Four Secrets

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Revelation 6:1-8

TO CHEW ON: "I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say, in a voice like thunder, 'Come!'" Revelation 6:1

If you get a letter in the mail, the untorn envelope and the stuck-tight flap tell you no one has opened the letter.

In Bible times, scroll letters were sealed with clay or wax. This clay or wax had the imprint of the sender’s seal - an impression of his ring or special stamp. This seal told the person who got the letter it was from the person who had stamped it, and it had not been opened. What was inside a letter stayed a mystery until the seal was broken and the letter was opened and read.

As John watched scenes of heaven, he saw the Lamb (Jesus) opening seven seals. Although these seals weren’t on actual letters, they were messages from God, telling John (and us) things that would happen in the future. Read about the first seals John saw. Then fill in the thing that each brought (pick the answer from the words below).


1. Seal 1 (Revelation 6:2)
A ____________ horse whose rider brings _________________.

2. Seal 2 (Revelation 6:3,4)
A ______________ horse whose rider brings ________________.

3. Seal 3 (Revelation 6:5,6)
A _____________ horse whose rider brings _________________.

4. Seal 4 (Revelation 6:7,8)
A ______________ horse whose rider brings _______________.

Death    white    pale
scales = Famine   
Conquest      black    fiery red
power to take away peace = War

War, sickness, not enough to eat (famine, pictured by the scales) and death have happened on earth for a long time. But as Jesus’ return gets closer, we will see more and more of them. We don’t need to be frightened by them. If we see these signs in our time, they tell us Jesus’ return is coming very close.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me not to be frightened by these scary things that will happen, but to see them as signs that Your return is getting closer. Amen.


MORE: Sealed Letter
Send a sealed letter of your own.

• Write a note to a friend.

• Put it in an envelope and lick the flap shut.

• Roll a piece of plasticine or re-usable wall adhesive into a ball

• Squish the ball onto the middle of the flap with your thumb to make a seal.

• Engrave your initials into the seal with the end of a pen.

(Note: Melted wax could also be used to seal the envelope, but MELT THE WAX ONLY WITH AN ADULT’S SUPERVISION.)

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.

Thorn

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

TO CHEW ON: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." 2 Corinthians 12:9


Do you or someone you know have any of the following:

- crooked teeth    
- epilepsy          
- poor hearing
- diabetes
- poor eyesight

These are what Paul might have called a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7). You know that a thorn poking into you won’t kill you. But it hurts just the same. When there's a thorn in your shoe and you're trying to walk it's annoying, always there, and not easy to ignore.


What’s your thorn? Perhaps it’s something you were born with like an oddly shaped nose or ears that stick out. Maybe it has come as a result of treatments for a disease like cancer. Maybe for as long as you can remember, you’ve had diabetes or epilepsy. You can live with your problem, but it interferes with what you’d like to do and makes you feel like an oddball.

What do you do about thorns? You may be tempted to feel sorry for yourself, whine and complain. Or you may avoid others and hide your problem so you won’t get teased and made fun of.

Paul did two things about his thorn. First he 1.______________________ (2 Corinthians 12:8). He knew that God had the power to take his thorn away.

"For this thing I besought the Lord," by Charles J. Staniland

When God answered ‘no,’ Paul determined to 2._______________________ (2 Corinthians 12:9,10) . He did this because he knew when he succeeded in spite of his problem, God would get the credit.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I bring my thorn to You. I pray You will take it away, or show Your power through me if Your answer is ‘no’. Amen.


MORE: Living With Thorns
1. If you or someone you know has a serious illness or condition (like cancer or epilepsy or diabetes), find out all you can about it.

2. If it’s your friend who is in this situation, put yourself in their place. What are some things you could do for them to make their thorn easier to live with.

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.

Jailed

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 28:11-16; 30-31

TO CHEW ON: "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ." Acts 28:31

Three months after the shipwreck Paul, his guards and companions set sail again. Soon they arrived in Rome. When they got there, the soldiers took Paul to a house.

"Arrival at Rome" by Johann C. Weigel, 1695

For two years he had to stay in that house with someone guarding him all the time.

