In Love

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 John 1-13

TO CHEW ON: "I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." 2 John 5-6

To “walk in love” means different things to different people. To some it means having a crush on a special person. To others it means having a best friend who is always there for you. To still others it means constant reminders of someone’s love in the form of gifts and nice things.

But really loving each other is not nearly as soft and fuzzy as the things above would make us think. It’s all about choices. It’s about not doing the unloving thing and doing the loving thing. It’s about actions. It's about loving things that we do whether or not we feel loving.

I Corinthians 13:1-13 tells us some of the difficult things a person who lives a loving life does or doesn’t do. Which ways to “walk in love,” below, are hard for you?

• Being patient
• Not being rude
• Being kind
• Not getting angry
• Not boasting
• Protecting others
• Not being proud
• Trusting others
• Not looking after my own interests first
• Being hopeful (positive)
• Not remembering bad things done to me (holding a grudge)
• Not giving up (persevering)
  

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me with (name the things you chose, above). Help me to make a habit of walking in love. Amen.

MORE: Love Lessons


Name one person whom you find easy to love.

What love attitudes and actions (from the list above) do you see in their lives?

What can you learn from them?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. 

Those Sparks Called Words

TODAY’S SPECIAL: James 3:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark." James 3:5


Which of these could start a forest fire?
- a cigarette butt
- a spark from a campfire
- a match


If you answered, “all of them,” you’re right! When the forest is dry, the tiniest spark starts a fire which can grow to destroy miles and miles of trees, hundreds of homes, businesses, power lines, animals, and even people.



James compares the words we say (with the help of the little red, wet, wiggly thing in our mouths called a tongue) to sparks that start a forest fire. But can our words really do that much damage?

Jonah Goes to Nineveh - Artist unknown


Well, consider the damage these words did:

• Joseph’s boasting words caused his brothers to hate him and sell him as a slave.(Genesis 37)
• The fearful words of ten spies caused the Hebrew people to rebel against Moses. They ended up wandering in the dessert for 40 more years. (Numbers 13:26 - 14:4)
• The words of a preacher called Jonah caused a whole city to turn to God. (Jonah 3)
  

Never underestimate the power of your words for bad and good.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to understand the power of my words. May I speak words which encourage, express love and build people up. Amen.


MORE: Wise Words
There are many wise sayings about words and speech. Three of the sayings below are from the Bible, three are not. Which are Bible quotes?

1. A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.

2. A loose tongue often gets into a tight place.

3. The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of a wise man is in his heart.

4. The tongue has the power of life and death.

5. A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

6. Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Check the ANSWERS to see where the Bible quotes are found and who said the other ones.
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Is your faith alive or dead?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: James 2:14-19

TO CHEW ON: "In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead." James 2:17

Someone wakes you up at night yelling, “Fire!” How will you show you believe the warning? Of course you’ll get out of the house.



The sign says, “Beward - shallow Water.” What will prove you believe the sign? If you’re smart, you won’t dive!

It’s easy to connect faith and action in the physical world. But there are other things we say we believe just as much, but our actions (or lack of action) make our words a lie.

We say God loves everyone and we love them too. Yet we gossip and say mean things about others.

We say we believe God will provide for all our needs, and yet we worry, showing we don’t really trust God at all.

We say we believe everyone who doesn’t accept Jesus as their Savior will someday be separated from God forever in hell, and yet we never tell our friends about Jesus.

Are we kidding ourselves about what we really believe? You bet! What we DO will tell others (and ourselves) what we really believe way louder than what we SAY.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to put my faith and actions together to bring honor to You. Amen.

MORE: What Do You Believe?
- Name one thing you believe.

- How will your actions today prove that you really believe it?

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Wisdom

TODAY’S SPECIAL: James 1:5-8

TO CHEW ON: "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." James 1:5



wis-dom n. ( wiz-dm)
1) The power of true and right discernment
2) Good practical judgment; common sense.

Who wouldn’t want wisdom? We all need it for the big and little things which come up in everyday life. Which things, below, do you need wisdom for (can you think of more)?


A. How to make friends.
B. How to study.
C. How to introduce friends to Jesus.
D. What spare-time activities to get involved in.
E. What to do when teased or bullied.
F. What to do when someone else is being teased or bullied.

1.)Who will give you wisdom for these things if you ask for it (James 1:5)?

2.) What important thing must you remember when you ask for this wisdom?

3.) How do you think a person would show he/she is believing God and not doubting the answer?

