Read: Psalm 24

“Want to come over to my house for a while?” Elsa asked as she and Maggie got off the school bus.

“Okay,” said Maggie. “I’ll just have to make sure it’s okay with my mom.”

After checking with Maggie’s mother, the girls had a snack and then went to Elsa’s room. “My mom gave me some of her old dresses,” Elsa said. “We could put them on and pretend to be princesses.”

“Yeah! That would be fun!”

After choosing dresses and putting them on, the girls made paper crowns and walked around in their long princess gowns. They sat on imaginary thrones while imaginary servants did everything they were told.

When Elsa’s brother Stellan walked by, he stopped a moment and looked in. “Your Royal Highnesses,” he said dramatically, “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think you need to fire your royal stylist. Your dresses look old and outdated.”

“They do not!” Maggie said indignantly. “They’re beautiful princess gowns. You’re just jealous because you’re not a prince!”

Stellan laughed. “Whatever,” he said and continued down the hall.

After Maggie went home, Elsa sat down to dinner with her family. Stellan passed her the bread basket. “Have a roll, Your Royal Highness,” he teased. “Tell me, are you able to butter it yourself? If not, just snap your royal fingers and someone will apply the golden butter with a golden knife.” Elsa grinned and made a face at her brother.

“What’s that all about?” asked Dad. When he heard about the girls’ afternoon activities, he surprised Elsa by saying, “You want to know something? You really are a princess—and Stellan is a prince!”

“What?” cried Elsa. “But you’re not a king!”

“No,” said Dad, “but since you both trust Jesus as your Savior, God is your Father, and He’s the King of kings. So in a way, that makes you a princess, right?”

“Cool!” said Elsa. “Maggie will be surprised to hear that! I’ll tell her about it tomorrow.”

“Does Maggie know Jesus?” asked Dad. “Is she a child of the King of kings too?”

“I don’t know,” said Elsa. “I’ll ask her. If not, I’ll tell her she can become a real princess too!”

–Victoria Johnson

How about you? Are you a child of God—the King of kings? If you know Jesus as your Savior, He has saved you from sin and made you God’s child. You might not feel like a prince or princess, but your heavenly Father is the Ruler of the universe! If you haven’t put your faith in Jesus, do it today and He will make you a child of the King of kings. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?)

Today's Key Verse: He is Lord of lords and King of kings. Revelation 17:14 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: God is the King of kings

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: Matthew 6:25-34

Jacob’s throat tightened as he peered out the kitchen window. I wish we didn’t have to move, he thought. I miss my friends and my old school. After wiping his blurry eyes, he heard something chirping outside. “Look, Mom!” Jacob called. “There’s a nest under the roof over there, and a mother robin is sitting over four babies!”

Mom came in from the other room. “You’re right, Jake! The mother bird will protect her babies until they’re ready to fly and live on their own.”

Jacob watched as the male robin flew in and dropped a worm into the mother’s open beak. She ate part of it, then pushed it out and dropped it toward her babies’ throats. The tiny birds stretched their necks skyward, chirping until the worm was gone.

“Those babies don’t ever have to worry,” Jacob said. “They are warm, safe, and well-fed.”

Mom grinned. “Speaking of being well-fed, you need to eat your pancakes and get ready for school.”

Jacob swallowed hard. “Mom, can I stay home? My new school is nothing like my old one. I don’t have any friends here. Besides, I’ve got a huge test today. I’ve studied, but what if I don’t do well?”

Mom sat down. “You’ve gone through a lot of changes lately. It’s not easy attending a new school, is it? But I bet you can find someone to play with at recess and invite them to eat lunch with you. And I’m sure you’ll do fine on the test—you studied well. Just leave the rest to God. Remember what you said about the baby birds never having to worry?”

Jacob wrinkled his brows. “Yeah, but what does that have to do with me?”

“Well, Jake, God is like that mother bird. He loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for us, and we can take refuge in the shadow of His wings. He promises to use everything in your life for good, including the hard stuff. Give Him your worries about making friends and taking tests and trust Him to take care of you and guide you. Just like that mother bird, He will provide everything you need.”

–Linda Champagne

How about you? Do you worry about your problems? Is there something in your life that you’re struggling with right now, like moving or making new friends? Life can be tough sometimes, and God understands that. That’s why He wants you to give all your worries to Him and trust Him to do what’s best for you. He loves you and wants to help you with every problem in your life.

Today's Key Verse: How priceless is your unfailing love, O God! People take refuge in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 36:7 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Don’t worry