"Paul preaches at Rome under guard" - Artist unknown

Even though he was a prisoner, Paul didn’t whine, sulk or feel sorry for himself. What did he do? (Find the words for the blanks in the word bank below - Acts 28:31)

He __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ the __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of __ __ __ and __ __ __ __ __ __ about __ __ __ __ __

God   Jesus

preached   kingdom

taught

You are probably not in a physical prison. But some things can make you feel as trapped as if you were. Things like being sick, being bullied, and failing at school can have you hoping and praying to be set free.

What is your prison? Pray that God will be with you, that you will feel Him beside you and that you will be set free!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please be with me even when I’m in a place where I’d rather not be. Amen.

"And they pulled me up out of the well"
Illustrationsby Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

MORE: Bible Jailbirds
Paul was not the first person from the Bible to spend time in jail. Unscramble the names of these Bible characters and match them with their crime.

A. Caught and jailed after his hair was cut. __ __ __ __ __ __

B. Put in prison to silence them from talking about Jesus. __ __ __ __ __ & __ __ __ __

C. Jailed because his master’s wife lied about him. __ __ __ __ __ __

D. Accused of being a deserter and put in a dungeon. __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

E. Jailed because he condemned King Herod for living with his brother’s wife. __ __ __ __


NOJH the Baptist (Matthew 14:3-4)
HEOJSP (Genesis 39:17-20)
HMRIEJEA (Jeremiah 37:11-16)
NSMOAS (Judges 16:20-21)
REEPT & HOJN (Acts 4:1-3)


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.

Too Scared to Eat!

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 27:27-44

TO CHEW ON: "Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” (Acts 27:34)

Have you ever been seriously scared or nervous? Perhaps it was the time your team had to play the championship game, or you had to perform a solo in a piano recital, or you were driving through a snowstorm and the car started sliding all over the road.

Our bodies respond to fear in a physical way. How does your body feel when you are nervous or afraid?

- You can’t eat.
- You get sick to your stomach.
- You feel shaky.
- You get a headache.
- Your hands get cold and clammy.
- Your face gets red.
- You bite your nails.

The 275 passengers with Paul had been in the storm for 14 days. They were terrified the whole time. Many of them hadn’t eaten anything and were growing weak.

"The Storm" by Johann C. Weigel, 1695

But Paul had heard from God. Now Paul told everyone on board to let go of the fear that upset their stomachs and to eat, for God had promised him no one would be hurt in any way.

God has promised to be with us in our storms as well. When we’re in the middle of them we too have a choice. We can choose to stay fearful, or to trust God and relax. And that means relax so completely that even our bodies will tell the difference.

(And did God’s word to Paul come true? It sure did!

The next morning someone saw land in the distance. Though the wind was still blowing strong, the sailors cut the anchors loose, hoisted the sail, and headed for the beach.

Before the boat got there, it hit a sandbar.

"But the ship hit a sandbar" - Illustration by Annie Vallotton from the Good News Bible
© American Bible Society 1976, 1992, used with permission.

As the pounding waves broke the boat into pieces, the centurion guarding Paul ordered everyone to swim for shore. Many grabbed onto planks or parts of the ship and paddled for their lives.

"Paul shipwrecked in a storm" by F. T. Lix

Everyone made it to land!)

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to relax in Your care for me. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Boats

Find out about boats in Bible times:

• What were they made of?

• How were they powered?

• How did sailors find their way (navigate)?

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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.

Storm

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 27:13-26

TO CHEW ON: "Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called a 'Northeaster,' swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.” Acts 27:14,15

At last Paul was getting his wish. He was on his way to Rome to appear before Caesar. Perhaps he was hopeful Caesar would rule that all the accusations the Jewish leaders had made against him were false.

"Paul heads to Rome" - Johann C. Weigel, 1695

Much of the trip had to be made by ship. The first part of Paul's voyage was smooth.

"Sailing the Mediterranean by ship" - Artist unknown (from H. D. Northrop's Treasures of the Bible - 1894).

But after the ship left Crete a storm came up. Quickly the sea became so fierce there was nothing the captain and crew could do. They were at the mercy of the wind and waves

Everyone was terrified. Everyone, that is, except Paul. Why was Paul not afraid? Acts 27:23-24 (Choose one):

1. An angel had told him they would all be saved.
2. He had a good eye for weather and could see the storm was breaking up.
3. God had told him he would be swallowed by a fish.