PRAYER: Dear God, I need wisdom for _______. Would You please help me to know what to do about it? Amen.


MORE: How to Find God’s Wisdom
Which are ways, below, that a person might find God’s wisdom. Can you add some more ideas?

1. Look at your horoscope every day.

2. Pray about your problem, then listen for God’s answer as an idea in your mind.

3. Find out what the Bible says about your problem and follow that advice.

4. Flip a coin.

5. Ask the advice of parents, teachers and trusted friends.

6. Ask a Ouija board.

7. Follow the example of people you admire who love God.

8. Read a Christian book.

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Read the Book!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

TO CHEW ON: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

Have you ever had a toy that needed putting together, or a complicated watch or camera? It came with an instruction book, right? That book had all the information you needed to put the toy together, to set the watch, or take photos with the camera. It’s a lot easier to understand how something works by reading the book than trying to figure it out yourself.

As Christians we have an instruction book too. It’s the Bible.

The Bible is no ordinary book. Though sections of it were written hundreds of years apart, and by many different people, it fits together and never gets outdated. Each part is necessary and useful in some way.

Some parts tell us stories about how God worked in the past. Some show us what God is like. Some help us to pray and worship. Some tell us the story of Jesus. And many parts tell us how to live in ways that please God.

If you haven’t been reading the Bible for yourself, give it a try. Start with the book of John – a book that’s all about Jesus.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Scripture - the Bible. Please help me to hear it, understand it and obey it. Amen.


MORE: Life’s FAQs
Does the Bible have answers for life’s Frequently Asked Questions?
Below are some. Look up the bible references, then match each one to the question it answers:

1. How can I break bad habits?
2. What do I do when I’m afraid?
3. How do I handle worry (anxiety)?
4. What attitude should I have toward money?
5. How do I answer an angry person?
6. How can I know God?
7. What will happen to me after I die?


A. 1 Timothy 6:9-10
B. Proverbs 15:1
C. 1 Peter 5:7
D. John 11:25
E. Philippians 4:13
F. Psalm 56:3
G. John 14:6


ANSWERS

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Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

The Money God

TODAY’S SPECIAL: I Timothy 6:6-10

TO CHEW ON: "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." I Timothy 6:10a



How do you feel about money? Do you have any? How much? Do you earn money regularly? When you get it, what do you do with it? Spend it all? Save it all? Spend and save both?


It’s hard to imagine a world with no money in it. Getting money for a job we’ve done shows us our work is worthwhile. We use money to buy many things we need like food, clothes, a house, and a car. Money is not a bad thing.


But when we love money, when we feel we always need more and think being rich is the most important thing in the world, we are on a dangerous path. Very quickly money can become more important than God. It can become something we worship like a god.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me never to love money more than You. Help me to spend my money wisely and be content with what I have. Amen.


MORE: A Crush on Cash
What kinds of evil can the love of money lead to? Below is a list of some things. Can you think of more?

The person who loves money may:

1. Become a workaholic who has little time for friends and family.

2. Become addicted to gambling.

3. Do illegal things to get money (like steal, or deal drugs)

4. Become self-centered and proud.

5.

6.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Sin Germs

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Colossians 3:1-11

TO CHEW ON: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5


Our bodies are surrounded by invisible enemies. Tiny bacteria and viruses live all around us on places like toothbrushes, doorknobs and dishcloths. They are always trying to find places to grow and multiply, and our bodies are great for that. So they sneak into our mouths when we drink, fly into our noses when we breathe, enter through the injured skin of a cut or wound when we’re hurt.

While they’re trying to get in, we’re trying to keep them out. We use antibacterial soap, disinfectant and, when germs get in us and make us sick, antibiotics to make us well again.


These invisible germs and viruses are a lot like the sins that love to live in our spirits. We try to destroy the invisible army of germs and viruses so they won’t invade our bodies. In the same way we need to destroy the sin germs that try to get into our lives and make us spiritually sick.

What eleven sins does Paul tell us to destroy in Colossians 3:5-9?

1.            2.
3.            4.               
5.            6.
7.            8.               
9.            10.          
11.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to recognize the sin in my life, and then confess it and stop doing it. Amen.


MORE: Sin’s Signs and Symptoms
Match the sin-germ with the sickness it causes:
1. Greed ___
2. Filthy talk ____
3. Malice ____
4. Slander ____
5. Lying ____
6. Anger ____
7. Lust ____


a. saying something untruthful or deceitful.
b. damaging someone’s reputation by what you say.
c. showing strong feelings of displeasure and hostility.
d. saying bad words and using dirty talk.
e. wanting to hurt someone with speech or action.
f. having an intense sexual desire.
g. selfishly desiring possessions.


ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Who's At the Controls?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Romans 8:5-11

TO CHEW ON: The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6

Most vehicles, machines and toys have controls. Can you match the object with its controls?

1. Car ____      4. Bike ____

2. Computer ____ 5. Video Game ____

3. Canoe ____

The controls on most things are small. But the results of how those things are controlled are big. It’s the same way with our lives.

We determine who and what controls our lives in small ways. It's in the choices we make every day. We can make selfish choices and try to control our own lives. Or we can choose to let God the Holy Spirit control our lives. The consequences of both are huge.

If we choose to live by our “sinful minds” - our own ideas, plans and desires - the result is ________________. If we let the Holy Spirit control our minds and our lives, the result is _________________ and _______________. (Romans 8:6)

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, help me to live my life under Your control. Please show me how You want me to live today. Amen.



MORE: What’s Your Choice:
God never forces us to live for Him. He lets us choose.

Which of the activities below would help you live a Holy Spirit-controlled life. Can you add one more to the list?

1. Watch popular music videos on TV.

2. Read story books written by Christian authors.

3. Buy and read secular magazines about teen movie stars, fashions and dating.

4. Watch any videos that sound interesting, in spite of ratings and language warnings.

5. Collect and listen to Christian music CDs.

6. Read the Bible and memorize parts of it.

7. _________________________________________________

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Centurion Summons Simon

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 10:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion...” Acts 10:1

Cornelius was not a Jew but a Gentile. It wasn’t only his race that made the Jewish people want to avoid him. His job was a problem too. He was a centurion (centurion = captain) in the Roman army. Roman soldiers often mistreated the Jews. Jewish people were suspicious and afraid of Cornelius.

But Cornelius had some surprising beliefs for a Roman soldier. Unscramble the words below that tell about him (Acts 10:2):
He (dreefa)________ (dgo)________.
He (vgae)___________ to those in need.
He (yrdepa) __________ to God regularly.

One afternoon an angel talked to him in a vision. The angel told him God had noticed his prayers and gifts. He was to send someone to Joppa, find Simon Peter and bring him to his house in Caesarea. God looked past Cornelius’s race and job, into his heart. He knew Cornelius wanted to know Him better. Peter (who was a Jew) would help with that – or would he?

"Cornelius is confronted by the angel" by Caspar Luiken, 1672-1708

Do you ever jump to conclusions about what a person is like because of their skin color, the fact that they are poorer or richer than you, or because you don’t agree on some things? It's natural to feel more comfortable with people who are like us than those who aren’t. But God loves everyone. Let’s make a habit of looking past people’s accents, the color of their skin or the style of their clothes. Let’s look at everyone through eyes of love, like God does.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to accept and love everyone, like You do. Amen.

"Roman Soldier" from Wikipedia

MORE: Roman Soldiers
Find out about the Roman soldiers.

• How many soldiers did a centurion command?

• What did a Roman centurion wear?

• What weapons did the Roman army use?

• Most Roman soldiers didn’t worship the God of the Bible. Who or what did they worship?

ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Obey Whom?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 4:13-21

TO CHEW ON: "Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!'” Acts 4:18,19

After God healed the lame man through Peter, many people believed in Jesus. This made the religious leaders jealous.

"Preaching to the multitudes" - Artist unknown

First they ordered Peter and John to stop preaching. Then they grilled them with questions. Finally they told them not to speak of Jesus any more OR ELSE and let them go.

"The boldness of Peter and John" - Artist unknown

But Peter and John had no intention of obeying the leaders’ order. They knew in some things it’s more important to obey God than people.

"Peter and John before the Sanhedrin" - Artist unknown

What about today? Can you think of a situation when you would need to disobey what someone told you to do or the law of your land in order to obey God?


PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to know when I should obey You even if it means I would be disobeying others. Then give me the courage to do what pleases You. Amen.


MORE: Hard Choices
Are there times when we too have to choose between obeying God and people? What would you do in the following situations? Why?

• You see your friend steal something. Your friend demands that you don’t tell.

• Someone on the phone asks for your dad, but he tells you to say he’s not home.

