Read: Psalm 33:20-22

Aisha very carefully rolled onto her side, trying to get a little more comfortable. At least she was feeling a little better than earlier.

A quiet knock sounded on her door, and Dad came in. “Do you think you could handle some soup?” he asked. Aisha shook her head. “I’m sorry you have to miss Vivian’s party,” Dad said.

“Me too, but I told Vivian she could come over here next weekend. We could have a late birthday celebration—just the two of us.” Aisha rolled over onto her back. “Dad, could you get me another blanket? I’m cold.”

“Sure, honey. Got one right here.”

Aisha smiled as her dad covered her up all the way to her chin. “I’m glad you stayed home from work to take care of me today. When I feel better, can we play a game?”

“That’s a good idea.” Dad sat down on the edge of the bed. “Know what, honey? I appreciate you not getting upset about missing Vivian’s party. Her mom always fixes a big feast for you kids, and I know how much you enjoy it.”

“Yeah,” said Aisha, “but it sure doesn’t sound good today.”

“Well, you and I are having a feast right here at home.”

Aisha opened her eyes in surprise. “A feast? But I can’t eat anything right now, and all you had was soup. That’s not a feast!”

“Not a physical feast,” said Dad. “A spiritual one. The Bible says that when we have a cheerful heart, we have a continual feast. When we remember the hope we have in Jesus—even on bad days—we feast on His goodness and grace, and that affects our attitude and how we respond when things don’t go our way. We can be joyful even in hard times knowing He saved us and is always with us and will one day come back to make all things new—including giving us new bodies that will never get sick.”

Aisha laid her head back on her pillow and sighed. “I can’t wait for that!”

Dad adjusted Aisha’s blanket and turned out the light. “Get some rest now, and before you know it, you’ll be able to give your stomach a feast too.”

–Mary F. Watkins

How about you? Are you having a feast today? It’s no fun to feel sick or have to deal with other hard things. At times like that, you probably wouldn’t describe yourself as cheerful. But if you focus on Jesus and His love and promises—even in times of disappointment—He can help you keep a cheerful attitude. This gives you a different kind of feast—a feeling of joy in spite of circumstances.

Today's Key Verse: The cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15 (NIV)

Today's Key Thought: Trust Jesus even on hard days

Read: Psalm 119:33-40; Matthew 4:4

“Hi, Grandpa,” called Caleb as he and Abigail ran up the porch steps to their grandpa’s house.

“Hi, yourself,” answered Grandpa with a grin. “What are you up to today?”

“We got behind in learning our verses for Bible club,” said Abigail, “so we have to learn a whole bunch of them today. Mom said we could take a break and come over here for a while.”

“Yeah,” said Caleb. “I just don’t see how I’m going to remember all those verses.”

Grandpa smiled. “Do you know your locker combination? And what about your address? Aren’t they hard to remember?”

Caleb shook his head. “They’re easy to remember because I use them all the time.”

“I see,” said Grandpa. “In other words, we remember what we use in everyday life.” He sniffed the air.

“Mmmm…I smell fresh bread!”

Abigail opened the sack she was carrying. “Mom sent this loaf for you.”

“How nice!” Grandpa took the bread and set it on the table next to the lamp. “It looks good there, don’t you think?” He sat down on the sofa and looked at the bread.

Caleb stared at him. “You’re not going to leave it there, are you?”

Grandpa smiled and shrugged. “What else should I do with it?”

Abigail threw up her hands. “Eat it, of course! Just letting it sit there isn’t going to do you any good.”

Grandpa nodded. “I agree. Bread doesn’t do us any good if it’s left on the table—and the Bible doesn’t do us any good if it’s left on the bookshelf! I’ll eat this bread and get energy from it, and if you regularly ‘eat’ God’s Word—if you read it and let it nourish your soul—it will help you grow in your relationship with Jesus. So keep learning those verses! The more you think about them and apply them to your everyday life, the easier they’ll be to remember.”

“Okay, Grandpa,” said Caleb. “We’ll keep ‘eating’ God’s Word and ask Him to use it to help us grow.”

“Good.” Grandpa picked up the loaf. “And now I’m going to eat some of your mother’s bread, and it will help me grow—around my middle!” He patted his stomach, and they all laughed.

–Jan. L Hansen

How about you? Where is your spiritual “bread”? Are you “eating” it—or is it just lying on a shelf? If you haven’t been reading the Bible, why not start now? You can begin with the suggested verses at the top of this page. Ask God to give you encouragement and direction as you think about what you read in His Word. Then trust Him to use it to help you grow in your faith.

Today's Key Verse: Direct my steps by Your word. Psalm 119:133 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Read God’s Word

Read: 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

“I’m sorry to interrupt your schoolwork, boys,” Mom said, “but we should go outside and see the sunset. It’s spectacular tonight.”

Zach and Connor bookmarked their pages and got up from the sofa.

“How do you even know what the sunset looks like tonight, Mom?” Connor asked as he glanced toward the window. “This window faces north. There’s no way you can see the sun from here.”

Zach nudged him. “Moms have eyes—or spies—everywhere. It’s a known fact.”

Mom laughed as she opened the door. “It’s true I see a lot of things. But my only spies are the houses across the street.”

“Huh?” Connor stepped out, squinting around the neighborhood.

“Look at their windows. What do you see?”

The three of them stood on their front steps. “The sunset!” Zach pointed. “I can see it in the neighbors’ windows! That’s how Mom knew what it looked like.”

Dad joined them as they walked down the driveway until they could see the sun in all its glory to the west. “What if the neighbors didn’t have any windows?” Dad asked.

“Then we wouldn’t have known there was a wonderful sunset tonight,” Zach replied.

“That’s right. There’s a spiritual lesson here for us,” Dad said. “The Bible says others can see Jesus in us, almost like we are windows or mirrors reflecting Him. He changes us more and more into His likeness when we spend time with Him and grow in our faith. Then when our neighbors look at our lives, they may see He’s for real and want to know Him themselves. We want others to see wonderful things about Jesus when they look at us.”

“You mean like seeing us do nice things for people? Like forgiving others or taking food to sick neighbors?” Zach asked.

“How about being more patient when younger kids wanna shoot hoops with us?” Connor added.

Dad put an arm around each of the boys as the family walked back to the house. “Yep. Something like that.”

"Cool! Let’s make a list of ways we can be good reflectors before bed,” said Connor.

“Good idea,” said Mom. “Just don’t forget to finish your schoolwork.”

–Robin Steinweg

How about you? How do you reflect Jesus in your life? You might try hard to do good all on your own, but you’ll only end up showing people yourself. To reflect Jesus, you need to belong to Him. (To learn more, go to Have You Heard the Good News?) Then, as you spend time with Him and read His Word, He will renew your mind and transform you from the inside out. Trust Him to help you reflect Him so others can see Him at work in you.

Today's Key Verse: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Today's Key Thought: Reflect Jesus