Sometimes we find ourselves in storms. They might be literal storms - a snowstorm, tornado or flood. Or they might be a bad thing that feels like a storm - an accident, sickness or death. God does not keep storms away from us. But like God was with Paul, he will be with us in our storms.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to trust You in every kind of storm. Amen.


SUPERSIZE IT: Your Storms
1. What is the worst storm you’ve ever been in?
Describe it. How did you feel? What happened?

2. A “Storm Psalm” - Next time you are in a storm, read Psalm 91 to remind you that God can protect and save 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.

Fortune-teller

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 16:16-22

TO CHEW ON: "She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her." (Acts 16:18)

Paul went on two more mission trips. On one of them he took Silas as his helper. They visited the city of Philippi and met with the Christians there.

Every day as they walked to their prayer meeting, a slave girl followed them. She made money for her owners by telling fortunes. Every day as she walked behind Paul and Silas she shouted, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.”

What she said was true. But Paul knew the spirit who inspired her to say it was not the Holy Spirit but an evil spirit. One day he had had enough. He turned around and commanded the evil spirit to come out of her. (A word that describes casting an evil spirit out of someone is exorcism.) The spirit did come out of her. But when the spirit was gone the slave girl could no longer tell fortunes.

"Exorcism" by J. C. Weigel - 1695

What happened next? (Acts 16:22)
1. The slave girl’s owners thanked Paul and Silas for getting the spirit out of her.
2. The slave girl’s owners dragged Paul and Silas to the city authorities. They said Paul had wrecked their business.
3. The slave girl beat up Paul and Silas.

"Paul and Silas arrested" - Artist unknown

Paul and Silas helped the girl by getting her free from the evil spirit. But they also got in trouble for doing it. Are we willing to do the thing God wants us to, even if it means we’ll get into trouble?



PRAYER: Dear Jesus, help me to brave to do things that honor You, no matter what the consequences. Amen.


MORE: What About You?


1. What are some fortune-telling activities we have today?

2. Have you ever taken part in them?

3. What would you do if:

• your friend wants to visit the lady who reads palms at the fair?

• a bunch of friends pull out a Oija board at a party?

• you get a horoscope calendar as a gift?

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.

From Problem to Praise

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 13:6-12

TO CHEW ON: "But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith." Acts 13:8

What happens on mission trips but problems?

Barnabas and Saul (from now on called Paul - Acts 13:8), were invited by one of Cyprus’s government officials, Sergius Paulus, to talk about God. But one of the servants, Elymas who was a sorcerer told his boss not to listen to them and not to believe in God.

Then the Holy Spirit showed Paul whose side Elymas was on. So Paul went to him and said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right.” To prove God’s power was behind his words, Paul told Elymas he would go blind - and he did.

The Conversion of the Proconsul - By Raphael, 1515-1516

When Sergius Paulus saw God’s power, he believed in God. Isn’t it just like God to turn a problem into praise!

We should not be surprised if we get resistance when we’re telling people about Jesus. Satan, Jesus’ enemy and ours, doesn’t want people to know about Him or trust Him. But we don’t need to fear Satan or be silenced by problems he puts in our way. Instead, we can pray for wisdom to know how to react. We can also pray for God to turn our problem into praise.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to trust Your power when problems come against me. Amen.

MORE: Sorcerers and Sorcery
1. - Look up sorcerer in the dictionary.
- What is sorcery?
- Are there still sorcerers today?
- Some storybooks have characters who are sorcerers in them. What do you think about reading such books?

2. Continue drawing Paul’s trip on the map by drawing a line from Salamis to Paphos where this story happened.

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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.

Finishing Well

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 6:1-16


TO CHEW ON: "So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God." Nehemiah 6:15,16

The wall was nearly done. There were no more broken gaps and only the gates were missing. But instead of the opposition getting less, it got worse. One day Nehemiah got another message from Sanballat and Geshem. “Come to a meeting in a nearby village,” it said.