• On the school playground you talk to a friend about Jesus. Someone tells the teacher and she asks you never to talk about Jesus on school property again.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

A Solid House

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Luke 6:46-49

TO CHEW ON: "As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock." Luke 6:47-48a

Which part of a house is built first:

- the walls?
- the roof?
- the rooms?
- the front porch?
- the foundation?
- the basement?

You probably know that the foundation of a house is the very first thing a builder makes. He usually starts building that foundation by digging a hole. If he can dig down to bedrock and fasten the house’s foundation onto rock, the house will be almost immovable. But if a house’s foundation rests on earth or sand, it can be swept away by floods, toppled by earthquakes and smashed by storms.

One day Jesus told a story of one man who built his house on a rock. Another man built his house on sand. When the storm came, which house stayed standing?

"The house upon the rock and the house upon the sand" by William James Webb

Jesus explained the story. He said those houses on their different foundations are like our lives. When we hear His words and put them into practice, we are building the house of our life on the foundation of solid bedrock. When we hear His words but don’t do them, we’re building our life’s house on sand.

Here are some foundations on which you could build your life. Which one will you choose?

- What other people think.
- Money
- Happiness
- Comfort
- Obeying Jesus’ words.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to hear, understand and obey Your words. Amen


SUPERSIZE IT: Houses In Many Places
Find out about houses in different places.

- How would you build a house’s foundation in the arctic, where the ground is either frozen solid or thaws to become a bog?

- Why are houses sometimes built on stilts?

- What kinds of houses are built in the dessert?


- What kinds of houses are built in the jungle?


Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Evil Haman

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 7:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, 'Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?' Esther said, 'An adversary and enem! This vile Haman!' Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen." Esther 7:5,6

The food was delicious. The wine put everyone in a good mood. Now Esther waited for just the right moment to tell the king what she wanted.

Then he said, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”

Esther took a deep breath and began, “O king, if I have found favor with you, please spare my life. For I and my people are about to be slaughtered and wiped out.”

Xerxes’ eyes got wide with surprise. “Who would do such a thing?” he demanded.

“The enemy is this vile Haman!” Esther said.


The king looked in horror at Haman. Then he left the room, too angry to speak.

Haman, who minutes before had been talking and laughing was now shaking and pale. He staggered over to where Esther lay on her couch, fell on his knees and begged for his life. That’s how the king saw him when he came back into the room a few minutes later.


Now the sight of Haman so close to Esther made the king even angrier.

“Haman built a seventy-five-foot gallows in his yard,” one of the servants said

“Hang him on it,” Xerxes commanded.

Esther didn’t know how things would turn out when she decided to go to the king. But because of her courage and faith in God, the lives of thousands of Jews were spared.

How do we respond to things that aren’t right and fair? Do we pretend they aren’t there? Do we ignore them because we think they have nothing to do with us? Or do we take action, like Esther did? Let’s ask God to help us take a stand against the unfairness and injustice in our world.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to be brave and take a stand against unfairness, injustice and evil. Amen


MORE: Genocide
Killing people because they are a certain race or nationality, like Haman wanted to do to the Jews, is called genocide.

1. Can you think of some modern examples of genocide?

2. Though we probably can’t imagine ourselves being involved in genocide, the feelings that result in killing a whole race of people have small beginnings. Racial discrimination is treating people who have a different skin color, speak a different language and have different customs than we do differently from people who are like us.

Even small actions can be signs of racial discrimination:
- avoiding someone because of the color of their skin.
- making fun of the way they talk.
- not letting them into our group of friends.

Ask God to show you if there is racial discrimination inside you. Pray for God to give you His love for people of every color, nationality and language.


ANSWERS

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Too Late?

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Ecclesiastes 12:1-7

TO CHEW ON: "Remember your creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them.'” Ecclesiastes 12:1

How sad it is to be too late.
- You come to dinner hungry and find the food has all been eaten.

- You come to the garden wanting to harvest a crop and find all the vegetables and fruits are over-ripe and rotting.

- You come to a concert and find you are just in time for the last song.

It’s just as sad to come too God late. In today’s reading, we find out when is the best time to come to God.

1. When? (Ecclesiastes 12:1) ___________



In the last verse of our reading, Solomon tells us if we do come when we are no longer young, we must be sure to come “before. . .” Then he lists a whole lot of things: “before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring...etc.”

2. What is he really talking about in all these word pictures:
a] birth?
b] death?
c] wrecked stuff?

In this way Solomon reminds us that the most important thing not to be late for is finding, knowing and living for God. We only have this life to do that. We must be sure we do it before we die.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to remember You for my whole life. Amen.

