Read: Matthew 7:7-11

Snow was starting to fall from the sky as Nick looked out his bedroom window, and he let out a sigh of frustration. His cousins were supposed to come that weekend, but if the roads were snowy and slippery, they wouldn’t be able to make it.

Nick missed his cousins and looked forward to their visits a few times each year. He had all kinds of plans for when they arrived, and he even had their sleeping bags already set up in his room.

Nick turned from the window and went downstairs, where his parents had the TV on. “Is it going to be a bad storm?” he asked as the weatherman talked away on the screen.

“We’re not sure yet.” Dad got up. “Help me make some hot chocolate?”

Nick wasn’t really in the mood for hot chocolate even though it was one of his favorite treats, but he followed his dad to the kitchen.

“Hey, don’t look so down,” Dad said as he filled the tea kettle with water. “The roads might be clear enough by morning. We can pray that they will be.”

Nick pulled his favorite mug from the cupboard. “Do you think God cares about this?”

Dad set the tea kettle on the stove and turned to him with raised brows. “Do I think so? I know so. The Bible tells us over and over again how much God cares about us. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to save us so we could start a new life with Him, and that means He cares about every worry or problem we have.”

“So He doesn’t think it’s weird if we ask for the roads to be clear?” Nick asked.

“Not at all,” Dad said. “The Bible says God knows what you need even before you ask Him. He always knows what’s on your heart and mind and wants to help you.”

Dad tossed Nick a bag of marshmallows. “That doesn’t mean the roads will for sure be clear tomorrow. Sometimes He doesn’t answer our prayers the way we ask or expect. But we can always talk to Him about anything that’s on our minds and ask for His help.”

“Okay.” Nick set the marshmallows down and folded his hands. “I’m going to ask right now.”

–Bethany Acker

How about you? When you start to worry about things, do you think to pray? God cares about everything that’s happening in your life—even the “small” things. He knows what you need even before you ask Him for help. He may not always answer your prayers the way you want, but He promises to be with you and help you. Tell Him what’s on your mind, no matter how small it seems.

Today's Key Verse: Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:8 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Pray about anything on your mind

Read: Philippians 2:1-4

Chase stomped his feet to warm them while he waited at the edge of the woods for his grandpa and sister. When they caught up with him, Iris pointed. “What animal made these tracks, Grandpa?”

Grandpa crouched in the fresh snow to peer at the tracks. “Let’s see. Four toes and a heel. And see what a straight line he left? I’d say a fox was here. A fox’s narrow chest lets him place one paw right in front of the other, which is why there’s a single line of prints.”

They followed the trail a little way, and Grandpa pointed out places where squirrels had played tag and rabbits had been hiding. “Wow, Grandpa!” Iris said. “You’re the best tracker in the whole world!” Grandpa laughed. “All tracks tell a story.”

When they got home, Chase sniffed the air. “Yum! Mom’s making pizza, and it smells like it’s ready to eat!”

Iris put away her wooly coat and fuzzy mittens, but Chase dumped his coat on the floor, yanked off his boots, and turned toward the kitchen. Snow clung to the bottom of his pants in small clumps.

“Chase, I can always tell when you’ve been through a room,” Grandpa said, stopping him in the hall. “You leave tracks. And just like animal tracks, what you leave behind tells a story. What kind of story do you think people get from tracks like puddles and coats on the floor?”

“Umm…” Chase thought about it. “That I’m messy?”

“Anything else?” asked Grandpa.

Chase looked down at the puddles on the floor. “I guess it could tell people that I expect someone else to clean up my messes.”

Grandpa nodded. “As Christians, the story we want our actions to tell others is how much Jesus loves them. By acting in unselfish ways—like showing others respect by picking up your things—your actions will leave tracks that tell His story. He cleaned up our mess by dying for our sins, and when we act in thoughtful, loving ways toward others, we point to Him.”

Chase nodded. “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I’ll put away my things and wipe up the puddles on the floor right now.” He grinned. “From now on, you’re going to have a harder time telling where I’ve been!”

–Lisa Nagel

How about you? What kind of story do your tracks tell? Do your actions show others the kindness and love of Jesus—or that you’re only thinking of yourself? If you trust in Jesus, He gives you the power to leave tracks that point others to Him. Even if it’s just in small ways, like cleaning up after yourself or not cutting in line, you can tell His story through kind, loving actions.

Today's Key Verse: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 (CSB)

Today's Key Thought: Your actions leave tracks

Read: Psalm 139:1-12; John 10:11-15

“I shouldn’t have let you see my test paper,” Teo said as he and his friend Joel rode the bus home after school. “I think I should tell Mr. Grant I cheated.”

“Why would you do that?” asked Joel. “You didn’t cheat. I did.”

“But I helped you,” said Teo, “so I cheated too.”

“We’ll never do it again, so nobody will know,” said Joel. “Nobody saw us.”

“God did,” said Teo. “He sees everything.”

“You mean God spies on us?” Joel asked.

“No, but He sees what we do. It’s more like, well…” Teo sighed, not sure how to explain what he meant.

That evening Joel went with Teo’s family to a basketball game in another town. On the way home, they met a car on a two-lane country road. Teo’s dad squinted. “That guy should dim his lights,” he said. “They’re blinding me!”

“Look out!” Mom exclaimed. “There’s a—”

The brakes squealed and the car swerved, then stopped with a thud. A sheep had wandered into the road through a broken fence, but nobody was hurt—not even the sheep. The car had hit a fencepost but wasn’t badly damaged.

“Well, that was exciting,” Joel said when they dropped him off a couple hours later. “It’s lucky nobody got hurt.”

“It was more than luck,” Teo’s mom said. “God was watching over us.”

“That’s it!” said Teo. “That’s what I meant earlier today. God watches us to protect us, not just to catch us doing something bad.”

Dad nodded. “The Bible says Jesus watches those who trust in Him like a Shepherd watching over His sheep. He takes care of us, and when we wander away from Him and do things that are wrong, He offers us forgiveness.”

Joel found Teo at school the next morning. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, “and, well, if you still want to tell Mr. Grant about the test, I’ll go with you.” He sighed. “Do you think God will see us do that too?”

“He sure will!” said Teo. “And if we tell Him we’re sorry for cheating, He’ll forgive us.”

–Barbara J. Westberg

How about you? Did you know that God always sees you? Nothing you do—good or bad—is hidden from Him. He knows we all sin by doing things that are wrong. That’s why Jesus died for our sins—so we could be forgiven. If you’ve done something wrong, confess it to Him and accept His forgiveness. Then trust Him to watch over you as your Good Shepherd.

Today's Key Verse: The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good. Proverbs 15:3 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: God sees everything