong?" she asked the glum-faced boy sitting on the sofa.

    John scowled. "I have to work on a social studies project with that new boy, Stefan," he mumbled. "You should see him. His pants are too short, his socks never match, and his hair's always a mess."

    "But what makes you think he wouldn't be a good project partner?" asked Mother.

    "I just told you," grumbled John. "If you could see him, you wouldn't ask that question."

    Just then there was a loud clunk in the kitchen. They both hurried to the kitchen, where they found John's two-year-old brother, Travis, surrounded by cans from the cupboard, many with the labels peeled off. "Oh, no," moaned Mother, looking at the mess. After thinking a moment, she said, "John, you can help me. Would you tape the labels back on these cans, please? I want them done neatly."

    "But which label goes on which can?" asked John.

    "Don't worry about that," Mother said. "Just make sure it looks nice. Then let's have one that says `Corn' for dinner."

    "But, Mom," protested John, "if you just slap the labels on any old can, the outside might not match what's inside."

    "So the outside appearance isn't really important, is it?" asked Mother. She smiled at John. "That's something I think you should remember. You've already judged Stefan because of how he looks. You've slapped a label on him without knowing what's on the inside. Find out what Stefan is like as a person—don't just judge him on his looks."

    John thought about it. "Maybe I should get to know him," he decided. "But what are you going to do about those cans?"

    Mother laughed. "I guess we'll be having mystery soup for a while." S.P.Z.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Do you judge people by the way they look or dress? Do you label them without finding out what is inside? God doesn't judge on outward appearances, and neither should you. Try to discover what's in the heart.

MEMORIZE:

"The Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7, NKJV

* Don't Judge by Appearance

5 JANUARY

Battered Bears (Read 1 Timothy 5:1-4)

    As Jenny gave her battered old teddy bear a hug before setting him on her pillow, her brother, Adam, walked past her bedroom door. "Why don't you give that ratty old thing a decent burial—in the garbage can?" asked Adam, laughing at his own joke.

    "Be quiet, Adam," shouted Jenny. "You're not funny."

    Mother appeared in the doorway. "Let's go, kids," she said. Jenny made a face. They were going to visit Great-Aunt Catherine at the nursing home. Her mind was no longer alert, and the children hated visiting her.

    At the nursing home, they found Great-Aunt Catherine sorting through ancient photographs, as usual. Mother talked gently to her about the past while the children drew pictures. Jenny sketched a funny picture of her great-aunt and some of the other old folks and showed it to Adam, and they snickered together in the corner. They didn't notice Mother until she pulled the sketch from Adam's hand.

    Back home, Mother steered the children to Jenny's room. She took the teddy bear from the bed. "Jenny, you didn't like Adam making fun of your bear," she said. "I guess you still love it, even though its fur is rubbed off and one eye is missing, right?" Jenny nodded. "Well," said Mother, "I love Great-Aunt Catherine, even though she's old. She raised me after my parents died. It hurts me to see you make fun of her—just like it hurt you, Jenny, when Adam made fun of this bear."

    "I'm sorry," murmured Jenny. Both children were ashamed of their attitude that morning.

    "God commands us to honor and respect old people, even though they may have broken bodies and childlike minds," continued Mother. "They have spent their lives in service to their families and friends. Now it's our turn to be of service to them. Will you both please try to remember that?"

    Jenny and Adam nodded solemnly. Adam even gave the old teddy bear a gentle pat as he left the room. E.C.O.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Have you ever made fun of older people? Do you get impatient with the elderly members of your church or family when they cannot move fast or when they tell the same stories over and over? Proverbs 16:31 says that gray hair is a crown of glory. Treat older people with honor and respect.

MEMORIZE:

"You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man." Leviticus 19:32, NKJV

* Respect the Elderly

6 JANUARY

Allen's Allergies (Read Psalm 34:12-16)

    "Mom, the itchy spots are back on my skin," Allen said, holding out his arms. "I have bumps on my legs, too."

    "Oh, Allen," said Mother, "your allergies are acting up again. I haven't changed the laundry detergent or any of our soaps. I can't imagine what caused this reaction, can you?"

    Allen scratched his arms as he thought. "When I was over at Bob's this morning, his mom had some stuff out to the send to the mission," he said. "Bob and I dressed up in some of his dad's old camouflage clothes. I suppose they were washed in something I'm allergic to."

    "I suspect that's it," said Mother. "Go take a shower, and then we'll get your prescription refilled."

    As Allen and his mother drove home after picking up the medicine, Allen sighed. "It's hard to remember that I need to be careful about what touches my skin," he said. "We were having so much fun that I didn't even think about it." He rubbed his arms. "My allergies remind me, though," he added. "It's too bad they don't remind me ahead of time!"

    "Isn't that the truth!" agreed Mother. She smiled at her son. "You know," she added, "dressing in those clothes was innocent fun, and it's too bad you have to avoid things like that. But you do, or you get this negative reaction. There are other things that we need to be very careful to avoid, too, even though they seem like innocent fun. We need to think about the consequences before getting involved in those things."

    "Like what?" asked Allen.

    "Well, ... like watching bad TV shows, or reading dirty books, or going places where we'll be tempted to do wrong," said Mother. "Those kinds of things, like any sinful activity, will stir up a negative reaction in our lives. We need to ask the Lord to remind us to avoid things that will harm us." N.E.K.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

Are you allergic to anything—foods, bees, medicine, weeds, soap? if so, you know it's best for you to avoid those things, Sin can cause a very bad reaction in your life as well, Try to avoid sinful things so you can avoid their consequences, too,

MEMORIZE:

"Keep away from every kind of evil." 1 Thessalonians 5:22, TLB

* Avoid Sinful Activity

(Continues...)