Nehemiah smelled trouble. He was sure these men were planning to harm him. He sent back word, “I’m busy on a big project.”

They didn’t give up easily. Three more times they called him to a meeting. Finally on the fifth try, the messenger showed Nehemiah another letter from Sanballat. It said, “We know that you and the Jews are plotting a revolution. You’re planning to become king. If you don’t want this reported back to Artaxerxes, you’d better meet with us.”


Still Nehemiah refused to be distracted. “These are all lies,” he wrote back. “You’re making this up out of your head.”

But now even some people inside the city tried to get him away from the job. “Rebuilding the wall isn’t what God wants,” said some of the prophets.

Another man said,“You should go into the temple and hide from the people who are trying to kill you.”

Through all this Nehemiah stayed on the job. When things looked bad, he prayed and kept right on working. It took fifty-two days in all to finish rebuilding the wall. When the nations around saw that Jerusalem was again behind a wall, and that the wall had come up in such a short time, they were frightened. For they knew this could have happened only with God’s help.

We can learn a lot about finishing well from Nehemiah. He planned the work and then didn’t let himself get pulled away from the job by teasing, threats, discouragement or danger. Instead, he prayed about these problems and then kept right on working.

Next time you’re in the middle of a big project and feel like quitting, remember Nehemiah. Say a prayer to God for help, and then keep working till the job is done.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to finish projects well. Amen.

MORE: Working on Projects
When projects are big and take a long time, it’s easy to feel like giving up before they’re done. Here are some hints about tackling projects. Try them on your next one whether it’s making a science fair exhibit, sewing an outfit or whatever.



1. Beginning
a] Get your idea.
b] Gather your materials.
c] Decide on the order or steps of the project.
d] Start on step one.

2. Middle
a] Divide the project steps into small tasks
b] Do a little bit of your project every day.
c] Take a break when you get tired.
d] Pray when there is opposition or you get discouraged

3. End
a] Complete everything, even to the last detail.
b] Clean up after you’re done
c] Celebrate!

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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. 

Trouble

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 4:1-15


TO CHEW ON: "After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, 'Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.' ” Nehemiah 4:14

The people eagerly set to work rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. Each family was responsible to fix the section closest to their home. Everyone helped.

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

But as the piles of rubbish became a strong, thick wall again, there were rumors of trouble. Rulers from the neighboring Samaria and Ammon didn’t want Jerusalem to be strong. They were angry about Nehemiah’s project and made fun of it.


“These feeble Jews think they can bring life back into rubbish,” said Sanballat from Samaria.

“That wall is so weak it would break if even a fox walked on top of it,” said Tobiah from Ammon.

When Nehemiah heard these things, he prayed about them and then kept right on working. Soon the wall was half as high as it had been before.

Then Sanballat and Tobiah began to worry. Secretly they made a plot to come to Jerusalem with an army. News of the plot leaked out to Nehemiah. Again he prayed and then he stationed guards at intervals on top of the wall.


Still more rumors kept coming to Nehemiah. The Jewish people who lived on the borders of Samaria and Ammon came to warn Nehemiah.“They say that wherever we turn, they will attack and kill us unless we stop building.”

But even threats of death didn’t discourage Nehemiah. Instead he made sure that each low section of the wall was guarded especially well. Then he encouraged the workers: “Don’t be afraid of them. Instead think of how great our God is.”

It’s not unusual to get opposition when we’re doing things God has asked us to do. What has God asked you to do – start a Christian club in your school, invite your friends to church, be friends with someone who is unpopular? Whatever it is, don’t be surprised if you get teased, challenged and opposed. Satan doesn’t like it when we take a stand for Jesus. Be like Nehemiah and refuse to be intimidated by mocking, teasing, rumors and threats. Remember that your God is a very big God!

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to trust You and be brave when opposition comes. Amen.


MORE: City Walls
Find out about city walls in Bible times. Using books and the internet, discover:

1. What were city walls made of?

2. How high were they?

3. How wide?

4. What were some tools used in building these walls?

5. How did Bible time builders move materials like rocks, beams and bricks to the tops of these walls without cranes and elevators?

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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. 

