Read: Job 1:1-3, 13-21; 3:25; Matthew 6:33-34

Mom found Clare crying in the backyard, watching her dog, Sheba, paw at leaves in the flower bed. “What’s the matter, honey?”

“I don’t want Sheba to get sick,” Clare said. “I know the vet took that lump off her leg, but she said it could come back.”

“It could, but maybe it won’t,” said Mom. “It may never come back.”

“But what if it does?” Clare sniffed. “I don’t want Sheba to die.”

“Of course you don’t,” said Mom, giving Clare a hug. “But worrying about that is keeping you from enjoying her. You look just as sad now as you would if she died.” Mom bent down to pet Sheba. “Do you remember what happened to Job?”

“Job?” asked Clare. “You mean the man in the Bible?”

“Yes,” said Mom. “He had plenty to be happy about—a big family, lots of money. Then he lost everything. After Job’s problems started, he said, ‘What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.’”

“That doesn’t make me feel better,” said Clare.

“Wait! I have a point.” Mom dried a tear from Clare’s cheek. “All those years, he had his family with him. He had prosperity and success. Do you think his worrying helped him enjoy those things?”

“No,” said Clare, petting Sheba’s head.

“And did being afraid of losing everything stop it from happening?” asked Mom.

Clare hugged Sheba. “No. But what can I do about being sad? It doesn’t have an off button.”

“No, but we have a choice when it comes to worrying about sad things that might happen,” said Mom. “We can worry, which doesn’t help anyway, or we can remember that Jesus died for us and will always be with us and thank Him for the good things we have today—like Sheba. We can talk to Him about troubling things and trust Him to work them out. Job did that. He continued to love and believe in God.”

Mom picked up a ball and looked at Sheba, who wagged her tail. “I think she needs a playmate,” said Mom, throwing the ball.

Clare took off running. “Come on, Sheba! I bet I can get that ball before you do.” Sheba quickly caught up with her, and together they raced across the lawn.

–Elise L. Perl

How about you? Do you worry about what might happen tomorrow? If worrying keeps you focused on what might go wrong, you can’t enjoy what you have right now. When you start to worry, pray about the problem, and talk to a parent or another adult about it. Then choose to thank Jesus for the many blessings you do have and enjoy them as you trust in Him.

Today's Key Verse: Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Enjoy your blessings today

Read: Psalm 119:9-16; Acts 2:40-44

Oliver was passing the kitchen door when he heard his little brother’s voice. “Dad, can I please have those shoes? They’re the kind Daryl Stewart wears.”

Oliver grinned and went into the kitchen. “Do you think that since Daryl Stewart is a basketball star those shoes will automatically turn you into a great player?”

Jude shrugged. “They might help.”

“Jude,” said Dad, “you know it’s effort, not a fancy pair of shoes, that will help make you a good basketball player.”

Oliver nodded. “Dad’s right, Jude. If you practice every day, you’ll get better and better, no matter what kind of shoes you wear.”

Jude looked a bit disappointed. “Guess I’ll start practicing then,” he said with a sigh and headed for the door.

Oliver grinned at his dad. “I was about to head over to Bible study at church, but I think I’ll stay and help Jude with his basketball practice instead.”

Dad motioned toward Oliver’s Bible on the kitchen counter. “Grandma gave each of you kids a new Bible for Christmas, didn’t she?” he asked. “Is that it?”

Oliver nodded. “Yep. My name’s on the cover. Isn’t that cool?” He smoothed his hand over the embossed name.

Dad nodded thoughtfully. “Nice shoes and nice Bibles are great, but just having them doesn’t make you a good player or help you grow spiritually, does it?”

It took a moment for Oliver to realize what his dad meant. “You’re saying that just like Jude needs to practice to become a better basketball player, I need to learn from God by spending time in His Word.”

Dad nodded. “And one really great way to do that is to study the Bible with other believers. After all, you can’t learn to play basketball all by yourself, can you? You need to practice and learn from the coach as a team. Jesus never meant for us to live the Christian life alone—He puts other believers in our lives so we can learn to walk with Him together and love and support each other along the way. That’s a big way He shows us who He is, and why church and Bible studies are so important.”

“Okay, Dad,” Oliver said. “I’ll go to Bible study. I don’t want to miss practice with my spiritual team!”

–A. J. Schut

How about you? Do you want to get to know Jesus more and more? To improve in sports, you need to learn the game and spend time practicing. To deepen your relationship with God, you need to learn about who He is, and a good way to do that is to spend time in His Word—both by yourself and with other believers. Spend time with other Christians so you can learn about Jesus together and encourage each other in your walk with Him.

Today's Key Verse: They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Learn with other Christians

Read: 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:12-15

Sierra shut her bedroom door and tossed her backpack onto the bed. She set her cat, Tommy, on the floor. “Stay away from the curtains, Tommy,” she warned. “You know you always get stuck in them.”

Sierra flopped onto her bed and opened her backpack. After digging around a moment, she pulled out a book. “What do you think, Tommy? Should I?”

Tommy didn’t answer. He was staring at the lace curtain waving in the breeze from the window.

Sierra tossed the book onto the bed beside her. “I know Mom told me not to read these kinds of books, but all my friends read them. They can’t be that bad, can they?” She picked the book up again. The cover looked interesting. She flipped it over and read the back for the tenth time. A few pages couldn’t hurt.

Sierra opened the book and soon had read several pages. Then a quick movement made her jump. It was only Tommy, she realized with relief. He had pounced on the curtain. His claws were caught in the fabric, and he hung down, his full length stretched out. He was helpless.

“Silly cat, leave the curtain alone!” Sierra freed him, and he marched across the room and sat with his back to the curtain.

Sierra turned to her book again. She knew she shouldn’t read any more, but soon she was engrossed again. She had finished the first chapter when a sound caught her attention.

She looked up and stared in disbelief. Tommy was hanging from the curtain again. The temptation had been too great. Sierra began to laugh.

“Tommy, you should know better, after all the times you’ve gotten stuck. Resist the temptation! You should—”

Sierra stopped and stared at Tommy and then at the book in her hand. She dropped the book as though it were on fire. I’m acting just like Tommy, she thought. But he can’t resist temptation, and I can, because Jesus gives me the power to say no to sin.

She loosened Tommy from the curtain again, then picked up the book and placed it in her backpack. “I’m going to return this book and ask Jesus to forgive me for disobeying Mom,” she told her cat. “I don’t want to become ensnared like you!”

–Christa Long

How about you? Have you ever given in to temptation and regretted it later? When you give in to sinful desires, it’s easy to get stuck. But there’s good news—Jesus gives us the power to resist temptation. Confess the wrong you’ve done to Him, and He will forgive you and help you do what’s right.

Today's Key Verse: God is faithful…When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)

Today's Key Thought: Resist temptation