MORE: Remember God – NOW!
Have you “remembered” God? Have you asked Him to be in your life? If you haven’t, do it now, when you are young. Don’t say you have your whole life to make this decision and that you’ll make it when you’re old, after living your whole life without God. You don’t know if you’ll ever live to be an old person. You don’t know if you’ll even live to see tomorrow.

• Find the ABCs of how to ask God to be in your life here.

(If you make that decision, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you!)

Answers

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

David's Secret

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Samuel 12:1-10

TO CHEW ON: “Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His sight?” 2 Samuel 12:9

David was now a successful and loved king. One day when he was relaxing on the palace roof, he caught sight of a beautiful woman taking a bath. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. So he told his servant to bring her to the palace.


She came and David found out her name was Bathsheba. She was married to Uriah, one of David’s soldiers. But that didn’t stop David from taking her to his room and making love to her. Then he sent her back home. A short time later, Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant.

Now this was a problem, because her husband wasn’t home. He was on the battlefield. People would ask, “Who is the father of this baby?” Maybe David would be found out. So David sent for Uriah to come back from the war. David thought Uriah would welcome the chance to be with his wife. Then he would think the baby was his.

But when Uriah came home, he refused to go home to Bathsheba. “Why should I enjoy my wife when my fellow soldiers are dying?” he asked. Then he spent the night with David’s servants.

So David went to Plan B. He sent Uriah back to the war with a note for his captain. The note said to make sure Uriah was sent to the most dangerous place on the battlefield. No one should defend him when he was attacked. This way he would be killed by the enemy.

A few days later Uriah was killed in battle. Soon after that, David married Bathsheba. He thought that no one knew what had happened and everything would be just fine.

But God knew. One day God sent Nathan the prophet to see David. He told David a story about a rich man who stole the only pet lamb of a poor man, in order to feed his guests.

Illustrations by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

When David heard Nathan’s story he was angry. “That rich man should pay four times for the lamb he stole,” he exclaimed.

“You are that man,” Nathan replied. “You had all the women you wanted. Yet you weren’t satisfied. You stole Bathsheba from Uriah and had him killed. There are consequences for your sin. Now there will always be killing in your family.”

PRAYER: Dear God, am I hiding any sin like David was? Please help me remember, face up to it and make things right. Amen.

MORE: Snowball Sin
Have you ever made a snowball with sticky snow? Though you start with a ball of snow so small you can hold it in your hands, as you roll it in the snow and more and more snow sticks to it, it’s soon so big and heavy you can hardly push it.

Sin is like that. David’s look at Bathsheba led to thinking about her and wanting her. That led to adultery (having sex with someone who is married to someone else), and deceit and eventually murder.

- Can you think of a time sin was like a snowball in your life?

- Remember how easily sin grows next time you’re tempted to let your thoughts go where they shouldn’t, tell a ‘white lie,’ take something that isn’t yours.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's. 

Mind Matter

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Psalm 1:1-6

CHEW ON: "But they (people who try to please God) take joy in doing all God wants them to. They think about God’s laws day and night. They think about ways to follow him more closely." Psalm 1:2 (The [Simplified] Living Bible)

Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

Saul tried to kill David because he was jealous. He kept his envious thoughts growing by going back to them again and again. He imagined how the people were saying David should be king instead of him. He wished David weren’t around. Maybe if he killed David, the people would admire him the most again …

Our minds are always busy, thinking about something. But we don't have to let our minds go wherever they choose. We can control what we think about. If we find ourselves thinking jealous, hateful, revengeful thoughts, we can stop. We can turn our minds to other things – and think thoughts that are good, loving, wholesome and kind.

What are your favorite things to think about? What are some things you try NOT to think about?

Read Philippians 4:8, then make a list of good things to think about.

When you think happy thoughts, thank God for the good things in your life. When you think sad, scary or angry thoughts, stop. Pray and ask God to help you change them.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for my mind. Please help me think wholesome, good, true, loving thoughts today. Amen.

SUPERSIZE IT: Your favorite things
There’s a song called “My Favorite Things.” In it the singer lists the nice things she tries to think about when feeling bad or sad – things like roses, kittens, and packages tied with string.

You can listen to it here.

















Now draw a picture of your favorite things to think about. Write a short prayer of thank-you below your picture.

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 Scriptures marked The Living Bible (or TLB) copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.


Adult readers - DAILY DEVOTIONS FOR ADULTS  are available too at Other Food: daily devo's.