Sure Success

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Nehemiah 2:11-20

TO CHEW ON:“The God of heaven will give us success . . .” Nehemiah 2:20a

When Nehemiah got to Jerusalem he took a few days to rest. Then he gathered some men and went to look at the wall. As they circled the city, Nehemiah saw that it was every bit as bad as Hanani had described.


What had once been sturdy walls were now piles of boulders and bricks. Where thick wooden gates had once protected the city, there were now only charred posts and empty spaces. He realized this would be a huge project. But he came back from exploring more determined than ever. With God’s help he would rebuild the wall!


The next day he met with the city leaders. He told them who he was. He explained how he had heard about the broken walls and had prayed to God about them. Then he told how King Artaxerxes had given him permission to come and rebuild the Jerusalem walls.

The men listened closely. As Nehemiah talked they became more and more hopeful. “We’re with you,” they said, when he had explained everything. “Let’s start rebuilding.”



But not everyone was happy about this. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were leaders of the tribes nearby. They didn’t want Jerusalem to be a strong city again. When they saw Hezekiah’s men getting to work on the walls they mocked and threatened them.

But Hezekiah was not scared. “Jerusalem is not your property,” he said. “God in heaven is helping us with this project.” Nehemiah knew that the tribes around would respect God when Jerusalem's walls were strong again. Because this project was for God’s glory, Nehemiah was sure God would give them success.

We need to ask ourselves why our dreams are important to us? Is it because they will bring us fame, attention, money or beautiful things? Or will they bring glory to God. It is for those dreams that God promises success.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to understand why my dreams are important to me. Help me to want Your honor above everything else. Amen.



MORE Jerusalem Before
Nehemiah 2:13-15 describes what Nehemiah saw when he got back to Jerusalem. Draw a picture of what you think Jerusalem looked like before the wall was repaired.

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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. 

From Sadness to Celebration

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Esther 8:11-17

TO CHEW ON: "In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating..." Esther 8:17

Quickly things turned around in Susa. Haman was gone. When Esther told the king that Mordecai was her cousin, he gave Mordecai the job Haman had before. But the king’s law still stood. The Jews were still in danger.


Again Esther went to the king. “Please spare the life of my people,” she pleaded.

“My law from before can’t be overturned,” the king told her. “But you can write another one.”

So Mordecai called together the secretaries. They wrote a new command. It said that the Jewish people could now fight back to defend themselves from anyone who attacked them. Couriers on horses raced to the farthest parts of the land to post the new law.


When the people of Susa heard the news, there was great happiness. On the day that Haman had picked for the slaughter, Jews everywhere fought against their attackers and were successful. Now instead of that day being a day of death and weeping, it became a day of feasting and celebrating.

I’m sure Esther and Mordecai wondered, on those first grim days after Haman passed his law, if they would ever feel like smiling again. But with God’s help everything changed. Instead of tears, a big celebration ended the story.

We too may be in sad times. We may wonder if and how things will ever get better. Like Esther and Mordecai, let’s pray to God about our problems. The God of Esther and Mordecai is our God too. He can still turn sadness into a celebration!

PRAYER: Dear God, I bring my problem of __________ to You. Please change my sadness into celebration. Amen.

MORE: Purim
Every year after that the Jews celebrated the day when God saved them from their enemies through Queen Esther. They called it the Feast of Purim.

The Jewish people still celebrate the Feast of Purim today. Here are some things they do on that day:



1. They read the story of Esther from the Hegillah (the Scroll). They cheer whenever Esther’s name is mentioned, boo at Haman’s name and wave graggers or noisemakers. They also act out the story in plays.


2. They wear costumes, disguises and masks to remind them of how Esther had to hide the fact that she was Jewish.

3. They send gifts to each other and the poor. They also invite people to join them in a special Purim meal.

4. They make special food. One treat is called Hamantaschen (Haman’s Hat). It is a three-cornered pastry filled with poppy seeds or prunes.

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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. 

First Things First

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Haggai 1:1-10

TO CHEW ON: "You have planted much but have harvested little. You eat but never have enough. You drink but never have your fill. You put on clothes but are not warm. You earn wages only to put them in a purse with holes in it." Haggai 1:6

“Pack your things, some of us are going home!” The exciting news spread amongst the exiles in Babylon. Zerubabbel, grandson of King Jehoiachin, led the happy travelers back to Judah.


But when they entered Jerusalem, what a mess they found! Houses were broken down. The streets were full of broken bricks and garbage. The temple was a heap of rubbish.

So the people got to work. They cleaned up the garbage. They made bricks and rebuilt their homes. Some started working on the temple. But they didn’t get very far. It was such a big job, they just quit in discouragement. Instead they worked in their fields, gardens and workshops to earn money to make their own houses nicer. It seemed, though, that no one was doing very well.

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

One day God gave a message to the prophet Haggai. He told Haggai to talk to the people about how they were living.



“God sees that you’re working hard but aren’t getting ahead," Haggai went on. "You plant lots but harvest little. Your food doesn’t satisfy you. Your clothes don’t keep you warm. You earn money but it disappears as if you had holes in your pockets. There’s a reason for this. God is not blessing you because you are thinking only of yourselves and not of Him.”

Aren’t we often like those people? In our busy lives, it’s easy to forget God. And so we don’t read the Bible, pray or gather with others to worship. Should we be surprised then, if God takes His blessing away from us? Life becomes just like the life Haggai described – a lot of effort with little results.

But we can change. We can get our priorities right and put God first. When we do that, we can expect His blessings in all kinds of ways.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to always put You first. Amen.
 
MORE: Choices
Our everyday lives are full of choices. The choices we make show if our first priority is ourselves or God. Below are three situations you could face. Choose the response that shows that God is your first priority.



1. You get your weekly allowance and you:
a] spend it all.
b] save it all.
c] take out one tenth of it to give to God before doing anything else with it.

2. There is a new kid in your class so you:
a] introduce yourself and welcome her to join your group.
b] make fun of her.
c] ignore her.


3. Your parents have you in music lessons so you:
a] practice the bare minimum to get by.
b] work at getting better and developing the talent God gave you.
c] skip out of practicing whenever you can.



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.  

Prison Prayers

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 33:7-13

TO CHEW ON: "And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." 2 Chronicles 33:13

“The Assyrians are coming!” A messenger blurted the news to King Manasseh.

Manasseh called his priests and told them to pray to the gods, check the omens, and make sacrifices. But not to the God of heaven. For Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son and Judah’s king, was not like his dad. Instead of worshiping God, he rebuilt hilltop shrines where people went to pray to statues of Chemosh and Baal.

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

He sacrificed his own sons to idols, was deeply into witchcraft and even built idol altars in the temple. God had tried to talk to Manasseh and the people, but they refused to listen.


The sacrifices Manasseh made that day did no good. He was captured by the Assyrian generals, chained and taken to prison in Babylon. There, in a dungeon and all alone, he had time to think. He remembered the things his father Hezekiah had taught him. He knew what he had done was displeasing to God. Maybe it wasn’t too late. Maybe God would still take him back.

One day he cried out to God. He told God how foolish he had been. He begged God to save his life and set him free.



Soon after the prison keeper unlocked his cell and sent him home. Oh joy!! Now he knew that God was real and powerful. When he got back to Jerusalem, he demolished the idols, shrines and altars. He cleaned up the temple. He told the people that from now on, they were to worship only the Lord God of Israel.

Sometimes God uses hard things like sickness, accidents, tragedies and facing the consequences of our choices to bring us back to Him. How much better to serve God all along than to risk such problems. But then, better the problems that bring us back to God than being separated from Him forever and ever.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for using even troubles to bring us back to You. Amen.

MORE: God’s Invitation
Over and over in the Bible, God invites us to come back to Him if we have gone away. 1 John 1:9 is such an invitation. Can you fill in the missing words from this verse. Use the word bank, below, if necessary.

If we 1. ___ our sins, he is faithful and just and will 2. ____ us our 3. ____ and 4. ____ us from all unrighteousness.

Word bank:
sins   purify
confess   forgive

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. 

A Letter and a Prayer

TODAY’S SPECIAL: 2 Chronicles 32:6-15 & 20,21

TO CHEW ON: “'Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.' And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said." 2 Chronicles 32:7,8

Sennarcherib the fierce king of Assyria had already defeated Israel. Now he had his eye on Judah. He invaded the country with his powerful army. When soldiers surrounded the walled cities near Jerusalem, Hezekiah knew that he would soon be there.

Hezekiah did all he could to get ready. He cut off the water supply to the outside the walls of Jerusalem. He made the walls stronger. But most of all, he encouraged the people. “Don’t look at Sennarcherib’s strong army,” he said to them. “Instead, look at our big God.”

One day a messenger arrived with a letter. It was from Sennarcherib. “What are you trusting in?” the letter asked. “If Hezekiah is telling you that God will save you – he’s lying. Which god of any nation has ever been able to save them from me? None! Your God is no stronger.”

After reading the letter, Hezekiah tore his clothes and put on sackcloth. He told one of his servants to get the prophet Isaiah. Then he and Isaiah went to the temple. Together they cried out to God for help.


Soon a report came to Hezekiah. Three things had happened in the Assyrian war camp. What were they? 2 Chronicles 32:20-21:

1. Sennarcherib was seen writing more letters.
2. God had sent an angel.
3. The angel had annihilated (killed) the soldiers, officers and leaders of Sennarcherib’s army.
4. Sennarcherib’s army conquered Jerusalem.
5. Sennarcherib and what was left of his army went back home.




Have you ever faced an impossible situation like this? Perhaps someone you love is deathly ill and no doctor can help. Or maybe the school bully has turned everyone against you and no one will be your friend. Or your mom has lost her job and there’s not enough money for rent. Whatever your big problem is, be like Hezekiah and take it to God. He is bigger than any problem ever could be. He can help.

PRAYER: Dear God please help me to be quick to take my problems to you. Amen.

MORE: Impossible Rescues
There are many stories of God rescuing people out of impossible situations. Read one of these today to remind you of what an awesome God He is.

1. The Big Chase - Exodus 14:5-31.

2. The Spy who Wasn’t - 2 Kings 6:8-22.

3. Fighting with Trumpets, Torches and Jugs - Judges 7:7-23.

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. 

Give Your Problems to God

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Isaiah 40: 27-31


TO CHEW ON: "Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall; 
 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:30,31

Isaiah continued to remind the people of Judah what God is like. It’s as if he has heard someone complain and say, “God doesn’t see me and my problems. He doesn’t know me or care about me. He’s ignoring me.”

To that Isaiah replied with some facts about God. Complete the things Isaiah told the people, using words from the word bank below: (Isaiah 40:28,29)
1. God is _________
2. He is the __________
3. He doesn’t get _______ or ________
4. Nobody can fathom his ___________
5. Instead of getting weary, he gives ___ and ____

Word Bank
******
power   tired   weary
everlasting   creator
strength   understanding

But they may have asked – and you might too – How does God give us these things? Verse 31 has the answer. God’s strength comes to us when we hope in the Lord.

Hoping in the Lord means that we stop trying to figure out how to solve our problems ourselves. Instead, we tell Him our problems and leave them with Him.

Picture it this way. All your problems are in one heavy backpack. Doesn’t carrying it around make you tired?


Now imagine yourself coming to Jesus with that backpack. Take it off your shoulders. Unzip it. Now as you unpack it, hand each problem to Jesus to take care of (that’s what you do when you pray). Can he fix them? He sure can!

Of course it would be silly to pack up all those problems again and put that heavy pack back on your shoulders. But that’s what you’re doing if you keep worrying. So don’t do that. Instead, zip up that empty pack. Isn’t it light? Why, now you can walk, and run, and practically fly!



PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I want to hope in You. Right now I give you the problem of _____ (name your specific problem). I leave it with you. I won’t worry about it any more. Thank You for helping me. Amen.


MORE: Help!!
Whenever you are tempted to pick up that backpack of problems and start carrying it around again is a good time to remind yourself of God’s many promises to help you. Below are three Bible references with such promises:

Isaiah 41:10

Jeremiah 29:11

Philippians 4:6,7

1. Look them up.

2. Choose a favorite.

3. Write or print it large on an 8½ x 11" paper.

4. Tack the paper up in a place where you will see it often.



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.